USA
January 22, 2026
n the heat of summer, lawns across the southern United States often turn brown and brittle. Water restrictions, extreme heat and droughts make it hard for grass to stay green without expensive care.
But thanks to more than a decade of research funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), scientists have developed new turfgrasses that stand up to those challenges, saving water, money and time for homeowners, landscapers and sports field managers.
Over the last 15 years, scientists from Texas A&M University, the University of Florida and North Carolina State University have leveraged more than $15 million in funding from NIFA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), a competitive grant program focused on improving specialty crops, to make big gains with turfgrass.
The turfgrass industry contributes more than $60 billion annually to the U.S. economy and employs more than 820,000 people, according to Texas A&M.
“This turfgrass research is a model of what long-term, collaborative science can achieve,” said Dr. Jessica Shade, NIFA national program leader who co-manages the SCRI program. “Over three grant cycles and more than a decade of work, the team brought together geneticists, breeders, plant physiologists, Extension agents and economists to solve a problem that touches millions of people.”
And it all started with a simple question: how can we make grass better for the planet and the people who depend on it?
The Challenge: Drought, Salt and Sustainability
In the southern United States, warm season grasses like bermudagrass are common in yards, parks and golf courses. But these grasses need regular water and do not always survive in salty or drought-prone soils. With more heat and less rain in some areas, many cities have restricted lawn watering, making it harder to maintain healthy turf.
Dr. Ambika Chandra of Texas A&M University led the first phase of the project in 2010. Her team focused on the basics: understanding the genetic makeup of turfgrasses and identifying traits that help them survive tough conditions like drought and high soil salinity.
“By identifying genetic markers and physiological traits associated with drought and salinity tolerance, our goal was to develop cultivars that require less water and fewer inputs,” Chandra said.
This foundational work led to the development of several new turfgrass breeding lines. These include bermudagrasses TifTuf at the University of Georgia (UGA) and Tahoma 31 at Oklahoma State University; St. Augustinegrasses Cobalt at Texas A&M, CitraBlue at the University of Florida and Sola at North Carolina State University; seashore paspalum SeaScape at the University of Georgia; and zoysiagrasses CitraZoy at the University of Florida and Lobo at North Carolina State University.
One of the most successful turfgrasses is Tahoma 31 or OKC 1131, a bermudagrass variety developed in partnership with Oklahoma State University and patented in 2019. The grass is now used on golf courses, sports fields and home lawns in several southern states.
“OKC 1131 demonstrates exceptional fall color retention, spring green-up and drought recovery,” according to the patent summary. These are key traits that help keep landscapes looking healthy year-round without needing constant watering or replanting.
TifTuf bermudagrass is another successful turfgrass resulting from the research. It was co-released by UGA and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in 2014 after 22 years of research and development, based primarily on its drought tolerance, according to UGA. It is grown on over 18,000 acres across the southern United States.
Phase Two: Testing for Toughness
In 2015, Dr. Kevin Kenworthy at the University of Florida took the reins for the second grant cycle. His project built on Chandra’s breeding work by testing the resiliency of advanced lines in multiple trials designed to identify those with better water-use efficiency.
The researchers set up test plots in Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina, mimicking conditions found in southern cities. They cut back on watering and let drought take its toll to see which grasses bounced back best.
“The goal was to identify turfgrasses that not only survived drought but recovered quickly when water was available again,” Kenworthy said. “That’s the key to reducing water use while maintaining functional lawns and recreational spaces.”
His team also studied how mowing heights, soil types and turfgrass species affected drought recovery. They found that certain hybrids—particularly those developed during the first grant—held up well, even under stressful conditions.
Phase Three: From Lab to Lawn
In 2019, Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis at North Carolina State University led the third and final phase of the project, expanding on earlier work and taking it directly to the people who use turfgrasses every day. Her project was about putting science into practice.
“This project has allowed us to develop and test improved turfgrass cultivars that are better adapted to drought conditions,” she said. “We’ve also worked closely with Extension professionals to make sure homeowners, landscapers and sports turf managers can use these improved grasses effectively.”
Her team looked not only at plant science but also at how people use and care for turfgrass. They worked with economists to understand how much water and money could be saved by switching to more drought-tolerant varieties. They created educational materials, fact sheets and videos to help spread the word.
The team also trained more than 30 graduate students and early career scientists, building the next generation of turfgrass researchers.
Water Savings and Economic Payoff
These new turfgrasses are more than just tough—they’re cost-effective. More resilient turfgrasses help cities conserve water, reduce lawn maintenance costs and maintain safe, green public spaces. Golf courses and athletic fields can stay playable longer, even in drought.
A 2018 economic study led by Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M found that widespread adoption of drought and shade-tolerant bermudagrasses could generate $142.4 million in total economic output, including $91.3 million in value added and over 1,250 new jobs across five southern states.
Even with just 20% adoption, researchers estimated $18.3 million in added value and the creation of more than 250 jobs.
Another study by North Carolina State University focused on the drought-tolerant TifTuf. Researchers found TifTuf used up to 40% less water than other bermudagrass varieties while maintaining high turf quality. That water savings alone translated into a 6-to-1 return on investment when considering water use, reduced maintenance and commercial revenues.
Tahoma 31 and TifTuf have been adopted by multiple sod farms nationwide for commercial use. They are both in use on high-profile sites, including college sports fields, NFL and MLB facilities, and major athletic venues such as the USA Softball Hall of Fame and the U.S. Capitol lawn. Later releases from the team of scientists produced from SCRI funding are just now getting enough acres in production but they are increasingly being selected for use in home lawns where they are contributing to increased municipal water savings and saving homeowners’ money.
“These grasses can reduce water use by up to 30%, depending on local climate and soil,” Milla-Lewis said. “That’s a big win for both the environment and the people who maintain these landscapes.”
“This long-term investment in turfgrass research shows what happens when science is paired with real-world needs,” said Dr. Tom Bewick, NIFA national program leader who co-manages the SCRI program. “The return on investment is clear. Every dollar spent has generated new varieties that save water, lowered costs for communities and families and strengthened a major sector of the U.S. economy. This work shows how NIFA funding delivers practical innovations that improve daily life while protecting natural resources for the future.”
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