June 16, 2003

As Reported in the News
The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology

One suburban dream could become a reality -- scientists have plans to sell a weed-resistant grass that could herald a new era for the lawn, according to the Calgary Herald.

Monsanto, the biotechnology giant, has applied for permission to sell genetically modified (GM) extra-smooth grass to golf courses.

The grass may in future be sold to gardeners. It is resistant to a Monsanto weedkiller, so herbicides sprayed on it to destroy other plants leave the grass unscathed. But it is likely to prove controversial because it is the first "recreational" use of GM technology.

Other grasses under development will produce Wimbledon-quality lawns with minimum effort. They include a "low-mow" variety that needs less cutting. Another would stay green in droughts. Novelty grasses could even be multi-coloured or glow in the dark.

Golfers, and tennis and football players will also enjoy playing surfaces that are smoother and cheaper to maintain.

According to the Calgary Herald report, the companies want to tap into what they see as a multi-billion dollar global market and boost the public image of GM technology by appealing to gardeners.

Britain, where the perfect lawn is an integral part of suburban respectability, is likely to be a key market. Experts say gardeners will see the benefits but are likely to be wary of GM technology.

"The idea of a grass that stays green in drought, needs mowing less and looks as good is appealing," said Pippa Greenwood, a panelist for Gardeners' Question Time on Radio 4. "But I don't think the average gardener would like the idea of a GM lawn."

Environmental campaigners say GM grass could cross-breed with other species, freeing alien genes into the environment, according to the Herald.

"It would be a disaster, with herbicide-resistant grass potentially invading farmland," said Pete Riley, the GM campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

The first step in bringing GM technology to lawns was taken in April when Monsanto and Scotts, a garden products company, applied for permission to market the new grass.

The new grass, which could be available in America next year, is a version of creeping bentgrass, which grows naturally at locations including Augusta National club, Georgia, home of the Masters golf tournament. 

In its natural form, creeping bentgrass is susceptible to weeds. The GM variety has a gene from a soil bacterium that makes it resistant to Roundup, a Monsanto weedkiller. Greenkeepers can spray Roundup without damaging the grass.

Low-maintenance grass could enable humble hackers to play on the kinds of surfaces at present found only at the richest clubs. Scott MacCallum of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association in York said that it could end what greenkeepers call "Augusta syndrome."

"Greenkeepers get (hassled) after the Masters in Augusta, where everything is green and pristine. Golfers look at what they're playing on and say, 'This isn't the same as Augusta - what's wrong?' " he said.

The grass is the first of a range of Monsanto products designed to transform gardens and sports grounds. In addition to the "low-mow" variety, another would retain its color in shady spots -- ideal for sports stadiums where little sunlight reaches to the pitch, which have to replace their turf every few
months. Another idea is for a grass which would temporarily change color when stepped on, in addition to the glow-in-the-dark variety, reports the Calgary Herald.