per 1000 square feet per growing month to maintain accept-
able turfgrass quality.

 In Texas, FLoraTeXTM, as well as Texturf 10, were the best
bermudagrass cultivars under low nitrogen fertilization (21).
These cultivars were able to sustain acceptable turf quality over
a 2-year period at 0.125 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square
feet per growing month. Based on detailed root/shoot studies,
Sifers and Beard postulated that these two cultivars have a
unique hormonal mechanism that sustains growth at very low
levels of nitrogen via balanced partitioning of available nitro-
gen and carbohydrates which sustains both root and shoot
growth.

 Under fertilization rates of 0.5 to 0.6 pounds of nitrogen per
1000 square feet per growing month at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
FLoraTeXTM had better turf color, quality, and ground cover at
2 months after planting compared to Tifway (7). At 11 months
after planting, it had equal ground cover, mole cricket damage,
and unmowed height compared to Tifway. In another 2-year
study, FLoraTeXTM had superior soil coverage, color, and qual-
ity ratings compared to Tifway for the first 2 years after plant-
ing (7). Busey's fertilization program averaged 0.5 pounds of
nitrogen per 1000 square feet per growing month. He con-
cluded that poor performance of Tifway under low fertility was
probably due to mole cricket damage.

Adaptation

Drought Resistance
 Drought resistance refers to a turfgrass' ability to survive a
severe water stress, which may encompass entering a brown
dormant condition and then recovering subsequently when
water is available. Drought resistance, based on ability of a
grass to greenup over a 30-day period following rewetting, was
assessed after 158 days of drought stress during the summer of
1988 and after 48 days of drought stress during the summer of
1989 at College Station, Texas. FLoraTeXTM ranked high in
drought resistance both years (Table 3). Tifway was inconsis-
tent with a low drought resistance ranking in 1988 but had a
high ranking in 1989.

Dehydration Avoidance
 Dehydration avoidance refers to a turfgrass' ability to re-
tain a green shoot cover for an extended period of time during
onset of drought stress. Comparative dehydration avoidance,
as assessed by percent leaf firing of bermudagrass cultivars,
was observed in a field study after 158 days of drought stress
during the summer of 1988 and after 48 days of drought stress
during the summer of 1989 at College Station, Texas.
FLoraTeXTM ranked very high in 1988 and high in 1989 for
dehydration avoidance under field conditions, while Tifway
ranked low in 1988 but high in 1989 (Table 4). Dehydration


Table 3. Comparative drought resistance, evaluated as
 shoot recovery, of selected bermudagrass culti-
 vars observed 30 days following rewetting after
 158 days of drought stress in the summer of 1988
 and after 48 days of drought stress in the summer
 of 1989 at College Station, Texas (22).

 Year

Relative ranking 1988 1989
High Arizona Common Arizona Common
 Bayshore Bayshore
 Everglades
 X FLoraTeX FLoeXTM
 Guymon Guymon
 Midiron Midiron
 Midlawn Midlawn
 NuMex Sahara NuMex Sahara
 Ormond Ormond
 Texturf 10 Texturf 10
 Tifway
 Vamont Vamont
Medium Everglades
 Tufcote
Low Tifway
 Tufcote


Table 4. Comparative dehydration avoidance, as as-
 sessed by percent leaf firing, of selected
 bermudagrass cultivars observed after 158 days
 of drought stress during the summer of 1988
 and after 48 days of drought stress during the
 summer of 1989 at College Station, Texas (22).

 Year

Relative ranking 1988 1989
Very High FLoraTeXTM
 NuMex Sahara NuMex Sahara
 Ormond Ormond
High FLoraTeXTM
 Midiron Midiron
 Midlawn
 Texturf 10 Texturf 10
 Tifway

Medium Arizona Common
 Bayshore
Low Arizona Common
 Bayshore
 Everglades Everglades
 Guymon Guymon


Tifway
Tufcote
Vamont


Midlawn

Tufcote
Vamont