National Institute of Forest Science holds field briefing to promote warm-season zoysiagrass; new variety noted for management efficiency and landscape quality
A new zoysiagrass variety offering denser turf and easier maintenance has made its debut.
The National Institute of Forest Science under the Korea Forest Service announced Monday that it has completed plant variety protection registration for Sonogreen (No. 474), a new warm-season zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) variety.
Sonogreen was developed by crossbreeding native zoysiagrass specimens collected domestically. The variety features a short plant height of about 7 centimeters and a narrow leaf width of approximately 2 millimeters, with strong stolon growth and high turf density.
Those traits are expected to make Sonogreen well suited for a wide range of green spaces where uniformity and durability matter, including golf courses, sports fields and gardens. Its short plant height and strong ground coverage are expected to improve management efficiency and enhance landscape quality.
To expand the commercial distribution of Sonogreen and 13 other state-owned zoysiagrass varieties developed to date, the institute's Forest Biomaterials Research Center held a field briefing for industry stakeholders on Friday.
The briefing covered the key characteristics and potential applications of the state-owned varieties, as well as distribution strategies through ordinary licensing. Participants also exchanged views on broadening field adoption and laying the groundwork for wider private-sector uptake.
Bae Eun-ji, a researcher at the Forest Biomaterials Research Center, said the institute would actively pursue ordinary licensing to strengthen on-site distribution of state-owned zoysiagrass varieties suited for lifestyle, sports and landscape spaces.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
