Additional Notes

Resource limitations, primarily water availability and quality, and the increasing need for more environmentally friendly management practices have led to cumulative academic and industry efforts for the development of new and improved turfgrass varieties. To date, three, four, and five drought tolerant cultivars of zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, and bermudagrass have been released from an ongoing USDA founded project that involves 6 campuses in the Southern part of the US. The cool-season turf breeding industry has formed consortiums like the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance and the Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turf to evaluate and promote drought resistant cultivars. Despite the origin within the U.S. of these new cultivars, turfgrass is tested in multiple locations, hence plenty of information has been collected on management practices of new and improved varieties. Superintendents all over the world, that are excruciated with the same environmental problems and are considering replacing their existing turfgrass, do not often have firsthand data or information about these new improved varieties since the majority of the testing is being conducted within the U.S. This seminar will cover genetic characteristics and best management practices for new and improved turfgrass cultivars to provide an opportunity to superintendents to learn if replacing their existing turfgrass with newer cultivars would be economically viable.

Speaker 1: Marco Schiavon

Speaker 2: Pablo Boeri

2 hour Seminar