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North Carolina Turfgrass is the official publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina
JUST GETTING STARTED!
Dear TCNC Members,
It’s an exciting and busy year so far and we’re just getting started! One of the key highlights of this year has been the inception of our Regional Ambassador Program, which is a new initiative aimed at making TCNC’s mission more meaningful in the places where you work and live.
In past issues, we’ve highlighted the turf professionals who are stepping up to be ambassadors in their respective areas of North Carolina. Each of the ambassadors are committed to connecting members together, sharing resources, and establishing the turfgrass community in each respective region. Whether you're a sod grower, a lawn care operator, or an athletic field manager, these ambassadors want to connect with you and keep you informed, engaged, and supported.
You will see our ambassadors in person soon! Ambassadors are hosting regional events across the state this fall. These are intended to be informal meet and greets, educational workshops, and opportunities to connect with other local professionals within their own region. These events are also your opportunity to connect with fellow members, ask questions, and create new connections with others who are familiar with the work you do. If you see one pop up in your area, I encourage you to attend, bring a colleague, and help us create stronger connections in your region.
In the meantime, I encourage you to utilize our education opportunities. We have several great courses available that will aid your development as well as keep your team apprised of industry trends. Take a moment to visit the Members Only section of our website, where you’ll find our new learning management system with all of our online series videos available to watch at your convenience. If you missed a session, now’s the perfect time to catch up.
Thank you for your support of TCNC, here’s to an exciting and prosperous season ahead!
Wil Sutton President Turfgrass Council of North Carolina
P.O. Box 641
Wake Forest, NC 27588
984.301.5460
www.turfgrasscouncilnc.org
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Marcy Cottle
info@turfgrasscouncilnc.org
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TCNC OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Wilson Sutton Emerald Golf Club
New Bern, NC
VICE PRESIDENT
Greg Harris
Leap Frog Land Care, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC
TREASURER
Jonathan Richardson, NCCTP NCCTP Chairman Green Resource Dunn, NC
PAST PRESIDENT
Kevin Herrmann
Fairway Green Inc. Raleigh, NC
DIRECTORS
Alpha Jones
Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Fayetteville, NC
Spencer Thomas
Keith Hills Country Club
Lillington, NC
2025 PARTNERS
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Companies wishing to support TCNC with multiple members can join as Deluxe Members. Deluxe Memberships can be purchased in one of three tiers: 1–5 employees; 6–10 employees; or 11+ employees.
If you'd like to learn more about the Deluxe Membership, please contact the TCNC office at 984.301.5460 or info@turfgrasscouncilnc.org.
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CROP AND SOIL SCIENCES
Dr. Travis Gannon Assistant Professor 919.515.2647 travis_gannon@ncsu.edu
Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis Professor & University Faculty Scholar 919.280.3443 susana_milla-lewis@ncsu.edu
Dr. Grady Miller Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5656 grady_miller@ncsu.edu
Dr. Rob Richardson Associate Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5653 rob_richardson@ncsu.edu
Dr. Wei Shi Professor 919.513.4641 wei_shi@ncsu.edu
Dr. Fred Yelverton Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5639 fred_yelverton@ncsu.edu
Dr. Qiyu Zhou Assistant Professor 313.782.2892 qzhou9@ncsu.edu
ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY
Dr. Terri Billeisen Extension Associate 919.515.7464 tlhoctor@ncsu.edu
Dr. Rick Brandenburg Extension Leader 919.515.8876 rick_brandenburg@ncsu.edu
Lee Butler NC State Turf Diagnostics Lab 919.513.3878 ebutler@ncsu.edu
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HORTICULTURE SCIENCE
Dr. Danesha Seth Carley Director, Southern IPM Center & Associate Professor 919.513.8189 danesha_carley@ncsu.edu
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Calendar of Events
July 31, 2025
2025 Northeast Ag Expo
Summer Field Day
Pasquotank County Center Elizabeth City, NC
August 5, 2025
Pesticide Credit Class
Stanly County Center
Albemarle, NC
August 13, 2025
Turfgrass Field Day – Raleigh Raleigh, NC
August 13 – 14, 2025
Wilkesboro Pesticide Safety School
N.C. Cooperative Extension Wilkes County Center
Wilkesboro, NC
August 21, 2025
Private Pesticide Recertification Class Asheville, NC
September 10, 2025
Mills River Pesticide Safety School
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Mills River, NC 28759
October 7, 2025
Bolivia Pesticide Safety School
N.C. Cooperative Extension Brunswick County Center Bolivia, NC
December 4, 2025
Turf Research Symposium
NCSU Plant Sciences Building Raleigh, NC
Become a NC Certified Turfgrass Professional!
TheNorth Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professional (NCCTP) program is a comprehensive program developed to enhance the technical competency of turfgrass professionals, while elevating their professional image, that of your business and of the turfgrass management industry. Administered by the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina, the NCCTP designation confirms your expertise in turfgrass management to prospective customers and your peers.
Reasons to Begin Earning Your NCCTP Designation Today
The NCCTP program increases and enhances your turfgrass industry knowledge, career, and business development through a course of study of in-depth coverage of the science of turfgrass management.
The NCCTP designation offers immediate confidence and credibility of turfgrass management practices to customers and prospective employers.
Promote and market yourself as a North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professional.
• Use the NCCTP logo on your business materials.
• Use NCCTP pins, uniform patches, and vehicle decals.
• Your TCNC Member Directory listing is distinguished with the NCCTP designation.
We Are Partnered With The NC State Turfgrass Professional Short Course
The NC State Turfgrass Professional Short Course, a comprehensive turfgrass education program, is offered at select NC State Extension offices and at NC State University.
This Short Course offers a full curriculum of the science of turfgrass management as well as Continuing Education Credits for NCDACS Pesticide and NCLCLB Landscape Contractors’ license holders, and it will help you prepare for the NCCTP exam.
This Short Course is recommended but not required to take the NCCTP exam.
Fast Facts about the NCCTP
Enrollment Requirements:
Hold a current TCNC membership. If not currently a member, go to www.turfgrasscouncilnc.org and click ‘JOIN NOW’ to join online or download an application.
Have a minimum of one full year of work experience in the turfgrass industry.
Agree to the Certified Turfgrass Professional Code of Ethics as detailed on the application form.
Submit:
• A current and valid NC Pesticide Applicators license
• A completed NCCTP application (current TCNC members may apply online).
• NCCTP Program Application: $150
• Self-Study Materials: $50
• Exam Fee: $50
Curriculum and Exam
Curriculum covers nine core areas: Turfgrass Characteristics; Establishing Turfgrass; Soils & Nutrient Management; Cultural Practices; Pests & Integrated Pest Management; Pesticides & Plant Growth Regulators; Landscape Safety & Pesticide Use; Calculations & Calibration; Turfgrass Business & Economics.
Candidates have six months from the date of their enrollment acceptance to complete the NCCTP exam.
Candidates have six hours to complete the exam and must score 80% or more on each section to receive the NCCTP designation.
Exams can be taken at the TCNC office in Raleigh during normal business hours, or arrangements can be made at your local NC State Extension location.
Exams will not be graded if any application information is missing or if TCNC membership status cannot be confirmed. Please allow two to three weeks for exam grading and reports. Upon successful completion of the exam, candidates will receive communication with their results and either next step options or their graduation packet.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintain a current TCNC membership as a means of demonstrating ongoing support for the industry.
Submit an annual $50 renewal fee, which supports the NCCTP program and related promotional activities. Designation year is the same as the TCNC membership year, from July 1st to June 30th.
Hold a current NC Pesticide Applicator’s License. Subscribe to, actively support and uphold the TCNC Certification Code of Ethics.
The NC Certified Turfgrass Professional designation (NCCTP), the NCCTP logo and related programs materials are the trademarked property of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina and cannot be used without TCNC’s written permission. For additional information, contact TCNC at 984.301.5460.
Welcome NEW MEMBERS
Nathan Arp Got Ya Sod Farms Four Oaks, NC
Bridget Haraschak
Genesis Distribution Richmond, VA
Brantley Hicks City of Hickory Sneads Ferry, NC
Amanda Kempenich
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC
Marc Mayer TruGreen Davidson, NC
Isaac Mertz TruGreen Lawn Care Rock Hill, SC
Gary Michels Lawns, Inc. Moncure, NC
Blaine Oxyer
Genesis Distribution Pasadena, MD
Josh Purvis
Genesis Distribution New Bern, NC
GRASS, CAMERA, ACTION !
How Drones and AI are Upgrading Turfgrass Evaluations
By Brynna Bruxellas, Rob Austin and Susana Milla-Lewis
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries from healthcare to finance – and now it's coming for your lawn. At its core, AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, like recognizing patterns, making decisions, and learning from experience. When combined with drone technology, this powerful duo is poised to solve one of landscaping’s oldest challenges: how to objectively evaluate turfgrass quality.
Maintaining lush lawns, pristine golf courses, and high-quality sports fields is a major industry in the United States. It all starts with the right cultivar. Turfgrass breeding programs spend 12+ years evaluating thousands of different lines through a multi-step process to choose only the most resilient and highest quality grasses. Then, the best entries are entered into the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, which holds uniform evaluation trials across the United States and Canada with the goal of determining the broader picture of the adaptation of a cultivar. For decades, evaluating turfgrass quality throughout this process has relied on human experts visually inspecting turfgrass and assigning scores based on qualities such as color, texture, density, uniformity and overall health. While this method works, it’s slow, can be inconsistent, and easily influenced by factors like lighting, mowing patterns, or even an evaluator’s personal judgment. What one expert considers “excellent” turf, another might rate as merely “good.”
Now, researchers in turfgrass breeding and management at NC State University are turning to drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring objectivity and precision to turfgrass assessment (Figure 1). Drones equipped with highresolution cameras can quickly scan large areas, capturing detailed images of turfgrass that the human eye might miss. In some instances, the cameras are engineered to capture information that lies beyond the range of human vision.
FIGURE 1 – NC State University Masters student Brynna Bruxellas collecting UAV data for development of AI models used to assess turfgrass quality.
Better Built. Quality Results. Period.
These images are then analyzed by AI systems trained to detect subtle differences in qualities such as color, texture (Figure 2), and turfgrass health characteristics (Figure 3) that are often linked to drought stress or disease. Unlike humans, AI doesn’t get tired, doesn’t have personal biases, and can process vast amounts of data in seconds.
Forget guesswork – AI is also engineering the perfect turfgrass through incredible breakthroughs in computer
vision. Researchers are taking overlapping photos and transforming them into “digital twins”, hyper-realistic 3D replicas of turfgrass. Every tiny detail, from the overall surface smoothness to the precise orientation of a single leaf blade, is accurately mirrored. This digital playground lets scientists pick apart what truly makes turfgrass “perfect,” allowing them to model and measure the exact physical characteristics needed to achieve that flawless look and feel.
Fine Texture
Coarse Texture
Extracted surface elevations within experimental turfgrass plots
Figure 2: The texture of turfgrass as seen from a drone image. Using image analysis, the edges of turfgrass blades are located and quantified lending to an unbiased measure of turfgrass texture.
Figure 3: Turfgrass characteristics extracted from UAV imagery can be used to provide a rapid, unbiased assessment of turfgrass quality and performance.
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“Early results show these AI systems can match, and sometimes even surpass, human accuracy in grading turfgrass.”
Cover Story | continued
Two key AI technologies are leading the charge. The first is machine learning, where algorithms like Random Forest (which, despite its name, has nothing to do with actual trees) combine multiple data points to predict turf quality. The data points are extracted from the UAV imagery, and unlike the qualities perceived by humans, they are easily understood and quantifiable. The second is deep learning, which uses advanced neural networks— inspired by the human brain—to analyze images and identify patterns invisible to even the most trained experts. Early results show these AI systems can match, and sometimes even surpass, human accuracy in grading turfgrass (Figure 4).
But there’s a catch. Since AI learns from human evaluations, it inherits some of the same inconsistencies. If experts disagree on what constitutes “good” turf, the AI struggles to establish a reliable standard. Another challenge is the lack of extreme examples in training data—both exceptionally poor and outstanding turfgrass—which makes it harder for AI to accurately judge the best and worst cases. However, as AI systems gain agency and independence, their ability to identify and overcome human contradictions will become a powerful asset in establishing more objective and consistent standards, potentially even identifying underlying qualities that human experts might miss due to subjective biases or limited experience. The implications are significant for everyone from professional golf course superintendents to homeowners with prize lawns. AI-powered assessments could lead to more efficient turfgrass breeding programs, better-informed maintenance decisions, and ultimately, greener and more resilient grass. While challenges remain – particularly in standardizing the data these systems learn from – the combination of drone technology and AI represents a giant leap forward in turfgrass science.
FIGURE 4
AI-generated turfgrass quality scores. On average, the predicted scores were +/-1 from the humanbased visually assigned rating.
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Monitoring and Enhancing Detection ANNUAL BLUEGRASS WEEVIL
By Gram Grant
The annual bluegrass weevil (Listronotus maculicollis; ABW; Fig. 1) is a destructive, cool-season turfgrass insect pest on golf courses and sod farms in the eastern US and Canada. In western North Carolina, ABW feeds and reproduces on annual bluegrass (Poa annua ) and creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera ). Current monitoring methods for ABW rely on applying soap flushes (15 mL dish detergent mixed in 4L of water) to infested areas, forcing adults to the surface where they can be collected and counted (Fig. 2). Tracking weekly adult counts via soap flush provides an application window for adulticides when adult activity is at its peak. However, this sampling method has several limitations. Soap flush sampling generally occurs on previously infested areas and largely ignores new potential hotspots within a golf course. This method is further constrained by the time and labor demands limiting the size and number of areas that can be sampled. As a result, infestations may go undetected if damage has yet to appear or the area is not sampled. Improving ABW monitoring techniques to encompass both previously unsampled and larger areas can provide a better understanding of general ABW adult activity and location. Sampling a greater area creates counts of adult weevils closer to the actual population size, accounts for variation in density between areas, and reveals the true distribution of ABW infestation. My research aims to improve current ABW monitoring programs by utilizing unmanned aerial systems and computer vision technology to track adult ABW surface activity.
FIGURE 1 – Annual bluegrass weevil on creeping bentgrass at night (Photo Credit: GM Grant)
DMG TURF
Leaders in the Turf Industry
DMG Turf is a family owned and operated business, serving North Carolina with cool and warm season grasses. From small residential projects to large commercial jobs including golf courses, athletic fields, and much more, our commitment to customer satisfaction has been our top priority since 1999. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are ready to serve you with delivery to your location, or you can schedule a pickup at our sod farm in Angier, NC.
ABW adults are nocturnal and emerge from the soil to crawl through the turfgrass canopy approximately 30 minuets after sunset. They remain active on the surface for up to six hours depending on temperature and rainfall. Investigating methods for ABW detection at night can improve and narrow insecticide application windows by identifying high-activity periods and locations. For this research, turfgrass canopy surface images were captured in the near-infrared spectrum (NIR). NIR imaging captures light in the 700–1400nm wavelength, visualizing the reflectance of NIR light instead of visible light. Objects that reflect NIR light appear in varying shades of gray while images that do not reflect NIR light appear black. In this study, images of weevils on turfgrass display the turfgrass in shades of gray while ABW appear as dark black spots (Fig. 3). Using computer vision modeling for small object detection these high contrast images are used to rapidly count the number of ABW present in images. Each image captured displays an approximately 3.5 ft2 area of the turfgrass canopy surface.
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FIGURE 3 – ABW imaged in the NIR spectrum on creeping bentgrass (Photo Credit: GM Grant)
The initial model iteration was developed by placing pinned ABW within a creeping bentgrass stand maintained at fairway mowing height. In each trial, ten pinned ABW adults were placed at random at the North Carolina State University Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Laboratory. To capture NIR images, a DJI Mavic 3M (drone) was fitted with a custom illumination system consisting of 18 NIR LED lights. This provided adequate illumination of the turfgrass surface and clear imaging of ABW. The modified drone was flown approximately two to three feet above the ground and images of ABW on the turfgrass surface were captured. Images were then used to train a custom computer vision model for ABW detection. Preliminary results indicate ABW are easily imaged in the NIR spectrum, and that the custom trained computer vision model can accurately detect and count the number of ABW present. Using the current version of the computer vision model 96% of ABW present, or 1993 detections out of 2069 total ABW, in an image set were detected. As this research continues and the computer vision model is further refined with field collected images of live weevils, this value is expected to increase.
Implementation of fairway aerial scanning will substantially improve ABW sampling and detection methods. By sampling large areas of turfgrass, ABW infestations can be tracked more accurately and over an entire course, which may also identify new areas of infestation. This technique also may be adapted for monitoring other nocturnal surface feeding turfgrass pests, such as billbugs and several Scarabaeidae pests. With this work, we are integrating new technologies with traditional pest tracking methods to identify new area and refine timing for insect pest management.
Gram Grant currently is a student at North Carolina State University
Real Leadership in the Green Industry Starts with You Lead From Where You Stand:
By Alpha Jones
Leadership isn’t always about holding a title. In the green industry, it shows up in everyday moments—like who picks up a rake without being asked, who walks the jobsite to make sure tools are secured, or who speaks up when something doesn’t look right, even if it’s “not their job.” These small actions might seem simple, but they often reveal the roots of real leadership.
Our industry—whether you’re in landscape maintenance, installation, parks and rec, or sports field management—is stretched thin. Quality leaders are in short supply, and the demand for capable teams keeps rising. It’s no longer enough to promote someone just because they run a skid steer like a pro. Tomorrow’s crew leaders, supervisors, and business owners need something more—actual leadership skills.
And here’s the thing: leadership isn’t something you wait to grow into. You start building it now, from wherever you stand.
This article kicks off a new series focused on leadership designed specifically for the real-world green industry. Over the coming issues, we’ll explore what I’m calling the Eight Stolons of Leadership: Work Ethic, Accountability, Communication, Integrity, Adaptability, Empowerment, Emotional Intelligence, and Vision.
Why “stolons?” In turfgrass and plant science, a stolon is a horizontal stem that grows across the surface—producing new growth wherever it touches down. That’s how I see leadership in this industry. It spreads through example. It takes root in behavior. And it multiplies through action. These eight skills aren’t fluffy buzzwords—they’re practical, proven, and powerful when they show up consistently on the job.
Let’s start with the first—and most visible—stolon: Work Ethic
Work ethic is where people notice you first. It’s what they see before you say a word. Showing up consistently, giving honest effort, and owning the quality of your work sends a clear message: “I take this seriously.”
You’ve seen it before. The team member who checks equipment fluids before anyone else arrives. The veteran crew member who stays behind to sweep the shop because they know a clean space helps everyone. The supervisor who still grabs a shovel without hesitation when things get behind. These are the people others look up to—not because they were told to, but because their work sets a tone.
In our world, work ethic isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the baseline. But when elevated, it becomes leadership in motion. It sends a message without ever needing to raise your voice: “You can count on me.”
That kind of consistency builds influence—and that’s what real leadership is all about.
Author John Maxwell said, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” In the green industry, that idea couldn’t be more accurate. Leadership here isn’t about making motivational speeches or sitting in an office. It’s about presence. It’s about setting an example every day—on the field, in the truck, in the shop, at the park.
Whether you're a crew lead, a parks supervisor, or a business owner, your actions carry weight. When you dig in with the crew, when you take the extra step, when you show up instead of checking out—that’s influence. That’s leadership.
And for those in entry-level positions? This is your pathway forward. You don’t need a title to start building respect. You just need intentionality. Show up on time. Ask smart questions. Offer help. Clean the trailer without being told. Keep your eyes open and your ego low. Do the little things that others overlook—and do them well.
People notice. They always do.
And if you’re already in a leadership role? Understand this: your crew is watching. They take their cues from you. If you show up late or cut corners, they’ll do the same. But if you work with pride, keep your word, and hustle with purpose? They’ll mirror that too.
I’m not saying you must run yourself into the ground. Burnout is real, especially in peak season. But if you want to build a team that cares, performs, and stays loyal—you’ve got to model what that looks like. Respect the work. Respect your people. Respect the mission.
Work ethic is contagious. So is apathy. Which one are you passing on?
The truth is that leadership doesn’t begin when you get the title. It begins when you take ownership—of your time, your work, your mindset. It shows up in how you manage pressure, how you treat others, and how you carry yourself day in and day out.
That’s why this first stolon—Work Ethic—is foundational. It’s what everything else grows from. You can’t hold others accountable if you’re inconsistent. You can’t demand integrity if your own standards are sloppy. You can’t expect buy-in if you’re not fully bought in yourself.
Next up in this series, we’ll break down Accountability—a critical skill that separates leaders who deflect from those who own it. We’ll tackle the “that’s not my job” mindset, explore how accountability builds trust, and show how it directly impacts team morale and performance.
But for now, here’s your challenge: raise your standard. Be someone people can count on. Lead from the front, no matter your title. Because when you do that, you won’t just be seen— you’ll be followed.
Leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about being the example. Start there—and you’ll already be leading.
Alpha Jones is Director Field Operations for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers
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GROUND THE FROM UP
By Sam Jones , NC State University
For the everyday person, grass is just grass. There’s no difference between the grass in our yard and the grass that lines I-40 or the grass that grows on the fairways of Pinehurst Golf Resort. But there is, in fact, a different grass for every purpose, climate and aesthetic. And until 2009, no one was in charge of breeding the best grasses for North Carolina’s varied climate. That’s where Susana Milla-Lewis came in, filling a gap in NC State’s existing strengths in turfgrass science, management and pathology as the university’s first turfgrass breeder.
“We’re right smack in the middle of the country,” she says. “You grow warm season grasses in the south and cool season grasses in the north, but we’re in what’s called the transition zone where you can grow both.”
Because our winters are too cold for warm season grasses and our summers are too hot for cool season grasses, Milla-Lewis
determined early on that she could specialize in a niche of turfgrass breeding that improved the cold tolerance of warm season grasses and the heat and drought tolerance of cool season grasses.
Driving around Wake County in 2009, Milla-Lewis saw landscapes and roadsides filled with cool season grasses. But breeding a new turfgrass can take more than a decade from start to finish, so Milla-Lewis focused on future needs: grasses for hotter summers and more severe droughts. Turf that uses less water, fertilizer, and pesticides and could tolerate shade better than existing varieties. It required the scientific version of a crystal ball. She chose to focus her efforts on warm-season grasses.
Her crystal ball was right: 2024 was North Carolina’s secondhottest year on record since 1895, according to the North Carolina State Climate Office.
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The Turfgrass Breeding Playoffs
Starting a breeding program from scratch is like having an open casting call for grass varieties: anyone can show up, stars and duds alike. And it was Milla-Lewis’ job to assess everyone who came in the door, what star qualities they possessed (if any), where they came from and what they might be capable of.
It all starts with pre-breeding where she screens each plant for traits of interest. She then makes cross-breeds with the desirable traits, germinates the seed, grows the plants in a greenhouse and transplants them outside in a test plot. Her program has leveraged emerging technologies like genomics, marker-assisted breeding, high-throughput phenotyping and machine learning using drone data to support variety development.
Each test plant is sent to three locations. One is sent to the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory where the disease pressure is high and the soil is poor. Another is sent to the Sandhills Research Station where the sandy soils allow her to test for drought tolerance. The third is sent to the Upper Mountain Research Station, which allows for high elevation testing of cold tolerance.
For three years, more than 1,000 grasses competed in the first round of the Turfgrass Breeding Playoffs. Milla-Lewis and her team assessed how each grass fared in all seasons, through every weather event and pest or disease outbreak. From there, the best 40 to 60 grasses moved onto the quarterfinals, undergoing more rigorous scrutiny for each desirable trait for three to four more years.
The best five to 10 grasses moved on to the semifinals where larger sections of each grass were grown on farms across the state for another three years. These on-farm trials often revealed many more traits of interest, like sod quality from a grower’s perspective.
The finals of the Turfgrass Breeding Playoffs culminated with two to three contenders going head-to-head for Best Grass. They were planted in larger plots for one or two final years before one took home the winner’s trophy.
Championship Grass
If we had to wait 12 years to find out who won the PGA Tour or the World Series, we’d lose interest. But Milla-Lewis has been sticking with it for over a decade. Her hard work is paying off.
“She started with nothing and she’s already hit some home runs,” says Loren Fisher, director of NC State research stations and field labs.
In 2021, she released the LOBO™ Zoysiagrass, a medium-textured, low-input grass that is very fast to establish and, perhaps most notably, has excellent color retention under drought and cold stress. In the Turfgrass Playoffs, it had the best performance under a range of uses, from lowmanagement to higher-end spaces like lawns and golf course fairways. LOBO is not just grown in North Carolina but has spread to states across the country and even overseas to sod farms in Brazil.
“A lot of times, these grasses are marketed at the national level, so it goes way beyond your wildest expectations to see how far these grasses can go,” MillaLewis says.
She then released SOLA™ St. Augustinegrass a year later. SOLA is an improvement over a North Carolina St. Augustinegrass called Raleigh that was released in the 1980s. Compared to Raleigh, SOLA has better drought tolerance, better turf quality, better disease resistance and, most importantly, much better shade tolerance. She has also released three tall fescue varieties in partnership with a breeder in Oregon.
Even though it took 12 years to release her first variety, Milla-Lewis says it will not take 12 more for the next one to come out. With a pipeline of contenders already assessed and established, Milla-Lewis can continue selecting for other traits of interest for different types of spaces or different climates across North Carolina and around the world. She anticipates releasing new varieties every few years with the support of North Carolina sod producers, private companies and other research institutions across the country.
