Tag Archive for: DLF

DLF want to hear from you

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DLF want to hear from you: As part of their extensive research and sustainable seed programme, DLF are inviting Turf Managers around the country to participate in a short survey to identify the variety and prevalence of fungal turf disease activity.

Input is required from all areas of fine and sports turf management, with the results helping to shape future developments of more tolerant seed varieties.

DLF want to hear from you

DLF want to hear from you

With the altering climate and changes to maintenance practices, there is a fear that new fungal diseases could appear or that known ones could become a more serious threat to turf quality. Therefore, to fully understand the current situation and provide solutions to the new challenges on the horizon, DLF would like to hear from you on your experience of recent disease activity. Feedback is sought from golf courses, winter sports facilities, schools/community surfaces, racecourses, polo grounds, amenity spaces and turf producers.

The link to the survey can be accessed here and should take no more than five minutes to complete: https://forms.office.com/r/XCHEfvmxT3

The fungal disease survey is just one of several research programmes currently underway across DLF’s global network, looking to create high performance, sustainable seed mixtures. Thanks to the incorporation of cultivars that improve turf quality and are kinder to budgets and the environment, without reliance on water and chemical inputs, DLF are providing solutions that deliver a sustainable surface without a compromise in visual merit or performance.

Findings from previous DLF trials are already proving pivotal in the field, including the identification of 4turf® and diploid perennial ryegrass varieties with enhanced tolerance to Brown Patch.

Incorporated into the Johnsons J Premier 4Turf 25 mixture, Head Groundsman at Reading Football Club Chris Last said, “July through to the end of September is our main disease pressure season and I could not be happier with how J Premier 4Turf 25 dealt with both Brown Patch and Grey Leaf Spot. We applied only one fungicide throughout the summer, when the GLS started to gain some momentum in early September, and while we unfortunately lost some diploids in the affected areas, the tetraploids held on and meant that to the untrained eye it was difficult to see where we had the fatal disease. Throughout the rest of the window, the enhanced plant health and strength meant I could treat disease with biologically friendly and cost-effective measures such as citric acid, phosphite’s and turf hardening fertilisers instead of using fungicide.”

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Sustainable seed solutions from DLF

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Sustainable seed solutions from DLF: DLF are putting sustainable and environmental solutions under the spotlight as they return to SALTEX this November on stand J052.

With predictions that drought conditions like those experienced this summer will become a more frequent occurrence, species such as tetraploid perennial ryegrass and clover will likely become key weapons in every turf managers armoury to maintain sward health and density during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather.

Sustainable seed solutions from DLF

Sustainable seed solutions from DLF

In attempts to repair and recover surfaces during the cooler season, the increased energy reserves of DLF’s 4turf®  tetraploid perennial ryegrass demonstrates exceptional germination at temperatures as low as 4oc. The strong, fast establishment and healthy plant development is backed up with a larger root system meaning 4turf® surfaces are more tolerant to drought and a range of other environmental stresses.

In European trials, 4turf® demonstrated exceptional resistance to disease – including Brown Patch -during the autumn and winter months as well as increased resistance to weed invasion due to its rapid establishment, reducing the need for costly fungicide and herbicide applications. The sustainable credentials of 4turf®, together with its wear-tolerant properties, has seen its inclusion in a number of Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures popular with football clubs including J4Turf and, the new mixture for 2022, J Premier 4Turf.

For spring renovations – and of particular interest for local authorities, sports grounds and gardens – could be self-sustaining clover. The unique root nodules on clover are capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a gradual supply of natural fertiliser, resulting in sustained growth. Microclover, a smaller-leaved dwarf white clover, is incorporated into Masterline’s PM82 Microclover Sport mixture, blended to improve turf quality whilst being kinder to the environment thanks to its reduced requirements for herbicide, fungicide and fertiliser.

The DLF technical team will be on hand to discuss formulations from across the Johnsons Sports Seed, MM Seed and Masterline ranges, in addition to the Pro Flora wild flower and Colour Boost amenity flower collections. More than 25 wild flower mixtures are available, suited to a range of renovation and landscaping projects, each guaranteed to bring biodiversity and enhanced visual impact to amenity and agricultural spaces.

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DLF Colour Boost mix delivers dazzling display

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DLF Colour Boost mix delivers dazzling display: The versatility of wild flowers is well documented, increasing biodiversity and delivering dazzling displays of colour to all types of public spaces and urban environments.

This year, wild flower from DLF’s Colour Boost collection made an eye-catching debut at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park on the stand of professional Chainsaw Sculptor Andy Burgess – who said that the bespoke trays of the Classical mix were being “constantly admired” by the 80,000 visitors in attendance.

DLF Colour Boost mix delivers dazzling display

DLF Colour Boost mix delivers dazzling display

Andy has completed private and public commissions all around the country over the course of the last 14 years, and has exhibited his work at most of the industries major events including the RHS Shows at Chelsea, Hampton Court and Chatsworth. “I’d been thinking about trying to integrate wild flowers into my stand for a few years as the ethos of sustainability and working with nature and natural materials fits with my product” explains Andy. “I got in touch with DLF’s Stuart Yarwood on social media who was a great help from day one and took the time to guide me through the whole process from seed to stand.”

After building bespoke seed trays from pallets, Andy chose the ‘Classical’ mix – a blend of high impact flowering varieties including Cornflower and Love-in-a-mist, in shades of blue and white. “We sowed the seed in early March and then my wife and I nurtured the flowers like children – with Stuart on hand with advice and tips to get them ready for the show at Tatton Park in July. After some careful transportation, we couldn’t have been more pleased with the end result. The flowers were knee high and delivered a swathe of colour that appeared to change on a daily basis with deadheading and new blooms coming through.”

“Close to 80,000 people came through the show over the course of the week and we had some amazing comments, with people saying our Colour Boost display made more of an impact that some of the dedicated flower gardens!”

Determined for the flowers not to go to waste, on the show closing the Classical trays were collected by a contact of Andy’s to make their next ‘star turn’. “The tree surgeon who supplies my wood also does set dressing for film and TV, so knowing that the wild flowers would be available he collected them and they’re now off to feature as part of a memorial garden in an upcoming murder mystery programme!”

More details of Andy’s projects can be found on social media – @BurgessSculptor on Twitter and @burgers44 on Instagram.

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DLF Seeds a top 20 ‘Climate Friendly Company’

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DLF Seeds a top 20 ‘Climate Friendly Company’: DLF Seeds have been recognised as one of the top 20 most ‘Climate Friendly Companies’ of 2021 in a recent list compiled by European Seed Magazine.

Particular mention was given to DLF’s RadiMax facility in Denmark – the world’s largest open-field root screening facility – that is leading the way in the research and development of sustainable varieties to tackle one of the most pertinent climate threats, drought.

DLF Seeds a top 20 ‘Climate Friendly Company’

DLF Seeds a top 20 ‘Climate Friendly Company’

Years before the climate agenda hit the breeding companies, DLF took the bold move of assembling breeders and scientists from across the public and private sectors in the pursuit of advancing seed breeding to suit future climates. Through this consortium DLF built their RadiMax facility, which can test up to 600 plant lines simultaneously in four V-shaped pits, each equipped with a unique irrigation system designed to simulate specific conditions and, in turn, identify the deepest rooting varieties.

With more than five years of research now under their belts, DLF have been able to supply turf and amenity customers with varieties with verified deep rooting and drought stress tolerance. A deeper rooting plant is not only better placed to withstand extended periods without water, it delivers a stronger and more stable sward with lower reliance on inputs. This is because the significant root growth enables the grass to better utilise the water and nutrients naturally found in the soil profile, improving overall nutrient and Nitrogen efficiency.

Of specific interest to the amenity market is the notable developments with key Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass species which have led to the introduction of more sustainable and drought tolerant mixtures such as Johnsons Sports Seed J Fescue mix for golf. The unique combination of cultivars in this 100% fine fescue blend have been chosen specifically to provide high drought and salt tolerance, resistance to disease and a sward that requires lower inputs of water and fertilisers.

The trials at RadiMax also demonstrated how DLF’s 4turf® tetraploid perennial ryegrass roots faster and deeper when compared to traditional diploid ryegrass. Its rapid root growth and larger root mass makes for a more resilient plant, suited to a wide range of sports turf applications. 4turf® varieties are incorporated into a number of Johnsons mixtures, including the new Johnson’s J Premier 4Turf, combining 4turf® tetraploids with traditional perennial ryegrass to create the ultimate winter sport renovation mixture.

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Sustainability at the forefront from DLF

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Sustainability at the forefront from DLF: DLF Seeds pride themselves on consistently improving and setting the standard for grass seed excellence, and their mixtures for 2022 will be no different.

A stop by stand 270 in the Red Zone at BTME, will give visitors the first chance to hear about the new sustainable and environmental solutions that will change the way that professional turf managers will tackle some of today’s biggest challenges.

Sustainability at the forefront from DLF

Sustainability at the forefront from DLF

The shift in weather patterns combined with changing management models of maintenance and plant nutrition are largely believed to be the triggers for an increase in the occurrence of some turf diseases, particularly the rise in reported instances of Brown Patch. Over the last two years, and utilising their global research network, DLF have been leading the field with a screening programme for Brown Patch which has identified the tolerance of DLF’s 4Turf® varieties.

The results of the study have therefore formed the foundation of a number of new formulations across the Johnsons Sports Seed fine turf and sports turf ranges – including J Premier 4Turf – a brand new mixture for 2022 which will be the first of its kind to offer proven Brown Patch tolerance for winter sports pitches. For golf, a number of popular mixtures have been reformulated including J Fairway which features the new salt tolerant Esparina chewings fescue and J Rye Fairway which has been updated to include the new highly rated, perennial ryegrass Aniston.

All of the changes will be outlined in the brand-new Johnsons Sports Seed brochure, which can be found on the stand alongside two new brochures dedicated to the recently expanded DLF Wildflower collections. In order to meet with the increasing demand for sustainability and conservation areas, a number of mixtures have been added to both the ProFlora native wildflower and Colour Boost high impact wildflower ranges.

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