IMPORTANT EVENTS IN 2022

ITRC 2022 - 300 PARTICIPANTS FROM 28 COUNTRIES

The 14th International Turfgrass Research Conference (ITRC2022) was arranged by STERF in association with the International Turfgrass Society (ITS) and held at Copenhagen University, Denmark, on 10-15 July 2022. It was the first time ever that ITRC had been held in a Nordic country.

International Turfgrass Research Conferences are among the largest and most comprehensive gatherings of turfgrass professionals anywhere in the world and this year’s conference was no exception, with over 300 delegates from 28 countries in attendance. More than 90% of the delegates indicated “Excellent and very good” as their overall assessment of the conference.

The conference theme was Development & Sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in Agenda 2030 constituted the conference programme framework.

Conference delegates enjoyed keynote addresses, scientific sessions, a practitioners’ seminar, field tours and several fantastic din- ners and social gatherings. Participants commented on how much they appreciated the opportunities to network after more than two years of Covid-19 restrictions.

A new feature at ITRC2022 was a one-day practitioners’ seminar, as a meeting arena for practitioners and turfgrass researchers. Several top scientists and some upcoming stars presented highlights from their field of expertise directly to practical turfgrass managers. The seminar concluded with a dinner party at Furesø golf club. A good part of the menu for the dinner was sourced from local golf courses, showing a perspective of multifunctionality on Danish golf courses.

A full day of technical tours was offered, highlighting the extraordinary range of turf venues in the Öresund area, in Denmark and Sweden. All technical tours ended at the DLF Research Centre in Store Heddinge, for an introduction to their breeding programme and a tour of the experimental facilities, field trials and demonstration plots. The day concluded with a fantastic BBQ dinner at the turf fields.

The last day of the conference featured two parallel symposia highlighting challenges for turfgrass management in two contrasting climate zones. Invited scientists provided a world-wide perspective on cold-winter zones and on transition zones.

As a result of the preparations for the conference, more than 180 papers were published in three scientific journals. The 14 practitio- ner seminars were all recorded, as were nine short interviews. The seminars and interviews can all be found on the STERF website: http://www.sterf.org/sv/itrc-2022

Sterf Call For Proposals

During autumn 2022, STERF issued an open call for proposals. To meet the challenges our sector has to face and the global risks relating to the eight SDGs set out in Agenda 2030 (SDGs), STERF has created four international and trans-disciplinary R&D programmes, on:

• Integrated pest management (SDGs 12, 13, 15);

• Sustainable water management (SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14);

• Turfgrass winter stress management (SDGs 12 13);

• Multifunctional use of golf facilities and ecosystem services (SDGs 3, 11, 15, 17)

• In its 2022 call for proposals, STERF decided to prioritise research and development within these four R&D programmes.

In response to the call, STERF received nine good quality project proposals within three of the four R&D areas (Integrated pest management, Multifunctional golf courses, Sustainable water management). The STERF Advisory Committee and committee subgroups then did a very thorough and important job in evaluating the proposals. The sub-group coordinators (Nilla Nilsdotter-Linde, SLU, and Karin Normann, Turf House) were especially important in the evaluation process. The total amount sought from STERF was SEK 12 499 000, the suggested amount of matchfunding was SEK 11 158 000 and the total amount applied for in new projects was SEK 23 657 000. Based on the Advisory Committee´s recommendations, the STERF board decided to fund four new projects, corresponding to total investment by STERF of 6 047 000 SEK in total over four years. These new projects are presented on pages 28-35.

Meetings With Boards Of Nordic Golf Federations

Research projects require resources and take time if they are to produce reliable results. Trials must be carried out over several years and under different conditions. Therefore, long-term planning and funding are critical for research to deliver necessary and practically useful knowledge. We have seen several good examples or research and development being a profitable investment. STERF continues to work continuously to guarantee the long-term funding from the Nordic golf federations. During 2022 meetings were arranged between STERF and the boards of all Nordic golf federations to discuss future trends and challenges for the Nordic golf sector and the need for research and development to assist the golf sector in achieving economically and environmentally sustainable golf facilities of high standard and in improving the credibility of golf as an environmentally friendly sport. Based on these discussions, all Nordic golf federations agreed to guarantee long-term funding for STERF activities and set the goal of funding STERF by an amount corresponding to €0.5 per member and year.

2022 Eigca Conference

Inspired by the STERF-funded Carbon Parproject, climate change was the theme of the 2022 EIGCA Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, the project’s home base. This annual conference, held by the European Institute of Golf Course Architects, attracted around one hundred delegates from 25 locations in 19 countries, including representatives from the R&A, the Golf Union of Iceland, the GEO Foundation, EIGCA golf architects, their industry partners and sister organisations in America and Australia.

Normally held in April, this unique summer solstice event concluded with the signing of a climate pledge by the world’s three major golf course architects’ associations, representing a highly influential group of decision makers with regard to golf’s future land use emissions.

Many Videos Produced

More videos than ever before were produced during 2022. For example:

• A total of 23 videos were recorded in connection with ITRC2022, covering 14 practitioner seminars and nine short interviews. They can all be found on the STERF website: http://www.sterf.org/ sv/itrc-2022

• The project ‘Golf course as an outdoor classroom’, filmed a local school visit at Viksjö GC. https://www.klubbtv. nu/#parts/484418

• Two short videos produced by NIBIO within the project IPM-GOLF 202023, one about rolling and the other about UVC-radiation & slow-release nutrition. They can be found at: http:// www.sterf.org/sv/about-sterf/newsarchive/ipm-video

Translations Into Nordic Languages

Finland made an impressive number of translations of STERF material into Finnish during 2022 – the yearbook, one handbook, three brochures, two reports and two articles! Iceland contributed with two “Winter survi-

FIELD DAY - ICE-BREAKER AND SCANGREEN

After two years of cancelled meetings due to Covid-19, around 60 Norwegian and a few Swedish superintendents, golf club managers and other sector representatives gathered at NIBIO Apelsvoll and Mjøsen GC, Norway, on 19 May 2022 to study winter survival in the field trials and to hear the latest news from the STERF projects ICE-BREAKER and SCANGREEN.

Participants were welcomed by Mikkel Bakkegaard (NIBIO station manager), Agne Strøm (Norwegian Greenkeeper Association) and Pål Melbye (head of the golf course section in Norwegian Golf Federation and project leader for ICE-BREAKER). NIBIO researchers and Mads Thers from Holtsmark GC then gave an update on the different work-packages in ICE-BREAKER, focusing on both on how to prevent and how to repair ice damage. What perhaps attracted the most interest was a talk by Martin Wiig and Theodor Sundby, students at BI (Norwegian Business School), who in thesis work at the Norwegian Business School identified significantly higher profitability on golf courses that cover their greens with impermeable plastic sheeting before winter. After the field walk at Apelsvoll most participants made an enjoyable visit to Mjøsen GC, where Mads Thers demonstrated correct use of plastic covers on greens susceptible to ice damage.

ROBOGOLF - FIELD DAY AT JÖNKÖPING GC

On 7-8 September 2022, around 30 people gathered in Jönköping for a reference group meeting and field day in the project

ROBOGOLF. On the first day, the reference group held a project meeting to discuss results from the ongoing project, followed by a visit to the Husqvarna test facility. On the second day, Jönköping GC in collaboration with Swedish Golf Federation (SGF) hosted a meeting for greenkeepers and others interested in the use of robotic mowers on golf courses. Presentations were held by the parti- cipating researchers from NIBIO (Karin J. Hesselsøe and Trygve Aamlid) and two course managers, Atle R. Hansen from Bærheim Golfpark, Norway, and Janne Lehto from Hirsala GC, Finland. New innovations from Husqvarna were presented and a discussion was led by Henrik Norén from SGF. Course manager Markus Rehnström from Jönköping GC led a guided tour where the use of different robotic mowers was presented.