Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation

A special issue of Grasses (ISSN 2813-3463).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 837

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: turfgrass management; forage crops
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Guest Editor
Environmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida, 1541 Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: turfgrass management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: grassland management; meadows; pastures; turfgrasses; forage crops
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The management of turfgrass is undergoing significant changes aimed at increasing environmental sustainability. To assess turfgrass sustainability, we must consider its diverse roles across different types, including its uses in sports, ornamentation, and recreational spaces. Each category presents unique demands and environmental impacts, necessitating a comprehensive approach. The management of turfgrass must also address the challenges posed by climate change, necessitating a shift in cultural practices from those traditionally used.

Researchers are encouraged to respond to the growing need to limit turfgrass's environmental impact. The upcoming advancements will mainly involve water conservation, precision agriculture, organic fertilizers, integrated pest management, biological weed control, and promoting biodiversity in turf ecosystems.

This Special Issue will provide an overview of the most relevant applied turfgrass studies, which focus on developing and spreading sustainable practices for maintaining healthy and attractive turfgrass while minimizing environmental damage.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Agronomy.

Dr. Stefano Macolino
Dr. Jason Kruse
Dr. Cristina Pornaro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • turfgrass
  • forage crop
  • water conservation
  • management
  • integrated pest management
  • environmental stress

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 845 KB  
Article
Observations with Soil Surfactant Applications to Amenity Turfgrass During Higher-than-Normal Precipitation Conditions
by John Dempsey, Michael Fidanza and Stanley Kostka
Grasses 2025, 4(4), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/grasses4040042 - 15 Oct 2025
Viewed by 309
Abstract
Soil surfactants are essential tools for enhancing irrigation water efficiency and improving the quality and functionality of amenity turfgrass. They play a crucial role in sports turf management by reducing soil water repellency, which helps prevent dry spots, ensures even moisture distribution, and [...] Read more.
Soil surfactants are essential tools for enhancing irrigation water efficiency and improving the quality and functionality of amenity turfgrass. They play a crucial role in sports turf management by reducing soil water repellency, which helps prevent dry spots, ensures even moisture distribution, and supports water conservation efforts. Most research on soil surfactants and amenity turfgrasses focuses on their effects on soil moisture, infiltration, and addressing localized dry spots during drought conditions, with limited studies on their impact under wet or saturated conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of soil surfactants on the quality and health of turfgrass under wet conditions. Field studies were conducted over a span of five years, beginning in the USA in 2019 and continuing in Ireland from 2020 to 2023. The research in Ireland was conducted at three locations, each featuring different rootzones: a “push-up” green with loam soil, USGA-specification sand, and natural link sand. The site in the USA was a native loam soil. The study compared a commercial soil surfactant (ProWet Evolve; PWE) and a non-treated control (NT) in a randomized complete block design with four replications, with sequential applications starting in June and continuing until mid-September each year. The rootzone volumetric water content (VWC%), turfgrass quality, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were measured bi-weekly. Environmental conditions, with above-average precipitation each year, significantly influenced results. Although there were no significant or consistent differences in VWC% between the soil surfactant and NT-treated plots, turfgrass quality was significantly enhanced in the soil surfactant-treated plots and supported by higher NDVI values. Even in prolonged wet conditions with high VWC%, improved turfgrass quality was consistently observed in soil surfactant-treated plots across multiple locations in both countries over the five-year study period. Full article
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