Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

Description

Morphology

Perennial, usually short (20-40 cm), with the possibility of reaching 70 cm, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, forming a rather dense lawn. Long stems, lying rooted to the nodes. Short (5-15 cm), thin (2-5 mm), flat, sharp, smooth, or hairy leaves. Hairy ligule. Inflorescence in the shape of fingered ears.
Grain coated in lemma. 0,2 g for 1000 grains.

Geography

It is globally spread: around the Mediterranean basin, in Continental Europe (very cold winters), North America, India, in the tropical regions, and even in Sahara.

Culture

Chemical Composition

In %	Water	Nitrogen	Fat	Soluble carbohydrates	Fibrous carbohydrates	Ashes
Forage: green
Forage: hay

Usage

With the very average food value, the grass is however very resistant to the trampling and grazing of animals. Therefore it is recommended for permanent grassland.

Techniques

Seedlings	Period	Spacing	Depth	Amount sown
In rows		– cm	– cm	– kg/ha

Far from demanding with respect to climatic conditions, it very well tolerates heat and drought, though certain varieties (requiring more water) do not tolerate frost. It has very strong winter dormancy, with plants looking withered. Bermuda Grass is located on low fertility lands where other forage plants are less successful. On fertile lands, Bermuda Grass quickly becomes invasive. These characteristics lead some to treat it as a weed.
It multiplies by division of stumps.

In q/ha	In green	In hay	In grain
Yield	60-120	15-30	1-2

This is in particular the case in Mediterranean countries, where its tolerance to the drought makes it possible to obtain a quality turf without a large consumption of water for irrigation.

External Links

Cynodon dactylon on wikipedia.org