Tag Archive for: Attraxor®

Attraxor® is King of the Castle

/in , /by

Attraxor® is King of the Castle: After Poa annua was disrupting play on the greens at Bothwell Castle Golf Club, the Head Greenkeeper found a solution in BASF’s Attraxor®, which was recommended and supplied by Agrovista Amenity.

Alan Boyd is the Head Greenkeeper at Bothwell Castle Golf Club in Lanarkshire – a flat 18-hole parkland course located in the woodland area surrounding the 13th century Bothwell Castle.

Attraxor® is King of the Castle

Attraxor® is King of the Castle

Alan explained how he first started using Attraxor®.

“Our greens are predominantly a Poa – bent mix. When the Poa is coming into bloom it starts causing issues with the ball swaying and the greens don’t run true. Ramsay MacGregor (Amenity Specialist for Agrovista Amenity) told me that Attraxor® reduces seedhead production in Poa and I was keen to give it a try.”

Attraxor® is a plant growth regulator containing the active substance, prohexadione calcium and can be used to regulate growth of all managed amenity turf. This active substance inhibits the gibberellic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Root growth is promoted whilst turf colour and quality are maintained.

Furthermore, using an innovative formulation for fast leaf absorption, the product provides almost instant results, as it is activated once diluted in water. Contrary to other plant growth regulators that need to be activated by the plant enzymes, Attraxor® can be used earlier or later in the season during cooler weather.

Alan initially applied Attraxor® at a rate of 375 g/ha before increasing it to 800 g/ha and hasn’t looked back.

“You can build it up to that application rate or bring it back down – whatever you think is needed,” he said. “The results speak for themselves. Finer grasses have started coming through because the Poa is not overtaking. It is easy to use, easy to measure out and the granules easily disperse in the water. As a greenkeeper, our priority is to keep golfers happy and since using Attraxor®, the feedback on the surfaces over the past three seasons has been exceptional. They now have a consistent ball speed, and the ball isn’t swerving all over the Poa.”

Attraxor® is King of the Castle

Attraxor® is King of the Castle

In addition to supressing the Poa annua seed heads, Alan has reported some other positive findings.

“We spoke to some people from BASF and they shared with us the results from a golf club in another part of Europe with similar weather to us. They sprayed Attraxor® consistently throughout the year and noticed a reduction of disease. I was really interested in this because we do get hit with disease, but it has been getting better since we have been applying Attraxor®. BASF explained that as the regular use of Attraxor causes the thickening of plant cell walls and epidermis, it can lead to a reduced susceptibility to diseases such as Microdochium patch by mechanical means rather than by directly affecting the pathogen itself.

“If I carry on seeing a reduction in disease it will be a game changer because we are then not having to put down fungicides,” continued Alan. “We know the bad press fungicides are getting and you are saving money by not using them, so the money you are saving on the fungicide can be put into something else.

“In my opinion the future is bright.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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® keeps Poa at bay at Kirkhill

/in , /by

Attraxor® keeps Poa at bay at Kirkhill: Scott McKittrick, Course Manager at Kirkhill Golf Club, has revealed how Attraxor® has helped him to suppress Poa annua and has resulted in the greens playing firm, true and fast.

Kirkhill Golf Club is a parkland course, founded in 1910 and designed by the renowned course architect and five times Open winner James Braid. The course is located on the outskirts of the city of Glasgow in the South Lanarkshire area.

Attraxor® keeps Poa at bay at Kirkhill

Attraxor® keeps Poa at bay at Kirkhill

Scott originally joined Kirkhill Golf Club as an apprentice back in 1995 and was rewarded with the Course Manager position just seven years later. He now oversees a team of six members of staff and explained the importance of keeping standards consistently high.

“We are in a very competitive area and are surrounded by many golf clubs,” he said. “I’m pleased to say that we always get great feedback, and we hold our own. We must be different and entice people to join and that involves always being at the top of our game.”

Therefore, when he was recommended a potential solution to tackling a large percentage of Poa annua on the greens, he was keen to trial it.

“Our greens consist of approximately 60%-70% annual meadow-grass and because of this we would have to be aggressive with the turf. We would double cut and roll, and it took a lot of time and labour.

“I spoke to Ramsay MacGregor (Amenity Specialist for Agrovista Amenity) and he told me a lot about a product which he believed to be brilliant at supressing annual meadow-grass seed heads. After talking at length, I thought it would be great for us if it did exactly what it said on the tin.”

The product Ramsay introduced to Scott was Attraxor® – a BASF product which has been shown to effectively regulate growth of managed amenity turf. The active substance, Prohexadione, inhibits the gibberellic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Furthermore, as well reducing clippings it also suppresses the seed heads of Poa annua.

Key advantages include:

  • Attraxor® is formulated for rapid foliar uptake – as quick as 4 hours from application.
  • Superior performance against Poa annua pioneering.
  • Attraxor® can be used earlier or later in the season at cooler temperatures compared to other growth regulators.
  • Consistent growth regulation of turf grass species.
  • Root formation is also promoted through the use of Attraxor® whilst turf colour and quality are enhanced.

Scott initially applied Attraxor® at the recommended minimum rate of 375 g/ha and was instantly impressed.

“The first time we tried it last year, the Poa was going crazy. We applied Attraxor®, came in the next day and we couldn’t believe it. It looked as though it had literally wiped the whole Poa out. When you got close you could see that it was still there, but it was severely dishevelled. From that moment, we knew it was a game-changer.

“In that first year we mainly used the product to firefight the Poa seedheads, so as soon as we saw it was coming back, we hit it with Attraxor® again. However, this year we have taken a more regimented approach; applying it at a higher rate of 500 g/ha. This has reduced the seed head production and has worked really well. The ball roll is no longer affected by the Poa, and the greens play brilliantly – they are exactly where we want them to be.”

By attending an Agrovista Amenity education day, Scott found that he wasn’t the only one reporting good results from Attraxor®.

“The education days from Agrovista Amenity are important because they provide an opportunity to see how products and technology are developing,” he said. “There have been a couple of seminars that have focussed on Attraxor® and it brought together lots of greenkeepers who have all been using the product. It was great speaking to them and finding out what rates they use, what they might be mixing it with and what results they are seeing.

“The general consensus was that it is a brilliant product and is great for supressing Poa annua seed head production.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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.

Create pitch perfect sports fields with Attraxor®

/in , /by

Create pitch perfect sports fields with Attraxor®: High quality, well-maintained sports pitches are essential to pupils’ sporting successes and achievements. The BASF product Attraxor® is a plant growth regulator containing the active substance prohexadione, that can be used to regulate growth of all managed sports turf, helping to create fields and pitches that are easier to maintain and have improved playability.

Prohexadione inhibits the Gibberellic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass by up to 70%. Turf root formation and sward density is enhanced, with positive effects on the play, while turf colour and quality are maintained, promoting turf that doesn’t just look healthy, but is healthy.

Create pitch perfect sports fields with Attraxor®

Create pitch perfect sports fields with Attraxor®

In addition, due to its unique effects on seed head production, Attraxor® is also used as a Poa annua management tool.

Acting within four hours of application, Attraxor® delivers great turf quality and appearance, improves sward density and playability and enables better labour efficiency – all essential for the maintenance of high-quality pitches. Another labour and time-saving benefit is that Attraxor® can be mixed with fertilisers, adjuvants and stimulants, depending upon the need, and even contains a water conditioner for easier application.

Recent trials in Germany indicated another exciting Attraxor® feature. Functional areas treated in winter showed significantly less Microdochium nivale infection (-78%), compared to untreated areas thanks to a physiological processes described as the Apogee effect. Prohexadione causes a change of plant cell structures including thickening of plant cell walls, therefore, turf plants which are susceptible to M. nivale in winter, create a physical barrier which helps to withstand fungal infections. The broad temperature range of Attraxor® activity (starting at 7°C) is a perfect fit for late applications to optimise the IPM potential of this powerful active ingredient. This is hugely beneficial to help avoid a costly spring refurbishment programme.

For further product information including warning phrases and symbols refer to https://www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Product-innovation/Turf/

Attraxor® contains prohexadione calcium. Attraxor is a registered trademark of BASF. © BASF 2022. All rights reserved.

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 astounds at the birthplace of Rugby

/in , /by

Attraxor astounds at the birthplace of Rugby: The sports pitches at Rugby School in Warwickshire are benefitting from a stronger sward after Attraxor plant growth regulator was recommended and supplied by Agrovista Amenity.

In 1823, student William Webb Ellis, took a football in his arms and ran with it, originating the game of rugby. Today, innumerable tourists visit the ‘home of the game’ and rugby teams from all over the world can be seen training at Rugby School. It certainly makes Grounds Manager, James Mead a busy man.

Attraxor astounds at the birthplace of Rugby

Attraxor astounds at the birthplace of Rugby

“There can’t be any sort of downtime for the team, and I can be taken aside at any time,” he said. “There could be a TV crew, very important persons or tourists that have made a rugby pilgrimage and want to stand on the turf where the game began. We can never afford to have an off-day here.”

James admits that he is fortunate to have a close-knit team around him; one that has been together for an astonishing amount of time.

“We have a smashing team that has always been together – in fact no one has left in 18 years,” he said. “It helps enormously because we are a very focussed group. Everyone gets a say – decisions and discussions are a collective. This way the whole team gets on-board with ideas, and everyone understands why we are doing something.”

Three years ago, the team decided to incorporate Attraxor plant growth regulator into their maintenance programme. It was a decision which has proved to be considerably successful.

“We had just Koro’d off all of the cricket outfield and were starting fresh,” explained James. “Following this we needed a product that would stick and would help to thicken the sward. Mark Allen from Agrovista Amenity recommended Attraxor and we are pleased he did – it made a huge difference to the strength and playability of the grass.”

Attraxor, a BASF product, is a plant growth regulator containing the active substance, prohexadione and can be used to regulate growth of all managed amenity turf. This active substance inhibits the Giberrelic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Root growth is promoted whilst turf colour and quality are maintained.

Based on its initial success, James and the team decided to further utilise Attraxor and it is now an integral product throughout the growing season.

“Attraxor was perfect for the cricket outfield and so we then used it on our two gold standard rugby pitches – which are the ones that all the visitors come to see. Again, it made a big difference.

“We do a lot of liquid spraying and Attraxor goes nicely into our tank mixes,” he continued. “What we mix it with largely depends on the time of the year, but we will start applying Attraxor in March, as soon as the plant is up taking, and we continue to put it down every month throughout the growing season.

“In terms of cutting, we no longer have clippings to contend with and if we have had bad weather and can’t cut, then it is no longer an issue.

“I have been very impressed with Attraxor. Not only has the sward improved, but growth rates across a range of grass species have been regulated equally. I’m especially pleased to see that the strength and vigour of less desirable Poa annua plants has diminished.”

As well as reporting excellent results, James is also of the opinion that his formidable team has gained an extra member.

“Mark Allen is a very hands-on, amenable person to work with – he is a friend as well as a professional colleague. We bounce ideas off one another and it is a good collaboration. He gets on well with all the other members of staff and if anyone has any questions, he is always available to answer them.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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® reduces clippings at Broadway GC

/in , /by

Attraxor® reduces clippings at Broadway GC: Jamie Blake, Head Greenkeeper at Broadway Golf Club in Worcestershire, has reported impressive results after using Attraxor® plant growth regulator (PGR).

“We measured our clip rate before using Attraxor® and it was 25.9ml/m²,” said Jamie. “The day after we had applied the product the clippings had reduced to 17.7 ml/m² – an almost 32% reduction.”

Attraxor® reduces clippings at Broadway GC

Attraxor® reduces clippings at Broadway GC

Jamie first had his head turned by BASF’s Attraxor® when he heard that the product offers 70 percent biomass reduction and up to 75 percent increase in sward density. It was at this point that he sought the advice of Ray Hunt from Agrovista Amenity to find out more about the unique PGR.

“Jamie was looking for improvements with his PGR programme to achieve greater consistency from fewer applications and Attraxor was the best fit, so he decided to try it,” said Ray.

Jamie went ahead and was pleased to see quick results.

“The greens are predominately Poa annua,” he said. “We have been over seeding with Bent two or three times a year to create a stronger balance. When I looked at Attraxor® I saw it had a direct effect on the seed head production of Poa, so I wanted to be careful to not stress the greens too much. The label for Attraxor® states that a reduced dose of 0.5-0.65 kg/ha is sufficient in areas with high density of Poa annua.

“We started on 26th June with a 0.5kg/ha dose and also used five kilos of sulphate of ammonia in a 300-litre tank to counteract any potential discolouration it may have caused. It worked straight away, we saw a reduction over night and there was no discolouration to the Poa or apparent stress which gave us the confidence to continue.”

With 34 years’ experience and the son of the previous Greenkeeper, Jamie felt confident to up the dosage after the first application. “I chose to see if we could realise any benefit from increasing the dose to 0.6 kg/ha. I made the second application on 10th July at the increased dose. The clip rate on the 10th was 20.34ml/m², and ten days later it came down to 16.36ml/m²,” he said.

Since using Attraxor® he has seen no adverse effect to the colour and the sward density has remained high. “It was worth trying the higher dose rate but we don’t need it, so I will be using 0.5kg/ha in the future. Attraxor® has fitted in well and is reducing the clippings considerably whilst helping to maintain sward density,” he added.

On the tees Jamie and the team have taken a different strategy. “We keep the grass longer and have more rye on the tees, so we opted for a dose of 1.0kg/ha for the first application. We don’t measure clip rates in the same way but following the first application a week ago the reports are good, and a visible reduction has already been reported,” he said.

Attraxor® reduces clippings at Broadway GC

Attraxor® reduces clippings at Broadway GC

Commenting on the positive results, Agrovista Amenity’s Ray Hunt said: “It is great to see that Jamie has achieved greater consistency with Attraxor® through fewer applications and that he has now extended the programme to tees and aprons. By using Attraxor® throughout the course, in areas that are cut regularly, Broadway GC has experienced greater control of the turf and fewer clippings.”

Jamie will typically apply the product until temperatures start to fall in September or early October. “We have opted for a 150-growth degree day (GDD) for Attraxor® and it is working well. In the past I have used Primo-Maxx with a GDD of 100 at the start of the year and then adjusted to 150 so I may opt for this at the start of the season with Attraxor® too.

“It is clear that Attraxor® has a strong effect and I will be using it in the future because even at a low dosage it is very effective on the green and at the higher dosage it is also working well on other areas of the course, so it’s here to stay,” he concluded.

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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.