We strive to provide the world with better grasses through the innovative research of Pure-Seed Testing genetics and seed technology; we have been doing this with integrity since 1974.  With more than 65,000 acres of seed production, we can deliver unrivaled products and customer satisfaction. Pure-Seed Testing is the largest privately held grass seed researcher in the world with:
Pure-Seed Testing
West
Located in the grass seed capital of the world
Canby, Oregon USA
PST - West
Crystal Rose-Fricker, President of PST & Pure Seed​, and Austin Fricker, Vice President of PST ​and the Production Manager at Pure Seed, direct the research at PST West. 
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PST West focuses on cool-season turfgrasses with improved resistance to diseases and ​abiotic stresses including salt, drought, and herbicides.
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Largest privately held turf shade trial in the world​
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Specialized focus on seed yield trials​
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Seeded seashore paspalum development
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TWCA drought trialing location
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CTBT trialing location
PST - East
Dr. Melodee Fraser​, Director of Research, PST East in Rolesville, NC.
PST East focuses on the development of disease-resistant and heat tolerant tall fescues,​ along with the development of seeded turf-type bermudagrass and zoysiagrass​. PST East also specializes in improving summer turf performance in Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, and creeping bentgrass. 
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Located in the Transition Zone for maximum disease pressure
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Specialized focus on seeded bermudagrass and zoysiagrass
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TWCA drought trialing location 
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CTBT trialing location
Pure-Seed Testing
East
Located in grass seed transition zone with high disease pressure
Rolesville, North Carolina USA
MEET THE TEAM
COMPANY MILESTONES
1974
PST Research Program Founded (Oregon)
1983
Hosted First Field Day
1991
PST East Program Founded (North Carolina)
2011
Co-Founded TWCA
2024
PST 50th Anniversary
MILESTONE VARIETIES
390 Varieties Developed Over Five Decades
17 Bentgrasses | 41 Fine Fescues | 18 Forages | 79 Kentucky Bluegrasses | 110 Ryegrasses
5 Poa trivialis | 98 Tall Fescues | 14 Seeded Bermudagrasses | 8 Seeded Seashore Paspalums
VARIETY TRAITS
Drought Tolerance
With water becoming an increasingly precious resource, TWCA® qualified turfgrass varieties offer a sustainable solution. They require up to 40% less water than conventional varieties, helping to conserve this vital resource without sacrificing a beautiful lawn.
Traffic Tolerance
PST utilizes a traffic simulator to assess the impact of traffic on different types of turfgrasses, simulating the wear and tear of a real game.
Disease Resistance
Our turfgrass varieties undergo rigorous screening under the most intense disease pressure imaginable.
Heat Tolerance
Plots at PST East are put to the test by North Carolina's scorching heat and relentless humidity. Only the most resilient varieties survive.  PST varieties thrive in tropical and subtropical climates.
Color
Our breeding program offers a spectrum of turfgrass colors, from rich, dark green to a stunning light blue. Find the perfect shade to complement your landscape vision.
Low Maintenance
By selecting varieties that thrive under low fertility conditions, we are essentially breeding for efficiency. These grasses require less fertilizer, which saves you money and reduces environmental impact from excess fertilizer runoff.
Sod Quality
Sod quality with built-in performance traits gives you unmatched results where you need it most.
Grazing
In our forage program, we ensure the highest standard for palatability is met for your animals: soft leaved, digestible, nutritional, and high in sugar.
Salt Tolerance
Our commitment to water conservation extends to brackish water irrigation. Through rigorous salt tolerance trials reaching 20,000 ppm NaCl (ocean levels average 35,000 ppm), we identify turfgrass varieties that persist in these conditions.
Quick Establishment
Fast establishment means a thriving lawn, sooner. PST has revolutionized Kentucky bluegrass through its QuickBlue lineage that establishes at a rate similar to perennial ryegrass.
Shade Tolerance
PST West features the world's largest privately owned trial dedicated to studying the effects of shade on turfgrass.
Cold Tolerance
For decades, we've conducted rigorous cold germination trials across multiple grass species. This translates to a powerful selection of seeds specifically chosen to thrive in cool weather conditions.
Recovery
PST stress-tests its varieties with intense traffic, drought, salt, and minimal inputs. We then analyze recovery data to ensure lasting performance.
Seed Yield
By focusing on varieties that produce high seed yields, we can get more seeds from a smaller area of land. This leads to more sustainable agriculture and longevity of the varieties and products we release to the market.
Overseeding
We meticulously screen for overseeding traits that ensure success: rapid establishment, quick recovery, seamless transition, and dark green color.
Cutting
All Pure Seed forage varieties are bred with flexibility in mind - for cutting or grazing, across a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions.
Do you want five decades of multi-site R&D packed into a product you can rely on?
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