from MSU News Service

9/29/99 - BOZEMAN – What lawn grasses do best from Montana to California to the East Coast?

That's what the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program is trying to find out, and this year Montana State University - Bozeman became one of its official test sites.

MSU Extension Horticulturist Bob Gough and a student have worked to establish, tend and evaluate 300 or more turfgrass varieties growing west of Bozeman's main campus.

The tie to the turfgrass evaluations run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture means several things for MSU and Montana, says Gough.

One of the grant's important spin-offs is in providing funds that help MSU students. Over the five years of the $40,000 USDA grant, about half will go for student employment in the project and half for equipment and supplies, says Gough. The students help establish and maintain the turfgrass site. These students often will be part of MSU's new Plant Sciences turfgrass option. Generally, students in the turfgrass option are interested in golf course or athletic field maintenance as a profession, so their additional employment adds up to the kind of real-world experience that will help them get a job after college.

The combination of a turfgrass option and practical work potential should also help attract more students to the program, said Gough.

In addition to the help for students, the turfgrass studies help improve the turf choices of parks, golf course, roadside and athletic field managers around Montana.

MSU has had turfgrass research in the past, but not in the nationally coordinated studies. The standardization of the grass plot sizes, fertilizer and watering regimens allows researchers and turfgrass managers around the country to judge which grasses are most suitable for their own conditions.

"It's a major expense to seed a golf course, and they sure want to pick the right cultivars," said Gough.

Doing the job right also means minimizing pest problems, and pesticide use, in the future.

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program is a cooperative program between the USDA, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the National Turfgrass Federation, a nonprofit corporation.

Among the factors turfgrass is evaluated for is dark green color, density, resistance to disease and insects; tolerance to heat, cold, drought and shade; fine leaf texture and mowing requirements. Under harsh conditions or heavy traffic, such as in a highway median strip or athletic field, simple survival may be the most important grass trait.