The BSPB Amenity Committee and the Turfgrass Seed Trials Introduction The development of grass varieties for amenity uses is a long-term, costly and sophisticated business. Plant breeding (crossing, selecting and conducting trials) typically takes a decade or more, before varieties are ready for release into Governmental registration and Industry performance trials. Subsequent investment in production, stock-holding, manufacturing and marketing is expensive. The exploitation and utilisation of the superior varieties made available by this process require expert guidance and advice. The purpose of Turfgrass Seed is to report comprehensive results of available varieties in trials designed to test suitability for: Use in winter sports pitches, such as football and rugby fields, and municipal recreation areas (Sports Uses Trials). Use in lawns, summer sports pitches, tennis courts, turf and general landscaping (Lawns Landscaping, Summer Sports and Turf Trials). Use in the intensive management seen on golf and bowling greens (Greens, Close Mown Trials). Turfgrass Seed presents the best available interpretation of correctly designed, accurately analysed and independently supervised trials to our collective customer, the professional user of high quality amenity grass cultivars. The Turfgrass trials are conducted in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The BSPB Amenity Committee BSPB is the trade association, based at Ely in Cambridgeshire, which represents the interests of companies with plant breeding and seeds supply businesses in the UK. Companies can participate as Full Members or Associates and the Society caters for businesses with large or small turnovers. The major functions of BSPB include: • Acting on behalf of plant breeders to Licence and collect Royalties for the production of seed of protected varieties by third parties. • Representing the interests of its members opposite Government and the European Commission. • Co-ordinating agreements with independent trialling organisations to facilitate the production of recommended and descriptive lists of varieties. The BSPB Amenity Committee comprises representatives of all the major breeders developing new cultivars for customers in the UK. Its objectives include the long term: • Coordination and funding of independent amenity variety trialling. • Continuity of the integrity of Turfgrass Seed as a source of impartial and valid information to buyers and users of amenity grass seed. Turfgrass Seed 2024 2
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