Gilba Solutions Turf seed Guide August22.pdf

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GILBA SOLUTIONS
TURF SEED GUIDE
2021
Seed Force Is a relatively new player in the turf marketplace but
have been active behind the scenes for over 20 years. With our
relocation to a new site complete with a state of the art coating
facility and increased storage capacity we have produced this
guide to describe what we as a company do and what we can
bring to the Australian Turf Manager.
We possess an extensive portfolio of quality ryegrass, creeping
bent grass, couch seed, creeping red fescue and Tall fescue
and although many of our brands may not be known to you they
consistently have proven themselves in independent trials
whether in the UK, Europe or the USA. For example many of our
varieties have been amongst the top performing in the

most recent NTEP Trials in the US, and many iconic venues
such as ANZ Stadium and Bankwest Stadium use our
varieties. Hopefully this guide will help explain the science
behind our varieties.
This guide is set out to be as interactive as possible. Logos,
graphs and tables can be clicked to take you to relevant
information. For example Clicking on the Seed Force or MVS
logos below will take you to two video presentations. In this
day and age information is only a click away and so only
telling part of the story does a disservice to you, our potential
and existing customers.
To the best of our ability we have attempted to give as much
information as possible rather than simply making
unsubstantiated claims. All the trial data within this guide is
independently collated as best we can determine.
CONTACTS
CUSTOMER SERVICE & LOGISTICS
SHEPPARTON OFFICE & WAREHOUSE
13 Future Court
Shepparton, VIC 3630
Australia
Office: 03 5832 3800
Fax: 03 5821 8999
Email: office@seedforce.com
website: www.seedforce.com.au
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CONTACTS
CUSTOMER SERVICE & LOGISTICS
MAROUBRA, SYDNEY
3/433 Maroubra Road
Maroubra, NSW 2035
Australia
Office: 0419 75819
Email: herbycides@gmail.com
website: gilbasolutions.com

Seed Force are an Australian seed wholesaler, screening and supplying premium
varieties across Australasia. Our business has historically been to help grow
farmers’ productivity and profitability – choosing the right seed is just the
beginning. This expertise we are now bringing to Turf Managers throughout
Australia.
Seed Force was established in 2006. The founding Seed Force team was small,
tough, with years of real-world farm experience and insider seed industry
connections. To make sure a new Australian company could be at the forefront of
plant breeding and technology, we joined forces with one of Europe’s most
respected seed businesses – RAGT Semences.
Global science. Proven local performance.
RAGT run 17 research centres throughout Europe, 300,000 experimental plots
worldwide, 40 breeding programmes across 26 species, and have 760+
employees, all working to increase yields, robustness and quality.
It takes years of development to create a new variety, but by investing the time,
effort and resources required helps ensure confidence in a variety once it’s
commercialised.
Our Australian operations are based in Shepparton, Victoria. Click on this link if
you wish to email us.
With all the varieties discussed in this guide we have attempted to give the entire
picture. If we have seen an opportunity to meet a need we have gone and sourced
a variety that best meets that specific requirement. Our marketplace is
INTRODUCTION
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FIGURE 1.1 Percent couch cover following overseeding vs Ryegrass cover and quality
14
28
42
56
70
AppleSGL Premier3 BonnvilleGrandSlamGLD Playoff2 RioVista SoxFan SR4650 Fiesta4 Stellar3GL
Percent couch cover in Autumn after seeding Percent cover ryegrass
Ryegrass Quality in Autumn

Gilba Solutions was founded in 2013 as Sydney-based
sports turf consultants and subsequently have become
wholesalers of agricultural products and suppliers of
professional turf products such as soil wetting agents, turf
fertilizer, turf seed and turf chemicals. We specialize in all
aspects of fine turf management and have over 35 years of
experience in Australia and the UK. Consequently, we deal in
providing professional turf management solutions for clients
such as Arsenal FC, ACT Government, Campbelltown
Stadium, Stadium Australia, and Comm Bank Stadium.
Through this Guide you will see some brands are referenced
to Lateral Spread Technology.
One of our key partners Mountain View Seeds, collaborating
with both public and private breeders, has culled through
thousands of individual collections, selecting for these
expressions, and combining the most promising plants under
cycles of recurrent selection, to create cultivars that, in
addition to excellent appearance and disease resistance,
show increased tendency to ‘fill-in’ newly seeded areas as
well as areas thinned by wear and environmental conditions.
This means we are able to offer the Australian market an
alternative to RTF and RPR with similar spreading
characteristics and marketed under the brands Spyder LS
and Torsion LS respectively.
Click on the logo below to go to the Development white paper
relating to this.
Quality
The quality of our seed is unrivalled. So we aim to supply
better quality seed than our competitors with more live seed
and less weed. Our business is seed and so compromising on
quality is not an option.
All the varieties we market have are trial proven and based on
the best possible genetics. We don’t supply 30 plus year old
varieties. Our team of authorised distributors
have been selected for their expertise
in sportsturf grass and are well placed to
provide technical information and advice.
Labelling
The Seed Label. In addition to identifying the species and
variety, a label contains valuable information regarding the
quality of the seed.
The label of turfgrass seed sold, distributed, transported and
offered for sale must contain the following information:
a) Name of the kind and variety for each turfgrass seed
present in excess of 5% of the whole and the % by weight of
each in the order of its predominance;
b) Lot number or other lot identification;
c) Net weight;
d) Origin;
e) Percentage by weight of inert matter;
f) Other crop seeds (e.g., percentage by weight of varieties
other than those listed on the label);
g) Percentage by weight of all weed seeds;
h) Germination percentage (exclusive of the germination of
hard seed), percentage of hard seed, and the calendar month
and year of the test for each named turfgrass seed;
I) Name and number per kilogram of each kind of restricted,
noxious weed seed; and
j) Name and address of the company or person labelling,
selling or offering the seed for sale.
Seed may also be guaranteed true-to-type, or certified, from a
genetic standpoint. Bluetag certified seed has been tested
according to procedures established by the Association of
Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) and has met
stringent certification standards for genetic purity and
identity.
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constantly changing and so we attempt to be as flexible as
possible to meet its constantly changing needs.
An excellent example of this is the addition of Playoff 2 to
our portfolio. This is highly salt tolerant and so ideal for use if
effluent eater is being used. In the most recent NTEP trials
from 2011-2014 Playoff 2 exhibited significantly higher
coverage than Premier 3, Sox Fan or SR4600ST.

FIGURE 1.2 Cool season turf characteristics
Cool Season
Turfgrasses
Latin Seeds/g
Minumum
Purity %
Minimum
Germination
%
Germination
Shoot
Density/
100 cm2
Kg/
100m2
Cutting Height
Bentgrass creeping A. palustris 12000 95 85 2 weeks 400-600 0.5-1 Normal: 3-12mm; Not over 15mm
(Agrostis sp.) colonial A. capillaris 10000 95 85 2-3 weeks 400-600 0.5-1 Normal: 4-12mm;
Bluegrass Kentucky P. pratensis 3000 90 75 3-4 weeks 200-350 2
Normal: 20-35mm; Not less than
8mm.
(Poa sp.) rough P. trivialis 4000 90 80 3-4 weeks 5-7
Normal:12-50mm; when oversewing
greens can tolerate 5mm
Fescue Chewings
F. rubra
var. falax
1000 95 80
About 2
weeks
450-800 3
Normal: 20-35mm; not lower than
5mm
(Festuca sp.) hard F. brevipila 950 2 - 3 weeks 800-1000 2-3 Normal: 37-100mm
slender
F. rubra
var. litoralis
1000 95 80
About 2
weeks
450-800 2-3 Normal: 20-35mm; Not less than 5mm
strong
creeping
F. rubra
var. rubra
800 95 80
About 2
weeks
250-450 3
12mm
Sheeps
F. sheep
var. glauca
950 95 80 2 - 3 weeks 800-1000 2-3 Normal:37-75mm
tall, turf
type
F. arundinacea 650 95 85 2 - 3 weeks 200 5
10mm
Ryegrass perennial L. perennial 600 95 90
3 days - 2
weeks
200-350 3-4 Normal: 28-40mm not less than 4mm
Annual L. multiflorum 600 95 90 2-7 days 175-225 3-5 Normal 28-40mm
Pure Live Seed. The retail price of seed is influenced by turfgrass
species and variety, germination and purity. A calculation to
determine the percentage of pure live 
seed (PLS),
where PLS (%) = [seed purity (%) x seed germination (%)] ÷ 100,

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FIGURE 1.3 Cool season turf characteristics
Cool Season
Turfgrasses
Disease
Tolerance
Growth
Habit
Establi
shment
Rate
Nitrogen
Use
ET
Rate
Drought
Tolerance
Salinity
Tolerance
Compet
itiveness
Shade
Tolerance
Heat
Tolerance
Bentgrass creeping
mod to
good
stolons
mod -
fast
low - mod high
poor -
good
high high mod - poor excellent
colonial
good to
excellent
Tufted
mod -
fast
low low good mod mod mod poor
velvet
good to
excellent
stolons
mod -
fast
very low low good mod high good poor
Bluegrass Kentucky
mod to
good
rhizomes slow mod -high
mod -
high
good mod mod poor -good poor - mod
Fescue chewings
good to
excellent
Tufted mod mod -low low
good -
excellent
low high excellent poor - mod
hard
good to
excellent
Tufted
slow -
mod
low -very
low
low excellent low - mod mod excellent poor - mod
slender
creeping
good to
excellent
rhizomes mod low - mod low good low mod excellent poor - mod
strong
creeping
good to
excellent
rhizomes mod low - mod low good low mod excellent poor - mod
blue
good to
excellent
Tufted
slow to
mod
very low low excellent low - mod mod excellent poor - mod
tall, turf-
type
moderate
to good
Tufted mod mod -high high excellent high mod excellent
poor -
excellent
Ryegrass perennial
moderate
to poor
Tufted
very
fast
mod -high
mod -
high
good mod - part high poor - mod
poor -
excellent

FIGURE 1.4 Warm season turf characteristics
Warm Season
Turfgrasses
Latin Seeds/g
Germination
days
Minimum purity
%
Minimum
Germination %
Kg/100m2 Mowing Height
Couchgrass
Cynodon
dactylon
2,000 5-10 95 80 1.0
Normal
10-30mm
Kikuyu
Pennisetum
clandestinum
515 7-10 98 85 0.5-1.5 5-30mm
Zoysia Zoysia japonica 1410 14-35 90 70 0.5-1.5 10-30mm
FIGURE 1.5 Warm season turf characteristics
Warm Season
Turfgrasses
Growth
Habit
Establishment
Rate
Nitrogen
Use
Drought
Tolerance
Salinity
Tolerance
Competitiveness
Shade
Tolerance
Heat
Tolerance.
Couch
Rhizomes,
stolons
Average High Very High Excellent Mod-High
Low-
mod
Excellent
Kikuyu
Rhizomes
and stolons
Fast Low Very High Excellent High Mod
Good -
Excellent
Zoysia
Rhizomes
and stolons
Slow Very Low Excellent Excellent Low High Excellent

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PERENNIAL RYEGRASS
With no independent Australian trialling of ryegrass since the 2009 ANTEP trials, to say the data generated then is still
valid is stretching it to say the least. The same state of aﬀairs exists since the last set of NZ varietal tests in
2005-2007.
Instead there are currently two independent series of ryegrass trials carried out. Annually at the STRI in the UK at one
solitary site and the more detailed NTEP trials in the USA, carried out at up to 20 sites covering a wide range of
climates and soil types. The most recent of these was in 2011-2014.
There are some companies who claim to carry out their own ‘independent’ trials but the validity of these has to be
questionable at best. Bearing this in mind the following discusses the Seed Force ryegrass portfolio and the
reasoning behind why we support these varieties into the Australian marketplace. We ﬁrmly believe independent data
is our best marketing tool rather than simply relying on heresay.
Seed Force deal with a number of suppliers but have strong and longterm associations with many seed companies
including Mountain View Seeds, one of the world’s largest seed production companies.
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Mean quality is an average of all quality ratings from all locations.
Percentage in top 25% is the percentage of locations where that entry
finished in the top 25% of all entries.
Genetic colour ratings 1-9 where 9 = dark green.
With huge leaps in breeding technology since the 1980’s and
also the introduction of many chemicals specifically
developed to remove ryegrass in these specific situations,
the need to use older, poor wearing and disease susceptible
varieties is no longer necessary. See Figure 1.1
The ability of a variety to withstand wear is one the key
reasons as to why many Turf Managers oversow. Basically, if
a variety can’t take wear its probably best to s
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FIGURE 2.2 Genetic colour variations
of common varieties ( LSD of 0.4)
Variety Genetic Colour
Apple SGL 6.1
Premier III 5.8
Bonneville 6.2
Grand Slam GLD 6.5
Playoff 2 6.2
Rio Vista 6.5
Sox Fan 6.4
SR 4650 6.5
Fiesta 4 6.9
Stellar 3GL 6.4
Seed Force realises that certain traits are more important
than others to Turf Managers. Colour, overseeding success,
impact on couchgrass and wear tolerance are just four key
criteria we look at when introducing new varieties into the
Australian turf market.
Two major issues with overseeding couchgrass are firstly the
impact of ryegrass on the underling couchgrass whether
through shade, offering poor protection to the underyling
couch or allelopathy and secondly the quality of the oversown
ryegrass itself. We see little point in overseeding with a
ryegrass that is susceptible to brown patch!
FIGURE 2.1 Table below showing commonly
retailed perennial ryegrass varieties marketed in
Australia, that were all entered in the most
Recent US NTEP Trials from 2011-2014
Variety Grower Percentage in
top 25%
Mean
quality
Apple SGL Seed Force/
Mountain
View
57.1 5.7
Premier III Heritage/Nuturf/
Barenbrug
7.1 5.3
Bonneville Advance Seeds 14.3 5.5
Grand
Slam GLD
Seed Force/
Mountain
View
85.7 6.0
Playoff 2 Seedforce/
Lesco
7.1 5.3
Rio Vista Advance Seeds 42.9 5.8
Sox Fan Advance Seeds 21.4 5.5
SR 4650 Advance Seeds 64.3 5.9
Fiesta 4 PGG 28.6 5.6
Stellar
3GL
Seed Force/
Mountain
View
50 5.8
FIGURE 2.3 Mean percent cover after
wear (LSD = 3.6)
Variety Mean percent cover after wear
Apple SGL 93.2
Premier III 86.2
Bonneville 90.3
Grand Slam GLD 92.9
Playoff 2 91.7
Rio Vista 90.6
Sox Fan 91
SR 4650 95
Fiesta 4 90.5
Stellar 3GL 91.6

Aspire (IS-PR 489) was developed for broad spectrum disease resistance with
emphasis on gray leaf spot and helminthosporium.
Attractive dark green colour
It's a dense dark green variety that has demonstrated superior recovery to
drought (2010 PR NTEP) and early spring green-up.
Adaptation & use
Aspire was developed for permanent turf-grass blends and mixtures
containing improved perennial ryegrass and other grass species compatible
with perennial ryegrass.
It is an excellent choice for professional overseeding
programs on sports grounds.
Drought tolerant. Will withstand lower watering regime.
High wear tolerance.
Maintains better density under closer mowing.
Broad spectrum disease resistance.
Sowing rate
New seeding application:4-5kg/100m2
Oversowing: 3-4kg/100m2
ASPIRE
10

GrandSlam GLD (Grey Leaf and Drought tolerant) is a high-quality perennial
ryegrass bred with resistance to grey leaf spot and improved drought tolerance. If
you struggle in an area aﬀected by Grey Leaf Spot or just want to have the security
against it choose GrandSlam GLD. Its dark green colour makes it an ideal choice
for use on golf courses, sports ﬁelds, home lawns and for professional
landscapers.
If you have high wear areas this is worth serious consideration as the trial data in
Chapter 3 demonstrates.
Its drought tolerance and fast establishment also make it a great choice if you
require a high-quality overseeding variety.
Sowing rate
GRAND SLAM
GLD
11

Stellar 3GL is a third generation variety offering excellent turf quality, grey leaf spot
resistance and improved heat/drought tolerance. As a permanent turf you get the
high-turf quality you expect with the strength to withstand heavy traffic and
diseases/pests.
Stellar 3GL is a dark green colour and has a fine leaf texture. Stellar 3GL’s
improved heat and drought tolerance means your turf will stay green longer, with
less water! As an overseeding ryegrass for warm-season applications Stellar 3GL
offers fast establishment, leaf texture that matches up with high-quality couch
varieties and predictable transition.
Sowing rate
STELLAR 3GL
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Torsion LST was selected for improved turf quality and strong lateral spread
ability. Torsion’s aggressive tillering allows it to self-repair damaged turf. Torsion
LST has excellent wear tolerance and a beautiful dark green colour making it an
ideal choice for sports turf applications. In addition, Torsion LST can help reduce
maintenance costs and time as its slow growing characteristics requires fewer
mowings and produces less clippings. Torsion LST establishes quickly and has an
extremely dense turf as well, producing a thick sward ideal for sod use.
Sowing rate
TORSION LST
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FIGURE 2.4 BSPB Turfgrass 2019
Trials cut at 25mm
Variety Visual
Merit
Recovery Winter
Greenness
Galleon/SR4600 6.2 4.7 8.4
Torsion 6.5 6.3 7.6
Barorlando 7.5 6.7 5.5
Barlennium 6.3 5.4 7.8
Mistral/Stellar
3GL
6.2 5.3 8.2

A study was carried out from December 2015 to July 2017 by
the University of Padova in Legnaro, near Venice in Italy
(climatically the equivalent of Lexington, Virginia).
The objective of this research was to study stolon
development of four commercial perennial ryegrass cultivars
under three seeding rates. The four cultivars used for this
study were two creeping types namely Sienna (Lateral
spreading ryegrass) and RPR plus two traditional cultivars
namely Apple SGL and Pizzaz 2.
The results demonstrated the presence of stolons in all the
tested cultivars. The cultivar 'Sienna' showed the highest
stolon production followed by ‘Pizzaz 2’ and ‘Apple SGL,’
whereas ‘RPR’ displayed the lowest. The cultivars started to
produce stolons in the spring of the first year after
establishment, reached the highest level in late summer and
maintained production until termination of the study. The
lowest seeding rate favoured stolon production and their
growth in diameter as it produced the highest length density,
specific weight, and average diameter.
The results of this study also demonstrated that stolons were
more abundant and thicker in plots seeded at 10 than 20 and
30 g m–2, suggesting that seeding rate can be used to
control stolon production.
Effect of date on stolon length density of four perennial
ryegrass cultivars (‘Apple SGL,’ ‘Sienna,’ ‘Pizzaz 2,’ and
‘RPR’) from December 2015 to July 2017. Vertical bar
represents least significant difference (LSD) at the 0.05
probability level. (b) Effect of cultivars (‘Apple SGL,’ ‘Sienna,’
‘Pizzaz 2,’ and ‘RPR’) on stolon length density of four
perennial ryegrasses. The mean is calculated for dates from
April 2016 to July 2017. Values with the same letter are not
significantly different (LSD test at the 0.05 probability level).
Images showing divot recovery
14
FIGURE 2.5 Mean monthly temperatures
(C) Venice vs Lexington
Jan/July Apr/Oct Jul/Jan Oct/Apr
Venice Lexington, Virginia

Playoff II is a new selection which achieved high turf scores in the 2004 NTEP
Overseeding trial, especially at locations being irrigated with effluent water.
Playoff II shows improved texture, density, colour, and transitioning
characteristics. Playoff II also has done well as a component in mixtures and
blends for permanent turf.
Playoff II Is also well suited for winter overseeding of dormant warm season
grasses, such as couch tees, kikuyu and zoysiagrass.
Sowing rate
PLAYOFF II
15
FIGURE 2.6 Percent coverage
Perennial ryegrass salt tolerance
10000ppm NTEP 2011-2014
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 73
81
66.3
65.8
87.5
91
74
83.5
63.5
85.8
FIGURE 2.7 Percent coverage Perennial
ryegrass salt tolerance 12500ppm NTEP
2011-2014
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 30.3
48.3
46.8
32.8
71.5
67.8
43.3
55.3
18
52

3
INDEPENDENT
TRIAL DATA
We at Seedforce place a great deal of importance on
truly Independent trial data. Unlike some companies
we are happy to show you the results rather than
saying our varieties performed ‘‘really well’’. We
believe this sets us apart from our competitors.
With no new trial data in Australia we have to rely on
USA and European trial data. One of the issues with
this has been relating US trial data to Australian
climatic zones.

How to use this page
By clicking on the map shown below you will be taken to a
comparative climate site. Your current home city name is
shown in the top left part of the screen.
You can click on it to centre a map at it's location or you can
click CHANGE button next to it to change home city anytime.
It is marked on the the map with a blue marker.
You can move a slider to the left to narrow down selection
and show only most similar cities. Resulting cities are shown
in a table below the slider and marked with green markers on
the map. You can click on a city name in the table to centre
the map at it. For each city a distance from your home town
and weather similarity (in percent) are shown.
Clicking on a green marker on the map, will open a window
showing a bar chart with average monthly temperatures for
this city and your home town, side by side.
Do not forget that you can change map zoom level to see
more cities.
shift months checkbox, when checked allows to find cities
where sequence of month temperatures matches closely, but
may start from different months. For example, this allows to
find matches between cities in USA and Australia, where
seasons are different.
17

ACT/Canberra - US equivalent Portland Oregon
ACT/CANBERRA
18
FIGURE 3.1 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Canberra vs Portland
Jan/July Mar/Sept May/Nov Jul/Jan Sep/Mar Nov/May
Canberra Portland Oregon
FIGURE 3.2 Growth Potential for Canberra. Yellow optimal
seeding time; green optimal chemical transition time.

19
FIGURE 3.4 Genetic colour Oregon/Canberra NTEP
2011-2014 (LSD = 0.8)
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 7
7.3
7.2
7.2
7.1
6.9
7.2
6.9
6.7
6.8
FIGURE 3.3 Turfgrass Quality Oregon/Canberra NTEP
2011-2014 (LSD = 0.3)
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 6.1
6.3
6.1
6.1
6.2
5.9
6.3
6.1
5.8
6

SYDNEY/PERTH
20
Sydney/Perth - US equivalent Los
Angeles/Riverside - California
FIGURE 3.5 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Sydney vs Los Angeles
Sydney Los Angeles
FIGURE 3.6 Growth Potential for Sydney. Yellow optimal seeding time;
green optimal chemical transition time.

21
FIGURE 3.7 Percent Decline in Living Cover after traffic
equivalent to 60 football games NTEP 2011-2014
-22.3
-21.4
-23.4
-7.7
-22.6
-29.7
-40
-21.9
-33
-19.4
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL
FIGURE 3.8 Turf Quality Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth
NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 0.4)
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 6.9
7
7
7
6.7
6.8
7
6.7
6.8
7

MELBOURNE
22
FIGURE 3.9 Mean monthly temperatures (C) Melbourne vs San Francisco
Melbourne San Francisco
Melbourne - US equivalent San
Francisco/Santa Clara/ California

23
FIGURE 3.10 Brown Patch Resistance; NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD =
1.2)
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 5.7
3.7
5
4.3
4.2
3.7
5.2
4.7
4.8
4.8
FIGURE 3.11 Pythium Resistance; NTEP 2011-2014 (LSD = 1.7)
Apple SGL
Premier III
Bonneville
Grand Slam GLD
Playoff 2
Rio Vista
Sox Fan
SR 4650
Fiesta 4
Stellar 3GL 2
2
2.3
3.3
2
3.7
3.3
3.3
2.7
3.3

4
ANNUAL RYEGRASS
A quick-growing, non-spreading bunch grass, annual ryegrass is a reliable, versatile performer almost
anywhere, assuming adequate moisture and fertility. It does a ﬁne job of holding soil, taking up excess N and
outcompeting weeds.
The varieties that Seed Force supply are turf type annual ryegrass exhibiting quick germination, being perfect
for winter overseeding or any use where high quality, rapid turf cover is required. These possess a ﬁner leaf
texture, darker green colour, and improved turf quality over older varieties of turf type annual ryegrasses.
24

Nusprint turf type annual ryegrass was developed with three goals in mind.
1. Developing a darker green, dense and ﬁner leaved annual with traits more
similar to a perennial.
2. Cost had to be kept low which was achieved by being a high seed yielding
variety.
3. It had to transition rapidly from cool season to warm season in the spring.
NUSPRINT
25
FIGURE 4.2 Texas A&M Overseeding trial 2004/2005 -
Transition percent ryegrass
Omega 3 Perennial
Nusprint
Axcella
Panterra 20
21
23
60
FIGURE 4.1. Texas A&M Overseeding trial
2003/2004 - Turf Quality
Omega 3 Perennial
Nusprint
Axcella
Panterra 6.4
6.6
6.7
6.8

26
FIGURE 4.3 University of Arizona trial
2006/2007
Nusprint Axcella 2 Panterra 2
4.4
4.5
4.6
Turf
Quality
2008/2009
Nusprint Axcella Gulf
4.5
5.3
5.5
Turf
Quality
2009/2010
Nusprint Greenlinks Panterra 2
5
5.3
5.3
Turf
Quality

27
FIGURE 4.7 Overton, Texas Transition Trial 2009
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent ryegrass May 1 Percent ryegrass May 14 Percent ryegrass June 1
Transition
Percent
Ryegrass
Nusprint Axcella Panterra Soprano
FIGURE 4.6 Overton, Texas Transition Trial 2009
0
16
32
48
64
80
Percent couch May 1 Percent couch May 14 Percent ryegrass June 1
Transition
Percent
Couch
Nusprint Axcella Panterra Soprano

Breakout with STT (Smooth Transition Technology) is a revolutionary new annual
ryegrass for use in overseeding warm season grass applications or for quick
ground cover on cool season turf. Breakout with STT establishes very quickly, but
unlike other annual ryegrasses Breakout with STT has the ﬁne leaf blade and
texture that is more similar to perennial ryegrass. This unique trait gives Breakout
with STT superior turf quality.
However, Breakout with STT is unique in its ability to transition smoothly and
predictably. While most perennial ryegrass varieties hold on too long in the
summer and so require chemical removal, Breakout with STT transitions out
smoothly to allow the warm season base to recuperate and not have to compete
with the overseeded grass. Competition with cool-season grasses can be a costly
problem leading to increased chemical use, so if you want a rapid stress free
transition choose Breakout with STT.
Transition is the most crucial time for overseeding. Both going into and coming
out of the cooler winter months are very sensitive times for your warm season turf
base. If the overseeded varieties don’t come on soon enough you can be left with
brown, dormant grass that is susceptible to damage if played on. Breakout with
STT germinates FAST so that you can have green ground cover and a playable
surface as soon as possible.
BREAKOUT
28

29
The transition from the overseeded grass back to your warm-
season base is equally important. If the overseeded grass
lingers too long it can cause serious damage to the warm-
season base. Most perennial ryegrass varieties are now bred
to be more drought tolerant. Breakout with STT is also a
beautiful turfgrass. Darker than most other annual ryegrass
varieties Breakout with STT also matches up better with
warm-season grass bases. It’s fine leaf texture and increased
density allow it to blend better with warm season species.
Breakout with STT has a dark green colour. At the NC State
trials a colour spectrometer was used to indicate a specific
colour value to each of the varieties in the trial. The colour
swatches below show the difference in colour between
Breakout with STT and another commonly used annual
ryegrass variety.
FIGURE 4.8 Turf Quality Jefferson Oregon/Canberra
2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 0.8; LSD 2012 = 0.8)
2011 2012
4.5
4.8
4.9
5 5
5.2
Breakout Axcella 2 Panterra
FIGURE 4.9 Turf Colour Jefferson Oregon/Canberra
2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 1.0; 2012 = 1.8)
2011 2012
4
4.5 4.5
4.8
5
5
FIGURE 4.10 Winter Growth Rate Jefferson
Oregon/Canberra 2011-2012 (LSD 2011 = 1.3;
2012 = 1.0)
2011 2012
5
4
6
4.7
7.5
5.3

5
COUCHGRASS
Couchgrass is a warm season, perennial grass
genus which spreads vegetatively by stolons,
rhizomes, and shoots.
There have been huge leaps forward in couch seed
since the days of Princess which although an
industry standard for many years has been
superseeded by a new generation of ﬁner, more
vigorous and cheaper alternatives.
All the varieties that Seedforce supply are top
performers in the NTEP evaluation trials.

Rio is a top-rated seeded couchgrass variety developed by the Johnston Seed
Company. Rio exhibits excellent cold and frost tolerance as well as early spring
greenup making it a great choice for not only the southern zone but also areas in
the transition zone where couchgrass is used. Rio germinates quickly and was the
#1 NTEP rated variety in establishment. Rio has excellent turf quality and good
wear tolerance being dark green and fine-bladed creating a very dense turf. Rio is
drought and heat tolerant and can be used in a number of different applications.
It was entered into the most current NTEP Trial as JSC-2009-6-S
Rio should be planted in areas of full sunlight when soil temperatures reach a
consistent 18C and are on the rise. Plant 1-1.5kg of seed /100m2 in a
well-prepared firm seedbed. Cover seed with no more than 6 mm of soil. Maintain
adequate soil moisture around seed using frequent but light irrigation for optimum
germination. Seedlings should emerge in 10 to 14 days. As seedlings develop,
decrease frequency of irrigation but increase the amount of water a bred to be
more drought tolerant.
RIO COLD
TOLERANT
COUCHGRASS
31
FIGURE 5.1 Leafspot 2 locations
NTEP 2013-2017 Scale 1-9 9 is no
disease; LSD = 2.6
4
5
6
6
7
8
2016
Princess 77
Monaco Rio Riviera Sahara
6
7.3
7.5
5.3
6.3

32
FIGURE 5.2 Turf Quality over 17 locations NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD 0.2)
Princess 77
Monaco
Rio
Riviera
Sahara 5.3
6.3
6.2
6.3
6
FIGURE 5.3 Seedling vigour over 4 locations NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 1.2)
Princess 77
Monaco
Rio
Rivera
Sahara 7.3
7
6.5
6
4.5

Maya is a seeded couchgrass from Vista Seed Partners. Tested as RAD-CD1 in the
2007-2012 NTEP trials it was selected for improved turf performance, disease
resistance, excellent colour, texture and broad adaptation. When the final results of the
2012 NTEP bermudagrass trials were in, Maya was ranked at the top with the best of
them. In fact there was not one seeded variety, either commercially available or
experimental, that had a significant difference in turf quality. What makes Maya so
special is its price. Finally a top rated seeded turf type couch grass that everyone can
afford.
Disease Resistance:
This vigorous, medium fine-bladed cultivar adds excellent disease resistance to any
warm-season blend throughout the hottest summer months. It exhibited no dollar spot
(9.0 resistance score) and had less damage from Spring Dead Spot (only 5% damage)
than any other variety. Maya shows remarkable cold tolerance even in cold winter
areas. Maya displays very good resistance (7.3) to Take All Patch.
Usage:
Maya is recommended for southern lawns, parks, sports fields, golf fairways and
roughs or wherever a high quality turf is desired. Being established from seed, it is
much easier to use than the old sprigged vegetative varieties.
Establishment:
Late spring plantings are best. Plant 1kg/100 m2 for new turf applications. More seed
may be needed when stands are established early or late in the season to ensure full
coverage. It is very important to use coated seed and cover the couchgrass seeds with
soil or mulch up to 6mm depth. Bare, uncovered seed on the soil surface with no
protection from wind or dry air or hot sun, cannot be kept moist enough to germinate
well since it is too hard to keep exposed seeds from drying out.
MAYA
COUCHGRASS
33

34
FIGURE 5.4 Turfgrass Quality over 12 locations NTEP 2007-2012
(LSD = 0.7)
Princess 77
Yukon
Maya
Riviera
Sahara 5.3
6.1
6.1
6.3
6
FIGURE 5.5 Percent Spring Dead Spot NTEP 2007-2012
(LSD = 21.5)
Princess 77
Yukon
Maya
Riviera
Sahara 35
8.3
5
5
23.3

6
CREEPING
BENTGRASS
Creeping bentgrass is a cool-season specialty
grass primarily used for golf course putting greens,
lawn bowling greens, and lawn tennis facilities.
The skill and expense needed to maintain this
species usually eliminates it as a possible home
lawn turf. It is adapted to cool, humid regions and
prefers sunny areas but will tolerate some shade. It
tolerates low temperatures but will discolour early
in the autumn.

Piranha is a new creeping bentgrass variety developed speciﬁcally to tolerate heat and a number
of other stresses such as disease that destroy tees and greens resulting in costly repairs.
Piranha was bred to excel in high heat conditions that so easily destroy other lesser varieties.
Progeny tests were conducted across multiple sites and locations to identify deep rooted, stress
resistance germplasm. Piranha was then selected for improved turf quality and seed yield. In
addition Piranha has also shown excellent disease resistance to anthracnose and brown patch.
PIRANHA
36
FIGURE 6.1 NTEP 2017 Quality Ratings; LSD = 0.2
Variety Grower
Percentage in
top 25%
Mean quality
Pure Eclipse Penn State 41.7 6.6
777
Advanced Seed/
Seed Research
16.7 6.6
Piranha
Seedforce/Mountain
View
58.3 6.9
V8 Simplot 16.7 6.6
Pure Select Penn State 50 6.5
Penn A1 Penn State 8.3 5.9
Declaration Lebanon Turf 41.7 6.3
Penncross Penn State 0 4.5

37
FIGURE 6.2 Greens - Turf Quality Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth
NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.4
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 4.4
5.5
6
6.2
6.6
6.7
6.7
7.4
FIGURE 6.3 Greens - Genetic Colour Los Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth
NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 5.7
6.3
7.7
7
7
7.3
7
7.3

38
FIGURE 6.4 Greens - Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne
NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.3
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 4.5
5.8
6.2
6.9
6.4
6.4
6.8
FIGURE 6.5 Greens - Genetic Colour San Francisco/Melbourne
NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 5.7
8
7
5.3
7
7
7

39
FIGURE 6.6 Greens - Turf Quality Raileigh, North
Carolina/Canberra NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.9
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 6
7.8
7.4
6.9
7.9
7.9
7.9
7.9
FIGURE 6.7 Greens - Autumn colour, North Carolina/Canberra
NTEP 2017; LSD = 0.8
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 4.3
7
6.3
6.7
7.3
8
7.3
8

40
FIGURE 6.9 Greens - Brown Patch Resistance NTEP 2017; LSD = 1.9
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 7.8
5.8
5.8
8
7.5
8.3
8
7.5
FIGURE 6.8 Greens - Anthracnose Resistance NTEP 2017; LSD = 2.6
Pure Eclipse
777
Piranha
V8
Pure Select
Penn A1
Declaration
Penncross 1.3
7
4.7
6.3
6
7.3
7.7
6

7
TALL FESCUE
Tall fescue is one of the most drought, heat and
wear tolerant species. It is able to take up water in
drought spells due to its large and deep root
network.
Consequently tall fescue during the hot, dry
summer months tall fescue can stay green and
tolerates high temperatures. In contrast to other
turf varieties it possesses a coarse leaf texture
but new varieties have been much improved with
narrow leaves.
In general, the disease tolerance is very high.
Establishment is not as quick as for perennial
ryegrass and a high seeding rate is recommended

Spyder LS tall fescue is an initial release from Mountain
View Seeds Lateral Spread 'technology'" (LS) research
program. Spyder LS has scored in the highest NTEP
grouping for overall turf quality under medium
maintenance, traffic exposure, and shade. It is dark in
colour, vigorous and aggressive, with broad disease
resistance, particularly to brown patch.
In 2010 NTEP salinity trials using irrigation water with a
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) of 5.41 it was
recommended for use with poor quality water.
Quicker to fill-in, weed presence is minimal. Its drought
tolerance is also top rated, reducing irrigation costs.
Spyder LS is versatile. Its excellent turf performance occurs under varying climates and soil
conditions, well down into the transition zone. The inherent genetic characteristics of colour,
compact growth, and texture and density result in a more manicured appearance under only normal
maintenance.
Spyder LS is suggested for finer quality residential and corporate turf, sod production, and sports
areas, as well as golf course roughs.
Seeding Rates
Home lawns, parks: 4-5 kg/ 100m2
Sports fields: 200 kg/Ha
Sod Production: 150-250 kg/Ha
Low maintenance: 50-125 kg/Ha
SPYDER LS
42
FIGURE 7.1 Summer Stress Ratings
NTEP 2007-2011 Los
Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth
Bladerunner 2
Spyder LS
Escalade
Mustang 4
SR 8650 6.7
7.3
7
7.7
6.7

43
FIGURE 7.2 Seedling Vigour NTEP 2007-2011 Los
Angeles/Riverside/Sydney/Perth;
LSD = 1.3
Bladerunner 2Spyder LS Escalade Mustang 4 SR 8650
3.3
2.7
4
3.7
3
FIGURE 7.3 Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP
2007-2011; LSD = 0.6
Bladerunner 2Spyder LS Escalade Mustang 4 SR 8650
5.8
6
5.8
6.1
5.7

Titanium 2LS is setting the bar high for the next generation of tall
fescue cultivars. Titanium 2LS exempliﬁes the perfect high-quality
turfgrass; it’s dark green, very dense and has excellent wear tolerance.
Titanium 2LS is an excellent choice for sod farms and other
applications where only the best variety will do. In addition, Titanium
2LS is very drought tolerant, keeping its great looking appearance late
into the summer even under less-than-ideal conditions. Titanium 2LS is
also able to grow successfully in soil that has low fertility. And with all
MVS varieties that carry the Lateral Spread brand, Titanium 2LS has
aggressive lateral spread ability.
Seeding Rates
TITANIUM 2 LS
TALL FESCUE
44

45
FIGURE 7.5 Leaf Fineness NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 0.8)
Regenerate
Rebel V
Titanium 2 LS
Bullseye 6
6.3
5.8
6.5
FIGURE 7.4 Genetic Colour NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 0.3)
Regenerate
Rebel V
Titanium 2 LS
Bullseye 6.8
6.9
6.5
6.9

46
FIGURE 7.6 Rhizome counts 2016 NTEP 2013-2017 (LSD = 4.6)
Regenerate
Rebel V
Titanium 2 LS
Bullseye 2.3
6
1.7
2.3
FIGURE 7.7 Maximum in top 25% NTEP 2013-2017
Regenerate
Rebel V
Titanium 2 LS
Bullseye 5.3
73.7
10.5
68.4

Escalade is an improved variety developed jointly by Oregro Research
and Rutgers University. Fine- Leaved, dense, dark green, with excellent
brown patch resistance and tolerance to traﬃc, Escalade exhibits
excellent turf quality in the 2001 NTEP tall fescue trial. With the shade,
heat, and drought tolerance of tall fescue, Escalade is an excellent
choice for a wide variety of turf applications. Escalade is ideal for
home lawns, parks, sports ﬁelds, sod productions, golf course roughs,
and roadsides where a turf is needed.
Seeding Rates
ESCALADE TALL
FESCUE
47

48
FIGURE 7.9 Genetic colour NTEP 2002-2005 (LSD = 0.2)
Rembrandt
Barlexas 2
Escalade
Mustang 3
Bonsai 5.9
6.5
6.5
6.5
6.4
FIGURE 7.8 Leaf Fineness NTEP 2002-2005 (LSD = 0.3)
Rembrandt
Barlexas 2
Escalade
Mustang 3
Bonsai 5.4
5.8
6.2
5.9
5.8

Chewings fescue is an aggressive, bunch-type ﬁne
fescue that can outcompete other grasses. Because
of its high shade tolerance, it is sometimes used to
overseed shady areas, often in mixtures with
perennial ryegrass.
It possesses a high shoot density and is tolerant of
close cutting. Maintains good colour and requires
minimal water and fertiliser. Tolerates acidic soil
conditions.
8
CHEWINGS
FESCUE

Compass II is unsurpassed in turf quality. Its dark green colour and excellent turf
density make it a very attractive chewings fescue. Compass II performs well
under drought conditions, making it an excellent choice for areas with reduced
irrigation.
Compass II shows excellent disease resistance as well, scoring high in Summer
Patch and Red Thread trials. Compass II maintains its dark green colour year
round and performs well at fairway height. In addition, Compass II is wear and
shade tolerant, making it an ideal choice for home lawns and parks.
Broadcast Compass II seed at 2 - 2.5kg/100m2 and whenever soil temperatures
are above 16C. Large areas for erosion control, slopes or open turf areas can be
seeded at a rate of 80-100kg/Ha depending on the density desired.
Compass II performs over a wide range of environments, soil types and fertility
levels. For best results, a minimum of 1 - 1.5kg of N should be applied annually
during the cool season. Recommended cutting heights range from 12 - 50mm
depending on the level of maintenance and turf stand desired.
On winter overseeded greens, Compass II can be mowed down to 3mm. alone or
in combination with ryegrass and poa trivialis. Verticutting or dethatching may
prove helpful to speed breaking spring dormancy.
COMPASS II
50

51
FIGURE 8.1 Turf Quality San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017
(LSD = 0.8)
Radar
Bolster
Compass 2
Cascade
Castle 5.6
5.3
6.2
5.9
6.1
FIGURE 8.2 Dollar Spot San Francisco/Melbourne NTEP 2017
(LSD =.1.2)
Radar
Bolster
Compass 2
Cascade
Castle 5
4.7
6.3
6.3
6.3

9
BLENDS
With our state of the art blending and coating facility
blending seed to meet your exact requirements is just
a question of selecting what you require and leaving
the rest to us.
All our blends contain certiﬁed seed and we don’t
dilute down the quality with lesser varieties to keep
the cost down.
Following are some standard blends but bare in mind
these can be ‘tweaked’ depending on the region they
are being sold into, to better suit the speciﬁc climate.

TURF SEED BLENDS
All our blends contain certified seed and we don’t dilute down the quality with lesser varieties to keep the cost down.
We carry standard two and three way blends and can custom blend to meet your exact requirements.
As you can imagine varietal selection can play a major role in how successful (or not) and seeding work can be. Thats why
all the cultivars we select offer a benefit when incorporated into a blend.
Where possible we aim to use the most modern trial proven genetics and currently 90% of the ryegrass cultivars we use in our
blends were trialled in the most recent NTEP trials in 2011-2014. We are fully aware that things constantly evolve and relying
on dated genetics only means that you, our customer, are missing out on the benefits of newer varieties.
A good example of this relates to the potential damage caused when spraying Nominee. There can be a dramatic
difference in the degree of damage that occurs when this is sprayed on certain ryegrass cultivars. See Figure 9.1 below.
53
FIGURE 9.1 NTEP 2005-2009 Data - Nominee injury
where Scale 1-9 where 9 is No injury (LSD = )
SR 4600
Harrier
Derby Extreme
Homerun
Keystone 2
Fiesta 4
Soprano 7.3
8
8.7
9
8
6
4

54
This commitment to using the most modern cultivars
available means two things for our customers.
Firstly, you aren’t paying over the odds for blends containing
old cultivars and secondly you know exactly what you are
getting every time you purchase from Seedforce.
FIGURE 9.2 Ryegrass Blend Variety
Characteristics - Genetic Colour
Stellar 3GL
Apple SGL
Playoff 2
Nusprint
Torsion
Characteristics
Wear
Stellar 3GL
Apple SGL
Playoff 2
Nusprint
Torsion
Characteristics - Recovery
Stellar 3GL
Apple SGL
Playoff 2
Nusprint
Torsion
Characteristics - Salt Tolerance
Stellar 3GL
Apple SGL
Playoff 2
Nusprint
Torsion
Characteristics - Establishment
Stellar 3GL
Apple SGL
Playoff 2
Nusprint
Torsion

SF TITANIUM
SF Titanium has been designed to give exceptional wear
tolerance and recovery and as shown earlier we have the data
to support this! Composed of the most modern genetics on
the market.
Exceptional wear tolerance.
Unparalleled recovery.
Dark Green Colour.
Brown patch resistant.
SF Titanium Is a perennial blend of three ryegrass cultivars,
two of which spread via reproductive tillers.
SF Titanium is a 100% perennial turf seed mixture which is
ideally suited to all winter sports playing surfaces. It contains
3 cultivars of which there are 2 LST cultivars which spread via
reproductive tillers. These tillers form much quicker than
other marketed recuperative ryes. Regular (normal) ryes do
not spread. LST creeping growth habit helps ﬁll in sand slits,
drainage lines and divots.
CONTAINS:
30% APPLE SGL - Top percentile of 2014 NTEP Trials, Dark
green colour, recovery
30% STELLAR 3GL - Top percentile of 2014 NTEP Trials, Dark
green colour, recovery
40% TORSION LST - Top percentile 2019 BSPB Trials UK,
Exceptional recovery and wear tolerance
Seeding Rate: 300-400Kg/Ha
55
Wear
Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Torsion LST
Colour
Recovery

" " "
SF SALT MASTER
SF Salt Master is a premium blend designed to oﬀer
exceptional wear, rapid recovery and a dark green colour.
However its key strength and one that makes it truly unique
is that is you are struggling with poor water quality this is
the perfect blend having an exceptionally high tolerance to
up to 12,500ppm of salt.
If you have poor water quality this is the only option to
consider!
CONTAINS:
15% APPLE SGL - Dark green colour, recovery
15% STELLAR 3GL - Dark green colour, recovery
70% PLAYOFF 2 - Exceptional salt tolerance
Oversowing Rate: 250-350Kg/Ha
56
Salt Tolerance
Stellar 3GL Apple SGL Playoff 2
Colour
Recovery

SF RAPID REPAIR
SF Rapid Repair is a 100% three- way ryegrass turf seed mixture
with a quick start (germination) and burst of speed
(establishment). Couple this with a mid to dark green colour and a
high turf quality, SF Rapid Repair is a proven winner and an
excellent choice for many areas that need quality grass cover in a
hurry. Great for Tees, Goal mouths and all high wear areas.
Rapid germination
Rapid establishment
Good wear tolerance
Good winter growth
CONTAINS
50% NUSPRINT Turf Type Annual Ryegrass
30% APPLE SGL Perennial Ryegrass
20% PLAYOFF 2 Perennial Ryegrass
57
Establishment
Playoff 2 Apple SGL Nusprint
Winter Growth
Wear

SF GS60 is based on the No 1 blend used in the English
Premier league by Clubs such as Arsenal FC. It is a blend
of four high quality perennial ryegrass cultivars for general
sports use. SF GS60 is a 100% perennial ryegrass turf
seed mixture. Ideal for use on many types of
sports turf surfaces such as tees, fairways, sports pitches
and most general use areas.
Great dark green colour
Exceptional wear tolerance
Good recovery
CONTAINS
45% STELLAR 3G Perennial Ryegrass
35% APPLE SGL Perennial Ryegrass
15% HOMERUN Perennial Ryegrass
5%. TORSION LST Perennial Ryegrass
Seeding Rate: 350Kg/Ha
58
Wear
HomerunApple SGL
Stellar 3GL
Torsion LST
Colour
HomerunApple SGL
Stellar 3GL
Torsion LST
Recovery
HomerunApple SGL
Stellar 3GL
Torsion LST

ESTABLISHMENT
Seed Force is also unique as a company as we don’t only supply top quality seed. We are also happy
to show you how to get the best from it. It’s pretty logical from our perspective. The better results
you get, the better our product looks in the marketplace whether that’s a golf course, a top tier
stadium, a council ground or even your home lawn!
Timing of fertiliser applications is crucial and has a huge influence on determining which program to
adopt. Basically, the considerations can be divided into pre- and post-establishment and this is in
turn is influenced by the location.
The image above shows the range of climatic zones within Australia. A wide range of macro and
microclimates exist, all of which have a direct influence on any work you do in order to achieve the
best results possible.
59

what you are actually attempting to grow should also be
taken into consideration before you even start. For example
expecting to successfully grow bent grass in Darwin (a
tropical climate) isn’t generally going to be very successful!
Ground Preparation
Successful establishment requires the preparation of a good
seedbed comprising fine, well prepared seedbed free of
weeds and other obstructions. All weeds and undesirable
grasses should be removed by hand or by applying an
appropriate herbicide. To get better results fertilising prior to
applying a herbicide will ensure a better result.
The rootzone should be decompacted to a depth of
approximately 10cm and if appropriate efforts made to
ensure it is as even as possible.
On low CEC/ Sandy soils now is a good time to incorporate
organic matter and soil amendments such as
gypsum/lime/dolomite if required. Preferably a granular
option should be used as this reduces dust and also ensures
minimal waste.
Seeding
Depending on whether you are seeding a warm or cool
season grass, spring and autumn are the best times to plant
seed as the soil temperatures are optimal, aiming to sow the
seed at the recommended rate.
When broadcasting seed it should be surface applied and
then lightly incorporated to 1-2 cm depth, ensuring good soil/
seed contact. At this time it is vital to ensure that the soil is
kept moist as if it dries out the entire exercise will be a waste
of time.
Irrigation
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to keep the
soil moist whilst the seed is germinating. For the first week
or so it may be necessary to lightly irrigate for short periods
several times a day, especially if it is hot and dry.
Once it has germinated and begun to grow you can reduce
the frequency (weather conditions permitting), aiming to
irrigate 1-2 times a week as this will encourage a deeper
rooting sward. This should preferably not be carried out in
the heat of the day or at night as this will tend to encourage
disease.
Mowing Tips
Ensure your mower blades are sharp so you get a clean cut.
Only mow when the grass is dry.
Mow at the correct height for the grass present.
Don’t scalp the grass especially if its only young.
Once established never remove more than one third of the
leaf should be removed each time, also increasing the
mower height can allow the root
Soil and Tissue Analysis
Tissue testing involves the analysis of foliar tissue, such as
fresh grass clippings, for nutrient content. The aim of tissue
analysis is to determine more accurately the plant’s
nutritional content and so, in turn, be able to better formulate
a more appropriate nutritional regime.
Tissue analysis is able to produce information regarding
fertiliser requirements not obtainable through soil analysis.
However, the results gained are difficult to interpret and so it
is best to utilise both of these procedures in order to more
accurately determine plant needs. The basis of any fertiliser
programme should always be a soil test.
Soil Testing
Soil testing is defined as a chemical measurement of the soil
for the purpose of identifying nutrient deficiencies, predicting
nutrient needs, evaluating potential excesses or assessing
other important chemical characteristics such as pH or the
organic matter content. Soil samples can be taken at any
time of the year but not within two weeks of any application
of a fertiliser containing phosphorus, magnesium, potassium
or calcium. Frequency of testing can be every year but,
unless you are addressing a particular problem, every three
years is ideal.
Interpretation
The most important results in a soil test are pH, extractable
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and the
percentage of cations present on CEC sites and in particular
the level of sodium as these identify the basic soil chemical
properties. They allow the basic fertiliser recommendations
for lime, gypsum, dolomite and phosphorus to adjust the
fundamental chemistry. Any soil with a CEC of less than 3
60

meq/100 g soil will be susceptible to leaching and should be treated accordingly.
Next in importance are the available nitrogen and sulphur levels, although keep in mind that these levels are subject to rapid
change and generally aren’t worth the additional cost to test. Appearance and condition of turf is just as important when
recommending nitrogen and sulphur fertilisers. Of the trace elements, iron and manganese levels are most important to
maintaining the greenness of turf.
When a site contains a high percentage of sand, the initial problem is one of moisture retention. In order to overcome this, organic
amendments are added such as peat moss or poultry manure. Problems exist with both of these.
Peat moss is acidic, with a pH of 4.5, and takes a considerable time to break down. Consequently, if it is not incorporated
thoroughly throughout the proﬁle, it can lead to a build up of a highly moisture retentive layer at depth and so encourage anaerobic
soil conditions to develop. An analysis of poultry manure shows that it does, in fact, contain low levels of organic matter and also
can contain sodium in worrying levels, depending on the source of manure. Preferable to both of these options is dried seaweed
or composted food waste such as Mother Earth.
In reality is unlikely that these alone will lead to optimal growth of the respective grass species. Additional nutrients must be
added. On high sand containing areas, slow-release forms of nitrogen are preferable such as Piadin inhibited nitrogen, as most of
the nitrogen applied in a soluble form is gone within 72 hours of application, with
50% having gone within the first 24 hours.
Phosphorous
Plants need phosphorus for growth. Phosphorus is particularly needed within
actively growing tissue. It is for this reason phosphorus is found at much higher
concentrations in young plant tissue than in older established plants. This same
reason explains why young plants in the seedling stage have a higher
requirement for phosphorus.
During establishment, a fertiliser containing high phosphorus is used because
newly established turf has a limited root network in comparison to a mature turf
stand and requires a lot of phosphorus for maximum growth and development.
The uptake of phosphorus is directly related to soil temperature. At low
temperatures uptake is slow and consequently turf is more responsive to phosphorus containing fertilisers at this time. Even
soils with high levels of phosphorus may not provide enough phosphorus
when the soil temperature is below 10 to 13C.
FIGURE 10.1 Graph showing how
temperature effects P availability
0
20
40
60
80
100
15C
8
30
40
65
100
Percent
Availability
Temperature
FIGURE 10.2 Tissue Test ‘sets’
Nutrient Couch
Creeping Bent
(Karsten)
Creeping bent
(Jones and Mills
1991)
Creeping bent
(Carrow et al
2001)
Perennial
ryegrass
General
N% 4-6 4.5-5.25 4.5-6 2.8-3.5 3.34-5.1 2.75-3.5
P% 0.25-0.6 0.45-0.6 0.3-0.6 0.2-0.55 0.33-0.55 0.3-0.55
K% 1.5-4 2.25-3 2.2-2.6 1.5-3 2-3.42 1-2.5
Ca% 0.5-1 0.45-0.6 0.5-0.75 0.5-1.25 0.25-0.51 0.5-1.25
Mg% 0.13-0.4 0.25-0.35 0.25-0.3 0.15-0.5 0.16-0.32 0.2-0.6
S% 0.2-0.5 0.25-0.4 0.35-0.43 0.2-0.5 0.27-0.56 0.2-0.45
Fe% 50-500 200-400 100-300 50-100 97-934 35-100
Mn% 25-300 80-150 50-100 20-100 30-73 25-150
Cu% 5-50 10-15 8-30 5-20 6-38 5-20
Zn% 20-250 45-65 25-75 20-55 14-64 20-55

Gilba Solutions Turf seed Guide August22.pdf

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Gilba Solutions Turf seed Guide August22.pdf