BY LAWN SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA | MAY 2020
A SEA OF GREEN The Boat Works at Coomera goes green.
Smart Approved WaterMark World First
Wimbledon Warm Season Grass Trials
QSAC Transitioning for the Future / 1
... Read more [pg 02]
... Read more [pg 17]
... Read more [pg 24]
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Welcome to TurfTalk, Australia’s most comprehensive turf magazine. TurfTalk is suitable for all turf professionals, turf growers to landscapers, golf courses and sports ground curators, to government and related industry organisations. TurfTalk is here to share with you the latest information on the turf industry, the exciting developments in turf research and to keep you up to date with everything you need to know about turf. TurfTalk is a free magazine, distributed to over 3000 landscape and turf professionals. TurfTalk is published by Lawn Solutions Australia. Contact: For any enquiries or submissions please contact us at news@turftalk.org.au Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (pg 24)
Inside this issue SMART APPROVED WATERMARK WORLD FIRST
PG 02
NUTURF SOIL AND WATER TESTING
PG 04
GLENELG GOLF CLUB
PG 08
EARL’S TURF RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
PG 10
THE BOAT WORKS GOES GREEN
PG 14
WIMBLEDON WARM SEASON GRASS TRIALS
PG 17
A WIMBLEDON YEAR
PG 21
QSAC TRANSITIONING FOR THE FUTURE
PG 24
STRI SPORTS TURF TRIALS
PG 28
ICL FERTILISER TRIALS
PG 33
SYDNEY UNI SPORTS AND FITNESS
PG 37
DALEYS TURF A BENCHMARK FOR QUALITY
PG 42
AUSGAP SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
PG 45
WELCOME TO TURFTALK/ 1
Turf Grass First in the World to Receive Smart Approved WaterMark
The Smart Approved WaterMark is a water conscious certification provided to products so that consumers can identify and access the most water efficient products available on the market. The Smart Approved WaterMark was established by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), Irrigation Australia, The Nursery and Garden Industry Association and the Australian Water Association. The mark provides an identifiable label for consumers so that they can make informed choices when choosing products, services and organisations that use water efficiently, reducing per capita water consumption and helping in the end goal of preserving such a precious resource. The Smart Approved WaterMark is aligned with organisations in Europe and the USA with programs designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States. The aims of all three are to further support
innovation in water conservation from Australia to Europe the USA and eventually across the globe. TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda has recently received certification and is the first and only turfgrass to ever receive the Smart Approved WaterMark in Australia and across the world. This means TifTuf is the first turf grass not just in Australia, but throughout the world, to receive recognition to this level of water saving efficiency. In order to receive the Smart Approved WaterMark, there is a significant process that is undertaken and a strict set of criteria the product needs to adhere to. A technical expert panel independently assesses the applications of products and services undertaking the accreditation process. The panel of seven members including an independent chair who represents international expertise in the field, examine
2 / SMART APPROVED WATERMARK WORLD FIRST
“In order to receive the Smart Approved WaterMark, there is a significant process that is undertaken and a strict set of criteria the product needs to adhere to.” all aspects of the product application and the associated evidence of water efficiency. TifTuf was entered into consideration for the Smart Approved WaterMark 4 years ago and now after many years of extensive independent scientific based testing and research for decreased water use and
superior drought tolerance has now been formally recognised and certified with the Smart Approved WaterMark. Smart Approved WaterMark Criteria The panel of experts meets to consider applications against the following criteria: Water saving That the primary purpose of the product or service is directly related to reducing actual water use and/or using water more efficiently, where there is a direct correlation between the use of the product and water savings. Fit for purpose That the appropriate use of the product or service is consistent with supplied instructions and other documentation. Meets regulations and standards That the product or service is of high quality and meets industry standards, and customer and community expectations, in relation to water use. Environmentally sustainable That the product or service, while satisfying the above three criteria, is environmentally sustainable, and despite claimed water savings will not adversely affect the environment in other areas.
SMART APPROVED WATERMARK WORLD FIRSTďťż/ 3
Testing for the Future THE IMPORTANCE OF SOIL AND WATER TESTING FOR OUR INDUSTRY
Annual soil and water testing are both sources of important data that should be considered essential for the production of high-quality turf. Whilst they may get periodically performed, sometimes these tests are considered independent of each other or analyzed in isolation from other relevant factors meaning we can miss the opportunity to join some dots on critical interactions occurring between them. Regular soil testing allows us to monitor for both significant and subtle changes in our soil chemistry that occur due to a whole
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range of causes. It is the monitoring, data archiving and review over time that allows us to amend our soils steadily, ensuring the changes we initiate are based on evidence and as much as possible occur at speeds and in ways nature is happy to cooperate with. We know our soils are a dynamic environment – they change in response to many forces – both biotic and abiotic. We also know changes rarely happen quickly; rather they tend to occur quite progressively (almost incrementally) over time. One of the biggest influences on the direction of those very changes is the water used for irrigation. There is a common message conveyed
around water and soil chemistry which is over time the soil takes on the characteristics of the water applied. This is great if the water is high quality – but this can be a problem if the reverse is true. When grappling to understand the relationship between irrigation water and soil chemistry, if you start and finish by having this principle front of mind you are well on your way to having the right management approach in place. Consistent with this principle, the best approach is to stay aware of both soil and water chemistry trends and amend regularly and proactively. Doing so allows us to
gently steer our soil chemistry in helpful directions. This type of ‘steady as she goes’ approach reduces the likelihood of needing amendments at a scale that is costly and at times difficult to coordinate. It allows practitioners to gradually tune soil chemistry each year from an informed position looking to work around benchmarks shown historically to be where healthy turf is supported. Importantly though we try to look at soil and water chemistry together, understanding how they may interact before they actually meet, to be well ahead of the game in terms of issues that hold back productivity and health. Data supported by local knowledge and experience – the best combination The data generated by soil and water tests can be overwhelming. Furthermore it is acknowledged there can be differing views on how to test, interpret, modify and support good soil chemistry. The spirit of
science is debate, investigate and debate a bit more. It’s actually a healthy position to have. To simplify though the information contained in soil test reports provide information on actual and optimal levels either for extractable quantities or relative composition of soil chemical components e.g. Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Chloride, pH, total salts, etc. Water is much the same in that specific components such as electrical conductivity, total dissolved salts, pH, chloride etc. will be characterized and quantified but from the turf management perspective we are wanting to know what impacts will be conferred to our soils from our water. From the findings produced adjustment recommendations or activities to counter harmful impacts will be suggested based on a specified benchmark reference point. In soil testing a lot depends on the cation exchange capacity or CEC of the soil (defined as the total capacity of a soil to hold
“Regular soil testing allows us to monitor for both significant and subtle changes in our soil chemistry that occur due to a whole range of causes” exchangeable cations). Recommendations will be provided that either a) try to raise available levels of critical cations to meet a specific threshold, or b) try to reorganise the relative composition of the major components towards a predetermined relationship. The calculated CEC steers us into the appropriate analysis to apply.
NUTURF SOIL AND WATER TESTING/ 5
“...there is a consensus in the turf management fraternity that the root systems we so heavily depend on need a healthy soil environment to thrive...”
Acronyms you may see if analysing the data to see if enough is available for turf health may be SLAN or MLSN, or if looking more at the relationships between the major components as relative percentages you will likely see BSR. Often a report will provide the opportunity to consider both. Quite simply the difference in analysis applied acknowledges that very sandy rootzones have difficulty holding cations and nutrition. Under those circumstances the priority is to get enough to support health, whereas on soils that are heavier (higher clay or OM) the focus will turn more to the organisation of the components as it is assumed the basic needs would be met and we have the opportunity to move further towards optimising soil structure. Nominally the point at which different analysis methods are applied is CEC 5. One important point to make clear is that some of the items quoted in reports are actually calculations derived from multiple individual measurements. CEC itself is a calculation – not a measurement. This concept is important to understand because some data points on a report are indicators or contributors to a problem – not a problem itself. You don’t directly change soil pH for example – you change one or more components that then affect the pH. Think of it as an indirect relationship. When viewed this way we understand pH of water and soil is the roll up of many components – not a number to be looked at in isolation. This is where help interpreting the messages and issues is really important – something Nuturf can walk you through both privately and confidentially. The other message that should be considered a fundamental over-arching principle is that consistency is key. At all times when engaging in testing
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try to ensure samples are collected in a reproducible manner (same size, volume, depth, location) and try to ensure labs used, methods employed, calibration equations etc. remain the same. By testing with a consistent service provider you should have this part of the process taken care of. If in doubt – ask. This ensures that the archive that gets built remains relevant and useful over an extended period of time. We always want to compare same / same so if we see shifts in results, be they good or bad, we can genuinely attach these shifts to known actions for cause and effect. We don’t want shifts that are seen in the numbers to be simply a product of a different test method, sample technique or some other controllable variable. Whilst there may be some debate in some areas, there is a consensus in the turf management fraternity that the root systems we so heavily depend on need a healthy soil environment to thrive, and this part doesn’t need to be too complex. What do we mean by this? Healthy can actually mean soil structure, chemistry or microbiology amongst many other possible factors. Success in these areas certainly does support productivity, profitability and sustainability i.e. so they are rather important. But whilst they can be complex in nature it can be argued often the best person (s) to assess what ‘good’ soil health actually looks like on any given site, is the very people who look at that turf every day. Such individuals come to know the signs and indicators of good turf health as their back pocket feels it in the end. Point being, we should look to appreciate and strike the balance of technical and practical by always referencing data produced in reports back to observable practical outcomes. If we seek
to have this pragmatic type approach and we reassure ourselves with the fact we as an industry have built archives of data we regularly examine against historic outcomes we can stay focused on using our tools to guide us in the quest to produce turf in a profitable and sustainable, yet clever and uncomplicated manner. Such a practical approach is undoubtedly of immense value but let’s not kid ourselves the really good operators will combine their intuition with quite a bit of analysis on a whole host of related matters – don’t doubt this. This is the message here. Whilst observation alone is excellent it is far from a fool proof system, but equally raw data alone without context can be a bit the same. If you can combine detailed observation with an archive of data that can be compared, analysed and overlaid and this is further vetted against genuine local knowledge it usually goes a long way towards ensuring you keep moving towards good commercial outcomes and it is this message that forms the call to action here. Keeping an eye on soil and water chemistry might actually be more important this year. Why? This year in particular monitoring for changes in soil chemistry might be a tad more important. Why? One of the unknowns will be what impact is ultimately conferred by the lack of leaching rains in the 6 months to December. More than likely it will have been quite unhelpful. We have got soils that have experienced heat and drying well beyond ideal and turf managers have often had constraints on how responsive they can be in applying water to manage the deficits. The lack of rain has the flow on
effect (pardon the pun) of seeing dams run low allowing both salts and solids to concentrate. Water sourced from underground reservoirs often see changes in characteristics towards poorer quality too. Dams inevitably concentrate the heavier insoluble components in the low water levels they are left with. Point being whatever water quality you had at the end of autumn last year would likely have deteriorated as we approached Christmas. These less desirable waters often have to be used at increased frequency due to aforementioned lack of rain, and this creates a circular situation where issues unfortunately accelerate. The reality is that with the scarcity of water we experienced and the increased vigilance and restraint now being applied to its access, sources of variable and somewhat undesirable composition will form a greater part of irrigation applied in the future. The potential then exists to create issues of greater magnitude, and we will expect those issues to develop more frequently than they did
prior. There is no point putting our heads in the sand on this one – we are far better tackling this head on and with some science behind us. It is difficult to generalise on what the impacts of a dry spring and early summer will be on soil chemistry results produced this year. It will differ site to site and region to region, and this is why we need guiding data that allows us to localise our strategies. The quality of irrigation water applied in this period will be a huge factor, but so will the impacts of last year’s amendments (if applied), the nutrition selected for use through spring and early summer and their relative salt indexes, any renovation type activities performed in the last 6-12 months and any other nursing actions taken through this period to care for turf and soil. One option worth considering at this time in addition to standard soil and water tests is a combination test called saturated paste extraction. In these tests soil sampled from
the farm can have water from the same farm applied and after a vacuum is applied an examination is made of the resultant soluble components. It doesn’t get more relevant than this as it characterizes the genuinely soluble calcium and magnesium and is a valuable tool for assessing true soil salinity. Why would you consider doing this periodically? We mentioned earlier debate on method and process and one of the points sometimes raised is how close do the extraction solutions used and methods employed actually characterise what happens when you water your soil – with your water. There is a wealth of knowledge that can help predict this when you have both soil and water tests in hand, but sometimes it can throw up a few unique observations for your site that can help fine tune product selections and strategies. Maybe keep this in mind as an option for autumn 2020.
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Sir Grange starting to take root
Glenelg Golf Club Trials Zoysia
Glenelg Golf Club is in the Adelaide suburb of Novar Gardens and is a highly regarded 18-hole private course. The course has couch fairways and bent grass greens. Recently, Glenelg Golf Course Superintendent Tim Warren has been undertaking what he believes to be one of the first ever zoysia trial on a golf course in South Australia. The zoysia being trialed is the Zoysia Matrella known as Sir Grange, or Zeon Zoysia as it is known as in the US. Mr Warren first became aware of Sir Grange at their annual tri-club meeting with partner courses Woodlands Golf Club in Victoria and Bonnie Doon Golf Club in Sydney. Bonnie Doon had put in some of the Sir Grange on a championship tee and a practice green collar, with great success. “We looked at it and thought gee, this might be worth having a look at!” Mr Warren exclaimed.
8 / GLENELG GOLF CLUB
Mr Warren’s team were building a practice green with bent grasses already under trial. This area was shaded, incurred high traffic and suffered from extreme conditions, so they thought they should give Sir Grange a trial as well. They needed a grass that would perform in such conditions, but that was also low maintenance so hopefully Sir Grange would be the solution they were looking for. Turf Supply and Installation Mr Warren found out Sir Grange was available in South Australia and contacted local Sir Grange turf supplier Sunnyside Instant Lawn. Andrew Rowett, owner of Sunnyside Instant Lawn, made an appointment to visit the course and look at the area. After some discussions it was decided that they would proceed and 140sqm were installed. “Andrew was fantastic, very accommodating.” Mr Warren said.
Establishment Mr Warren put some organic fertiliser down and laid the turf with a turf starter. The first couple of weeks it was important to maintain watering as it was quite warm when it was established. “We were rapt at how quickly it established after laying the turf” Mr Warren said. “Its response so far through a summer that’s a fairly harsh summer in terms of temperature and what not - it thrived” he continued. The Sir Grange is being trialled at two different heights, as a collar to the green at 6mm, cut twice a week. The other height is the unmaintained area, where it’s simply having a whipper snipper run over it just to tidy it up. It’s sitting at around 3 inches. Results Mr Warren said Sir Grange has been great for the area - “it’s almost like a set and forget.
Sir Grange installation and early maintenance
“It’s copping a lot of wear from traffic and it’s standing up to that brilliantly. It’s handling the traffic with ease.” - Tim Warren Glenelg Superintendent
We’ve had a couple of warmish days where you see it go off in colour a little bit when we had the extreme dry heat we get here in Adelaide, but it perks up so quickly after a splash of water and away it goes” Mr Warren said. Sir Grange several weeks after installation
“It’s copping a lot of wear from traffic and it’s standing up to that brilliantly. It’s handling the traffic with ease.” The feedback Mr Warren has received from the committee has also been positive. He believes that they would have no objections to doing further trial work in other areas of the golf course. “Like in tee surrounds or irrigated roughs where we don’t want to send guys in to be constantly whipper snipping, maintaining and having to water – that’s where I see it at the moment.” Mr Warren said. “So far with the results we think it’s got some promise, we think it may be able to work well within our other warm season species that we run on our tees and fairways” he continued. Sunnyside Instant Lawn have also now supplied some Sir Grange for trial on another course in South Australia, Sanctuary Gully Golf Course. The key factor moving forwards for Sir Grange will be how it performs through winter. If it holds colour through winter like it’s believed it will, it will be a great option for bunker faces and green surrounds.
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Earl’s Turf Farm
Rising to the Challenge TURF FARMING IN THE HARSH AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE Written by Earl Stanley, Director of Earl’s Turf
“As I am writing, I am listening to the sound of something that two of my grandchildren have never heard… the sound of rain
Hallelujah!” - Earl Stanley, Director of Earl’s Turf
10 / EARL’S TURF RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
Water shuttles
In 35 years of turf farming, 2019 has been the hardest year I have experienced. Combined with the worst drought in living memory we’ve had relentless, unseasonal winds and catastrophic bushfires to deal with. The drought has severely impacted Earl’s Turf Supplies, both on the farm and through decreased sales due to water restrictions. We have been on Level 4 (no outside use and no exemptions), for 13 weeks. We have been fortunate that our wells have continued to produce water, albeit the quantity has lessened over the period and likewise has the quality has significantly deteriorated over the period. Our sodium, chloride and bi-carbonate levels have increased. To try and maintain turf quality and to continue to finish paddocks off, we have been irrigating 24hrs, 7 days per week. This has added costs, both in electricity and working hours, which ultimately affected profitability of the farm. Once we were advised that Level 4 was to come into effect, we brainstormed ideas to allow our business to remain viable for the 8 people employed. We knew that Lilydale Instant Lawn, in Victoria, had endured a prolonged period of no outside water use and had managed to not shut their doors. We made a call to Gary Lusk and Steve Cole, of Lilydale, to pick their brains. We ended up with valuable information and a 22,000-litre water tanker, that they had used over their period of drought. We purchased a large quantity of 1000L IBC’s (shuttles) and
proceeded to let our customers know we could provide turf and the water to establish their purchase. We run two wells from the farm, one has a higher quality of water, but it only waters 1/6th of the farm. We made the decision to use this well to fill our tanker and IBC’S but only for customers purchasing new turf. We have been approached by many people to fill swimming pools or to water their existing turf but had to decline all requests. We also received a fair amount of abuse for “wasting water” when others could not turn on an outside tap. The logistics were difficult, returning to jobs to replace or refill water, and supplying two IBC’s per pallet of turf, hugely reducing turf quantities on the truck. At the end of the day we have been able to sell enough turf to cover costs and have not needed to cut back employee hours or reduce our labour force. During this period, we also managed to secure a number of commercial turf jobs, that had their own water supply. We were also fortunate in being awarded a contract to plant TifTuf at a local sports field. Initially this job was to be solid turfed, but funds ran short and they opted to plant stolons. We spent time educating a local council groundsman on the benefits of TifTuf as a sports field turf and getting him to turf a training field next door to his kikuyu fields. He is now a TifTuf convert and is spruiking the benefits to other sections of his council. The planting was set up with pop-up irrigation and is using reclaimed water.
EARL’S TURF RISING TO THE CHALLENGE / 11
Solar panels for the farm
Irrigation system at work
Water tanker
We applied to our two local water services to be allowed access to their reclaimed water rather than our own well water, however neither has given us approval. One water service has not been given approval by the EPA to use reclaimed water on parks, gardens or domestic lawns, resulting in the excess reclaimed water being sent to the ocean. The other water service is not producing enough reclaimed water to meet demand. Prior to Level 4 introductions they were receiving 3.6 megalitres daily to reclaim, but after Level 4 restrictions were enforced that went down to 1.6 megalitres daily as the public was collecting and using their own grey water for gardens. Of our two local councils, one has a small budget for the maintenance and repair of the many sporting fields in its region. Therefore, replacing sports fields is going to be a more longer-term goal for them. The other council is more financial and are seeing the flow on benefits of investing in quality sporting fields and green spaces in their region. For example, they are able to host many large sporting events including State Cup Touch Football, which attracts many people and more income to the area. As I am writing, I am listening to the sound of something that two of my grandchildren have never heard… the sound of rain…Hallelujah! Okay I’m back to finish this article now! We had 150mm of rain over 3 days and now are experiencing another deluge that has
12 / EARL’S TURF RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
rounded off at 300mm over 3 days. To date we have had more rain in the one and a half months of 2020 than we did for the whole of 2019. I used to love the sound of rain on the roof before I became a turf farmer in a floodplain 35 years ago. Yep, you guessed it, every good drought gets followed by a good flood! To be honest it is minor flooding and the rain has been perfect. Level 4 is back to Level 2 for one of our councils’ and we should see an improvement in turf sales. Looking to the future, we will continue to work closely with the two councils to help give them a better understanding of our range of grass varieties and educate council staff on how to get the best out of them. With the potential for a drier climate developing, I hope this drought has been a learning experience for our local water services and will encourage long term thinking and investment, especially as the population of this area grows. We recently implemented solar onto the farm to help reduce irrigation costs. Big units, reasonable prices over 7 years, but we are yet to see the results. However pumping water 24 hours 7 days per week uses huge amounts of electricity. The figures quoted in reduction of cost were up to 50%, we are looking forward to seeing if this is indeed the case. Many, many thanks to Gary and Steve at Lilydale. Thirteen weeks of no sales would have made life a whole lot harder.
Thrown Object Test
Impact Test
Helping you keep your workers safe, Trimax is serious about safety. Trimax Mowers undergo various testing procedures to ensure users are as safe as possible. After all, a safe workplace will protect workers from injury, therefore protecting your most valuable asset… your people. Jason Cheetham, Chief Engineer at Trimax says that “By recognising potential hazards, we can assess risks and mitigate them effectively.” “We look at how the products are used in the various stages of their life, and identify the operations, situations and tasks that could lead to hazards, canvassing hundreds of possible high risk processes. We physically run through these processes and determine a risk level for each – we then decide on how the risks will be mitigated. Designing and testing to ISO standards forms part of our risk mitigation process – resulting in increased protection for both operators and bystanders” says Jason. The three main safety tests on Trimax Mowers includes thrown object, blade impact, finger and limb and foot access testing.
Thrown object testing is measured by surrounding the machine with specified target screens and running it over a standardised mixture of sand and gravel, and analysing hits in those areas. The test is an industry standard and the requirements are specified by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). Only low impacts in the discharge area are permitted, so no objects are thrown to the side or in the operator area. Blades on Trimax Mowers are tested to ensure they do not fail in an unsafe manner and that they remain connected to the mower in an event of a blade breakage. The mower is surrounded with specified targets and lowered onto a high tensile steel bar with the blades spinning. A successful test is defined as no loss of any part of the mower or failure of any mower component, and that there are no target punctures by any part of the mower or mower blades weighing more than 30 grams. This ensures that no parts of the cutting system fail in a manner that could
be hazardous to the operator or bystanders. Additionally, the mower is run with a blade missing off each spindle for a period of time. This ensures that no part of the mower shall loosen, break up or be ejected. Trimax Mowers have also been designed with safety distances in mind to prevent hazard zones being reached by fingers and limbs. This has been measured, and all openings to where there are moving parts have the appropriate aperture size and safety distances. Designed to prevent unintentional foot contact with the blades, Trimax check this by using a standardised foot probe that is offered up to the cutting chamber at a range of angles and positions.
For further information, contact Trimax Mowing Systems info@trimaxmowers.com.au www.trimaxmowers.com.au
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Australia’s Greatest Boatyard 14 / THE BOAT WORKS GOES GREEN
The Boat Works
Standing tall and proud at Tony Longhurst’s The Boat Works at Coomera, is the Gold Coast’s largest ship lift at 300 tonnes named ‘Rhino’ and while ‘Rhino’ is the crown jewel in this remarkable new facility, it’s not the only impressive new element. Dubbed ‘Australia’s Greatest Boatyard’ and for good reason, The Boat Works, 50,000m2 Superyacht Refit Yard has recently opened after a remarkably quick build time of only nine months. This new development is strongly focused on conservation with well-placed green zones throughout the yard to add a pleasant softening effect to the industrial activity. Tony Longhurst is very much a greenie at heart, so creating and implementing
sustainable bio gardens was an essential part of the development for him. The Boat Works have a great long-standing relationship and mutual understanding with Matt Yarker and the team at Scape It QLD, and they were responsible for all landscaping aspects of the project. “Scape It have a terrific can-do attitude; they get the job done reliably and source the needs of the client” Marketing Manager Charmaine Webb said. When walking through the completed development the islands of green are an instant standout. The lush oasis catches the eye showcasing the outstanding new turf variety, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. The main entrance and surrounding tropical gardens
THE BOAT WORKS GOES GREEN / 15
Rhino the ship lift
all feature TifTuf. This variety was selected for The Boat Works due to its excellent colour and water wise benefits. Mr Longhurst is extremely happy with the result and can’t wait to use TifTuf around his next big project, a hotel that he is building on site to accommodate his clients. Ms Webb said their guest and tenants are all taken aback by the TifTuf. “They all gravitate to it, take their shoes off and give themselves a foot massage – very amusing” she said.
TifTuf being laid
“When walking through the completed development the islands of green are an instant standout.” “These green areas will be the spot to sit for our Superyacht crew after a hard day’s work in the yard on their boat. We will look to team the crew up with a bucket of Coronas and prawns while taking in the sunsets over the unique shipyard facility” she continued. TifTuf is providing the environmentally responsible solution for projects that are after the most sustainable green solutions available.
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STRI turf trial plots
The Next Big Thing in Tennis WIMBLEDON WARM SEASON GRASS TRIALS WIMBLEDON WARM SEASON GRASS TRIALS / 17
“Sixty-six grasses were selected for the trial, with the view to play high standard lawn tennis at warm season locations across the world.”
Grass tennis courts in the UK employ cool season, seeded grass varieties to match the climate. In many countries cool season grasses use too much water and are difficult to maintain, so warm season grasses are the best option. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon) has conducted warm season turf trials at the Sports Turf Research Institute’s (STRI) Australian test site for the past two years. The Wimbledon team want to see more grass tennis courts worldwide and promote tennis to younger generations. Sixty-six grasses were
selected for the trial, with the view to play high standard lawn tennis at warm season locations across the world. Neil Stubley, Head of Courts and Horticulture of the All England Club, and Mark Ferguson, research manager of the UK-based STRI, recently visited Australia to inspect the trial at Cleveland, Brisbane. The pair also viewed and gathered information on warm season turf varieties being used on some high-profile grass tennis courts. A group of 30 people from across the turf industry, including Mr Stubley and Mr Ferguson, met recently with STRI’s head
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of research in Australia, Carlos Sartoretto, to view the trial. Mr Stubley, Mr Sartoretto and Mr Ferguson spoke to the group, which included 20 Lawn Solutions Australia member growers as well as Sports Turf Association (STA) members. Mr Sartoretto detailed the research being conducted to find the most suitable warm season turf grasses for lawn tennis. The trial included four replicates of cultivars of Hybrid Bermuda, green and blue couch, zoysia and paspalum. These were maintained at about 8mm and analysed for their density, colour and quality.
After the evaluation, mainly for wear and recovery, which simulated real-time competition tennis, four grasses were selected for further trials: L1F Trinity Zoysia, Sir Grange Zoysia, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda and Pristine Flora Zoysia. Lawn Solutions Australia’s (LSA) Joe Rogers said that to begin the trial with 66 cultivars was a huge selection. He said this allowed every known variety a chance and selecting four of the 66 to continue with was a massive task. “LSA can be happy that three of its varieties are among the top four chosen by Wimbledon and STRI,” he said.
Carlos Sartoretto, STRI
The group also inspected the LSA couch grass trials in which TifTuf and other couch grasses are being tested for wear, drought and shade tolerance. Mr Ferguson and Mr Stubley also viewed Twin View Turf as part of their visit to look at warm season turf production in Australia. This included an inspection of the Wimbledon trial varieties L1F Zoysia, Sir Grange Zoysia and TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. Following the Twin View Turf tour the pair looked at Suncorp Stadium with grounds manager Mal Caddies. They learned about the management of the ground’s grass and how the Suncorp team handles shade and wear. They then flew to Victoria to view the Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club and Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club boasts 10 grass courts and it was there the Wimbledon team viewed first-hand Australian lawn tennis courts in full use during mid-season. Traditional varieties could be seen against the new varieties, some of which were performing very well. One of the most interesting sights was the court area immediately in front of the clubhouse. This heavily shaded area had struggled for close to a century, yet the new area of TifTuf, which has been in for two years, looked amazing and still had full cover.
Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club
Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club’s grounds, which include 26 grass courts, are in innercity Melbourne. The performance of the new baseline turf areas stood out. Over recent years, rather than being the usual worn-out dirt areas, the TifTuf surfaces have remained and provided full cover. Mr Stubley said the conditions of the new courts at Kooyong were amazing and a testament to the staff and the club itself. He said the way they had adapted and learnt to grow the world-first TifTuf tennis courts was a credit to all of those involved.
The Group on site
WIMBLEDON WARM SEASON GRASS TRIALS / 19
20 / MANCHESTER CITY FC
The Secret Behind Wimbledon’s Perfect Grass A WIMBLEDON YEAR Sports fanatics probably have some idea of the preparation involved for the players at Wimbledon, however they may not know of the extraordinary, year-long preparation that goes into the tournament’s grass tennis courts. On a recent tour of Australia, Neil Stubley , Head of Courts and Horticulture of the All England Club, along with Mark Ferguson, research manager of the UK-based STRI, spoke in a presentation about the history
of Wimbledon and the enormity of the tournament. Sixteen full-time ground staff manage Wimbledon’s 44 grass tennis courts. Attendees were astounded by the number of people and amount of time and money that contributes to producing the tournament. Mr Ferguson showcased the research and testing work they conduct prior to The Championships each year, which includes ball bounce testing, moisture readings, court hardness readings and turf density readings.
The Grounds Team 16 Full-time ground staff 12 Seasonal ground staff 3 Tournament support ground staff 8 Full-time gardeners 6 Seasonal gardeners 3 Ground staff (smaller facility)
A WIMBLEDON YEAR / 21
Members of an early Wimbledon Ground Team
ANNUAL PROGRAM
Wimbledon Grounds
Selective weed killer / Summer wetting agent program starts
April • Selective weed killer/ summer wetting agent program starts • Start to reduce the height of cut from 13mm to 10mm • Spring and summer granular feed 14-5-10 • Start to roll the courts alternating direction each time. 4 - 6 max • Primo Maxx applications begin mixed with liquid fertiliser and iron
May • Grass court covers installed, inflated and tested • Two ‘pegging out’ teams for continuity • Height of cut down to 8mm by mid-May • Opening of the grass courts 6 weeks before The Championships • Officially 36 grass courts are in play
June/July • 4-week lead time before The Championships - Court surround canvases and scoreboards erected • 3 weeks to go and final spraying applications are carried out - Fungicide - Primo Maxx/Fertiliser/Iron • 2 weeks to go we start to restrict water to harden the courts
WIMBLEDON YEAR 22 / A
- Start monitoring volume of water for each court - Bounce testing • 10 days to go, all courts covered overnight irrespective of forecast • 9 days to go, official practice starts • 8 days to go, Hawkeye start setting up • 1 week to go S.T.R.I. Move in prior to the start - Profile moisture readings
• 3 days to go, queue’s start for day 1 • 2 days to go, final preparations on court
July/August/September • Post-Championships – 25 more tournaments as well as daily members play through until grass courts close in September. • Start court renovations • Remove the plant material
- Grass density readings
• Removal of Poa Annua, seeding of stronger rye grasses
- Hardness readings
• Germination after 5 days
• 5 days to go, ITF pace test the courts for speed consistency. Plus Stadium, Championship and Practice courts tested.
Top Dressing • 23% clay loam • Matches existing soil
Courts being tested
Rolling courts, alternating directions each time. 4-6 max
Monitoring volume of water for each court
Final preparations, 2 days out
The Stats 10 Tonnes of seed used annually on the grass courts 30 Days courts are held at tournament condition • Machine gives even coverage • Corrects levels from the playing season • Alternate directions annually After Top Dressing • A level surface • No smothered grass
• Monitor root development - Looking for 200-250mm root development over winter
Courts 5 -7 days start to cover grass courts before practice
• Court cut after 10 days
9 days practice starts before The Championships
• Keep at 13mm for winter
2 weeks duration of The Championships
• Can top dress again if needed
30 days are held at tournament condition
October-March • Maintain winter height of cut at 13mm • Start winter program of wetting agent • Start winter turf hardener program • Roll courts for surface moisture control • Continue annual fertiliser program • Monitor for disease
16 events held during The Championships 670 matches played during the The Championships 2019 3177 hours played on all 38 grass courts Over 1 billion total global audience in 2019 500,397 attendance at The Championships
200 Tonnes of soil used to re-level the grass courts 670 Matches played during the 2019 Championships 1,822 times the correct ball bounce height is checked during The Championships 3,177 Hours played on all 38 courts for The Championships 6,080 times the plant health/ chlorophyll is checked during The Championships 18,420 number of times the hardness of the courts are checked during The Championships 31,200 Baselines are checked for live grass cover during The Championships 54 Million grass plants on Centre Court at the start of The Championships
A WIMBLEDON YEAR / 23
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) TRANSITIONING FOR THE FUTURE
QSAC athletics track
 24 / QSAC TRANSITIONING FOR THE FUTURE
The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) is a premier facility for both junior and elite athletes to train and compete, with a long history of hosting high-quality public events. QSAC is also home to the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), Queensland Little Athletics, Special Olympics Queensland and Softball Queensland. The sheer number of events being held at the venue requires a highly professional team to ensure the facility continues to operate at its full potential. We recently caught up with Grounds Manager (and currently Acting Facilities and Operations Manager) Matthew Oliver who emphasised the steady transition the team was undertaking through the implementation of new technologies, products and systems, to ensure they stay at the cutting edge of venue performance. Matthew Oliver - Grounds Manager (and currently Acting Facilities and Operations Manager) Mr Oliver has worked in the industry for 15 years at some brilliant venues learning from the industry’s best turf managers. Born in the UK, Mr Oliver immigrated to Australia in 1993, growing up in Melbourne before relocating to Brisbane 2018. Mr Oliver completed his turf management apprenticeship at Sandhurst Club (a Melbourne golf course and wedding venue). He then spent seven years at Marvel Stadium, including stints at North Melbourne FC and Carlton FC through maintenance contracts, while completing his Turf Management Diploma. Mr Oliver then moved out to Melbourne Grammar School as the Assistant Grounds Manager where he completed the Diploma of Horticulture, before heading overseas to look after the National Football Stadium of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2016. In late 2018, Mr Oliver accepted the role of Grounds Manager at QSAC. Venue History The 32-hectare site on which QSAC sits today was established in 1975 after Brisbane won the race to host the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The venue was officially opened in March 1977 by Her Majesty the Queen and officially named as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Sports Complex. The venue hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games and since then
David Teal and Matthew Oliver has hosted the Brisbane Broncos RLFC from 1993-2002, State of Origin, Davis Cup Tennis, Brisbane Bandits Baseball, the 2001 Goodwill Games, a Papal Mass, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, U2, Eminem, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Monster Jam and international and domestic football (soccer) in the QSAC Stadium and international hockey on what is now known as the State Athletics Facility (SAF). The site has undergone significant change over the years (and many uses). The venue is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere to boast two, 10-lane 400m athletics tracks.
QSAC athletics track
QSAC TRANSITIONING FOR THE FUTURE / 25
Also, within the facility is Nissan Arena - a brand new multi-use indoor stadium that plays host to the Queensland Firebird, the Suncorp Super Netball Series and the Brisbane Bullets in the National Basketball League (NBL). Grounds Management The team of six grounds staff look after the sporting fields, open space, amenity lawns and gardens, forest, venue logistics and all event setups within the QSAC Stadium and State Athletics Facility. The seating capacity in the stadium is 48,500 and 3000 in the State Athletics Facility, while Nissan Arena can accommodate 5000 patrons for basketball, netball and concerts. The two fields at the venue are Wintergreen Couch, which are over-sown with Premier III Ryegrass during the cooler months. Mr Oliver said they have recently been looking at different turf options for these surfaces. “We are currently trialling three areas of TifTuf Bermudagrass on the State Athletics
“Mr Oliver is certainly no stranger to busy environments, and QSAC is no different with no less than 150 events taking place in the precinct annually.” Facility in high traffic areas to see how it stacks up against the existing Wintergreen.” The main stadium has a full sand profile with an infiltration rate of 250mm – “which is certainly needed whenever one of Brisbane’s famous summer storms hits” Mr Oliver said. The team operates Toro 640 hydraulic sprinklers in the stadium, and the field has a full herringbone drainage system.
26 / Q SAC TR ANSI T I ON I N G FOR T H E F U T U RE
“The State Athletics Facility was a synthetic hockey field in a previous life and as such is essentially a ‘push up’ field with no drainage and a loamy soil profile. We operate Rainbird 8005 stainless steel sprinklers in the SAF field.” Mr Oliver said. Mr Oliver said that the main difference between QSAC and the other facilities he has worked at is the climate, which is very different to what he was used to in Melbourne – “It is certainly warmer on an annual basis, warmer soil temperatures ensuring year-round growth, much higher average annual rainfall and higher humidity something I certainly experienced in PNG.” “Disease pressure is high - we have had a few outbreaks, with the main pressures during periods of high rainfall and humidity. The site is quite hilly, so we have had to adapt when maintaining sloping lawns and gardens to ensure the safety of our staff.” Mr Oliver is certainly no stranger to busy environments, and QSAC is no different with no less than 150 events taking place in the precinct annually.
QSAC athletics track
“From a grass perspective - we are constantly scarifying and applying growth regulators on our fields, lawns and surrounds to keep on top of growth.” Mr Oliver said. Mr Oliver said there have been some significant changes made to the maintenance practices undertaken at the QSAC facility. “We have implemented a full grounds management program for the entire precinct which includes a fertiliser program, crop protection schedule, work schedules for the different areas of the facility and an activity schedule which covers event bookings, training sessions and contractors carrying out work across the venue.” “With the consistent use of quality tripleaction wetting agents we are now in a better place to hold events year-round and no longer have to cancel events, carnivals and training sessions after heavy rainfall. We also now have in place a much more staff-friendly roster ensuring a better work/life balance for the guys.” added Mr Oliver. One of the main changes they have undertaken at QSAC has been the implementation of regular scarifying, aerating and dusting program on the fields. The team also now mows all amenity turf and lawn areas with a cylinder mower to ensure a quality cut and neat appearance. Irrigation System Upgrades One of the main improvements they are working on at QSAC is upgrading the
existing irrigation systems, satellites and controllers around the venue. As a large venue, they have 14 satellites and numerous operating systems. “The long-term goal is to get everything onto a single central control system.” Mr Oliver said. To date, they have upgraded the State Athletics Facility field irrigation system - a full hardware upgrade including new main line, laterals, heads, wiring and pumps. They have also installed eight new irrigation stations in ornamental garden beds at Nissan Arena. “We now run the Toro Lynx central control software installed with seven satellites on it which is a great management tool… now I just need to renew seven controllers to get the other seven satellites across!” Mr Oliver said. Upskilling Staff Upskilling of their existing staff is also a key area they are looking to progress over the coming season. Mr Oliver said they are currently looking into a leadership management course for one of their up-andcoming grounds staff for the year ahead - as well as working at heights courses for when they require a boom lift or elevated work platform for maintenance on their 12m tall hammer cage and smaller discus cages.
and our casual staff member is now also full-time permanent - it’s great to now have a full complement of staff for us to complete our regular maintenance and event setups.” Mr Oliver said. Equipment Investment The team at QSAC have also bought several pieces of plant which enables them to conduct all field renovations in-house. “We can control when we conduct the works and work in with the events schedule instead of being dictated to by contractors’ timelines.” “We also had several sloping lawns which Mr Oliver deemed to be borderline unsafe for his team to be mowing and edging. We decided to remove the lawns in question and replaced them with gardens full of tropical plantings- it’s really improved the aesthetic of those areas in question and made it much safer for us to maintain.” Mr Oliver continued. Moving Forward QSAC has recently had a busy few months with the end of the summer athletics series intermingled with football matches and training bookings. The results they receive from their ongoing turf trials will help them to make an informed decision on which grass they select for the new surface.
“When I started, we were understaffed and had a long-term casual staff member working many hours. We were successful in adding two new full-time permanent staff
QSAC TRANSITIONING FOR THE FUTURE/ 27
Turf research tests for new UV light
STRI Sports Turf Trials / 28 /STR I S P O R TS T U R F T R I A L S
STRI research facility
The Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) are the largest and most prestigious sports turf consultancy and research group in the world.
Turf Research tent
STRI’s clients span over 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America and they have research centres in the UK, Qatar, Hong Kong and right here in Australia. STRI specialises in sports turf research as well as delivering world famous sports tournaments including the FIFA World Cup, the English Premier League, the British Open and The Championships Wimbledon.
“the largest and most prestigious sports turf consultancy and research group in the world...” The Australian STRI research facility is located at Redlands QLD and is led by STRI Australia research manager Carlos Sartoretto. Carlos has conducted research on a host of turf grass varieties all over the world, recently being based in Qatar in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The STRI Australia research facility is host to a wide variety of works including product development, turf chemical testing and a selection of turf trials including a warm season lawn tennis turf variety trial on behalf of Wimbledon as well as a sports turf trial for Australian ovals and stadiums.
STRI SPORTS TURF TRIALS / 29
Top Left and Right Drought, Wear Tolerance and Shade Trial on 8 different Bermuda grasses
50% shade set up
50% full sun set up
This sports turf trial is the first of its kind in Australia and sets out to test all commonly sold sports couches against each other to find their respective drought, shade and wear tolerances. The turf grass cultivars included in the trial are as follows; - TifTuf - Agridark - TifSport - Santa Ana - Legend - Wintergreen - Grand Prix - OzTuff The trial was established in January of 2019, with 16 different replicates of each variety randomised in the trial. Each turf variety was established as sod and allowed
to be in full sun to establish for a period of 6 months. After the establishment period, a rain out and shade structure was constructed over part of the trial to be able to control irrigation deficit and to mimic medium shade to best replicate a realworld scenario. A wear machine was used on part of the trial to simulate common sports field usage. Each replicated turf layout was used to simulate different scenarios that are commonly seen on Australian sports surfaces. The trial was broken up into sections to adequately cover each scenario. Half of the trial was in full sun and half was set up in 50% shade. Each half had sections that had consistent wear and no wear, full irrigation and deficit irrigation and a combination of each factors to ensure all basis were covered. The below diagram illustrates this set up;
50% Shade
Full Sun
No wear & Water
Wear & Water
No wear & Water
Wear & Water
No wear & Water
Wear & Water
No wear & Water
Wear & Water
No wear & Deficit
Wear & Deficit
No wear & Deficit
Wear & Deficit
No wear & Deficit
Wear & Deficit
No wear & Deficit
Wear & Deficit
30 / STR I S P O R TS T U R F T R I A L S
“This sports turf trial is the first of its kind in Australia and sets out to test all commonly sold sports couches against each other to find their respective drought, shade and wear tolerances.”
Turf research tests for new UV lights
28.10.19 Shade (left), Shade x Wear (right) and water deficit
28.10.19 Full Sun (left), Full Sun x Wear (right) and water deficit
28.10.19 Shade (left), Shade x Wear (right)
28.10.19 Full Sun (left), Full Sun x Wear (right)
Carlos made data collections every 2 weeks and scored each variety on turf quality, turf colour, sward density and Normalised Differential Vegetative Index (NDVI) to totally encompass how each variety performed. Tables on the right are preliminary results from this trial, with a full report to be released and made available shortly.
Sward Density
Full results will be published once reporting is complete. This trial will give unique and proper data to the sports turf managers and greenkeepers around Australia on the difference in turf grass cultivars currently available to them.
NDVI
1.
TifTuf
69%
1.
TifTuf
0.63
2.
Wintergreen
55%
2.
Wintergreen
0.57
3.
Legend
52%
3.
Legend
0.56
4.
Grand Prix
50%
4.
Grand Prix
0.54
5.
TifSport
47%
5.
OzTuff
0.53
6.
Santa Ana
45%
6.
Santa Ana
0.47
7.
OzTuff
45%
7.
TifSport
0.47
8.
Agridark
45%
8.
Agridark
0.47
STRI SPORTS TURF TRIALSďťż / 31
32 / 
Fertiliser trial plot at Daleys Turf Farm
Fertiliser technologies every Greenkeeper needs to know Written by Dr Sam Stacey and Will Pearce, ICL Specialty Fertilisers
Healthy, resilient turf needs adequate nutrition and that’s why applying the right fertiliser product is so important. With so many fertiliser technologies on offer it can be difficult to know which product will give the best result. This article was written to help demystify the differences between conventional, slow release, controlled release and inhibitor treated fertilisers. We look at how each technology affects nutrient delivery to turf, how long they feed turf for and how local environmental conditions affect performance. Conventional fertilisers - how long do they last? Studies show that almost all of the nitrogen and phosphorus in conventional fertiliser granules is released on the same day that it is applied to the soil (this occurs whether a granule ‘shell’ is still visible or not). Fast
dissolution is very easy to observe with urea granules, which can dissolve in minutes following light irrigation or even on humid days. Liquid or foliar fertilisers behave like conventional fertilisers in that they provide immediately soluble nutrients. All of these fertilisers provide an almost immediate response but have a short-term effect. Once nutrients are released from the granule they are subject to the prevailing environmental conditions. Either they will be taken up by the turf or remain in the soil where they are potentially subject to leaching (washing through the soil below the root zone) or, in the case of nitrogen, gaseous loss to the atmosphere (e.g. volatilisation or denitrification). Wet conditions from rainfall or frequent irrigation can increase nutrient losses. Fertiliser that has been leached or lost is no longer available to the turf.
There are three broad categories of technologies that have been designed to reduce losses of nutrients and keep more of the fertiliser in the root zone where it is available to the turf. The technologies are 1) Slow Release, 2) Controlled Release and 3) Inhibitors (nitrification or urease). Slow and Controlled Release Fertilisers Slow and controlled release fertilisers work by slowing the delivery of nutrients in the soil. Unlike straight urea or compound granules, controlled release fertilisers release small amounts of nutrient each day for up to months at a time (the exact period is product dependent). Slowing and controlling the release of nutrients has the following benefits: •
One application of fertiliser can potentially feed the turf for months, so far fewer applications need to be
ICL FERTILISER TRIALS / 33
Fertiliser trial plot at Daleys Turf Farm •
made, which can reduce labour costs or help during busy periods.
•
The potential for burning of turf is significantly reduced because the nutrients are not immediately soluble.
•
The turf receives consistent nutrition because the fertiliser releases a small amount each day. This leads to more even growth, better density and consistent colour.
•
Nutrients are far less likely to be lost by leaching because only a small amount of nutrient is released into the soil at any one time. Polymer coating around the fertiliser granules protects the nutrients inside.
•
A sudden bout of heavy rainfall will not empty the soil of nutrients like it can when conventional or even inhibitor treated fertilisers have been used. Polymer coated fertilisers will continue to slowly release nutrients, which will replenish the soil once the rainfall has stopped.
The difference between Slow Release and Controlled Release fertilisers We find that some manufacturers use different terminology, but the internationally accepted definitions are that the term slow release is usually used to describe a fertiliser that is not polymer coated and works by being partially insoluble. The fertiliser takes longer than usual to dissolve in the soil and therefore delivers nutrients over a longer period. Examples are methylene-urea, ICL’s SilK
34 / ICL FERTILISER TRIALS
Figure 1. Controlled release fertilisers have a resin or polymer coating that slows and controls nutrient release into the soil. (slow release potassium and silicon), Pearl (slow release phosphorus and calcium). Controlled release is used to describe fertilisers that have an outer polymer, polymer-sulphur or resin coating. The coating acts like a rain jacket; it slows moisture absorption by the granule and then slows the release of nutrients into the soil. With a good quality coating, it is possible to pre-program the fertiliser to release nutrients daily over different periods. Some controlled release fertilisers deliver nutrients over 2 months, others 6 months and others 8 months. ICL manufactures some for ornamental plant production that release slowly and consistently over an 18-month period! These are the features of slow release and controlled release fertilisers that matter in turf management: Slow release •
Often deliver nutrients, especially nitrogen, over a shorter time-period compared to controlled release (e.g.
approximately 8 weeks in the case of methylene-urea). •
Can be manufactured with very small particle sizes, which is ideal for fine turf such as golf greens and tees, bowling greens and grass tennis courts.
•
Are less likely to burn or damage turf (compared to conventional or inhibitor treated fertilisers).
•
Often only nitrogen release is slowed. However, in the case of Sierraform GT we combine slow release nitrogen with slow release potassium and silicon. In Proturf we combine controlled release N with slower release potassium, sulphur, calcium and magnesium in the form of the Polyhalite mineral.
•
ICL has recently released a new slow release phosphorus and calcium fertiliser called “Pearl” in the Sierrablen Plus range, especially targeted at improving root development in turf renovations.
ICL are currently trialling a range of liquid fertiliser technologies at the LSA R&D Facility
ICL’s Will Pearce (R) and LSA Researchers
Controlled release •
Delivers nutrients over a longer timeperiod. Turf fertilisers most commonly use either 3-month (e.g. Proturf) or up to 5-months (e.g. Sierrablen Plus) longevity.
•
Have larger granule sizes than slow release but are still available as a mini granule of 1.5 mm. Ideal for sports fields, fairways, amenity turf. Not ideal for very fine turf such as golf greens.
•
Offer the most controlled and predictable release of nutrients of any fertiliser. Are not affected by most environmental conditions such as the amount of rainfall or soil pH.
•
Nutrient release is faster in warmer temperatures, which can match the increase in turf growth rate and demand for nutrients.
•
Virtually any nutrient can be coated, so it is possible to supply turf with controlled release nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and trace elements.
Some blended fertilisers are labelled as containing controlled release. However,
many have only a small percentage of the nitrogen or potassium coated (e.g. 10% or less) with the rest behaving like ordinary agricultural fertiliser. To get the full benefits of controlled release it is important to use products with high coating rates (minimum 25% coated N for fairways and sports fields, higher levels for higher end turf). The Proturf range contains a minimum 25% controlled release N and the Sierrablen Plus range between 79% and 100% coated N to optimise turf quality and performance. Nitrification inhibitors Nitrification inhibitors are sometimes applied to nitrogen fertilisers (usually urea or ammonium sulphate). To understand what they do it is first important to know that nitrogen can be converted from ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) by microbes that live in the soil. Nitrate leaches (moves
downwards with soil water and is lost below the rootzone) more easily than ammonium, so the inhibitors are chemicals that affect soil microbial activity to try and slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate. It is important to recognise that inhibitors like DCD (UFLEXX®, UMAXX®) and DMPP (Entec®) are not slow release or controlled release technologies. Nitrogen release from the granule will not slow following the application of these products and most, if not all, of the nitrogen applied will be released from the fertiliser granule in the first 24 hours. Therefore, inhibitor treated fertilisers will not feed turf over an extended period and nor will they reduce the risk of turf damage by burning, so they should always be irrigated in. The effectiveness of an inhibitor will depend on how much was applied (some products only contain low inhibitor rates)
ICL FERTILISER TRIALS / 35
and environmental conditions, such as the temperature of the soil. Research published in the Australian Journal of Soil Research has shown that the most common inhibitors used in turf fertilisers, DCD and DMPP, are far less effective in warm soil temperatures. The inhibitors were stable in soil temperatures as low as 10°C but only delayed ammonium conversion for 21 days at 20°C and 7 days at 30°C (Irigoyen et al., 2003). The researchers concluded that these inhibitors are suitable for use under cool conditions, but their efficacy is “drastically reduced” at higher temperatures (Irigoyen et al., 2003). It is not surprising then, that a number of studies have now shown little or no beneficial effect of nitrification inhibitors used on warm season turf species or in regions where soil temperatures are frequently above 20°C (Dougherty, et al., 2016; Gioacchini et al., 2002; Guertal and Howe, 2012; Mosdell et al., 1986; Waddington et al., 1989). The limitations of inhibitors should be carefully considered especially as a great deal of turf production in Australia is warm season and frequently experiences temperatures of 25°C to 30°C or more during Spring, summer and autumn. Which product will be the most effective? If you want to apply fertiliser infrequently yet still have nutrients continuously available to the turf (to maintain density and colour over the long-term) then a controlled or slow release fertiliser will provide the best performance. Controlled release is usually recommended for sports fields, fairways and
36 / ICL FERTILISER TRIALS
parks/gardens and a slow release with small particle sizes for fine turf. In environmentally sensitive areas, and to reduce N leaching, a controlled release, slow release or inhibited nitrogen product could be used, but inhibitors will only provide partial protection from leaching (because they do not slow fertiliser release) and a shorter-term effect, especially in warmer climates. Conventional fertilisers are still used in turf management. They release quickly and their effect is short-term, especially for turf grown on a sand-based construction. Despite the higher cost per bag, a good quality controlled or slow release fertiliser is likely to give better overall performance (by continuously feeding the turf), be more efficient at lower application rates and give better environmental outcomes. References: Dougherty WJ, Collins D, Van Zwieten L, Rowlings DW (2016) Soil Research, 54(5) 675-683. Gioacchini P, Nastri A, Marzadori C, Giovannini C, Antisari LV, Gessa C (2002) Biology and Fertility of Soils, 36(2) 129-135. Guertal EA, Howe JA (2012) Agronomy Journal 104(2) 344-352. Irigoyen I, Muro J, Azpilikueta M, Aparicio-Tejo P, Lamsfus C (2003) Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 1177-1183. Mosdell DK, Daniel WH, Freeborg RP (1986) Agronomy Journal 78(5) 801-806. Waddington DV, Landschoot PJ, Hummel Jr NW (1989) Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 20(19-20), 2149-2170.
University of Sydney Athletic Grounds
“The Most Used Sporting Fields in the Country” SYDNEY UNI SPORTS AND FITNESS SYDNEY UNI SPORTS AND FITNESS/ 37
University of Sydney
University of Sydney has some of the oldest grounds in Sydney and exists today in much the same configuration as they were when they were built in 1850. There is a lot of history on campus, with the two oldest clubs, the rugby and cricket clubs having over 300 years of history between them. TurfTalk recently caught up with Daryl Davidson, Head Groundsman at Sydney Uni Sport and Fitness. Mr Davidson and his team have an incredibly challenging job managing the maintenance of the sporting fields and surrounds at the University of Sydney. They also have another campus they look after at Cumberland that has an oval and a synthetic hockey field. Mr Davidson has been in the industry for over 20 years, since the age of 16. He started his career through a work studies program at school which led to an apprenticeship on a Group 1 Golf Course in Western Sydney, formerly known as Ashlar Golf Club. Mr Davidson has been at the University for over 11 years, spending the first 6 years as the Assistant Head Groundsman. Sports Turf Facilities On campus there are seven ovals and eight lawn tennis courts. Sydney Uni Sports and Fitness control three ovals and the tennis courts. The rest are owned by the colleges on campus, two of the three are maintained by also Mr Davidson’s team. “We have over 40 sporting clubs, plus around 70,000 students as well as commercial bookings with limited green
space; we are always looking for new ways to grow grass against mother nature.” - Mr Davidson said. The fields managed are mainly kikuyu and couch and include: No. 1 Oval - Village Green kikuyu, kikuyu and a wide variety of couch grasses The No. 1 oval is the lowest point in the university and is part of the university’s storm management plan – “as a big bathtub it has pretty much been untouched in over 150 years” Mr Davidson said. This oval was the first site within the grounds to be selected for the use by the University sports team and has been continually used since the 1860’s. Football Ground - Windsor Green Couch + currently trialling pure rye Square - Santa Ana Couch and kikuyu outsides / rye in winter St Paul’s Oval - kikuyu St Andrew’s Oval - kikuyu/rye in winter Cumberland Oval - A bit of everything Manning Tennis Courts - A mixture of couches, Queensland Blue and carpet grass - These are currently being stripped and converted back to the original common couch. They are also trialling some TifTuf and Santa Ana that has been planted in sprigs. Mr Davidson is currently rejuvenating four of the old turf tennis courts that are based on cricket wicket soil. This involved using a turf cutter to remove one and a half inches of material to let the grass grow back thatch free. The removed turf was distributed around campus to save on the costs associated with waste removal.
38 / SYDNEY UNI SPORTS AND FITNESS
Turf Management Mr Davidson currently has a lot of projects underway, from turf trials to a new turf management software program that’s automating their day-to-day systems. “Our fields are probably the most used ovals in the country so trialling things like line planting, chaffing, different grass varieties, fertilisers, chemicals, new technology and machinery is a great advantage to our industry. The population is only going to increase and with the popularity of women’s sport we will all have to think outside the box to prevent synthetic grass from taking over” Mr Davidson said. “Unfortunately, we will always be under the pump as it’s an overpopulated campus with outdated facilities. We have accepted that as a team and have decided to use it to our advantage to set it up for what a university is meant for - education” he continued. Mr Davidsons management team have bought into this and love seeing new ideas that help prolong the expensive process of upgrading the ovals. Turf Trials Mr Davidson said their biggest trial for 2020 will be a Blue Grass trial on the No.1 Oval. The theory being that the Blue Grass will help during the heavy load in winter, before going dormant when the temperatures rise again, letting the host grass take back over. “We honestly do not know if it will work as it’s not commonly practiced here, but that’s what trials are all about, if it doesn’t work, we will trial something else until we find something that works for us” Mr Davidson said.
University of Sydney Athletic Grounds
“The biggest thing I try to drill into our team members’ heads is that what we do here may not work next door” he continued. Rye Grass Trial The No. 1 oval hosts over 200 games plus training a year and is regularly photographed by students and tourists. The ground is used from February to November with boots from all codes. With the Sydney weather the couch wouldn’t move until December, so the oval was brown for a long period of time after spraying out the rye grass with chemicals. After three seasons struggling to transition from rye to couch in a short turnaround, without having a large area on campus look brown, Mr Davidson was looking for solutions. Mr Davidson had trialled a rye grass variety from the US which they struggled to transition out so the couch could come back. “After a lot of talks with management, staff members, friends in the industry and suppliers we decided to let the rye go through knowing we would be up for a rough summer if the weather turned” Mr Davidson said. The goal was to have a mature rye plant from round one instead of an immature rye competing with an immature couch, that would be ripped out by heavy use.
University of Sydney Athletic Grounds
“In the past we found that the couch wanted to thrive when we were trying to establish the rye at the end of February especially with a bit of turf starter” Mr Davidson said. “We originally had four weeks each year before the first game to establish the rye grass, but this year keeping the rye in, we knew the clubs would want to get on earlier, and they got their way, locking in TV games which took my backup plan of reseeding the oval, if we lost large areas from the summer heat” Mr Davidson said. The field that’s a clay loam holds a lot of water and stays wet which helps hold moisture to keep the rye alive, but also creates other problems like disease outbreaks and compaction issues from the inconsistent profile. “It’s very important to remember pure rye might work on one field the same as some warm season grasses but may not work on the ground next door. Every ground and sporting facility is different - that’s the fun part of the job, getting to know your site and its needs” Mr Davidson said. The trial is working so far with only a couple of major disease issues, mainly brown patch
SYDNEY UNI SPORTS AND FITNESS / 39
University of Sydney Athletic Grounds
from the poor-quality soil. Mr Davidson’s next step, if this works, is a hybrid grass system that’s a rye hybrid combination where they can strip the grass over summer and not have to water. They will just have the synthetic fibres exposed for the winter period. “It’s not a cheap exercise but it’s currently weighing itself out compared to purchasing washed couch and establishing it” Mr Davidson said. “We are trialling two different hybrid grass systems which are both showing their strengths and weaknesses” he continued. Mr Davidson said at the end of the day sports fields that are highly used cost money, but as they have a tight budget they need to try and look for new ways to handle the constant beatings. The university is also not the easiest place to receive deliveries as it’s a little city in itself, so any way they can cut back on relying on trucks makes their lives easier. Whether it’s a new seed or turf variety that can take the abuse, it all helps.
“In the last four years we have cut our turfing bill from around $200,000 to under $40,000 just by trialling a wide variety of new and old technology” Mr Davidson said.
International Greenkeepers for Hire
Turf Protection
The relationship between management and Mr Davidson’s team has developed substantially over recent years. Gone are the days of the grounds team simply being ‘the people that cut the grass.’
Two of the biggest problems on campus have been the unauthorised use of the facilities and field use during wet weather. Unfortunately, once a game has started you cannot stop the game. With ovals that have no working drainage, it can be heartbreaking for Mr Davidson’s team to come back to work on a Monday to see a pig pen that was once a sporting field.
Through this relationship with management, Mr Davidson has been able to set up a work experience/volunteer program where they accept volunteers and overseas greenkeepers who want to learn and better their careers. It has also facilitated their investment in upskilling staff through training with other employers around the country, some of the best people in the turf industry.
To help overcome this Mr Davidson introduced a night grounds manager, one of their current staff members. It doesn’t fix the problem, but at least if it rains, they can turn the lights off or kick unauthorised users off the oval.
“After a few years’ of positive results, I decided to share our success with the rest of the industry and start ‘International Greenkeepers for Hire’ which has over 1700 members on our Closed Facebook Group in just over nine months” said Mr Davidson.
“The first year the new position was introduced we saved over $20,000 in replacement turf” Mr Davidson said.
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Get on top of Winter Weeds this Autumn Poa Annua
Summer Grass
herbicidal activity. PENNMAG will combat the germination of African Love Grass, Annual Ryegrass, Barnyard Grass, Burr Medic, Carrot Weed, Crowsfoot Grass, Liverseed Grass, Pigeon Grass, Summer Grass and Winter Grass. PENNMAG is a Group K herbicide, is recommended for use on recovering turf, and will last up to 8 weeks in most situations. Nut Grass After the deluge that hit the eastern states this February, weed control should be at the top of every turf managers’ to-do list. Whether that be via pre-emergent control products such as BARRICADE and PENNMAG or post control using either MONUMENT or CASPER. Depending upon the situation and grass type, each of these herbicides will help you get on top of weeds this Autumn. Post emergent solutions CASPER takes the hassle out of controlling weed infestations; a unique and costeffective control option in one application. Developed specifically for turf, CASPER uniquely combines the power of Prosulfuron
and Dicamba, which delivers knockdown and kill of even hard-to-control broadleaf weeds such as Khaki Weed. Available in easy to use 1kg packs. MONUMENT controls grasses, sedges and broadleaf weeds in Couch and has for many years been the standard go-to for persistent problems such as Kikuyu. Full systemic action (xylem and phloem) with root, shoot and leaf uptake. Highly effective in controlling Poa annua, Ryegrass, Kikuyu, sedges and a wide spectrum of broadleaf weeds.
BARRICADE is exempt from poison scheduling and is the benchmark in pre-emergent weed control. This reliable herbicide provides excellent long term control, thus reducing the need to make multiple applications of labour intensive knock down spray applications. BARRICADE should be applied to established turf or planted areas for season long weed control. BARRICADE is now also registered for use in garden beds, with one application per season recommended.
Pre-emergent solutions
The above herbicides are researched, developed and tested for use in urban horticulture and production turf farms, improving both production and amenity in a sustainable manner and ideally reducing the number of applications required.
PENNMAG has an optimised S-metolachlor formulation which results in 35% more
For more information contact Syngenta via greencast.com.au
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Terry Daley, Kylie Daley and Joe Daley
Setting a New Benchmark for Turf Quality DALEYS TURF ENSURING GENETICALLY PURE TURF ON THE SUNSHINE COAST  42 / DALEYS TURF A BENCHMARK FOR QUALITY
“Each turf variety has its own dedicated machinery – tractor, mowers and turf harvesters.”
Daleys Turf is a beautiful boutique turf farm in Bells Creek Queensland on the Sunshine Coast. Daleys Turf grow and supply a range of turf varieties suited for the East Queensland climate. What makes Daleys Turf so unique is their attention to detail in all facets of production, things that could impact on the quality of the turf produced or the genetic purity of their varieties. Daleys Turf leave no stone left unturned and are leading the industry in this area, not just in Australia, but right across the world. The History of Daleys Turf by Director Terry Daley In the late 80’s, turf on the Sunshine Coast (QLD) was in very short supply. This gave our parents the idea to start a turf farm. It wasn’t until October 1991 that the land was purchased for the purpose of building a turf farm. At the time my brother Joe and I were working between the Sunshine Coast and the Kimberley’s in WA, so this was a way for us to get back to the coast to start a family run business. Unfortunately, our Dad passed away before the business got off the ground. We took a while to decide whether we would continue with his idea, before pressing ahead.
Farming commenced in February 1993 on 35 acres which was previously farmed for small crops. An irrigation system was installed, paddocks were cultivated and levelled, machinery sheds built, equipment purchased, and roads installed. We purchased our first tractor-based harvester in 1997 and our first truck later that year. Our first turf sale was in June 1994. It was a very slow start, neither of us had any turf experience and very little farming experience. Lucky for us a couple of prominent local businesspeople encouraged us to proceed, providing us with a lot of advice and support in those early months. Wintergreen Couch was new to the market, so that was our first turf variety grown, followed by Greenlees Park, QLD Blue Couch, ST-91, ST-85, followed by many others. We were the first turf farm to introduce palletised turf deliveries here on the Coast. We were hiring a crane truck for our deliveries until we could afford our own truck and forklift system. We then later improved that system to pallet-less deliveries. The Sunshine Coast had, and still does to this day, the most turf farms per capita
than anywhere else in Australia. In the year 2000 there were at least 26 turf farms supplying our area. For this reason, we decided we had to move away from the mainstream turf varieties and look for something better. That’s when we discovered soft leaf buffalo. Sir Walter The real game changer for us was when Daleys Turf accepted an offer to supply Sir Walter DNA Certified and we never looked back! The introduction of Sir Walter to our product offering led to our business growing and we hired staff, purchased trucks and tractors, a harvester, and we had new sheds and an office built. Our farming land increased to 65 acres, and a new dam was built to meet our growing needs. Our sister, Carmel joined the business in 2001, then later in 2007 Rose, another sister, also joined us to work at the farm, making it a true family business. We currently have 8 employees, the longest serving has been with us for 21 years, and we had a trainee join the team in early February.
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We have a fantastic in-house installation team which gives us greater control of our business. This, along with the new turf varieties, is what sets us apart from our competitors. The Daleys Turf team are always active in research and want to be involved in all sort of trial opportunities – fertiliser, new grasses, cutting height evaluations. In 2017 we were appointed Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) Foundation Farm for QLD. We also received the contract to supply and install Sir Grange Zoysia at Teven Valley Golf Course in NSW. Ensuring Genetic Purity Daleys Turf has plots of the original turf material to ensure genetic purity and maintain certified paddocks for harvest to other licenced LSA members through the expansion program. Turf quality and purity are taken extremely seriously at Daleys Turf. Being a foundation farm means that we need to keep original stock in a separate area away from all possible contaminants for the life of the variety. All foundation stock sold is recorded and documented so everything can be traced back to the specific paddock it
came from. Access is restricted to these foundation paddocks to limit the possibility of contamination. Each turf variety has its own dedicated machinery – tractor, mowers and turf harvesters. This machinery is blown down with air and washed at the end of each day. Each variety also has its own pallets to ensure there is no cross contamination between any of the varieties. •
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Mower blades are removed and sharpened every Monday morning. A practice that is very uncommon, if unheard of in the turf industry. Once a month paddocks are walked to check for any contamination with individual staff members allocated a specific variety. All turf is palletised and transported via forklift to loading bays to keep road vehicles away from paddocks.
Daleys Turf prides itself on being known as an industry leader in ensuring the genetic purity of our turf. To ensure our varieties stay true-to-type we undertake DNA testing and regular paddock checks conducted by AusGAP, the Australian Turf Certification Program. This ensures that we
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are providing the genuine article to our customers. Adapting to New Turf Varieties and Markets One of our newer varieties Sir Grange Zoysia is incredibly strong making it difficult to trim cut to size in installation, so we have trialled the use of battery powered angle grinders with a masonry cutting blade, this has been proven to be highly successful. We listen to our customers, and the height of the Sir Grange delivered to golf course customers is very important. We started supplying at a mowing height of 18mm and quickly learnt that it needs to be a lot lower to suit our customers’ requirements. We now supply all our Sir Grange at 8.5mm mowing height. This allows a 2-3-week period before it requires the first mow. This allows the golf course to choose their desired mowing height of between 1418 mm but by then making it a lot lower, even better suited to their specific height requirements.
AusGAP Announces Scholarship Winners for 2020
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Since AusGAP’s inception in 2015, the turf certification and business accreditation program has been committed to the continual improvement of quality and production in the Australian turf industry. In 2019, the AusGAP Scholarship program was launched to support the growth and development of the industry as a whole and increase the skills involved in turf business administration, development, installation, maintenance and production. AusGAP General Manager Mick Sutton said, “Education is a key component in
46 / AUSGAP SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
developing the skills of members in the turf industry. Through consultation with key stakeholders, AusGAP has recognised a need for turf industry members to continually upskill and from 2020 AusGAP we have awarded four scholarships to people involved in the Australian turf industry”. “This new industry scholarship initiative has had a lot of interest, which I can understand as it’s a great program for people that have a genuine passion within the turf industry. I wish there would’ve been something like it when I undertook my study all those years ago”.
“Recipient selection was not an easy process, as all applications were reviewed by a selection panel from which a short list of applicants was decided. Following this an interview was undertaken with the shortlisted applicants. The key factors in awarding each scholarship was the applicants time employed within the industry and their individual passion, the accepted four applicants had an abundance of this and for that alone I look forward to working with them as they undertake their chosen studies and aim to achieve their desired outcomes”. Mick spent some time with each of the inaugural recipients to find out a little bit more about each of them:
“This new industry scholarship initiative has had a lot of interest, which I can understand as it’s a great program for people that have a genuine passion within the turf industry.” - Mick Sutton AusGAP General Manager
Belinda Evans Belinda is hoping the course will reassure herself that practices she is using at Coolabah Turf are correct and hopefully the training will enable her to pick up some ideas she can take back and use in her workplace. Christopher Erikson Chris’s scholarship grant will enable him to undertake a Certificate III in Sports Turf Management offered by TAFE NSW over the next three years and will enable him to get his desired move to a role within the turf industry.
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Nick Skerys Lilydale have always supported Nick through his career and he really likes to learn new skills. Lilydale wants Nick to undertake higher learning to benefit both himself and Lilydale within the industry. Nick’s scholarship grant will enable him to undertake the Agriculture and Technology (Sport Turf Science) degree run by the Latrobe University/Melbourne Polytehnic over the next few years. Steve Tonkin The scholarship grant will enable Steven to undertake Multi-Combination licence training and allow him to assist Coolabah Turf with deliveries in a B-Double. Keep an eye out for further progress stories of their studies in future editions of TurfTalk.
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