Varietal innovation as a response to climate change

Climate change is no longer just a threat to the management of sports facilities, but is now becoming a catalyst for varietal innovation. Semillas Fitó, a historic Spanish seed company with over a century of experience, is leading this transformation, focusing decisively on mixtures and varieties that combine three fundamental requirements for sports facilities and urban areas: high resistance to high temperatures, rapid establishment, and drastically reduced water requirements.

The goal is clear: to provide solutions that maintain turf performance and durability standards while reducing environmental impact and operating costs, especially in the face of increasingly long and intense summers.

Genetic Innovation for Extreme Resilience

Fitó highlights how research is focused on varieties capable of coping with heat stress, increasing water scarcity, and unpredictable climate cycles, as well as greater disease tolerance.

Research into new varieties requires 15 years of hard work: starting with genetics and ending with seed production, testing in the Mediterranean area, and finally marketing.

By 2026, Fitó will launch the following products on the European market:

Savant II perennial ryegrass;

 Patriarch perennial ryegrass;

Trek tetraploid ryegrass;

L. multiflorum Tours.

Rapid Germination: Strategic and Operational Advantage

In addition to heat resilience, rapid germination is a critical factor, especially for sports facilities that require minimal downtime.

By exploiting their germination speed, varieties such as Process Perennial ryegrass, Greenland, Zurich, Festuca arundinacea Genius and Bizem, Poa pratense Prafin and Jersey are able to emerge and cover the ground very quickly.

This translates into a key operational advantage in:

• fall or spring overseeding: Allows significant coverage to be achieved in a short time;

• risk reduction: Reduces soil exposure to erosion and early trampling;

• reduced downtime: Allows sports facilities to be put into operation in less time.

Economic and Ecological Sustainability: Up to 30% Water Savings

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of Fitó's new varieties is their reduced water demand, a topic of fundamental importance in terms of sustainability and management cost savings.

Impact on the Sports and Urban Planning Sectors

For green professionals who manage playing fields, multi-purpose facilities, and public spaces, adopting these varieties translates into tangible benefits:

1. Lower Operating Costs: Reduced irrigation freq uency, resulting in lower water and energy consumption.

2. Improved Summer Performance: Greater resistance to heat without damage from thermal stress to the roots or loss of vigor, ensuring a functional and stable turf even in the most critical months.

3. Accelerated Recovery Times: Faster restoration of turf after damage from wear and tear or extreme weather events, optimizing the useful life of the facilities.

Semillas Fitó's genetic research is therefore shaping the future of turf: a surface that is not only aesthetically excellent and high-performing, but also sustainable, robust, and able to withstand heat without sacrificing life. For industry operators, these innovations are the key to addressing climate challenges with cutting-edge tools