Inturf at Harrogate Week 2010

Press Releasein Industry News

TerraCottem bag trio.jpgDesigned especially for golf and sports turf applications, TerraCottem Turf harnesses a unique combination of over 20 hydroabsorbent and nutritive components to significantly improve soil quality and water retention for healthier, more vigorous turf.

TerraCottem is already a proven product - parent product TerraCottem Universal has been successfully used in largely horticultural settings for the past 15 years in over 40 countries worldwide. However, having gained cult status among turf users during that time, the original product was put back into research and development to find a solution specifically for the turf industry, resulting in the creation of new TerraCottem Turf.

Central to this new formulation's success is the addition of zeolite, a 100 percent natural volcanic mineral that helps increase soil fertility and water retention. Zeolite is renowned for its very high Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), the ion exchange between the soil and soil solution that represents the soil's ability to hold onto nutrients and prevent them from leaching beyond the roots. The inclusion of 42 percent zeolite with a CEC range of 150 to 180meq/100g, together with 31 percent high-CEC hydroabsorbent copolymers, ensures the CEC levels of soil treated with TerraCottem Turf are far higher than normal.

TerraCottem Turf's benefits have also been boosted by the inclusion of humic acid, an addition that has a hugely positive affect on soil structure, water retention capacity, drought-stress resistance, plant element-absorption and microbiological activity. Though found naturally in soil, its presence is limited - particularly in the sandy rootzones common to sports turf - and so supplementing the product with over 18 percent humic acid helps the sward make better use of nutritive elements and, in turn, promotes better grass growth.

Both laboratory testing and plot trials at Waregem Golf Club in Belgium have confirmed that the chosen humic acid in TerraCottem Turf produces the best possible results on root development, establishment weight, cover and grass colour. For example, in pre-launch trials the selected humic acid produced an increase of 25 percent in fresh-weight root production over the control.

Similar trials also confirmed the benefits of another vital ingredient - NPK fertiliser with magnesium - on germination, establishment of grass seedlings, colour and root growth.

Commenting on the product's pending launch, Inturf's joint managing director Alex Edwards says: "The launch of a TerraCottem soil conditioner tailored to the golf and sports turf market is fantastic news for UK greenkeepers and groundsmen, who can now make full use of this established and leading technology. We now have the best of both worlds - proven technology plus added elements to optimise healthy grass growth."

Alex says that improved root growth, vigour, structure, performance and disease resistance are just a few of the benefits users can expect, together with a reduction in water and nutrient inputs otherwise needed to maintain turf in optimum condition. "In fact, users can expect water savings of up to 50 percent thanks to the treated soil's improved water-holding capacities - something that has already earned the original TerraCottem product a prestigious Waterwise Marque in recognition of its remarkable water-saving attributes. In summary, we're delighted to introduce such an exciting, innovative product."

For further information visit Inturf on Stand A37b, Hall A, at Harrogate Week 2010. Alternatively, call the company on 01759 321000 or visit www.inturf.com.

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