TURF INDUSTRY NEWS
Arkansas Razorbacks to return to natural grass with Matrix system “Te Arkansas Razorbacks will return to natural grass in 2019 after playing a 10th year on their current artificial turf surface at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium,” reported
wholehogsports.com in May of 2018. In that posting, University of Arkansas Head Football Coach Chad Morris expressed a preference for grass over turf, noting “… I'm a natural grass type of guy. I love being on a grass field. Tere's nothing better than that in college football, or football period." Robert L. Winstead, Jr. (Bobby), president of Winstead Turf Farms, Arlington, TN, reports his company will be supplying the sod, a proprietary product called the Matrix system, developed by Rob Davey of Evergreen Turf, Pakenham, Victoria, Australia. Davey says, “We’ve worked with Evergreen Turf Matrix over the past 15 years specifically for use on high demand stadiums and elite field applications. Te Matrix system features an interwoven mesh support layer that provides the strength and stability to bind the sand-based profile and root system together without compromising drainage or general management practices. Tick cut, it ensures quick onsite installation for either field construction or ‘ready to play’ applications.” Winstead adds, “We were impressed with its performance and the consistency of the product, from start to finish, and are pleased to be the exclusive North American distributor for it. We will be growing Tahoma 31 bermudagrass in the Matrix system.” Tis collaboration marks the first use of the Evergreen Turf Matrix system in the U.S.
STEC Adds airter® to Its Equipment Lineup Anderson, SC based STEC Equipment introduced the airter® light 14160 at the STMA Show in Phoenix and the GIS in San Diego earlier this year. Te airter light 14160 is a completely redesigned professional pneumatic lawn aerator that loosens the turf root zone to a depth of more than 8 inches and supplies it with fresh oxygen. Tis is done with adjustable compressed air and 14 specially developed compressed air injection lances with triple nozzles that efficiently push air into the ground. Te airter (PTO powered pneumatic aerator) is currently the only PTO Powered Unit that is towed by a light weight tractor (30-45 HP) and is capable of covering large areas of turf more effectively and efficiently. Te airter loosens the turf surface evenly to a depth of 8.5 inches using compressed air. Each of the 14 injection lances is preceded by a compressed air reservoir, which allows the air to be controlled and fired at high pressure through triple nozzles into the ground. For more information, visit
www.airterusa.com.
Zoysia Golf Course Projects Announced in 7 Different Locations Around the Globe Seven golf courses in seven different locations around the world, all of which mark firsts for their region, recently announced that they are grassing their courses with Zoysiagrass varieties developed by Bladerunner Farms. Tese projects represent the first Zoysia on an entire course in Florida; the first Zoysia golf course in California; the first wall-to-wall Primo Zoysia course in Texas; the first Zoysia green in Australia; the first Zoysia
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greens in SE Asia in Singapore; and in both the Bahamas and Jamaica, the first BRF Primo Zoysia greens are growing in on two golf courses. Together these projects signify a rising tide of zoysiagrass use on golf course greens—something entirely new that is a fundamental shift in the golf industry. “We now have four BRF Zoysia varieties suitable for use on golf course greens. Primo Zoysia, Trinity Zoysia, Lazer Zoysia, and Prizm Zoysia, are the culmination of 30 years of research, development and real-world trials. It is so gratifying to see it come to fruition. I truly believe Zoysia for greens is poised to revolutionize golf course management because of the low inputs required and outstanding drought tolerance. It’s what I’ve dedicated my career to achieve,” said David Doguet, president of Bladerunner Farms, the world’s largest independently owned Zoysiagrass research facility.
Bayer opens new Environmental Science headquarters Te Environmental Science business unit of Bayer’s Crop Science division opened its new U.S. headquarters in Cary, NC. “Environmental Science has had a steady growth through the years. We continue to work collaboratively with our customers to deliver innovative and inspiring solutions that foster healthy environments where we all live, work and play,” said Mark Schneid, head of Environmental Science for Bayer, North America. “Our new headquarters will give us room to accommodate this growth, provide a modern and interactive environment for our employees and continue to be part of the fabric of the greater Raleigh-Durham-Cary community.” Te Environmental Science business unit of Bayer is a global organization with offices located around the globe in France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Te company will maintain its research and educational facility in Clayton, NC.
Bayer Appoints Four to New Leadership Positions Te Turf and Ornamental business of Bayer, within the company’s Crop Science division, appointed four to key leadership positions. Te following staffing appointments became effective on Jan. 1, 2019: Kayla Brugman has been appointed to the newly created role of plant health and disease management portfolio manager. Mike Hirvela was appointed to another newly created role, customer marketing manager, golf and sports turf segment. John Wendorf takes on expanded roles as customer marketing manager, lawn care and ornamentals segments. Peter Farno moves into the role of ornamentals sales manager. He has been with Bayer for twenty years and has led business and marketing efforts across the turf and ornamentals, and professional pest management markets. “As we look to the new year, we see a dynamic industry with ever-evolving customer needs,” said Glenn Rougier, head of marketing for the Bayer Turf & Ornamentals Business. “In these new roles, our dedicated team will focus even more closely on customer needs as critical guideposts for innovation and new strategic solutions to support our customers.”
TPI Turf News March/April 2019
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