Oakham School, situated in the market town of Oakham in Rutland, is a boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 10 to 18. It is fair to say that Oakham is a forward thinking school – in 1971 Oakham was one of the first boys’ independent secondary school in Britain to accept both male and female pupils throughout the whole school.

This outstanding school, which was voted one of the UK’s top IB schools, boasts exceptional academic achievements and has a fine reputation for producing competitive sporting teams. Perhaps this is why the school has 43 acres of one of the best grass playing areas in the country. In fact, many ‘Oakhamians’ have gone on to international sporting success such as former British Lions and England captain Lewis Moody, Crista Cullen – who won bronze in the women’s hockey at the London 2012 Olympics and Stuart Broad – Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and England T20 Captain.

Tasked with helping support the next generation of sporting talent is Richard, who, along with his team of seven dedicated staff members, keeps the 43 acres of sports turf in pristine condition. It is essential that he uses only the finest products and it is for this reason that Oakham chooses Limagrain.

“Oakham School has had a very long relationship with Limagrain and were even using it before I started working here. I’ve been here for nine years and have been using their products throughout that time.

“We use Limagrain’s MM50 solely for cricket pitches and then on the winter pitches, we use MM60 and Action Replay. The Limagrain grass seed provides us with good and fast germination, it always colours nicely through the winter and more importantly for me it’s hard wearing and fits our business extremely well.”

The three Limagrain products used by Richard are popular choices amongst the company’s extensive range of grass seed. MM50 is the preferred choice for intensively used cricket wickets and is used from club cricket right up to Test Match level. Consisting of a three way Dwarf Rye mixture, MM50 excels in wear tolerance, speed of establishment, recovery and tolerance of close mowing.

MM60 is ideal for winter pitches such as football and rugby. The four-way ryegrass blend contains top rated cultivars, which together produce a sward that recovers from scarring and divot damage. Superior disease resistance along with good all year colour make this the mixture of choice for many grounds managers.

Limagrain’s Action Replay belongs to the company’s Designer range of amenity grass seed and is an excellent mixture to use when renovating winter sports pitches. It will establish very quickly producing a dense, hard wearing sward for all heavy-duty sports areas.

As Richard continues to ensure the facilities are good enough for a steady stream of ‘Oakhamians’ to garner sporting success, Limagrain will also continue to play its part.

“I receive great customer service from Limagrain – they are extremely knowledgeable and even when I don’t see one of their representatives I always feel that the support is there because they are always at the end of the phone if I need them.

“I’ve tried different products over the years from many different companies but Limagrain takes a bit of beating,” said Richard.

For further information, please contact us on 01472 371471 or visit the amenity grass section by clicking here. You can also follow us on Twitter: @MM_Seed

Based on its excellent high yields in the 2015 harvest, the hard feed wheat Evolution continues to be a firm favourite with growers and this is reflected by a continued high market share.  However, to get the best out of the variety, it is crucial that it is managed correctly in the early spring, says Limagrain’s Ron Granger.

“Evolution gets away very quickly in the spring, more so than varieties such as KWS Kielder or Santiago, so it is important to be vigilant with crop walking in order to be responsive to the variety’s PGR requirements as and when they are needed.”

Evolution responds well to differing PGR applications with good height reduction and reduced lodging risk with no significant yield loss he says.

“The aim is to shorten the distance between internodes; keeping the first node tight to the basal node, and then keeping the second node close to the first. This will increase straw stiffness, and as long as you get the PGR on correctly, you can then apply nitrogen rates applicable for high yield potential for your individual farm situation.”

Limagrain has done collaborate work with BASF looking at seed rates, and PGR’s.

“We would recommend in most situations that a split PGR treatment will give best results; applying your first PGR at GS30, glume primordia, and following this with a second dose of PGR at GS31-32, says Louis Wells, agronomy manager with BASF.

A good fit for early PGR applications is prohexadione-calcium, an active ingredient in the products Canopy and Medax Max. It is a strong, but soft PGR which as well as shortening the crop, also helps with rooting, and stem stiffness he says.

Activated in the spray tank prohexadione is able to work as soon as it is sprayed at temperatures as low as 4 degrees C. For additional stem stiffness in wheat BASF recommend mixing in CCC particularly at the later GS31-32 timing once temperatures have warmed.

“The theory is to keep the first node tight against the base of the plant, and shorten the critical first internode, thus increasing straw stiffness.”

“In high risk situations, the addition of Terpal at GS39 to shorten and stiffen the upper internodes is recommended”. 

The graph shows the differing PGR treatments applied over an Evolution crop established at 350 seeds / m² with an input of 200Kg / ha of nitrogen and a respectable fungicide Programme

 PGR programmes

Crop nutrition

With regards to feeding Evolution, there are a range of opinions on how many nitrogen splits are best, and whether to go on early or save some for a late application.

“You don’t want to let Evolution go hungry in early spring. Little and often does seem to work, if you can manage the fieldwork, and this is a variety with a high yield potential, so on good sites you can raise the rate and push it for yield,” says Mr Granger.

“Early applications of sulphur are advisable for both crop health and the utilization of nitrogen effectively – lower sulphur availability will result in lower nutrient use efficiency and can lead to a greater risk of nitrogen loss from the soil due to the plant being unable to absorb it.”

“It’s late-maturing, but I’m not a big believer in saving N until late in the season. It might be too dry and may only come available when the crop’s actually ready to senesce – the impact is that you could then end up with a lower specific weight!

 “The variety is bred to maintain its green canopy, so as long as N isn’t limiting throughout the spring, it’ll build this canopy, that’ll then be used to build yield,” explains Ron Granger.

Growers should also monitor trace element levels and ensure none are limiting, topping up with foliar applications as required, he advises. Limagrain has found that the use of foliar applications of a mixture of trace elements have proved to be very beneficial, especially in situations of induced stress in a growing crop.

For too long, those responsible for the maintenance of non-league clubs, local authority sports facilities and other grassroots level, training and playing fields, have had to struggle with restricted budgets and limited access to knowledge and training.

The cry of ‘games cancelled due to unplayable conditions’ could be a thing of the past, with a bit of help and guidance from the leading manufacturers in the sports turf industry.

Now here is an unmissable opportunity for any groundsman to see first-hand; the best equipment, receive the best advice and above all find out the most economically effective solutions, to achieving great things on their own natural turf sports pitch.

All grounds staff, whether professional, amateur, part or full time are invited to attend any one of thirteen venues across the UK and Ireland during a seven week tour, beginning on the 12th April at Cambourne Sports Club, Cambridge.

For more information, please visit http://www.pitchimprovementprogramme.com/

It also contains grass species like Timothy, fescues and clovers to ensure a diverse habitat once established. The seed mix, designed to create permanent buffer areas and field margins, will provide an ideal nesting area for farmland birds and a superb habitat for pollinators.

“We have developed this new Field Margin Mix in partnership with the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) and BASF,” says Limagrain’s Martin Titley. “It is specifically designed to increase biodiversity without compromising productivity. The mixture is also suitable for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, now open for new applications. It can also be used under the Greening rules and sown on Ecological Focus Area fallow land.”

The mid-tier element of the Countryside Stewardship scheme aims to reward farmers who address environmental issues, such as the establishment of flower rich margins that provide important habitats and foraging areas. Field Margin Mix is ideal for this and can be sown in spring, through to late summer.

More details are available in Limagrain’s HiBird and Environmental Crops brochure, downloadable from the website here. If you would like a hardcopy please contact Sophie Li on 01472 370173 or sophie.li@limagrain.co.uk

Since then, Crusoe has been tested in very different seasons each offering its own set of challenges; with very differing erratic weather conditions and resulting disease pressures.  Across each of these seasons, Crusoe has shown itself to be a very robust variety, performing consistently on farm and generally out-performing the AHDB Recommended List yield figures.

As a result four years on Crusoe is more popular than ever with growers and end-users with continued high market share in 2016.

In the advised acreages covered by members of  independent agronomy group CCC Ltd across Hants, Dorset, Sussex and Kent, Crusoe is the largest variety overall as a result of very consistent top-end yields and milling quality (particularly proteins > 12.5%) in the last 2-3 seasons.

With milling premiums being so depressed currently, it is even more important to grow a variety that is consistent in terms of quality, says Peter Cowlrick partner in the group and AICC member.

Quality offerings

When developing a high yielding  milling wheat, the variety has to be able to deliver the basics of good protein content, Hagberg and specific weight says Ian Foot, quality wheat manager with breeders Limagrain UK.

“But there’s also the quality of the flour, its functionality and baking performance and colour – and for it to make a Group 1, it needs to deliver all of this consistently, and Crusoe has proven itself to be able to do this time and time again,” he says.

“Quality is a genetic trait so there is an element of predictability in building it into a variety, but it’s all about the type of protein and its consistency.  The right type of protein is difficult to define but it manifests itself in the bake for bread flour and this all comes down to how the variety processes nitrogen. In a good milling variety, nitrogen is used for building protein as well as feeding yield.”

Crusoe was identified by Warburtons to stand out in baking tests when it was first trialled in 2007; it has the whitest flour with a high protein content and good functionality. It produces relatively strong gluten, like Gallant and has shown itself to deliver this consistently.

Stuart Jones, technical controller for Warburtons notes how Crusoe quickly established itself as an integral part of the Warburton’s wheat growing programme. “Consistency of flour performance is essential when baking at Warburton’s. We expect a lot from our raw materials especially the flour to ensure every product produced meets the standards our consumers demand. We need to know that any variety we take on has an ability to deliver against the specification year after year and Crusoe has exhibited all the Warburton’s specific traits expected during bake tests.”

“Protein quantity is what’s measured but its protein quality that matters. Crusoe puts a tick in both boxes. Year on year Crusoe has continued to deliver and Crusoe remains within the Warburton’s wheat selection plans going forward.”

Ron Granger, arable technical manager with Limagrain, backs up these findings and points out that in trials Crusoe has shown a consistency for delivering high grain protein content, significantly higher than any other variety in the group one bread making sector.

“This offers growers a security for on farm production especially when protein specifications are a requirement for specific contract delivery.”

HGCA RL data- Seasonal Protein Content 2011-2015

Agronomics and disease resistances

Much of this consistency comes from Crusoe’s robust agronomics and disease resistances, says Mr Granger.

Septoria tritici is still the number one threat on farm for yield reduction and with possible SDHI resistance having been identified; varieties with good resistance such as Crusoe may become even more important. In the high disease pressure seasons of 2012 and 2014, Crusoe’s Septoria resistance (6) was clearly highlighted and resulted in excellent on-farm performance. “

“The variety’s disease resistance profile for yellow rust (9) should not be under estimated, as we know that currently there are races  that are evolving placing competitor varieties with resistance susceptibility under pressure.”

“Crusoe is susceptible to brown rust and Limagrain continue to recommend that growers are vigilant and treat crops appropriately depending on the season. Fungicides for rust control continue to be very effective, offering both eradicant and protective modes of action.”

Peter Cowlrick sees most milling crops that he walks having established reasonably well this year, particularly those on the lighter & medium soil types, but less so on heavier soils.

He adds that tiller numbers are verging on sub-optimal in a number of crops, a reflection of sustained wet conditions between November to end February, and advocates an attention to detail when managing these crops for inputs in the early spring.

Diligence through the growing season is essential for adjusting fungicide programmes and as has been proven in high disease pressure seasons, higher rates of chemistry may be essential for ensuring full yield potential in any variety.

The 2015 season produced some of the highest yields we have ever seen in winter wheat – especially in the cooler longer growing periods of the north and this can be seen in the data below from the BASF Rawcliffe Bridge site in Yorkshire, where Crusoe produced some exceptional yield results, says Louis Wells, agronomy manager with BASF.

“The trial consisted of a range of fungicide programmes from untreated through to high input in relation to product and application rates with two nitrogen rates – standard v high”

“The data shows that the medium fungicide programme for both the standard and high nitrogen applications was the most appropriate programme for Crusoe in this situation in 2015 – a low disease pressure season.”

However each season needs to be assessed individually so fungicide rates will need to be adjusted according to what each season brings.”

“It’s also fair to say when pushing varieties with higher levels of nitrogen, you are also pushing disease risk with thicker, lusher, canopies. Again here it is important to be using strong chemistry and robust rates to bring the extra potential you have invested in the crop home.”

Table and Graph showing Nitrogen / Fungicide interactions of Crusoe (Source – BASF Rawcliffe Bridge, Yorkshire 2015)

Mr Granger notes that it’s worth mentioning Orange Wheat Blossom Midge as although Crusoe is not resistant, it does appear that the threat of this pest on farm appears to have decreased, with the opinion that with the introduction of OWBM resistant varieties, population development has been reduced.

He adds that growers of quality milling wheat should continue to monitor this pest and treat appropriately when insect thresholds have been identified.

On farm favourite

Four years on and since growing their first crop of Crusoe, the variety is still a firm favourite for James Faulkner of R Davidson & Sons, Brick House Farm, Colchester.

Growing 900ha of milling wheat within a 1500ha rotation, both for seed and commercially, Mr Faulkner chooses varieties that yield on par with or above, many Group 4’s, whilst also delivering on the protein.

He likes to try new wheat varieties early in situ, and growing seed crops allows him to do this. “We started growing Crusoe four years ago when it was first coming to market, and were involved in the initial seed multiplication, and it impressed us then. Four very different seasons later and the variety has yielded and delivered the protein time and again, so we really are pleased with it – and this year almost three –quarters of the wheat area will be down to Crusoe.”

“We used to just grow continuous wheat but more recently the rotation has widened as we have taken on more blocks of land, so now we just have about 120ha of continuous wheat.”

Grown in the first wheat position he expects yields from the Crusoe from across the various fields to be anything between 9-13.5t/ha, adding that to date the required protein level has always been achieved.

“We employ a fairly full fungicide programme across all of the wheats; with the Crusoe we keep an eye out for any late brown rust – but that is usually easily dealt with in the ear wash – which is an important spray for any milling wheat anyway.  PGR’s are straightforward; we would generally apply a split dose of Chlormequat and have not had issues with crops not standing.”

As part of the HGCA LearN project (http://bit.ly/1LDUvlQ) Mr Faulkner has trialled a range of nitrogen  rates on Crusoe, from 180kg/ha N through to 300kg/ha N and the results have shown that  the 240kg/ha N rate is the most effective – any more and there is no obvious benefit.  This will then be topped up with a foliar application of about 40kgN later on.

“Black-grass is a constant battle and nothing new to us here, but we do seem to keep on top of it with a fairly robust pre-and post-emergence herbicide programme. We balance this with a range of cultural control methods through our cultivations and we also use variable rate drilling so in areas where there is bad blackgrass we will up the seed rate accordingly. Generally, the Cruose appears to be reasonably competitive, so that all helps.”

If you are interested in beans, you may find the details of the forthcoming review meeting of the Innovate UK sustainable protein production project “Beans4feeds” of interest.

Beans4Feeds represents a £2.6m research investment and Limagrain UK are one of 11 partners, it is an industry led and co-funded research project with the UK’s Innovate UK. Research started on 1 January 2012 and will run for four years.

The project aims to develop air-classification technology for faba beans to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of UK food production and food security.

Thursday 28 April 2016

10.00-14.30

Review meeting of the Innovate UK sustainable protein production project “Beans4feeds”

Beans4feeds represents a £2.6m research investment and is a 9 partner industry led and co-funded research project with the UK’s Innovate UK. The research has run for over 4 years and is now in its final stage.

The project aim was to develop protein-rich (for use in salmon feed) and starch-rich (for use in feed for pigs/poultry) fractions from faba beans in order to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of UK food production and food security.

Presentations:

 Salmon screening trials, economics of air classification – Viv Crampton, EWOS
 Salmon PoC trial, economics of wet processing – Dan Leeming, BioMar
 Pig & poultry trials – Oluyinka Olukosi, Scotland’s Rural College
 Bean agronomy – Pete Iannetta, James Hutton Institute
 Bean varieties – Milika Buurman, Limagrain UK Ltd

Find out more at: www.beans4feeds.net
RSVP to: Sue Bingham – Sue@pgro.org

Venue:

Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO)
The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh
Peterborough PE8 6HJ

Available to farmers this week, it includes a comprehensive guide of seed mixtures that will create wildlife opportunities including a new section about the Countryside Stewardship options.

“We have highlighted the environmental benefits of each option and the particular seed mixtures that fulfil these benefits,” says Limagrain’s Martin Titley.

“We’ve grouped the mixtures into specific areas and clearly identified them as crops for pollinators, wild birds, grass field margin and buffer strips. Particularly important is the range of seed mixtures suitable for pollinators which service other crops and help the environment. We include five mixtures here with slightly different key benefits but all that can supply valuable feed to farmland wildlife like butterflies and bees.”

Also included are eight wildflower mixtures, all of which contain UK native wildflowers.

“And among the wild bird mixtures is the highly successful Jack Russell mixture that is herbicide tolerant, sheds seed from early autumn and is winter hardy making it a superb feed resource for wild birds.”

HiBird Gamecover options including maize, sorghum, kale, brassicas, millets and sunflower mixtures are also included. A new addition this year is the brassica Carbon that is a kale and mustard hybrid that provides rapid cover within three months and is frost resistant. “Carbon is planted in June or July and can be even planted into cereal stubble,” adds Mr Titley. “By November it will have produced an excellent cover which will last through winter, making it a superb cover crop.”

Limagrain’s HiBird and Environmental Crops publication is available from Sophie Li on 01472 370173 or sophie.li@limagrain.co.uk or by downloading a copy from here

The assets of good grassland, for feed and exercising, are often under-estimated by horse keepers, according to Limagrain UK’s grass seed specialist Ian Misselbrook.

“Reseeding or under sowing with suitable grass seed mixtures and looking after the sward can boost its value and increase the lifespan,” he says. “There are great opportunities for horse keepers and stud managers to realise the potential of their grassland.”

He recommends checking the grassland at least once a year – and preferably in spring or early summer – to see if there are more weeds than grass. “If there’s less than 70% ryegrass, then a reseed or over-sowing should be considered,” says Mr Misselbrook. “A grass paddock with 70% ryegrass this year is prone to further ingress of weeds year-on-year and a drop in its nutritional value. The valued springy turf in an exercise paddock will break down too.”

When it comes to feed quality, selecting a grass seed mixture specially designed for horses is paramount. “Grass for grazing and for conserving for horses should provide a fibrous, low protein, low sugar feed. This is the complete opposite to the mixtures used for cattle grazing and silage,” he adds. “A lush, leafy, high sugar content grass with tetraploid varieties that is used for dairy cows will cause problems in horses, particularly laminitis at grazing.”

Working with equine nutritionists, Limagrain UK – that specialises in developing grass seed mixtures –  has fine-tuned the varieties in its Equipaddock range of grass seed mixtures to suit their main use, such as grazing, conservation or exercising.

For example, its Horse Paddock Mixture, designed for grazing and, if rested, for a crop of hay, has 62% late perennial ryegrass and 17% timothy, with 14% creeping red fescue and 7% smooth stalked meadow grass to add extra fibre.

Its Horse Hay mixture also includes late perennial ryegrass and timothy, but has small proportions of cocksfoot and meadow fescue to provide added fibre and the Haylage Mixture has 50% Italian ryegrass with mid-season and hybrid ryegrasses to provide high fibre but with a good nose.

Equipaddock mixtures for exercise, such as the Gallops and Schooling Mixture, include red fescue, crested dogstail and turf type perennial ryegrass to give a dense turf that can withstand heavy wear, resist damage and that is springy to minimise injury.

Mr Misselbrook encourages horse keepers and managers to be discerning in their choice of mixtures. “Reseeding and under-sowing using a good quality grass seed mixture suited to the purpose will pay dividends,” he adds.

“It might cost a few pounds more per acre but, properly managed, it will maintain its value for a number of years. I would expect a well-managed sward with the Horse Paddock Mixture should have a lifespan of at least 10 years.”

“We know that today’s growers are looking for varieties that are not costly to grow, or that offer this combined with the opportunity to earn a premium, and at this year’s Cereals event we are in the exciting position to be able to showcase a range of new varieties of winter wheat and oilseed rape, as well as spring barley’s,” says Les Daubney, marketing director for arable seeds with Limagrain UK.

“Alongside these, there will be demonstration plots of many of the more familiar and established varieties from the Limagrain breeding programme, such as Evolution, Crusoe and Revelation that led the way in offering higher consistent yields with better disease resistance ratings, and continue to hold a dominant market share based on this.”

 LG Sundance and LG Motown are very high yielding soft feed winter wheats, with initial official testing suggesting that the varieties meet the specifications for both the distilling and soft uks export markets.

 “We are particularly excited about LG Motown, which has consistently yielded 104.3 over control, and above JB Diego, and offers similar attributes to the popular variety Revelation, with some significant advantages. It’s earlier to mature than Revelation and market stalwart, JB Diego, an important attribute of consideration for growers of winter wheat in the northern regions of the UK,” says Mr Daubney.

He adds that LG Motown has good resistance to the rusts, Septoria and eyespot as well as offering OWBM resistance.

 LG Sundance has an excellent disease resistance profile, with a very good ‘7’ rating for the yield robbing disease Septoria tritici; an attribute considered of great importance in many regions of the UK.

 Quality wheat newcomer, LG Cassidy is a very high yielding winter wheat, with initial official testing suggesting that the variety meets the specifications for the nabim group 2 sector. LG Cassidy is a shorter strawed variety with good lodging resistance, a durable disease resistance and good physical grain characteristics.

 Stratosphere is a very high yielding soft feed winter wheat, bred by Sejet. Initial official testing suggests that the variety meets the specifications for the soft uks export market. Stratosphere has a good disease resistance profile and carries resistance for OWBM.

“Our unique, UK-focussed oilseed rape breeding programme, is starting to produce varieties with attributes that are specifically of value to UK growers,” says Limagrains’s senior oilseed rape breeder, Vasilis Gegas.

Archimedes offers growers a clubroot resistant variety with additional superior agronomic traits over comparable varieties within this same sector; the variety has good early plant vigour combined with good autumn development,  it is earlier flowering and is early maturing, combined with pod shattering resistance, as well as offering a very good disease resistance profile with a 6 for Light Leaf Spot and an impressive 8 for Stem Canker (Rlm7 resistance) making it an attractive proposition for growing on infected land the E/W, as well as in the traditional clubroot areas of Scotland

Mr Gegas adds that Archimedes is comparable for yield with the control varieties PR46W21 and the clubroot resistant variety Mentor.

“Artic is an ‘exciting’ conventional, open pollinated variety with good gross output potential for both the E/W and North regions of the UK, combined with very good lodging and excellent disease resistance as well as a high oil content.”

Aquila is an ‘exciting’ restored hybrid variety with good gross output potential for the E/W region of the UK, combined with good lodging and excellent disease resistance as well as a high oil content.

For the first time, Limagrain is bringing a ‘triple’ use spring malting barley to the market. “LG Opera is under test by the IBD for brewing and both the malt and grain distilling categories; an interesting prospect for the future for both grower and end users,” says senior barley breeder, Mark Glew.

LG Opera has shown consistently high yield potential over seasons and regions, in both treated and untreated NL trials. It offers comparable or better yield potential against the market leaders in all three IBD malting sectors.

LG Okapi is a new, high yielding, non GN spring malting barley that has very good agronomic characteristics combined with a good disease resistance profile and good grain attributes. LG Okapi has shown high yield potential in both treated and untreated trials and has also shown an 11% treated yield advantage over Belgravia; the comparable variety for malt and grain distilling on the AHDB Recommended list.

During the two days of the Cereals event, growers are welcomed to the Limagrain stand ( 1116) to discuss these and any of its varieties over a pie and Tundra bean beer, with senior plant breeders and technical experts.

The history of Cotswold Hills Golf Club can be traced all the way back to 1902 when golf was played on the nearby common of Cleve Hill. After continuous problems with both sheep and people walking on the course, the club felt that it was time to make a change.

In 1976 a new course was created on 157 acres of land in Ullenwood, Cheltenham, and since that day the club has gone from strength to strength and is considered to be one of the best courses in the county. The club has hosted the Men’s County Championship on four occasions, the English Ladies’ Amateur Championship and in 2012 it also hosted the England Golf County Boy’s finals. It is easy to see why the club is at full membership capacity with a waiting list of up to three years.

A great deal of the club’s success over recent years can be attributed to its experienced greenkeepers. Wayne, the course manager, has been there for 13 years and deputies Mark Freeman and John Stewart have been at the club for 22 years and 12 years respectively.
Wayne, who has been in the industry since leaving school, admits that only the finest products will do for Cotswold Hills and this is why he chooses Limagrain grass seed.

“I’ve been using Limagrain products for nearly my entire time at Cotswold Hills. I’ve tried other suppliers in the past but the Limagrain products seem to work the best for us here. We’ve always got the results we wanted from them and I’m confident we will continue to do so. It’s like they say – if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it,” he said.

Limagrain’s MM9 grass seed mixture is the secret behind the beautiful greens at Cotswold Hills. This mixture, commonly used for summer overseeding and autumn renovations of top quality golf greens, is relied upon by greenkeepers throughout the UK and beyond. It is renowned for producing a fine, dense sward for an excellent playing surface and Wayne believes it has been a stand out performer – especially in the club’s geographical climate.

“It’s always difficult trying to get establishment on greens because of the environment here. But the best results we’ve tended to have is through hollow coring. Once we’ve cored, we then do our overseeding with the MM9 and this gives the seed a better chance to establish.
“We use the MM9 anywhere between three and six times a year and have always had successful results. It produces a good colour all-year-round, it’s hard wearing and is disease resistant.”

For the course’s par 3 tees, Wayne uses Limagrain’s MM22 which is ideal for divotting, repairing and renovating areas that are subjected to high levels of wear. He also uses MM13 on tees and fairways which features excellent drought resistance and also offers low maintenance requirements.

“All of the Limagrain products we use have great consistency year in year out and from my point of view I just know that we are going to get the grasses and seed that we want. This is a fairly cold site and in the past we have struggled to achieve establishment and growth, but since working with Limagrain, we have the best possible start,” said Wayne.

As well as being full of praise for Limagrain’s products, Wayne was also quick to compliment the company’s customer service.
“The service has always been very good in providing us with the products we need – there’s never a hold up in getting anything. The technical side of it is very good too; they are very hands on with us at the golf course and always offer excellent advice.”

Mr Joël Arnaud, Vice Chairman of Limagrain in charge of the Field Seeds Activity, was joined by the Turkish Minister of Health, Dr. Mehmet Muezzinoglu, for the official opening of the facility.

The new facility represents an important investment for Limagrain Field Seeds Activity. “It will contribute to support the further expansion of our Sunflower and Corn business in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in Ukraine and Russia” explained Rémi Bastien, CEO of Limagrain Europe.

The plant is already operating with cleaning, treating and packing, and is equipped with a state-of-the-art quality and certification lab. Once fully completed, the factory will cover 30,000 m² and will host about 50 administrative and technical staff, in a safe environment.
Limagrain Europe’s Sunflower and Corn genetics are well adapted to the Black sea area.

Farmers in this region are seeking to work with a Company able to provide high quality seeds of high performing varieties.

This new seed production facility will enable Limagrain Europe to timely provide its customers with Sunflower and Corn seeds at Limagrain’s top quality standards.

The investment will also facilitate the supply of sunflower seeds to our customers in Turkey and consolidate our leading position on this market.

The first seed unit will leave the factory in November 2015.