Considering that a pesticide takes $240 million, 11 years and hundreds of tests to bring to market, pesticide manufacturers work hard everyday to determine what turf species and problems to focus on, while at the same time getting the most out of that investment in time and money.
On Sept. 26-27, Bayer Environmental Science invited landscape and golf magazine editors to its research facility in Clayton, N.C., to showcase how a manufacturer goes through this pesticide testing and development process, as well as highlight its new plant health-focused laboratory.
The plant health laboratory, which includes equipment for measuring photosynthesis and root biomass, was established in late September as a part of a plant health initiative Bayer launched in cooperation with North Carolina State University. As part of this collaboration, post-doctorate NCSU turfgrass researcher Danehsa Carley is working full-time at the Clayton facility.
“Our goal is to establish a center of excellence for plant health evaluation,” says Nick Hamon, director of research and development for Bayer Environmental Science, adding that the Clayton facility complements field and technical development and hosts many global and national business team meetings, as well as sales and technical training. “We plan to identify parameters that best characterize improvement in plant quality. In addition, we will develop methods to quantify the effects on turf and ornamentals in a laboratory and field environment.”
The Clayton Research Facility is made up of 40 percent of open turf land, including a four-hole golf course. Eight acres of the site are dedicated to vegetative/ornamental management studies. Primary Clayton-based turf studies include fire ant/termite and regional turf studies. Other studies include those on active ingredients, product performance, persistence/soil degradation and full general insect and termite rearing/testing.
In addition to the Clayton Research Facility, attendees to the event also toured the North Carolina State University CENTERE (Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education – www.turffiles.ncsu.edu), which administers research funding to develop new management strategies and outreach programs that benefit the private sector and protect the environment.
“We view this collaborative effort with the industry as a significant event in the turfgrass program at North Carolina State University,” says Rick Brandenburg, professor of entomology at NCSU. “The opportunity to exchange ideas, share facilities, train students and collaborate on novel technologies at facilities within a few miles of each other is one that any program would be excited to be a part of.”
North Carolina is a perfect place for turfgrass testing because it is a transition zone, so more grass species can be grown and studied in the area. According to Fred Yelverton, professor of crop science and extension specialist, NCSU, and co-director of the CENTERE, 12 turfgrass species can be grown in North Carolina, and the state is listed eighth in the United States in terms of total turfgrass acreage.
“The reason we formed a center is because we wanted a consortium between the industry and academia,” Yelverton says. “The industry identifies the needs and academia helps carry them out. It helps us partner more closely on an issue, create and administrative structure that bridges department lines and create a performance-driven evaluation and research funding process. It’s a whole new approach to industry-university interaction.”
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The plant health laboratory, which includes equipment for measuring photosynthesis and root biomass, was established in late September as a part of a plant health initiative Bayer launched in cooperation with North Carolina State University. As part of this collaboration, post-doctorate NCSU turfgrass researcher Danehsa Carley is working full-time at the Clayton facility.
“Our goal is to establish a center of excellence for plant health evaluation,” says Nick Hamon, director of research and development for Bayer Environmental Science, adding that the Clayton facility complements field and technical development and hosts many global and national business team meetings, as well as sales and technical training. “We plan to identify parameters that best characterize improvement in plant quality. In addition, we will develop methods to quantify the effects on turf and ornamentals in a laboratory and field environment.”
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In addition to the Clayton Research Facility, attendees to the event also toured the North Carolina State University CENTERE (Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education – www.turffiles.ncsu.edu), which administers research funding to develop new management strategies and outreach programs that benefit the private sector and protect the environment.
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North Carolina is a perfect place for turfgrass testing because it is a transition zone, so more grass species can be grown and studied in the area. According to Fred Yelverton, professor of crop science and extension specialist, NCSU, and co-director of the CENTERE, 12 turfgrass species can be grown in North Carolina, and the state is listed eighth in the United States in terms of total turfgrass acreage.
“The reason we formed a center is because we wanted a consortium between the industry and academia,” Yelverton says. “The industry identifies the needs and academia helps carry them out. It helps us partner more closely on an issue, create and administrative structure that bridges department lines and create a performance-driven evaluation and research funding process. It’s a whole new approach to industry-university interaction.”
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