Business ManagementBusiness TrendsEducationFeaturedInnovationManufacturer/Supplier UpdatesPodcastsPodcastsProductsResourcesThe Latest
Listen Now: Segway Navimow Glides Into Robotic Mower Market
Jessica Schwartz
New Celebration Hybrid™ Bermudagrass Released By Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University’s Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station officially released Celebration Hybrid™ Bermudagrass at the 2022 Turfgrass Research Field Day held in Starkville, MS. The new cultivar is the first release out of the “Celebration X” breeding program, which stemmed from the idea of cross-pollinating industry standard Celebration® Bermudagrass with numerous attractive Bermudagrass genotypes collected and maintained over the years at MSU to create new grasses. The goal of the program was to take the top characteristics of Celebration and develop new grasses with better cold tolerance, a finer texture, fewer seed heads, and less thatch. These grasses will be used in home lawns, golf courses, parks, and sports fields across the country and around the world. The Celebration X breeding program was initiated in 2014 as a partnership between MSU and Sod Solutions, a turfgrass research, development, and marketing company. Celebration Hybrid is the initial release from the Celebration X Program with more to be released next year and will have limited commercial availability by late Summer 2024. Celebration’s ability to block well, resist drought, and endure shade better than other Bermudas has made it one of the best options on the market over the past two decades. Five grasses from the Celebration X program were chosen to be entered into the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program’s 2019 National Bermudagrass Test. This is a five-year trial being conducted at universities across the nation and experimental varieties are evaluated along with commercial varieties. Progress reports for 2020 and 2021 have ranked ...
The Grass Really Is Greener On The Gavranovic Side Of The Fence
Three generations work hard at Horizon Grass Farms. Over the past 43 years, Horizon Grass Farms has grown from a 20-acre homestead into a successful turfgrass operation spread over 12 farms in Texas. Reputed for its grass quality and quantity, Horizon now supplies sod to roughly 20 nurseries throughout the state, keeping three generations of the Gavranovic family hard at work. Horizon Grass Farms currently grows Celebration®, Bermudagrass, and Palmetto® St. Augustine. Soon, they’ll be putting in plant stock material for Texas A&M’s newly released Cobalt™ Hybrid St. Augustinegrass. Celebration has been a good grass for the Turfgrass Producers of Texas (TPT), says Horizon Grass Farms Owner William Gavranovic. He likes its nice green, dense appearance. “Our customers like it and continue to keep demanding it. We have several customers who demand Palmetto St. Augustine over Raleigh and we continue to push that one. I like it. It is a good grass that blocks really well.” William thinks end-users are going to be just as excited about Cobalt as they are. “Growers tend to grow the best grass, as we work with it every day. We see it firsthand, and I think the end-users are going to be very satisfied,” he explains. “There are so many more benefits to Cobalt, such as its disease resistance, cold tolerance and just a lot of good features.” All In The Family When it comes to turfgrass, William knows what he’s talking about. It’s in his blood. His father, Willie, is the founder ...
The Grass Really Is Greener On The Gavranovic Side Of The Fence
Three generations work hard at Horizon Grass Farms. Over the past 43 years, Horizon Grass Farms has grown from a 20-acre homestead into a successful turfgrass operation spread over 12 farms in Texas. Reputed for its grass quality and quantity, Horizon now supplies sod to roughly 20 nurseries throughout the state, keeping three generations of the Gavranovic family hard at work. Horizon Grass Farms currently grows Celebration®, Bermudagrass, and Palmetto® St. Augustine. Soon, they’ll be putting in plant stock material for Texas A&M’s newly released Cobalt™ Hybrid St. Augustinegrass. Celebration has been a good grass for the Turfgrass Producers of Texas (TPT), says Horizon Grass Farms Owner William Gavranovic. He likes its nice green, dense appearance. “Our customers like it and continue to keep demanding it. We have several customers who demand Palmetto St. Augustine over Raleigh and we continue to push that one. I like it. It is a good grass that blocks really well.” William thinks end-users are going to be just as excited about Cobalt as they are. “Growers tend to grow the best grass, as we work with it every day. We see it firsthand, and I think the end-users are going to be very satisfied,” he explains. “There are so many more benefits to Cobalt, such as its disease resistance, cold tolerance and just a lot of good features.” All In The Family When it comes to turfgrass, William knows what he’s talking about. It’s in his blood. His father, Willie, is the founder ...
On The Turf At Arrowhead Stadium
Imagine if views of the turfgrass you maintain were broadcast to millions of viewers and had to be picture perfect—while also absorbing the impact of cleats and tackles from the famed Kansas City Chiefs football team. Did we forget to mention it’s also December in Missouri? And the field was just used for a sold-out concert and now requires a total transformation? As Head Groundskeeper of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Travis Hogan knows these challenges are just another’s day work. Yet last week he graciously let Turf magazine staff and a large group from the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) trod on the same hallowed ground as Patrick Mahomes. NorthBridge® Bermudagrass Hogan and his staff are responsible for the 87,000 square foot field at Arrowhead Stadium as well as all practice fields. Each are planted in NorthBridge Bermudagrass from Sod Solutions. Hogan’s primary reasons for this choice, which has been used since 2013, include: It has high dormant traffic tolerance. Approximately four to five games of the Chiefs season are generally played on dormant grass. It is cold tolerant. Games are played in November , December, and January. It’s not only cold that affects the grass quality. Hogan said temperature swings from -8˚F to 108˚ F can hit within a five to six month span. Fighting shade is another major issue. A Heated Field But Hogan and his crew aren’t alone in the fight. A three-year project to install a $2.2 million heating system under the field was ...
On The Turf At Arrowhead Stadium
Imagine if views of the turfgrass you maintain were broadcast to millions of viewers and had to be picture perfect—while also absorbing the impact of cleats and tackles from the famed Kansas City Chiefs football team. Did we forget to mention it’s also December in Missouri? And the field was just used for a sold-out concert and now requires a total transformation? As Head Groundskeeper of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Travis Hogan knows these challenges are just another’s day work. Yet last week he graciously let Turf magazine staff and a large group from the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) trod on the same hallowed ground as Patrick Mahomes. NorthBridge® Bermudagrass Hogan and his staff are responsible for the 87,000 square foot field at Arrowhead Stadium as well as all practice fields. Each are planted in NorthBridge Bermudagrass from Sod Solutions. Hogan’s primary reasons for this choice, which has been used since 2013, include: It has high dormant traffic tolerance. Approximately four to five games of the Chiefs season are generally played on dormant grass. It is cold tolerant. Games are played in November , December, and January. It’s not only cold that affects the grass quality. Hogan said temperature swings from -8˚F to 108˚ F can hit within a five to six month span. Fighting shade is another major issue. A Heated Field But Hogan and his crew aren’t alone in the fight. A three-year project to install a $2.2 million heating system under the field was ...
