EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 29 When will turf irrigation be banned? The irrigation possibilities are already lim- ited many places for community sports facilities and in public parks, due to local restrictions. The choice not to use pure ground water for irrigation makes good sense. Consequently, we need to look into solutions and alternative water sources independent of steady precipitation. Recycling water is in general a mean- ingful way to optimize water consumption. Recycled water, surface water as well as sea water is tempting to use as irrigation, but they will increase salinity in the root zone. This will put a lot of stress to the natural organisms in the soil not naturally adapted to a higher salt level. INCREASING MARKED DEMAND FOR SALT TOLERANT VARIETIES “Clean” irrigation water is becoming a luxury and a scared resource. Surface water is used to accommodate the need for this challenge. Over several years the turf and forage grass professionals have been searching for solutions to front the problem with surface waters at increased salinity levels. TURF AND FORAGE Why Salt Tolerant Grass Makes A Difference KLAUS K. NIELSEN Chief Scientific Officer • DLF Roadsides and dikes challenge land- scape managers. A seemingly fertile sowing bed will over time suffer from salt damages from de-icing with salt. But the stretches of roadsides and dikes exposed do not have to look poor and suffer due to salt stress, if you choose the right species and mixtures. Some varieties and some species hold a naturally ability to tolerate salt stress. In order to identify salt tolerance all varieties are tested against check varie- ties, in a slow torture trial with gradually increase in the salt content of the irriga- tion water. One by one the varieties die, and only the toughest performing varie- ties can qualify for the DLF 4salt® con- cept mixtures. HUGE DIFFERENCES IN SALT TOLERANCE The salt tolerance screening shows a huge difference between species. By exposing our germplasm to rising levels of salt in the growth substrate, we have identified differences between species and varie- ties. The very salt tolerant varieties are found across the portfolio, among forage and lawn and sports varieties. But certain species have shown an overall better per- formance in the salt trial. Some tropical grass species have shown to have excelent salt tolerance, adaptede over centuries to endure salt. The screening at DLF is focused on tem- pereate grasses. Saline growing conditions can have different causes. Whether the salinity is due to salt content in the soil, the nearby sea or from irrigation water, the problem is increasing on a global scale, and adap- tation is necessary. The 4salt® mixtures will perform well also without salinity problems, so it is at no risk to choose them as a safeguard in case of doubt, or to be prepared for changes in the quality of irrigation water etc. As the front runner in grass inno- vation DLF R&Dhas accepted the chal- lenge to identify future grasses adapted to various conditions. Through tools like Genome Wide Selection, local adapta- tions, Radimax (root screening facility) as selection parameters and more, solu- tions to different situations has occurred. Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) is one of the most valuable crops that helps growers to sustain their profitability over the crop rotations. To increase profitability, and fight against key pests that destroy the crop, farmers are often shortening the intervals between foliar insecticide appli- cations and this is bringing some nega- tive consequences, such as an increase of production costs and pest resistance, since the variety of mode of actions in the current solutions is rather limited. After the restriction of neonicoti- noids imposed by the EU, farmers had a big gap in their pest control toolbox. There was no solution available for pest management through seed treatment, handling the crop got more difficult and their job was also less effective. To help farmers deal with this sit- uation CORTEVA Agriscience, launched Lumiposa®. The newest and broadest spectrum seed-applied technology for SEED APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES Seed Treatment Insect Control in Winter Oil Seed Rape ISTVAN RACZ Key Account Manager • Corteva winter oilseed rape, delivering visible superior crop establishment. By choos- ing Lumiposa® the farmer will reduce early season insect feeding damage, give the crop a healthy early season start, improving vigor and protecting the yield potential. Lumiposa® offers a new mode of action to help protect the WOSR seed- lings up to the 3-4 leaf stage. It promotes fast acting protection against early season insects including Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle, Cabbage Flea Beetles, Cabbage Root Fly and Turnip Sawfly. Plants can grow more vigorously for a stronger establishment. Thus, Lumiposa® helps to secure the yield potential with a very safe environment profile. Two years after its launch’, our company’s team in Hungary organized a survey with around 800 farmers to understand overall farmer satisfaction and potential positioning improvement for the season 2019. The survey sample covered total farming close to 100.000 hectares with an average use of 85% of the area with Lumiposa® in several dif- ferent hybrids. The pests affecting those areas were, Phyllotretra spp, Psylliodes spp, Delia radicum and Athalia rosae. The outcome of the survey was a very high level of satisfaction with 87% of the farmer recommending the use of Lumiposa®. Farmers testify that visibly stronger WOSR plants at the start of the season can significantly impact yield and quality at harvest. When you plant Lumiposa® treated WOSR seed, you can be confident your seed investment is protected against pest pressures at the earliest stage.