Riviera is a synthetic variety developed from three parental plants and released by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station with an exclusive license to Johnston Seed Company, Enid, OK.

    Riviera produces a moderately fine-textured, medium dark green turf with excellent turf quality.  It ranked first in 19 NTEP Bermudagrass trials in turf quality (mean score 6.6) in 2000.  Riviera appears to have adequate resistance or tolerance to the major pests of bermudagrass, particularly in the U.S. transition zone.  It is sufficiently cold hardy to be used in parts of the U.S. transition zone between warm-season and cool-season turfgrasses with minimal risk.  Its level of freeze tolerance is close to that of TifSport (-7.9 degree C) and Tifway (-7.8 degree C).

    Commercial plantings of Riviera must be established by planting either Certified Seed or Certified Sod (or Sprigs).  Certified Seed is synthetic 1 generation seed harvested from a field planted to approximately equal quantities of Foundation (or Breeder) sprigs of the three parental clones.  Certified sod (or sprigs) must be produced from a field planted with Foundation Seed.

    Riviera is a protected variety under Title V of the Plant Variety Protection Act to be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed - PVPA 1994.

    Three classes of Pedigreed Seed (Breeder, Foundation, and Certified ) will be recognized - no Registered class.