Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8422 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2016 Industry Statistics While there are statistics that show what the turf and grass seed industry contributes to the economy in terms of jobs and income, Morris says there is not a national survey conducted by the U.S. government that shows the whole picture.  “For instance, there is no one source for an estimate of the acreage of turf in the U.S., although the USDA folks tell us they estimate the number at 60 million acres,” Morris says. “The golf industry touts its impact at $70 billion annually, which includes not only the golf course maintenance aspect (about $10 billion), but also golf clubs, balls, clothing and spending at golf resorts. There are about 1 million people employed in golf facility opera- tions and about 500,000 employed in lawn and landscape care.”   In Texas, the turf industry has a huge impact on the economy, says Nelson, who quotes figures from a 2005 study conducted by the university’s agricultural economics department. “If all turfgrass inputs (nursery product landscape services, ag chemicals and fertilizers, equipment, water supply and domestic services) are included, a grand total of $7.4 billion was for sales alone,” Nelson shares. “Approximately 150,800 people were employed for over $2 billion. The total value added for the turf industry was $4.3 billion. These huge dollar amounts do not even include the grass seed utilized for seeding/overseeding in the forage and ranch industry.” Nelson adds that another area not already discussed is the value-added impact of turfgrass. “There is a huge value to the environment with protection of our soil from erosion and the like when turfgrass is growing,” he says. “An increased value of our homes and landscapes is derived when we have beautiful lawns and landscapes.” Major Players The biggest players in the turf and grass seed retail market (sales to homeowners) continue to be Scotts and Pennington, with retail sales making up approximately two-thirds of all grass seed sales in the United States. “For the professional market — golf courses, sports fields, lawn care operators — many smaller companies are important play- ers,” says Morris. “Companies such as Pure-Seed, DLF, Pickseed, Jacklin, Turf Merchants and Seed Research of Oregon produce, process and market much of the seed sold to professionals.” Ronnie Stapp, an executive vice president for Pennington Seed in Georgia, says the increased expectation in terms of the quality and performance has fueled the growth in the industry. “Key to that is the appearance or beauty of the turf, but we also see an expectation that grass and turf use fewer resources, like water,” Stapp says. “We have to develop grasses that use less water. Turf is important to our environment and the quality of our surroundings, so it is incumbent on the industry to develop varie- ties that are more environmentally friendly.” Stapp says more than ever before, grasses must deliver superior quality and performance. “In many cases, this is more important than cost,” he says. “Gone are the days of any grass being acceptable. Landscaping and nice turf are a great part of construction and renovation plans, because of the benefit that it contributes to the quality of the surrounding environment.” Morris says Scotts has sold its professional division to focus primarily on the homeowner market for seed, fertilizer and pest control products. Within the pest control area, a significant con- solidation of companies has changed the number of players.  “Also, the recent recession has decreased the number of golf courses from a high of almost 17,000 pre-recession to just over 15,000 today,” Morris says. “The installation of synthetic turf has increased significantly, primarily on athletic fields, and severe droughts in the West have allowed water utilities to garner sup- port for turf removal and reduction programs.”  What’s Next? Drought issues affecting California and New England have raised the bar for drought-tolerant grasses.  “This is an important research topic,” says Morris. “Another very important topic is pesticide reduction, which parallels the need for input reduction, as a cost saving. Finally, player safety, particularly in football, is increasing in importance. Safe, high- quality natural turf athletic fields that can be easily installed and maintained are needed.” Stapp adds: “The industry will continue to be healthy and stable, showing moderate growth. I do not see an over produc- tion developing in Oregon and expect reasonable demand based on the overall health of the economy. I also see more emphasis being placed on water usage of turf, which will continue to make it a viable part of residential and commercial landscaping.” In Texas, Nelson says with the continuing influx of people into urban areas and a favorable job market, the turf industry will continue to grow. “Usage of turf grass seed will probably not increase signifi- cantly,” he says. “Nevertheless, we expect a fairly stable amount of seed being used over the next few years. Because of the expansion of the housing market, in many areas of Texas, the sod and lawn care industry should see a steady growth. SW This Oregon field is planted with fine fescue for seed production.