b'PARTNER CONTENTHOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT MIX OF TURF QUALITY AND SEED RELIABILITY P lant breeding was almost exclusively a mans world in the mid-1980s, but Crystal Rose-Fricker didnt let that intimidate her. Her father Bill Rose started Pure-Seed Testing research facil-ity in 1974 where she has been involved in plant breeding since she was 13-years-old.I really like the science aspect and getting to work with Gods creation to understand how things work, Rose-Fricker, who owns and operates Oregon-based Pure Seed with her siblings, says. Its exciting to see the science and the creation youve worked on come to fruition.When growing grass seed, youre really look-ing for two things: good seed producers and good turf quality. The unfortunate reality is, typically when the variety is good at one of those attributes,MORE THANits not good at the other. For example, if it has1 BILLION good turf density, its not a good seed yielder.Rose-Fricker, Dr. Melodee Fraser and AustinPOUNDS OF Fricker aim to change thatand add a few extraPST VARIETIES quality traits in the process.Its exciting to see our grasses growing in places itPRODUCEDhasnt traditionally due to advancements in breeding and PRODUCING QUALITY TURF genetics, says Crystal Rose-Fricker, co-owner of Pure Seed. 34 Rose-Fricker and the entire team work to findif you could apply effluent water directly to a field?MILLION solutions for grass varieties - whether its Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue or any of the other 20 spe- Pure-Seed Testing provides that opportunity withEUROS SPENTcies of grass they work with. It takes about 10 yearsPerennial Ryegrass, Forages, Kentucky Bluegrass,ON R & D to bring a variety to market. Tall Fescue, Seashore Paspalum and other species We work on quality traits like disease resist- that can survive where most grasses cannot. 55+ance, salinity resistance and drought tolerance, Early vigour - a good start leads to a good Rose-Fricker says. A lot of breeders just assumestand. Pure Seed closely examines spring greenYEARS OF R & D the turf manager will apply a fungicide or irrigateup and vigour to weed out the weakest varieties.we develop varieties that require less inputs andQuick germination and tillering has set apart57 EU give the turf manger flexibility. Kentucky Bluegrass variety, Jumpstart. LISTEDIt doesnt matter how great a seeds viabilityWhen we evaluate our varieties, we look at or production is if it doesnt create a turf productevery trait and every data point weve gathered toCOMMERCIAL people want to buy. Rose-Fricker and her breedingindex and rank potential new products, she says.VARIETIESteam prioritize the following: Only the very best in every category make the cut. Durability - cleats, walkers and otherMORE THAN wear and tear can decimate turf, so its importantBREEDING FOR RELIABILITY 300 TOTAL to identify varieties that can handle a beating.You want to have access to high-quality seed when PURESPORT Perennial Ryegrass blend is a spe- you need it. The Pure-Seed Testing team use aCOMMERCIAL cific brand from Pure Seed created to withstandcombination of traditional breeding techniques andVARIETIESthe toughest traffic.molecular markers to find the highest performers. Shade tolerance - discolouration canEach year they test thousands of experimentalANNUAL damage the reputations of sports complexes andvarieties across dozens of geographies. Every vari- SALES INbusinesses. Pure Seed selects for excellent diseaseety is tested for a minimum of five years before they50 PLUSresistance which translates into shade tolerance.move toward commercialization. All in all, fewer thanColour - green grass is the universal symbol10% of the varieties make it to commercialization. COUNTRIESof a healthy lawn or field. The shade of green theWe spend more than $2 million USD (about variety displays can have a direct effect on the1.7 million Euro) per year on research, Rose-overall appearance of the stand. Fricker adds. Weve spent more than $40 millionDensity - patchy stands kill the overallUSD (about 34 million Euro) to make sure were appeal of a lawn or field. Tillering and spreading ofproviding the best grasses to our customers. each variety is critical to achieve a beautiful stand. Pure Seeds dedication to research and newFor more informationWater Quality - Poor quality water canproducts means good turf and reliable seed pro- visit pureseed.com &limit where grasses are used. What would happenduction is possible. pureseedfieldday.com.18IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'