
WSU Releases Matchless Bluegrass
Washington State University researchers have released a new commercial variety of Kentucky bluegrass. School officials said “Matchless,” developed from another bluegrass variety called “Kenblue,” offers seed growers higher yields without the harmful impacts of burning. For much of the 20th century, Kentucky bluegrass growers burned fields to remove stubble after harvest, reduce thatch buildup, prevent disease, and for a number of other benefits. However, burning is now banned in Washington and Oregon and heavily regulated in Idaho, allowed only under very specific circumstances.
“The ban had a huge impact on an important crop,” said Michael Neff, WSU professor and director of WSU’s turfgrass research program. “The ban didn’t kill the dryland bluegrass seed production industry, but it limited the varieties that could be grown and increased costs for those that could. Matchless adds yield and profit for growers.”
Eliminating the practice has environmental benefits that can be marketed to end-users as well.
“Many people care a lot about the environmental impact of the products they use,” said Neff, a professor in WSU’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. “Matchless can be marketed as a ‘cleaner’ variety. It’s also cheaper than burning.”
Matchless was bred by Neff’s predecessor, former WSU Professor Bill Johnston. Johnston named the variety as a double play on words: No matches are needed to start fires and there’s no match for the yield.
Consumers won’t notice Matchless when buying seed or sod because it looks and performs like other Kentucky bluegrass varieties. Varieties and species are often blended in seed bags purchased at home improvement stores, so consumers mostly don’t see the individual grasses in the bags.
Washington produces around 80% of the world’s Kentucky bluegrass seed.
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