TOP DRESSING
Low tolerance
Average tolerance
diploid and tetraploid varieties , with 20 % 4turf ® – formulated with 10 % FABIAN and 10 % TETRAGAME .
High tolerance
Samples of a particularly violent European strain of Brown Patch were harvested from a football environment and were studied at the MariboHilleshög Research AB laboratory in Landskrona , Sweden – specialists in Rhizoctonia fungi . More than 30 perennial ryegrass varieties – including nine 4turf ® tetraploid perennial ryegrasses – were inoculated , with each variety then scored weekly for plant health . DLF were able to determine with confidence , the higher tolerance of the 4turf ® varieties to Brown Patch , which correlates with the results seen in other disease trials .
Using the findings from the trials , Johnsons Sports Seed have launched J Premier 4Turf . New for 2022 , it is the first mixture of its kind to combine the top-performing perennial ryegrasses from the trial to deliver improved tolerance to Brown Patch , together with the outstanding wear tolerance and visual merit of the original J Premier Pitch mixture . J Premier 4Turf takes full advantage of the most tolerant
Following ongoing dialogue with the DLF technical team since early 2019 , Head Groundsman at Reading Football Club Chris Last became the first to trial the new J Premier 4Turf mixture . In conjunction with the trial results , the objective was to deliver a mixture with even greater resilience , even faster establishment and improved wear tolerance .
“ Having not used 4turf ® before , it was interesting to see how well it thrived in our environment !” Chris explains . “ We seeded , then sheeted and within just three days the 4turf ® was up without the need for excessive levels of input . We were then cutting within a week . As the months progressed , myself and the team at DLF have been avidly observing the sward and how it copes with the issues – particularly disease pressure – at various times of the year . July has always traditionally been a hot-spot for Brown Patch , but last year we saw nothing at all . The additional resilience of the 4turf ® has meant that even during high-pressure periods for Fusarium in September and October , any small signs have not turned into full outbreaks . Without question , we have retained far more overall coverage than we have in previous seasons .”
More details about the J Premier 4Turf mixture and a number of other new formulations can be found in the Johnsons Sports Seed catalogue , or by visiting www . johnsonssportsseed . co . uk
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