Western Innovator: Researcher and his ‘dream team’ build better turfgrass

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CORVALLIS, Ore. — Across the drought-stricken Western U.S., some cities and states have temporarily banned watering “non-functional turf,” including lawns.

Other municipalities, domestic and international, are restricting fungicide use on landscapes.

These and other developments have cast a sudden spotlight on turfgrass management, an important and often-overlooked field of study, and the innovators behind it — people like Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University turfgrass specialist.

BeaverTurf, OSU’s turf management program, is exploring how to grow turfgrass on sports fields, golf courses and parks in a way that’s more environmentally and economically sustainable.

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DLF Excellence in Research Award given to Dr. Stacy Bonos

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Dr. Bonos is the director of the turfgrass breeding program, and associate director of the Center for Turfgrass Science at Rutgers University

HALSEY, Ore. – DLF is proud to have recently presented Dr. Stacy A. Bonos, professor of plant biology, current director of the turfgrass breeding program, and associate director of the Center for Turfgrass Science at Rutgers University, with its 2021 Excellence in Research award. Dr. Bonos has been on the faculty at Rutgers University for 20 years, co-developing over 250 cool-season turfgrass cultivars. Thanks to her meticulous breeding efforts, significant advancement has been accomplished in turfgrass science related to disease resistance, wear tolerance, and cool weather active growth. Her substantial partnership with DLF has been crucial in the development of new turfgrass cultivars that deliver superior performance with less resource inputs.

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