School of Plant Biology

The Turf Research Program brings together major stakeholders in industry, government and research.

Priority areas are:

1. water use and drought tolerance in turf
2. use of soil amendments to improve water and nutrient management in turf
3. turf nutrition and fertiliser efficiency

Our research facility at Shenton Park, WA, provides infrastructure to evaluate turf under various management practices.

Industry members have played a leading role in establishing:

1. an automated, variable-speed travelling boom irrigator
2. weather station
3. access to analytical laboratories

 Research

Current research

1. Managing turfgrass on a water allocation
2. Water repellency in turf grass grown in sandy soils
3. Water use by soft-leaf buffalo
4. Irrigation of turf grass with saline water
5. Kikuyu Research Project

Completed research

1. Water use and drought tolerance in turf grasses 
   Final report available on the HAL website
2. Fly ash amendements to improve water and nutrient management in turf 
3. Evaluation of a soil water sensor control system for improved water use efficiency and reduced nutrient leaching in turf
   Final report available on the HAL website
4. Development of nutrient management systems for the WA turf industry
   Final report available on the HAL website

Steering Committee

• Eva Ricci, WA Turf Growers Association
• Brian Vidovich, WA Turf Growers Association
• Steve Lindsay, WA Turf Growers Association
• Jeff Lane, WA Golf Course Supers Assoc.
• Ken Johnston, Turf Consultant
• Steve Atkinson, Water Corporation
• Aaron Cromptom, Department of Water
• Toby Riseborough, Organic 2000
• Sarah Molloy, WA Local Government Association
• Glenn Craig, WA Bowling Green Association
• Warren Stephens, Local Government Representative
• Nick Bell, Turf Consultant
• Tony Guy, Turfgrass Association of Australia (WA Branch)
• David Parker, Lawn Mowing Contractors Association
• Kim Bailey, Turf and Landscape Industries Association
• Doug Hall, Compost WA
• Tim Colmer, UWA
• Louise Barton, UWA

Newsletter

Factsheet

Minimising nitrogen leaching from warm-season turfgrass: Irrigation and fertiliser strategies

The PDF version contains a diagram simplifying the nitrogen cycle for a turfgrass system. The RTF version does not contain this diagram so if you would like further information, please contact Louise Barton.

Scientific and Industry Publications 

A list of the Scientific and Industry Publications can be found below