Temperature Effects On the Completion of Germination of Nineteen Commercially Available Seeded Bermudagrass Cultivars.

Seed propagated bermudagrass (Cynadon dactylon L.) is quickly becoming the preferred method of establishment for applications such as athletic turf.  However, there are distinct differences in the time and temperature requirements for the completion of germination with in cultivars of seeded bermudagrasses.  This study investigated the temperature requirements for 19 commercially available cultivars listed in the 2009 NTEP bermudagrass trial.  Four replications of approximately 50 seeds were imbibed on blotter paper in petri dishes and placed in growth chambers for 21 days.  Each cultivar was tested at 20 year average (day/night) temperatures for 15 May, 1, 15 June, 1, 15 July, and 1 August. Daily germination counts were recorded for statistical analysis and comparison of the mean germination time and coefficient of uniformity of germination.   Preliminary analysis indicates that temperature has a significant effect on the completion of germination in relation to mean germination time between the cultivars of the seeded bermudagrasses.