GRASS EXPERTS SINCE 1904

ONE TOUGH ENVIRONMENT MAKE EXCELLENCE HAPPEN www.barenbrug.co.uk BAROLYMPIC FACTSHEET PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

Barolympic at 5mm in the BSPB trials at 5mm. Note the outstanding density maintained after two years of trialling.

8.0 Barolympic is a new perennial ryegrass cultivar bred by us for use in fine turf areas and is ideal for . SQUARES OUTFIELDS 7.4 Performance Grasses growing in cricket squares are subject to the most brutal Cricket outfields represent a different set of circumstances, and may It is ranked #1 out of all ryegrasses assessed growing conditions. From cold, heavy soils at the start of the playing require different grasses, depending on what is trying to be achieved in BSPB Turfgrass Seed 2017 as an average 6.8 season and the requirement for very close mowing, often without by an overseeding programme. of Tables S1, L1 and G4. sufficient incremental height reductions, to heavy rolling and little If the outfield in question doubles up as a winter sports facility, chance of optimum establishment in deteriorating weather conditions Fineness of leaf perennial ryegrass is again the correct species. Depending on the 6.2 following end of season renovation; such conditions take their toll. height of cut during the cricket season, and which sport is seen as Barolympic has exceptional fineness of leaf However, help is at hand. Our breeding and applied research a priority, it may be prudent to choose a blend designed for winter for perennial ryegrass. With a score of 8.3 programme is producing innovative new cultivars that provide sports, with extremely high wear tolerance but perhaps less tolerance in Table L1 and 8.0 in Table G4, Turfgrass 5.6 real benefits when it comes to improved playing performance, to mowing below 15mm or so. Seed 2017, it is the second-highest ranked maintenance and renovation for cricket squares. cultivar for this trait. Fineness of leaf is a If cricket is the only sport played and the outfield is not subject to desirable characteristic in a fine turf ryegrass 5.0 Improvements in perennial ryegrass breeding over the last couple of intensive wear, incorporating a mixture with red fescue may be improving aesthetic value particularly when decades have seen this species become the default choice for wicket beneficial to improve drought tolerance and pace across the surface. blending with fine fescue species.

maintenance in the UK – and for good reason. Fast establishment, Cyrena Gianna Dickens Bargold Monroe Chardin Poseidon Mercitwo Antonella Greenfair Escapade Greenway Barsignum Barolympic Columbine

For many though, the combination of good wear tolerance, high Clementine growth and recovery with little thatch production are all key elements This leaf fineness enables Barolympic to shoot density and tolerance to close mowing will see BAR EXTREME withstand very close mowing, comfortably in producing a consistent and lively surface. Mean scores of perennial ryegrasses from Tables S1, L1 and G4 of Turfgrass Seed 2017. being used across all areas. It is, after all, a product that is trusted by down to 5mm. The photo above is of a two- But with well over 100 amenity cultivars in the BSPB Turfgrass Seed top sports facilities in the world of golf and tennis also. year old plot from the BSPB trials at 5mm, Cultivar Mean Colour Wear tolerance list alone, making an informed choice is a difficult process. This year sees the inclusion of our best variety yet – Barolympic – which contributes data to Table G4 of the For a fine-turf cultivar of ryegrass, Barolympic Barolympic 4.49 Trusting in a company with an international breeding and research featured in detail on the opposite page booklet in the future. Barolympic is the top shows excellent tolerance to wear. When programme to make that choice for you is therefore a good start performing variety in this trial. Its score of Barrocky 4.82 assessed under the BSPB protocol for winter point. At Barenbrug, we rigorously test our varieties, and know in 8.3 as a new cultivar is far superior to any Chardin 4.96 sports at 25mm (Table S1), it has a mean competitor on the main table. detail which cultivars and in which combination offer the best chance Taya 5.04 score of 7.3, comparing favourably to other of performing well in this extreme environment. fine-leafed varieties Barsignum (6.7) and Colour Venice 5.06 Bargold (6.5). Here are some of the key characteristics we identify when formulating Perennial ryegrass cultivars exhibit a broad Nagano 5.14 our BAR EXTREME blend for cricket squares: It is ranked #21 out of 100 varieties for winter spectrum of genetic colour, which are Mascot 5.15 sport wear, despite being bred predominantly -Fast establishment in cool soil temperature conditions to help with commonly divided into two general groups; - Poseidon 5.16 for summer sports.. renovation, both post- and pre-season dark-green types and bright-green types. --High shoot density to prevent weed ingress Barolympic falls into the bright-green category, and is actually the brightest (or --High root density to minimise breaking and cracking palest) of all cultivars in Turfgrass Seed (see Kokomo 8.23 --Tolerance of close mowing to cope with significant height reduction Table 1). This is extremely beneficial for a Stravinsky 8.23 fine-turf ryegrass in the UK, offering better Neruda 1 8.38 --Cleanness of cut and no crowning, which is essential for safe and aesthetics with Poa annua. consistent play Table 1: Mean colour scores from BSPB --Fast recovery after stress to save time and energy during the season Turfgrass Seed, 2016 (all data tables). Data for the eight palest varieties and three darkest varieties only is shown.

Cricket Groundcare | BAR EXTREME It’s not just the cricket that’s first-class at Growing success Getting to the grass roots Martyn Snell started out as a greenkeeper Roots two inches deeper than before excellent drought tolerance. With that and Club – the turf at the at his local course, Elsham Golf Club—in the different aeration maintenance, it should With more than 500 matches played on The new grass seed certainly seems to have On dealing with root breaks at Enfield, 175-year- has given top- the summer of 2001—whilst also studying make a massive improvement if we do get a the prestigious in got to the root of the problems. “Our tests Martyn continues: “The different soil and class innings too. at Myerscough College. After going full dry summer. Come back to me later in the since it was founded, and at have shown that the roots now reach down loam layers underneath—over time—had time, he next moved to Scunthorpe Cricket year and ask me then!” In fact, Head Groundsman Simon least 16 championship games a year – not at least 10 inches below the soil surface,” begun to crumble away, causing a problem and Rugby Club as Grounds Manager. Williamson couldn’t be happier with sowings to mention the roots of a famous Lime Tree says Simon. “And this means the wicket on the square. The roots weren’t deep Tips for other groundsman? From there he transitioned into the of a new perennial ryegrass, which has on the playing field to contend with – the holds together very nicely and thanks to enough to knit the soil together because commercial Maintenance sector, finding On tips for others, Martyn says: “We brush helped rocket the club from second bottom club has always required a resilient grass. the root density, the turf retains its moisture they were growing horizontally. When this himself in charge of 300 acres of sports every morning. That’s the first job of the day. in the playing field quality league table to top without too much additional support.” happens it can really affect ball bounce Six years ago, when Simon became Head clubs and grounds throughout Lincolnshire On both the tennis and cricket square. Next five in just six years. because it creates a shock absorbing layer. Groundsman at the club – and after multiple Also rolled out at the County Ground in and Nottinghamshire. Last March, Martyn we cut in various different directions, aerate It’s very common, but because not everyone Judged by umpires and match managers problems with clumping in the square and Beckenham, a centre of excellence for player moved to Enfield Cricket Club—a dream job and sarrel roll. The sarrel roller goes behind does soil analysis and core samples—they from the English and Welsh Cricket Board patches of bare soil – Simon realised it was development, where the club plays their for the chairman of his home town Marshalls the tractor and opens up the surface with don’t fully know what’s going on underneath. against 16 other county cricket clubs across time to take action. home games, Simon says: Cricket Club. We caught up with him on his spikes, letting more oxygen into the roots. the country – and coming 3rd in the table one-year anniversary at the club. We take core samples out of the different We recently purchased a verti-drain giving “There were gaps where the grass seed “Even the coaches have commented on the in 2015 – it’s an accolade Simon is rightly surfaces and analyse them; then send them us a bit more depth into the cricket square hadn’t taken and in the winter months no vast improvement to the playing field. Cricket Martyn says: “When I joined Enfield, the proud of. off for further analysis. This also tells us and also the outfield. density, so algae and moss would form,’ says is played in the head and if the cricketers grass on the square wasn’t particularly wear which fertilisers coincide with what the soil “Grasses within the cricket square of a top Simon. “After trials with three or four different think the square looks better, they’ll believe tolerant and the sward density was thin. This is particularly useful on the cricket and grass are missing to make them thrive. level domestic ground have to stand up to seeds, some of which looked unnaturally it plays better. We also had a problem with root breaks, outfield making it more free draining and Although it’s early days, moving to BAR a lot of pounding, not to mention the weight green, we chose Barenbrug’s ‘Bar Extreme’. and layering, through various changes in de-compacted, as well as helping reduce “Unlike a lot of sports, the players look down EXTREME has already had a dramatic effect. of a 2 ½ tonne roller!” says Simon, who loams through the years. So I wasn’t 100% thatch levels. We haven’t been boxing off “We stripped back the turf and overseeded at the grass and can poke about with it with In fact, the roots are going deeper already. has been a groundsman for more than 40 convinced with what we were being supplied. the grass. So over about 40 years, it’s slowly the practice area and the square, and since their bat, and if it looks good it puts them We’re seeing roots going down as much as years, starting out at St Lawrence College in It could have been any supermarket amenity but surely built up, increasing thatch and then we’ve had great coverage, no patches, in the right mindset and mood for a good an extra two inches. the 1970s. “When I first came to the club we seed, as the bags were unlabelled! So I moss levels. and green colour even in the winter.” performance.” had problems with clumping, which causes decided to reassess our product and switch The club finished top of the pitch markings In summary? bumps and undulations on the surface, Indeed, while Simon and his team were during renovations. I also introduced a in 2015, but we continually strive to improve and this is an absolutely no-no for players used to dousing the pitch with a whole bag deep drilling programme to help with root and develop the facility. So the next step is to Martyn summarises: “BAR EXTREME isn’t because it allows the ball to deviate. We of seed each month in order to reseed bare development. look at hosting more representative cricket in the cheapest on the market but you get what have none of these problems now.” patches, now less than half a bag is used, the coming years, and for that to be possible you pay for. Simply by switching over, we’ve “We’ve got 18 wickets on the cricket square which has helped to cut costs. we need to make the surface even better.” already made great strides into correcting and we aim to get 500 overs from each the root breaks in one season—a huge “We saw good results straight away,” says individual wicket per season. Obviously with Drought tolerance protection step in moving forward. Of course, the Simon. “The first sowing was up in seven that volume of cricket we needed something On day to day challenges, Martyn says: “As most important thing is the end result and a days and within 10 days we were cutting it hard wearing that recovers quickly, so we well as addressing the root breaks which is guarantee you’re going to produce a good on the square.” can use it again later in the year, if needs something to improve over time, watering surface. In cricket that’s all that counts. The be.” can be an issue, especially in the summer. wicket. How well it plays. So if you’re unsure Martyn decided to check out BAR EXTREME. Unless you’ve got a vast array of irrigation and not happy with your grass, try something He says: “I’d previously used Barenbrug at equipment and good water pressure, it can else, make a sample seed bed using different Scunthorpe Town—for about 10 years. You affect the grass noticeably. Moving down brands and varieties and compare results. always know the results you’re going to get south from Lincolnshire has been eye- What have you got to lose?” from it. Which is a massive peace of mind at opening. It’s so much warmer. It was like a the end of the day and helps the job along.” desert come July/August last year, so we ran over the outfield with BAR 9—known for its

Cricket Groundcare | BAR EXTREME CRICKET SQUARES, OUTFIELDS CRICKET OUTFIELDS AND TENNIS BAR 6 is a fast establishing mixture with excellent wear BAR MEDAL is a high sward density and superior tensile tolerance and recovery with a fine appearance and strength mixture that offers improved drought tolerance excellent cleanness of cut for construction and renovation for summer sports. of cricket outfields.

WHAT BAR MEDAL OFFERS WHERE TO USE BAR 6 CRICKET SQUARES, OUTFIELDS, TENNIS, HOCKEY AND LACROSSE --Fast establishment with superior tensile strength and very --Cricket outfields subject to intense drought pressure BAR EXTREME provides an unparalleled combination of wear tolerance and fine-leaved aesthetics for close-mown summer high shoot density sports turf. --Combined wear tolerance with superior drought WHAT BAR 6 OFFERS tolerance for cricket outfields --Balanced medium-fine turf blend WHAT BAR EXTREME OFFERS --Good drought tolerance --In cricket, this mixture is designed to provide excellent shoot recovery for hard-working squares with limited rotation, HOW BAR MEDAL WORKS --Excellent recovery combined with fast establishment for mid and end of season renovation --Barolympic sets new standards for fine leafed ryegrasses. --Good sward density --Can handle very close mowing It is rated number 1 as an average across all ryegrass --Excellent early spring growth tables in Turfgrass Seed 2017 --Barpearl slender creeping red fescue increases shoot HOW BAR EXTREME WORKS density and aesthetic appeal --Barolympic sets new standards for fine leafed ryegrasses. It is rated number 1 as an average across all ryegrass tables in Turfgrass Seed 2017. It is also the highest ranked new cultivar in Table G4 with a score of 8.3 --Barsignum is very fine leafed and offers exceptional turf aesthetics --Bargold has superior leaf spot tolerance and cool temperature germination --Eurocordus increases wear tolerance HOW TO USE IT HOW TO USE IT Sowing rate 20-35g per m² Sowing rate 20-35g per m² Sowing depth 8-12mm Sowing depth 5-10mm Oversowing rate 15-20g per m² Oversowing rate 15-25g per m² Mowing height down to 2mm Mowing height down to 7mm

IN THE BAG HOW TO USE IT IN THE BAG IN THE BAG Sowing rate 25-50g per m² 40% EUROCORDUS 40% BARPEARL 35% SERGEI Perennial ryegrass Sowing depth 12-15mm Slender creeping red fescue Strong creeping red fescue 30% BARSIGNUM Oversowing rate 20-30g per m² 40% BARSIGNUM 30% SIRTAKY Perennial ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Mowing height down to 2mm 15% BAROLYMPIC 20% BAROLYMPIC 15% BARSWING Perennial ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Chewings fescue

15% BARGOLD 15% BARPEARL Perennial ryegrass Slender creeping red fescue

5% HIGHLAND Browntop bent

Cricket Groundcare | BAR EXTREME BAR RANGE APPROVED DISTRIBUTORS Avoncrop Amenity Products Ltd REGION: Tel: 01344 891730 South West, Wales [email protected] South East (inc Essex), www.avoncrop-amenity.com London, East & West Midlands.

Bourne Amenity REGION: Tel: 01797 252299 South East & [email protected] London. www.bourneamenitysport.com

Collier Turf Care REGION: Tel: 01328 700600 East, [email protected] South East, www.collier-turf-care.co.uk London, East & West Midlands.s

East Riding Horticulture Ltd REGION: Tel: 01904 608157 North West, [email protected] Yorkshire, www.eastridinghorticultureltd.co.uk East Midlands & North East.

Greentech Sportsturf Ltd REGION: Tel: 01786 480020 Scotland, Ireland: 0879 133915 Northern Ireland & [email protected] Ireland. www.greentechsportsturf.co.uk

Turfcare Specialists Ltd REGION: Tel: 01207 505837 North East & [email protected] Cumbria. www.turfcarespecialists.co.uk

BARENBRUG TECHNICAL TEAM David Greenshields m: 07799 430784 REGION: Amenity Business Manager e: [email protected] Scotland.

Matt Williams m: 07825 394438 REGION: Key Accounts Manager e: [email protected] North West & North Wales. Phil Dick m: 07887 503796 REGION: Research and Technical Sales Manager e: [email protected] North England & Ireland. Sam Horner m: 07801 760054 REGION: Technical Sales Manager e: [email protected] South West & South Wales. Luke Hunt m: 07909 786916 REGION: Technical Sales Manager e: [email protected] East & South East.

Contact your local distributor | 01359 272000 |www.barenbrug.co.uk