Turf research and development

Overview of turf research in Queensland

The Queensland Government’s turf research program is the largest of its kind in Australia. Established in 2000, the program supports the state’s turf industry – using expertise from this department and other national research partners.

We provide independent scientific research with a focus on warm-season turf grasses to meet the needs of the turf sector in Queensland, Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

We support development and innovation across the whole turf industry by providing scientifically-based information to:

• turf producers
• professional turf managers of parks, golf courses, bowling greens and sporting fields
• facility managers
• homeowners.

Location

Research in Queensland is primarily conducted at Redlands Research Facility, 20 kilometres from Brisbane’s central business district. Redlands Research Facility has a subtropical environment, two contrasting soil types and access to dam and recycled water. This provides an excellent subtropical base for research into warm-season turf grasses. On-site research is complemented by test sites around Australia, maintained by our research partners.

Resources

Our research resources include:

• skilled scientists and technical staff
• a turf research laboratory
• tunnel houses and glasshouse facilities
• turf grass field plots, multiplication areas and a living turf grass library
• erosion conrol demonstration facility.

Living turf grass library

We have assembled an in-ground collection of more than 130 warm-season turf grass varieties, the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the world. Already, these grasses include a number of species not previously represented internationally in any other turf program.

As well as its educational value, the library serves as the basic resource for the group’s research program aiding research into:

• water use and bioremediation
• stress tolerance (salt, shade and temperature)
• diseases
• nutrition
• weed control
• characterisation and improvement of sports’ surfaces
• DNA fingerprinting
• breeding.

Erosion Control Demonstration Facility

A large scale erosion control education and demonstration site has been estalished at Redlands Research Facility. The project aims to educate decision makers and specifiers in the construction industry, as well as local and state government representatives from departments of environment and main roads from around Australia. The site demonstrates best practice in the use of turf as an erosion control measure. A series of thirty workshops will be conducted over the course of the project, which will also develop educational materials such as factshees, best practice guides and and training videos.

Greens testing facility

Redlands Research Facility was home to a purpose-built experimental green to evaluate new turf grass cultivars for bowling and putting greens. This facility was aligned to a commercial assessment program and will accelerate the introduction of new cultivars by bowling clubs and golf courses.

Find out more about new warm-season turf grasses for high quality greens.