Grass seed royalties reach million-dollar mark

A grass seed developed in the 1980s at New Mexico State University shows the kind of success possible when university researchers work closely with commercial businesses.

“This sets a model for the larger university,” NMSU President Michael Martin said during a ceremony last fall that recognized the million-dollar point in royalties the university has received over the years from the retail sales of a Bermuda grass variety developed at NMSU. The unique, warmseason grass – NuMex Sahara – was bred in 1987 by Arden A. Baltensperger, now emeritus professor of agronomy in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics’ Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is take the intellectual property coming out of NMSU, make it commercially viable, turn it over to the private sector, generate revenues which allow the programs to continue on and to sustain our commitment to excellence, and this is the perfect example of how that works,” Martin said.

Michael P. Kenna, director of Green Section research for the U.S. Golf Association, said USGA gave Baltensperger’s program $90,000 in the late 1980s and has since received much more in return for its investment through its share of royalties, as well as the benefits the unique grass seed has brought to many golf courses.

Kenna called Baltensperger’s project “the Google or the Microsoft of the seed business” that set the stage for warm-season grass breeding. The project also helped meet one of USGA’s early goals: to come up with a new variety of grass that would be suitable for golf courses, but use less water.

Another variety, Princess 77 – also developed by Baltensperger – is being used on the NMSU football field and was used on the fields for several NFL Super Bowls.