dougheath@ncgrass.com
HEATH GRASS SPRIGGING
Info & Varieties
What Is Bermuda Grass?
Bermudagrass is a warm season grass native to Southeast Africa that is used for pasture and hay over much of the southern United States. It is a deep rooted, sod-forming grass that spreads by stolons and rhizomes growing to a height of 15-24 inches. It serves as the forage ase for many livestock enterprises because of its high forage production capability and the management flexibility that it provides. Varieties differ in performance characteristics relating to establishment, adaptation, forage production and forage quality. Consequently, deciding which bermudagrass variety to plant is important. Bermudagrass is not planted by seed, but by sprigs.
What is Grass Sprigging?
Sprigging is done by a machine in which grass sprigs are deposited in an in-line pattern on the earth's surface by the use of a trenching disc. This trenching disc is aligned with each discharge trough for forming a narrow trench in the earth's surface into which grass sprigs are deposited 1-2" deep.
We offer four varieties of bermuda grass: Midland 99, Certified Ozark, Certified Tifton 85, & Tifton 44.
For quality assurance, we grow and dig our own sprigs. Contact us to see how we can provide custom sprigging for your individual needs.
For information on the care of these grasses, you can see our Care Guide.
Midland 99 (Certified)
Midland 99 forage bermuda grass was officially released in 1999 by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station in cooperation with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and the Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri Agricultural Experiment Stations. Midland 99 is a dependable, highly productive variety that is widely adapted to the upper south.
Midland 99 is similar to Midland and Tifton 44 in morphology and growth habit. Like Midland and Tifton 44, Midland 99 has relatively tall, upright growth in comparison to more decumbent varieties such as Greenfield. The more upright, taller growing varieties are often referred to as "hay types" and the more decumbent varieties as "grazing types". The stem diameter, shoot length, and leaf width of Midland 99, Midland and Tifton 44 are similar. The leaves of Midland 99 tend to be longer (2-4 cm) than those of Midland and Tifton 44. Midland 99 typically produces seed heads later and less prolifically than Midland, Tifton 44 and Greenfield. However, very few seeds are produced in the heads.
Ozark (Certified)
Ozark was jointly released in 2001 by the Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Stations, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.
Ozark's superior cold tolerance, stand persistence, adaptation, production and quality make it unique among released bermudagrass varieties. Ozark, like Midland, Midland 99, and Tifton 44 is relatively upright and tall growing in comparison to Greenfield. The stem diameter, shoot length, leaf length, and leaf width of Ozark are similar to Midland and Tifton 44 and slightly smaller in size than Midland 99. Ozark typically produces seed heads later and less profusely than Midland 99. Its excellent stand persistence in humid environments suggests, as do field observations, that it has good resistance to diseases that may cause stand thinning. Ozark produces few seeds and must be established by sprigging.
In almost every yield trial conducted, it has yielded as much or more forage than any other variety. The forage quality of Ozark, as indicated by laboratory tests of digestibility, crude protein, and crude fiber has been similar to or better than, other high-yielding bermudagrass varieties.
Our certified sprigs were purchased from Oklahoma Foundation Seed Stock.
Tifton 44
Tifton 44 is a hybrid Bermuda grass released by the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Georgia, in cooperation with the ARS and USDA in 1978. It is a fine stemmed F1 hybrid that must be sprigged. Compared with Coastal Bermuda, Tifton 44 is darker green, has finer stems that cure faster when cut for hay, has more rhizomes, is a little shorter, makes a denser sod and is more winter hardy than other Bermudas tested. It starts growth earlier in the spring than most Bermuda grasses tested at Tifton. Tifton 44 is more resistant to foliage diseases than many varieties.
Tifton 44 has large roots, it can be planted as early as March due to its root system. Planted in March, Tifton 44 might still be dormant. However, when planted in dormancy, Tifton 44 will have higher levels of stored food reserves to initiate growth once temperatures are warm enough for growth. Tifton 44 planting dates are generally March through June.
Tifton 85 (Certified)
Tifton 85 is a new hybrid Bermuda grass released by the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in 1992. It averaged 26% more dry matter and was 11% more digestible than coastal in small plot tests. It has outperformed Coastal and Tifton 78 in replicated grazing trials. It is proven cattle gain faster on Tifton 85. To date it has not been extensively tested in North Carolina. Winter hardiness is undetermined but appears to be no greater than Tifton 78.
Tifton 85 is our fastest establishing bermuda. The stolens can grow three inches a day, develop roots and a plant at each node when soil moisture and growing conditions are favorable. Tifton 85 is cold sensitive and your climate plays a vital role. Tifton 85 planting dates are generally April through June.
Agricultural Research Article, August 1992
