Greencast Sweden - Overwinter Survival
The demand for quality turf
Today's golfers and sports players are ever more discerning in their demands for quality.
Golf courses and sports grounds that offer the best possible playing surfaces will attract more players
Preventing winter damage and getting the course back into good condition as quickly as possible in the spring is key to attract golfers and generating season long revenue. Presenting the best possible playing conditions and turf quality every time is also crucial to keep them coming back.
A report by the University of Copenhagen identified Swedish golfers as the most focussed on course playing quality among Nordic countries:
Course condition is of great importance to (Swedish) golf players. Management of the golf course should focus on obtaining high quality, since these details are very important to the players.
Turf managers in Sweden face the tough challenges posed by long winter periods with prolonged snow cover conducive to the most damaging turf diseases. High winter disease pressure is compounded by long daylight hours in summer that allow long hours of play - creating stress that can encourage disease.
The Syngenta Fungicide Programme
For the first time turf managers and agronomists in Sweden now have a full range of fungicides specifically created for turf that will cope with the disease challenges all through the season
Based on the results of trials in Sweden, Norway and Finland, supported by further research and experience in the UK, Canada and the US, the following programme is recommended to cover most turf diseases in most seasons.
A programme approach to autumn and winter disease control is vital to achieving over winter survival. A programme of fungicides at Timing 1, 2 and 3 (T1, T2 and T3) are designed to take the turf into winter clean, healthy and disease free.
A programme of Primo Maxx over summer and early autumn has also been demonstrated in Bioforsk trials to enhance the disease tolerance of the turf and reduce over winter disease.
Fungicide programme for overwinter survival
Key success factors for over winter disease control:
- Go into winter disease free - inside and out
- Do not allow disease to re-infect between treatments
- Do not stretch the autumn treatments spray intervals beyond 4 weeks between the autumn treatments
- Ensure good application and even spray coverage - avoid high water rates
- Apply a spring Banner Maxx if disease noted in the spring
Climatic change and increased seasonal variability now suggests proactive fungicide selection and timing is best based on soil temperatures, grass growth rates and forecasts of disease risk, compared to routine application on specific dates.
An effective disease control programme, with the right product, at the right time and in the right place, will help to:
- Minimise winter disease damage
- Get the course in play sooner in the spring
- Maintain better playing conditions throughout the playing season
