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‘The Green Report’ Docuseries Launches

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‘The Green Report’ Docuseries Launches: Syngenta Golf launches the first episode of The Green Report, an ambitious new docuseries showcasing leading golf courses’ approach to environmental sustainability around the world.

The series begins with a compelling three-part feature at this year’s Ryder Cup host venue, Bethpage State Park in New York.

‘The Green Report’ Docuseries Launches

‘The Green Report’ Docuseries Launches

On a course walk with Director of Agronomy Andrew Wilson and colleagues, viewers learn:

  • Why golf courses are important urban wildlife havens and how red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are successfully breeding at Bethpage Black
  • How an on-course Nature Discovery Garden is welcoming school children to learn about plants and animals in an outdoor classroom
  • And how taking golf’s sustainability message into the community is helping change perceptions about golf and the environment.

The Green Report offers candid, on-the-ground conversations with golf course managers, sustainability professionals and environmental experts, providing viewers with unfiltered insights into the challenges and successes of sustainable course management.

The series comes as a direct response to Syngenta’s groundbreaking report Golf & Social Media which explored more than 16 million social media posts, blogs and comments. The research revealed negative perceptions of golf with water consumption, land use and nature the focus of detractors’ criticisms.

“We know from our research that golf courses can be perceived as being bad for the environment,” said Mark Birchmore, Global Head of Marketing, Turf & Landscape for Syngenta.

“However, we also know golf courses are providing critically important green spaces for people and nature in a rapidly urbanizing world.  Golf course superintendents, greenkeepers and their teams are committed stewards of the environments they are managing, and it’s important to us to help tell this story.

“The Green Report aims to inform and inspire golf courses businesses to take action and speak up on sustainability, and proactively connect with their local communities.”

The series will be released at 12PM ET on Thursday, 12 June 2025, and will be free-to-watch for all golf industry professionals and stakeholders on YouTube.

Watch The Green Report on Syngenta Golf’s YouTube channel today

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Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health

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Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health: By ICL’s Henry Bechelet. A Greenkeeper’s Reality: The Battle Against Stress

You’ve been here before.

Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health

Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health

A long, dry spell stretches on, and the greens start showing signs of stress – wilting, thinning, roots struggling to reach deeper for moisture. Then,
just as relief comes in the form of rain, it brings a new challenge: soft, unpredictable surfaces, weakened turf, and patchy recovery.

In these moments, turf resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential. Stronger roots mean faster recovery, better stress tolerance, and consistently high-quality playing surfaces. And for years, greenkeepers have turned to seaweed extracts to support plant health.

But here’s the thing: not all seaweed based biostimulants are the same. The difference isn’t just in the seaweed itself – it’s in how its powerful compounds are extracted.

Why SMX is Different: Science, Innovation, and Sustainability

ICL, in partnership with Acadian Seaplants – the world leader in seaweed technology – has developed SMX, a scientifically engineered seaweed biostimulant designed to
enhance turf performance from the roots up. With cutting-edge extraction methods, a commitment to sustainability, and proven results, SMX isn’t just another seaweed extract. It’s a smarter approach to turf management.

The Science Behind SMX: Why Extraction Matters

Not all seaweed extracts deliver the same results. For decades, seaweed has been used in turf management. But how it’s processed determines whether its most beneficial compounds reach the plant in a usable form.

There’s a common belief that cold-pressed seaweed is always superior. It’s a nice idea, but the reality is more complex. Research shows that different extraction
methods yield different benefits – some unlock higher levels of bioactive compounds than others.

Alkaline Extraction: A Proven Advantage

Independent trials, including those led by Dr. Andy Owen and the ICL team, have demonstrated that alkaline extracted seaweed can significantly enhance root length and volume – key factors in improving turf resilience.

Here’s why it matters:

  • Better root initiation – SMX helps roots establish faster and deeper, providing stronger anchorage and access to moisture.
  • Enhanced stress tolerance – Turf treated with SMX recovers more effectively from drought, wear, and disease.
  • Improved nutrient uptake – Healthier roots mean better absorption of essential nutrients, supporting long-term turf quality. It’s not about saying one method is always better than another – it’s about understanding what actually works in turf management. And SMX is backed by real-world trials.

What Sets SMX Apart?

Specialist expertise from Acadian Seaplants. Acadian Seaplants is a global leader in sustainable seaweed harvesting and extraction technology.

By partnering with Acadian, ICL combines world-class seaweed innovation with its own expertise in turf agronomy, ensuring SMX delivers real, measurable benefits.

Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health

Unlocking the power of seaweed: SMX difference for turf health

Extraction that works for turf, not just for labels:

  • SMX’s alkaline extraction process enhances the availability of plant growth regulators and stress response compounds.
  • Trials confirm that SMX-treated turf recovers faster from drought, wear, and disease, helping greenkeepers maintain high performance playing surfaces.

Real-World Results, Proven by Science

Independent research shows that SMX:

  • Increases root initiation
  • Strengthens turf against environmental stress
  • Improves long-term resilience on golf courses, stadiums, and sports pitches.

Sustainable Innovation: The SMX Commitment

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a responsibility. Acadian Seaplants ensures every harvest is carried out responsibly, using satellite imaging and drone technology to monitor seaweed bed regrowth. This protects marine ecosystems while ensuring a continuous, high-quality supply of seaweed.

For greenkeepers, choosing SMX means choosing a product that supports turf health and respects the environment.

SMX: The Next Step in Turf Management

Greenkeeping isn’t just about managing grass – it’s about understanding how to give turf the best possible foundation to thrive.

With increasing environmental challenges, greenkeepers need proven, research-backed solutions – not just marketing claims. SMX is more than just another seaweed extract.

It’s the next step in root health, stress resilience, and sustainable turf management.

Are you ready for the SMX difference? Contact us to learn how ICL and Acadian Seaplants are setting new standards in turf management.

‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled

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‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled: Subaru UK & Ireland is set to unveil ‘The Subaru Cocoon’ garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, which runs from 1st- 6th July.

The installation, created by award-winning designers Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews of Mike McMahon Studio, with the Subaru Cocoon Garden reflecting a sculptural, sensory refuge, inspired by the UK and Ireland’s vanishing temperate rainforests.

'The Subaru Cocoon' Garden to be unveiled

‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled

Once covering 20% of Britain, these lush, biodiverse ecosystems have now dwindled to less than 1%, making them one of the UK’s most threatened habitats. The Subaru Cocoon draws attention to this quiet crisis, reimagining the traditional walled garden as a sanctuary of both protection and ecological memory.

The display will sit in a prominent position within the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace. The six-day festival is expected to welcome over 140,000 horticultural enthusiasts to the Palace gardens in west London for a celebration of garden designs, floral displays, and a wide range of other family-friendly activities.

Lorraine Bishton, Managing Director at Subaru UK & Ireland said: “The Subaru Cocoon’ garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival supports our commitments to safety and sustainability, whilst showcasing this beautiful, but threatened native habitat.

We know our customers also have a strong connection to nature and are engaged with initiatives that raise awareness of environmental responsibility.

We are delighted that following the show, the garden will provide a legacy supporting the inspirational charity Horatio’s Garden.”

The Cocoon garden reflects Subaru’s commitment to sustainability, care, and considered movement – values shared across both brand and garden installation. Just as Subaru supports responsible exploration through electric innovation, with the zero-tailpipe emission, all-wheel-drive Subaru Solterra, the garden offers a place of refuge that treads lightly on the land. Both prioritise harmony with the natural world. At their core, they both share a quiet belief in elegant, considered design to live better, prioritising awareness and beauty while simultaneously minimising unwanted impact.

The Subaru Cocoon Garden features a striking curved Jali wall – a perforated architectural screen that honours co-designer Jewlsy Mathews’ South Indian heritage – made from 4,500 innovative Kenoteq K-Briqs. These revolutionary building materials are manufactured from over 95% recycled construction waste and emit 95% less carbon than traditional fired bricks. The Jali wall doubles as a super-sized ‘insect hotel’, its porous structure supporting microhabitats across the site. By using sustainable bricks, the garden project has diverted 9.45 tonnes of construction waste from landfill and saved 1,972 kg of CO₂ emissions – equivalent to the amount of CO2 80 mature trees would absorb over a full year. This innovative approach to biodiversity follows Mike McMahon Studio’s RHS Chelsea Gold Medal-winning garden in 2024.

In lieu of a traditional walled garden door, a reflective water threshold —a symbolic cleansing—leads into a cool, immersive landscape of texture and shadow. Cantilevered fallen tree trunks hover dramatically above the wall, planted with native epiphytes in a bold interpretation of the forest’s “chop-and-drop” cycle, where decaying wood returns nutrients to the soil. The planting scheme features exclusively native species from the UK and Ireland, including thirteen species of fern, Silver Birch, and Scots Pine, structured in forest-like layers to celebrate the rich biodiversity of Britain’s temperate rainforests.

Mike McMahon of Mike McMahon Studio said: “The UK and Ireland’s temperate rainforest is a landscape that’s both ecologically rich and tragically overlooked – something we wanted to highlight with the Subaru Cocoon Garden. This type of installation has never been created at Hampton Court Palace before; it felt like the right moment to highlight the fragile epiphytes and micro-ecosystems that thrive in these endangered environments.”

“The garden is enveloped by a circular brick jali wall that frames the plants, plays with light and shadow, and invites you to look through and around, like you’re glimpsing through trees. Sustainability isn’t an add-on, it’s embedded in every decision we’ve made, from using zero concrete to ensuring all elements are reusable or relocatable once the show ends.”

As part of Subaru’s commitment to sustainability, the garden will be given a second life after the festival with plans to repurpose it to Horatio’s Garden charity, ensuring the installation continues to inspire and provide a place to nurture the wellbeing of people beyond the event.

For more information on the Subaru range, including the all-electric Solterra, visit www.subaru.co.uk

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MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time

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MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time: At Southerndown Golf Club in the Vale of Glamorgan, MM50 grass seed has become an essential product. With tees that endure relentless wear from players and exposure to some of the UK’s harshest growing conditions, Course Manager Andrew Mannion has come to rely on the hard-wearing ryegrass mix to keep surfaces strong, consistent, and fit for year-round play.

MM50 is one of the UK’s most popular grass seed mixtures – and with good reason. The blend of fine-leaved, high shoot density dwarf perennial ryegrasses is built for performance: it tolerates close mowing down to 4-5mm, recovers rapidly from wear, and maintains excellent year-round colour. For Andrew, it’s a perfect match for a course that refuses to follow convention.

MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time

MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time

 

“Southerndown’s unique,” says Andrew, who’s been at the club for over 30 years. “It’s like managing two courses in one. The front nine is very sandy and free-draining, almost links-like. The back nine is more loamy, heathland terrain. It means you’ve got to think differently about how you manage each area – and what you grow.”

The course sits around 70 metres above sea level on exposed, windswept land. Underfoot, a layer of acidic sand overlays limestone – an unusual soil profile shared by just a few sites in the UK. “That limestone layer can be two metres down, or just a couple of inches below the surface. It creates real challenges when it comes to aeration and water movement. We’ve got good irrigation, but water doesn’t hang around for long.”

Add in grazing rights – Southerndown is built on common land and home to up to 600 sheep, depending on the season – and it’s easy to see why traditional turf practices don’t always deliver.

For many years, Andrew stuck with a fescue-based programme passed down from his predecessor. But in areas of heavy traffic, especially on par-threes, the turf simply couldn’t keep up. “They’d turn to dust in the summer,” he says. “The recovery wasn’t quick enough. We weren’t getting the results we needed, and we were doing the same things every year expecting a different outcome.”

The spark for change came from an unlikely place: Wimbledon. “I remember watching coverage of Centre Court, and they mentioned these new dwarf ryegrass varieties. I thought, well, that’s just a big golf tee really. So, we trialled some MM50 on the worst par-threes – and the difference was incredible.”

The trial showed immediate improvements. “It gave us better grass coverage, but more than that, the recovery from divots was two or three times quicker than anything we’d seen with fescues. In some cases, you’d get shallow divots regenerating naturally without any intervention.”

That initial success quickly led to a full overseeding programme. “We moved to using MM50 across all the tees. It was an easy sell to the club – we could literally say, ‘Look at the par-threes. Why wouldn’t we want all the tees to look like that?’”

MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time

MM50 Helping Tees Stand the Test of Time

The benefits went beyond performance. “Golfers weren’t questioning it. The ryegrass is so fine-leaved that they didn’t even realise it was rye. They just saw a tight, clean surface that looked good and played well.”

MM50 has even made its way onto selected fairways – especially those that suffered during the prolonged heat and drought of 2018. “That year really opened our eyes,” Andrew recalls.

“We always thought fescue would bounce back after going dormant, but it didn’t. It just disappeared. We were dragging hoses out onto bare fairways, trying to save them. That’s when we looked at what we’d achieved with MM50 on the tees and thought – why not try it here too?”

“We’ve got a busy course. It’s used 365 days a year. Members expect value for money. You can’t keep relying on a surface that can’t keep up. MM50 gave us a way forward.”

For Andrew, MM50 hasn’t just improved playing surfaces – it’s changed his outlook. “I’m not one of those who hides behind tradition for tradition’s sake. We tried the fescue route. It worked up to a point, but it wasn’t giving us what we needed. MM50 has helped us manage trickier areas, maintain better grass cover, and deliver a better experience for the golfer.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on X: @MM_Seed.

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STIHL introduce the MS 400.1

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STIHL introduce the MS 400.1: Setting new standards in the 60cc class, the new MS 400.1 forestry chainsaw offers professionals the best power-to-weight ratio of any professional chainsaw on the market.  

Sitting in between the MS 261 C-M and MS 462 C-M, the new MS 400.1 replaces the existing MS 362 and MS 400.0 models in the lineup. The MS 400.1 has been re-developed from the ground up and is a completely new machine, building on the strengths of the original MS 400 and taking it to the next level.  The MS 400.1 weighs 5.5kg, 300g less than the original MS 400, and has a smaller engine displacement of 62.6cc. Despite this, the MS 400.1 still maintains an impressive power output of 3.9 kW, resulting in the best power-to-weight ratio of any petrol chainsaw available.

STIHL introduce the MS 400.1

STIHL introduce the MS 400.1

A second advantage of the MS 400.1 is the 4.3Nm of torque. When cutting large timber, the saw is less pressure sensitive and less likely to bog down mid-cut. Like all STIHL professional petrol chainsaws, the MS 400.1 uses the latest M-Tronic technology, resulting in easy starting and super-fast acceleration.

As well as technical improvements to the engine, a larger magnesium flywheel and improved muffler help to keep the saw cool during operation. A new larger HD2 filter keeps the saw running in tough conditions and cuts down on maintenance and downtime during the working day.

The geometry of the rear handle has been improved for more comfortable handling, and the end profile has been widened to rest securely on the operator’s leg, resulting in easier plunge cutting. This, combined with the new compact design, makes the MS 400.1 exceptionally easy to handle.

The rib pattern on the underside has been optimised to make cleaning faster. It also helps the saw to glide along the trunk when snedding, preventing bark and twigs from getting caught.

Located on the petrol tank, the new 50% marker gives a quick indication of the total fuel level, helping the operator to keep track of their consumption and fill up efficiently.

STIHL have also improved access to the oil pump control bolt, meaning adjustments can be made with a standard combination tool rather than a specialist screwdriver.

For more information on the MS 400.1, visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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