Bermuda grass is a warm-season perennial grass native to Africa that has been used as forage in Southern US agriculture for over 250 years. The document discusses the botanical description, history, morphology, nutritional attributes, production technology including soil and climate requirements, varieties, establishment methods, and management practices for Bermuda grass such as fertilization, irrigation, weed control, and harvesting as hay, grazing or cuttings to maximize yield and quality.

2. Production Technology of Bermuda grass
Presented To: Dr. Muhammad Asif
Presented By: M.Shahzad Alam
Semester: 8th Agronomy
Roll No: BAGF14E301
DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY, University college of agriculture UNIVERSITY OF
Sargodha, SARGODHA.

3. Botanical description
• Common name: Bermuda grass
• Botanical name: Cynodon dactylon(L.)
• Family: Poaceae
• Genus: Cynodon
• Species: dactylon

5. History
• Bermudagrass is native to southeast Africa.
• In the United States, the earliest mention of bermudagrass in the
United States comes from the diary of Tomas Spalding, a
prominent antebellum agriculturalist in Georgia.
• As early as 1807, bermudagrass was referred to as one of the
most important grasses in the South, and it has been a part of
Southern agriculture for at least 250 years.

6. Morphology
• Bermuda grass is a highly variable, hardy, long-lived perennial
grass, and one of the most used warm-season forages in the world
(Hacker et al., 1998).
• This stoloniferous and rhizomatous grass forms dense leafy mats
that can reach 10-40 cm (-90 cm) high (FAO, 2012; Ecocrop,
2012).
• The root system mostly develops within 0-25 cm depth but can go
as deep as 70-80 cm in sandy soils.
• The underground biomass is mostly rhizomatous.
• Creeping stolons spread rapidly and may be as long as 20 m, and
may be 10-90 cm high (Ecoport, 2012; Quattrocchi, 2006).

7. Nutritional attributes
• Bermuda grass is considered a medium quality forage.
• Typical chemical composition of fresh Bermuda grass is 9-16%
protein, 45-85% NDF and 20-45% ADF (DM basis).
• Cultivars with higher OM and NDF digestibility and better
nutritive value have been developed.
• Bermuda grass hay is usually of lower quality than the fresh
forage.
• it contains about 10% protein, 75% NDF and 36% ADF (DM
basis).
• Young vegetative Bermuda grass or well N-fertilized grass have
higher nutritive values.

8. Production Technology

9. Soil
• It grows well on a wide variety of soils from heavy clays to deep
sands, provided the soil has fertility.
• It can tolerate both acid and alkaline soil and is highly tolerant to
saline conditions.
• Bermuda grass can survive some flooding but does best on well-
drained sites.
• Although it may persist under low fertility, Bermuda grass has a
high nitrogen requirement for good quality turf.

10. Climate
• Beamuda grass is a warm season perennial species adapted to
tropical and subtropical climates.
• It grows best under extended periods of high temperatures, mild
winters and moderate to high rainfall.

11. Rainfall
• It grow best with 25 to 100 inches of annual rainfall, but it also
survives in arid climates along waterways and in irrigated areas.

12. Planting time
• Plant common bermudagrass seeds in April or May.
• Bermuda seeds germinate in seven to ten days and fully grows in
grass within 60 to 90 days.

13. Planting
• Bermudagrass is commonly propagated by planting plant parts
such as rhizomes or sprigs(underground storage roots), stolons
(above-ground runners), or tops (mature stems).
• Only non-hybrids such as Giant and NK37 can be planted by seed.
• Stolons and tops are planted in the late spring through early fall as
moisture for “rooting” is critical.
• Stolons and tops are subject to desiccation or rapid drying in dry
soils.

14. Depth of planting
• Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep in the soil.
• The depth of planting and plant food content of the roots affect the
rate of emergence of the bermudagrass sprigs.

15. Varieties
• Common Bermuda grass
• Giant Bermuda grass
• Ormond Bermuda grass
• Jackpot Bermuda Grass
• Oasis Blend La
• Prima Sahara
• Princess 77
• Triangle Blend Yukon

16. Seed Rate
• Plant common bermudagrass seeds at a rate of 2.5 to 5 kg of seed
per acre.
• If moisture conditions are good or if the area is irrigated, it is
possible to produce stands from seeds planted as late as June.

17. Fertilizer
• A fertilizer application of 150 to 200 kg of nitrogen during the
growing season is considered a profitable amount.
• Nitrogen should be split into two or three applications during the
summer.
• The first application should be made on May 1 with additional
applications at six-week intervals.
• Application of phosphorous and potassium should be based on soil
test
recommendations and applied with the first application of nitrogen
each year.

18. Irrigation
• During the season, 14 to16 irrigations may be needed to produce
the crop.
• Water to a soil depth of 4 to 6 inches.
• Bermuda grass needs a weekly application of about 1 to 1¼ inches
of water.
• On sandy soils it often requires more frequent watering, for
example, ½ inch of water every third day. It is often necessary to
irrigate an area for 3 to 5 hours to apply 1 inch of water.

19. Common weeds
• Nut sedge.
• Bahia grass.
• Sandspurs.

20. Weed Control
• The control of weeds and weedy grasses is very important in
establishing bermudagrass because young emerging plants are
susceptible to shading.
• It is also difficult to get a good establishment when undesirable
weeds and grasses compete for water and nutrients.
• There are several methods to control weed growth in
bermudagrass pastures, but the use of herbicides such as 2,4-D and
Karmex are probably the most important.

21. Disease
• Bermudagrass leaf spot is a disease that decreases yields, nutritive
value, and palatability.
• Leaf rust has similar impacts.
• Both diseases typically appear in late summer when weather is
warm, usually between 23°C and 32°C, with high relative
humidity.
• Heavy infestations can decrease both hay yields and hay quality.

22. Management practices
• There are few management practices that are effective in
decreasing risk of disease infection including:
1) Selecting a resistant bermudagrass variety.
2) Maintaining soil fertility.
3) Managing irrigation.
4) Harvesting forage in a timely manner.

23. Pasture, cut-and-carry systems
• Bermuda grass is one of the most grazing-resistant grasses and can withstand
heavy grazing once established.
• Grazing can start once the stand is 30-40 cm high and in full bloom.
• Cutting/grazing height should be about 5-10 cm in order to keep a good stand
density.

24. Hay and haylage
• Bermuda grass makes good quality hay and haylage.
• As a fine-stemmed leafy species, Bermuda grass cures quickly.
• It can be tightly packed in bales and maintain good nutritive value
during storage (Hacker et al., 1998).
• It should not be cut too late as its nutritive value (protein content)
drops with maturity. Six cuts can be taken per year (Cook et al.,
2005)

25. Grazing
• Grazing should begin when the bermudagrass is 6-8 inches tall,
and when it is grazed to 3-4 inches, cattle should be moved to
another pasture.
• If bermudagrass reaches 8 inches or more in height, it should be
clipped or cut for hay.
• Clipping the whole pasture after grazing to a uniform height of 3-4
inches is recommended

26. Cuttings
• Bermudagrass should be cut at four- to five-week intervals or
when it is 12 to 15 inches tall.
• When the forage is 12 to 15 inches tall, a delay of two weeks or
more can result in the loss of regrowth and quality.

27. Yield
• DM yields are about 5-15 t/ha (FAO, 2012).

28. References
• https://www.feedipedia.org/node/471
• Bermudagrass Production in North Carolina