Burmuda Grass
Description and Rationale
Burmuda Grass-just the right kind of grass for the
rough fields of the Philippines.
Burmudagrass is a tropical type grass which is very
tolerant to salt and drought. It is fairly resistant
against insects and diseases. Once it settles on a
soil, it quickly covers the ground and is hard to get
rid of. Zoysiagrass has been the usual option in the
fields, but Burmudagrass is softer and has a nicer
texture. Furthermore, it is highly adaptive to an
environment.
What could be Burmudagrass’s impact on the
local ecology and the grass populations? Would it
carry diseases that the grass in the Philippines are
not familiar with and result in killing all the other
grass species here? Or would it help the athletes do
better on the better, smoother fields? Would it adapt
well into the two season climate where one season is
very rainy and the other very dry? Would the grass
really matter that much to the athletes?
If Burmudagrass was used in the fields, its
smooth texture will be nice on which to play soccer
and other rough sports. It would not be pleasant to
have your knees scraped every time you fall on bare
dirt. By providing better grass, it has been shown
that the athletes do better. Since Burmudagrass is a
kind that adapts well into its new environment, it
could be the best option. It is a kind of grass that
is easy to maintain and grow. Our White Field could
get a lot better if it had grass that covered the
field, not just patches here and there. Then, there
will be fewer injuries, which will help the coaches a
great deal, also. In addition, smooth fields can
attract more Filipinos to play more field sports like
soccer and rugby instead of playing only basketball.
If my experiments can show that Burmudagrass is also
pollution resistant, we will be able to see some
greenery in the streets of Manila, making it more
beautiful and pleasant to the people to look at.
The initial purpose of this project will be to
improve the rough fields like our White Field into
nice and smooth grassy field, but I will have to
conduct the experiments in a different place to
observe closely and accurately. I will first try to
find out what kind of grass they use on White Field.
If the experiments that I conduct show that
Burmudagrass indeed adapts well into our environment,
it will be very nice to see what it can do to improve
our fields. I could do this by buying and
experimenting different types of grass in our back
yard. I could keep one constant, watering it regularly
and keeping it in a nice warm soil. On the other hand,
I would test the other patches of grass if it is
drought resistant and if it adapts well into the
ecosystem here. If my experiments result in damaging
the ecosystem here, I shall stop conducting any more
experiments and try to find another, which will
substitute for Burmudagrass and continue my
experiments from there.
I am hoping to see Burmudagrass grow well and
develop into a nice patch that it will prove it self
to be helpful to the rough field of ours. By
conducting this experiment, I could help the athletes
who suffer from daily injuries due to the rough field.
Not only that, but I could revive the greenery into
our gray city, Manila.
table of contents...
Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Cynodon dactylon, Bermudagrass, is also called Dog
Tooth grass, Bahama Grass, Devil’s grass, Couch
grass, Indian Doab, Grama and Scutch grass. The
African name for C. dactylon is gewonekweek. The name
Bermudagrass comes from the fact that it is an
abundant invasive species on Bermuda. The name Devil’
s grass comes from the invasive characteristic of
Bermudagrass.
Classification
Kingdon: Plantae (Plants)
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida (Monocotyledons)
Order: Cyperales/Poales (flowering plants)
Family: Poaceae (grasses)
Genus: Cynodon (Dog-tooth)
Species: C. dactylon
Many cultivars and variations has been produced by
various scientists enabling the plant to adapt better
into hostile environments and survive. This includes
the common Bermudagrass which is good for erosion
control, coastal Bermudagrass which is more productive
than the normal kind; once it produced six times more
than the normal kind with only one half of the usual
rainfall. Some were hybrids that could tolerate colder
climate, which were developed in the northern
countries like Germany and Switzerland. Others were
produced to be more productive and helpful to the
grazing livestock in Africa.
table of contents...
Morphology and Physical Description
Bermudagrass can grow to 90cm, but that is a rare
phenomenon. The grass usually grows in a range of 4-
15cm. It spreads by its stolons and rhizomes, or root
structures on grass, enabling it to spread without
having to go through reproduction process.
Its stems are slightly flattened and possesses
a little bit of purple color. Being fairly resistant
to droughts, its roots can grow to over 2m; however,
most of its systems are near the surface. Its leaves
are flat/broad, sometimes folded or rolled together.
Getting Food
Nitrogen is its main nutrient that it needs to grow
nice and long. Like other plants, Bermudagrass gets
food by photosynthesis. Even with a medium shade, the
grass will die out, which means it depends heavily on
the sunlight.
Reproduction
It is a perennial, which means that it stays in one
place for a long time. It could reproduce by seeds,
but it spreads faster by runners, or stolons and and
rhizomes. These are root like structures creeping over
the land and letting its roots down to create a
network of stems and leaves in a large area. Another
way, as I have mentioned, is by means of its seed. The
seeds germinate at temperatures above 68℉. The grass
will produce seeds 3 weeks after planting.
Environmental Factors
Bermudagrass is widely spread in the warm climate
areas between the 30° south and 30° north latitude,
which includes the Philippines. It also needs a lot of
rain or irrigation annually, about 625-1,750 mm a
year. In addition, it grows best at the temperatures
between 24 °C and 37 °C.
Some of the diseases C. dactylon might have are
Helminthosporium leaf disease, spring dead spot, and
brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani). It can also be
infected by insects like Armyworm (Spodoptera
frugiperda), spittlebug (Prosapia bicinata), webworm,
lawn armyworm, bermudagrass mite, and nematodes
table of contents...
Origin and Distribution
C. dactylon is thought to be originated from Northern
Africa and Southern Europe, but sources differ greatly
on where it was originated. Some say it came from
India, some East Africa, and also few say Asia.
Nevertheless, the plant spread to vast amount of
areas, in temperate climate and also sub-tropical
climates. Bermuda is where America got the plant, so
they named it Bermudagrass. Now, Bermudagrass can be
found nearly anywhere in the southern half of the
States, as this picture shows.
Importance to People
Bermudagrass grows fast and tough, for this reason, it
is used in sports fields and golf courses. Because it
doesn’t need much caring, it can save maintenance
fees.
Also, because it adapts well onto soil and climate, it
helps with soil erosion, makes good grazing land and
hay for livestock.
One scenario which might help the people in the
Philippines is for them to cultivate Bermudagrass in
Manila and many other cities where green patches can’
t be found in most parts of the city. With the high
survivability like the Bermudagrass, people will be
able to enjoy some greenery. Also, in areas like
Leyte, where there are heavy loses of lives annually
from land-slides, Filipinos can cultivate Bermudagass
to keep it from eroding. This can save lots of peoples
’ lives, and also make green-friendlier environment
at the same time.
Survivability and Endangered Status
C. dactylon can tolerate dry soil, or drought, or even
flood situations like annual flood in Bangladesh where
it floods up to six meters or higher for several
weeks. It can also stand salinity but it only grows
slowly. The reason for its high survivability has a
lot to do with its root structure. Even if the top
parts of the grass are damaged, its root system, which
can grow to 2 meters in length, can survive with the
rhizomes which can start new leaves. Its survivability
makes it impossible to be endangered.
table of contents...
Potential Solutions
Possibility 1
Greenery in the cities
From what I have learned, Bermudagrass is a type of
grass that could withstand the dirty environments of
Manila and many other polluted cities.
Advantages:
1. People in Manila and other cities can enjoy some
greenery while they walk or drive to their work,
school, or house. The Philippine government doesn’t
have to use more money, in other words the tax they
collect from the people, trying to plant a plant that
will die or wither off easily. With the extra money
that could be left over after planting Bermudagrass,
they can help more people from poverty, hunger, and
many other problems that are caused in the city.
2. Bermudagrass, doing its photosynthesis, can provide
more oxygen to the polluted air in Manila. This can
reduce the cases of heart diseases and other lung
problems that could be caused by the polluted air.
This way, many people can reduce their time of
suffering and the money to go to a near by hospital.
With the saved money, the people can do many other
things to improve their life style, which can improve
the living conditions of our black city, Manila.
3. Seeing that we live in Manila, I can conduct an
experiment as long as I have a patch of grass.
Disadvantages:
1. It has not yet been proven that Bermudagrass can
survive through a heavy pollution area. However, it
could be developed to have stronger structure to
survive through pollution, but the result can never be
predicted.
2. Just the grass itself can not provide enough
greenery to please peoples’ eyes. Flowers and trees
will be needed to support the grassy background, but
they will need to be able to stand against heavy
pollution also which will be hard to get.
3. Even if we get the grass and the other plants to be
able to stand the pollution in Manila, we will need to
find a space to plant them. Manila is heavily
populated, and the streets and houses take up most of
the surface areas that are vacant, making it almost
impossible to be experimented or performed.
table of contents...
Possibility 2
Preventing yearly landslides
In Leyte, people suffer annually from loss of their
families from devastating landslides. When ever the
flood season comes, the unprotected soil, up on the
mountains, erode into nearby cities and villages
killing many people. Researches have shown that the
Bermudagrass can prevent soil erosion thanks to its
complex root network systems.
Advantages:
1. There will be no more loss of people because of
landslides, and also there will be no more loss of the
family members. No more pain over the grief of losing
a loved neighbor or family will be necessary. The
Philippine government will not lose money to bring
rescue efforts, neither to supply the survivors who
have lost their houses and supplies. There will also
be less orphans from the tragic events like the
landslides. By controlling or preventing the soil
erosion, the people can suffer less and lose less. In
the Bible, it says to take care of orphans and widows.
From preventing the landslides, we can prevent the
orphans and widows to become orphans or widows.
2. Philippine landscapes are beautiful, but sometimes,
we pass by a bare mountain where there has been
illegal logging or other activities that strips the
mountain. The landscape is destroyed; the families’
hearts are broken from the lose of lives from the
landslides. The Lord commands us to work and take care
of the nature he has created. Leaving the mountain
soils to erode and cause landslides that kill many
people is not really taking care of the nature.
3. Bermudagrass is known for its growing speed and its
tough structure. It will be the best species to be
cultivated for soil-erosion, because it will be able
to cover the vast areas in a short period of time.
Disadvantages:
1. Bermudagrass is harder to get than other native
species, because it is an invasive species. For the
poor provincial people, they won’t be able to afford
to buy Bermudagrass to cover the vast area that needs
to be covered.
table of contents...
Possibility 3
Turf grass for athletic fields
Bermudagrass is a very adequate grass for fields,
because of its high survivability, tough structure,
and soft texture. Golf courses in Valley Golf are
using Bermudagrass for its nice rich color and its
tough features. While asking the personnel if I could
get Bermudagrass from the golf courses, he revealed to
me an interesting piece of information. He told me
that when Faith Academy was building its field, the
people from the Valley Golf suggested our school to
use Bermudagrass for it. Faith had refused that time,
because of its short budget. This proves that there
are many fields in the Philippines also that use
Bermudagrass for its nice qualities. In order to test
the reliability of the sources I have used, I
conducted an experiment using a patch of Bermudagrass
and a patch of the back yard grass at our dorm. At the
Golf course, I could not see any brown patches, but
when I got home to examine the back yard grass, I
found that a lot of it had gone brown as a result of
the dry season and walking on them. Thankfully, I
found a nice green patch, and conducted the
experiment. I wore my cleats and made several marks
using it on the patch of grass I got from the Golf
course and the back yard. I made notes on how the
grass has been affected and how many stems and leaves
were broken. Below is the chart to show the difference
between the two types of the grass. I wanted to get
more types of grass, and the personnel at the Golf
course said that I could get more kinds of grass if I
had come on a Monday, but at the time of my visit, I
could not afford to go back the next day. Next time I
conduct this same experiment, I shall do it with more
types and varieties of grass.
.JPG)
Advantages:
1. The Experiment can be conducted in a short period
of time with things that can be prepared easily
2. If I have time, I could go back to the Golf course
and get more varieties of grass.
Disadvantages:
1. I can’t observe a growth pattern or the speed of
spreading for each kinds of grass. If I could do it
sometime, it may prove that Bermudagrass grows the
quickest.
2. To get the varieties of grass, I will need to go to
the Golf course again.
table of contents...
Bibliography
Andersson, Meike, D.g. Cameron, Brian S. Dear, Magnus Halling, David Hoare, John Frame, Henri L. Houerou, Primavera Izaguirre De Artucio, Jason Koivisto, Judith Ladner, Angelo Loi, Len 't Mannetje, Alain Peters, Michael Peters, Sandrine Petit, Daniel Real, Stephen Reynolds, Fernando Riveros, Marie Schloen, Axel Schmidt, Rainer Schultze-Kraft, Max Shelton, P.j. Skerman, Jim Suttie, and Janine Victor. "Cynodon Dactylon (L.) Pers." Grassland Species Profiles. 17 Apr. 2007. Agriculture Department. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/GBASE/DATA/PF000208.HTM>.
"Bermuda Grass." Bermuda Grass. 2002. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/bermuda_grass.htm>.
"Bermuda Grass." Bermuda Grass. 2002. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/bermuda_grass.htm>.
"Bermuda Grass." College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. 7 May 2002. C/T/A/H/R. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/CoverCrops/bermuda_grass.asp>.
"Cynodon Dactylon (L.) Pers." ITIS Report. 6 May 2007. ITIS. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=41619>.
"Cynodon Dactylon." Wikipedia. 6 Mar. 2007. Wikipedia Foundation Inc. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynodon_dactylon>.
Duke, James A. "Cynodon Dactylon (L.) Pers." New Crop Resource Online Program. 9 July 2007. Purdue University. 16 Apr. 2007 <http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Cynodon_dactylon.html#Description>.
table of contents...
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.