TurfBreed’s TurfRND Research Facility has undertaken a huge commitment to develop, expand and maintain the genetic breeding of both new and existing turf varieties. The aim is to be the most respected commercial turf research facility operating in Australia. The TurfRND Research Facility contains a pipeline of new varieties and fundamental research projects. Learn more about the state-of-the-art plans TurfBreed has moving forward and how they will benefit the Country’s largest network of growers.
TurfBreed’s pipeline for new varieties
TurfBreed is proud to be working with our international turf breeding network to source the latest in turfgrass genetics for our Australian growers. This includes the latest addition to the
TurfBreed variety suite – IronCutter™, from one of our United States (US) partners, Mountain View Seeds.
Mountain View Seeds is a major breeder in the cool season turf industry and has recently moved into the vegetive warm season turfgrass sector, starting strong with the introduction of IronCutter™ elite hybrid Bermudagrass.
IronCutter™ is not the only new variety that TurfBreed has on the way for our grower network.
At our TurfRND Research Facility based in Queensland (QLD) there is also a pipeline of new varieties on the way.
These include varieties sourced from our partners overseas, as well as a substantial collection warm-season grasses from the University of Queensland which have the potential to improve genetics for both turfgrass and forage varieties.
TurfRND is in the early stages of screening some of these new varieties for suitability for commercial release and how they will perform for our growers. This is as well as undertaking an exciting
new research venture in partnership with Dr Chris Lambrides and other researchers from the University of Queensland.
Dr Lambrides was responsible for collecting and maintaining an extensive collection of C4 grasses from across Australia at the University, and with TurfBreed’s support the collection will be thoroughly investigated to inform the breeding of new varieties.
This work also will form the foundations for a leading-edge domestic breeding program and help TurfBreed pioneer a new era of turfgrasses specifically bred and adapted to Australia’s diverse and challenging conditions.
The collaboration with the University of Queensland also helps TurfRND in fostering the next generation of turf scientists to service our industry and grower network. This will be through providing opportunities for undergraduate and post graduate research students to build their skills and knowledge in turf science and establish themselves as experts in the turf industry.
TurfBreed also has been in high level negotiations with leading United States (US) based turf genetics companies, including one of the most established turfgrass genetics providers to the Australian market, Sod Solutions.
Based in South Carolina in the US, TurfBreed has previously worked with Sod Solutions to deliver leading varieties to the Australian market – including Empire Zoysia and Palmetto Buffalo.
Through an ongoing partnership with Sod Solutions, TurfBreed is pleased to be facilitating the introduction of four brand new varieties for trialling right here in Australia.
As new research and adaptation takes place in the large-scale breeding programs based in the US, these new varieties promise to be even more successful and widely adapted than the last.
Traits such as disease resistance in Buffalos and cold adaptation in Zoysias are the desirable characteristics our growers and market demand. TurfBreed, therefore, is confident that by investigating and leveraging new genetics found both domestically and internationally it will deliver industry leading varieties that our growers can rely on for years to come.