SCANGREEN: TURFGRASS SPECIES AND VARIETIES FOR INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT OF SCANDINAVIAN PUTTING GREENS, 2023-26

PROJECT PERIOD: FEBRUARY 2023 - MARCH 2027

FUNDING (kSEK)

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / CONTACT PERSON

Karin Juul Hesselsøe, NIBIO Landvik, N-4886 Grimstad, Norway

Tel: + 47 413 96 851 E-mail: karin.hesselsoe@nibio.no

CO-APPLICANTS AND COLLABORATORS

Pia Heltoft, NIBIO Apelsvoll, Norway

Bjarni Hannesson, Golf Union of Iceland

Per Rasmussen, Smørum Golf Club, Denmark

Project Objectives

• To screen in the field and clarify which varieties of Agrostis, Festuca, Poa and Lolium are most winter-hardy, most stress-tolerant and most disease-resistant on putting greens at four experimental sites representing the two major climate zones in the Nordic countries.

• To create meeting places for discussions between plant breeders, seed companies and greenkeepers in order to encourage variety awareness, integrated pest management and continued efforts into turfgrass breeding for northern environment

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Testing of new varieties is key to improving turfgrass quality. Today, breeders are focusing on disease resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses. STERF’s programmes on IPM and ‘Winter Stress Management’ recommend variety evaluation as one of STERF’s most important tasks.

This project is a continuation of SCANGREEN variety testing for the period 2023-2026. The same protocol as in former projects will be used, i.e. assessment on sand-based greens at NIBIO Landvik and Smørum GC in the southern zone and at NIBIO Apelsvoll and Reykjavik GC in the northern zone.

The project will comprise 7-8 species and we expect breeders to enter about 25 new varieties for comparison with the references. Plots will be evaluated monthly and varieties will be ranked for turf quality, winter tolerance, diseases and invasion of moss and Poa annua. The test sites will be used for field days according to a predetermined schedule and results will be communicated at www.sterf.org, www.scanturf.org and in greenkeeper magazines.