Page 4 - Impact - Spring 2021

SEEDING
MINNESOTA'S
ECONOMY
In the Roseau and Lake of the Woods region of northern Minnesota, watching the grass grow is anything but boring. Just ask Donald Wyse, PhD, professor and researcher in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. An expert in the biology and ecology of invasive weeds, he made his first trip to Roseau in 1974 to develop a quackgrass management system for turf and forage grass species.
Approximately 55,000 acres of grass seed farms thrive in northern Minnesota, where a cooler, wetter microclimate offers favorable growing conditions. These farms contribute $270 million to Minnesota’s rural economy annually. The industry, which provides hundreds of jobs in Minnesota and thousands of jobs in the U.S. through the production and distribution of seed for global turf grass needs — including lawns, sports fields and parks — has grown exponentially since it began in the region in the 1950s, when the U of M released ‘Park’ Kentucky bluegrass
“When I started my career, quackgrass
was the primary deterrent to producing high quality grass seed turf in the region,” said Wyse, noting that it also was prohibiting the expansion of new turf species like perennial ryegrass, which today contributes significantly to the region’s economy. About 150 growers now produce around 45,000 acres of perennial ryegrass for seed, due primarily to U of M research in partnership with growers and seed processors.
PROFESSOR DONALD WYSE IN A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PLOT ON THE ST. PAUL CAMPUS.