Table 7. Seedhead morphology and production with associated seed production of selected bermudagrassest during
 June 1992 in Gainesville, Fla. (Dudeck, A.E., Unpub. Data).
 Branches/seedhead Seed/seedhead Seedheads/sq. ft. Seeds/sq. ft.
Cultivar Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Total Range
Arizona Common 3.9 a* 3-5 32 a 0-86 73 b 21-148 2326 a 673-4742
NuMex Sahara 3.8 a 3-5 11 b 0-51 109a 25-170 1234 b 284-1931
FLoraTeXTM 3.5 b 3-4 2 c 0-7 85 ab 29-186 148 c 50-324
t Polycross test involving five cultivars each vegetatively propagated nine times in a randomized block design.
* Means within columns with the same letter are not significantly different (p=0.05) using Waller-Duncan k-ratio t test.


and NuMex Sahara (Table 7). Even though FLoraTeXTM aver-
aged only two seeds per seedhead while Arizona Common and
NuMex Sahara averaged 32 and 11, respectively, total seed
production in FLoraTeXTM could average 148 seeds per square
foot but vary from 50 to 324. Dudeck obtained seedlings from
his polycross study involving Arizona Common, FLoraTeXTM,
and NuMex Sahara. Total germination of polycross seed was
not different among these three cultivars and averaged 65%.
In College Station, Texas, however, no off-type bermudagrasses
were found by Beard and Sifers in FLoraTeXTM over 13 years
of observation in three replications of plots 90 square feet in
size. Other bermudagrass cultivars in adjacent plantings did
produce off-types.

 Timely nitrogen fertilization can reduce seedhead produc-
 tion in FLoraTeXTM bermudagrass (Figure 2). In Gainesville,


0.00


 N (Ibs./1000 sq. ft.)

Figure 2. Influence of nitrogen rate on average weekly
 seedhead production in FLoraTeXTM bermuda-
 grass during May of 1994. Fertilizer was applied
 on 29 Apr. 1994 (Dudeck, A.E., Unpub. Data).


Fa., increased rates of nitrogen from 0.25 to 1.0 pounds per
1000 square feet decreased seedhead production in a linear
manner. Greatest reduction in seedheads was effected at 1.0
pound of nitrogen, where seedhead production was reduced
34% compared to non-fertilized treatments. Thus, timely ap-
plication of fertilizer at any rate in early May will effectively
reduce seedhead production in this turfgrass.

Pest Associations

Bermudagrass Stunt Mite
 Bermudagrass stunt mite, Eriophyes cynodoniensis Sayed,
 is a serious pest of most bermudagrass cultivars, especially on
 residential and golf turf. Bermudagrasses damaged by this mite
 have shortened internodes with tufted, compact growth at the
 nodes (20). When left uncontrolled, large areas of turf are killed.

 Baltensperger (2) and Butler (8) reported in 1961 that culti-
 vars commonly used in Florida at that time were susceptible to
 bermudagrass stunt mite. Susceptible cultivars were Arizona
 Common, Everglades, 'Nomow,' Ormond, 'St. Lucie,'
 Tifdwarf, 'Tiffine,' Tifgreen, 'Tiflawn,' and Tifway. Of the
 three morphological off-types that Baltensperger propagated
 from his original PI 2133385 material, two were found to be
 resistant, but one was found to be susceptible to bermudagrass
 stunt mite (2). In 1978, bermudagrass stunt mite failed to es-
 tablish on FLoraTeXTM during an 8-month solution culture
 study in a glass house at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (20). Mite popu-
 lations did establish on several experimental bermudagrass
 genotypes and on Tifway. Reinert sampled field plots of
 FLoraTeXTM adjacent to natural bermudagrass stunt mite in-
 festations in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for up to six years (20) and
 no infestation of FLoraTeXTM was found. Susceptible selec-
 tions, however, had continual infestations. FLoraTeXTM,
 Midiron, and Tifdwarf are the only cultivars with resistance to
 this mite (16).

 Tropical Sod Webworm
 In a 1983 report, Reinert and Busey (17) indicated that
 FLoraTeXTM was possibly tolerant to tropical sod webworm,
 Herpetogramma phaeopteralis Guenne. However, Reinert et