Drought seminar days a success
Drought seminar days a success
Press Release
Following the successful seminar jointly organized by Avoncrop Amenity Products & Scotts Professional in May on Stress Management in Turf, two more seminars were held titled "Management of Drought Stressed Turf" on the 4th & 5th of July, the first at Bishop's Stortford Golf Club, Essex & the second at Hoebridge Golf Centre, Woking, Surrey.
With the continued drought particularly in the South East, Avoncrop Amenity Products and Scotts Professional wanted to provide turf managers with up to date ideas on how to manage drought stressed turf.
With temperatures reaching the low thirties during the days running up to the events they attracted delegates from all types of sports facilities predominately golf clubs along with local authorities, bowling and football clubs.
The presentations were designed to help people understand how to develop grass plants with the best chance of survival in drought conditions. Chris Briggs stressed how important it is to ensure the plant develops the largest possible root system enabling the foraging for water but also for starch storage for use during recovery.
Within the Scotts product portfolio Primo MAXX the new growth regulator helps to reduce water loss by limiting the plant producing vertical growth, this is due a smaller leaf surface area for transpiration. It also positively encourages greater root mass development.
With water restrictions currently in place in some areas it is imperative that all precipitation that falls onto the ground enters quickly before it evaporates, wetting agents such as H2Pro help to make soils very water receptive maximizing water utilization.
Fertilisers with high salt levels can exacerbate drought intolerance of the turf plant by raising the salt levels of the soil solution, causing the plant difficulty in absorbing water & nutrients into the roots. Foliar feeds are better suited to drought conditions and applied little and often. The new Scotts liquid range, along with carbohydrate rich Scotts Greenmaster Blade, will assist turf to survive the hard conditions being experienced at the moment said Mick Fance of Scotts Professional.
On the first day Huw Morgan of The Wildernesse Club gave a presentation on his experiences with Primo MAXX, highlighting how he was using the product on almost all areas of the golf course, even on greens.
Hugh Knowles of Burhill Golf & Leisure gave the delegates an update on the River Wey Catchment Abstract Management Strategy, a committee he sits on, that looks at the water management in the area. This proved very interesting, giving insight as to how powerful the environment agency is when it comes to water extraction licences.
Scotts Professional & Avoncrop Amenity Products are keen to see these types of seminars are ongoing in order to support turf professionals cope with the drought conditions providing practical solutions to turf management.
Chris Briggs
Address:
Northfield, Station Road,
Sandford,
Somerset
BS25 5NX
United Kingdom
Tel: 01934 820868 Mobile 07831 162504
Fax: 01934 820456