BTME launch for Scotts Professional Seed Icon Programme
01-15-2009

If Scotts isn't a name you would generally associate with seed, it may interest to you know that The Scotts Company has a long history in turf seed. Orlando McLean Scott founded O.M. Scott & Sons in 1868. Born and raised in Ohio, he purchased a hardware store in Marysville in 1870 that included a machine used for cleaning crop seed for farmers. Starting with a firm conviction that "farmers need and shall have clean, weed-free fields," Scott embarked on a new business venture that is today, The Scotts Company.

Scotts Professional has over 90 hectares of turfgrass trials at four research centres, located in different climatic zones, allowing both warm and cool season grasses to be tested, screen and evaluated. In cooperation with Pure-Seed Testing Inc., a pioneer in turf seed breeding and one of the most productive and respected breeding companies in the world, we have selected the best performing varieties from our various research programmes to enter the UK market.

Introducing the Scotts Professional Seed Icon Programme

The Scotts Professional Seed Icon Programme makes it easier for turf professionals to identify grass varieties that are bred for tolerance to extreme conditions and to solve common turfgrass problems, reducing the use of inputs and saving money as a result.

Each of the six trait-specific programmes – drought, cold, shade, wear, salt and visual merit – is identified by a distinctive icon.

What do the icons mean?

The icons help you identify, at a glance, varieties with specific attributes that help you meet the challenges you face in the establishment, maintenance and ongoing health of your turf. You will find bentgrasses, fescues, ryegrasses and other species available with wear resistance, shade tolerance, salt tolerance and other important qualities you need, identified by one or more icons. Only the best performing varieties are awarded an icon.

Mark Rayner, Scotts' Key Account Manager points out that each icon is a symbol of excellence: "Years of research led to the development of these trait-specific grasses, which have been subjected to intense trials and have met or surpassed rigid standards for measuring tolerance or resistance. Therefore, turf professionals can be confident that the grasses they select will meet their specific needs."