Enhanced disease and stress resistance
Germinal has added a new greens-specific blend to its range of golf seed mixtures: designed specifically for use on soil or sand based golf greens, FOREFRONT GREENS is made up of three separate bentgrass varieties, all of which have been selected to offer increased wear and heat tolerance, vigorous growth and good all-round disease resistance for hard-working, modern golf greens.
Comprising 35% Aber®Regal (Browntop Bent), 35% Aber®Royal (Browntop Bent) and 30% 007 DSB (Creeping Bent), Forefront Greens produces a sward with enhanced disease and stress resistance and which retains a superb year-round green colour.
AberRegal is the latest UK-bred bentgrass cultivar to come out of the IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences in Aberystwyth) breeding programme: bred from material originally sourced from Kent, AberRegal boasts superb disease resistance, particularly to Fusarium, as well as excellent shoot density, fineness of leaf and unrivalled winter and summer greenness.
AberRoyal, another UK-bred cultivar to come out of IBERS, was originally sourced from West Wales and perfectly complements AberRegal.
“AberRegal and AberRoyal work well together by offering a duo of Browntop Bentgrasses which will thrive on soil and sand based greens anywhere in the UK,” explains Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager for Germinal. “This pairing provides greenkeepers with improved genetic diversity and a sward with higher resistance to key disease threats such as Red Thread and Fusarium.”
007 DSB was developed in the US using 24 parent plants to produce a single cultivar with a wide genetic base. It is this background which enables it to deliver all the qualities of a top-rated Creeping Bentgrass (prostrate growth habit, high shoot density and good wear tolerance) in a range of conditions – from the extreme heat of Morocco to the harsh cold of Western Siberia.
007 has won plaudits wherever it has been used, including Ryder Cup and US Open courses, and has recently been announced as the variety of choice for the greens renovation ahead of the PGA Masters at Wentworth.
“Unlike older Creeping Bent varieties, 007 does all of this with a lower requirement for water and nutrients,” Richard Brown continues. “This means that, for the first time, a Creeping Bentgrass can be successfully blended with high quality Browntop Bent varieties to deliver an added-benefit but low input seed mixture.
“As such, Forefront Greens is the perfect solution for progressive greenkeepers who are currently managing Browntop Bents, but who are seeking extra performance from the same management inputs. The unique combination of cultivars ensures golf greens remain verdant throughout the year and, thanks to the inclusion of three top-performing varieties, avoids the risks associated with creating a mono-culture of grasses.”
AberRoyal, AberRegal and 007 DSB are available exclusively in the UK via Germinal. The recommended sowing rate for Forefront Greens is 8 to 12g/m2 (80 to 120kgs/ha). The recommended overseeding rate is 5 to 8g/m2 (50 to 80kgs/ha).
