Sustainable Turfgrass Management in the Canadian Prairie Provinces

草坪业可以被定义为所有公共和私人组织，为了娱乐目的而维护草坪。这项倡议侧重于草坪业最优先的知识缺口，包括：减少冬季伤害、减少生物胁迫、选择草坪替代用途的草以及水质和养护。为了解决这些知识差距，该行业希望以有计划和协作的方式扩大应用研究活动，以增加行业的可持续性和研究成果。这些预期成果包括最佳做法、改进的流程、更低的生产和维护成本以及更可持续的业务做法。此外，这些结果预计将对艾伯塔省和草原省的农村和城市社区产生积极和直接的影响。鉴于许多社区与草坪业有着密切的联系，很明显，该行业也将通过创新、创造就业、旅游和娱乐投资和支出对经济发展产生积极和直接的影响。奥兹学院及其行业合作伙伴坚信，这一举措具有战略性、及时性、可扩充性和可实现性。从ODS学院的角度来看，选择这一倡议是基于草坪管理方面的强劲学生数量、行业对合作草坪草研究的需求以及24年的行业支持历史。奥兹学院和其他行业合作伙伴已做好充分准备，准备开展这一倡议中描述的所有增量活动。总之，这一举措将使草原省份的草坪业成为“新型绿色”可再生产业。

The turfgrass industry can be defined as all public and private organizations that maintain grasses forrecreational purposes. This initiative focuses on the highest priority knowledge gaps in the turfgrass industrywhich 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 appliedresearch activities in a planned and collaborative manner that will increase industry sustainability and researchoutcomes. These expected outcomes include best practices, improved processes, lower production andmaintenance costs and more sustainable business practices. Further, these outcomes are expected to have apositive and direct impact on both rural and urban communities in Alberta and the Prairie Provinces. Given thenumber of communities with strong links to the turfgrass industry, it is very clear that the industry will alsohave a positive and direct impact on economic development, through innovation, job creation, tourism andrecreational investment and expenditure. Olds College and its industry partners strongly believe that thisinitiative is strategic, timely, scalable, and achievable. From an Olds College perspective, this initiative wasselected on the basis of strong student numbers in turfgrass management, industry demand for collaborativeturfgrass research and a 24 year history of industry support. Olds College and other industry partners are fullyprepared to undertake all incremental activities described in this initiative. In conclusion, this initiative willenable the turfgrass industry in the Prairie Provinces to become the "new Green" renewable industry.