TOP DRESSING
All About the Blend
ith so many perennial
W ryegrass sports blends available , the fundamental expectation for all will be fast establishment and good wear tolerance . However , it really is worth looking a bit deeper than just the headline cultivars and particularly how the blend is put together as this can make a big difference to playing quality .
The percentage of each cultivar within the blend should always be well balanced . For example , including a top-rated cultivar at only 10 % provides little benefit in a 100 % ryegrass blend . This is particularly important if much of the seed in the bag comprises a high imbalance of any single cultivar and / or poor wear tolerant cultivars .
R14 Wear and Recovery Scores Wear Recovery 25 % Europitch 7.9 7.3 25 % EuroCordus 7.8 7.4 25 % Eurosport 7.6 7.7 25 % Cameron 7.4 7.6 Mean Score 7.7 7.5 Turfgrass Seed 2020
SPORTS PITCHES Recovery capability plays such a vital role as the season progresses in helping to keep a consistent playing surface . For example , R14 is not only a balanced , top performing blend for wear tolerance but also top rated for recovery ; strengthened with the inclusion of new cultivar Cameron which has the highest score for recovery in Turfgrass Seed 2021
CRICKET SQUARES & OUTFIELDS A balanced blend is just as important for cricket squares . Ultra fine dwarf rye blends such as R9 with low crowns and fast recovery from very close mowing ( especially when frequent rotation of pitches is needed ) provide a combination of desirable characteristics for cricket squares to help promote even coverage . R9 is also recommended for overseeding cricket outfields used as winter sports pitches . Extremely hard wearing and with two of the best rated cultivars Angelina and Cameron for very fast recovery . This R9 mixture can cope much better than a “ traditional ” sports rye blend , when mowing height is drastically reduced back down from sports pitch height to outfield height
as the season transitions from winter to summer sports . For example , school playing fields that transition during the Easter break from winter games to cricket .
WELCOME TO THE EXTRAORDINARY Developed in recent years by Rigby Taylors grass breeding partner Top Green , Tetraploid amenity perennial ryegrass has four paired sets of chromosomes within each cell , doubling the number of chromosomes per cell compared with diploids . It is this physiological characteristic that delivers such exceptional benefits to the plant . High energy seed and growth
Left , stronger , deeper roots . Above , improved drought tolerance
Ultra high shoot density & fast recovery promotes even surface coverage
R9 Shoot Density Recovery 25 % Clementine 8.0 7.0 25 % Angelina 7.5 7.5 25 % Cameron 7.7 7.6 25 % Gianna 7.7 7.3 Mean Score 7.7 7.4 Turfgrass Seed 2021
in cooler conditions from 40C makes blends containing tetraploids such as R140 and Sports Field Renovation perfect for both renovation , overseeding and repairs .
Superior cold temperature , wear and robust re-growth helps keep surfaces in play though the high-pressure period . Not simply cold temperature performers , their high root mass also delivers greater drought tolerance and stability and their fast establishment is a benefit when repair windows are short at any time of year .
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40 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | Spring 2021