75 percent of last year's harvest because the acres devoted to tall fescue production are reduced. It is expected that the price for sod-quality tall fescue seed will be steady or higher going into July's harvest and through all of 2024. It is expected that the price for sod-quality tall fescue seed is already as low as it is going to be through 2024.


Kentucky Bluegrass- Dryland production regions are in better shape due to more rainfall this winter. Te supply of sod-quality seed from the irrigated production of Kentucky Bluegrass is adequate at this time, so selling prices will remain stable.


Fine Fescues - Te creeping red fescue crop in Canada has not recovered and the acres devoted to producing it are much lower than in years past. Tere is little downward price pressure on the high-quality creeping, chewings, and hard fescues grown in the Silverton Hills of Oregon. Grass seed companies have been reducing the fine fescues in their seed mixtures by using more tall fescues, which are also very shade tolerant. Tis trend is putting pressure on the availability and price of tall fescue.


Perennial Ryegrass - Good quality Perennial Ryegrass is available now and the prices are stable, but there are also fewer acres in production, so expect perennial ryegrass prices to strengthen as the supply of high-quality seed tightens after the July 2023 harvest.


LANDMARK SEED COMPANY


Provided by Accounts Managers Ben Boehme and Jake Metzger


Speaking to our seed producers, our production team highlights the importance of a clean crop and the value it adds to our customers’ business. Like many years in the past, we are thankful to partner with producers that work to meet our needs year after year.


Irrigation is in full swing for farmers who have access to water as the weather forecast over the next three to four weeks continues trending both warmer and dryer than last year. Given this outlook, we anticipate dryland production will see less than average yields. With the warmer weather forecast, our crop will have a good chance of catching up and finding the harvest window of mid-July.


We are still seeing plenty of renovations and improvement projects within the golf sector. Many residential and commercial builders across the country are busy completing projects that have been started within the last few years. Generally, the lawn and landscaping areas are the last to be completed, causing steady demand in these areas.


MOUNTAIN VIEW SEEDS Provided by Duane Klundt, Vice President of Turf


Tis graphic from Mountain View Seeds shows the contrast in perennial ryegrass production fields this March as compared to March of a “normal” year.


Landmark Seed Company reports they are thankful to partner with producers that work to meet their needs year after year. Tis photo of an Intense perennial ryegrass production field shows the results of those efforts.


Coming off a very unusual fall/winter, this year’s crop yields are less predictable than normal. Given the hot and dry fall and the cool and wet winter, our production team is expecting to see yields that are slightly below average. Due to some of the fields being thin and less mature, weed pressure is an added challenge and stressor for growers.


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Weather Impact Every year I say the same thing, so this time I’m just going to say, “It’s just another year.” Te unusual dry fall delayed the planting of new crop seed and hindered regrowth following the 2022 harvest of all cool-season species grown in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Tis has resulted in a later-than-normal spring growth season. An indication of this is our local tulip festival was delayed three weeks. With that, the plants coming out of winter looked very small, and the thought that it would be a rough harvest for the 2023 crop crept into everyone’s mind. I have included some photos of plant development in a “normal” March and in March of 2023.


Time once again showed us plants are very resilient, and a good portion seem to have recovered nicely for the most part. Some fields, however, are still feeling the effects of the


TPI Turf News July/August 2023


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