Sod Solutions Opens New SOUTHERN COASTAL RESEARCH CENTER

Sod Solutions' new five-acre Southern Coastal Research Center (SCRC), located just outside of Charleston, SC, is nearing completion. Ultimately, the facility will consist of 1800 ft2 of office space and over 4.5 acres of research fields.

Currently, the SCRC is hosting the General Comparative Study of Commonly Used St. Augustine and Zoysia Grasses. This study, being conducted by Clemson University under the direction of Dr. L. B. McCarty and graduate student Jason Higingbottom, is designed to evaluate several grass varieties including Palmetto®, Floratam, Raleigh, Bitter Blue and Del Mar St. Augustines. Also being evaluated are Empire®, Empress®, SS-600, El Toro, Meyer and Emerald Zoysias. Centipede grass is being utilized for control samples.

When completed in September, the SCRC office complex will become the new corporate headquarters for Sod Solutions, Inc. Additionally, it will serve as a hub for meetings, demonstrations, symposiums and other events related to Sod Solutions' business objectives.

"Our goal with the SCRC is two-fold," said Tobey Wagner, President of Sod Solutions, Inc. "First, we will provide our producers, customers and staff with a modernized focal point for our business activities. The SCRC gives us just that, facilities better suited to service our clients and market our products. Secondly, we feel strongly that a state-of-the-art research center is required to support our corporate dedication to the development and release of improved warm season turf varieties. This research center enables us to host independently conducted testing and analysis, such as the Clemson University study currently underway. We feel this capability gives us access to the latest scientific data as quickly as possible and allows us to forward this information to our producers and customers in the field."

Keep checking our web site for updated information, schedules of events and descriptions of research studies ongoing at the SCRC.