Back in the early 90's we read a newspaper article about a newly discovered grass variety that they had found growing in the canadian rockies. It required little water, was so tough that it could take a lot of walking on, and was very dense, so that it choked out weeds.
They called it "Superturf" and said that it would have to be propagated for seed, for some years, before it could be sold to the mass market.
Whatever happened to the stuff? Does anyone know, or remember it?
Ah, here's something on it!:
More. Just Google: Weijer supergrass
Baird?s trick requires combining the rich emerald hues and ?traffic tolerance? of perennial rye grass with the heat- and drought-resistance of meadow fescue, a tall grass normally not used for lawns. A deep root structure helps the new grass suck up water that other popular lawn grasses can?t reach, cutting its dependence on sprinklers by 10 percent.
The process is a sort of gladiator academy for grass. First, a geneticist labels each grass?s chromosomes with a different color of fluorescent dye and crossbreeds the two species in a field. Researchers collect the seeds, grow the hybrid plants in * 'hydroponics'
The project promises green grass all year round?not just for your yard but also for golf courses, parks and athletic fields?that will thrive anywhere from the Arizona desert to the Northeast. The group is currently selecting the best gene combinations and figuring out how to ensure that the traits pass to the next generation. If this summer?s drought tests go as planned, Baird hopes to mass-produce seeds by 2012
Where's you see that?
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