FERTILISER AND CHEMICALS
MAKING TURF MATTER
www.turfmatters.co.uk
Taking the stress out of turf I
nvesting in independent trials gives Bayer Environmental Science customers peace of mind for summer and beyond Since 2002, the UK has seen the ten hottest summers on record and undoubtedly this has placed a higher stress burden on turf. Fine turf surfaces such as golf and bowls greens are particularly susceptible to stress during prolonged hot and dry periods. There is a decline in turf quality, aesthetics and playability of the surface. Therefore, turf professionals need a solution they can trust to deal with the problem effectively. That’s why Bayer Environmental Science turned to the STRI to provide independent trials for their Signature Xtra (for use in
“WE CHOSE TO WORK WITH STRI TO TRIAL SIGNATURE XTRA AND EXTERIS STRESSGARD TO ADD WEIGHT TO WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW” 24 | TURF MATTERS | JULY-AUGUST 2022
Ireland) and Exteris Stressgard products. “We chose to work with STRI to trial Signature Xtra and Exteris Stressgard to add weight to what we already knew – that they offer great preventative, and early curative disease solutions for turf during the Summer, as well as further protection against disease later in the year,” said Dr Colin Mumford, Technical Support Manager at Bayer. The extensive trials, carried out over two years and completing in 2020 demonstrated that the damaging effects of heat stress can be reduced with applications of Signature Xtra or Exteris Stressgard. The trials, which ran between June and August, found that those plots treated with the products had the greatest turf density and a 10% better live ground cover, compared to the untreated plots. There were a number of other benefits found too including improved turf colour and root length. They encouraged stronger, more vigorous plants and gave protection against harmful UVA and UVB radiation. These benefits promote stronger plant health, enabling the turf to better withstand attack from turf disease pathogens and the hostile environment that summer weather conditions can produce.
Bayer works with STRI, a leading sports turf consultancy to conduct the trials. The team are experts, with a thorough understanding and knowledge of plant protection products. “When working with STRI we know that the trials will be executed in accordance with the trial protocols that we agree with them. There will also be consistency in their evaluations, as each member of the STRI trials team is trained to assess trials to the same standard,” explained Colin “All trials conducted are replicated, which means there are typically four replicates of each treatment being assessed. This is important because we can see how consistent the product performs, seeing if there is any variability between applications and it also allows us to have confidence in the results – which we can then extend to our customers.” The trials look at a number of different factors, including disease control or suppression, turf density, colour and quality. They have a range of playing surface construction profiles, so they can tailor the trials to specific needs and it’s possible to conduct side-by-side comparisons with a range of products at the same time on their trial plots.
