An article in Turf magazine last summer announced that L1F Zoysia sprigs had been released from quarantine and testing by the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture to be planted and grown by licensed producer Hawaiian Turfgrass. The company expects to have adequate supplies of the grass by next year and is taking reservations for inventory.
To read the story on the Turf magazine website, click here, or else read the text in its entirety below.
New Turfgrass Released in Hawaii
Staff — June 20, 2014
MILILANI, Hawaii – After a year in quarantine and testing by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, L1F Zoysia was released this month to licensed producer Hawaiian Turfgrass of Mililani, O’ahu. L1F Zoysia is the finest-textured zoysiagrass on the market today, can be used for high-quality lawns and shows promise as the first zoysia suitable for use on all golf playing surfaces, even greens.
The grass was released from agricultural quarantine on June 16, 2014. As such small quantities of plant material are released through the quarantine process, it will take Hawaiian Turfgrass, the exclusive licensed producer of L1F zoysiagrass in the islands, approximately two years to grow enough stock for commercial sale. The company is currently taking reservations for lawn and golf course grass inventory of certified L1F Zoysia for projects beginning in 2016.
L1F requires very low water and very low fertilizer inputs. The grass has been in development for 15 years and has undergone rigorous testing protocols in national trials. It was also planted on test greens at Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia, and on two golf courses in Texas, Briggs Ranch and Escondido Golf Club.
It was developed in Poteet, Texas, by Bladerunner Farms, the world’s largest independently owned zoysiagrass breeding and research facility. L1F is licensed through The Turfgrass Group of Monroe, Georgia.
According to David Doguet, renowned zoysiagrass breeder and owner of Bladerunner Farms, the development of L1F for greens use is just the natural progression of the golf industry toward expanded use of zoysia on playing surfaces.