The war against browning lawns is waging in southern Idaho as the weather gets hotter and the sun more intense.

But that seemingly inevitable battle might be solved by lower-maintenance lawns, made up of nontraditional grasses.

Tom Salaiz, a researcher at University of Idaho's Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, is testing different kinds of hardy utility grasses, like fescue, muttongrass and wheatgrasses, that are currently used to feed livestock and control erosion in wildland areas. Salaiz hopes to turn these grasses into functional, attractive, low-maintenance lawns for residential application.

"The primary advantages are that they require less water and less fertilization to maintain what I call a quality lawn," Salaiz said.

Most grass used in southernIdaho lawns is a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and other grasses. The goal for most homeowners, Salaiz said, is to maintain a deep green, dense, soft grass that looks nice and feels good under the feet.

Salaiz hopes to mimic traditional lawns with grass that doesn't have to be watered or mowed as often. Some grasses are more drought tolerant, while others are slow-growing, requiring less mowing.

Efficiency comes at a price, of course. Not all of the grasses Salaiz is studying look like traditional Kentucky bluegrass.

"Some of them are less dense, some of them are lighter green-colored, some of them have more of a blue-green color as opposed to a dark green color," he said. Others have thinner or thicker blades. That, he acknowledged, could turn off some homeowners who value lush, soft lawns.

Karen Anderson, co-owner of KN Turf-Rock Creek Growers in Kimberly, said some of those grasses are already being used exclusively in lawns around Magic Valley. Older houses in Twin Falls often have rye grass turf, which is known for greening in spring and fall and becoming brown in summer.

Salaiz said that while the grasses are already available at seed supply stores, his research is mostly to find out how useful these grasses are as lawns and to educate homeowners.

"It's more to get people aware of their potential uses,"he said.

Anderson said that almost any lawn, whether it's bluegrass or a mix, can be low-maintenance if homeowners practice smart lawn care. For example, Kentucky bluegrass needs to be watered only every five days, she said, not every other day like most southern Idahoans do.

"We all tend to overwater,"Anderson said. Overwatering weakens the grass by discouraging its roots from growing deep.

Will the university's research catch the attention of homeowners who already have established lawns?

Retired police lieutenant Bill Stonemets called his TwinFalls lawn medium-maintenance, saying he waters it every few days and mows it once a week. He hires a lawn care service to take care of the rest, like fertilizing and spraying for insects.

Even if a lower-maintenance lawn was available, Stonemets wouldn't be interested in the cost of replacing his turf. He would still have to hire a garden service, too, to take care of the fertilizing, even if it was only occasionally.

Besides, he added, high-maintenance grass isn't always a bad thing.

"I've taken a lot of frustrations out on this lawn,"Stonemets said. "You go out and kick a tree and mow the lawn."

Melissa Davlin may be reached at 208-735-3234 or melissa.davlin@lee.net.

Grass research open house Think this low-maintenance grass might benefit you? Have a sneak peek at the research in progress. Where: University of Idaho's Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, 1693 S. 2700 W., Aberdeen When: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 14 Information: (208) 397-4181