It is not just a matter of savings or convenience. Even the ecosystem is at risk. Kikuyu from “traditional” seed can pose a threat to the environment, public parks, gardens and entire crops. This, too, is behind the turn of producers, commercial and private to hybrid Kikuyu species, such as Village Green®‘s: sustainable and non-contaminating. A synergy that makes for a more beautiful lawn with reduced environmental impact. The “how” and “why” lie behind the product specifications.

All the dangers of the hybrid vs. all the advantages of the original

• ZERO CONTAMINATION: The Village Green® lawn is STERILE, the traditional Kikuyu is not. For this reason, the latter carries with it a high danger of contamination of surrounding areas (gardens, public parks, crops, sports fields, etc.): as will be seen, the circumstance has been recognized by governments and wildlife organizations.
• WATER SAVINGS: Village Green® lawn has finer leaf and shorter internode spacing than common Kikuyu (180mm vs. 216mm ). This results in twice as many roots and a consequent 50% water savings (930mm of Village Green® roots versus 640mm of the others).
• GREEN LAWN ALWAYS WITHOUT WEEDING: Village Green® is a warm season grass with prolonged winter activity. This characteristic therefore allows it to remain green in winter without having to use herbicides.

Areas of interest: from the Mediterranean to the USA

The issue is also known abroad, throughout the countries bordering the Mediterranean and beyond. First and foremost, the issue arises for territories with a climate similar to Italy’s, where water scarcity is a dramatic reality. But, in general, for all those where the risk of using unsuitable varieties can put local ecosystems at risk of contamination. This is what has already happened in the United States (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii) where the use of Kikuyu from seed has been banned and the seed was placed on the federal Department of Agriculture’s list of noxious plants in March 2017, as well as the IUCN’s Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. It is no coincidence that the Village Green® species, after years of research and analysis, was the only variety to be approved and registered on European soil (EU license No. 39360).

Ciprio’s Case Study

Several market players have already carried out the conversion. This is, for example, the case of Costas Micheal, director of Turfland, a Cypriot turfgrass production company with its production center in Nicosia and a commercial presence throughout the island. The company has been in the business since ’86 and in 2016 began replacing traditional Kikuyu with Village Green® hybrids, replacing all 40,000 square meters it plants. “The conversion convinced us, we switched to a significantly improved species with countless advantages. By using Village Green® we were able to put other species into production without any risk of potential contamination,” Micheal explains. In the case of a fragile territory like Cyprus, he continues, “the benefits are even greater, since the Village Green® species lawn needs less water, remaining green all year round. This is also why it has become a reference product for the Cypriot market.” And not only for that, since even an excellent wine brand such as Donnafugata has relied on the variety in question at its “headquarters” in Contessa Entellina, and the use of Village Green® is also widespread on delicate coastlines such as those in Sardinia.

Better to choose purity

In conclusion, it is clear that there are numerous advantages of choosing Village Green® lawn at the expense of traditional seed kikuyu, which not only risks compromising the surrounding environment but also the production of those who grow lawns. The constantly rising temperatures and scarcity of water resources are also very important factors to consider when researching turfgrass. All these factors combined with aesthetic qualities make Village Green® lawn the winning choice in turf.

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