Pickseed, Barenbrug provide seed for 2010 FIFA World Cup

In spite of growing popularity of synthetic turf on sports fields around the world, turfgrass is still the preferred playing surface for professional soccer.

Pickseed Canada and Barenbrug are among the companies supplying turfgrass seed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which begins in South Africa on Friday, June 11.

All 32 South African team base camps have been overseeded with Barenbrug’s BAR 50 SOS ryegrass. The decision to use the cultivar was based on its fast establishment, sustained growth and good recovery under intense wear, reports Horticulture Week’s Turfcare News.

Pickseed Canada last fall provided a special blend of perennial rye grass and Kentucky blue grass was created at the SRO facility and 165,000 lbs. of the turfgrass grown in Manitoba. Excellent traffic tolerance and fast recovery again influenced agronomists there to go with Pickseed’s Zoom and also SR4600, a cultivar developed by Seed Research, one of Pickseed’s sister companies.

The Vancouver Sun newspaper had a nice, short article about Pickseed that you can access here.