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Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

April 11, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®: With drought-like conditions becoming more common, turf managers can begin future-proofing their surfaces now with deep-rooting, drought-tolerant grasses such as 4turf® tetraploid perennial ryegrass from DLF. Research conducted at DLF’s RadiMax root-screening facility has shown 4turf® to deliver deeper rooting and a better visual appearance when starved of water, […]

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

April 6, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Holly Daulby

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower: The new Fortis range of cylinder lawnmowers from Cobra delivers advanced lawn mower technology to bring a convenient lawncare solution with incredible cutting precision. The range combines eight machines in one to give the ultimate package for creating picture perfect lawns, and are the first powered cylinder […]

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

April 11, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

April 6, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Holly Daulby

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

April 11, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®: With drought-like conditions becoming more common, turf managers can begin future-proofing their surfaces now with deep-rooting, drought-tolerant grasses such as 4turf^® tetraploid perennial ryegrass from DLF.

Research conducted at DLF’s RadiMax root-screening facility has shown 4turf^® to deliver deeper rooting and a better visual appearance when starved of water, compared to the performance of traditional diploid perennial ryegrasses.

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

Where most plants or trees form new shoots at the top of the plant, grasses develop new shoots very close to the roots – highlighting the unique and important role that roots have in helping the grass to survive in stressful conditions. In situations of drought, soil always dries out from the top. As drought progresses down the soil, the first line of defence will be its deep root mass, which needs to be strong enough to enable the plant to continue taking up required water and nutrients.

In the trials, plants were assessed based on the root profile and above-ground tolerance. Roots were compared on their depth and how much colour the plant retained when starved of moisture. The results showed that 4turf^® varieties had quicker root growth and a higher root mass in deeper soil layers, outperforming the diploids under the same trial conditions. Incorporation of the highest performing varieties into a spring overseeding mix aids in the establishment of a deeper rooting sward, better equipped to cope with spring drought – where some moisture remains in the deeper profile – and summer drought – where water is used up throughout the profile.

During prolonged periods of severe drought, the risk of restrictions or bans on drinking water being used to irrigate amenity grass becomes a real threat. That is the reason why many turf managers are looking to alternative water sources like reclaimed or recycled brown water but, in these situations, salt tolerance then becomes a major consideration. Foreseeing the issue, DLF also conducted screening of turf cultivars for salt tolerance where, again, 4turf^® tetraploid perennial ryegrass came out on top.

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

Choosing 4turf^® also means you are assured of the highest disease resistance and quickest establishment – helping to keep weed ingress at bay.

It is also important to note that sustainable solutions don’t have to mean a compromise in quality. The latest 4turf^® cultivars from DLF, like Fabian, are fine, dense and have excellent wear tolerance providing an attractive sward with fantastic environmental credentials. With the economic and climatic challenges ahead switching to 4turf^®means that, come the next drought, the one thing you won’t be sweating over is your turf!

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

April 6, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Holly Daulby

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower: The new Fortis range of cylinder lawnmowers from Cobra delivers advanced lawn mower technology to bring a convenient lawncare solution with incredible cutting precision.

The range combines eight machines in one to give the ultimate package for creating picture perfect lawns, and are the first powered cylinder mowers to be launched by Cobra.

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

There are four mowers in the Fortis range. Starting with a compact 14” model that is powered by a Loncin petrol engine, and then the 17”, 20” and 25” all featuring Briggs & Stratton engines for extra power for larger lawns. They are all self-propelled and have a three-way drive facility, allowing the blades to be disengaged without having to stop the engine.

Fortis mowers all feature a six-blade precision ground cutting cylinder to give the finest, most precise cut possible. The height of cut can easily be adjusted too with variants as low as 6mm and ranging up to 30mm. The finishing touch to the perfect cut comes from the steel front roller giving an enhanced definition to the iconic lawn stripes.

Convenience and comfort have also been considered as the mowers have foam cushioned handles that fold down for easy transportation and compact storage.

What makes the Fortis machines the ultimate in lawncare however, is their ability to transform into seven other machines to ensure that lawns are immaculate and healthy. The Fortis six-bladed cassette can simply be removed and replaced with another accessory cassette in the range to switch its use. Other cartridges include:

Verticutter – lightly removes thatch build up with light, fine blades without penetrating the soil and by cutting vertically to increase turf density
Scarifier – more aggressive than the verticutter and can easy remove debris and dense thatch by penetrating the soil to encourages new growth
Dethatcher – will remove the densest layers of thatch and will collect twice as much material as the verticut cartridge. Its thick, wide spaced tines will penetrate the soil up to 6mm deep
Aerator – brakes up soil compaction as its blades slit the ground to allow extra air, moisture and nutrients to reach the grass roots. Ultimately, creating a healthier, thicker and more luscious lawn
Turf rake – powerful blades both lift thatch and thinly slice soil surface to ensure maximum water, air and nutrients can flow to the roots
Lawn brush – features rotating brushes that easily collects light debris such as fallen leaves, twigs, grass clippings or litter and places it in the collection box. It can also be used to remove dew and light rain from the lawn to prevent fungal diseases
10-blade cassette – gives an even closer finish worthy of croquet, tennis lawns and bowling greens!

It’s not just the convenience of the cartridges that makes the Fortis range so special, the cutting ability is superb and incredible precise.
The cylinder mowers’ blades spiral around the cartridge, as such they cut with a scissor action, slicing instead of chopping like a rotary mower. This is better for the grass, as it has less impact and causes less trauma which in turn leads to healthier grass. The clean cut from a cylinder mower is less damaging for the plant and also helps prevent against diseases forming. Not only does this create healthy lawns, but it also gives crisply defined lines for a perfectly striped finish.

For further information about Cobra, please visit www.cobragarden.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®

Safeguard surfaces from drought with 4turf®: With drought-like conditions becoming more common, turf managers can begin future-proofing their surfaces now with deep-rooting, drought-tolerant grasses such as 4turf^® tetraploid perennial ryegrass from DLF.

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower: The new Fortis range of cylinder lawnmowers from Cobra delivers advanced lawn mower technology to bring a convenient lawncare solution with incredible cutting precision.

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