Tag Archive for: Against

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

/in , /by

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne: After emerging from one of the wettest winters on record, many turf managers across the sporting spectrum are now catching-up with both the mechanical maintenance and nutritional needs of their playing surfaces.

To cope with this intensive intervention and/or periods of plant stress, Suståne’s BOLSTER® Liquid Biostimulant has proven to be one of the most effective growth supplements on the market – its balanced blend of ingredients minimising the impact of poor-quality soils, adverse temperatures, parasitic nematodes and drought.

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

Formulated with 5% Iron Chelate, 4% Humic Acid and 2% Seaweed Extract, BOLSTER® increases plant vigour in sub-optimal conditions by reducing the effect of stress factors. In extensive research and field trials conducted by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, BOLSTER® was found to significantly increase root mass and depth, accelerate chlorophyll production, improve moisture retention and reduce wilting. In addition, it boosted the plants natural tolerance to certain diseases and plant parasitic nematodes such as Root Knot and Lance nematode infected turfgrass, through the trial period conducted in Virginia.

BOLSTER® is suitable for applications on the golf course, winter sports pitches and other intensively managed turf areas and can be an effective partner to overseeding operations, with significant improvements to seedling and turf establishment noted as a result. It also contributes to optimised growth in low light conditions.

One club to discover the benefits of BOLSTER® Liquid are Brighton and Hove Golf Club, who explain that the biostimulant has become a staple in their greenkeeping arsenal. “We’ve used Suståne’s BOLSTER® Liquid here for the last seven years” explains Course Manager Jason Sarna. “It’s a great product for seeing us through high pressure periods, protecting the plant from abiotic stress caused by cultural practices, heat and drought stress and through the winter months when daylight hours are reduced.”

“We use the BOLSTER® Liquid as part of our root drench application mixed with either wetting agent or aminos, for increased soil and plant health. Since implementing BOLSTER® as part of our nutritional programme, we have noticed a definite increase in plant health and rooting, and the colour response after application is a fantastic added bonus!”

BOLSTER® is best applied monthly at a rate of 9.46L per Ha in 300-800L water depending on the application target area. It can be applied flexibly as part of a foliar spray mixed with PGR, or in a root drench spray mixed with a chosen wetting agent.

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.

Fight against the Garden Chafer

/in , /by

Fight against the Garden Chafer: International Pheromone Systems is looking for trial sites as part of its work to develop lures and traps to help monitor and control an insect pest that is menacing golf courses, race courses, amenity gardens and parks across much of the UK.

Dr Sam Jones, Technical Manager for IPS, explains: “Garden Chafer beetles are turf pests and are most problematic in locations where turf must be kept pristine.

Fight against the Garden Chafer

Fight against the Garden Chafer

“While adults can cause some damage from feeding it is the grubs (larvae) that are the most damaging as they feed and develop on the roots of the grass. In certain locations populations of the Garden Chafer can proliferate. There has been an increasing demand for an environmentally friendly, biocontrol method of managing these pests particularly following the ban of some pesticides. We estimate that a typical golf course would probably need 8 – 12 traps to efficiently monitor for these pests, dependent upon size, shape and planting.”

Monitoring provides early warning of a pest’s presence and identifies areas to be targeted, rather than treatments being applied to large regions where the beetle may not be present. Any trials would be expected to take place between May and July when the pests are usually most abundant.

“We don’t have a pheromone for either the Garden Chafer or the Welsh Chafer, so we currently use plant derived attractants which in the case of the Garden Chafer are floral odours. The hope is that our new lure formats will attract both species. This work will later be extended to the less damaging pests, the Rose Chafer and the Cockchafer,” Sam added.

Chafer larvae are distinguished by their “C” shaped body, which is white with a pale brown head. Garden chafer larvae reach up to 15 mm long when fully grown. Larvae feed on the roots of grasses which results in the formation of patches. Damage is often exacerbated by badgers and crows which like to dig into the turf to feed on the larvae.

“Damaged turf on sports pitches can sometimes impact on player welfare. Once weakened the turf may not provide adequate traction which can result in increased slips and falls and potential player injury.

“As well as injuries there can be loss of revenue for the facility if a sporting event has to be cancelled and the capital costs of replacing the damaged turf can often be substantial,” Sam explains.

International Pheromone Systems offers a nature-based approach and specialist knowledge for natural and safe solutions to monitor and manage pests in agricultural and domestic environments.

The company’s highly skilled entomologists find solutions from nature itself. Together with universities, scientific partners and growers, the IPS team works to find natural solutions to help reduce pesticide use and support integrated pest management (IPM) in agriculture, horticulture and forestry businesses.

A healthier, safer and more productive environment is achieved by using the natural behaviour of pests and finding the right pheromone combination and trapping solution specific to a particular species.

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.

ECHA support action against COVID-19

/in , /by

ECHA support action against COVID-19: ECHA will, together with the European Commission, support Member States and industry in addressing disinfectant shortages. The Agency will also extend some of its deadlines to help chemicals companies.

ECHA is taking measures to support EU action to fight the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The Agency will, together with the European Commission, support Member States and industry to address shortages with the supply of disinfectants, which has become a critical issue in several EU Member States.

ECHA support action against COVID-19

ECHA support action against COVID-19

Bjorn Hansen, ECHA’s Executive Director says: “It is essential to ensure that there are enough disinfectants available for health professionals and European citizens. The main limiting factor seems to be the availability of active substances used in these biocidal products – in particular isopropanol, 1-propanol and ethanol. We are working, together with the Commission, on special arrangements to help Member States and companies get more disinfectants on the market as soon as possible.”

More details about concrete actions will follow soon.

Deadlines for certain processes will also be handled flexibly, including the payment of invoices. For certain deadlines that fall between now and the end of May 2020, companies will receive an extension of two months. This applies to cases where companies have initially failed to provide a complete registration for their chemicals and were granted a final deadline between March and May 2020, as well as for requests for further information related to confidentiality claims.

An extension of 30 days will also apply for companies to comment on ECHA’s draft decisions in cases where a registration has been considered incompliant with legal requirements.

More information on these arrangements will be published soon and duty holders will also be informed directly through ECHA’s IT systems.

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.

Protect Against Disease This Autumn

/in , /by

Protect Against Disease This Autumn: Greenkeepers, groundsmen and amenity space managers should apply more than just nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to their green areas this autumn, with magnesium and iron essential to maintaining healthy, disease free grass swards throughout the winter.

That is the latest advice from Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager for Germinal GB, who, ahead of the 30th October SALTEX show, recommends the application of specialist fertilisers to ensure grassed areas remain healthy as the weather turns cooler.

Protect Against Disease This Autumn

“No matter how naturally resistant a grass cultivar is to diseases such as fusarium, an unhealthy or nutrient deficient sward won’t be able to withstand the disease pressures associated with the onset of wetter and colder autumn conditions,” Mr Brown explains. “Greenkeepers, groundsmen and amenity space managers must therefore remember that feeding the sward goes beyond applying the main three macro-nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, and should apply additional micro-nutrients, namely magnesium and iron, to bolster tolerance to disease and cold conditions.”

Germinal’s specialist G13 Protekt and G14 Alleviate Fe fertilisers are formulated to provide the necessary nutrients to protect grass swards at crucial times such as during the onset of cooler autumn and winter conditions.

G13 ProteKt is a 3-0-22 (+3% Fe) anti-stress fertiliser. Containing 22% potash and 3% iron, it can be used during the autumn and winter to harden turf, heighten sward colour and prevent disease attack. Used at this time of year, G13 ProteKt enhances wear tolerance, protects the sward from frost damage and enables quicker recovery in the subsequent spring.

G13 ProteKt can also be applied in the spring and summer when its high potassium content aids transpiration control in dry periods and fortifies the drought tolerance of grass plants.

G14 Alleviate Fe is a 4-0-10 (+8% Fe) fertiliser which is ideal for protecting high value turf areas such as sports fields, golf greens and tees and bowling greens throughout the growing season, but especially during the autumn and winter months. G14 Alleviate Fe contains magnesium, a vital component of chlorophyll, which helps to maintain good metabolism of energy for healthy plant growth. Its high iron content improves resistance to disease and ensures quick greening throughout the growing season without causing any intense flushes of growth. G14 Alleviate Fe also helps to control and inhibit moss.

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.

Fresh Is Best In Nematodes’ Battle Against Pests

/in , /by

Fresh Is Best In Nematodes’ Battle Against Pests: Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worm-like organisms that are found naturally in garden soil. They are nature’s way of controlling slugs and other garden pests and BASF, the EU’s largest specialist nematode producer, has harnessed this natural control process and grows five species that each attack different pests.

Nematodes are grown at BASF’s facility in Littlehampton, Sussex, and can be used to control slugs, vine weevil, leatherjackets, ants, chafer grubs, as well as a product containing a number of different nematode species which will protect against a range of pests that attack various fruit and vegetables.

Fresh Is Best In Nematodes' Battle Against Pests

BASF is passionate about supplying its nematodes fresh, rather than dried, as this ensures the quality of the product remains high and consistently effective.

Gavin Wood, BASF’s European account and sales manager, says “To successfully hunt down their prey, nematodes must be healthy when customers receive them. That is why we do not freeze dry them and they are delivered fresh, with enough food matter in the packet so that they remain alive. It is safe to store them in the refrigerator and use before the date shown on the packaging.”

Watered on to borders, beds, lawns, hanging baskets, houseplants and containers, nematodes are a harmless biological control that do not pose a risk to children, pets or non-target species such as birds and small mammals.

An entire season’s worth of pest control can be purchased via online stockists and delivered straight to your door throughout the season, allowing you to spend more time in the garden and rest assured that your pest control is taken care of for another year.

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 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.