Frank speaks with Marco Schiavon, assistant professor at UF's Fort Lauderdale Research Center, discusses water conservation in turfgrass.
Trained in Italy, New Mexico, and California, Schiavon now researches recycled wastewater irrigation in South Florida, finding that turf intercepts most nutrients but over-irrigation causes leaching — making water management more important than fertilizer blackout periods. He's also exploring turfgrass soil microbiome, where the field lags decades behind agriculture.
On grasses, Schiavon calls Tiftuf Bermuda a gold standard for water conservation and says St. Augustine water needs are overestimated. His top advice: Fix irrigation system efficiency first, then layer on wetting agents and PGRs.