MAKING TURF MATTER
GRASS SEED
www.turfmatters.co.uk
Good reading, better seeding A
number of new and updated formulations have been announced with the launch of the Johnsons Sports Seed guide for 2022. Particular highlights include the introduction of new highly rated cultivars into the Johnsons J Links and J Rye Fairway fine turf mixtures, and a brand-new, first-of-its-kind mixture for sports turf – Johnsons J Premier 4Turf – delivering Brown Patch tolerance. The 2022 formulation of Johnsons J Links is set to deliver improved salt and drought tolerance to those courses under links conditions thanks to the introduction of Absolom Slender Creeping Red Fescue. Absolom is a highly rated cultivar, offering exceptional disease resistance and tolerance for close mown management. Absolom joins Cezanne and Nigella in this pure Slender blend – backed by DLF’s 4Salt research, creating mixtures optimised for performance in saline conditions. New formulations of Johnsons J Fairway and J Rye
Fairway are also available this year, with the inclusion of Esparina Chewings Fescue and Aniston Perennial Ryegrass respectively. Also backed by research is the brand-new Johnsons J Premier 4Turf mixture. Following two years of trials into Brown Patch tolerant varieties, J Premier 4Turf takes full advantage of the findings – combining the outstanding wear tolerance and visual merit of the original J Premier Pitch mixture with 20% 4turf and the most tolerant diploid varieties identified in the study. Featuring 10% Fabian and 10% Tetragame tetraploid perennial ryegrass, J Premier 4Turf promises to become the ultimate football and rugby renovation mixture for diseaseresistance, rapid establishment and exceptional wear tolerance. The larger seed and root system of DLF’s 4turf varieties deliver strong, fast establishment at temperatures as low as 4oC, as well as healthy plant development. Its improved tolerance of drought and
disease means the sward retains better colour and recovers quickly from periods of stress. Because of their tolerance to challenging conditions and lower reliance on inputs, 4turf mixtures have become a popular choice with sports turf managers, with new formulations of both Johnsons J 4Turf and J 4Turf 100 available for 2022. n www.johnsonsportsseed.co.uk
TURF MATTERS | MARCH-APRIL 2022 | 69
