Sustainable Turfgrass Management in the Canadian Prairie Provinces

草坪草行业可以定义为所有公共和私人组织，保持草， 娱乐用途。该倡议侧重于草坪草行业最优先的知识差距 包括：减少冬季伤害，减少生物胁迫，选择替代草坪用途的草， 水质和保护。为了解决这些知识差距，该行业希望扩大应用 以有计划和协作的方式开展研究活动，以提高行业的可持续性和研究 结果。这些预期成果包括最佳做法、改进流程、降低产量， 维护成本和更可持续的业务实践。此外，预计这些成果将产生一个 对阿尔伯塔省和草原省的农村和城市社区产生了积极和直接的影响。鉴于 许多社区与草坪草行业有着密切的联系，很明显，该行业还将 通过创新、创造就业机会、旅游业和 娱乐投资和支出。奥尔兹学院及其行业合作伙伴坚信， 计划是战略性的、及时的、可扩展的和可实现的。从奥尔兹学院的角度来看，这一举措是 根据学生人数的选择，在草坪管理、行业协作需求方面 草坪草研究和24年的行业支持历史。奥尔兹学院等行业合作伙伴全面 准备开展本倡议所述的所有递增活动。最后，这一举措将 使草原省份的草坪草产业成为“新绿色”可再生产业。

The turfgrass industry can be defined as all public and private organizations that maintain grasses for recreational purposes. This initiative focuses on the highest priority knowledge gaps in the turfgrass industry which include: the reduction of winter injury, reduction of biotic stress, grass selection for alternative turf uses, and water quality and conservation. To address these knowledge gaps, the industry wishes to expand applied research activities in a planned and collaborative manner that will increase industry sustainability and research outcomes. These expected outcomes include best practices, improved processes, lower production and maintenance costs and more sustainable business practices. Further, these outcomes are expected to have a positive and direct impact on both rural and urban communities in Alberta and the Prairie Provinces. Given the number of communities with strong links to the turfgrass industry, it is very clear that the industry will also have a positive and direct impact on economic development, through innovation, job creation, tourism and recreational investment and expenditure. Olds College and its industry partners strongly believe that this initiative is strategic, timely, scalable, and achievable. From an Olds College perspective, this initiative was selected on the basis of strong student numbers in turfgrass management, industry demand for collaborative turfgrass research and a 24 year history of industry support. Olds College and other industry partners are fully prepared to undertake all incremental activities described in this initiative. In conclusion, this initiative will enable the turfgrass industry in the Prairie Provinces to become the "new Green" renewable industry.