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4TURF® IS BRED FOR STADIUMS AND OTHER GREAT SPORTS PITCHES As a groundsman, you have high standards. You want to produce a perfect pitch because that’s what your athletes and spectators expect. At the same time you require a turf that’s easily maintained for lower input costs. 4turf® was bred for groundsmen; it gives you the performance characteristics you’re looking for when managing your pitch. This unique turf-type tetraploid perennial ryegrass provides rapid establishment, good growth in cool temperatures, and better environmental stress-tolerance against drought and diseases. 4turf® – resilience and stress-tolerance as standard Diploid and tetraploid plants have ryegrasses are a technological step DLF has been breeding resilient tetraploid differing numbers of chromosomes in forward. They perform better because varieties for many years. They show better their cell nuclei. Diploid plants have two they have twice as many chromosome stress-tolerance and an improved ability sets of chromosomes in each cell; sets and therefore twice as much to recover, even in cooler temperatures. tetraploid plants have four. Historically, chloroplast in each cell. The extra perennial ryegrasses bred for amenity use chloroplast boosts chlorophyll production, have been diploid. Tetraploid perennial creating a healthier, high-energy plant. Proven performance you can trust 4turf® out-perform diploid perennial ryegrasses in numerous ways. They have larger, high-energy seeds for rapid establishment, even when soil tempera- tures are as low as 4°C. Rapid establish- ment reduces weed invasion, while low-temperature winter growth gives you a healthier, more resilient pitch all year round. Beneath the surface, the increased root mass improves drought-tolerance and increases the efficiency with which the plant uses nitrogen. The increased root volume will also complement the new hybrid fibre-based pitches.
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FASTER ESTABLISHMENT FOR A BETTER PLAYING QUALITY The greater energy reserves within 4turf®’s larger seeds support stronger, faster pitch establishment and healthy plant development. The process extends your playing season, which is good news for your players. Faster plant growth also helps fight weed invasion during the critical establishment phase. 4turf® varieties will even germinate at temperatures as low as 4°C, which brings reseeded areas back into play fast. GERMINATION AT 4°C – SOWING DATE NOVEMBER 21 ST % Germination 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 03/dec 06/dec 10/dec 4turf ® Diploid perennial ryegrass 13/dec EXCEPTIONAL DISEASE-RESISTANCE FOR REDUCED MAINTENANCE AND PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS 4turf®’s larger energy reserves significantly increase the plant’s natural disease-resistance. This valuable characteristic helps you maintain a healthy looking playing surface with less use of pesticides, while keeping maintenance costs down. Independent researchers (for GEVES in France and SCANTURF in Scandinavia) recorded excellent resistance to Microdochium patch, red thread and rust diseases. Independent researchers from other national lists (STRI in the United Kingdom and Grasgids in the Netherlands) repeated these trials, and also measured exceptional resistance to red thread. Furthermore, 4turf® has shown a high degree of brown-patch resistance. Brown patch is a new disease causing severe problems during the establishment and renovation phases. In the worst cases, an entire pitch can be lost. Trials found that 4turf® is more resistant to brown patch than diploids are. IMPROVED WINTER HARDINESS As temperatures drop, a plant’s metabolism slows down. But to a lesser extent in 4turf®. 4turf®‘s larger energy reserves give it the ability to grow at low temperatures which improves your pitch’s ability to withstand winter wear. A 4turf® pitch will keep performing when other pitches are slowing down. In trials undertaken in Finland, 4turf® showed superior winter hardiness. And in Scandinavian SCANTURF trials, it ranked number 1 for general turf quality. WINTER COLOR AND SURVIVAL OF RYEGRASSES Index 110 105 100 95 90 85 Diploid perennial ryegrass 4turf® Winter color index Winter damage index
