TURF MANAGEMENT
Water management for sports
facilities can play a pivotal role in turf
performance, Matt explains. “Mains
supply is not always the primary water
source,” he says. ”Lakes and boreholes
may also be available, with the result
that water pH levels can vary widely
and that can be detrimental to optimal
turf health.
“By removing unwanted bicarbonates,
the Quadrop management system
rebalances pH, increasing soil porosity
and leaf greening, without over-
promoting plant growth.”
Water in the 1,000l input tank is dosed
before Keith activates the pop-up
sprinkler system to irrigate all the
pitches. “Quadrop works best in tandem
with the applied fertilisers if we irrigate
when it rains,” he reveals. “It’s then that
the chemistry works best for the turf.”
The system’s benefits of improved
root mass and reduced disease
susceptibility apply equally in golf
as field sports. A clutch of courses
in the Greater Manchester region,
including Reddish Vale, have also
adopted Quadrop under a spectrum of
nutritional improvement programmes
Terra Lift provide.
Their former head greenkeeper Nick
Wild, who also managed nearby Curzon
Ashton FC (another Terralift and
Quadrop site) was so impressed with
the transformation in turf health he’d
witnessed that he moved to the other
side of the sector to handle regional
sales for the supplier.
Formed in 1987, Terralift has invested
heavily in researching and developing
proprietary aerobic composting,
thermophilic digestion, organic fusion
granulation and liquid extraction
systems to produce nutrient-rich plant
performance fertilisers.
The company’s values conform to
industry-wide aims to limit applied
chemical fertiliser volumes, improving
natural disease suppression and
building sportsturf’s capability
to withstand changing climatic
conditions.
www.terralift.eu
GroundskeepingJournal.co.uk | Sept/Oct 2019
49