is better not to sell to them than risk illegal proliferation.”

Bill Carraway, vice president of marketing for The Turfgrass Group, addressed his concern candidly and honestly, “As a licensor or proprietor of any improved turfgrass cultivar, not only are you promoting and selling innovation, you are com- mitting to protect the integrity of that technology, as well as the financial investment of those that choose to buy into that technol- ogy. And yes, unfortunately we have had to deal with this type of theft. We’ve been forced to file legal actions which have taken us as far as federal court in pursuit

of thieves. Legal action is a drain both emotionally and financially and it has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars protecting our products and our grower part- ners. The harsh reality is those who choose to pirate improved turfgrass technology are almost always turfgrass producers. Yes, unfortunately some of the very folks we call our industry contem- poraries are the very pirates that you are writing about. Very sad, but very true!”

So how do we, as an industry, come to- gether to discourage and prevent piracy? The answer lies within ourselves. If you suspect wrong doing take it upon your-

INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIVERSITY TURFGRASS BREEDING

PROGRAM SERIES Internationally-recognized turfgrass scientist, Dr. James B Beard, says, “It is evident that for many, many hundreds of years, man has been willing to invest time and money in improving turfgrasses to achieve better functional, recreational, and aesthetic benefits. Why? Basically, turfgrasses were developed by modern civilizations in order to enhance the qual- ity of life of humans. The more technically advanced a civilization, the more widely turfgrasses are used.”

What’s more, he adds, “Grasses have effectively func- tioned in protecting our environment for centuries.”

The proliferation of home lawns, the growing golf and team sport markets, and the increasing popularity of sodding, prompted research by turfgrass breeders in both cool-season and warm-season turfgrass. As Beard reports, they worked to develop “…. turfgrass cultivars with improved density, uniformity, and pest resistance desired by home owners as well as with year- round sod strength to facilitate harvesting and transplant handling.”

Beginning in the March/April 2016 issue, Turf News will launch a series of articles covering University reports on their turfgrass seed research and breeding programs.

46 TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

self to notify the licensor or the owner of intellectual property with whatever information you have so they have an opportunity to validate and confirm any such suspicions. If you have any reserva- tions because you aren’t a licensee of a certified or licensed grass at the present time, you might want to heed the words of Ken Morrow who offered this reality check—“Even if a turfgrass producer is not currently growing a licensed grass, it’s only a matter of time before he or she will be a licensed grower.”

Jim Novak is public rela- tions manager for Turfgrass

Producers International. Graphic on page 42 by Jim Novak