|
NSAC Research News Turfgrass Research - Prof. Doug Cattani There has been continuous growth and development of the turfgrass industry in Atlantic Canada in the 1990's. The golf sector has seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of golf courses in the last ten years with many being at the high end of the industry. This has led not only to greater employment opportunities but a greater need for current information regarding the culture of turfgrass in the region. Prof. Doug Cattani, Turfgrass Research Chair at the NSAC , is initiating research to provide practical information for the industry such as cultivar evaluation and overwintering strategies as well as investigating basic research questions. One focus has been to collect Poa annua (Annual Bluegrass) from golf courses for evaluation and inclusion into a breeding program for enhanced winter survival. This work has identified a wide range of plant types present on golf courses in the region. Future work will investigate the winter survival of these types. A second focus concentrates on the growth and development of creeping bentgrass used on golf putting greens. This research is a continuation of previous work by Prof. Cattani which led to the release of two cultivars (‘18th Green' in 1989 and ‘UM86-02' in 1997). Research carried out at NSAC has yielded new information on early plant growth and development in creeping bentgrass. Cattani is also interested in turfgrass and forage seed production. Seed production of some of these specialty crops was carried out in the region in the past and there is potential for some of the species in the present. This is an area of research that is currently undergoing investigation in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
|