Leading Greek turf consultants and laboratory, Grassform, is using GrasPro as their analytical tool of choice on Greek Super League pitches.  

Pitch inputs and usage are the main areas being tracked, with GrasPro’s detailed reporting function being used to deliver an insightful time and cost-saving maintenance strategy for clients. 

Co-founder of Grassform, Antonis Grimotsis, started his career in 2004 as an agronomic manager in sports pitch construction and maintenance projects. As an experienced independent consultant, he was accepted to join the Register of Independent Professional Turfgrass Agronomists (RIPTA) in February 2022.    

Independence has a large part to play at Grassform as a company that focuses on using the best options available, GrasPro for analysis being a must-have among them. Antonis, alongside co-founder Fontini Mentesidi, started Grassform in 2017 and now utilise Greece’s only ISO 17025 specialised mobile laboratory to evaluate the quality of pitches according to FIFA and EN specifications. Using GrasPro to process this data is now a crucial part of the Grassform process and one that Antonis’ clients have quickly benefitted from. 

“In the upper echelons of professional sports, such as high-ranking football clubs and stadia, the client’s need to achieve the best standards of performance and gain the highest ROI remains a constant and goes hand in hand with technological advances in the sports turf industry,” Antonis begins. “Advisers, therefore, must satisfy expanded expectations while readily adapting their services and operations within this very demanding and ever-evolving sector. 

“Monitoring the maintenance of a playing surface properly, especially for professional sports, is a key stage in the process of assessment, and to ensure playing quality and the safety of players. 

“GrasPro is an immensely valuable tool when it comes to identifying issues and problem patterns and then working to resolve them quickly. 

“When it comes to developing and evaluating the maintenance programme for a playing surface including renovations, repairs, irrigation, application of fertilisers and nutrients, turf problem diagnoses and treatments, a consultant needs a reliable tool to log and analyse all the important task-related information to monitor progress, report to the client, and devise solutions. 

“GrasPro allows me to follow up on what’s being done step by step and the effects of inputs on the pitch conditions. Thus, it enables me to make informed decisions about further actions. 

“Based on data, a consultant can propose tailor-made solutions and precise interventions. This includes limiting amounts to what is required, and a combination of products such as type of fertiliser and biostimulants, etc. So, by optimising the outcomes, both quality and cost-effectiveness are achieved. 

“A comprehensive collection of data can facilitate a more insightful and time-saving management strategy, and I feel confident of my sources, knowing that the proposals I put forward are data-driven and based on measurable results.  

“Importantly, the platform is easy to use with a straightforward interface that allows for quick data entry, and it was easy for administrative staff to pick up without prior knowledge.” 

Since 2021 Grassform has been applying its three-axis of observation, evaluation and design to Greek Super League pitches as part of the league’s pitch upgrading scheme for 2021-2022. This includes 14 football pitches and their associated training grounds. 

www.gras.pro