The Analytic Approach To Bent Seed Selection
As the push for sustainable and high-performance golf greens intensifies, the use of browntop bentgrass mixtures like Johnsons All Bent and MM9 has proven to be the ideal solution for autumn renovations.
These 100% browntop bent mixtures offer numerous benefits over the modern trend for Creeping Bent Varieties, including superior greens performance, exceptional disease resistance, and excellent value for money due to their low sowing rates and high seed counts.
With their high shoot density, supierior finess of leaf, and high visual merit DLF bring to your playing surfaces the top rated cultivars of Arrowtown, Manor & Cleek along with stable favourites of Jorvik.
Sustainability and Superior Performance
Johnsons All Bent and MM9 mixtures combine the finest browntop bentgrass varieties, known for their breeding quality, resilience and sustainability.
Browntop bentgrass consistently outperforms Creeping bentgrass cultivars in the UK climate, due to its superior winter tolerance to wear and its lower light requirements. These strong fine leaved, low nutrient grasses ensure that your greens roll sustainably true and remain playable throughout the year, even under the reduced sunlight of autumn and winter.
Disease Resistance and Value for Money
Browntop bentgrass mixtures offer strong resistance to common turf diseases such as Microdochium and Dollar Spot, which are prevalent in Poa annua-dominated greens.
This robust disease resistance reduces the need for chemical treatments, promoting a lower nutrient sustainable approach to turf management.
Additionally, with a seed count of approximately 10,000 seeds per gram, browntop bentgrass provides exceptional value for money compared to creeping bentgrass’ approximate 2000-4000 seeds per gram. Browntop’s low sowing rates make it a cost-effective choice for golf course managers aiming to maintain high-quality greens.
Successful Establishment Techniques
Autumn is the optimal time for overseeding with browntop bentgrass mixtures, as the soil temperatures are warmer and the conditions are conducive to successful establishment.
With Autumn renovations such as deep vertidraining to ensure free draining profiles, or scarifying/ hollow coring for essential organic removal, this is an ideal time for introducing quality cultivars of Browntop Bent to increase recovery and future quality playing surfaces. During this period, heights of cut can be relaxed, and surface disturbance minimised, facilitating better seed-to-soil contact and faster germination. Key techniques for successful establishment include ensuring free draining profiles through proactive aeration, applications of Seaweeds and biostimulants to promote seed establishment rather than existing sward growth and therefore reducing Poa competition.
Also light topdressing to protect the seeds and restore playing surfaces and the use of modern growth regulators can help suppress competition from existing grasses whilst seeds establish and promote healthy growth.
Conclusion
For golf course managers seeking to enhance the sustainability and performance of their greens, Johnsons All Bent and MM9 browntop bentgrass mixtures are the ideal choice. Their superior winter wear tolerance, low nutrient and light requirements, and strong disease resistance make them a reliable and cost-effective solution for autumn renovations. By leveraging the benefits of these mixtures, you can ensure your golf greens remain healthy, playable, and visually appealing year-round.
Choose Johnsons All Bent and MM9 for your autumn renovations and experience the transformative benefits of high-quality, sustainable turf management.
