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36 SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2015 Bill Kreuser assistant professor and Extension turfgrass specialist at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln says some school grounds across the country have banned pesticides a trend that is likely to continue. Kreuser shares that in the 1990s and early 2000s new grass releases required high mainte- nance conditions. With good maintenance grasses performed really well. However he says most were not maintained at the level they needed to be. When turfgrass isnt maintained Kreuser says it gets compacted and can be pretty hard espe- cially if it is not irrigated and fertilized properly. This is especially important when athletes hit the field and deal with injuries such as concussions he explains. Now the big thing is grasses that are able to use less water nutrients pesticides etc. all while producing a dark green color. Regardless of region Brilman says low mainte- nance turf is key and that low-maintenance theory also applies to irrigating sports fields. As the water supply becomes scarcer the ability of turf to recover from stress under a water-limiting regimen will become more important she says. Weve been doing a lot of work in that area. For instance in California we are looking at our turf and maintaining cool season turf with less water and assessing which ones do best under those condi- tions. We are also looking for ones that you can let go dormant and bring back up ... and ones you can water at 60 percent of the evapotranspiration rate. While the need to use less water is always important Kreuser says the bigger issue is the timing of application whether thats watering the field or applying a product We shouldnt just be putting things down based on calendar intervals he says. We should be using data to make better choices about timing. Kreuser says some new areas researchers are looking into include supplemental grow lights that are rolled onto the field. The broader theme is plant health he adds. We are really trying to maximize all of the things that we can control to make plants as healthy as possible with minimal stress he says. Its a tall order but turfgrass researchers across the country are working hard to match the right turf to the right stadium and the right products to the right situations. The campaign to improve turf- grass cultivars is endless and knows no geographi- cal boundaries. DLF Pickseed through its brands DLF Pickseed USA Pickseed Canada and Seed Research of Oregon has trials not only in Oregon but has a farm in Kentucky Denmark France and the Czech Republic to name a few. If they dont have a site where they are growing their own turf they work with the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program or a local university or sod grower to put on trials in that particular region. Brilman says they also look at alternatives such as tetraploid perennial ryegrasses a turf-type inter- mediate rye that germinates later in the season. We never develop for one characteristic always a broad range and at end of day it still needs to produce seed Brilman says. SW We are really trying to maximize all of the things that we can control to make plants as healthy as possible with minimal stress. Bill Kreuser PHOTODLFPICKSEED. 7 of the top 10 sports fields in the NFL are in southern climates. 1983 is when Seed Research of Oregon was founded. 12 of the worlds cool season grasses are produced in Oregons Willamette Valley. Researchers use this Cadi wear machine to help test the durability and recoverability of turf grasses.