The New Grass Breeding and Ecology Farm
The new Grass Breeding and Ecology Farm was completed in the fall of 2019. It includes 17 irrigated (80 x 80) plots, 2 irrigated ½ plots (40 x 80) and one 250 x 50 plot for turfgrass and specialty crop breeding, as well as a 5-acre dryland production area. The building consists of an office, heated shop and a barn area for seed cleaning and storage. Anna Hulbert and Jonathan Schnore manage the research facility.

Turfgrass and Agronomy Research Center (2005-2019)
The turfgrass research facility in Pullman was completed in 2005. It included a USGA experimental green, 15 turfgrass plots (80′ x 80′), an office/shop, and a storage building. Charles Golob, Research Supervisor, managed the research facility. The TARC was relocated in 2019 and renamed The Grass Breeding and Ecology Farm.

Previous Research Emphasis
Previous emphasis was on comparison of different fungicides for snow mold disease control, evaluation of different grass species for the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), evaluation of methiozolin (‘PoaCure’) for Poa annua control in cool-season grasses, development of Kentucky bluegrass for seed production without post-harvest field burning, and Poa annua control in irrigated Kentucky bluegrass seed production.
In addition to these projects, information on older projects such as controlling leaf spot on golf course fairways, Poa annua seedhead suppression on bentgrass/annual bluegrass golf greens, quantifying post-harvest emissions from bluegrass seed production field burning, development of a rapid and non-destructive method for separating grass clipping from topdressing sand, correlation of field and controlled-environment studies of pink snow mold resistance of PNW greens-type Poa annua, regional climatic characterization of PNW greens-type Poa annua, nitrogen leaching from a sand-based green, and the use of mesotrione (‘Tenacity’) for weed control in cool-season grasses can be found below.
Current Research Emphasis
Our current research emphasis is on the development of high wear turf for sports fields, evaluation of native species for turf potential, development of seeded Bermuda for high wear turf, salt tolerance of turf species, drought tolerance of turf species, development of Kentucky bluegrass for high yield under a changing climate, development of rhizomatous tall fescue for turf, endophyte persistence in breeding lines, development of yarrow for turf blends.
Project Reports
(note these are pdf files)
- Georgia-Pacific’s Nitamin® 30L (30-0-0) and Blends of Nfusion® (25-0-0) ‘Steady-Delivery’® Nitrogen Soluble Fertilizer Compared to Urea (46-0-0) on a ‘T-1’ Creeping Bentgrass Green (pdf)
- Georgia-Pacific’s Nitamin Nfusion (25-0-0) ‘Steady-Delivery’ Nitrogen Soluble Fertilizer Compared to Simplot’s Best Polyon (43-0-0) Controlled-Release Fertilizer on a Fairway Cut Kentucky Bluegrass Turf (pdf)
- Georgia-Pacific’s Nitamin® 30L (30-0-0) and Blends of Nfusion® (25-0-0) ‘Steady-Delivery’® Nitrogen Soluble Fertilizer Compared to UMAXX® (47-0-0) StabilizedNitrogen™ Fertilizer on a Perennial Ryegrass Lawn (pdf)
- LESCO Fairway Fertilizer Study 2007 (pdf)
- LESCO Lawn Fertilizer Study 2007 (pdf)
- No-burn Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production, Puyallup Field Day 2011 (pdf)
- No-burn Kentucky Bluegrss Seed Production DOE 2009-2011 Final Report (pdf)
- Development of Kentucky bluegrass for non-burn seed production-Proceedings of the International Herbage Seed Conference, Gjennestad, Norway, June 17-20, 2007 (pdf)
- Development of High Yielding Kentucky Bluegrass for Non-thermal Seed Production-Final Progress Report 2006 (pdf)
- Development of High Yielding Kentucky Bluegrass for Non-thermal Seed Production 2005 (pdf)
- Xonerate Alone or Combined with Tenacity to Control Poa annua in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2014 (pdf)
- Multiple Fall Applications of Tenacity with Xonerate or Tenacity with Other Herbicides to Control Poa annua in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2013 (pdf)
- Multiple Spring Applications of Tenacity with Xonerate or Tenacity with Other Herbicides to Control Poa annua in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2013 (pdf)
- Two Consecutive Years of Multiple Fall Applications of Tenacity and Other Grass Herbicides to Control Poa annua in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2009-2011 (pdf)
- Development of Tenacity 4SC for Weed Control Recommendations with Spray Adjuvants 2011 (pdf)
- Fall Program Using Tenacity, Prograss, and/or Velocity for Selective Removal of Poa annua Post-emergence in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2010 (pdf)
- Fall Program Using Tenacity, Prograss, and/or Velocity for Selective Removal of Poa annua Post-emergence in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways 2009 (pdf)
- Tenacity Impregnated Fertilizer for Broadleaf Weed Control in Home Lawns 2010 (pdf)
- The Effect of Roundup/Tenacity used in a Late Fall Renovation on Subsequent Poa annua Re-establishment in a Golf Course Fairway 2008-2009 (pdf)
- Spring Applied Tenacity 4FL Alone or with Grass Weed Herbicides to Control Annual Bluegrass 2009 (pdf)
- Comparing the Safety of Tenacity 4SC Formulation to a New 2SC Formulation on Fineleaf Fescue at Seeding (pdf)
- Comparing the Safety of Tenacity 4SC Formulation to a New 2SC Formulation on Perennial Ryegrass at Seeding (pdf)
- Mesotrione: Program for Bentgrass Removal and Overseeding (Fall Timing) 2007 (pdf)
- Bentgrass and fineleaf fescue cultivar and species differences in phytotoxicity to mesotrione (pdf)
- Mesotrione impregnated on fertilizer for weed control at seeding (pdf)
- Mesotrione Safety at Seeding of Turfgrass Mixtures (pdf)
- The Effect of Water Stress on the Efficacy of Mesotrione to Control Weeds in Cool-season Turfgrass Stands (pdf)
- Safety of Mesotrione 4SC when Applied to Sensitive Turf Species Grown in Mixtures (pdf)
- Safety of Mesotrione 4SC when Applied as a Spray at Planting and at First Mowing of a 3-way Mixture of Cool-Season Turfgrasses (pdf)
- 2011 National Kentucky Bluegrass Variety Test (2012-2015 Summary) (pdf)
- 2005 National Kentucky Bluegrass Variety Test (2006-2010 Summary) (pdf)
- 2004 National Perennial Ryegrass Test (2005-2008 Summary) (pdf)
- 2003 National Bentgrass Fairway/Tee Test (2004-2007 Summary) (pdf)
- 2003 National Fineleaf Fescue Test (2004-2007 Summary) (pdf)
- 2001 National Tall Fescue Test (schedule A: medium-high input), 2002-2004 data (pdf)
- 2000 National Kentucky Bluegrass Test (schedule B: medium input), 2001-2004 data (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2015-16 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2015-16 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens with >80 days snow cover 2015-16 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens with <80 days snow cover 2015-16 (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2014-15 (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2013-14 (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2013-14 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2013-14 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2013-14 (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of AMVAC Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2012-13 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2011-12 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2011-12 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Civitas plus Harmonizer for Snow Mold Control on Greens 2011-12 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta and Bayer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Fairways 2010-11 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2010-11 (pdf)
- Civitas for Snow Mold Control 2009-2010 (pdf)
- Fungicide for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2009-10 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2008-2009 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2008-2009 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2007-2008 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2007-2008 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Bayer Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2006-2007 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Cleary’s Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2006-2007 (pdf)
- Evaluation of LESCO’s Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2006-2007 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2006-2007 (pdf)
- Evaluation of LESCO’s Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold in Idaho, Montana and Washington 2004-2005 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta and Bayer Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold 2004-2005 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Cleary’s Fungicides for Control of Pink and Gray Snow Mold in Idaho, Montana and Washington 2004-2005 (pdf)
- Evaluation of Syngenta products to control of pink and gray snow mold 2003-2004 (pdf)
- Efficacy of Signature to control pink and gray snow mold 2003-2004 (pdf)
Oral and Poster Presentations
- Tenacity 4SC and Xonerate 70WDG in a Spring-Summer Program for Selective Poa annua control (post-emergence) in a Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways (pdf)
- Multi-year (2 consecutive) Fall Tenacity Plus Prograss Program for Selective Post-emergence Poa annua Suppression in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways (pdf)
- Selective Bentgrass Removal from Perennial Ryegrass with Mesotrione (Tenacity) (pdf)
- Tenacity: A New Herbicide for Turfgrass Establishment (pdf)
- Tenacity for Bentgrass Removal (pdf)
- Tenacity for Bentgrass and Poa annua Control (pdf)
- Evaluating Fungicides for Snow Mold Control on Putting Greens and Fairways in the Intermountain West 2010-2011 Results (pdf)
- Snow Mold Control on Putting Greens in the Intermountain West with Prolonged Snow Cover 2010 (pdf)
- General Turfgrass Disease Presentation 2008 (pdf)
- Snow Mold Control on Putting Greens in the Intermountain West 2007 (pdf)
- Snow Mold Control by Combining Old and New Fungicides 2002 (pdf)
- Seed Germination and Reseeding Interval of Cool-Season Turfgrasses Following Methiozolin Application, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2016, Phoenix, AZ (pdf)
- Reseeding Interval Following Methiozolin (‘PoaCure’) Application, European Turfgrass Conference, 2016, Albufeira, Portugal (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) Germplasm for Seed Production without Field Burning, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2015, Minneapolis, MN (pdf)
- Efficacy of ‘Tenacity’ in Late Spring to Eliminate Poa annua in Kentucky Bluegrass Fairways, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2014 Long Beach, CA (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm for Sustainable Seed Yield, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2014, Long Beach, CA (pdf)
- Selective Agrostis stolonifera Removal from Lolium perenne with Mesotrione, 12th International Turfgrass Research Society (ITS) Conference, 2013, Beijing, China (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm Evaluation for Turfgrass Quality and Grass Seed Production without Open-field Burning, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2013 Tampa, FL (pdf)
- Multi-year Fall Applied Methiozolin for Poa annua Control on Golf Greens, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2013, Tampa, FL (pdf)
- Multiple Fall Applications of Mesotrione and Mesotrione plus Ethofumasate for Selective Post-Emergence Control of Poa annua, 3rd European Turfgrass Society (ETS) Conference, 2012, Kristiansand, Norway (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm Evaluation for Seed Production without Open-field Burning, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2012, Cincinnati, OH (pdf)
- Selective Creeping Bentgrass Removal from Perennial Ryegrass with Mesotrione (Tenacity), ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2011, San Antonio, TX (pdf)
- Bluegrass Seed Production without Field Burning, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2011, San Antonio, TX (pdf)
- Black Sand Topdressing to Enhance Establishment of Late Fall Seeded Bentgrass, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2010 Long Beach, CA (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm Evaluation for Non-burn Seed Production, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2009, Pittsburgh, PA (pdf)
- PCNB in Leachate from a Sand-based Golf Green, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2004, Seattle, WA (pdf)
- Quantifying Emissions from Burning Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Fields, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2004, Seattle, WA (pdf)
- Seed Production of Diverse Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm with Various Alternative Residue Management Systems, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2001, Charlotte, NC (pdf)
- Nitrogen Leaching through Sand-based Golf Greens, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2000, Minneapolis, MN (pdf)
- Variation in Poa annua on Golf Course Greens in the Pacific Northwest, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, 2000, Minneapolis, MN (pdf)
If you would like to support further breeding, extension, and research efforts at Washington State University, you can make a donation to the Grass Breeding and Ecology Farm Fund.
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Samantha Crow
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509-677-3671