In Your Turf: Sept. 2001 - UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER: The Usual Suspect

Despite the fact that Pacific Northwest growers planted more acreage in 2000 than ever before – up 1.8 percent according to the Oregon State University Extension Service – yields in most species are below average or average due mostly to lack of rain, pointed out Scott Harer, regional sales manager, Seed Research of Oregon, Corvallis, Ore.

As if a dry spring wasn’t bad enough, rain finally arrived during harvest, slowing it down at a critical time, remarked Steve Tubbs, president, Turf Merchants, Tangent, Ore. "While most of the perennial ryegrass has been cut, it is still out in the fields in windrows, and cannot be harvested until it is dried out," he said in early August. "The few fields of perennial that were processed prior to the rain came in at about 25 percent lower than last year’s averages."

As of press time, the summer storms were heading up to Washington and Idaho, also delaying the Kentucky bluegrass harvest. "Yield estimates have dropped from an estimated 600 pounds per acre to 400 pounds, though on increased acres," Tubbs said. "With more rains predicted, by the time it’s all said and done, this will be the latest harvest we can recall."

THE CULPRITS. Though the dry weather may have been nice for Oregonians who are used to wet springs, this hot, arid period in March and April affected the way seed heads formed on many plants, resulting in a lot of "fluffy seed or blanks," Harer said. "We really never did get enough rain this year. We’re still 12 inches behind on the weather year that started Oct. 1, 2000."

Consequently, growers with irrigated fields had better results, Harer pointed out.

The lack of rain – a problem in itself – also created additional dilemmas for growers, particularly those who count on it to dilute preemergence herbicides sprayed early in the season to clean up fields, explained Dave Nelson, executive secretary, Oregon Seed Council, Salem, Ore. "The little rain we did get wasn’t enough," Nelson stated, adding that 8 to 12 percent of turf seed crops were lost this year due to resulting chemical damage.

Rising natural gas prices in early March also contributed to poor yields. Since natural gas is used to produce urea and other forms of nitrogen fertilizers, many growers had to skip fertilization all together, crossing their fingers afterward, Nelson reported.

In addition to dealing with weather and rising fertilizer prices, farmers are losing money because of plummeting prices on seed abandoned by AgriBioTech (ABT) after its bankruptcy in January 2000. "Farmers are cutting management expenses just to get by," Nelson said. "Some farmers will end up out of business because of these low prices."

ABT leftovers are putting pressure on prices throughout the market, particularly since many of these varieties are undesirable because of their old genetics, Harer said. "We can’t support research and marketing of new genetics when the old genetics are being sold at such low prices," he explained.

THE RESULTS. Annual ryegrass, which Nelson calls "an early indicator plant," set the tone for this year’s turf seed yields. The crop was down an average 25 to 30 percent, he said.

Tall fescue followed with yields that were all over the board – depending on whether or not irrigation was available – but averaged a 15 percent decrease, according to Harer.

Even though there has been significant perennial ryegrass carryover the past two years from the ABT bankruptcy, the crop was short and yields are expected to be down an average 20 percent, Harer explained. But fine fescue carryover from last year is helping this year’s yields, which reached the average to above average range, he said.

Since Kentucky bluegrass was still being harvested at press time, suppliers said there’s not a good read on the supply. However, early maturing species show average yields, Harer pointed out.

Demand has not kept up its usual pace, so supply should fill demand this year despite the fact that most yields are average to below average, Harer said, adding that this demand decrease began about 18 months ago.

But contractors should still plan ahead. "Certain varieties will sell out quick this year, particularly the newer genetics," Harer warned. "Contractors should order their seed early to make sure they can get it."