Roadside Turf Management

[New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station]

Projects

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) mows 33,000 acres of roadside turfgrass every 30 days. This equates to approximately 200,000 acres of seasonal mowing. Roadside turf management is critical to safety, appearance and preserving road surfaces.

In 2003, NJDOT issued a request for research on broadleaf weed control and improved turf varieties for roadside turf. Although the funding for the research was eliminated, Snyder Farm with its' 10 years of expertise in low maintenance turf management, initiated the project with its own equipment and supplies. In 2004 Snyder Farm reevaluated integrated mowing and pest management treatments along Route 206 in Bordentown, NJ. As a result, two mowings were eliminated and the attractiveness of the turfgrass was improved.

What are the impacts of implementing these protocols? According to NJDOT mowing costs approximately $35 per acre. Estimates indicate annual savings of approximately $3 to 4 million per year on a statewide basis when weed management costs are included.