The 2022 Spring-Summer Clippings newsletter is now online! In this issue: Identifying St. Augustinegrass Cultivars Growing Better 2022 Photo Galleries Research Update: LVN Screening, Bitter Blue Genetic Mapping Kenworthy Receives UF Plant Breeding Innovation Award Kakani Named UF/IFAS Agronomy Department Chair Welcome New Members! Save the Date: 2022 TPF Clay Shoot on September 29 Read...Continue Reading
– Dr. Kevin Kenworthy, UF/IFAS and Dr. Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a member of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) By the late 1960’s, things looked bleak for Texas sod producers. Lawns and sod fields were being ravaged by what was eventually identified as St. Augustine Decline (SAD), a viral disease first diagnosed...Continue Reading
Ribbons are slim strips of grass left behind when a sod field is harvested (in this photo, in a field of Floratam St. Augustine). Ever notice how some turfgrasses will send out long stems with leaves attached? These runners will grow across the open spaces, develop roots, and fill in the harvested areas. In about 6-12...Continue Reading
Limited Inventory 2019 Widely Available Spring 2020 The University of Florida has approved the first new St. Augustine release from a four-year long collaborative research project between UF and members of Turfgrass Producers of Florida: CitraBlue™ St. Augustine. CitraBlue™ was developed by the University of Florida’s turfgrass breeding program under the direction of Dr....Continue Reading
The 2018 Fall Clippings newsletter is now online! Read the full issue, including these stories, here: Fall Newsletter 2018 for web Introducing CitraBlue St. Augustine Panhandle Sod Farms Take Big Hit from Hurricane Michael Mobile Web App Helps Understand Local Fertilizer Ordinances Dr. Phil Busey Receives FTGA Wreath of Grass Be Wary of Phishing...Continue Reading
Identification and History of Bitterblue St. Augustine by Phil Busey, PhD, CCA, CPAg – Phil Busey Agronomy Consulting After discovery of damage to Floratam St. Augustinegrass by SCMV (Sugarcane Mosaic Virus) there is renewed interest in the older cultivar Bitterblue St. Augustinegrass. Both cultivars have long been used in Florida lawns. Plant pathologists believe that...Continue Reading
Nematodes, Turfgrass, and Organic Amendments By Brandon Jones, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Florida and W. T. Crow, PhD, Professor of Nematology, University of Florida With the exception of a few locations throughout the state, the soils throughout Florida are dominated by high sand content, remnants of a time period when the state was completely...Continue Reading
MORE GREEN IN YOUR POCKET: New irrigation technology can help you keep your lawn looking good and keep more “green” in your pocket. University of Florida scientists recently conducted a study to see what would happen if automated irrigation systems were monitored to work more in sync with nature. HERE’S WHAT THEY DISCOVERED: Homeowners whose...Continue Reading
Your Florida lawn offers unique benefits that play a role in ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come. Download the “Lawns Make Our World Greener” Guide to Conservation and Sustainability.Continue Reading
