VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL

You don’t have to look far to find an article, video or social media post that is critical of lawns, golf courses, or any maintained turfgrass area. Uninformed laypersons may make assumptions about the plants and products used by the green industry that take hold despite inaccuracies. It has certainly been an uphill battle to educate the public and policy makers about the many benefits of the responsible use of those products.

Austin Zeigler, an 11^th grade student, chose to address those inaccurate claims in an essay assignment. His report (below) is a great encouragement to the “old guard” of turfgrass professionals – seeing the next generation take up the cause of defending and promoting turfgrass gives hope that the industry will have fierce champions in the years to come.

In America, the turfgrass lawn care industry produces 57 billion dollars a year in revenue. Capital growth in the industry is expanding, not declining. Thanks to this, applications are becoming more commonplace among neighborhoods across the states.  Coupling with this economic growth is a requisite responsibility by the turfgrass industry to utilize environmentally sound applications, practices, and products for the future far reaching benefits of the land and the people who live on and enjoy the land.

One such practice that has an effect on the environment is the use of engine powered equipment. All applicators, whether trained or not, should know these effects. Joshua Rapp thinks that, “A perfect lawn can also contribute to rising carbon dioxide emissions” (Rapp, para 3.) This point of view is understandable, yet incorrect. Rapp didn’t think to ask about how much carbon dioxide a healthy lawn absorbs. According to the EPA, one gas lawn mower emits 89 pounds of CO2 per year. While on the other hand, Maureen Wise says that turfgrass filters “46.0 to 127.1 grams of carbon per square meter per year.” (Wise, para 2.) The average lawn is about 10,871 square feet in the United States, which is equal to about 1010 square meters. This means that a lawn can filter anywhere from 102.4 to 283 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. This number greatly outweighs the mere 89 pounds produced by a lawnmower. While the equipment used in turfgrass management does have an effect on the environment, the products of a healthy lawn cancel out said effect.

Another turfgrass management practice that can affect land in the future is the use of chemicals. There are chemicals used in lawncare that could be toxic if applied improperly, and any applicator should know the correct application process. According to DTE Golf, “Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are all chemicals used to maintain the idyllic appeal of a lush green golf course.” (para. 1) In essence, golf courses use the same chemicals as any lawncare company, so these same kinds of chemicals are used all throughout the industry. Some of these chemicals incorporate formaldehyde, which is unsafe if found in drinking water or fish habitats. Harmful chemicals such as these can find their way into the water if a lawncare applicator sprays on a windy day, which is poor practice. Most lawncare companies take precautions against this by having their workers take a break from spraying if it gets too windy, or even having them take the day off. Thanks to precautions such as these, chemicals don’t enter the aforementioned waterways.

From the outside looking in, it may seem like GMO grasses are a great resource in lawncare, but digging deeper may uncover some future environmental downsides. “Genetically modifying grass can add to the plant’s wear tolerance, drought tolerance, and heat tolerance” (Rahel, para 1.) This all seems highly beneficial, but praising the benefits without being aware of the risks is an ignorant man’s game. After further research, I have found that there are some downsides in GMO grasses. “…[Genetically modified Creeping Bentgrass]’s extreme resistance to [Round-Up] has made it extremely difficult to control.” (Nosowitz, para 4.) Because this grass was modified to withstand Round-Up, when it began to appear where it wasn’t meant to, it was a challenge to keep under control. GMO grasses may seem like a great idea, and very well could be. That being said, it is possible that their unresearched downsides may outweigh the good.

In summation, there are countless practices, application methods, and products that can affect the environment in the near and distant future. Examples such as spreading chemicals in poor conditions and use of under researched products are just footnotes of possible environmental effectors in the turfgrass industry. The only method of not just subsiding, but ultimately eliminating negative effects from turf management is knowing all of the ins and outs of applications, products, and the business in general.

Works Cited

Down to Earth Organic and Natural

Risks of Genetic Engineering | Down to Earth Organic and Natural. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.downtoearth.org/label-gmos/risks-genetic-engineering

DTE Golf 

(2022, August 3). Understanding Golf Course Chemical Application. DTE Golf. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.dte.golf/blog/understanding-golf-course-chemical-application#:%7E:text=Pesticides%2C%20herbicides%2C%20and%20insecticides%20are,in%20turfgrass%20while%20preventing%20damage

Farmer, M.

(2021, October 6). You Need to Be Paying Attention to GMO Grass. EcoWatch. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-grass-2587855044.html

Finiani, M.

(2022, June 10). Safe Lawn Care Chemical Use – LandPro. NIP Group. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://nipgroup.com/safe-lawn-care-chemical-use/

J.R. Learn

Learn, J. R. (2021, May 29). Your Perfect Lawn Is Bad for the Environment. Here’s What to Do Instead. Discover Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/your-perfect-lawn-is-bad-for-the-environment-heres-what-to-do-instead

Kauffman, Gretel

“Is the Bible a Defense for Corporal Punishment of Children?” Christian Science Monitor, 01 Sep, 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com

Lawn Love

Best Treatments for Brown Patch. (2022, June 17). Lawn Care Blog | Lawn Love. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://lawnlove.com/blog/lawn-care-tips-best-treatments-for-brown-patch/

Medline Plus

Genetically engineered foods. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002432.htm

Rahel, Brian

Lawn Care in Virginia | Weed Control, Seeding, More | Agronomic Lawn Management. (2021, April 30). Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.fertilizewithalm.com/

Scotts

The Environmental Benefits of Your Lawn. (2021). scotts.com. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.scotts.com/en-us/library/lawns-matter/environmental-benefits-your-lawn#:~:text=Unlike%20hard%20surfaces%20such%20as,noise%20pollution%2C%20and%20reduce%20temperatures

UNM Lawncare

Environmental benefits of healthy lawns. (n.d.). UMN Extension. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://extension.umn.edu/lawncare/environmental-benefits-healthy-lawns#turfgrass-cools-the-air-637162

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