COV ER S T O R Y
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NC STATE TURFGRASS RELEASES
LOBO
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ZOYSIAGRASS Warm-Season Turfgrass Breeder Presents Zoysiagrass with Novel Traits
orth Carolina State University’s Turfgrass Breeding and Genetics program, under the direction of Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis, has released Lobo™ Zoysiagrass (experimental name XZ 14069). Researchers selected Lobo from hundreds of nursery mates for its unusual combination of aggressive establishment and stress tolerance. These traits were later confirmed by six years of multi-location trials under low input conditions. Lobo Zoysia will be exclusively licensed through Sod Solutions for commercial production and marketing. This release is NC State’s first warm-season turfgrass cultivar from Milla-Lewis’s breeding program that started in 2009.
RAPIDLY EXPANDING ZOYSIAGRASS USE Zoysiagrasses are warm-season, perennial turfgrasses often used in home lawns, commercial landscapes, and golf courses across the southern U.S. They are generally known for their low maintenance requirements but slow establishment. Lobo is unique because it is fast to establish, drought-tolerant, and maintains good color and quality under very low inputs. “This medium-fine zoysiagrass cultivar is simultaneously well adapted for infrequently managed areas like golf course roughs, roadsides, and airport in-fields but also for higher-end uses like home lawns, commercial landscapes and golf course fairways where aesthetics are equally important as maintenance. It’s truly a unicorn,” said Milla-Lewis.
Turfgrass breeder Susana Milla-Lewis discusses Lobo’s traits at the 2021 NC State Turfgrass Field Day.
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January/February 2022
