Canadian Researchers Seek Bio Control for Dandelions

GUELPH, Ontario, Canada-The Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation is seeking a biological control to tackle dandelions. Dave Smith, president of the Guelph-based association, said such a breakthrough would have broader implications beyond aiding golf courses and sports fields, to private lawns and gardens.That’s what it’s all about,” Smith said, in a recent interview with the Guelph Mercury newspaper. “We all need to be looking at turfgrass with a much wider scope. What applies to golf courses applies all over.” The association is sharing $5 million in new funding for 52 diverse projects from Guelph’s Agricultural Adaptation Council. Projects include creating a regional organic feed mill in the Peterborough area and an online pricing forecasting tool for the sheep industry. The Guelph project entails assessing microbes that live naturally in plant tissue for their ability to suppress dandelion germination and growth, in the hopes of developing a natural herbicidal spray. Source: www.guelphmercury.com. Access the full article here.