The first-ever joint turfgrass release agreement between the Florida Sod Growers Cooperative (FSGC) and a private company has generated more than $25,000 so far for the FSGC.

It has been a rapid rise for the United States-based company, Sod Solutions, and its president, Tobey Wagner. The company, established in the late 1980s and incorporated in 1992, started with four turf producers in central Florida. It has now expanded internationally, and markets its products around the world.

The success of Sod Solutions is based on the development of improved warm season St. Augustine grasses (or Buffalo Grass as it is known in Australia).

The result of an intensive breeding program is a diploid Buffalo Grass, which, according to Mr. Wagner, provided a green stem, better colour and photosynthesisation and a finer texture, The grass is named Palmetto^®.

Mr. Wagner said other important attributes if Palmetto were its drought tolerance (low water usage), shade and sun tolerance and tolerance to disease.

While the key elements were its performance for the end user, Mr. Wagner said they also took particular note of the grassí ability to be successfully produced at an efficient cost in terms of growing and harvesting and transporting. To do that it needed a good root structure to reduce the shock of transplanting.

Mr. Wagner said the Sod Solutions’ philosophy was to create a coalition of breeders of Buffalo grasses, couches and zoysia, which could use the Sod Solutions’ marketing and production network without having to create the network themselves.

He said the company liked to see competition among its growers without saturation. Sod Solutions did not give exclusive licenses, nor did it restrict its growers to zones or prices.

Mr. Wagner said the company looked for growers who were quality oriented and had a cooperative attitude to other growers within the Sod Solutions network.

Other Sod Solutions philosophies included constantly seeking better ways of disseminating information about growing better grass and providing a top-to-bottom service to its growers.

Since Palmetto came out of Australian quarantine in 1996, 16 growers have been appointed, with expectations that about 25 growers will meet the productions levels of the local market.

Marketing support for the three Sod Solutions grasses in Australia is provided by Todd Layt, of Abulk, NSW. Rod Riley is providing technical support.

Mr. Wagner said turf growers needed to look at broader issues like water, chemicals, and labour as well as lobbying as a united group.

Another key element was to improve the perception of turf with the wider community. Turf had many benefits for the environment, including erosion control, as a natural air filter and to reduce runoff.

Mr. Wagner said though turf growers needed to keep their independence, they needed to co-operate on issues that would benefit the industry.

The industry had to better educate end-users in the proper maintenance of turf areas in terms of watering, mowing, etc., he said.