“I would like to think that all the seed companies support the BSPB listings”
Simon Taylor, Amenity Director, British Seed Houses E
ach January, the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB), in conjunction with the STRI, publishes its turfgrass seed listings. The booklet is intended as a buyer’s guide to quality amenity turfgrasses and is available to all groundsmen, greenkeepers, landscapers, contractors and specifiers as a free, downloadable PDF from
www.bshamenity.com. It is presented in table format and designed to assist buyers and end-users in selecting the most suitable cultivars for their site. All the major seed
companies who develop new cultivars for UK customers submit their seed for testing at the STRI. Entries are made once every two years into three separate trials - close mown, winter sports and lawn, landscaping and summer sports. A cultivar is then eligible for addition to the list upon completion of two trial series, subject to it meeting the standards outlined in the trials protocol. Seed companies undertake a considerable investment to have new cultivars assessed. Not all of them make it through, which is reassuring for the end-user as continual improvement is part of the process.
Each of the companies also
has a representative on the BSPB Amenity Committee which is responsible for the
annual publication of the listings and the coordination and funding of independent trials for amenity grasses. Simon Taylor, Amenity
Director for British Seed Houses and its representative on the BSPB Amenity Committee explains what the listings mean for both the end-user and supplier.
End-user The listings are an
independent assessment of all the cultivars available within the UK amenity market and an important reference tool for anyone who purchases seed. The information is completely impartial and can help end- users and specifiers to compare the attributes of different cultivars so they can select the most suitable ones for their situation. They are not a marketing
exercise for the seed companies, but an important form of consumer protection. All the cultivars are shown with their true attributes with no poetic licence allowed, so the customer can be confident that they’re looking at accurate, unbiased data. The characteristics which
are assessed are: • Visual merit • Shoot density • Live ground cover • Slow re-growth • Fineness of leaf • Cleanness of cutting
• Freedom from disease • Colour • Recovery
The tables are split into two sections - current and new cultivars. End-users can see which new cultivars have been tested and which of the seed companies will supply it. It's scored in the same way as the current cultivars so you can also get some idea of how they compare to those already available.
Suppliers
I would like to think that all the seed companies support the listings. We all welcome unbiased, independent testing and want end-users to choose quality seed which has undergone such trials. British Seed Houses has its own turfgrass breeding programme based at IGER in Aberystwyth. We know we produce first-class seed so we are more than happy to submit it for independent trials.
The seed companies compete for business within the industry but, in a way, the listings give us a level playing field. Our product has to stand alongside those of our competitors in the tables so the purchaser can select one or the other on its merits. This gives us the impetus to improve our offering by investing in the research and development of new cultivars within our breeding programme.
Top tips for selecting the right seed
There is no doubt that choosing the right seed is one of the most important decision a groundsman or greenkeeper will make. It can have significant implications on the long-term
sustainability of your surface. 1. Buy quality seed
I know it sounds a strange thing to say, but there's plenty of seed available that's not suitable for the professional market. The relative cost of grass seed compared to the cost of turf (machinery, groundstaff etc.) is negligible. By using the best cultivars, you’ll reap the rewards in the long run.
2. Consider your situation
No two environments are the same. Consider the area you are wanting to seed and what it is used for. Draw up a list of the key attributes, such as wear tolerance, shoot density or year-round colour and check how cultivars score for these attributes in the listings. Just because a cultivar is at the top of the list doesn't mean it's the best one for every use.
3. It is not ‘one size fits all’
Whilst grass seed for winter and summer sports pitches is marketed as a set mixture, you don’t necessarily have to buy ‘off the shelf ’. Ask a technical advisor from your seed company to visit your
GOING TO SEE Getting seed selection
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