With two of the market’s hottest grasses, one of the country’s prominent sod producers and ideal field conditions, the Cobalt® Hybrid Field Day at King Ranch Turfgrass in Immokalee delivered more than just presentations. It offered a hands-on look at the future of turfgrass.
The event on April 2, 2026 brought together growers, landscape professionals and industry leaders. Turfgrass breeders, Dr. Ambika Chandra and Dr. Agustin Boeri from Texas A&M University, Dr. Kevin Kenworthy from the University of Florida and leaders from King Ranch Turfgrass and Sod Solutions all spoke at the event, offering perspectives on research, production and performance.
“Sod Solutions has organized this field day to talk about two of the new varieties that have come out in the market recently: Cobalt Hybrid St. Augustinegrass from Texas A&M and CitraZoy® Zoysiagrass from the University of Florida,” shared Dr. Chandra, Cobalt breeder at Texas A&M.
Field days like this are designed to create direct interaction between researchers and the professionals using these grasses every day. Dr. Boeri, turfgrass extension specialist at Texas A&M, emphasized that the goal is to connect science with real-world application and provide insights for growers and landscape managers in attendance.
That connection between research and application remained a consistent theme throughout the day. Dr. Kenworthy, CitraZoy breeder at UF explained,” We’re translating the science to the end users and making it make sense for what they do, showing them the value of a new product that can do new things and help them grow their own businesses.”
The field day featured CitraZoy Zoysiagrass and Cobalt Hybrid St. Augustine. Here, the breeders behind these varieties, Dr. Kevin Kenworthy and Dr. Ambika Chandra, are pictured with Sod Solutions President, Tobey Wagner.
Water efficiency and input reduction were also central to the conversation. Cobalt Hybrid St. Augustine was developed with water conservation in mind, an increasingly important factor for professionals and homeowners across the country. Seeing the grass in the field allowed attendees to better understand its performance, management and role in evolving expectations.
“Hopefully, this increases utilization in the marketplace because these grasses have societal benefits, including water savings and fewer pesticides,” Kenworthy added. “That’s our goal in the long run.”
The opportunity to move from discussion to observation was a key part of the experience. Attendees toured the fields, watched harvesting in action and saw firsthand how these varieties are being grown and managed at scale. Events like this continue to reinforce the value of in-field learning, where research, production and application come together in a way that cannot be replicated in a presentation alone.
For those who attended, the experience delivered immediate, practical takeaways and an amazing BBQ lunch from Mission BBQ. For those who did not, stay tuned for future field day events. As Cobalt Hybrid St. Augustine and CitraZoy Zoysia continue to gain momentum, opportunities to see them in action and hear directly from the experts behind them will remain critical for professionals looking to stay ahead of new turfgrass technologies.
The event brought together growers and landscape professionals for a day of education and in field demonstrations at the farm.
