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Working with distributor, Supaturf South Africa, Vitax Supaturf supplied both TXE line marking machines and SupaStadia Eco, the top-of-the range concentrated line marking paint, to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, which hosted the quarter finals and the 3rd place play-off final, the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria and the Free State Stadium at Bloemfontein.

Russel Gibbens, head of Supaturf South Africa, said that Supaturf equipment was also used in eleven of the World Cup practise venues. With the South African rugby season now in full swing both he and his colleagues are working at full stretch to fulfil demands for Supaturf products from both larger, prestigious stadiums and smaller, local venues.

“Our aim is to provide a superior standard of service for everyone, from the smallest school to the largest stadium,” he said.

“For us the World Cup has been the start of a close and enduring relationship with South African groundsmen and that relationship will continue in and out of the media spotlight.”
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The unique feature of the new product is that every micro-granule contains Amino-Sorb®,  the world-leading turf bio-stimulant that helps create a stress-free environment to enable turf to achieve its maximum potential.   Amino-Sorb® encourages healthy, deep rooting  which increases water and nutrient uptake.

At just 1mm – 2mm in diameter, the micro-granules are ideal for use on fine turf, but what makes them special is that they are homogenous – i.e. every granule contains every carefully selected component in the formulation including organic N&P, a complete Trace Element package, a microbial component (Bacillus subtillis to promote development of a close colony around the grass roots to protect from pathogens) and Vitamins.

The homogenous formulation provides enhanced uptake and utilisation of nutrients to deliver consistent results and even colour right across the sward.  The enhanced uptake also means that less fertiliser is required –rates as low of 15g per m² will provide good distribution meaning that Enhance R  can effectuively reduce fertiliser use by up to 25%, providing both financial and environmental benefits.

Vitax  Enhance R  Spring and Summer (15+2+82MgO+TE+Amino-Sorb®) is available now.  Formulations for Autumn/Winter and Balanced N:K will be announced shortly.

Download the Enhance R data sheet by clicking here.

Producing outstanding control of all major difficult weeds such as clover, dandelions, daisies, plantains and creeping thistle, Esteem has proved its efficiency on both fine and amenity turf with an application rate of just three litres per hectare.

“The three different active ingredients, clopyralid, 2,4-D and MCPA, provide a broad and robust spectrum of weed control to a wide range of turf weeds,” explains Sales and Marketing Manager, Mike King. “Clopyralid is particularly good at working throughout the whole of the plant right down to the roots, which ensures longer lasting and more effective weed control.”

In some circumstances the product has proved so effective that one application per season has been sufficient.

“Products such as Esteem pay dividends especially when budgets are being squeezed,” Mike continues. “Some of the older phenoxy products may appear, on the surface, to be cheaper but they just do not perform as well. Weeds grow back within weeks and you then need to go again with a further application. With a product like Esteem that can be applied once a season to give the control you need, not only will you be saving time but also money.”

Organic based, stimulating soil microbial activity and reducing leaching, Endure fertilisers provide a steady release of nutrients over 10 to 12 weeks making them long-lasting and economical, (a fact not lost on Seamus Buckley, Grounds Manager and Clerk Of The Course at Goodwood Racecourse who has been using Endure for many years).

Suitable for both fine and recreational sports turf, Endure is available in three formulations. Endure Spring (16-4-8) feeds without inducing flushes of soft growth, Endure Autumn, (6-3-18) strengthens the sward against winter stress while Endure NK is a nitrogen and potash only formulation (12-0-12) for turf that does not require phosphates.

Daniel Wilkinson, Commercial Manager for Vitax Amenity puts the secret of the product’s success down to its organic base. “This means that Endure stimulates soil microbial activity, allowing efficient uptake of nutrients over a prolonged period,” he explains.

The Endure range is available in 25 kg bags, carrying recommended application rates of 25 grams per sq. metre.

Ultraflo Advance retains the same application rate as its predecessor – 50 litres per hectare – but this can now be diluted in just 950 litres of water instead of the former 2,000 litres. This means that more turf can be treated with a single tank saving time, money and water.

Vitax Commercial Manager Daniel Wilkinson says that although Ultraflo has earned a solid reputation as a highly effective, long term wetting agent which reduces irrigation requirements by improving water penetration, it is the product’s longevity that has made its name.

“Ultraflo’s main claim to fame is the fact that a single application persists for up to 12 months,” he explains. “If the product had a disadvantage it was the amount of water needed for application. With the development of Ultraflo Advance we’ve kept all the long term benefits of the original, including reduced risk of run-off from sloping ground, flooding and water logging of turf and put them into a much more manageable and even more cost effective form.”

Ultraflo Advance is available in 10 and 20 litre drums and is suitable for application on both fine and amenity turf.

Ideal for newly laid turf in stadiums, golf courses and all amenity areas the formulation combines a surfactant complex with a highly refined liquid seaweed extract especially beneficial to root establishment, development and new turf growth.

While the surfactant gives water deficit stress relief and helps correct localised dry spot, the liquid seaweed extract helps over-seeded areas establish quickly and problem areas recover.

Mike King, Vitax Sales and Marketing Manager says that AquaMAXX can be used as a wetting agent while providing the added benefit of a unique, scientifically enhanced kelp product. “It contains the proper ratios of cytokinins and auxins which are especially beneficial to the development of new rooting systems,” he explains.

Available as a liquid for use with amenity sprayers or for injecting into irrigation systems and in pellet form for hand watering small areas such as greens, tees and renovation areas, AquaMAXX can be applied right through the growing season.

Head Groundsman David Lee, who’s been at the school for almost 30 years, has five rugby pitches, three cricket squares, hard surface netball courts, tennis courts and both grass and astro turf hockey pitches to maintain and he doesn’t mince words when it comes to quality.

“We use an awful lot of paint and if it doesn’t work I say so,” he explains. “We found in September that our lines weren’t holding and we changed to Supa Stadia Eco in October/November. An awful lot depends on the weather but I think the lines are now staying put.”

Vitax Supaturf’s Glen Howard, who’s been working closely with David, says that Supa Stadia Eco, due to its long-lasting qualities should give a fortnightly mark, which would save the groundstaff both time and money. The Supaturf Xcel line marker machines, specifically designed to deliver the concentrated paint and used at Wellington School to ensure they get the best from their new product have also gone down well with David’s team.

“The lads said they’re happy with the paint and it’s easy to put down using the Xcel machines,” David confirms. “Because the Xcel has separate tanks for the paint and the water they don’t have to mix it, and can top up with water on the way round.”

Meanwhile Salisbury City Council, set to save a third on line marking costs this season since switching to Supa Stadia Eco, are doing just that. “It’s working really well,” confirms groundsman Bob Skutt. “We’re using only seven to ten litres of concentrate per week, whereas before we could be going through thirty to thirty five litres of conventional line marking paint.”