Germinal has established an 11-acre research station near Melksham, Wiltshire. From January 2018, the facility will be managed by Dr Joanna Matthews, who arrives as a grass trials specialist after previously working with NIAB, which awarded Germinal with the 2015 Variety Cup.
Amenity grass knowledge hub
Germinal GB managing director Paul Billings explains that this strategic decision has been taken to develop a knowledge hub that helps greenkeepers, groundskeepers and amenity grass specialists to boost the performance of their green spaces. “In a competitive market where only the best cultivars and seed mixtures will suffice, having a bespoke R&D facility will allow Germinal to showcase market-leading varieties, test innovative ideas in UK conditions, and demonstrate at a local level alternative grass seed species or turf management systems that we are bringing in from around the world.” Paul continues: “The research station will be integrated with our amenity breeding programme at IBERS Aberystwyth University and will provide facilities for Germinal to collaborate with many other industry partners on projects of great significance and benefit to the wider industry.”
Amenity grass seed development
Further ambitious plans were revealed: “We already have plans for over forty projects at the site, which will include trialling new amenity varieties and proving, in real-world conditions, the benefits and advantages of site-specific traits such as tolerance to shade and disease resistance under stress. We’ll also be collaborating with leading amenity nutrition manufacturers to trial a range of slow and phased–release fertilisers and specialist liquid and granular fertilisers.” Arriving from NIAB, Dr Matthews will bring an invaluable mix of plant science expertise and grass trials knowledge to the Germinal group.