Scotts & Arcadia Biosciences partner for develop Nitrogen-efficient turfgrass
9 Jun, 2008 LM Direct!DAVIS, CA — Arcadia Biosciences and The Scotts Company announced a research agreement to develop Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) turf grass varieties. Under the agreement, ScottsMiracle-Gro has an exclusive global license to develop and commercialize turf grasses utilizing Arcadia NUE technology for use in a wide range of consumer and commercial markets.
With an estimated 40 million acres of managed turf grass in the United States alone, lawn grass is the world's most cultivated non-agricultural plant. Nitrogen Use Efficient Lawn Grass can enable consumers and commercial landscape professionals to maintain healthy lawns with lower costs, greater convenience and reduced environmental impacts.
"Great-looking lawns have a powerful psychological appeal and Americans spend about $30 billion annually and considerable time and effort to maintain their lawns. Nitrogen Use Efficient Lawn Grass can have a significant positive impact on the cost, convenience, and carbon footprint of maintaining a healthy lawn," said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia.
"We view the development of Nitrogen Use Efficient turf grass varieties as integral in our continued efforts to offer sustainable products that further enhance the already acknowledged environmental benefits of turf," said Rich Shank, chief environmental officer of Scotts.
Scotts upgrades test lab Web site
Scotts also recently announced significant enhancements to the Scotts Testing Lab Web site. These improvements will make it even easier and more convenient for growers and landscapers to make informed decisions based on expert analysis.
Since its inception, The Scotts Testing Lab at www.scottstestlab.com has provided accurate and reliable analysis of irrigation water, growing media, mineral soil and plant tissue. Over the years, professional growers and landscapers have come to rely on The Scotts Testing Lab to choose the right water soluble fertilizers, develop nutritional programs and diagnose problems of poor-performing plants.
Prior to the Web site's recent enhancements, individuals requesting an analysis were asked to submit their water, media or tissue samples and wait to receive an e-mail with a link to their customized reports. Those reports were available online for three months, after which they were no longer accessible. Now, growers and landscapers are able to complete simpler, more concise request forms and receive their customized testing results via e-mail no more than 72 hours after the lab has received their samples.
"We've always taken pride in the reliability and accuracy of The Scotts Testing Lab," said Ryan Lewis, communications manager for Scotts North America Professional Business Group. "The recent changes to the Lab's Web site reflect our dedication to continuous improvement. We feel it's important to keep building upon the Lab's success by finding new and better ways to provide our customers with the information they need."
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