See the details of ProVista St. Augustinegrass from a UF/IFAS Extension Fact on this St. Augustine cultivar turfgrass.

ProVista St. Augustinegrass is a cultivar of the popular warm season turfgrass St. Augustine. It’s “known for its course texture and vibrant green color,” according to a UF/IFAS blog article, and “Its dense growth habit makes it ideal for lawns and recreational areas.” ProVista, one of many St. Augustine cultivars, is known for being glyphosate resistant, making it an attractive option for those looking to use glyphosate herbicides around the turfgrass. However, the article adds that “glyphosate resistance should not be confused with being ‘roundup ready.’” See details from the UF/IFAS factsheet on ProVista.

ProVista St. Augustinegrass Facts

The factsheet shared these details about ProVista St. Augustinegrass:

  • “ProVista cultivars in Florida are currently based on genetic modifications of Floratam. They contain gene insertions that confer resistance to glyphosate containing herbicides and a second gene that inhibits a plant growth hormone, gibberellic acid.”
  • “Inhibition of gibberellic acid means that the leaves don’t grow nearly as rapidly as Floratam, or other cultivars”…it can “reduce mowing by half. You can easily skip mowing for 2-3 weeks without fear of scalping.”
  • “ProVista spreads through stolons (above-ground runners), which allow it to cover ground quickly and establish a thick turf.”
  • “All cultivars of St. Augustinegrass thrive in warm climates and are particularly tolerant of heat and humidity.”
  • “ProVista’s shade tolerance is excellent and superior to Floratam, another effect of gibberellic acid inhibition.”
  • “ProVista is still susceptible to common St. Augustinegrass pests and diseases such as chinch bugs, ground pearls, gray leaf spot, large patch, take-all-root rot, and mosaic disease caused by sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV). Because it is related to Floratam, it is susceptible to lethal viral necrosis caused by SCMV.”
  • “It is resistant to glyphosate, but not “Roundup ready.” “ProVista has been developed to be resistant to glyphosate and isopropylamine salt. When ProVista has been sprayed with Roundup that contains active ingredients other than glyphosate, the sprayed turfgrass will more than likely perish. It is important to ensure that if a Roundup product is being sprayed on this turf, that it contains only glyphosate or in its salt formulations (make sure there is only one active ingredient: glyphosate).”
  • “To make sure that the turfgrass you are buying is in fact ProVista, look into buying your turfgrass from sod farms that are part of the Turfgrass Producers of Florida (TPF). The TPF website can help you navigate which sod farms specific cultivars of St. Augustinegrass.”

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