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Bermudagrass is a commonly used turfgrass for home lawns and sports fields. Given increasing pressure to conserve water throughout the U.S., there is a desire by many homeowners to incorporate more drought-tolerant turfgrasses into their landscape. ‘TifTuf’ is a new cultivar of bermudagrass that has increased drought tolerance compared to similar cultivars. ‘TifTuf’ is currently sold at a premium price compared to other bermudagrass cultivars. However, there is currently no information regarding the payback period and potential water savings for ‘TifTuf’. In this study, we developed a model to evaluate potential cost savings for ‘TifTuf’ relative to a conventional bermudagrass. We found cost and water savings are highly dependent on geographic location and water rates. Within the Southeast, the average water savings per year is 12.88 cm with water cost savings around $799 per 0.41 ha. Payback period for a new lawn in the Southeast (recoup only the $0.05 per 0.09 m premium) is around 3-4 years, while a payback period for a replacement lawn (recoup the full cost of the lawn, $0.36 per 0.09 m) is around 21 years. In the Southwest, the water savings and cost savings are higher, implying a shorter payback period. Index words: bermudagrass, ‘TifTuf’, drought tolerance. Species used in this study: Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis: DT-1 ‘TifTuf’. Significance to the Horticulture Industry As questions around water usage in agriculture continue to gain traction throughout the U.S., it is critical to examine how new turfgrass cultivars can impact water use. ‘TifTuf’ is a relatively new cultivar of bermudagrass that has increased drought tolerance compared to similar cultivars. Given increasing pressure to conserve water throughout the U.S., there is a desire by many consumers to incorporate more drought tolerate turfgrasses into their landscape. Since ‘TifTuf’ has been proven to provide increased drought tolerance, it is currently sold at a premium price compared to other bermudagrass cultivars. We found that thousands of liters (L) of water can be saved by utilizing ‘TifTuf’ even when ‘TifTuf’ does not achieve the drought tolerance (38% less water need) found by Schwartz (2017). Further, we found the payback period to be under four years for most all cities in the study when only having to recoup the five cent per 0.09 m (one square foot) premium for ‘TifTuf’.

Water Savings and Return on Investment of a New Drought Resistant Turfgrass