News
Turfgrass Seed 2012 available in January
New guide aids turfgrass cultivar choice
SELECTING the right grass cultivars is the first vital step in producing the perfect playing surface or lawn.
That’s why Turfgrass Seed 2012, the definitive independent guide to the best grasses available for sports, landscaping and general amenity use, is essential reading for all groundsmen, greenkeepers, other amenity and turf industry professionals and even gardeners.
The new Turfgrass Seed 2012 guide, to be published on 24th January 2012, contains all the information needed to help professional users assess the suitability of different cultivars for a range of applications, and to determine which grasses best suit their particular needs.
The guide provides comparative information based on the results of comprehensive trials designed to test suitability in three key areas of application:
- Winter sports pitches and municipal recreation areas
- Lawns, summer sports pitches, tennis courts, turf and general landscaping
- Intensive, close-mown surfaces such as golf and bowling greens
A wide range of characteristics are assessed to test and score the performance of different species and cultivars, ranging from physical attributes such as colour, fineness of leaf and sward density to agronomic factors such as disease resistance, re-growth rate and recovery from wear.
The annual guide is supported by the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB), based on independent trials conducted by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).
The BSPB is the trade association for the UK plant breeding industry, responsible for seed royalty licensing and collection, industry representation and trials co-ordination across a range of agricultural and horticultural crops.
The Society’s members include all the major grass breeding and seed supply businesses, who through the BSPB Amenity Committee support the coordination and funding of Turfgrass Seed as a comprehensive source of impartial information to buyers and users of amenity seed.
Announcing the new guide’s launch, BSPB Trials Co-ordinator Robert Jackson said; “For professional amenity users, making the most of the investment and innovation by plant breeders requires expert guidance and advice in cultivar selection. Turfgrass Seed is the best available source of reliable and impartial data on high quality amenity grasses, based on trials conducted by the UK’s leading independent centre in turfgrass research.”
The new guide will be available online from 24th January 2012 at
http://www.bspb.co.uk/news.html or, alternatively, place your order for a hard copy (priced at £4.00 per copy) via Robert Jackson at BSPB -
robert.jackson@bspb.co.uk or tel. 01353 653202.
Deere
withdraw
John Deere to withdraw from turf irrigation
JOHN Deere has announced that the company is withdrawing from the turf irrigation business, which has been developed over the past six years in partnership with US manufacturer Signature Control Systems, Inc (SCS).
SCS will sell existing and new irrigation products through its own distribution network, which may include selected John Deere dealers worldwide.
Under the terms of the agreement, irrigation products will no longer be a part of the John Deere range, but the company will continue to support all customers who have installed its irrigation systems and parts. This strategic realignment will enable both John Deere and SCS to focus on their core equipment competencies in the worldwide golf and turf markets.
“John Deere’s existing irrigation customers will continue to receive our support,” said Gregg Breningmeyer, John Deere’s global golf segment manager. “In addition, our European Parts Distribution Center in Bruchsal, Germany, will continue to stock and provide replacement parts across the region for the foreseeable future.”
Trees and woods face greatest turning point in 100 years
Leading forestry and wildlife bodies join together to draw attention to the challenges and opportunities faced by forests, woods and trees
THE consortium of groups, led by the Woodland Trust and representing a range of interests from timber production, to woodland conservation, to community participation, has collaborated to produce ‘The State of the UK’s Forests, Woods and Trees’, a report to mark the International Year of Forests in 2011. It draws on the latest available evidence, looking at the current state, as well as the future potential, of the UK’s tree and woodland resource, urging government to shift up a gear in order to secure a robust future for it.
Woodland Trust Policy Director, Hilary Allison, said; “We have shown, through the publication of this report, that Non- Governmental Organisation and other industry bodies can and do work together, and that there is a remarkable degree of consensus. The potential for forests, woods
6 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
and trees to deliver positive benefits is huge, and this report provides the evidence needed to grasp the current opportunity, before it is lost, to embed positive action into policy and, more importantly, practice. Forests, woods and trees are currently on the political agenda in all parts of the UK, so this is a real turning point in their history. It’s time for government and society to take action to secure their future.”
The organisations behind the report agree that the most pressing issues for forests, woods and trees are:
- Securing the benefits of increasing tree and woodland cover to help mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as to deliver a range of other ‘ecosystem services’
- Tackling the unprecedented challenges faced by trees,
woods and forests - from climate change, an increase in pests and diseases, the effects of centuries of loss and fragmentation, land-use change, financial constraints and economic conditions
- Delivering a healthy and resilient forest resource to achieve maximum benefits for people, wildlife, and the wider environment
All these issues point to:
- the need to recognise and enhance the diversity in form, function, and use of our woods
- the need for joined-up thinking with supportive government policies that embed forests, woods and trees and enable collaboration within the sector
- the need for public support and an awareness of the benefits of woodland and why its protection and expansion is
essential. The strong emotional reaction to the threat of losing the public forest estate earlier in 2011 needs to be deepened to a real understanding of and support for forests, woods and trees as working landscapes and as crucial habitats for wildlife
Woodland Trust Conservation Advisor and the report’s lead author, Sian Atkinson, added; “We already have a good deal of the research and policy in place to support the above identified needs. It is now essential that these policies are recognised, prioritised and driven into practice with adequate resources behind their implementation.”
For more information, contact Alison Kirkman in the Woodland Trust press office on 01476 581121 or
media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
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