Pure Seed Testing, a 40-acre N.C. farm, supplied turf for the World Cup

A 40-acre, four-employee farm in Rolesville, N.C., supplied the turf for this year’s World Cup in Qatar, according to a report from WNCT in Greenville, N.C.

Pure Seed Testing was able to fill all eight World Cup stadiums in Qatar, which is located in a flat, low-lying desert area, with an average temperature of 84 degrees Fahrenheit in November. The company says its seeds are grown in Oregon before they are sent to North Carolina to be tested.

“We try to put as much stress on them as we can, especially during the summertime, and then our job is to identify the ones that do the best,” Melodee Fraser, director of research, told WNCT. “We are looking for varieties that have better heat tolerance, better air summer disease resistance, better drought tolerance, all of these things that are difficult for turf grass managers to manage.”

Pure Seed doesn’t just provide sod for the world’s largest sporting events, it also offers turf for projects as small as a front yard.

“It is very exciting to watch on TV and see products that you know you helped to develop are there and that you know they are well fit for the job,” Fraser said.