Description
THE ULTIMATE PROGRAMME, LESS WORK, MORE PLAY
WHAT IS PRIMO MAXX® II?
PRIMO MAXX® II is a completely new formulation designed to meet the ever increasing regulatory hurdles and secure the long term future of this key management tool for turf managers.
PRIMO MAXX® II delivers the same high performance as the original formulation. Syngenta investment in turf R&D ensures the proven advantages of the MAXX formulation continues to remain available. This new formulation enables PRIMO MAXX® II to deliver identical
performance with a slightly lower active content. Users should continue to apply the rates they have always used and can be confident of achieving the same great results while applying less active ingredient.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Biochemically, PRIMO MAXX® II works by temporarily blocking the production of gibberellic acid within the plant leaf, which effectively limits cell elongation and vertical growth. The result is to shorten the distance between the shoot nodes, leading to more compact growth. Whilst the vertical growth is slowed, energy in the plant is diverted to boost both root and lateral growth – creating stronger, healthier and denser turf which plays more consistently and, importantly to reduce costs and management, requires up to 35% less mowing.
IMPROVE QUALITY AND REDUCE MOWING
PRIMO MAXX® II will slow grass growth within approximately one week of initial application – enabling significant reductions in time and costs of mowing and management.
FAIRWAYS AND ROUGH
On fairways and in play rough, mowing frequency may be reduced by up to 35% with a full PRIMO MAXX® II programme.
- Less time spent mowing – releasing labour for more productive purposes
- Lower fuel costs
- Reduced wear and tear on machinery
– Lower maintenance and repair bills
– Longer machinery working life reduces capital expenditure - Greater flexibility with mowing schedules
- Cleaner visual finish – with less clumps in wet conditions, better stripes and fewer seed heads
The number one factor players want from a fairway is the ball sitting proud. PRIMO MAXX® II creates denser more even sward cover for enhanced ball presentation and play.
FINE TURF SURFACES
Consistency and trueness of putting surfaces is the most important factor for golfers. PRIMO MAXX® II has been shown to create greens that are smoother and stay more consistent.
Fine turf surfaces can continue to be mown as normal, but with the benefit of faster mowing with up to 35% fewer clippings to box off. Alternatively, mowing frequency may be reduced, in conjunction with rolling. Furthermore, with slower leaf growth, playing surface speed and quality will remain more consistent throughout the day.
Experience with PRIMO MAXX® II use on fine turf indicates that cutting height may be slightly raised with no loss in ball speed – typically leading to:
- Reduced stress on plants
- Lower disease susceptibility
- Less risk of scalping during mowing
- Enhanced root mass
- More consistent green speed throughout the day
ENHANCE TURF PLANT HEALTH
PRIMO MAXX® II promotes healthy plants that are better able to resist the effects of stress and disease, to produce season-long better playing conditions.
- Better drought resistance
- Quicker recovery from stress
- Improved wear tolerance
- Less stress = healthier turf
Applying a PRIMO MAXX® II programme ahead of periods of stress (pre-stress conditioning) makes plants better able to cope with adverse conditions – including drought, water-logging, heavy wear and disease pressure. Not only will turf stay looking good for longer, but also recover faster after stress conditions have eased.
ENHANCED SHADE TOLERANCE
The effect of shade is to create weakened turf plants that are more susceptible to stress, including wear and disease.
PRIMO MAXX® II can help plants compensate for a 75% reduction in light levels, which could transform turf performance in shaded areas. The PRIMO MAXX® II blocks the creation of gibberellic acid, which limits elongated growth and breaks the cycle of carbohydrate removal; giving the plants the chance to recover and build up strength.
APPLICATION AND TIMING
The PRIMO MAXX® II programme can be started at any stage when turf is actively growing, but should ideally start at the onset of consistent spring growth. The programme should continue whilst turf is actively growing.
PRIMO MAXX® II programmes are best started when you get a period of sustained turf growth. That typically occurs when soil temperatures at five to 10 cm depth reach double digits for at least five days.
You can monitor soil temperatures with a simple digital probe or visit the Syngenta Turf website which includes predicted representative soil temperatures for your area.
As a good practical indication, you can record boxed off clippings each day, to quickly assess when consistent growth has started. Recording clipping yield is also an invaluable guide to growth rates throughout the season, which can help to tailor application rates and timing most effectively.
If higher rates of PRIMO MAXX® II are intended to be used in the programme, it is recommended to make the first treatment at a half-rate, and increase to the full rate for subsequent applications.
GRASS SPECIES
PRIMO MAXX® II application rates should be tailored to grass species sward composition. Higher rates may be required on aggressively growing turf surfaces compared to finer short cut turf.
RECOMMENDED RATES
| Turf Height | Rates (L/ha) |
| Greens | 0.2 - 0.6 |
| Fairways | 0.4 - 4 |
| Roughs and Semi-Rough | 1 - 8 |
Typically you achieve more consistent growth and optimise results with lower rates, applied more frequently. For details regarding your turf go to syngentaturf.com.au and use the Growing Degree Day calculator.
On tees and fairways a monthly application at a higher rate may be more suitable and practicable with the spraying routine. There is a direct relationship between PRIMO MAXX® II application rate and regulatory effect. If turf is growing strongly, it may be more applicable to increase the application rate accordingly, then during periods of slower growth it can be reduced.
NUTRIENT INPUT AND TANK MIXING
Maintaining adequate nutrition in the plant for healthy turf growth is essential to get the best results in turf quality enhancements from PRIMO MAXX® II. In most situations, a tank mix with an appropriate good quality liquid fertiliser is recommended with each application.
OVER SEEDING
Regulating growth of the existing sward during over seeding will reduce the competition and allow the rapid establishment of newly germinated seedlings.
Trials have shown for optimum results that PRIMO MAXX®II should be applied to existing warm season turf 2 days prior, and to cool season turf 5 days prior to over seeding. Time applications on turf that is already in a PRIMO MAXX® II programme to coincide with over seeding. PRIMO MAXX® II has no detrimental effects on seed germination.
Full PRIMO MAXX® II programmes can recommence when new seedlings reach the two true leaf stage, to encourage rooting and dense growth.