Welcome to the DLF Trifolium UK Website

DLF Trifolium is the largest and fastest growing grass seed company in the UK marketing the following brands:-

Johnsons Sports Seed  
Masterline 
HF Seeds England/Wales
HF Seeds Scotland/N.I. 
ForageMax
SugarMax
 
GroMax 
Your Countryside 
Johnsons Lawn Seed 


 

Latest News

 

Turfgrass Seed 2012 - download here

Natural or artificial pitches - read the ESA report here

Download the 2011/12 Masterline Catalogue here

Download the 2012 Johnsons Sports Seed Catalogue, Here  (4.60MB)

U21 European Football Championship, read more

iSeed "is the best innovation I've ever seen" read more

Microclover - Strong enough for an Elephant!! read more

 

 

STOP PRESS: For other news items, please click on the DLF Trifolium logo in the top right-hand corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

iSeed knocks the stripes off non-coated mixture.

The first field trials ever conducted in Britain on new iSeed have brought dramatic results.   The trials were undertaken by Matthew Merchant, Head Groundsman at Old Trafford, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club.

 

iSeed is the first system of its kind to coat seed with full strength fertiliser, which is designed to kick-start post-germinative growth, nourishing just the new plant, not the existing sward or any weeds that may be present during overseeding. DLF, the world's largest grass breeder and producer, has launched iSeed under its Johnson's brand across a spread of sporting applications, including golf and football as well as cricket. The Old Trafford trials mark the first field tests on iSeed since it was unveiled in Britain.

 

Read more here

 

 

Seed trials spark fresh thinking at Sussex CCC

  

Turf maintenance may never be the same again at Sussex County Cricket Club after tests with coated seed proved unexpectedly successful.
Sussex currently hold the prize for the best wickets in one-day First Class cricket so are no strangers to working at the top end of turfcare. Now in his fourth year in charge at club headquarters in Hove, West Sussex, Andy Mackay has once more raised standards by moving over to a new form of coated grass seed not only in his practice nets but also on the main square. It is the dramatic results he achieved earlier in the year trialling Johnsons Ji premier wicket iSeed mixture that have prompted him to shift to the mix across the board.


The 13 practice nets at Hove are used intensively year-round, with each rotated three times during any season so the pressure’s on to turn wickets round quickly therefore, Andy says. The main square comes in for a battering too, he adds. ”We have just 11 first-class wickets on the main square but only nine were available this year as we are in the midst of relaying them all. ”Added to that, most of our home fixtures were crammed into the first half of the season so by the end of June, we had used them all and desperately needed to overseed with a mix that would produce a fast turnaround.” He learnt of iSeed from Matt Merchant, head groundsman at Old Trafford, when the two met at the England and Wales Cricket Board’s spring conference for first-class cricket groundsmen, held at Derby CCC. ”I remember the date, 14 February, Valentine’s Day,” recalls Andy. Was it a case of love at fist sight then for his encounter with the coated seed mix? “Initially, I was sceptical of the claims being made and was perfectly happy with our existing choice but decided to test it out after reading and hearing about Matt’s experiences.”


In April, Andy started trialling the seed in the nets area at Hove in direct competition with his favoured mix and pre-seeder fertiliser. As iSeed comes coated with quick and slow release fertiliser, he had no need to apply any additional feed,” he says.
In fact, fertiliser accounts for half the weight of iSeed. To compensate, rather than oversow at 75g/m2 as he had done with his usual mix, he increased the rate to 120g/m2  - a strategy that has paid off handsomely for him. ”The iSeed germinated at the same speed as the competitor but really kicked on around day 10,” says Andy. “After two weeks, the renovated wickets were like chalk and cheese and I was amazed by the vitality of the grass plants: they were thick, upright and actually felt stiff underfoot. ”The colour also bears out the health of the plant and we are achieving superb density of cover. We were achieving pretty good results with our previous seed - a three-cultivar mix of dwarf perennial ryegrass - but even the players are noticing it and commenting.”


The test results in the nets prompted Andy to rethink his choice of mix for the mid-season renovation. “I needed to revisit every wicket on the square and had a 16-day gap in the fixture list to resow everything,” he recalls. On day nine, the Hove ground played host to Elton John, leaving Andy an even tighter deadline in which to complete the renovation. He reseeded throughout with iSeed and by the end of July could survey what he describes as “a very healthy-looking square”. The price per bag for iSeed is slightly more than the existing mix, says Andy, but adds: “The extra cost kg for kg of seed is more than recouped I believe by the savings in fertiliser and most importantly the benefits to be gleaned. This is a big thumbs up from Sussex County Cricket Club.”


Andy was able to extol the virtues of his new find to 45 cricket club colleagues around the county at a Groundsman`s Association meeting held at Hove recently. “I can't believe I ever doubted it but until you see something with your own eyes, you never know.”
He recalls a moment a few weeks ago when a visiting player walked into the nets carrying his bag, got halfway across a wicket that had been recently renovated and stopped. “He put down his bag and proceeded to examine the grass and to stroke it,” says Andy.
As many a groundsman can confirm, once your players are behind you, you’ve cracked it.

 

For further information contact Derek Smith Amenity Sales Manager on 01386 791102 or email on dsmith@dlf.co.uk 
www.dlf.co.uk


   

Uneven European Harvest and

Good Consumption

 

 

In Europe, the harvest 2011 of most grass and clover species has almost been completed,

and we are getting a picture of the size of the harvest.

The harvest period 2011 has been very wet in Denmark, especially July and August.

The weather has been a tremendous challenge for the growers as the harvest has been

frequently disturbed by showers. There has been a vast variation in geography and

between species, but as an overall view the harvest is now below normal. Holland has

also experienced a wet harvest and in addition also had a dry spring which means that

the harvest will be approximately 10% below normal.

For the rest of Europe, our local market intelligence information tells us that France

has seed yields that are about 25% below normal. Germany has low seed yields in the

northern part, and close to normal in the southern part. Poland has been hit by the same

low seed yields as northern Germany.

In general, Europe seems to have low seed yields and on an acreage reduced below the

normal level.

In relation to this we are convinced that we will continue to see a fi rm market for grass

and clover in EU27. Consumption has been good throughout the season 2010/11 and our

conclusion is that we have a much more positive balance between supply and demand.

Despite the economic turbulence on the fi nancial market, the risk of a direct impact on

wholesale prices, as in 2008, is less likely.

The general feedback from the market indicates that we have less seed in the distribution

chain and as explained above the uneven harvest is also going to create some challenges.

However, taking the Danish harvest into consideration we do believe that we are in a

good position to serve you. Do not hesitate to contact your sales representative for more

information.

 

 

If you have a general enquiry about our products and services or want to find out how to place an order, please click on the Contact Us tab (top left) to email us.