Barenbrug

In the event of long-term exposure, the chlorophyll content of a plant may decrease; fading of the leaves and brown dots appearing on the leaves are the visible consequences. When the chlorophyll content in a plant decreases, photosynthesis is stalled, resulting in loss of production.

In contrast to tropospheric ozone, where we prefer to keep concentrations as low as possible, the presence of stratospheric ozone is very important for all life on Earth. The ozone layer absorbs most of the harmful UV radiation; it is a protective shield around our Earth. Because the ozone layer is getting thinner, more and more harmful UV radiation reaches the earth.

The increase of UV-radiation is not only harmful for humans and animals but also for all plants. Plant cells are damaged by increased UV radiation and as a result, photosynthesis and plant growth are reduced. And more so, the actual chemical composition of a plant can change due to continuous UV radiation exposure. The concentration of certain chemical substances, such as phenols, will increase after long-term exposure to UV radiation; this chemical adaptation gives the plant increased protection against UV radiation.

For a number of years, there has been a trend on golf courses to protect the grass from harmful radiation with products based on both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. When grass is not shaded it is particularly vulnerable for exposure to UV radiation. This is specifically the case for sod producing companies where most of the grass is very exposed to UV-radiation.

Aqua Aid Europe has done its own research and has developed a new sun protection; SOLAR. This product is based solely on titanium dioxide and plant nutrients. After many tests, this combination proved to be very effective in protecting plants. Because no zinc oxide is used, this product is very future proof with regard to the future EU regulations.

Recent research has also shown that the use of zinc oxide in high concentrations or with regular use can cause damage to the plant.

Barenbrug news Resilient Blue® grass technology copes with weather extremes

Resilient Blue® wins Dutch Sport Accommodation Innovation Prize!

On 25 March, Resilient Blue® Grass Technology was declared winner of the 2021 Sports Accommodation Innovation Prize! The prize, which is presented annually, is a joint initiative by the Dutch Sport and Culture Technology Trade Association (BSNC), The Dutch Sport and Municipalities Association (Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten), the Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation, and the Sport Accommodation Trade Fair (Vakbeurs Sportaccommodaties).

Extreme drought and heat have clearly taken their toll on sod farms in recent summers. With a new grass technology, Barenbrug now has a solution for conditions like these. Resilient Blue® is the most tolerant and resilient cool season grass solution to heat and drought stress, keeping the turf green and dense for a long time, even in extreme weather situations.

Years of research

After years of research in all kind of conditions, Barenbrug launched Resilient Blue® last February during the first ‘Barenbrug Online Event’. Hardly 3 months later it turns out to be a direct hit: awarded with the Sport Accommodation Innovation Prize, the most wanted technology for sod producers and by that hardly any seed available anymore for the coming season.

Jan van den Boom, Sales Lead Turf of Barenbrug declares: “We knew Resilient Blue® would have a big potential, because it really offers a solution people were waiting for. So, besides all research we have done to create this unique technology, we already scaled up the production for the needed varieties a few years ago to have sufficient now. But we are kind of surprised by the huge demand directly after the introduction. Now we hope for a good harvest this summer.”

Sum of tolerance and recovery in extreme situations

The name Resilient Blue® stands for “resilient bluegrass”, referring to the American name of poa pratensis: Kentucky bluegrass. Olaf Bos, technical specialist turf at Barenbrug Holland and closely involved in the development of the newest innovation explains: “For us, resilience means the sum of tolerance in ánd recovery from extreme situations. That is what makes the Resilient Blue® grass technology so unique: the adaption to stress situations and the quick recovery afterwards. It’s a unique combination of some very special poa pratensis varieties with a special seed enhancement to give it the best start possible”. Barenbrug is initially targeting on the sod, golf and sport market. Mixtures with Resilient Blue® technology can be customised for turf growers. Besides that, there will be two standard grass seed mixtures for sport pitches and golf courses: Resilient Blue Sport and Resilient Blue Golf. Over the next year, specific mixtures with Resilient Blue® grass technology will also become available for public green space and private gardens.

Less stress and diseases with less water and fertiliser

The development of Resilient Blue® was a response to the changing climate. Recent summers show that beside South and East Europe, also Central and West Europe suffer more and more from drought and heat. Mixtures with Resilient Blue® technology require less input in the form of water and fertiliser, which means better resistance to weather extremes. According to Barenbrug, the mixtures have four characteristic advantages. Tests on several locations have shown that Resilient Blue® maintains much denser grass cover in dry summers than ordinary poa pratensis and even better than tall fescue swards. This difference is clearly visible in Chart 1.

Chart 1: The difference in coverage between normal smooth meadow grass and Resilient Blue® during 3 stress periods in one season with no irrigation: better stress tolerance and quicker recovery after stress.

Furthermore, the grass recovers visibly faster after a period of stress as can be seen in Chart 1 and 2. Besides that, Resilient Blue® can also withstand a high amount of traffic especially when there is also RPR® grass technology (regenerating perennial ryegrass) in the mixture, which is standard for golf and sport. The last unique characteristic of mixtures with Resilient Blue® grass technology is the greater tolerance to diseases associated with the chan-

Chart 2: The recovery of the Resilient Blue® plants that are damaged by extreme situations, recover significantly faster compared to standard Poa pratensis.

Picture 1. The technology has been subjected to many tests like in rain-out shelters with 6 weeks no irrigation (left: before, right: after 6 weeks) at all at very hot conditions (peaks over 35dgC).

No brainer for sod growers

The new poa pratensis grass technology is also specially developed for sod growers. Bos explains: “Poa pratensis is the most used fundament for good sods. With Resilient Blue, you don’t need to irrigate as much, which leaves you with more water or more time to plan a good distribution on your area. These water savings mean you have less pressure on your planning. Above all, Resilient Blue is also made of the top quality poa pratensis variety according to the NTEP listing. The average sod farm can benefit greatly from this.”

More information

You can find all information about the new Resilient Blue grass technology at: https://www.barenbrug.biz/resilient-blue

Barenbrug created a 30 second video that tells it all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON-2c1UEuxA

ICL news

Gray Leaf Spot disease in turf is increasingly being observed within our industry in recent years.

Significant outbreaks of this disease on perennial ryegrass and tall fescue were mainly confined to southern regions of Europe but are now finding their way as far north as the United Kingdom.

Gray Leaf Spot is more commonly seen in late summer and early autumn, and for stadium and golf turf managers its appearance can be devastating to the visual appearance and playing quality of the turf.

ICL Turfgrass selection - Nederlands

As a turf producer, you may question its impact on the growing of turf. The reality being that in an open field situation, the risk of seeing Gray Leaf Spot is greatly reduced. However, for many producers, turf will be used by sporting establishments. It therefore stands to reason, that the composition of the turf in terms of Gray Leaf Spot tolerant varieties will greatly assist end users in managing this disease.

As well as tolerant turf varieties, the correct nutrition and water management are of great importance. For this reason, ICL wishes to share an example of an integrated stadium programme incorporating its turf seeds, fertilizers and wetting agents to help manage the disease.

You can find details of the full range of products used in this programme by visiting https://icl-sf.com/global-en/explore/golf-courses-sportsfields-landscape/

To provide a more in-depth background to the disease, ICL is pleased to provide the following link https://thegma.org.uk/news/gray-leaf-spot-perennial-ryegrassto an excellent article produced by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), and its contributing authors, Sabine Braitmaier, Dr. Deborah Cox & Dr. Kate Entwistle.

Novogreen news

Arnaud Dugast, president of COVERGARDEN, SITOFLOR SAS, and Rafael Castro, CEO of NOVOGREEN CESPED NATURAL SA signed an agreement for selling Novogreen’s natural grass production by COVERGARDEN for French market in exclusive ling Novogreen’s natural grass production by COVERGARDEN for French market in exclusive

One of the best reasons of being member of ETP is the exchange of experiences and business development between the companies and producers involved in it.

For more than a decade, Novogreen has been climbing positions in the national and international market to become one of the leading natural grass producers in turfgrass business thanks to the quality of its production that includes, among others, the best C4 varieties such as bermudas Latitude36, Miniverde P-18, Sunday, Tifway 419, Celebration, Paspalum Isle2000 and zoysias Zeon, L1F (Trinity), Geo and Empire, all of them certified by ITGAP.

The French company Covergarden is leader in the commercialization of natural grass in France, with more than 40 years of experience, with a wide distribution network in its country and the development of Apps which allow the personalized assistance to its customers.

The alliance between these two veteran companies is an unprecedented milestone at European market. The quality of Novogreen’s production and its exclusive turfgrass varieties along with Covergarden’s experience and high knowledge of French market shall achieve a great improvement of C4 market in France.

Novogreen’s C4 certifies varieties can be visited in a showroom at Covergarden headquarters in Bordeaux which is probably the only one in France where people can see all different varieties available in roll.

Due to the excellent results offered by Novogreen’s certified C4 varieties and their advantages over others, such as their low irrigation needs and low maintenance, bermudas Latitude36, Miniverde P-18, Sunday, Tifway 419, Celebration, Paspalum Isle2000 and zoysias Zeon, L1F (Trinity), Geo and Empire are the most sustainable and eco-friendly options which will prevail in the market. One of the next projects in France is a Rugby pitch in Montpellier, 10.500 m² of Bermudagrass Latitude36 into 27 trucks from Novogreen’s farm in Tarragona, supplied by Covergarden in early June.

Covergarden and Novogreen will be present at the most important turfgrass events and markets in France such as Paysalia, Salon Vert, 48H Garzon Sport or Green Golf Convention, under Covergarden umbrella.

DLF news 4turf® – the star player in a glorious summer of European football

This is the summer of European football. It’s also the summer of 4turf®, a vital component of the mixtures used in most of the stadiums taking part in this year’s competition and a provider of the green colour that dominates TV screens.

400 million European football fans eager to see 4turf® score a colorful winner

This summer is all about football. For football fans across the continent it is a month of goals and drama set against the backdrop of green grass. When they switch on their TVs, fans expect to see Europe’s leading players perform at their best, and the grass beneath their feet to look stunning. Fans and players want perfect pitches: healthy and uniformly green. The greener, the better. Europe’s top groundsmen know this too. Until the referee blows the whistle on the final game, their minds will be focused on one thing only: how to deliver the perfect experience of supreme playability and color. They are well aware that the eyes of 400 million fans are on them, watching from their TVs, on their mobile phones and on large screens at countless sports bars across Europe. Although groundsmen are used to the challenge of growing healthy and uniformly green grass, the pressures are greater when an entire continent is watching. In Baku, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, London and elsewhere, groundsmen will have been preparing for months.

Most European games to be played on 4turf®

The way to get that perfect green color is to choose the right grass. Most of the European stadiums showing on TV screens this summer contain pitches that have been established or over-sown with mixtures containing 4turf® (turf tetraploid perennial ryegrass) varieties from DLF. There’s a good reason for this. On many of Europe’s official recommended lists, 4turf® varieties are among the top performers for disease-tolerance. The high disease-tolerance of 4turf® varieties and their ability to quickly outgrow some diseases are two of the reasons why they maintain such a desirably uniform green color. Our turf grass breeders have developed these perennial ryegrass varieties especially for sports pitches. Their characteristics – color, high disease-tolerance, stress-tolerance and fast establishment – make them ideal components of mixtures destined for Europe’s top pitches. 4turf® varieties are fundamental to achieving the look that TV viewers expect.

Brilliant green color for an entire continent

At DLF, we test our varieties at many locations across Europe. As a result, 4turf® exhibits a wide range of geographical adaptability, and scores high for color at all sites and on all official lists. 4turf® varieties perform well across the continent from Baku in the east, to London in the west, to Copenhagen in the north and to Budapest in the south. Everywhere where grass color is a priority.

Better brown patch tolerance

4turf® performs especially well against brown patch, a disease that would reduce the visual appeal of a top-level stadium. New results from a brown patch tolerance screening involving diploid and tetraploid perennial ryegrass varieties inoculated with a European fungal strain, show that tetraploids are significantly more tolerant to brown patch than diploids. The screening took place at Maribohilleshög, in a state-of-the-art laboratory and was performed by Louise Holmquist, Ph.D. and plant pathologist with years of experience in performing inoculation tests with Rhizoctonia. Their results confirm that tetraploid varieties are in general highly disease-tolerant.

Sod production field. Right; sod mixture with 4turf®. Left; traditional mixture without 4turf®.

Sod production for top events

Sod has been used at several stadiums as a starting point to get the pitch ready for the European Championships. Some producers are specialized in sod for top-end stadiums with special design and construction techniques according to the customers need. Sod with pure diploid perennial ryegrass is demanded by some users, whereas others find it extremely important that the sod contains smooth stalked meadow grass. It is becoming more common to include DLF 4turf® varieties in the sod. 4turf® is the stress tolerant, fast establishing and indispensable component for quick repairs and season-long playability. However for everyone with a stake in the greenness of a pitch – footballers, football fans, TV crews and groundsmen – 4turf® can provide a safeguard for maintaining the visual expression of the pitch for the European Championships or elsewhere, where “keeping up appearances” is key.

Vanmac news

About Vanmac

Vanmac B.V. has been involved in the ETP since its establishment (2014). And although Vanmac celebrated its 12.5th anniversary this year, the organization has been active in the world of turf growers for much longer. How? Through the activities with its own brand of turf equipment TRILO®. A brief description of company and brand.

The TRILO® brand name was first used in the 1970s. The Van Loen family started the professional production and sale of vacuum sweepers which they had developed in the sixties. TRILO was chosen as the brand name (Trio Van Loen, after the three Van Loen brothers involved).

The son of one of these brothers, Leo van Loen Jr, founded the company Vanmac BV in 2008 together with Peter van Mispelaar (current Board Member ETP). In addition to selling products of the own brand TRILO, Vanmac is currently active in many other ways:

1. Sales, import and export of various leading brands (including TRILO) machines for maintenance and harvesting on turf farms.

As a result of the extensive knowledge gained within Vanmac about the turf industry, we can now count many international turf growers among our customers. As mentioned, our product range includes not only our own brand TRILO, but also many other top brands, like Brouwer Kesmac, Trebro, Pro-

gressive, Magnum and Rota Dairon.

2. In our own modern factory, we produce our TRILO® machines for turf maintenance. But we also produce machines for a broader market segment, namely for maintaining rural and urban infrastructures. (production Amersfoort NL)

Over the years, this production has expanded enormously. Because we sell machines to 46 countries worldwide, a second production location (Vietnam) was set up. In addition, both the production process and the production environment have been professionalized enormously.

We dispose of an ICT enabled production planning and control. The factory has its own blasting and spraying equipment, and next to our professional welding team, we dispose of a welding robot ensuring efficiency and accuracy on the TRILO production line. Because we highly support a sustainable environment, our production plant is mainly self-sufficient in terms of energy supply through the installation of 1282 solar panels.

3. Research and Development of machines for maintenance of rural and urban infrastructures.

Especially for our own TRILO brand, we dispose of a very capable Research & Development team. Based on the needs and demands of our customers, we are constantly developing and improving our products and related accessories. The team is also researching the possibilities for sales to new target groups and markets

MISSION: Contribute in a fair and sustainable way to a clean, safe and healthy world for everyone. VISION: By making optimal use of data, we provide our customers with valuable and sustainable assets for the maintenance of landscape and infrastructure in a smart and simple way. GOAL: Innovating, creating and selling advanced technology for harvesting, grounds & greenkeeping and litter collecting.

REBRANDING OF UK BRANCH: from TRILO UK to Vanmac Ltd

More commonly known in recent years as TRILO in the UK, the company recently made the transition to branding itself as Vanmac Ltd in order to represent their full portfolio of products.

Vanmac Ltd is the UK distributor for turf care products from leading manufacturers from around the world. The company represents the full range of product lines from Brouwer, Kesmac, Magnum and Ecoclipper and of course also our own brand TRILO. Only recently they became the full line distributor for the Progressive Turf Equipment range of trailed, multi-deck rotary mowers for the professional grounds and sports turf market.

The company has two full time representatives on the road covering the UK and ready to handle any enquiries from their customers. James Boyle and Jeremy Vincent both have extensive experience in the grounds care and turf producer machinery sectors so they can handle any query efficiently and promptly. Whether it is sales, service or parts, the customer is put first to ensure Vanmac is the number one supplier to the turf industry.

The total range of clients include:

- Turf producers - Local authorities - Contractors - Cemeteries - Camping & recreation - Sport facilities - Horse racing

As a matter of course, they can also be contacted for spare parts and/or service to the machines from the delivery range. Learn more on www.vanmac.co.uk

- Stud farms - Golf courses - Event organizers - Polo - Roadside maintenance - Airports - MOD sites and much more...

In many European countries the legislation is already effective for several years. However, in Holland the approval for agricultural vehicles is only valid as from January 1st 2021. Vanmac BV is happy and proud to be able to say that, as one of the first companies in Holland in the branche, our S3 and S4 machines have already received this type approval by the RDW (Dutch Vehicle Authority).

As of the date mentioned, agricultural and construction vehicles in Holland must be registered with the RDW, if you drive them on public roads and they can exceed 6 km/h. This obligation to register applies to the following vehicles driving on public roads:

• Tractors for agriculture and forestry • Motorized vehicles with limited speed (MMBS) • Towed machinery

First thing we achieved in this traject was the Certificate of Conformity. For Vanmac, it is important to have this certificate. The document only needs to be supplied once for a specific vehicle. Another big advantage: if the vehicle is sold in other European countries (which we do), it just needs to be registered on the basis of the digital CoC in one of the member countries. So for us, as a manufacturer, we only need to obtain this certificate once.

Over the past few years, we worked hard to make sure our products comply with the guidelines. Also, we invested a lot in training our employees and setting up appropriate departments to ensure the right procedures are followed and the good quality of our machines is maintained. For our S3 and S4 we made some product customizations, in order to have lighting, tires and brakes comply with the required quality. For many other products, the steps for obtaining the type approval are being taken at this very moment. Our efforts pay off! To be continued soon…

CE-marking

For our trading machines (Brouwer Kesmac, Progressive, Magnum, Trebro) that are partly made outside Europe, Vanmac is responsible for the CE-marking when selling the machines in Europe. So, although we are not the actual manufacturer, Vanmac can confirm the machines’ conformity with the European health, safety and environmental protection standards. We made some product changes in order to ensure that the machines actually deserve this CE marking. And as a matter of course, the machines of our own TRILO brand, have always complied with the CE standards.

ISO 9001:2015 – THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OUR ORGANIZATION

Vanmac B.V. recently achieved the ISO9001:2015 accreditation. A milestone for our Quality Management System on the basis of which we develop and produce TRILO machines within our organization. And another great step in our continuous pursuit of further professionalization. We are proud of the loyalty and commitment of our employees who made this possible!

FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OUR CLIENTS: ONLINE PRODUCT CONFIGURATOR

Vanmac BV sells its TRILO machines throughout the world. And with so many customers, there are also so many different wishes, needs and local circumstances that have to be taken into account. Therefore, we designed the online product configurator. From our entire TRILO range of machines, our customers can assemble and order our machines all over the world. One can tailor and configure a specific machine exactly to the individual wishes and needs.

How does it work?

Select the desired product on our website and start the configuration. The system will guide you through the various options. You can design the product according to your own needs. Is it for the European market? For the American market? For another market? Where applicable, you can select a country/region to assemble the vehicle according to the local legislation.

Select other options according to your needs. In the end, you will have a tailormade design. It is even possible to supply the machine in the colors of your own company identity. Once you have filled in all your wishes, you receive the quotation online. Offer approved? Then if you wish, you can immediately order online. It is possible to choose from a number of pre-planned production slots. All set? Then an order overview follows and a shipping method can be selected.

1. You will automatically receive an order confirmation. 2. The file is scheduled. 3. Order recommendations are created. 4. Purchase orders are sent. 5. Order is ready for production. 6. Soon, your new TRILO machine will be at your disposal!

And did you know that, as a matter of course, all our machines come with a user manual in the language of the specific country?

Sustainable organization

Our products have a focus on ‘green’. And also our entire organization has a focus on being green and acting in a sustainable way. Protecting our environment is becoming an increasingly important issue in our society and also for Vanmac B.V. There are many different ways to contribute. Solar panels are the right choice to make our company more sustainable. Solar panels produce clean energy. No harmful substances are released during the process and CO2 emissions are 10 to 30 times lower compared to coal or gas emissions. With just one solar panel, we can already save about 100 kg of CO2 per year. The roof of our office and factory counts no less than 1282 panels with an estimated annual energy yield of 376.000 kWh. That is a reduction of than 128 tons of CO2 per year. In this way, Vanmac wants to contribute to a safe and clean world in a fair and sustainable way.

Limiting waste

Apart from the solar panels, we do more. Throughout the organization, we separate our waste. And when we sell our machines, we regularly trade in used machines. These used machines are not destroyed. Where possible, we overhaul the machines to give them a second life. In this way, we contribute to limiting the waste flow. After all, every little bit helps.

Brouwer 4000

TRILO S4 turf industry

Harmelen, NL - Turf growers worldwide face many challenges every day to reach optimal results under any circumstance. To have time to meet those challenges, they need to rely on machines that produce whenever they want to, are easy to maintain and user-friendly. Van Vuuren has been the leading supplier of machinery for the turf industry since 1988. We understand the challenges of our customers as our customer has been our focus from day one. We consider our customers our partners. Van Vuuren works for you!

Growth

Van Vuuren is growing with the developing market of turf growers worldwide. Since the beginning of this year we have strengthened our force with Robert Kroon. He has joined the management team to work on product & service development. Both new and experienced field service technicians are standby to quickly react to customer needs. Robert Kroon, General Manager of Van Vuuren: “Now we can improve the service and products for our customers on daily basis. Van Vuuren works for you, we want to put our customers first. Through serving them reliable and durable sod harvesters, we make the lives of turf growers easier.”

Satisfied customers

To improve their productivity and ergonomics, multiple customers in different countries have experienced quick turnarounds last period whilst switching to a new TurfTick 1016 sod harvester. Other customers have switched to the universal auto stacker with automatic stacking and pallet injection. Long term customers, like Wilfred Pinxsteren, have made the move to fully automated harvesting with the easy to use and robust TurfTick 2316 Universal Stacker. Wilfred: ‘’I enjoy day by day the robustness of the machine

for 26 years long, the automated stacking by the Universal Stacker makes life even more easy’’.

Speeding up harvesting

Van Vuuren works together with turf growers to get the best results for harvesting sod and make working easier. Improvement projects to increase the speed of our machines are ongoing with several customers and partners. Further developments are in process to improve the lives of our customers on daily basis.

Works for you

We deliver our sod harvesters and services worldwide. From small to large turf growers, from small projects to large projects, Van Vuuren works for you. We are proud to keep you posted on our brand-new website. Read more about our sod harvesters and the experiences of turf growers with our machines on www.vuuren.com and join us on Facebook.

Europea Turfgrass Producers

Founded: 24/11/2014 in Pisa ITALY Legal address: Via dell’Ambrogiana, 5 – 57127 Livorno – ITALY Fiscal code: (IT) 92123490499 Email: info@turfgrassproducers.eu WWW: www.turfgrassproducers.eu

ETP President – CEO Rasenland, Germany

Albrecht Knigge grew up on an arable estate near Hanover, Germany. After graduating at Seale Hayne, University of Plymouth in England he joined his fathers newly started turf enterprise in 1996. Since then Albrecht has developed the business and taken the position of Owner/Director and set up further turf farms under the Brand name of “Rasenland”. He was a founding member and the first President of the German Turfgrass Association. He is married to Caroline, they have three children and in his free time he enjoys microlighting.

Stamatis Chatzidavid

ETP Board member

Born in Kos island-Greece in 1977. After his degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Perugia (Italy), he turned back in his homeland starting his experience with the turf world. In 2007 he began his own sod production. His farm production is focused in warm season grasses.

Christiaan Arends

Board Member – Head of Sales and Marketing at Barenbrug

He is active in the turf industry since 2000. He has worked in both USA and Europe for Barenbrug.

Per Fimmerstad

Board Member – Owner and manager of Malaturf farms in Sweden Michele Bindi

ETP Board Member – Owner and Director of Bindi farms in Italy

Maria Cremades

Board Member - Owner and Director of Tapiz Verde farms in Spain.

Peter van Mispelaar

Board Member – Owner and sales Director at Vanmac

As a mechanical engineer graduated from the University of Amersfoort. And first class mechanic in agricultural machinery graduated on the University of Houten. I have skills and knowledge essential in grass management. Born on a dairy farm, with 25 year experience in grass machinery engineering, grass management on dairy farms, turf farms and airports.

Stephen Payne

Board Member

Grew up and started working on the family turf farm Paynes Turf in 1998 and became a partner in the family business in 2004, along with my late father and brother. Having a great passion for turf production and always interested in new ideas and taking the company forward. My other passion is flying and when I can I like to fly to

Rafael Castro

Board Member – CEO Novogreen Turf – Spain

Graduate in Economics and Business Administration, he started his professional career as auditor. In 1988 he took over the Financial Direction of Valderrama Golf Club. Today, Rafael is the CEO of Novogreen and one of the major shareholders of the Company, founded in 2005, and the leading turfgrass producer in Spain.

© European Turfgrass Producers Association 2021

Edited by ETP Office PhD, info@turfgrassproducers.eu

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