Bermudagrasses established May 14, 1996 on the Headquarters Farm, were clipped five times during the 1997 growing season. Clipping dates were May 28, June 17, July 10, August 28, and October 8. Cool temperatures delayed forage production in the spring and dry weather from early June through September curtailed growth during the summer and early fall. Total production in dry pounds per acre for each variety or strain is:

Ranking	Variety	Dry Pounds Per Acre
1	Tifton 85	7020
2	Coastal	6301
3	Hardie	5531
4	74x21-6	5352
5	74x12-6	5189
6	Tifton 44	4788
7	Jiggs	4624
8	STW 15-11	4355
9	Russell	4228
10	Midland	3785
11	Quickstand	1749

Our 1997 data should be used with caution. Tifton 85 has excellent forage potential for the southern U.S. It is vigorous, generally grows taller and has larger stems and broader leaves than the other varieties in the test. However, the verdict is still out on whether this variety has adequate winter hardiness to survive in Southern Oklahoma and North Texas. Last winter was mild and therefore, was not a good test for winter survival. We will need more winters and years of data before we can make recommendations regarding the adaptability of the variety to this region of the country. 74x12-6 and 74x21-6 are experimental strains developed by Oklahoma State University that possess high forage yield potential for this region. These two potential varieties were the top-yielders in total forage production over the six previous years of testing on the Headquarters farm (1990-96). Both have also produced outstanding forage yields in OSU forage yield trials for several seasons at other Oklahoma locations. At this point, the Quickstand variety, appears to be better suited for turf and/or conservation purposes. It established quicker than any variety in the test, and formed a dense persistent sod. However, it has a very prostrate (low growing) growth habit and has been very low yielding.

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