Complementary use of float system nurseries for turfgrass production
Extended use of tobacco float system nurseries may reduce greenhouse costs and represent a complementary income for tobacco growers. Several cropping alternatives have been studied over the time, especially vegetable transplant seedling production; however, vegetable crops have a definite acreage, may increase pest and disease pressure on tobacco, and have a strict season-related cycle, which limit their possibility to represent a real complement possibility to tobacco seedling production. To overcome the above-mentioned problems, float system production of turfgrass was developed and patented. Turfgrass seeds or stolones were directly included in a novel biodegradable polyurethane agglomerated peat medium during its formulation. A thin layer of sown/stolonized growing medium was layed on reusable polystyrene flat panels, and put in a standard float system nursery where turfgrass emerges and grows, until sodding. A management program was developed, consisting of fertilization and clipping. A ready-for-sale turf sod is obtained in 20-30 days, depending on the turfgrass species (cool season or warm season turfgrasses) and growing period. Market acceptance of this float system turfgrass sod is related to its premium quality, light weight on an area basis (for easier long distance transport), high retaking speed after application onto the soil, and competitive cost vs. open-field, traditional turfgrass sodding.