Working toward a greener spring: Finding solutions to winter turfgrass damage

Winter can lead to turfgrass damage and death, causing challenges for turfgrass managers. And with a changing climate, new challenges are cropping up every year. Eric Watkins, a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, is seeking out answers to those challenges, most recently through an $8 million USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant. His goal? To better understand the winter stresses that are placed on turfgrass and to identify solutions through plant breeding and best management practices. As Watkins explained, “This project will generate new ways of meeting winter stress challenges that will positively impact stakeholders with economic benefits such as reduced recovery costs, as well as environmental benefits such as soil stabilization and reduced runoff.” Read the full story on the Department of Horticultural Science website.