DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE

At last, after years of delay due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s best brains in turfgrass science and technology gathered in Copenhagen for the 14th International Turfgrass Research Conference. Expectations were high and you could feel that the delegates were really delighted to meet after the long involuntary break in close contact. The conference week really was fantastic, with large volumes of scientific results, innovative discussions and technology transfer, enhanced by extremely nice weather and exhilarating social events.

The conference also was a good opportunity to collect opinions about the future, in particular the global challenges and trends we face, from organisations, greenkeepers, industry representatives, authorities etc. We found almost total agreement between these different stakeholders. The main opinions, which the STERF team will use as input when designing coming programmes, are summarised below.

A stable and predictable climate and availability of natural resources is critical for the development of the turfgrass sector, but ongoing global temperature rise, now over one degree, poses a threat to this. In the Nordic countries, where the rise in temperature is over two degrees, there is particularly heavy stress on natural systems. The global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have also revealed vulnerabilities in energy supply and access to fertilisers, with huge economic consequences. Therefore we need to:

Adapt to climate change and minimise factors affecting climate changes by:

• Building resilience to climate change.

• Adapting golf course construction, management and grass species to extreme weather conditions.

• Changing the carbon balance (emission and sequestration) of golf course management.

• Address problems with sea level rise and coastal erosion.

Ensure sustainable use of energy and natural resources by:

• Recycling water and fertiliser, irrigating with brackish water, greywater etc.

• Cease using finite, non-renewable resources such as phosphorus and sand.

• Introduce fossil-free golf course management.

Another effect of climate change is that growth zones are shifting. Ten years ago, attacks by dollar spot, caused by the fungus Clarireedia jacksonii (formerly Sclerotinia homoecarpa), were not observed in the Nordic countries, but due to the rise in ground temperature the disease is now a severe threat to golf facilities. The increasing temperature may also permit the spread of invasive species of insects and weeds that affect turf quality. Therefore we must:

Develop sustainable solutions for control of diseases, weeds and insects by:

• Implementing maintenance strategies to minimise use of chemical pesticides.

• Further evaluating biological and mechanical control of weeds.

• Inventing new “control” chemicals and strategies for sustainable chemical use.

Today there is growing concern among the public, authorities and legislators about the effect of chemicals, hormones and micropolymers in the nature. Therefore, we have to:

Approach and build trust with legislators, authorities and the public through:

• Co-operation with the EU and national authorities on regulations regarding sustainable use of chemicals and show that the golf sector is proactive in finding solutions.

• Find ways to minimise or eliminate harmful chemicals and polymers in nature.

• Communicate to the public that the golf course is a sound and beneficial eco-system when managed properly.

Regarding land use and urban development, the golf course can play a very important role in society. When rapid urbanisation and population growth increase the pressure for exploitation of green areas, the golf course may be at risk of expropriation of land for building houses or industries. To avoid this, golf needs to demonstrate its value in the urban landscape by:

Presenting the golf course as a resource for restoring and enhancement of biodiversity through:

• Compensating for loss of biodiversity related to climate change by active and sustainable management.

• Integrating the golf course into the landscape, thereby avoiding ecological barriers.

• Enhancing the multifunctional use of golf course facilities and using the golf course for outdoor life and recreation by other groups apart from golfers. Golf may be a conservative sport, which undeniably gives the game a fair bit of charm and stability, but unfortunately the golf sector is also conservative when it comes to management and adopting new ideas. We lag far behind agriculture in adopting the latest findings. Therefore we must:

Increase use of new knowledge, techniques and technology such as:

• Robotics and automation, for better and more effective maintenance.

• Sensor technology, for monitoring the course.

• Databasing of collected empirical data.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI), for sustainable management, expert systems, IPM etc.

• GMO technology, for disease and climate resistance seeds.

• Non-fossil machinery.

Finally, to meet the huge challenges in the future, we must increase investment in research and development and continue to work together to solve global problems! At STERF, we are devoting much effort to finding joint projects and programmes together with stakeholders such as the R&A and USGA. Some of these projects are presented in this yearbook.

Bruno Hedlund STERF Chairman