Taxonomy - DNA Classification:

CHAMPION is a triploid, hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x Cynodon transvaalensis) with a chromosome number of 2n = 27.

Characterization by replicated DNA amplification fingerprint analysis has shown CHAMPION to be distinctly different from the hybrid bermudagrass cultivars - Tifdwarf, Tifgreen, and Tifway.

DNA amplification fingerprint analysis further indicates t hat CHAMPION may have originated as a somatic mutant or sibling of Tifdwarf hybrid bermudagrass, sharing much of the same genetic identity with Tifdwarf.

Origin

CHAMPION is a dwarf hybrid bermudagrass that was selected by Morris Brown in 1987 from a golf green which had been planted with Tifdwarf hybrid bermudagrass in the late 1960’s.

Top-veiw photograph of plugs taken from a green with sand washed off to reveal the quantity of rhizomes and stolons of Tifdwarf on the left and CHAMPION on the right. The green from which plugs were taken had been mowed at 1/8" from Spring until photo was taken in October.

Side-view photograph of plugs.

Close-up photograph of the plug of CHAMPION revealing the quantity of rhizomes and stolons, and the depth of mat.

Shoot Density** Comparisons of CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrass genotypes under greens maintenance

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.

**Comparative shoot density for CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrasses mowed at 1/8" (3mm) during the Summer and Fall. Means of four replications assessed on 11/2/95 at Bay City, Texas.

One of the most important components of turfgrass quality is density. Of particular concern for bermudagrass greens is maintaining shoot density at increasingly lower mowing heights. With improvements in equipment and increasing sophistication of golfers, it is now common to find greens regularly mowed at 1/8 of an inch. At this height, adequate shoot density becomes critical in order to prevent sunlight from reaching the surface of the soil. When shoot density is not adequate, weed invasion become more of a problem, and given the daily irrigation most greens receive, algae begins to grow on the soil.

CHAMPION has a 93% greater density than Tifdwarf bermudagrass at 1/8" mowing height. This shoot density approaches that of some creeping bentgrass cultivars.

The rates of stolon formation and development were quantitatively assessed based on the number of lateral stems extending outward from the perimeters of replicate containers. Direct comparisons showed that CHAMPION exhibited significantly greater lateral stem development than Tifdwarf, Tifway, or Tifgreen. This extraordinary rate of lateral stem development is a morphological mechanism that contributes substantially to a distinctly more rapid rate of turf establishment and more rapid turf recovery from damage in comparison to the other three cultivars.

Lateral stem development of CHAMPION is:

2.6 Times greater than Tifdwarf

2.5 Times greater than Tifway

2.8 Times greater than Tifgreen

Stolon Number** Comparisons Among Four Bermudagrass Cultivars

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.

**Count of the total number of stolons extending outward laterally from the 638 mm perimeter of a replicate container after 16 days of growth.

CHAMPION has a terminal un-mowed height of approximately 25mm (1 inch).

Highest recommended mowing height is approximately 13mm (1/2 inch).

In the eight years that CHAMPION has been grown at Bay City, Texas in multiple containers and in multiple field plots in sizes up to 4 acres, the formation of an inflorescence or seedhead has never been observed. This unique and distinct characteristic has not been observed on other commercially available bermudagrass cultivars.

The photograph below shows the track of a wear wheel placed on the Tifdwarf on the left and CHAMPION on the right. The wheel was turned 1,900 revolutions approximately 2 weeks earlier. CHAMPION sustained considerably less damage from wear stress than Tifdwarf.

Close-up photo of the track of the wear wheel on Tifdwarf 10 days after wear stress was imposed.

Close-up photo of the track of the wear wheel on CHAMPION 10 days after wear stress was imposed.

Wear was imposed by a revolving wheel wear simulator which was run for 1,900 revolutions and then stopped when there were no leaves remaining on the Tifdwarf shoots. CHAMPION demonstrates dramatically improved resistance to wear compared to Tifdwarf bermudagrass on a green mowed at 1/8". 

This can be partially attributed to the much greater density of CHAMPION and a more substantial mat formation below the surface of the soil. This cushion lessens the crushing effect of traffic.

The weight of the shoot biomass (above surface) of CHAMPION was 58% greater than the weight of the Tifdwarf shoot biomass before imposition of wear stress, and the shoot biomass of CHAMPION was 32% greater by weight than that of Tifdwarf after the imposition of wear stress.

Comparative assessments of wear resistance of CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrass mowed at 1/8" Summer and Fall. Wear was imposed by 1,900 revolutions of a wheel wear simulator on 11/8/95.

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

Photograph showing encroachment of Tifway from the greens collar into Tifdwarf on green. Each stolon was lifted and then measured and counted. Separation had been maintained untill green was well established in order to fix the location of the separating line, then as mowing of the green began, grasses were allowed to encroach for a 6 month period.

A photograph showing absence of encroachment of Tifway from collar into CHAMPION on green.

This picture shows invasion of CHAMPION into Tifdwarf on right. The single string on the left indicates the original line of separation. The double string line on the right indicates the average distance of invasion of CHAMPION into Tifdwarf.

CHAMPION demonstrated superior resistance to encroachment from the Tifway bermudagrass growing on an adjacent collar.

This addresses the problem of greens "shrinking" over time due to encroachment from surrounding grasses.

Comparative assessments of the resistance to encroachment into the CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrass greens by the Tifway bermudagrass collar measured from their common planting borders. Tifway collar was mowed at 1/2" and the green at 1/8". 

Planting date was 4/1/95. Assessment date was 11/8/95.

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same columnare not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test. 

CHAMPION dominates the cultivars Tifdwarf and Tifgreen growing on the same green. On a green mowed at 1/8 inch, CHAMPION invaded areas which had been previously held by the other two grasses. Neither Tifdwarf nor Tifgreen encroached into the CHAMPION area.

In a polystand situation with either of these two cultivars, CHAMPION would dominate. This characteristic should help ensure that a monostand of CHAMPION would remain a monostand by resisting encroachment from contaminating grasses.

One cold avoidance mechanism of bermudagrasses is to have living plant material from which a new plant can be generated growing well below the surface of the soil. This allows the plant to recover when the tissues on top of the ground are damaged or killed by cold weather. On a green mowed at a very low height (1/8 inch), CHAMPION has living stolons/rhizomes growing at a considerably greater depth than does Tifdwarf.

 This provides CHAMPION with a special morphological mechanism by which to avoid and/or recover from cold damage more readily.

CHAMPION Dwarf Bermudagrass has been successfully overseeded using a variety of techniques and seed varieties. Although using perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) as an overseed requires considerable vertical mowing to open the dense CHAMPION turf, smaller-seeded grasses such as rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) have been used successfully without severe verticutting. Because of CHAMPION’s great density and characteristic of growing later into the fall compared to Tifdwarf, the use of growth regulators and/or more vigorous vertical mowing and scalping may be necessary to successfully overseed in locations where the soil temperature is still warm (significantly above 72 oF ) at the desired time of overseeding.

CHAMPION greens have been successfully overseeded throughout the United States.Pictured below are overseeded CHAMPION greens in Arizona, California, and Texas.

Morphological Characterization:

Compared to all other named commercially available bermudagrass cultivars, CHAMPION has the extraordinary morphological characteristics of a very minimal vertical leaf extension rate, while at the same time sustaining a rapid, dense, lateral stem growth. It is a very low- growing cultivar with improved tolerance to extraordinarily close cutting heights. Furthermore, the rapid spread of lateral stems enables CHAMPION to recover more rapidly from turf damage, divoting, and ball marks, in comparison to other cultivars.

One of the more unique traits of CHAMPION is that it does not routinely form a seedhead. No inflorescence of any kind has been observed in 8 years of cultivation in Bay City, Texas.

Detailed Morphological Characteristics:

• a unique, slow vertical leaf extension rate.
• a very low growth habit with vigorous, rapid lateral stem growth by stolons and rhizomes.
• a high shoot density that produces a uniform, high-quality turf surface.
• absence of inflorescence or seedhead formation
• the leaves are folded in the bud shoot.
• the leaf blades are flattened to v-shaped in cross section, keeled, and gradually tapering to an acute point.
• the leaf width is in the order of 1 mm under very close mowing.
• the ligule at the junction of the leaf blade and leaf sheath is a fringe-of-hairs.
• there is no auricle present.
• the collar on the opposite side from the ligule is a continuous, narrow band.
• the internode length of stolons is in the order of 12 to 13 mm.
• the lateral stems, both stolons and rhizomes, branch profusely at the nodes.
• each node-cluster produces three leaves.
• the roots originate from nodes and are fine, fibrous, and dense.
• the unmowed terminal shoot growth height is approximately 25 mm (1 inch).

Formation of mat (stolons, rhizomes, sand) just below the surface of the soil is critical to give a green its cushioning effect in order to withstand traffic from golfers and equipment. A greater number of lateral stems underground also gives grass the ability to recover more quickly when the surface is damaged.

CHAMPION forms a firm, vigorous mat with nearly 3 times the depth of Tifdwarf at a 1/8" mowing height. This gives CHAMPION improved wear tolerance and ability to recover from injury

Formation of Mat** Comparisons of CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrass genotypes under greens maintenance

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.
**Comparative depth of mat for CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrasses mowed at 1/8" (3mm) during the Summer and Fall. Means of four replications assesed on 11/19/95 at Bay City, Texas.

A veiw showing a test green with CHAMPION in foreground and Tifdwarf in background. The photo was taken at 7:30 am in September. The green had not yet been mowed and was last mowed at 8:00 am the previous day at 1/8" height. The distinct line between the two grasses is created by the settling of dew on the longer leaves of Tifdwarf, but not on the shorter leaves of the CHAMPION

A close-up photograph of the picture above. Consistant formation of dew can also be seen on the Tifgreen collar in the background.

A photograph with Tifdwarf on left andCHAMPION on right growing in calcined clay. Both were trimmed by hand at height of 1/4" untill February, then not mowed again, only fertilized and watered. This picture, taken in mid August, demonstrates the very short terminal height ofCHAMPION as compared to Tifdwarf as well as the distinct lateral orientaton of growth.

A detailed assessment of the vertical leaf extension rate under close mowing of 6.4 mm (1/4 inch) revealed that CHAMPION has a significantly slower vertical leaf extension rate than the other three hybrid bermudagrass cultivars being assessed. This characteristic contributes to less resistance to ball roll and hence greater ball speed as well as giving a more consistent putting surface several hours after mowing.

Vertical leaf extension rate of CHAMPION is:

56% Slower than Tifdwarf

73% Slower than Tifway

82% Slower than Tifgreen

Vertical Leaf Extension Rate** Comparisons Among Four Bermudagrass Cultivars

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test

**Measurements made on 10 leaves per replicate container over 18-day growing period.

Measurements of leaf blade widths showed CHAMPION to have a narrow leaf blade width and allied fine turf canopy texture. The leaf blade width of CHAMPION was found to be significantly more fine than the other three hybrid bermudagrass cultivars being assessed.

The Leaf Blade of CHAMPION is:

13.8% More fine than Tifdwarf

23.1% More fine than Tifway

36.3% More fine than Tifgreen

Leaf Blade Width** Comparisons Among Four Bermudagrass Cultivars

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.

**Measured at the midpoint length of the youngest, fully expanded leaf blade on a shoot, with six blade measurements per replicate container.

CHAMPION’s very small physical size and superior lateral growth habit give it outstanding tolerance to very close mowing.  Very close mowing here is defined as heights below 5/32 inch.

A green in Bay City, Texas planted with CHAMPION, Tifdwarf, and Tifgreen bermudagrass was cut at a height of 1/8" from May through mid December with a 22" Jacobsen walk-behind greens mower with Turf-Groomer attachment and Tournament bedknife.

Mowing of the Tifgreen was discontinued in mid-Summer because severe thinning of the stand was occuring due to the close mowing height. Tifdwarf became thin and open by late Summer. When rains began in the Fall, algae formed where sunlight reached the soil surface.

CHAMPION did not show any signs of stress at the 1/8 inch mowing height while shoot density continued to improve until reaching 2133 shoots / dm2, which approximates the density of some creeping bentgrass cultivars. Stimp-meter readings were consistently about 9 feet at this close cutting height.

CHAMPION also was cut at 1/10" (100/1,000ths of an inch on an Accu-Gauge) during the months of June and July, 1996. Even at this close height, CHAMPION suffered no thinning of stand and in fact increased density to 2,537 shoots / dm2. Stimp-meter readings taken during this period exceeded 10 feet. This test demonstrates that CHAMPION is capable of withstanding mowing heights as low as the physical limitations of the mowing equipment.

Photo of CHAMPION on green mowed for 5 weeks at 1/10"

Note that density remains excellent and that turf shows no sign of stress from super-close mowing.

Photograph showing the extent of the recovery from injury imposed by a wear wheel placed between Tifdwarf and CHAMPION. The wheel had been turned 1,900 revolutions approximately 1 month earlier. CHAMPION recovery is advanced while Tifdwarf is still severly damaged

Close-up photograph of the Tifdwarf recovering from injury imposed by wear wheel 1 month earlier.

Close-up photograph of CHAMPION recovering from injury imposed by wear wheel 1 month earlier.

Quantitative assessments were conducted to determine the rate of turf recovery from mechanical injuries, such as ball marks and divots, in which a portion of a mature turf was removed. In comparison to the three other hybrid bermudagrass cultivars assessed, CHAMPION was found to be significantly superior. This rapid rate of turf recovery provides a better quality turf surface under intense use and less proneness to weed invasion. The

Turf Recovery Rate of CHAMPION at 3 Weeks is:

 1.8 Times more rapid than Tifgreen

 2.3 Times more rapid than Tifway

3.4 Times more rapid than Tifdwarf

Turf Damage Recovery Rate** Comparisons Among Four Bermudagrass Cultivars

ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.

*Means followed by the same letter in the same columnare not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.

**Visual estimate of percent turf recovery from a 4 square inch divot-like  opening expressed in percent turf recovery per week.

CHAMPION exhibits greater resistance to low temperature stress than Tifdwarf.

Plugs of CHAMPION and Tifdwarf were taken from a sand-based green which had been mowed from May until December at 1/8 inch and transfered into 30oz plastic cups. Following dormancy the cups were placed in a cold chamber for 48 hours at a temperature of 30o F. One replication was then removed and then the temperature was lowered to 25o F for another 24 hours. Another replication was removed and the temperature was lowered to 20o F. This procedure was continued down to 10o F.

Using this procedure the temperature of the entire soil column from top to bottom was lowered to the ambient temperature within the chamber. This corresponds in the field to a very severe cold temperature stress with the ground being frozen to a depth of over 6 inches. Results of this study are shown below.

Comparative low temperature stress resistance assessments of Champion and Tifdwarf hybrid bermudagrasses maintained at a mowing height of 3mm. Stress is imposed via an enviormental simulator and is the temperature of the turf-soil column. Turfgrass recovery is assessed based on regrowth as a percent of the potential.

ISTI - College Station, Texas 1996.

Means of four replications. Means followed by the same letter in the same row and column are not significantly different at the 5% level LSD t- Test.

* Percentage increases after the fith week of assessment were most likely due to lateral growth from the meristem

1996

BERMUDAGRASS LOW TEMPERATURE STRESS RESISTANCE

Recovery at 10 days

CHAMPION

Tifdwarf

CHAMPION Dwarf Bermudagrass has demonstrated superior color retention in fall compared to Tifdwarf at putting green heights. This characteristic combined with excellent density and wear tolerance makes it possible to have a quality putting surface without overseeding in climates that have relatively mild winters.

Pictured are CHAMPION greens on 3 different courses in South Florida which were not overseeded in the Winter of ‘97-’98. Photos were taken in January 1998.

Photo below shows CHAMPION at fairway height of 1/4" on the right and Tifway at rough height of 2" on the left. This area had received sub-freezing weather ten days earlier.

(The difference in height of cut accounts for some of the difference in response to cold temperatures)

CHAMPION Dwarf Bermudagrass possesses characteristics which enable it to transition readily from winter overseeding; superior density, (hence more living plant material from which to recover), superior tolerance to low mowing heights, earlier spring green-up and aggressive lateral growth.

CHAMPION Dwarf Bermudagrass has demonstrated improved transition from winter overseeding compared to Tifdwarf in both test plots and on greens in play.

 Photo above shows CHAMPION in May after transitioning from overseeding. Compare to photo below of Tifdwarf on the same green which was taken at the same time. Both plots were overseeded with roughstalk bluegrass (poa trivialis) at a rate of eight pounds per thousand square feet.)