THE LAWN INSTITUTE TURFGRASS RESEARCH UPDATE


By Casey Reynolds, PhD


Te Lawn Institute (TLI) has a long-standing history of funding natural grass research at nationally and globally recognized universities. Each year, TLI sends out a call for proposals to university researchers throughout the world to be compiled and reviewed by the TLI Research Committee at the TPI International Education Conference. Te 2022 TLI Research Committee members listed in Table 1 are comprised of TPI members, staff, university educators, and industry personnel in order to ensure that TPI members and their interests are fully represented in the process while also leaning on university, United States Golf Association (USGA), and National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) personnel for input on current research at other institutions.


Table 1. 2022 TLI Research Committee Members Committee Member Duane Klundt


Position Chair


Lindy Murff Larry LeMay Steve Griffen


Spencer Mendenhall Sarah Nolte Jack Karlin


Casey Reynolds, PhD Jay McCurdy, PhD Aaron Patton, PhD John Sorochan, PhD Kevin Morris


Company Mountain View Seeds


TPI Board Liaison Murff Turf Farm TPI Board Liaison A-G Sod Farms, Inc. Member Member Member Member Advisor Advisor Advisor Advisor Advisor


Saratoga Sod Farm, Inc. Raft River Sod


Blue Grass Enterprises, Inc. TWCA TPI


Mississippi State University Purdue University


University of Tennessee NTEP


*Advisors to the committee do not vote on projects but are present to provide technical input on the quality and potential impact of proposals.


Applications for research funds can be requested on any topic, but the TLI Research Committee places priority on specific research areas that serve natural turfgrass producers and the turfgrass industry. With the help of the TLI research committee, these areas are updated each year and are listed below. Other basic guidelines of the proposals include: applicants are encouraged to adhere to all TLI forms, formats, and deadlines for full consideration of proposals; proposals for single or multiple-year projects will be considered as long as the years and funding amounts are clearly stated; funds cannot be used for faculty salaries; proposals seeking funds for capital expenditures will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; and overhead or administrative costs shall be held to an absolute minimum, but will not exceed 16 percent.


TLI Research Focus Areas • Cultural Impacts of Natural Grass - Research that includes, but is not limited to, societal health and well-being, fitness, athletic field safety, socioeconomics, consumer attitudes, etc.


• Environmental Awareness of Natural Grass -Research that includes, but is not limited to, carbon sequestration, heat abatement, pollution entrapment, soil remediation, run-off reductions, etc.


• Natural Grass Input Reductions - Research that includes, but is not limited to, drought tolerance, reduced water use, nutrient requirements, traffic tolerance, integrated pest management, etc.


• Extending Harvested Shelf-Life of Natural Grass • Reducing Production Costs of Natural Grass • Natural Grass Research Communication & Education - Information that can be used to develop content on Te Lawn Institute website for educating policymakers, homeowners, and the general public on turfgrass science, management, impacts, etc. Tis can include literature reviews on environmental impacts, natural grass benefits, region-specific natural grass selection and management, weed/insect/disease control, and more.


10 TPI Turf News September/October 2022


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