A summer of top sport on championship turf
When Europe’s 24 qualifier teams will entertain millions of football fans worldwide at this summer’s football tournament around Europe, the hopes and dreams of an entire continent rest on the performance of the turf. DLF’s top-ranking sports grasses won’t let the fans down.
From June 11 – July 11 2021, millions of football fans will enjoy a month of exciting hours cheering for their favorite teams at the EURO 2020. The 24 qualified national teams will play 51 matches in 11 countries, before we can salute the #1. As the TV cameras roll, the fans roar, and the goals come, one hard-working player will be impossible to miss: The lush green championship turf. And when the winning team lifts the trophy in London, the turf of Wembley must still look superb.
Danish grass on six stadiums
Two of the stadiums, Rome and Sevilla have warm-season grasses, and of the remaining nine cool-season stadiums, DLF varieties cover six. In some stadiums, DLF grasses are part of the original turf and in others, DLF grasses are included in the overseeding mixtures. Different brands and mixtures are used in different countries and composed of diploid turf perennial ryegrasses and 4turf® varieties developed by DLF – most brands include 25-50% 4turf®.
“We are excited with the fact, that our turf grasses contribute to the majority of the football stadiums, and we are confident, that the combination of excellent turf management and top-performing turf grass varieties will provide top pitches all the way to the final”, says Søren Halbye EVP and Head of DLF European Business Unit.
Grass with great stress tolerance
In a few years, the popular 4turf varieties have become important ingredients in lawn mixtures for sod grass producers and for overseeding. One of the most notable is the great stress tolerance that the 4turf varieties provide, compared to standard varieties. This is reflected in a significantly improved winter survival and winter color and deep green summer color.
The top 4turf varieties are fine-leaved and dense and have a fantastic ability to withstand disease and drought. Precisely drought tolerance is an important factor for grounds managers, as the drought-tolerant varieties require less irrigation, which in turn contributes to a lower risk of fungal attack in the lawn. Less irrigation is also the best way to limit the distribution of annual meadow grass. You will find the 4turf varieties FABIAN, TETRAGAME, TETRASTAR and TETRAGREEN on a majority of the 11 venues.
Looking at the geography there is a wide difference from St. Petersburg at the Baltic Sea, to London’s oceanic climate, to Baku at the Caspian Sea or Budapest in Central Eastern Europe. All these stadiums have different challenges to battle. Some have mild and humid coastal climate; some have cooler temperatures during winter and late spring and others face heat or drought issues. The choice of grass solutions must be designed to meet those challenges.
Source: DLF