TURFGRASS-SOD - A VIABLE FARM ENTERPRISE

Relatively low prices for many traditional agricultural products and t he resulting adverse impacts on income caused many farmers to search f or alternative uses for resources in the 1980s and early 1990s. This s tudy evaluates the competitive advantage of three warm-season grasses commonly grown in the South and the economic feasibility of including turf-grasssod as an enterprise on a representative farm. Production an d marketing practices evaluated are based on those common to turf and farming operations currently in production in south Alabama. Costs and returns estimates for turf were developed based on information from c urrent producers and input suppliers and reflect early and late season establishment and reestablishment for bermudagrass (Cynodon sp.), cen tipedegrass [Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack], and zoysiagrass (Zo ysia sp.). Two optimization models were used in the study: (i) a multi period linear programming model dealing with the optimal combination o f turf species for selected situations given specified resource constr aints and (ii) a mixed integer programming model dealing with crop-mix decisions on a representative southeastern cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr .] farm having 948 acres of available land. Both models isolate enterp rise combinations that maximize net returns for a 7-yr period given al ternative resource constraints. Bermudagrass was found to have a compe titive advantage over other turf species for a fairly wide price range around typical prices of $1, $1.22, and $1.85/sq yd for bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass, respectively. Turfgrass-sod was foun d to compete well with more traditional farm enterprises for farm reso urces. In fact, the price of bermudagrass could decrease to $0.50/sq y d and effectively compete with traditional farm enterprises.