North Carolina Turfgrass – Jennifer Howard
Editor’s note: COVID-19 restrictions have dramatically impacted research activities.  See our update at the end of the story on how researchers are adapting to current social distancing requirements.
Which half of your landscape water use is wasted?  Experts estimate that more than 50% of our outdoor irrigation goes to waste – even more in dry years and dry climates.  Our landscape watering habits are the primary culprit in this overflow. It’s a big issue. The typical suburban homeowner irrigates an estimated 10,000 gallons of water each year, primarily aimed at their lawn. Conserving our freshwater supply is essential for long term sustainability.  
Saving Water & Turf’s Benefits
Turfgrasses occupy over 30 million acres in the U.S. It’s tempting to assume that eliminating our outdoor grass carpeting could solve the water demand problem.  But it’s not so simple. Turf provides substantial environmental and economic benefits in our landscape.  It mitigates heat around our homes, stabilizes soil against erosion, provides safe play space, and reduces noise, glare, and pollution.  Eliminating turf would create a whole new set of environmental challenges.
A network of turfgrass researchers from six major universities, including NC State, is solving this dilemma by developing turfgrasses that are attractive and healthy with minimal water. 
NC State Leads New Research
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently approved a specialty crops grant to continue the multi-university group’s work producing drought-tolerant warm-season turfgrasses.  The team (32 scientists strong) has collaborated for nine years with a rotating leadership structure.  NC State’s Susana Milla-Lewis will be at the helm in their new phase of study. “Our 2010 and 2015 projects were crucial in the development of drought-tolerant turfgrass cultivars. The levels of improvement of these grasses are promising and validate the need to promote adoption, continue cultivar research, and develop tools that facilitate the breeding process,” Milla-Lewis said.
Early Season Success
The team of turf researchers’ work has focused on selecting and testing drought-tolerant cultivars of four of the most economically important warm-season turfgrass species in the southern US.  By exchanging plant materials and data among university breeders, turf varieties are tested under many climatic conditions, and the results accumulate quickly.
“The collaboration among breeders across such different environments is priceless,” Milla-Lewis said. “It helps us select better lines with more performance stability because they have been tested against a wide range of weather conditions like drought and cold as well as an array of pests and diseases.”
The team has already released six new drought-tolerant varieties from previous project phases including two bermudagrasses (‘TifTuf’ and ‘Tahoma 31’), two St. Augustine grasses (‘TamStar’ and ‘CitraBlue’), and two forthcoming zoysiagrass varieties.
Growing Tough
‘TifTuf’, a University of Georgia release, alone has achieved massive success.  The team’s research demonstrated a 40% water savings over the leading bermudagrass, without loss of turf quality.  This convincing research data has led to the rapid acceptance of TifTuf within the sod industry – representing a six-fold return in gross earnings compared to the grant investment.
With tangible success already, what will the next research phase include? More trials with new avenues to share and test them. Plant breeding is a long-range game, 10-15 years in most cases.  The group has already evaluated over 2,500 potential varieties in their nine years together. Now Milla-Lewis and team are intent on warping this speed with new technology.
Tackling Turf Technology
The group’s next phase of research will integrate tech specialists using drones and...