Bermudagrass - Cowboy (SWI 814)

Bermudagrass is an aggressive, long lived,  warm-season perennial sod forming grass that can become 8 to 24 inches tall. Bermudagrass origin is likely Africa though other regions offer evidence of origin. Bermudagrass requires full sun and prefers well drained soils but can produce well on moderately shallow sites under irrigation and good management. Generally bermudagrass does not tolerate poor draining or wet soils. Bermudagrass will tolerate some saline soils. While bermudagrass can persist on infertile soils, high nitrogen levels are needed for best appearance and/or production. It has good forage value for all classes of livestock but is of little value for wildlife.

Bermudagrass seed has an outer, protective, seed coat. When sold with this seed coat intact it is referred to as un-hulled bermudagrass seed. Un-hulled bermudagrass requires longer to germinate but is more hardy and less likely to sprout pre-maturely. Hulled bermudagrass seed can access water easier than un-hulled and therefore can sprout and establish quicker. However, if conditions are not optimal, hulled bermudagrass may sprout quickly and then die.

Cowboy Bermudagrass was developed out of a breeding program in 2002. 166 half-sib families of seeded bermudagrass were planted in a joint project between the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Overton Texas and Seeds West, Inc. These 166 were compared to Coastal and Tifton 85 bermudagrass. Over a 3 year period these were paired down to 14 entries that were as productive as Tifton 85.

Potential seeded varieties were developed in Arizona by combining the most desirable traits. Stock seed was developed by planting several entries in a single field and then harvesting this field of parent seed. This was repeated to develop a clone that consists of several of these original entries. Two of the varieties developed from this program include SWI-810(Cheyenne II) and SWI-814 (Cowboy) were developed.

Once established Cowboy is very drought, heat and salt tolerant.