While winter still sends its cold breath across Northern Europe, the countdown for this summer’s world-class football in Russia continues. Among pitch managers and chief groundsmen, expectations for perfect tournament pitches are sky high. The organisers, the players, and billions of football fans across the world expect nothing less than beautifully green and hard-wearing grass; the groundsmen will do their utmost to make it happen.

Using the very latest data from mixture and official cultivar trials at the STRI, a number of mixtures from both the Masterline and Johnsons Sports Seed ranges have been revised and updated for 2018. Visitors to stand A20 at BTME will be the first to hear about the many new 2018 formulations, as well as a completely new mixture for cricket, Johnsons J Outfield.

The recent institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards ceremony at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham hosted by talkSPORT radio presenter Mark Saggers, saw DLF’s Derek Smith and Alan Prickett from Ransomes present the Groundsman of the Year Award in front of an audience of almost 700 of the UK’s and Europe’s leading groundscare experts, as well as dignitaries from the governing bodies of sport and influential sports administrators.

Farmers who are getting ready to drill oilseed rape should consider using less expensive conventional varieties to increase the seed rate and counter establishment challenges.