DLF Seeds, the
company behind the Johnsons Lawn Seed brand, is channelling investment into
research that will bring innovative new lawn seed and fertilisers to market,
designed to meet the challenges posed by climate change.
More than 10% of the
workforce at DLF Seeds is employed solely in research and development, with the
company committing €14million per year to pioneering research projects that
will supply retailers with lawncare products of the future.
Scientists say the
planet is experiencing what’s set to be the warmest decade since records began
in 1850. A BBC report claimed that over the next five years there’s a chance
we’ll see a 12-month period in which the average global temperature rise could exceed
1.5C – an alarming prediction. DLF Seeds is pumping investment into research,
to introduce products that offer outstanding performance, even during periods
of drought and heavy rainfall.
Johnson’s Lawn
Seed’s Guy Jenkins said: “Headlines about the accelerating pace of climate
change are causing widespread concern within the scientific community, and
consumers are understandably worried about the effect of weather extremes on
gardens. We are running an extensive research programme that is investigating
grass varieties that will tolerate the types of extreme conditions that are
expected in future. New products that deliver proven results despite
challenging growing conditions hold the key to future growth in lawncare, and
give retailers the confidence to dedicate floorspace to this important
category.”
A Royal
Horticultural Society report, Gardening in a
Changing Climate, underpinned the need for new grass seed that will
thrive in erratic weather conditions. The study predicted “extreme rainfall
events” that may lead to waterlogging and flash flooding, while hot, dry spells
are tipped to increase, resulting in water shortages. Milder springs and
autumns may extend the growing season – potentially expanding the lawncare
sales season for retailers.
DLF Seeds’
investment in R&D has already led to a major lawn fertiliser launch this
year. A collaborative project resulted in a UK first – an organic,
triple-action lawn fertiliser called Super Smart Lawn Feed. Significant
scientific research went into the product, which uses beneficial bacteria
(Azospirillum) to fix nitrogen to roots, soluble mycorrhizae, which can
increase the root system by 150 times, and seaweed extract for dense, green
growth.
One of the R&D
team’s notable success stories is a tetraploid lawn seed. It has three times as
much energy as ordinary seeds, and it’s faster to germinate and establish, even
at temperatures as low as 3C, while offering the benefits of improved colour,
better drought-tolerance and deeper rooting, which leads to a lower requirement
for watering and feeding.
Many
of Johnsons’ top-selling products, including Lawn Thickener Lawn Seed, Luxury
Lawn and Shady Place Lawn Seed, contain an innovation called Seedbooster ®. The two-in-one coating of fast and slow-release fertiliser, developed
for the professional turf market, offers consumers the benefit of fast
germination and establishment, with up to 30% more grass. Another key selling
point is that the coating is unpalatable to birds.
