5 Million Metres of TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda

AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE COUCH GRASS

This is a truly incredible milestone for a turf variety that has only been available for just over three years in Australia.

To put this into perspective, if you laid this much TifTuf turf in a line it would be able to go from Brisbane, to Sydney, then to Canberra before heading across to Adelaide and then all the way across to Perth. That is one hell of a road trip!

The Birth of TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda TifTuf was created at the University of Georgia in their world-famous turf breeding program based in Tifton, Georgia. TifTuf was hand-selected out of almost 30,000 other hybrid grasses and was assessed over a 25-year period before being released. The aim at the University was to find the most drought-tolerant grass possible, with TifTuf being code-named DT-1 for Drought Tolerant number 1 at the end of extensive trials.

TifTuf was also assessed in the National Turf Evaluation Program (NTEP) in the US, where TifTuf outperformed all other bermuda (couch) grasses. TifTuf finished the trial as the best performer overall, with TifTuf coming first

Hybrid Bermuda

for quality, autumn (fall) colour and summer density. TifTuf was also trialled for water use and drought tolerance, where unsurprisingly it also finished first convincingly.

Further testing was then undertaken in Australia where TifTuf also outperformed all other available couch grasses in trials conducted over several years. With this success, TifTuf was released to the Australian market exclusively through the Lawn Solutions Australia national network of turf suppliers.

Since this release, TifTuf has continued to grow and grow in popularity. It’s incredibly drought- tolerant, and hard-wearing and makes for a highly attractive lawn for a range of climates. These superior traits have led to the grass being referred to as the ‘Alpha Grass.’

It’s so drought tolerant that it’s the only grass to be awarded the Smart Approved Watermark for water efficiency. So, it’s a ‘Smart Grass’ too!

The importance of turf certification through AusGAP when it comes to new and improved varieties like TifTuf

When new grasses like TifTuf are released, it is so important that the genetic makeup of the grass is maintained. This ensures that the grass stays true to type and maintains the superior characteristics that make it so amazing. This is why the Australian Genetic Assurance Program for Turfgrass, known as AusGAP, is so important. TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is AusGAP Certified, which means all suppliers must adhere to the strictest of production standards and are regularly audited to ensure their grass maintains its genetic purity. TifTuf is the only hybrid couch grass in Australia to be AusGAP Certified. Just another significant reason why TifTuf stands above all other grasses in its category.

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is still a new variety in the Australian turf world and to achieve so much success in such a short amount of time is unparalleled. We can’t wait to see what TifTuf will do in the coming years.

For more information on TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, please get in touch with Lawn Solutions Australia.