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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

August 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition Plant nutrition can be optimised by helping turf grass to utilise more from fertilisation. This, suggests Agronomist Kate Finlayson, can be achieved by incorporating silicon into grounds care maintenance routines. “Silicon is not always discussed in the same way as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium or iron, but I […]

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

August 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham The course managers at Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes have praised the monumental effort from volunteers and staff in executing The Open Championship and the AIG Women’s Open over an intense fortnight. John Deere and local dealer Turner Groundscare provided additional machines, technicians, […]

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

August 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

August 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

August 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

Plant nutrition can be optimised by helping turf grass to utilise more from fertilisation. This, suggests Agronomist Kate Finlayson, can be achieved by incorporating silicon into grounds care maintenance routines.

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

“Silicon is not always discussed in the same way as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium or iron, but I think that is changing,” she says. “In elite turf, the question is not just what has been applied. It is whether the plant can actually use that nutrition effectively and turn it into performance.”

Granular fertilisers, foliar feeds and soil drenches all remain essential tools for professional grounds teams. Granular fertilisers provide the nutritional foundation, foliar nutrition allows more targeted support when a faster response is required, and soil drenches can focus activity in the rootzone.

Plant-available silicon sits alongside these approaches. Its role is not to replace existing nutrition, but to help strengthen the plant and support more efficient use of the programme already in place.

“A nutrition programme is only as effective as the plant’s ability to access and use the nutrients available to it,” says Kate. “If rooting is weak, uptake is restricted. If the plant is under stress, nutrient assimilation can be compromised. If photosynthesis is limited, the plant has less energy available for recovery and growth. That is particularly relevant in stadium turf, where light, temperature, wear and recovery windows are constantly changing,” she adds.

Plant-available silicon is associated with stronger cell walls, improved leaf rigidity and greater tolerance to wear and environmental stress. In practical turf terms, this can support a tougher plant that is better able to tolerate mowing, play, divoting and short recovery windows.

Recovery is where Kate believes silicon becomes especially relevant. “After play, the turf plant has to rebuild damaged tissue, maintain density, continue producing new roots and shoots, and restore surface integrity. Nutrition is central to that process, but the plant has to be in a position to use the nutrients being supplied. That is where plant-available silicon can add value,” she says.

Trial work carried out with the STRI, using Orion Future Technologies’ plant-available silicon, Fossil, showed improved uptake of several key nutrients. In the turf data, the most relevant responses were silicon, calcium, iron and magnesium. Kate says that profile matters because each nutrient links directly to turf performance.

“Silicon supports structural strength. A plant with stronger cell walls and improved rigidity is better equipped to tolerate wear and maintain leaf quality. Calcium is essential for actively growing tissue, particularly root tips, shoot tips and new leaf growth. In sports turf, that links directly to recovery because the plant needs to rebuild damaged tissue and keep producing new roots and shoots after play. Iron supports chlorophyll function, colour and plant performance, while magnesium sits at the centre of the chlorophyll molecule and is essential for photosynthesis. That is particularly relevant where light is restricted, such as shaded stadium environments or winter periods,” she says

She further suggests that silicon should not be treated as a standalone input and instead should be considered as part of the wider nutrition strategy.

“Traditional fertiliser planning often focuses on what is being applied: nitrogen levels, potassium balance, iron source, foliar mix or rootzone treatment. Those questions still matter, but the next question is how effectively the plant is using that nutrition,” she says.

For top-end venues, sustainability is also becoming a bigger part of the nutrition conversation. The focus is not simply on reducing fertiliser inputs, but on demonstrating that nutrition is being managed intelligently, with a clear link between inputs, plant response and surface performance.

“Silicon should not sit outside the nutrition programme, it should be built into it with a clear objective,” adds Kate.

She suggests potential outcomes could include improved recovery in high-wear areas, better rooting in restricted zones, support during periods of shade, or helping the plant cope when recovery windows are tight.

“The most effective approach is targeted and measurable. Using tissue analysis, visual assessment, recovery observations and surface performance data will help understand the response,” she says.

Plant-available silicon provides a way to strengthen the link between nutrition and performance. By supporting plant structure, nutrient uptake and recovery, it can help grounds teams get more value from granular fertilisers, foliar feeds and soil drenches.

“In modern sports turf management, nutrition is no longer just about feeding the plant, it’s about building a stronger, more resilient plant system,” she concludes.

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John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

August 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

The course managers at Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes have praised the monumental effort from volunteers and staff in executing The Open Championship and the AIG Women’s Open over an intense fortnight.

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

John Deere and local dealer Turner Groundscare provided additional machines, technicians, and training for the two courses to ensure preparations were perfect, while dozens of volunteer greenkeepers descended on the venues to support.

Both clubs are established John Deere customers, but for the strict timescales required for televised tournament golf, they benefitted from additional resources to prepare for the events.

The Open Championship – Royal Birkdale

Birkdale’s Course Manager, Sean McLean, has worked Opens before, but this was his first in charge.

“It’s been years in the planning with John Deere, talking about what machinery would be needed, how we were going to work it, and how many volunteers we needed,” he said.

For tournament week, Birkdale’s regular team of 16 swelled to around 45, with volunteers drawn from other Open venues, among others.

Tee times started at 6.30am on Thursday and Friday, so the crew was on course from 4am with seven John Deere 8000AE fairway mowers and seven 2775 E-cut greens mowers deployed simultaneously to get everything ready before the first drive.

The standout addition for Sean was the John Deere 2775 E-Cut. Birkdale took delivery of two of the new electric triple riding mowers just months before The Open, specifically to have them ready for championship week. They were cutting greens, tees and surrounds.

“The staff really enjoyed using the electric mowers,” Sean said. “It’s less noise, and the finish they provided was ideal for what we needed for The Open Championship.”

Dealer Turner Groundscare arrived on site around five weeks before the tournament to begin machine preparation alongside Birkdale’s own workshop team. They supported with key tasks such as servicing, sharpening, setting bottom blades, and dialling in roller settings. During championship week a dealer technician was present full-time.

“For the week before and the week of the tournament we had a Turner Groundscare technician here pretty much all day, every day. Even outside of tournaments, the dealer provides very good support for us,” he said.

John Deere’s own staff from its Langar headquarters in Nottinghamshire also arrived on site to work with the greenkeeping team and dozens of volunteers. They provided on-site training for anyone who was not familiar with John Deere machinery, ensuring everyone was up to speed before championship week began.

“It was invaluable to have help with training for all the volunteers that might not have seen these machines before. That support made a real difference,” Sean added.

Fresh from seeing New Zealander Ryan Fox close out his first major championship, the team moved up to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open.

AIG Women’s Open

Royal Lytham’s Course Manager Paul Smith began preparations for hosting the Women’s Open years in advance, making sure the course is ready to host the world’s very best players.

“It takes a lot of planning, hard work, dedication, and professionalism to maintain and manage a well prepared and conditioned course all year round, which is never that far away from being the best it can be,” he said.

John Deere has been instrumental in supporting Royal Lytham & St Annes in hosting every major championship since 2001, over time proving to be a very beneficial relationship in helping the greenkeeping team plan, learn and develop from each competition.

“Having John Deere and Turner Groundscare present and supporting on site provided us with an added level of assurance, knowing that any problems would be addressed promptly, ensuring the continued smooth running of the operation throughout,” said Paul. “John Deere worked closely with the club’s mechanic and lead ensuring that we delivered the very best.”

An extensive fleet of John Deere machinery was deployed on all areas of the Championship course, made up of eleven 2775 greens mowers, six 8000AE fairway mowers, and eight TE Gators, with over 30 greenkeepers operating the machines – double the amount of Royal Lytham’s regular team.

“The feedback on the performance and quality of the John Deere machines was recognised widely from not just the professionals who operated the machinery, but also by the elite players testing their game on the surfaces that the machines helped refine.”

The extra machinery and dealer back up made the difference when combined with additional greenkeepers volunteering for the event.

“Delivering a modern-day championship is reliant on the support of an adequately sized, professional and skilled team,” said Paul. “The level of planning, organising, and directing is maintained at a high level throughout, with data collection and course preparation critique positively influencing informed decision making, helping to deliver the marginal gains in all areas for the course to be at its very best.

“A major championship is only ever achievable by having this high level of support, backup, and knowledge in all areas, but particularly the machinery element that John Deere and Turner Groundscare provided.”

While hot and dry conditions made it an especially difficult year for greenkeeping in the build-up to the tournament – which was won by Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki – Paul praises his team and the support team for delivering a successful championship.

“The challenges were exacerbated by the difficult conditions but ensuring that the course and the competition was a success was the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and professionalism by an outstanding team.

“Our support team were also fantastic and made the championship that bit more special.”

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

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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

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