As temperatures rise, scientists are on a quest to create drought-resistant fairways
A small team of dedicated scientists is on a quest to engineer a “super lawn”—an elusive blade of grass that is drought-proof and pest-resistant, but still a beautiful shade of green. In this age of climate change, dwindling water supplies and no-sprinkler bylaws, the status quo just won’t do. It could take years, maybe decades, but the researchers believe they are in the early stages of what will become the front lawns (and golf courses) of the future. “My colleagues say I’m crazy,” says plant geneticist Jason Goldman of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who has already invested five years in his efforts to create a super lawn in Woodward, Oklahoma. “But it doesn’t hurt to dream.”