“Universities should emphasize biotech and other
advanced technologies that companies cannot
afford on speculation.”
• “Because of the Perennial Ryegrass Bargaining Association, there is no incentive to breed for higher seed yield. Don’t they realize this would help save costs and fuel for farmers?”
• “We turf companies are all guilty in some way of producing look-alike varieties.”
If differentiation starts occurring, it will also require a rationalization of the roles of public and private sector research. Many of those surveyed noted that the competition between universities and turf companies or even universities with themselves was not constructive.
• “Turfgrass is the only crop on which university breeders are competing with private industry. In wheat and soybean, university programs are geared toward solving specific problems (smut, root rot, flour quality, SCN, SDS), training scientists, conducting screening tests.”
• “Universities should not be commercial enterprises with personal gains (royalty share) and motives. When public funding, resources and facilities are utilized, there is an obligation not to compete with privately funded programs such as we are seeing today.”
• “In Florida, the new turf breeder was told by the Dean that their job is to replace all of the existing Georgia turf varieties with Florida varieties within three years and bring royalties to Florida. Compare Floradwarf versus Tifdwarf.”
• “We need to push the concept of what makes an individual variety unique. Industry is generally not able to develop this data economically in house. That’s where universities can help.”
• “This last NTEP is loaded up with varieties from one university that all claim to be gray leaf spot resistant. Any benefit of “new science” became a commodity before the foundation seed was ever produced. When a university allows this to happen, they are way beyond the scientific aspects of their mission. In fact there is a definite attempt to control the marketplace.”
• “Universities should emphasize biotech and other advanced technologies that companies cannot afford on speculation.”
• “Patenting by universities stifles further research.”
Combined with a more progressive approach to intellectual property, the industry would need to make many changes to move away from commoditization. Doug Brede
Editor’s Note: Doug Brede is Research Director and one of three managers of Jacklin Seed, part of the J.R. Simplot Company in Post Falls, Idaho. Before joining Jacklin, he was Associate Professor of Turfgrass Management at Oklahoma State University. He has written over 100 articles on turfgrass science, including a book entitled, Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook.
as turfgrass seed slumps into a commodity marketplace, here are some tips from other industries for slogging along successfully at the commodity game:
•; Fine;tune;your;logistics;pipeline.;Eliminate;steps;in; handling and transportation.
•; Reach;out;and;fire;someone.;Create;an;extremely; efficient back office, removing all unnecessary expenditures.
•; Eliminate;services;the;customer;doesn’t;require;or; won’t;pay;extra;for.
•; Develop;and;maintain;a;strong;brand.;Reduce; advertising from product ads to brand-awareness ads only.
•; Sell the;“minimally;acceptable;product”;that;meets; the;customer’s;needs.
•; Pressure;vendors;for;additional;concessions.;Walmart,; home depot and Lowes are masters at this.
•; Success;in;the;commodity;game;comes;from;sub-stantial volumes, customer repeatability, adequate and continual product supply, outsourcing and convenient buying.
For more on commoditiz to read an ar more of Bred
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