SOD SOLUTIONS Provided by Tobey Wagner, President
on existing homes. Higher interest rates discourage homeowners with low-interest mortgages from making new purchases. Tis trend toward renovations is an important shift because homeowners tend to seek higher- quality turfgrass varieties. Demand remains strong in professional segments like golf, sports, commercial, and government projects, with work planned and funded through the end of the year.
Are we at the top of the hill for pricing and demand? It is unclear, but successful growers will closely monitor the economy and trends and speculate wisely. We at Sod Solutions are bullish about the future of natural turfgrass and continue to invest heavily in new variety development with land-grant universities, growers, and the development of technology to support the broader turf and landscape industry.
Dr. Kevin Kenworthy kneels on a plot of Brazos™ Zoysia, the 2024 introduction from Te University of Florida’s turfgrass breeding and genetics program.
Turfgrass Demand Strong, Steady - Are we at the top of the hill? Te outlook for 2024 is shaped by national and global issues and matters particular to the turfgrass industry. For example, national economic issues will strongly impact our industry as inflation drains everyone’s pocketbook. Whether a consumer is shopping for groceries or purchasing a home, the significant price rise influences purchasing power and consumer behavior. Inflation also impacts the cost of goods and services for businesses in our industry. Te cost of land, equipment, crop inputs, and transportation has risen sharply in recent years.
Te price of turfgrass has also risen, but most of this increase has been offset by rising costs, and little has gone to the bottom line for some growers. It is also important to note that the barrier to entry for new turf production is high in the face of rising land and production costs, so competition from new players in the industry will be limited.
In 2024, it will be important to monitor the impact of rising prices on demand and to understand the impact of increasing production costs on overall profitability. As much as possible, our industry should work to maintain a healthy balance between production costs and the retail price of our farms’ goods and services. Sod Solutions offers a farm management software solution, Turf Logistics, which provides insights related to order management and increased efficiency in harvesting and delivering turfgrass. Visit
turflogistics.com for more information.
Demand for natural grass remains relatively strong in most regions, especially in the South, where the population is rapidly growing. Growers are reporting a trend in the homeowner segment toward more renovation work
TPI Turf News July/August 2024
2024 General Crop Outlook: Sod Solutions reached a milestone this year with the most production acres in our network in 30 years. We are grateful to our growers and the industry served and look forward to continued growth.
Plant Stock Report: Sod Solutions has invested in expanding plant stock production to better control the quality and availability of several of our most demanded varieties. Plant stock availability will be strong this summer and fall. We have sufficient plant stock inventory to support substantial acreage growth with our legacy grasses: Celebration® and EMPIRE®
Bermuda, Palmetto®
(NC State University), Sola™ University), Cobalt™
St. Augustine,
developed and released improved varieties includes CitraZoy®
University), Celebration Hybrid™ State University), and NorthBridge® State University).
Zoysia. An expanded portfolio of newly Zoysia (University of Florida), Lobo™
St. Augustine (NC State
Hybrid St. Augustine (Texas A&M Bermuda (Mississippi Bermuda (Oklahoma
Notice the diversity of new varieties being developed by Sod Solutions as well as the various and diverse research institutions involved in the development of the next generation of improved varieties. Tis portfolio of improved turf variety offerings is designed to offer a wide variety of solutions for almost any usage an end user might present. It is Sod Solutions’ goal to educate and promote end users about proven grasses for specific needs to best serve the interest of customers and the industry. We are committed to selling customers what they need, when and where they need it. Te outlook is good for all these grasses with production increasing and availability good. Tere are seasonal shortages, which will likely be the standard protocol for years to come as growers balance supply with demand. Like the car manufacturers that used to pour out cars with dealerships overflowing with inventory and are now much leaner and more strategic in production. Te turfgrass industry is similar with many turf growers having controlled but planned growth for specific acreages of turf.
41 Zoysia
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