Magazine - DLF features strongly in amenity turfgrass tables

By Greg Rhodes in Industry on 22nd Jul 2011 15:00

The world's largest grass grower and producer is tightening its grip on the amenity turfgrass market, new research reveals.

Turfgrass Seed 2011, the definitive buyer's guide to which quality cultivars perform best in independent trials conducted by the Sports Turf Research Institute, shows DLF Trifolium's varieties heading many of the league tables across the spectrum of grasses and sector applications

Each year, The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) and STRI collaborate to produce the Turfgrass Seed, which reports comprehensive results of available varieties in trials designed to test suitability for use in winter and summer sports pitches, lawns, tennis courts turf and general landscaping, and use in the intensive management practised by golf clubs and bowling greens.

The guide presents the best available interpretation of correctly designed, accurately analysed and independently supervised trials for professional users of high quality amenity grass cultivars.

"Cultivars at the top of each list may not be the best cultivar for every use, says Derek Smith, Amenity Sales Manager for DLF Trifolium and chair of the BSPB's Amenity Grass Group.

"Users should identify which characteristics are most important for their intended use and then select cultivars accordingly."

For sport, smooth-stalked meadowgrass can prove as hardwearing as perennial ryegrass once established and usually has better tolerance of close mowing.

The new cultivar Gaudi tops the smooth-stalked meadowgrass league table (S2). Recovery is particularly impressive at 7.9 as is live ground cover and visual merit (7.5 and 7.7 respectively).

The grass's rhizomatous growth allows the cultivar to withstand the impact of boots, so the turf does not cut up so much. It's sown widely throughout continental Europe for match pitches. "Training grounds sown with smooth stalk still look great five years later, we are so convinced of the benefits we have introduced the new Johnsons J Rhizome Recovery mix,," reports Smith.

In fact, DLF enjoys a clean sweep of the first five placements with Sombrero, Greenteam, Julius and Harmonie, the next four behind Gaudi.

Elsewhere, Kaitos and Sombrero take the top two spots in the lawns, landscaping and summer sports league table (L2).

Musica tops the chewings fescue table in this category with Blenheim and Carioca coming third and fourth (L3). It also heads the greens and close mown trials table (G2).

Most notably perhaps, DLF's newly introduced hard and sheep's fescues cultivars lead the field - Manetto in the former and Quatro in the latter (table L6).
Among other new cultivars Cobra nova creeping bentgrass trialled best (table G1) while Manor browntop bent did the same for agrostis tenuis.

Perennial ryegrasses in the greens and close mown trials also reigned supreme, both existing (Sauvignon and Jessica) and new (Dickens 1 and Natasha) cultivars (Table G4), all suited to applications such as cricket pitches, golf tees and greens.

DLF is excited about its new perennial ryegrass Chardin. "It's good enough to head the lawns table (L1) new cultivars table but also comes a creditable sixth in the sports (S1) league. Chardin creates an exceptionally fine, dense sward, suited to both recreational and sporting application. As such it is a uniquely versatile new cultivar suitable for sowing in tees and fairways.

www.dlf.co.uk

Read more articles in Industry, by Greg Rhodes or from July 2011.