Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

March 17, 2026/in Awards, News, Press Release/by Admin

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced: The winners of the 2026 GMA Industry Awards were announced last night at a prestigious ceremony at Edgbaston Stadium. The awards took place alongside the new GMA Conference, which ran throughout the day and brought the industry together for workshops and discussions. Hosted by renowned broadcaster Kelly […]

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

March 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads: At Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, Course Manager Luke Jenkins has been achieving exceptional results using BASF’s Attraxor®, a plant growth regulator supplied by Agrovista Amenity. Containing the active ingredient prohexadione-calcium, Attraxor has become a key part of Luke’s turf management programme, helping him achieve smoother, more consistent […]

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

March 17, 2026/in Awards, News, Press Release/by Admin

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

March 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

March 17, 2026/in Awards, News, Press Release/by Admin

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced: The winners of the 2026 GMA Industry Awards were announced last night at a prestigious ceremony at Edgbaston Stadium.

The awards took place alongside the new GMA Conference, which ran throughout the day and brought the industry together for workshops and discussions.

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

Hosted by renowned broadcaster Kelly Somers, the awards celebrated the people and teams who show outstanding skill across the grounds management sector.

With #GroundsWeek just around the corner, taking place from 23-29 March, the awards also served as a reminder of the vital role grounds staff play in making sport possible.

The 2026 winners are:

Young Groundsperson of the Year (Sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions)
- Flynn Good
Newcomer of the Year (Sponsored by ICL)
- George Legg
Volunteer Groundsperson/Team of the Year (Sponsored by Chappell Enterprises UK)
- Trubshaw Cross
Community Groundsperson/Team of the Year (Sponsored by National Governing Bodies of Sport)
- Stoneham Lane Football Complex
Best Managed Artificial Surface of the Year
- University of Warwick
Environmental & Sustainability Impact Award
- Liverpool F.C
Bowls & Croquet Groundsperson/Team of the Year
- Dean Gibbons
Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by Barenbrug)
- Marylebone Cricket Club
Professional Tennis Courts Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by Advanced Turf Technology LTD)
- The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Professional Horse Racing Grounds Team of the Year
- Warwick Racecourse
Professional Rugby League Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by Agronomic Services Ltd)
- Castleford Tigers
Professional Rugby Union Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by MJ Abbott/Premier Pitches)
- Bristol Bears
Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by Reesink)
- Lincoln City F.C
Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (Elite) (Sponsored by SGL)
- Manchester City F.C
University & College Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by Kubota)
- University of Warwick
Independent School Grounds Team of the Year (Sponsored by ISEKI)
- Whitgift School
GMA Grounds Manager of the Year (Sponsored by DLF Seeds Ltd)
- Karl McDermott

Geoff Webb, GMA CEO said: “The GMA Industry Awards are always a key highlight in our calendar. They give us the chance to celebrate the hard work that drives our industry forward. We received a record number of entries this year which shows real strength and pride across grounds management. I want to congratulate all our winners and thank them for the great work they do every day.”

The GMA would like to extend a special thank you to our platinum sponsor ISEKI UK & Ireland as well as conference & award sponsors Origin Amenity Solutions, ICL, Chappell Enterprises UK, National Governing Bodies of Sport, Barenbrug, Agronomic Services Ltd, MJ Abbott/Premier Pitches, Reesink, SGL, Kubota, DLF Seeds Ltd and Advanced Turf Technology LTD, whose support made this event possible.

This year’s charity partner, MND Association, was at the heart of the evening, with guests generously donating to support its vital work in improving access to care, research and campaigning for people affected by motor neurone disease. Thank you to everyone who contributed, your generosity will make a genuine difference.

As we celebrate this year’s award winners, we also encourage the industry to continue raising awareness of the profession by getting involved in #GroundsWeek from 23-29 March. Our annual awareness campaign is all about championing the hard work of grounds staff, inspiring future talent and highlighting the crucial role they play in making sport possible.

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

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

March 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads: At Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, Course Manager Luke Jenkins has been achieving exceptional results using BASF’s Attraxor®, a plant growth regulator supplied by Agrovista Amenity.

Containing the active ingredient prohexadione-calcium, Attraxor has become a key part of Luke’s turf management programme, helping him achieve smoother, more consistent greens and a better balance of grass species across the site.

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

Luke, who has been Course Manager at Crowborough Beacon for four and a half years, first came across Attraxor through conversations with Andrew Norman from Agrovista Amenity.

Intrigued by the dual promise of growth regulation and seed-head suppression – and the fact it blended well with the biologicals Luke already uses – he trialled it on the greens and was impressed almost immediately.

“Andrew kept mentioning Attraxor for both growth control and seed-head suppression, and it really ticked a lot of boxes. I started using it and instantly started seeing a difference,” Luke explains.

Seed-head suppression that improves consistency

One of the most obvious benefits for Luke has been the dramatic reduction in seed-head size and frequency – a critical improvement for green speed and consistency.

“You don’t get the big, juicy seed heads you used to get – they’re much smaller,” he says. “We don’t get the white, bobbly greens in the spring that affect roll and speed. Even in a tough seed-head year we had minimal issues compared with other courses nearby.”

Attraxor inhibits a key growth hormone, gibberellic acid, leading to consistent reductions in both shoot growth and flowering. This helps deliver a more consistent surface for golfers and reduces the variability that can make putting unpredictable.

Fast, flexible growth regulation

Attraxor activates on contact with water in the spray tank and begins to regulate growth in as little as four hours – a speed of action Luke values.

“It’s a two-in-one for me: growth regulation including seed-head suppression. I apply it every 21 days and try to get the first treatment on early – because the earlier you start, the better the results,” he says.

Luke typically applies Attraxor around 500 g/ha now and has found it provides consistent regulation across species and cutting heights. That flexibility makes it suitable for the fine turf demands at Crowborough Beacon’s greens, and he notes it keeps growth manageable even when granular feeds are applied.

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

Health, density and integrated use

Beyond seed-head suppression and reduced mowing, Attraxor contributes to improved sward density and healthier roots – outcomes that help turf resist both abiotic stresses and disease pressures.

Crucially for Luke’s programme, Attraxor mixes well with many of the biological products and foliar inputs he uses, allowing it to slot into an integrated strategy that emphasises plant health as well as growth management.

Practical, value-driven performance

For a club with limited resources and no fairway irrigation, reliable, low-rate chemistry that delivers predictable results is essential. Luke highlights Attraxor’s cost effectiveness at such small application rates.

“For the price and the quantity you use, it’s excellent value. I wouldn’t be without it now – 100%. Even if you only want seed-head suppression, it’s worth a trial.”

Luke encourages other course managers to test Attraxor on their sites, particularly where Poa seed heads and variable green speed are issues. For Crowborough Beacon, the product has become a key part of keeping greens consistent and playable while supporting the wider restoration and improvement programme Luke is leading.

“If it works on your site like it does on ours, it’ll earn a permanent place in your shed,” he concludes.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit https://amenity.agrovista.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)

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced

Winners Of The 2026 GMA Industry Awards Announced: The winners of the 2026 GMA Industry Awards were announced last night at a prestigious ceremony at Edgbaston Stadium.

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads

Attraxor helps refine greens and tame seed heads: At Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, Course Manager Luke Jenkins has been achieving exceptional results using BASF’s Attraxor®, a plant growth regulator supplied by Agrovista Amenity.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT