2020 Turf Seed Guide Gilba Solutions

PROFESSIONAL TURF SEED RANGE

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SEED FORCE TURF SEED GUIDE Seed Force Is a relatively new player in the turf marketplace but have been active behind the scenes for over 20 years. With our relocation to a new site complete with a state of the art coating facility and increased storage capacity we have produced this guide to describe what we as a company do and what we can bring to the Australian Turf Manager.

We possess an extensive portfolio of quality ryegrass, creeping bent grass, couch seed, creeping red fescue and Tall fescue and although many of our brands may not be known to you they consistently have proven themselves in independent trials whether in the UK, Europe of the USA. For example many of our varieties have been amongst the top performing in the

most recent NTEP Trials in the US, and many iconic venues such as ANZ Stadium and Bankwest Stadium use our varieties. Hopefully this guide will help explain the science behind our varieties.

This guide is set out to be as interactive as possible. Logos, graphs and tables can be clicked to take you to relevant information. For example Clicking on the Seed Force or MVS logos below will take you to two video presentations. In this day and age information is only a click away and so only telling part of the story does a disservice to you, our potential and existing customers.

To the best of our ability we have attempted to give as much information as possible rather than simply making unsubstantiated claims. All the trial data with this guide is independently collated as best we can determine.

CONTACTS

CUSTOMER SERVICE & LOGISTICS SHEPPARTON OFFICE & WAREHOUSE 13 Future Court Shepparton, VIC 3630 Australia Office: 03 5832 3800 Fax: 03 5821 8999 Email: office@seedforce.com

website: www.seedforce.com.au

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FIGURE 1.1 Percent couch cover following overseeding vs Ryegrass cover and quality 70

56

42

28

14

Apple SGL

Premier 3

BonnvilleGrand Slam GLD Playoff 2

Rio Vista

Sox Fan

Percent couch cover in Autumn after seeding Ryegrass Quality in Autumn

INTRODUCTION

SR 4650

Fiesta 4

Stellar 3GL

Percent cover ryegrass

Seed Force are an Australian seed wholesaler, screening and supplying premium cultivars across Australasia. Our business has historically been to help grow farmers’ productivity and profitability – choosing the right seed is just the beginning. This expertise we are now bringing to Turf Managers throughout Australia.

Seed Force was established in 2006. The founding Seed Force team was small, tough, with years of real-world farm experience and insider seed industry connections. To make sure a new Australian company could be at the forefront of plant breeding and technology, we joined forces with one of Europe’s most respected seed businesses – RAGT. Global science. Proven local performance.

RAGT run 17 research centres throughout Europe, 300,000 experimental plots worldwide, 40 breeding programmes across 26 species, and have 760+ employees, all working to increase yields, robustness and quality.

It takes years of development to create a new cultivar, but by investing the time, effort and resources required helps ensure confidence in a variety once it’s commercialised.

Our Australian operations are based in Shepparton, Victoria. Click on this link if you wish to email us.

With all the varieties discussed in this guide we have attempted to give the entire picture. If we have seen an opportunity to meet a need we have gone and sourced a variety that best meets that specific requirement. Our marketplace is

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constantly changing and so we attempt to be as flexible as possible to meet its constantly changing needs.

An excellent example of this is the addition of Playoff 2 to our portfolio. This is highly salt tolerant and so ideal for use if effluent eater is being used. In the most recent NTEP trials from 2011-2014 Playoff 2 exhibited significantly higher coverage than Premier 3, Sox Fan or SR4600ST.

Quality The quality of our seed is unrivalled. So we aim to supply better quality seed than our competitors with more live seed and less weed.

Our business is seed and so compromising on quality is not an option.

Our product portfolio is unique and with the introduction of the new SF Blends such as GS60 based on the UK’s number one selling MM60 blend we are showing that we mean business.

Through this Guide you will see some brands are referenced to Lateral Spread Technology.

One of our key partners Mountain View Seeds, collaborating with both public and private breeders, has culled through thousands of individual collections, selecting for these expressions, and combining the most promising plants under cycles of recurrent selection, to create cultivars that, in addition to excellent appearance and disease resistance, show increased tendency to ‘fill-in’ newly seeded areas as well as areas thinned by wear and environmental conditions.

This means we are able to offer the Australian market an alternative to RTF and RPR with similar spreading characteristics and marketed under the brands Spyder LS and Torsion LS respectively.

Click on the logo below to go to the Development white paper relating to this.

All the varieties we market have are trial proven and based on the best possible genetics. We don’t supply 30 plus year old varieties. Our team of authorised distributors have been selected for their expertise in sportsturf grass and are well placed to provide technical information and advice.

Labelling The Seed Label. In addition to identifying the species and variety, a label contains valuable information regarding the quality of the seed.

The label of turfgrass seed sold, distributed, transported and offered for sale must contain the following information: a) Name of the kind and variety for each turfgrass seed present in excess of 5% of the whole and the % by weight of each in the order of its predominance; b) Lot number or other lot identification; c) Net weight; d) Origin; e) Percentage by weight of inert matter; f) Other crop seeds (e.g., percentage by weight of varieties other than those listed on the label); g) Percentage by weight of all weed seeds; h) Germination percentage (exclusive of the germination of hard seed), percentage of hard seed, and the calendar month and year of the test for each named turfgrass seed; I) Name and number per kilogram of each kind of restricted, noxious weed seed; and j) Name and address of the company or person labelling, selling or offering the seed for sale.

Seed may also be guaranteed true-to-type, or certified, from a genetic standpoint. Bluetag certified seed has been tested according to procedures established by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) and has met stringent certification standards for genetic purity and identity.

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Pure Live Seed. The retail price of seed is influenced by turfgrass species and variety, germination and purity. A calculation to determine the percentage of pure live seed (PLS), where PLS (%) = [seed purity (%) x seed germination (%)] ÷ 100,

FIGURE 1.2 Cool season turf characteristics Cool Season Turfgrasses

Latin

Seeds/g

Minimum Shoot Minumum Germination Germination Density/ Purity % % 100 cm2

Kg/ 100m2

Cutting Height

Bentgrass

creeping

A. palustris

12000

95

85

2 weeks

400-600

0.5-1

Normal: 3-12mm; Not over 15mm

(Agrostis sp.)

colonial

A. capillaris

10000

95

85

2-3 weeks

400-600

0.5-1

Normal: 4-12mm;

Bluegrass

Kentucky

P. pratensis

3000

90

75

3-4 weeks

200-350

2

Normal: 20-35mm; Not less than 8mm.

(Poa sp.)

rough

P. trivialis

4000

90

80

3-4 weeks

5-7

Normal:12-50mm; when oversewing greens can tolerate 5mm

Fescue

Chewings

F. rubra var. falax

1000

95

80

About 2 weeks

450-800

3

Normal: 20-35mm; not lower than 5mm

(Festuca sp.)

hard

F. brevipila

950

2 - 3 weeks

800-1000

2-3

Normal: 37-100mm

slender

F. rubra var. litoralis

1000

95

80

About 2 weeks

450-800

2-3

Normal: 20-35mm; Not less than 5mm

strong creeping

F. rubra var. rubra

800

95

80

About 2 weeks

250-450

3

Normal: 20-35mm; Not less than 12mm

Sheeps

F. sheep var. glauca

950

95

80

2 - 3 weeks

800-1000

2-3

Normal:37-75mm

tall, turf type

F. arundinacea

650

95

85

2 - 3 weeks

200

5

Normal: 30-40mm; Not less than 10mm

perennial

L. perennial

600

95

90

3 days - 2 weeks

200-350

3-4

Normal: 28-40mm not less than 4mm

Annual

L. multiflorum

600

95

90

2-7 days

175-225

3-5

Normal 28-40mm

Ryegrass

FIGURE 1.3 Cool season turf characteristics Disease Tolerance

Growth Habit

Establi shment Rate

Nitrogen Use

ET Rate

Drought Tolerance

Salinity Tolerance

Compet itiveness

creeping

mod to good

stolons

mod fast

low - mod

high

poor good

high

high

mod - poor

excellent

colonial

good to excellent

Tufted

mod fast

low

low

good

mod

mod

mod

poor

velvet

good to excellent

stolons

mod fast

very low

low

good

mod

high

good

poor

Bluegrass

Kentucky

mod to good

rhizomes

slow

mod -high

mod high

good

mod

mod

Fescue

chewings

good to excellent

Tufted

mod

mod -low

low

good excellent

low

high

excellent

poor - mod

hard

good to excellent

Tufted

slow mod

low -very low

low

excellent

low - mod

mod

excellent

poor - mod

slender creeping

good to excellent

rhizomes

mod

low - mod

low

good

low

mod

excellent

poor - mod

strong creeping

good to excellent

rhizomes

mod

low - mod

low

good

low

mod

excellent

poor - mod

blue

good to excellent

Tufted

slow to mod

very low

low

excellent

low - mod

mod

excellent

poor - mod

tall, turftype

moderate to good

Tufted

mod

mod -high

high

excellent

high

mod

excellent

poor excellent

perennial

moderate to poor

Tufted

very fast

mod -high

mod high

good

mod - part

high

poor - mod

poor excellent

Cool Season Turfgrasses

Bentgrass

Ryegrass

Shade Heat Tolerance Tolerance

poor -good poor - mod

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FIGURE 1.4 Warm season turf characteristics Warm Season Turfgrasses

Latin

Seeds/g

Germination days

Minimum purity Minimum % Germination %

Couchgrass

Cynodon dactylon

2,000

5-10

95

Kikuyu

Pennisetum clandestinum

515

7-10

Zoysia

Zoysia japonica

1410

14-35

Kg/100m2

Mowing Height

80

1.0

Normal 10-30mm

98

85

0.5-1.5

5-30mm

90

70

0.5-1.5

10-30mm

FIGURE 1.5 Warm season turf characteristics Warm Season Turfgrasses

Growth Habit

Establishment Rate

Nitrogen Use

Drought Tolerance

Couch

Rhizomes, stolons

Average

High

Very High

Excellent

Mod-High

Lowmod

Excellent

Kikuyu

Rhizomes and stolons

Fast

Low

Very High

Excellent

High

Mod

Good Excellent

Zoysia

Rhizomes and stolons

Slow

Very Low

Excellent

Excellent

Low

High

Excellent

Salinity Shade Heat Competitiveness Tolerance Tolerance Tolerance.

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PERENNIAL RYEGRASS With no independent Australian trialling of ryegrass since the 2009 ANTEP trials, to say the data generated then is still valid is stretching it to say the least. The same state of affairs exists since the last set of NZ varietal tests in 2005-2007.

Instead there are currently two independent series of ryegrass trials carried out. Annually at the STRI in the UK at one solitary site and the more detailed NTEP trials in the USA, carried out at up to 20 sites covering a wide range of climates and soil types. The most recent of these was in 2011-2014.

There are some companies who claim to carry out their own ‘independent’ trials but the validity of these has to be questionable at best. Bearing this in mind the following discusses the Seed Force ryegrass portfolio and the reasoning behind why we support these varieties into the Australian marketplace. We firmly believe independent data is our best marketing tool rather than simply relying on heresay.

Seed Force deal with a number of suppliers but have strong and longterm associations with many seed companies including Mountain View Seeds one of the worlds largest seed production companies.

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Seed Force realise that certain traits are more important than others to Turf Managers. Colour, overseeding success, impact on couchgrass and wear tolerance are just four key criteria we look at when introducing new varieties into the Australian turf market.

Two major issues with overseeding couchgrass are firstly the impact of ryegrass on the underling couchgrass whether through shade, offering poor protection to the underyling couch or allelopathy and secondly the quality of the oversown ryegrass itself. We see little point in overseeding with a ryegrass that is susceptible to brown patch!

FIGURE 2.1 Table below showing commonly retailed perennial ryegrass varieties marketed in Australia, that were all entered in the most Recent US NTEP Trials from 2011-2014 Variety

Grower

Percentage in top 25%

Mean quality

Apple SGL

Seedforce/ Mountain View

57.1

5.7

Premier III

Heritage/Nuturf/ Barenbrug

7.1

5.3

Bonneville

Advance Seeds

14.3

5.5

Grand Slam GLD

Seedforce/ Mountain View

85.7

6.0

Playoff 2

Seedforce/ Lesco

7.1

5.3

Rio Vista

Advance Seeds

42.9

5.8

Sox Fan

Advance Seeds

21.4

5.5

SR 4650

Advance Seeds

64.3

5.9

Fiesta 4

PGG

28.6

5.6

Stellar 3GL

Seedforce/ Mountain View

50

5.8

Mean quality is an average of all quality ratings from all locations.

Percentage in top 25% is the percentage of locations where that entry finished in the top 25% of all entries.

FIGURE 2.2 Genetic colour variations of common varieties ( LSD of 0.4) Variety

Genetic Colour

Apple SGL

6.1

Premier III

5.8

Bonneville

6.2

Grand Slam GLD

6.5

Playoff 2

6.2

Rio Vista

6.5

Sox Fan

6.4

SR 4650

6.5

Fiesta 4

6.9

Stellar 3GL

6.4

Genetic colour ratings 1-9 where 9 = dark green.

With huge leaps in breeding technology since the 1980’s and also the introduction of many chemicals specifically developed to remove ryegrass in these specific situations the need to use older, poor wearing and disease susceptible varieties is no longer necessary. See Figure 1.1 The ability of a variety to withstand wear is one the key reasons as to why many Turf Managers oversow. Basically, if a variety can’t take wear its probably best to s

FIGURE 2.3 Mean percent cover after wear (LSD = 3.6) Variety

Mean percent cover after wear

Apple SGL

93.2

Premier III

86.2

Bonneville

90.3

Grand Slam GLD

92.9

Playoff 2

91.7

Rio Vista

90.6

Sox Fan

91

SR 4650

95

Fiesta 4

90.5

Stellar 3GL

91.6

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APPLE SGL

Apple SGL perennial ryegrass has been for increased disease tolerance and is ideally suited too high wear environments. Apple SGL is medium dark green in colour and establishes rapidly providing a dense sward with moderate drought tolerance under varying fertility levels. It fills in aggressively to out-compete weeds and can be mowed at fairway cutting heights with excellent density retention.

Agronomic features: Aggressive establishment, good winter activity. Faster to establish and crowd out weeds Rapid recovery after wear. Recovers quickly to maintain good density Drought tolerant. Will withstand lower watering regime Tolerates closer mowing Maintains better density under closer mowing Broad spectrum disease resistance Sowing rate New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2 Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2

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GRAND SLAM GLD

GrandSlam GLD (Gray Leaf and Drought tolerant) is a high-quality perennial ryegrass bred with resistance to gray leaf spot and improved drought tolerance. If you struggle in an area affected by Gray Leaf Spot or just want to have the security against it choose GrandSlam GLD. Its dark green colour makes it an ideal choice for use on golf courses, sports fields, home lawns and for professional landscapers.

If you have high wear areas this is worth serious consideration as the trial data in Chapter 3 demonstrates.

Its drought tolerance and fast establishment also make it a great choice if you require a high-quality overseeding variety.

Sowing rate New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2 Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2

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STELLAR 3GL

Stellar 3GL is a third generation variety offering excellent turf quality, gray leaf spot resistance and improved heat/drought tolerance. As a permanent turf you get the high-turf quality you expect with the strength to withstand heavy traffic and diseases/pests.

Stellar 3GL is a dark green colour and has a fine leaf texture. Stellar 3GL’s improved heat and drought tolerance means your turf will stay green longer, with less water! As an overseeding ryegrass for warm-season applications Stellar 3GL offers fast establishment, leaf texture that matches up with high-quality couch varieties and predictable transition.

Sowing rate New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2 Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2

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Torsion LST was selected for improved turf quality and strong lateral spread ability. Torsion’s aggressive tillering allows it to self-repair damaged turf. Torsion LST has excellent wear tolerance and a beautiful dark green colour making it an ideal choice for sports turf applications. In addition, Torsion LST can help reduce maintenance costs and time as it’s slow growing characteristics requires fewer mowings and produces less clippings. Torsion LST establishes quickly and has an extremely dense turf as well, producing a thick sward ideal for sod use.

TORSION LST

Sowing rate New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2 Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2

FIGURE 2.4 BSPB Turfgrass 2019 Trials cut at 25mm Variety

Visual Merit

Recovery

Winter Greenness

Galleon/SR4600

6.2

4.7

8.4

Torsion

6.5

6.3

7.6

Barorlando

7.5

6.7

5.5

Barlennium

6.3

5.4

7.8

Mistral/Stellar 3GL

6.2

5.3

8.2

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FIGURE 2.5 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Venice vs Lexington

Jan/July

Apr/Oct

Venice

Jul/Jan

Oct/Apr

Lexington, Virginia

A study was carried out from December 2015 to July 2017 by the University of Padova in Legnaro, near Venice in Italy (climatically the equivalent of Lexington, Virginia).

The objective of this research was to study stolon development of four commercial perennial ryegrass cultivars under three seeding rates. The four cultivars used for this study were two creeping types namely Sienna (Lateral spreading ryegrass) and RPR plus two traditional cultivars namely Apple SGL and Pizzaz 2.

The results demonstrated the presence of stolons in all the tested cultivars. The cultivar 'Sienna' showed the highest stolon production followed by ‘Pizzaz 2’ and ‘Apple SGL,’ whereas ‘RPR’ displayed the lowest. The cultivars started to produce stolons in the spring of the first year after establishment, reached the highest level in late summer and maintained production until termination of the study. The lowest seeding rate favoured stolon production and their growth in diameter as it produced the highest length density, specific weight, and average diameter.

Images showing divot recovery

The results of this study also demonstrated that stolons were more abundant and thicker in plots seeded at 10 than 20 and 30 g m–2, suggesting that seeding rate can be used to control stolon production.

Effect of date on stolon length density of four perennial ryegrass cultivars (‘Apple SGL,’ ‘Sienna,’ ‘Pizzaz 2,’ and ‘RPR’) from December 2015 to July 2017. Vertical bar represents least significant difference (LSD) at the 0.05 probability level. (b) Effect of cultivars (‘Apple SGL,’ ‘Sienna,’ ‘Pizzaz 2,’ and ‘RPR’) on stolon length density of four perennial ryegrasses. The mean is calculated for dates from April 2016 to July 2017. Values with the same letter are not significantly different (LSD test at the 0.05 probability level).

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FIGURE 2.6 Percent coverage Perennial ryegrass salt tolerance 10000ppm NTEP 2011-2014 Apple SGL Premier III Bonneville Grand Slam GLD Playoff 2 Rio Vista Sox Fan SR 4650 Fiesta 4 Stellar 3GL

PLAYOFF II

85.8 63.5 83.5 74 91 87.5 65.8 66.3 81 73

FIGURE 2.7 Percent coverage Perennial ryegrass salt tolerance 12500ppm NTEP 2011-2014 Apple SGL 52 Premier III 18 Bonneville 55.3 Grand Slam GLD 43.3 Playoff 2 67.8 Rio Vista 71.5 Sox Fan 32.8 SR 4650 46.8 Fiesta 4 48.3 Stellar 3GL 30.3

Playoff II is a new selection which achieved high turf scores in the 2004 NTEP Overseeding trial, especially at locations being irrigated with effluent water.

Playoff II shows improved texture, density, colour, and transitioning characteristics. Playoff II also has done well as a component in mixtures and blends for permanent turf.

Playoff II Is also well suited for winter overseeding of dormant warm season grasses, such as couch tees, kikuyu and zoysiagrass.

Sowing rate New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2 Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2

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3

INDEPENDENT TRIAL DATA We at Seedforce place a great deal of importance on truly Independent trial data. Unlike some companies we are happy to show you the results rather than saying our varieties performed ‘‘really well’’. We believe this sets us apart from our competitors.

With no new trial data in Australia we have to rely on USA and European trial data. One of the issues with this has been relating US trial data to Australian climatic zones.

How to use this page By clicking on the map shown below you will be taken to a comparative climate site. Your current home city name is shown in the top left part of the screen.

Do not forget that you can change map zoom level to see more cities.

You can click on it to centre a map at it's location or you can click CHANGE button next to it to change home city anytime.

It is marked on the the map with a blue marker.

shift months checkbox, when checked allows to find cities where sequence of month temperatures matches closely, but may start from different months. For example, this allows to find matches between cities in USA and Australia, where seasons are different.

You can move a slider to the left no narrow down selection and show only most similar cities. Resulting cities are shown in a table below the slider and marked with green markers on the map. You can click on a city name in the table to centre the map at it. For each city a distance from your home town and weather similarity (in percent) are shown.

Clicking on a green marker on the map, will open a window showing a bar chart with average monthly temperatures for this city and your home town, side by side.

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ACT/CANBERRA ACT/Canberra - US equivalent Portland Oregon

FIGURE 3.1 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Canberra vs Portland

Jan/July

Mar/Sept

May/Nov Canberra

Jul/Jan

Sep/Mar

Nov/May

Portland Oregon

FIGURE 3.2 Growth Potential for Canberra. Yellow optimal seeding time; green optimal chemical transition time.

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FIGURE 3.4 Genetic colour Oregon/Canberra NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 0.8)

Apple SGL Premier III

6.8 6.7

Bonneville

6.9

Grand Slam GLD

7.2

Playoff 2

6.9

Rio Vista

7.1

Sox Fan

7.2

SR 4650

7.2

Fiesta 4

7.3

Stellar 3GL

7

FIGURE 3.3 Turfgrass Quality Oregon/Canberra NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 0.3) Apple SGL Premier III

6 5.8

Bonneville

6.1

Grand Slam GLD Playoff 2

6.3 5.9

Rio Vista

6.2

Sox Fan

6.1

SR 4650

6.1

Fiesta 4 Stellar 3GL

6.3 6.1

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SYDNEY/PERTH Sydney/Perth - US equivalent Los Angeles/Riverside - California

FIGURE 3.5 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Sydney vs Los Angeles

Jan/July

Mar/Sept

May/Nov

Sydney

Jul/Jan

Sep/Mar

Nov/May

Los Angeles

FIGURE 3.6 Growth Potential for Sydney. Yellow optimal seeding time; green optimal chemical transition time.

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FIGURE 3.8 Turf Quality Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 0.4)

Apple SGL 6.8 6.7

Grand Slam GLD

7

Playoff 2 Rio Vista

7

Premier III Bonneville

6.8 6.7

Sox Fan

7

SR 4650

7

Fiesta 4

7

Stellar 3GL

6.9

FIGURE 3.7 Percent Decline in Living Cover after traffic equivalent to 60 football games NTEP 2011-2014

Apple SGL Premier III Bonneville Grand Slam GLD Playoff 2 Rio Vista Sox Fan SR 4650 Fiesta 4 Stellar 3GL

-22.3 -21.4 -23.4 -7.7 -22.6 -29.7 -40 -21.9 -33 -19.4

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MELBOURNE Melbourne - US equivalent San Francisco/Santa Clara/ California

FIGURE 3.9 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Melbourne vs San Francisco

Jan/July

Mar/Sept

May/Nov

Melbourne

Jul/Jan

Sep/Mar

Nov/May

San Francisco

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FIGURE 3.10 Brown Patch Resistance; NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 1.2)

Apple SGL

4.8

Premier III

4.8

Bonneville

4.7

Grand Slam GLD

5.2

Playoff 2 3.7 Rio Vista Sox Fan

4.2 4.3

SR 4650

5

Fiesta 43.7 Stellar 3GL

5.7

FIGURE 3.11 Pythium Resistance; NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 1.7)

Apple SGL

3.3

Premier III

2.7

Bonneville

3.3

Grand Slam GLD

3.3

Playoff 2 Rio Vista

3.7 2

Sox Fan

3.3

SR 4650

2.3

Fiesta 4

2

Stellar 3GL

2

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4

ANNUAL RYEGRASS A quick-growing, non-spreading bunch grass, annual ryegrass is a reliable, versatile performer almost anywhere, assuming adequate moisture and fertility. It does a fine job of holding soil, taking up excess N and outcompeting weeds.

The varieties that Seed Force supply are turf type annual ryegrass exhibiting quick germination, being perfect for winter overseeding or any use where high quality, rapid turf cover is required. These possess a finer leaf texture, darker green colour, and improved turf quality over older varieties of turf type annual ryegrasses.

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FIGURE 4.1. Texas A&M Overseeding trial 2003/2004 - Turf Quality

Omega 3 Perennial

6.8

Nusprint Axcella Panterra

NUSPRINT

6.7 6.6 6.4

Nusprint turf type annual ryegrass was developed with three goals in mind.

1. Developing a darker green, dense and finer leaved annual with traits more similar to a perennial.

2. Cost had to be kept low which was achieved by being a high seed yielding variety.

3. It had to transition rapidly from cool season to warm season in the spring.

FIGURE 4.2 Texas A&M Overseeding trial 2004/2005 Transition percent ryegrass

Omega 3 Perennial

60

Nusprint

23

Axcella

21

Panterra

20

26

Turf Quality

FIGURE 4.3 University of Arizona trial 2006/2007

4.6 4.5 4.4

Nusprint

Axcella 2

Panterra 2

Turf Quality

FIGURE 4.4 University of Arizona trial 2008/2009

5.5 5.3

4.5 Nusprint

Axcella

Gulf

Turf Quality

FIGURE 4.5 University of Arizona trial 2009/2010

5.3

5.3 5

Nusprint

Greenlinks Panterra 2

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FIGURE 4.6 Overton, Texas Transition Trial 2009

Transition Percent Couch

80 64 48 32 16

0 Percent couch May 1 Nusprint

Percent couch May 14 Axcella

Panterra

Percent ryegrass June 1 Soprano

FIGURE 4.7 Overton, Texas Transition Trial 2009

Transition Percent Ryegrass

100 80 60 40 20

0 Percent ryegrass May 1 Nusprint

Percent ryegrass May 14 Axcella

Panterra

Percent ryegrass June 1 Soprano

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BREAKOUT

Breakout with STT is a revolutionary new annual ryegrass for use in overseeding warm season grass applications or for quick ground cover on cool season turf.

Breakout with STT establishes very quickly, but unlike other annual ryegrasses Breakout with STT has the fine leaf blade and texture that is more similar to perennial ryegrass. This unique trait gives Breakout with STT superior turf quality.

However, Breakout with STT is unique in it’s ability to transition smoothly and predictably. While most perennial ryegrass varieties hold on too long in the summer and so require chemical removal, Breakout with STT transitions out smoothly to allow the warm season base to recuperate and not have to compete with the overseeded grass. Competition with cool-season grasses can be a costly problem leading to increased chemical use, so if you want a rapid stress free transition choose Breakout with STT. Transition is the most crucial time for overseeding. Both going into and coming out of the cooler winter months are very sensitive times for your warm season turf base. If the overseeded varieties don’t come on soon enough you can be left with brown, dormant grass that is susceptible to damage if played on. Breakout with STT germinates FAST so that you can have green ground cover and a playable surface as soon as possible.

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The transition from the overseeded grass back to your warm-season base is equally important. If the overseeded grass lingers too long it can cause serious damage to the warm-season base. Most perennial ryegrass varieties are now bred to be more drought tolerant. Breakout with STT is also a beautiful turfgrass. Darker than most other annual ryegrass varieties Breakout with STT also matches up better with warm-season grass bases. It’s fine leaf texture and increased density allow it to blend better with warm season species.

Breakout with STT has a dark green colour. At the NC State trials a colour spectrometer was used to indicate a specific colour value to each of the varieties in the trial. The colour swatches below show the difference in colour between Breakout with STT and another commonly used annual ryegrass variety.

FIGURE 4.10 Winter Growth Rate Jefferson Oregon/Canberra 2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 1.3; 2012 = 1.0)

7.5 6 5.3

5

4.7 4 2011 Breakout

2012 Axcella 2

Panterra

FIGURE 4.8 Turf Quality Jefferson Oregon/Canberra 2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 0.8; LSD 2012 = 0.8)

5.2 5

5 4.9 4.8

FIGURE 4.9 Turf Colour Jefferson Oregon/Canberra 2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 1.0; 2012 = 1.8)

4.5 2011 Breakout

5

2012 Axcella 2

Panterra

4.8

5 4.5

4.5 4

2011 Breakout

2012 Axcella 2

Panterra

30

5

COUCHGRASS Couchgrass is a warm season, perennial grass genus which spreads vegetatively by stolons, rhizomes, and shoots.

There have been huge leaps forward in couch seed since the days of Princess which although an industry standard for many years has been superseeded by a new generation of finer, more vigorous and cheaper alternatives.

All the varieties that Seedforce supply are top performers in the NTEP evaluation trials.

FIGURE 5.1 Leafspot 2 locations NTEP 2013-2017 Scale 1-9 9 is no disease; LSD = 2.6

8 7 6 6 5 4

7.5

7.3

6.3

6

5.3 Princess 77 Monaco Rio

Riviera Sahara

2016

RIO COLD TOLERANT COUCHGRASS

Rio is a top-rated seeded couchgrass variety developed by the Johnston Seed Company. Rio exhibits excellent cold and frost tolerance as well as early spring greenup making it a great choice for not only the southern zone but also areas in the transition zone where couchgrass is used. Rio germinates quickly and was the #1 NTEP rated variety in establishment. Rio has excellent turf quality and good wear tolerance being dark green and fine-bladed creating a very dense turf.

Rio is drought and heat tolerant and can be used in a number of different applications.

It was entered into the most current NTEP Trial as JSC-2009-6-S Rio should be planted in areas of full sunlight when soil temperatures reach a consistent 18C and are on the rise. Plant 1-1.5kg of seed /100m2 in a well-prepared firm seedbed. Cover seed with no more than 6 mm of soil. Maintain adequate soil moisture around seed using frequent but light irrigation for optimum germination. Seedlings should emerge in 10 to 14 days. As seedlings develop, decrease frequency of irrigation but increase the amount of water a bred to be more drought tolerant.

32

FIGURE 5.2 Turf Quality over 17 locations NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD 0.2)

Princess 77

6

Monaco

6.3

Rio

6.2

Riviera Sahara

6.3 5.3

FIGURE 5.3 Seedling vigour over 4 locations NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 1.2)

Princess 77 Monaco Rio Rivera Sahara

4.5 6 6.5 7 7.3

33

MAYA COUCHGRASS

Maya is a seeded couchgrass from Vista Seed Partners. Tested as RAD-CD1 in the 2007-2012 NTEP trials it was selected for improved turf performance, disease resistance, excellent colour, texture and broad adaptation. When the final results of the 2012 NTEP bermudagrass trials were in, Maya was ranked at the top with the best of them. In fact there was not one seeded variety, either commercially available or experimental, that had a significant difference in turf quality. What makes Maya so special is its price. Finally a top rated seeded turf type couch grass that everyone can afford.

Disease Resistance: This vigorous, medium fine-bladed cultivar adds excellent disease resistance to any warm-season blend throughout the hottest summer months. It exhibited no dollar spot (9.0 resistance score) and had less damage from Spring Dead Spot (only 5% damage) than any other variety. Maya shows remarkable cold tolerance even in cold winter areas. Maya displays very good resistance (7.3) to Take All Patch.

Usage: Maya is recommended for southern lawns, parks, sports fields, golf fairways and roughs or wherever a high quality turf is desired. Being established from seed, it is much easier to use than the old sprigged vegetative varieties.

Establishment: Late spring plantings are best. Plant 1kg/100 m2 for new turf applications. More seed may be needed when stands are established early or late in the season to ensure full coverage. It is very important to use coated seed and cover the couchgrass seeds with soil or mulch up to 6mm depth. Bare, uncovered seed on the soil surface with no protection from wind or dry air or hot sun, cannot be kept moist enough to germinate well since it is too hard to keep exposed seeds from drying out.

34

FIGURE 5.4 Turfgrass Quality over 12 locations NTEP 2007-2012 (LSD = 0.7) Princess 77

6

Yukon

6.3

Maya

6.1

Riviera

6.1

Sahara

5.3

FIGURE 5.5 Percent Spring Dead Spot NTEP 2007-2012 (LSD = 21.5) Princess 77

23.3

Yukon

5

Maya

5

Riviera Sahara

8.3 35

35

6

CREEPING BENTGRASS Creeping bentgrass is a cool-season specialty grass primarily used for golf course putting greens, lawn bowling greens, and lawn tennis facilities. The skill and expense needed to maintain this species usually eliminates it as a possible home lawn turf.

It is adapted to cool, humid regions and prefers sunny areas but will tolerate some shade. It tolerates low temperatures but will discolour early in the autumn.

PIRANHA

Piranha is a new creeping bentgrass variety developed specifically to tolerate heat and a number of other stressors that destroy tees and greens resulting in costly repairs. Piranha was bred to excel in high heat conditions that so easily destroy other lesser varieties. Progeny tests were conducted across multiple sites and locations to identify deep rooted, stress resistance germplasm. Piranha was then selected for improved turf quality and seed yield. In addition Piranha has also shown excellent disease resistance to anthracnose and brown patch.

FIGURE 6.1 NTEP 2017 Quality Ratings; LSD = 0.2 Percentage in Mean quality top 25%

Variety

Grower

Pure Eclipse

Penn State

41.7

6.6

777

Advanced Seed/ Seed Research

16.7

6.6

Piranha

Seedforce/Mountain View

58.3

6.9

V8

Simplot

16.7

6.6

Pure Select

Penn State

50

6.5

Penn A1

Penn State

8.3

5.9

Declaration

Lebanon Turf

41.7

6.3

Penncross

Penn State

0

4.5

37

FIGURE 6.2 Greens - Turf Quality Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.4 Pure Eclipse

7.4

777

6.7

Piranha

6.7

V8

6.6

Pure Select

6.2

Penn A1

6

Declaration Penncross

5.5 4.4

FIGURE 6.3 Greens - Genetic Colour Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9 Pure Eclipse

7.3

777

7

Piranha

7.3

V8

7

Pure Select

7

Penn A1 Declaration

7.7 6.3

Penncross 5.7

38

FIGURE 6.4 Greens - Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.3 777

6.8

Piranha

6.4

V8

6.4

Pure Select

6.9

Penn A1

6.2

Declaration Penncross

5.8 4.5

FIGURE 6.5 Greens - Genetic Colour San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9 777

7

Piranha

7

V8

7

Pure Select 5.3 Penn A1

7

Declaration Penncross

8 5.7

39

FIGURE 6.6 Greens - Turf Quality Raileigh, North Carolina/Canberra NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9 Pure Eclipse

7.9

777

7.9

Piranha

7.9

V8

7.9

Pure Select

6.9

Penn A1

7.4

Declaration

7.8

Penncross

6

FIGURE 6.7 Greens - Autumn colour, North Carolina/Canberra NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.8 Pure Eclipse

8

777

7.3

Piranha

8

V8

7.3

Pure Select

6.7

Penn A1

6.3

Declaration Penncross

7 4.3

40

FIGURE 6.8 Greens - Anthracnose Resistance NTEP 2017; LSD = 2.6 Pure Eclipse

6

777

7.7

Piranha

7.3

V8

6

Pure Select

6.3

Penn A1

4.7

Declaration Penncross

7 1.3

FIGURE 6.9 Greens - Brown Patch Resistance NTEP 2017; LSD = 1.9 Pure Eclipse

7.5

777

8

Piranha

8.3

V8

7.5

Pure Select

8

Penn A1

5.8

Declaration

5.8

Penncross

7.8

41

7

TALL FESCUE Tall fescue is one of the most drought, heat and wear tolerant species. It is able to take up water in drought spells due to its large and deep root network.

Consequently tall fescue during the hot, dry summer months tall fescue can stay green and tolerates high temperatures. In contrast to other turf varieties it possesses a coarse leaf texture but new varieties have been much improved with narrow leaves.

In general, the disease tolerance is very high.

Establishment is not as quick as for perennial ryegrass and a high seeding rate is recommended

SPYDER LS

FIGURE 7.1 Summer Stress Ratings NTEP 2007-2011 Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth

Bladerunner 2 6.7 7.7 Spyder LS 7 Escalade 7.3 Mustang 4 SR 8650 6.7

Spyder LS tall fescue is an initial release from Mountain View Seeds Lateral Spread 'technology'" (LS) research program. Spyder LS has scored in the highest NTEP grouping for overall turf quality under medium maintenance, traffic exposure, and shade. It is dark in colour, vigorous and aggressive, with broad disease resistance, particularly to brown patch.

In 2010 NTEP salinity trials using irrigation water with a Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) of 5.41 it was recommended for use with poor quality water.

Quicker to fill-in, weed presence is minimal. Its drought tolerance is also top rated, reducing irrigation costs.

Spyder LS is versatile. Its excellent turf performance occurs under varying climates and soil conditions, well down into the transition zone. The inherent genetic characteristics of colour, compact growth, and texture and density result in a more manicured appearance under only normal maintenance.

Spyder LS is suggested for finer quality residential and corporate turf, sod production, and sports areas, as well as golf course roughs.

Seeding Rates Home lawns, parks: 4-5 kg/ 100m2 Sports fields: 200 kg/Ha Sod Production: 150-250 kg/Ha Low maintenance: 50-125 kg/Ha

43

FIGURE 7.2 Seedling Vigour NTEP 2007-2011 Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth; LSD = 1.3

4 3.7 3.3 3 2.7

Bladerunner 2Spyder LS

Escalade

Mustang 4

SR 8650

FIGURE 7.3 Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2007-2011; LSD = 0.6

6.1 6

5.8

5.8

5.7

Bladerunner 2Spyder LS

Escalade

Mustang 4

SR 8650

44

TITANIUM 2 LS TALL FESCUE

Titanium 2LS is setting the bar high for the next generation of tall fescue cultivars. Titanium 2LS exemplifies the perfect high-quality turfgrass; it’s dark green, very dense and has excellent wear tolerance.

Titanium 2LS is an excellent choice for sod farms and other applications where only the best variety will do. In addition, Titanium 2LS is very drought tolerant, keeping its great looking appearance late into the summer even under less-than-ideal conditions. Titanium 2LS is also able to grow successfully in soil that has low fertility. And with all MVS varieties that carry the Lateral Spread brand, Titanium 2LS has aggressive lateral spread ability.

Seeding Rates Home lawns, parks: 4-5 kg/ 100m2 Sports fields: 200 kg/Ha Sod Production: 150-250 kg/Ha Low maintenance: 50-125 kg/Ha

45

FIGURE 7.4 Genetic Colour NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 0.3)

Regenerate

Rebel V

6.9

6.5

Titanium 2 LS

6.9

Bullseye

6.8

FIGURE 7.5 Leaf Fineness NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 0.8)

Regenerate

Rebel V

6.5

5.8

Titanium 2 LS

Bullseye

6.3

6

46

FIGURE 7.6 Rhizome counts 2016 NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 4.6)

Regenerate

2.3

Rebel V

1.7

Titanium 2 LS

6

Bullseye

2.3

FIGURE 7.7 Maximum in top 25% NTEP 2013-2017

Regenerate

Rebel V

68.4

10.5

Titanium 2 LS

73.7

Bullseye 5.3

47

ESCALADE TALL FESCUE

Escalade is an improved variety developed jointly by Oregro Research and Rutgers University. Fine- Leaved, dense, dark green, with excellent brown patch resistance and tolerance to traffic, Escalade exhibits excellent turf quality in the 2001 NTEP tall fescue trial. With the shade, heat, and drought tolerance of tall fescue, Escalade is an excellent choice for a wide variety of turf applications. Escalade is ideal for home lawns, parks, sports fields, sod productions, golf course roughs, and roadsides where a turf is needed.

Seeding Rates Home lawns, parks: 4-5 kg/ 100m2 Sports fields: 200 kg/Ha Sod Production: 150-250 kg/Ha Low maintenance: 50-125 kg/Ha

48

FIGURE 7.8 Leaf Fineness NTEP 2002-2005 (LSD = 0.3) Rembrandt

5.8

Barlexas 2

5.9

Escalade

6.2

Mustang 3

5.8

Bonsai 5.4

FIGURE 7.9 Genetic colour NTEP 2002-2005 (LSD = 0.2) Rembrandt

6.4

Barlexas 2

6.5

Escalade

6.5

Mustang 3

6.5

Bonsai

5.9

49

8

CHEWINGS FESCUE Chewings fescue is an aggressive, bunch-type fine fescue that can outcompete other grasses.

Because of its high shade tolerance, it is sometimes used to overseed shady areas, often in mixtures with perennial ryegrass.

It possesses a high shoot density and is tolerant of close cutting. Maintains good colour and requires minimal water and fertiliser. Tolerates acidic soil conditions.

COMPASS II

Compass II is unsurpassed in turf quality. Its dark green colour and excellent turf density make it a very attractive chewings fescue. Compass II performs well under drought conditions, making it an excellent choice for areas with reduced irrigation.

Compass II shows excellent disease resistance as well, scoring high in Summer Patch and Red Thread trials. Compass II maintains its dark green colour year round and performs well at fairway height. In addition, Compass II is wear and shade tolerant, making it an ideal choice for home lawns and parks.

Broadcast Compass II seed at 2 - 2.5kg/100m2 and whenever soil temperatures are above 16C. Large areas for erosion control, slopes or open turf areas can be seeded at a rate of 80-100kg/Ha depending on the density desired.

Compass II performs over a wide range of environments, soil types and fertility levels. For best results, a minimum of 1 - 1.5kg of N should be applied annually during the cool sea- son. Recommended cutting heights range from 12 - 50mm depending on the level of maintenance and turf stand desired.

On winter overseeded greens, Compass II can be mowed down to 3mm. alone or in combination with ryegrass and poa trivialis. Verticutting or dethatching may prove helpful to speed breaking spring dormancy.

51

FIGURE 8.1 Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017 (LSD = 0.8) Radar

6.1

Bolster

5.9

Compass 2 Cascade Castle

6.2 5.3 5.6

FIGURE 8.2 Dollar Spot San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017 (LSD =.1.2) Radar

6.3

Bolster

6.3

Compass 2

6.3

Cascade Castle

4.7 5

52

9

BLENDS With our state of the art blending and coating facility blending seed to meet your exact requirements is just a question of selecting what you require and leaving the rest to us.

All our blends contain certified seed and we don’t dilute down the quality with lesser varieties to keep the cost down.

Following are some standard blends but bare in mind these can be ‘tweaked’ depending on the region they are being sold into, to better suit the specific climate.

TURF SEED BLENDS

All our blends contain certified seed and we don’t dilute down the quality with lesser varieties to keep the cost down.

We carry standard two and three way blends and can custom blend to meet your exact requirements.

As you can imagine varietal selection can play a major role in how successful (or not) and seeding work can be. Thats why all the cultivars we select offer a benefit when incorporated into a blend.

Where possible we aim to use the most modern trial proven genetics and currently 90% of the ryegrass cultivars we use in our blends were trialled in the most recent NTEP trials in 2011-2014. We are fully aware that things constantly evolve and relying on dated genetics only means that you, our customer, are missing out on the benefits of newer varieties.

A good example of this relates to the potential damage caused when spraying Nominee. There can be a dramatic difference in the degree of damage that occurs when this is sprayed on certain ryegrass cultivars. See Figure 5.1 below.

FIGURE 9.1 NTEP 2005-2009 Data - Nominee injury where Scale 1-9 where 9 is No injury (LSD = )

SR 4600 Harrier

4 6

Derby Extreme

8

Homerun

9

Keystone 2

8.7

Fiesta 4 Soprano

8 7.3

54

This commitment to using the most modern cultivars available means two things for our customers.

Firstly, you aren’t paying over the odds for blends containing old cultivars and secondly you know exactly what you are getting every time you purchase from Seedforce.

FIGURE 9.4 Ryegrass Blend Variety Characteristics - Establishment Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Playoff 2

FIGURE 9.2 Ryegrass Blend Variety Characteristics - Genetic Colour Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Playoff 2 Nusprint Torsion

Nusprint Torsion

FIGURE 9.5 Ryegrass Blend Variety Characteristics - Salt Tolerance Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Playoff 2 Nusprint Torsion

FIGURE 9.3 Ryegrass Blend Variety Characteristics Wear

FIGURE 9.6 Ryegrass Blend Variety Characteristics - Recovery

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL

Stellar 3GL

Playoff 2

Apple SGL

Nusprint

Playoff 2

Torsion

Nusprint Torsion

55

Colour

SF TITANIUM

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Torsion LST

Recovery

SF Titanium has been designed to give exceptional wear tolerance and recovery and as shown earlier we have the data to support this! Composed of the most modern genetics on the market.

Exceptional wear tolerance Unparalleled recovery Dark Green Colour Brown patch resistant SF Titanium Is a perennial blend of three ryegrass cultivars, two of which spread via reproductive tillers.

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Torsion LST

Wear

SF Titanium is a 100% perennial turf seed mixture which is ideally suited to all winter sports playing surfaces. It contains 3 cultivars of which there are 2 LST cultivars which spread via reproductive tillers. These tillers form much quicker than other marketed recuperative ryes. Regular (normal) ryes do not spread. LST creeping growth habit helps fill in sand slits, drainage lines and divots.

CONTAINS: 30% APPLE SGL - Top percentile of 2014 NTEP Trials, Dark green colour, recovery 30% STELLAR 3GL - Top percentile of 2014 NTEP Trials, Dark green colour, recovery 40% TORSION LST - Top percentile 2019 BSPB Trials UK, Exceptional recovery and wear tolerance Seeding Rate: 300-400Kg/Ha

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Torsion LST

56

Salt Tolerance

SF SALT MASTER ""

SF Salt Master is a premium blend designed to offer exceptional wear, rapid recovery and a dark green colour.

However its key strength and one that makes it truly unique is that is you are struggling with poor water quality this is the perfect blend having an exceptionally high tolerance to up to 12,500ppm of salt.

If you have poor water quality this is the only option to consider!

CONTAINS:

15% APPLE SGL - Dark green colour, recovery

15% STELLAR 3GL - Dark green colour, recovery

70% PLAYOFF 2 - Exceptional salt tolerance

Seeding Rate: 300-400Kg/Ha

Oversowing Rate: 250-350Kg/Ha

"

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL

Playoff 2

Colour

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL

Playoff 2

Recovery

Stellar 3GL Apple SGL

Playoff 2

57

Establishment

SF RAPID REPAIR

SF Rapid Repair is a 100% three- way ryegrass turf seed mixture with a quick start (germination) and burst of speed (establishment).

Couple this with a mid to dark green colour and a high turf quality, SF Rapid Repair is a proven winner and an excellent choice for many areas that need quality grass cover in a hurry. Great for Tees, Goal mouths and all high wear areas.

Rapid germination

Rapid establishment

Good wear tolerance

Good winter growth

CONTAINS

50% NUSPRINT Turf Type Annual Ryegrass

30% APPLE SGL Perennial Ryegrass

20% PLAYOFF 2 Perennial Ryegrass

Seeding Rate: 300-500Kg/Ha

Oversowing Rate: 250-500Kg/Ha

Playoff 2

Apple SGL

Nusprint

Wear

Playoff 2

Apple SGL

Nusprint

Winter Growth

Playoff 2

Apple SGL

Nusprint

58

Wear

Homerun Apple SGLStellar 3GL Torsion LST

Colour SF GS60 is based on the No 1 blend used in the English

Premier league by Clubs such as Arsenal FC. It is a blend of four high quality perennial ryegrass cultivars for general sports use. SF GS60 is a 100% perennial ryegrass turf seed mixture. Ideal for use on many types of sports turf surfaces such as tees, fairways, sports pitches and most general use areas.

Great dark green colour

Exceptional wear tolerance

Good recovery

CONTAINS

45% STELLAR 3G Perennial Ryegrass

35% APPLE SGL Perennial Ryegrass

15% HOMERUN Perennial Ryegrass

5%. TORSION LST Perennial Ryegrass

Seeding Rate: 350Kg/Ha

Oversowing Rate: 200-350Kg/Ha

Homerun Apple SGLStellar 3GL Torsion LST

Recovery

Homerun Apple SGLStellar 3GL Torsion LST

59

10

ESTABLISHMENT Seed Force are also unique as a company as we don’t only supply top quality seed. We are also happy to show you how to get the best from it. It’s pretty logical from our perspective. The better results you get, the better our product looks in the marketplace whether that’s a golf course, a top tier stadium, a council ground or even your home lawn!

Timing of fertiliser applications is crucial and has a huge influence on determining which programme to adopt. Basically, the considerations can be divided into pre- and post-establishment and this is in turn influenced by the location.

The image above shows the range of climatic zones within Australia. A wide range of macro and microclimates exist, all of which have a direct influence on any work you do in order to achieve the best results possible.

60

This plus what you are actually attempting to grow should be taken into consideration before you even start. For example expecting to successfully grow bent grass in Darwin (a tropical climate) isn’t generally going to be very successful!

Mowing Tips

Ground Preparation

Mow at the correct height for the grass present.

Successful establishment requires the preparation of a good seedbed comprising fine, well prepared seedbed free of weeds and other obstructions. All weeds and undesirable grasses should be removed by hand or by applying an appropriate herbicide. To get better results fertilising prior to applying a herbicide will ensure a better result.

Don’t scalp the grass especially if its only young.

The rootzone should be decompacted to a depth of approximately 10cm and if appropriate efforts made to ensure it is as even as possible.

On low CEC/ Sandy soils now is a good time to incorporate organic matter and soil amendments such as gypsum/lime/dolomite if required. Preferably a granular option should be used as this reduces dust and also ensures minimal waste.

Seeding Depending on whether you are seeding a warm or cool season grass, spring and autumn are the best times to plant seed as the soil temperatures are optimal, aiming to sow the seed at the recommended rate.

When broadcasting seed it should be surface applied and then lightly incorporated to 1-2 cm depth, ensuring good soil/seed contact. At this time it is vital to ensure that the soil is kept moist as if it dries out the entire exercise will be a waste of time.

Irrigation It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to keep the soil moist whilst the seed is germinating. For the first week or so it may be necessary to lightly irrigate for short periods several times a day, especially if it is hot and dry.

Once it has germinated and begun to grow you can reduce the frequency (weather conditions permitting), aiming to irrigate 1-2 times a week as this will encourage a deeper rooting sward. This should preferably not be carried out in the heat of the day or at night as this will tend to encourage disease.

Ensure your mower blades are sharp so you get a clean cut.

Only mow when the grass is dry.

Once established never remove more than one third of the leaf should be removed each time, also increasing the mower height can allow the root

Soil and Tissue Analysis Tissue testing involves the analysis of foliar tissue, such as fresh grass clippings, for nutrient content. The aim of tissue analysis is to determine more accurately the plant’s nutritional content and so, in turn, be able to better formulate a more appropriate nutritional regime.

Tissue analysis is able to produce information regarding fertiliser requirements not obtainable through soil analysis.

However, the results gained are difficult to interpret and so it is best to utilise both of these procedures in order to more accurately determine plant needs. The basis of any fertiliser programme should always be a soil test.

Soil Testing Soil testing is defined as a chemical measurement of the soil for the purpose of identifying nutrient deficiencies, predicting nutrient needs, evaluating potential excesses or assessing other important chemical characteristics such as pH or the organic matter content. Soil samples can be taken at any time of the year but not within two weeks of any application of a fertiliser containing phosphorus, magnesium, potassium or calcium. Frequency of testing can be every year but, unless you are addressing a particular problem, every three years is ideal.

Interpretation The most important results in a soil test are pH, extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and the percentage of cations present on CEC sites and in particular the level of sodium as these identify the basic soil chemical properties. They allow the basic fertiliser recommendations for lime, gypsum, dolomite and phosphorus to adjust the fundamental chemistry. Any soil with a CEC of less than 3

61

FIGURE 10.2 Tissue Test ‘sets’ Nutrient

Couch

Creeping Bent (Karsten)

Creeping bent (Jones and Mills 1991)

Creeping bent (Carrow et al 2001)

Perennial ryegrass

General

N%

4-6

4.5-5.25

4.5-6

2.8-3.5

3.34-5.1

2.75-3.5

P%

0.25-0.6

0.45-0.6

0.3-0.6

0.2-0.55

0.33-0.55

0.3-0.55

K%

1.5-4

2.25-3

2.2-2.6

1.5-3

2-3.42

1-2.5

Ca%

0.5-1

0.45-0.6

0.5-0.75

0.5-1.25

0.25-0.51

0.5-1.25

Mg%

0.13-0.4

0.25-0.35

0.25-0.3

0.15-0.5

0.16-0.32

0.2-0.6

S%

0.2-0.5

0.25-0.4

0.35-0.43

0.2-0.5

0.27-0.56

0.2-0.45

Fe%

50-500

200-400

100-300

50-100

97-934

35-100

Mn%

25-300

80-150

50-100

20-100

30-73

25-150

Cu%

5-50

10-15

8-30

5-20

6-38

5-20

Zn%

20-250

45-65

25-75

20-55

14-64

20-55

meq/100 g soil will be susceptible to leaching and should be treated accordingly.

Next in importance are the available nitrogen and sulphur levels, although keep in mind that these levels are subject to rapid change and generally aren’t worth the additional cost to test. Appearance and condition of turf is just as important when recommending nitrogen and sulphur fertilisers. Of the trace elements, iron and manganese levels are most important to maintaining the greenness of turf.

When a site contains a high percentage of sand, the initial problem is one of moisture retention. In order to overcome this, organic amendments are added such as peat moss or poultry manure. Problems exist with both of these.

Peat moss is acidic, with a pH of 4.5, and takes a considerable time to break down. Consequently, if it is not incorporated thoroughly throughout the profile, it can lead to a build up of a highly moisture retentive layer at depth and so encourage anaerobic soil conditions to develop. An analysis of poultry manure shows that it does, in fact, contain low levels of organic matter and also can contain sodium in worrying levels, depending on the source of manure. Preferable to both of these options is dried seaweed or composted food waste such as Mother Earth.

In reality is unlikely that these alone will lead to optimal growth of the respective grass species. Additional nutrients must be added. On high sand containing areas, slow-release forms of nitrogen are preferable such as Piadin inhibited nitrogen, as most of the nitrogen applied in a soluble form is gone within 72 hours of application, with 50% having gone within the first 24 hours.

FIGURE 10.1 Graph showing how

temperature effects P availability 100

Plants need phosphorus for growth. Phosphorus is particularly needed within actively growing tissue. It is for this reason phosphorus is found at much higher concentrations in young plant tissue than in older established plants. This same reason explains why young plants in the seedling stage have a higher requirement for phosphorus.

100

Percent Availability

80 60

65

40

During establishment, a fertiliser containing high phosphorus is used because newly established turf has a limited root network in comparison to a mature turf stand and requires a lot of phosphorus for maximum growth and development.

40 30

20 0

Phosphorous

8

In severe cases of phosphorus deficiency, symptoms include characteristic purpling or browning, appearing first on the lower leaves and base of the stem Temperature and working upward on the plant. The uptake of phosphorus is directly related to soil temperature. At low temperatures uptake is slow and turf is more responsive to applications of phosphorus fertilisers. Even soils with high levels of phosphorus may not provide enough phosphorus when the soil temperature is below 10 to 13C. 21C

18C

15C

13C

10C