Sports turf that performs for the producer, the manager, and the user
Successful sod producers know that turf-growing is not just about their needs. If the turf they produce doesn’t work for the professionals who lay and maintain that turf, or for the people who use it, it’s not doing the job. So what do turf managers and users want from a good sports turf?
Good wear-tolerance and recovery
Turf for sports pitches, public spaces, lawns, and other high-traffic areas is primarily about wear. Species and cultivars with excellent wear-tolerance and the ability to quickly recover from damage provide more hours of play, convenience, and family fun. They look good too, with fewer brown patches and speedy regrowth after heavy use. Two species that excel in high-traffic areas are smooth-stalked meadow grass (also known as Kentucky bluegrass) and perennial ryegrass.
Reduced maintenance costs
Turf managers are under constant pressure to cut costs but still keep their turf in excellent condition. They put a high value on turf that mostly looks after itself – that keeps out weeds, resists fungal pathogens, and regrows quickly when damaged.
Once again, smooth-stalked meadow grass and perennial ryegrass do a superb job of cutting maintenance to a minimum.
Balancing turf production costs against long-term maintenance costs
The most cost-effective sports turf is the one that incurs the lowest whole-life cost. A turf mixture that might be quick and inexpensive for a sod producer to produce could easily be the turf that is more expensive for maintenance teams to maintain. Whereas a turf that involves a bigger upfront investment could be the sports turf with the lowest day-to-day maintenance burden.
Since all costs are ultimately born by buyers of turfgrass, sod producers should look for mixtures that help sports and municipal managers keep their long-term costs to a minimum.
Two turfgrass species that work for turf managers
Smooth-stalked meadow grass is a superb turfgrass for public spaces. It’s highly durable, forms a dense turf, withstands heavy wear, and recovers quickly from damage. It looks good, too, with fine texture and lush green leaves.
Smooth-stalked meadow grass is a natural self-repairer. Below ground, its rhizomes spread quickly to fill bare patches and keep out weeds. They contribute to the health and longevity of the turf, reducing the need for maintenance, overseeding, and herbicides.
Those rhizomes have another benefit. They help to knit the turf together to provide greater traction when the turf is used for sports.
Perennial ryegrass, in its tetraploid (4turf®) varieties, is highly tolerant to turf diseases, including many fungal pathogens common in sports fields. The turf stays healthy without the need for extensive applications of fungicide.
4turf® varieties are particularly fast to establish, even during colder months, producing dense sod growth sooner.
Promaster: the turfgrass seed mixture for sports and high-traffic applications
The three components within the Masterline® Promaster mixture provide the performance and longevity that sod producers and turf managers value.
Perennial ryegrass – tetraploid 4n (4turf®)
- Establishes very fast – sod can be cut sooner
- High disease-tolerant compared to diploid varieties – saves the time and cost of fungicide application
Perennial ryegrass – diploid 2n
- Highly wear-tolerant leaving fewer bare patches – cuts maintenance time and the need for overseeding
- Highly wear-tolerant – cuts maintenance time and the need for overseeding
- Repairs bare patches quickly via the underground spread of rhizomes – stops weeds, needs less herbicide
- Faster binding of the sod for an earlier cut without the need for a plastic grid – generates revenue sooner and eliminates microplastics
- Better sports-pitch traction supported by a network of underground rhizomes
Promaster is the turfgrass mixture for better sports sod production
Promaster is the high-traffic turfgrass mixture that works for everyone – for sod producers, turf managers, and turf users. It establishes quickly to create a dense sod that can be cut sooner. In use, it withstands heavy wear, repairs itself, and – thanks to the 4turf® component – offers better resistance to many fungal pathogens; it’s a time-saver and a money-saver for hard-pressed municipal maintenance teams. And for the users of that turf, it’s a delight, lush, and green, and ready to support many more hours of play. Promaster is everyone’s favourite sports turf.