Sustainable Turfgrass Management in the Canadian Prairie Provinces

草坪草业可以被定义为所有公共和私人组织维护草坪，用于娱乐目的。这一倡议的重点是解决人造草坪行业知识缺口最高的问题，其中包括：减少冬季伤害，减少生物压力，选择替代人造草坪用途的草，以及水质和保护。为了解决这些知识差距，业界希望以有计划和合作的方式扩大应用研究活动，以提高行业的可持续性和研究成果。这些预期结果包括最佳实践、改进流程、降低生产和维护成本以及更可持续的业务实践。此外，这些成果预计将对阿尔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。考虑到与草坪草业有密切联系的社区数量，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而直接的影响。奥尔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、可扩展性和可实现性。从Olds College的角度来看，该计划的选择是基于草坪草管理方面的强大学生人数，行业对协作草坪草研究的需求以及24年的行业支持历史。奥尔兹学院和其他行业合作伙伴已做好充分的**准备，承担这一倡议中所描述的所有增量活动。总之，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.