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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #406087
Research Project: Genetic Improvement and Cropping Systems of Warm-season Grasses for Forage, Feedstocks, Syrup, and Turf

Location: Crop Genetics and Breeding Research

Title: Registration Coastcross II forage bermudagrass

Author
item Anderson, William - Bill
item POWELL, JERREL - Retired ARS Employee
item HANNA, WAYNE - Retired ARS Employee
item BURTON, GLENN - Retired ARS Employee
item DAVIS, M - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2023
Publication Date: 1/16/2024
Citation: Anderson, W.F., Powell, J., Hanna, W.W., Burton, G., Davis, M. 2024. Registration Coastcross II forage bermudagrass. Journal of Plant Registrations. 18:250-253. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20357.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20357

Interpretive Summary: The forage bermudagrass Coastcross II was released as a general release in 2014. It originated from irradiation in 1971of the previously released Coastcross I. The purpose of the irradiation was to develop mutants that would be more cold tolerant. It was one of four plants that survived in the mountains of north Georgia and was then tested over many years. In recent tests it was found to be very tolerant to a new invasive insect (bermudagrass stem maggot (BSM)). It has finer stems than Tifton 85 and is conducive to good hay production.

Technical Abstract: Coastcross II (CC II) forage bermudagrass (Cynodon sp.) was released as an associate cultivar in Georgia July 2014. CC II originated from gamma ray irradiation of sprigs of Coastcross I in 1971. After irradiation, greater than a half million sprigs were planted in north Georgia (Blairsville) CC II was one of four surviving plants after winter freezes. Subsequent testing has shown that CC II has superior yields to CC I and are comparable to Tifton 85. CC II also has significantly higher tolerance to bermudagrass stem maggot (BSM) than fine stemmed cultivars. CC II has significantly finer stems than Tifton 85 which makes it more conducive to producing hay production.