Fighting drought with research

In an ironic twist, this year’s drought in California is having a harsher effect in Northern California than Southern California. Both superintendents and sod producers are in dire straits. And many superintendents fear they will get a beating both from Mother Nature and members of the Green Committee.

That is because both research and observation seem to show that warm season grasses do better in many areas of the state, including Northern California and the coastal areas.

“We are noticing that what stays green under drought stress is the warm season grasses…rogue bermudagrass and Kikuyugrass,” says Jim Baird, turfgrass specialist at the University of California, Riverside. Of course, most of Southern California already has warm season turf and cool season greens. Some Northern California courses are thinking about establishing warm season grasses even in areas where cool season, year-round grasses are the traditional norm. Research seems to back up that idea. Yet it is not all rosy.

“Superintendents are worried about what members will think of the dormant turf in the winter,” explains Baird. It is a valid consideration when there simply is not enough water to keep grass green in summer and winter turns turf brown.

One strategy to maintain health, vigor and color with less water is a good fertility program. “A well-fed turf will look better when water is cut back,” says Baird. Meantime, researchers are looking at products that purport to help turf under saline conditions. There, the goal is to separate “snake oil” from products worth the bucks.

This is not going to be a short-term problem. Baird notes that one Northern California course, a research partner with the university, closed 18 of its 36 holes — forever.

Meantime, the University of California, Riverside is excited to resurrect its turf-breeding program. The Metropolitan Water District in Southern California contributed about a quarter million dollars, much of it earmarked for developing turf that is water-friendly and drought tolerant. “Our No. 1 goal will be developing bermudagrass progenies that will keep their color in the winter,” Baird says. That might make those Green Committees happier.

Ironically, the district is paying homeowners to take grass out of home lawns and replace turf with what it calls “California Friendly” xeriscaping.