COVER STORY
INDUSTRY LEADERS PARTNER WITH REFUGE LAWN to Help Guide Research and Extension Outreach By Drs. Edicarlos de Castro and Jay McCurdy, Mississippi State University
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urfgrass occupies an estimated 40 to 50 million acres in the United States, approximately 40% of which is maintained lawn around homes, places of business, and institutions. There are numerous environmental and societal benefits of turfgrass in the human built environment, and the turfgrass industry contributes billions of dollars to the country’s economy each year. However, maintained turfgrass often lacks species richness to support insect pollinators, and residential properties offer poor nesting and habitat sites that are highly segmented. An interdisciplinary group of turfgrass scientists has partnered on the Pollinator Friendly Lawns in the Southeastern United States project ($493,000), funded by the United States Department of Agriculture–National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA– NIFA). This project seeks to enhance lawn attractiveness and function for pollinating and other beneficial insects through the inclusion of flowering plant species and development of best management practices (BMPs). Principle investigators met with industry advisers on October 8, 2021 to discuss scientific and Extension viewpoints regarding pollinator-friendly lawns and stakeholder acceptance.
8 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2022
Spotlight on two interesting species: Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a spring flowering native capable of thriving in a typical lawn. It regenerates and spreads by an underground corm. This flower blankets warm-season lawns of the southeast during the later-winter and early spring.
INVESTIGATORS • Jay McCurdy, Mississippi State University • Edicarlos de Castro, Mississippi State University • David Held, Auburn University • Gerald Henry, University of Georgia
ADVISORS IN ATTENDANCE • Tim Ray, Extension Agent II, Harrison County, Mississippi State University • Felder Rushing, Radio Host and Meadow Lawn Advocate, Mississippi • Danesha Seth Carley, Associate Professor, Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, and Director of the NC State NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management • Jim Crockett, Nufarm US Turf and Ornamental, Regional Sales Manager
