WCTA Supports Turf Managers by Investing In 2026 Research Projects
The WCTA Board is pleased to announce our association's support of important and valuable turf research in 2026!
The first thing to know about turf research project funding is that it's always a year behind, ie. money raised in 2025 goes toward 2026 projects. Many seasons ago, it was all done in the same year but not knowing the total available funding when decisions needed to be made, typically around conference time, was a very uncertain proposition.
So, for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, our annual Silent Auction raised $3,456 - thanks to all contributors and bid winners for your support! Adding in 10% of member dues, 30% of net revenue from the year prior and subtracting expenses, a grand total of $14,415 is available for turf research project funding in 2026!
As recommended by the Research Committee, the Board has approved approximately $14,000 in project funding for 2026. In the event that total approved funding is higher than what was raised in the previous year, the difference is made up from reserves.
Current priorities for WCTA turfgrass research funding are as follows:
• Nutrient and fertility management, best management practices
• Soil and root-zone management, best management practices
• Evaluation of alternatives to pesticides
• Irrigation and water use issues (water quality and reducing water usage)
• Investigations into the biology, ecology and management of current and emerging pests
• Alternative cultivar and species for new turf construction, integration and conversion into existing turf areas
• Species/cultivar evaluation and improved management practices for areas of heavy traffic and wear tolerance
_____________________________________________________________
Project Title: Alberta Turfgrass Research Foundation Cooperative Funding
The ATRF collects research monies from multiple sources for projects taking place at the Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre at Olds College in Olds, Alberta. In the past, WCTA would consider PTRC project funding on a case-by-case basis - 2024 marked the first time for collaborative funding and this approach continues again in 2026.
PROJECT LENGTH: multiple projects / varies
WCTA COMMITMENT: $5,000
See https://www.oldscollege.ca/smart-farm-research/areas-of-focus/faculty-led/alberta-turfgrass-research-foundation.html for list of current research projects.
_____________________________________________________________
Project Title: Northwest Turfgrass Association Cooperative Funding
Similar to the PTRC, the NTA solicits funds from a variety of groups and individual golf courses to support turf research projects and scholarships. For the first time, the WCTA is contributing to the NTA's research efforts, pushing their 2026 combined total to more than $90,000! This surpasses any single year amount the NTA has donated in the past 15 years and they are setting sights on being able to consistently award more than $100,000 in grants and scholarships every year.
PROJECT LENGTH: multiple projects /varies
WCTA COMMITMENT: $9,000
NTA CLIMBS TOWARD $90,000 IN GRANTS
_____________________________________________________________
Thank you to all those who have contributed to our turf research program!