Tifton 44 Bermudagrass

Tifton 44 is a hybrid, forage bermudagrass released in the spring of 1978 by Dr. Glenn W. Burton from the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Georgia. It is a cross between Coastal bermudagrass and a bermudagrass that had survived in Berlin, Germany, for 15 years before it was collected by Dr. Burton in 1966. Tifton 44 is the best of a large number of hybrid bermudagrasses screened for winter hardiness at the Georgia Mountain Experiment Station, Blairsville, Georgia.

Comparisons

Tifton 44 is a fine-stemmed hybrid that must be propagated vegetatively. Compared with Coastal bermudagrass, Tifton 44 is darker green, has finer stems that cure faster when cut for hay, has more rhizomes, and makes a denser sod. Winter hardy, Tifton 44 survived the severe winter of 1995-96 in areas where other bermudagrasses winter-killed. Also, Tifton 44 shows more resistance to foliage diseases than Midland bermudagrass.

 Feed Value

Research shows Tifton 44's feed value to be as good or better than Coastal bermudagrass' value. A 2-year average showed Tifton 44 gave 19 percent better average daily steer gains than Coastal when grazed. Gains were similar at the beginning of the grazing season but became increasingly better with Tifton 44 as the season progressed. Other tests show 5-week-old Tifton 44 hay to have a digestibility of 65 percent. Samples from fields in Mississippi show crude protein values above 16 percent, crude fiber values near 25 percent, and TDN values near 66 percent on a dry-matter basis.

 Early Growth

Tifton 44 starts growing earlier in the spring than other bermudagrasses. Mississippi growers have experienced growth 2 to 3 weeks earlier than with Coastal. Since it has more rhizomes and the joints tend to be closer together on the rhizomes, established stands produce a dense, earlier spring cover than do other improved bermudagrasses. This is especially true in the second year after the grass is fully established. The early growing, dense sod helps it to get ahead of spring weeds.

Cultural Practices

The cultural practices for Tifton 44 are similar to those for Coastal. When there is enough growth, burn fields between February 15 and March 10 to remove previous seasons' dead growth. Be careful to get a quick burn, since rhizome injury may occur with intense fire where excessive dense growth was left from the last season. Burning removes the shade and helps warm up the soil for new growth. Where sprigs (rhizomes) are to be dug, burning assures a high percentage of live plant material for new plantings.

After burning, apply lime, fertilizer, and weed control chemicals as needed. However, these practices may vary, depending upon how the growth is to be used.

Fertilization

Determine all lime, phosphate, and potash requirements by a soil test analysis. Mix the lime and fertilizer well with the soil for new plantings. If soil tests are not available, use 500 pounds of 13-13-13 or equivalent. Generally, you will need 1 to 1½ tons of lime per acre for new plantings on soils outside the prairies. After growth starts, you will need some 50 to 70 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre at monthly intervals. Maintenance requirements for N-P-K for established stands of improved bermudagrasses usually require an annual 4-1-2 ratio and on light sandy soils may require a 4-1-3 ratio. Lime at 1 ton per acre every 3 years is usually required.

Establishment

You can establish Tifton 44 in the same way as Coastal. It produces an abundance of underground rhizomes that you can dig early in the spring for early plantings. Some Mississippi growers start digging sprigs in March and may continue digging into the summer months. Some growers have established fields using top growth, but in order to do this, the growth needs to become fairly mature and jointy. This top growth will not stand as much dry weather and abuse as Alicia bermudagrass. Tifton 44 establishes itself more slowly than Alicia and no faster than Coastal. Tifton 44 compensates, however, for this slow growth the next spring. Much of the first summer's growth is in rhizome development.

When you buy sprigs of any improved bermudagrass, be careful to get weed-free sprigs. Nutgrass, wild onions, and common bermudagrass are noxious weeds and should be eliminated as much as possible. Common bermudagrass is often the worst weed in hybrid bermudagrass, since it is often almost impossible to eliminate. A good start in helping to reduce noxious weeds is to obtain sprigs from a registered or certified grower. Several growers of Tifton 44 are located in Mississippi, and an increasing number are establishing new fields. Some 1.25 cubic feet of sprigs are in one bushel. Multiply the length times the width times the height of a truck bed or wagon to get the volume then divide by 1.25 to get the number of bushels this volume will hold. When selling the sprigs, agree on volume and price before leaving, since sprigs settle during hauling.

An average 6-foot by 8-foot pickup bed 1½ feet deep holds 55 to 60 bushels when firmed. This amount will plant about 2 acres when planted broadcast. If you use this method, cover the sprigs by disking into moist soil and follow with a cultipacker. This will help the roots start to grow and keep the soil from drying out. Commercial planters usually plant from 10 to 35 bushels per acre, depending on row width. If you hand-separate and plant sprigs by hand or with a sweetpotato-, cabbage-, or pepper-type planter, you can spread 5 to 10 bushels can over an acre. For ideal planting, place part of the plant in moist, firm soil with a small amount of the plant above ground. However, since bermudagrass is a rhizome-producing grass, new plants will emerge from sprigs planted below the surface, and you can get good stands from planters that completely cover the sprigs. With these planters, make certain sprigs are covered about 2 inches deep, depending on soil texture and moisture. Deeper plantings have failed to emerge, especially following heavy rainfall and/or cool, damp weather.

 Weed Control

Weeds compete for light, fertilizer, and moisture and should be controlled, especially during bermuda- grass establishment. Well-fertilized, established bermudagrass grown on good bermudagrass-growing soil will do a good job in competing with weeds. However, chemical control might be needed on thin stands, especially during establishment of new stands.

Several chemicals are available for controlling weeds during establishment and for established stands of bermudagrass. Preplant and post-emergence herbicides for weed control in bermudagrass are available. Extension Publication 1532, Weed Control Guidelines for Mississippi, and Extension Information Sheet 945, Forage Weed Control in Pastures, have current information on chemical weed control. If chemicals cannot be used to control weeds during establishment, clip the new fields at 3- to 4-week intervals. Follow each clipping with 50 to 60 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre to stimulate fast growth of the bermudagrass.

Part of this information is from the notice of release of Tifton 44 statement from the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Georgia, Georgia Coastal Plain Station, Tifton, Georgia, and the USDA Science and Education Administration. The information given here is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended against other products. Since company labels are subject to change, check current labels for details and changes.

Information Sheet 1086
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director