Tahoma 31

  Water conservation is an increasing issue and turfgrass has deservedly gotten a bad rap as a thirsty consumer of this precious resource. (The typical suburban homeowner irrigates an estimated 10,000 gallons of water each year, primarily aimed at their lawn). While xeriscaping and turfgrass alternatives make sense in some applications, turf also provides substantial environmental and economic benefits in our landscape. It mitigates heat around homes, stabilizes soil against erosion, provides safe play space, and reduces noise, glare, and pollution. Eliminating turf would create a whole new set of environmental challenges. To help mitigate turf’s impact on water use, a team of 32 turfgrass researchers from six major universities, including North Carolina State University, has collaborated over the past nine years to produce drought tolerant warm-season turfgrasses. Recently, a specialty crops grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture was approved to continue the multi-university group’s works. (Texas A&M, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and Oklahoma State University have been members of the team since 2010. University of California – Riverside was added to the team for this new project.) New Phase Of Study NC State’s Susana Milla-Lewis, an associate professor and University faculty scholar, will be at the helm in the new phase of study. “Our 2010 and 2015 projects were crucial in the development of drought-tolerant turfgrass cultivars. The levels of improvement of these grasses are promising and validate the need to promote adoption, continue cultivar research, and develop tools that facilitate the breeding process,” ...