Author: Sarah

Carlos Sartoretto, MX Pitch Cluster Manager FIFA World Cup 2026

It has been over a year since I last shared my experiences, and what a year it has been. I am honoured to be serving as Pitch Cluster Manager for Mexico at the FIFA World Cup 2026, overseeing three stadiums, five specific training sites, and six team base camps.

This tournament represents a significant challenge in scale and complexity. Across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, 16 stadiums will host 104 matches, supported by more than 2,000 training sessions across official and team facilities. Delivering consistent, world-class playing surfaces under these conditions is not simply an agronomic challenge, it is a logistical and operational one.

A New Era for Pitch Management

For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, pitch management has been established as a dedicated functional area within the organisation, with its own structure, planning framework, and budget.

The pitch delivery team includes strategic planners, stadium pitch managers, training site specialists, and monitoring teams. In total, more than 50 professionals are directly involved in pitch delivery, supported by local grounds crews, contractors, and suppliers across all host venues.

This evolution reflects a broader reality: pitch quality is no longer a background element. It is central to player performance, safety, and the global image of the tournament.

Defining the Mission

At its core, the pitch delivery program is guided by two key principles:

• Ensure the delivery of world-class playing surfaces across all match and training venues
• Execute all technical aspects in line with FIFA requirements, guaranteeing optimal conditions throughout the competition

Achieving this across multiple countries, climates, and stadium designs requires a highly coordinated and standardised approach.

Delivering Football on a Truly Global Stage

FIFA’s role extends beyond organising a tournament, it is about enabling football to be played at the highest standard, anywhere in the world.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup reflects this mission in its most ambitious form. By bringing together 16 stadiums across three countries, FIFA is reinforcing its commitment to making football truly global, ensuring consistency, quality, and accessibility regardless of location.

This is particularly evident in pitch management.

Through a unified strategy, FIFA ensures that:

• A match in Vancouver delivers the same performance standards as one in Mexico City
• A domed stadium in Atlanta meets the same expectations as an open venue in New York
• Training environments replicate match conditions across all team base camps

This level of consistency is the result of careful planning, shared expertise, and coordinated execution across regions. To achieve this consistency, FIFA has implemented a simplified and controlled turfgrass strategy based on two primary surface types:

Cool-season system

• Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)
• Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
• Standardised blend: 84% KBG / 16% PRG

 Warm-season system

• Hybrid Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × transvaalensis)

This approach ensures that all pitches fall within a defined performance range for traction, ball roll, surface stability, and visual presentation regardless of geography.

Temporary vs Permanent Surfaces

A defining feature of this World Cup is the number of temporary natural grass installations.

Of the 16 stadiums:

• 8 are permanent natural grass venues
• 8 are temporary conversions from synthetic surfaces

Temporary installations introduce unique challenges. Turf must be grown off-site, often under different climatic conditions, before being harvested, transported, and installed within tight timelines. These systems are reinforced with synthetic fibers, either stitched or carpet-based, to ensure durability and stability.

The high proportion of Kentucky Bluegrass in cool-season systems plays a critical role here. Its rhizomatous growth habit provides the structural integrity required for sod production, transport, and rapid establishment under stadium conditions.

Stadium Pitch Strategy Overview

The table below summarises how these principles are applied across the 16 host stadiums:

Adapting Strategy to Stadium Constraints

While the framework is consistent, its implementation must adapt to each venue.

Examples include:

• Domed stadiums in warm climates requiring cool-season turf supported by advanced grow lighting systems
• Open stadiums in cooler regions utilising bermudagrass to maximise performance during summer conditions
• Widespread use of hybrid reinforcement systems to maintain surface stability under intensive use

These adaptations highlight the balance between standardisation and flexibility required at this level

The People Behind the System

Despite the scale and technical complexity, success ultimately depends on people.

FIFA’s approach emphasises collaboration across:

• Local venue teams
• International experts
• Turf producers and contractors
• Research and technical specialists

From my position in the Mexico cluster, this coordination translates into daily alignment between international standards and local execution: working closely with stadium teams, contractors, and agronomic specialists to ensure consistency at every level.

Roles such as Pitch Cluster Management serve to connect strategy with delivery ensuring that global objectives are effectively implemented at the local level. It has required extensive coordination and travel across Mexico (more than 70 flights to date), reflecting the level of detail and alignment necessary to deliver consistent outcomes.

The impact of this work extends beyond the competition itself. Each decision, whether related to turfgrass selection, construction methods, or maintenance practices, contributes to a broader legacy:

• Advancing turfgrass technology and knowledge
• Strengthening collaboration across the global turf industry
• Establishing new performance benchmarks for future events

In this sense, the FIFA World Cup becomes more than a tournament. It becomes a platform for innovation, learning, and the continued development of football infrastructure worldwide.

Michael Bradbery, Technical Lead ANZ for Syngenta Professional Solutions

Construction, establishment and maintenance of green assets consume significant budgets and demand successful outcomes. Advances in remote monitoring of green assets bring greater control and surety of positive outcomes.

Green assets such as tree and turf landscapes are the final step in many large and costly projects. Successful establishment of the vital green component of the project is critical, and vulnerable to damage or failure. Programming irrigation or water trucks is rarely based on actual soil conditions. This can lead to over-and-underwatering, and delayed establishment or failure. By incorporating wireless remote soil sensors into these landscape projects, resources can be applied when required, conserving water and labour without asset loss.

Lack of real-time data for soil moisture during establishment and maintenance is a common issue. Advances in weather forecasting data and apps, and in real-time monitoring sensors provide more accurate and site-specific soil information to ensure correct plant maintenance.

Syngenta’s continued investment is resulting in next generation digital technologies, such as SPIIO™ Soil Sensors, which can be used to create efficiencies and productivity gains for open space and turf managers. They allow turf professionals to make informed decisions with accurate, site-specific data which is regularly updated – and which can be accessed direct from their mobile phones. A SPIIO™ Soil Sensor can achieve all this, and the sensor installation and application set up takes only minutes.

Water Resource Allocation During Establishment

Green assets such as trees shrubs and turf have a specific soil moisture requirement during the susceptible establishment phase following planting. The use of in-ground soil moisture sensors to monitor real-time conditions can allow better allocation of labour and water resources to reduce plant damage or loss during this process. In ground remote soil sensors give actual soil moisture conditions which can only be assessed by labour intensive onsite assessments or guessed at from local weather observations.

Ongoing Management of Plant Health

Moisture management is obviously a critical component of ongoing maintenance, especially in turf and landscape assets. Improving irrigation application decisions will benefit plant health and save resources. Over application of irrigation can be just as damaging as under application, resulting in excessively wet conditions making soils susceptible to damage from compaction, root loss or anaerobic conditions such as black layer. Under application depletes root systems and conditions the plant for more frequent shallower irrigation resulting in a weaker less drought tolerant plant.

Figure 1. Soil moisture percentage tracked over summer showing rainfall and irrigation impacts, daily plant usage, evaporation and field capacity.

Saving Water

Using sensors can provide more accurate data to make irrigation decisions. Monitoring soil moisture during and after precipitation events helps determine how much water is enough in each soil or location. Determining the field capacity of the soil gives a baseline to measure against for future scheduling and observations. Observing the actual change in soil moisture content is far more useful than rain gauge or BOM records which are based on large areas and subject to wide variability.

This data can help answer questions like:

• What is field capacity at each site?
• What amount of rainfall or irrigation is required to reach field capacity in that soil?
• What effect did rainfall have at each location?
• Did the set irrigation achieve the moisture content target?
• How much does the soil type affect the target moisture content?
• Am I over or under watering?

Labour Efficiencies

If you or your colleagues have spent hours walking sporting facilities assessing moisture needs both visually and with moisture probes, you’ll easily be able to see the potential efficiencies of having constant data on soil moisture. Building the correlation of physical on-site assessments with data from in-ground sensors builds a more complete picture for moisture management.

Using In Ground Sensors to Monitor Field Playability

During periods of wet weather assessing field conditions across large council LGAs can be very labour intensive with physical inspections required for opening or closing each facility. With input from in ground sensors outdoor field coordinators have moisture percentage readings to their phones giving greater knowledge of conditions and rainfall impacts in each location. This can greatly improve efficiency of the process which may be required after each rainfall event prior to weekend sport.

GreenCast® Connect App

Monitoring soil temperature and many other parameters relevant to turf can be done via the Syngenta GreenCast® Connect app. It includes parameters that are not typical for an average weather app including Soil temperature, Evapotranspiration, Leaf wetness, Dew Point, Growth Potential etc. These and many other features are available on the basic free version.

Incorporating Soil Sensors

The use of sensors to identify the soil temperature, soil moisture and salinity from location to location or full sun to shaded areas can greatly assist decisions of inputs of water or product treatments.

SPIIO™ Soil Sensors can be placed at the desired root zone depth, are wireless and have a battery life of 3-5 years. A simple connection to the local mobile network transfers readings to the cloud service which can be accessed anywhere on your phone or through the web-based portal. This real-time data can be shared with all staff members or relevant parties to monitor irrigation function, irrigation setting requirements, rainfall impacts etc.

Figure 2. An example of a SPIIO™ Soil Sensor dashboard.

Existing customers have reported savings in time spent assessing moisture requirements, improved irrigation scheduling for deeper less frequent application and earlier awareness of plant irrigation needs

Poor Water Quality

For those using irrigation water that contains salts such as effluent supplies or can increase in salinity during dry periods monitoring soil salinity in real time can be a great tool. With the use of the SPIIO™ Soil Sensor you can set a warning level for salinity for when you need to act which may require a flushing irrigation cycle or transfer to another water source for irrigation use.

Using In Ground Data for Maintenance Application Timing

Soil temperature is the key marker of many preventative applications for protecting turf from weed germination and insect hatching. Common summer weed and insect emergence occurs from 13 to 18 degrees Celsius soil temperature. Using soil temperature from the Greencast Connect App and real-time data from the SPIIO™ Soil sensors provide the best information to time applications of what can be costly and critical annual treatments.

Light/Shade Data

The SPIIO™ Sensors being portable can be moved to sites where closer monitoring is required whether it is new sites or sites where growth issues exist. They can also be used to build data for visible light levels. If shade is impacting areas of the site and you need to prepare information for review, you can compare readings from a sensor placed in the shade and one in a comparable area of full sun.

Set Your Own Warning Parameters

Within the Greencast Connect App or web-based tools you can set the warnings for the levels you require. Whether moisture content, temperature, salinity or extreme weather conditions, you set the levels you desire for warnings.  The warnings set by the user are then pushed through notifications to the mobile, app and web portal for immediate consideration.

SPIIO™/GreenCast® Connect Subscription

The sensors come under an annual subscription plan based on small to large volumes. With the sensor subscription the Pro version of GreenCast® Connect is included which inputs the sensor data into the App and Web Portal as well as providing other features.

Summary

Managing green assets across large sites or multi-site local government areas demand extensive resources which are increasing in costs. Using resources effectively and efficiently is paramount whether it be fertilisers, pesticides, water or labour. Technology that can assist with making improved decisions and achieving better outcomes or resource efficiencies are available. The GreenCast® Connect app and input from SPIIO™ soil sensors will enable facility managers to improve labour and resource efficiencies across their assets under management.

For more information on SPIIO™ visit syngentaturf.com.au or contact your local Syngenta Territory Sales Manager.

Heuch Cooling Solutions

At the last Lawn Solutions Australia Conference, Heuch Cooling Solutions introduced vacuum cooling to the turf industry as a practical way to tackle one of the biggest commercial challenges growers face, heat build-up after harvest. The concept was simple, but the promise was significant. Remove field heat quickly, slow product deterioration, extend shelf life, reduce waste, and give growers more control over delivery timing and quality on arrival.

Now we have the data to show that promise is real.

Since that presentation, Heuch Cooling Solutions and Weber Vacuum Group have run two Australian field trials in collaboration with Lilydale Instant Lawn and Coolabah Turf, covering two seasons, three turf varieties, and three storage environments. The results were not marginal. They were commercially meaningful. Across the trials, vacuum cooling consistently reduced pallet core temperatures, extended the saleable window, and created a measurable advantage during the most critical period after harvest.

That matters because turf is one of horticulture’s most perishable products. Once cut, it starts generating internal heat through respiration. According to the study, pallet core temperatures can exceed 50°C within days, and in extreme cases have been documented as high as 70°C. Under standard summer conditions, shelf life can shrink to just 12–24 hours. That is the commercial reality growers work with every season: a very small window to harvest, dispatch, deliver and install before quality starts dropping fast. The new Australian trial data shows vacuum cooling can change that equation.

Across the study, the headline numbers were clear: 3–5 times shelf-life extension in summer, more than 9 days at ideal temperature when vacuum cooling was combined with cool room storage in winter, a 19.8°C temperature drop in a single cooling cycle, and only 2.5% moisture loss from a 1,630 kg pallet. In other words, the system removed almost 20 degrees of heat without materially compromising product moisture.

The winter trial at Lilydale Instant Lawn tested three varieties under three different conditions. Eureka Kikuyu was stored outdoors, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda in a factory shed, and Sir Walter DNA Certified buffalo grass in a cool room. Each had one vacuum-cooled pallet and one untreated control. In every case, the vacuum-cooled pallet held a meaningful temperature advantage through the commercially important first three to five days. Outdoors, Eureka maintained a 6–9°C advantage through Day 5. In the shed, TifTuf showed a 4–8°C advantage through Day 3, remaining ahead even as temperatures gradually re-balanced. The strongest winter result came from Sir Walter in the cool room, where the vacuum-cooled pallet reached 4.6°C by Day 2 and stayed below 7°C for the full nine-day monitoring period. The untreated control in the same room took five to six days to reach similar temperatures.

That last point is important. Cool room storage alone helps, but it does not remove heat immediately. Vacuum cooling does. The combination of both gave growers the benefit from Day 1, not Day 5 or 6. For businesses holding inventory before dispatch, that difference is operationally significant. It creates a real buffer and reduces the pressure that usually defines turf logistics. But the most compelling test came in summer.

At Coolabah Turf, the study looked at Sir Walter under peak seasonal pressure, with ambient temperatures reaching 37.5°C and no cold chain in place. The vacuum-cooled pallet dropped from 27°C to 7.2°C in one cycle. The untreated control then went on to hit 43°C by Day 3 and 52°C by Day 6. The report describes it bluntly: the control pallet was effectively composting itself from the inside. By comparison, the vacuum-cooled pallet maintained a 17–23°C temperature advantage across the first three days.

The visual observations made that data even more powerful. On Day 2, the vacuum-cooled pallet still showed no visible signs of heat-up, while the control was already deteriorating internally despite looking reasonable on top. By Day 3 afternoon, the control had developed a bad smell, lost around half its colour, and was no longer commercially viable. The vacuum-cooled pallet remained saleable longer, giving a larger and more workable dispatch window. That is where the bottom-line impact becomes clear.

Shelf life is not just a quality issue. It is a revenue issue. It determines how far you can deliver, how many customers you can serve, and how much of what you harvest becomes invoiced product. The study shows that without cooling, summer turf is largely limited to same-day, local delivery. With vacuum cooling, that window extends to around 2–2.5 days, making next-day regional delivery realistic. Add refrigerated transport, and the study projects a 3–5 plus day window. In winter, vacuum cooling plus a cool room allows growers to build inventory and decouple harvest from dispatch.

There is also a direct efficiency benefit inside the farm gate. The report notes that if 5–10% of harvested turf is lost to heat damage or missed delivery windows, a business selling 100 pallets a day may need to harvest 105–110 pallets just to fulfil demand. That means water, labour, fertiliser, land use and fuel are all being spent on product that never reaches a paying customer. Vacuum cooling helps eliminate that waste. It allows growers to sell more of what they already grow, harvest in smarter batches, reduce the ‘race against the clock,’ and grow revenue without proportional increases in production cost.

Even the operating cost strengthens the case. The study estimates indicative operating expenditure at around AUD $3.60 per pallet, or under AUD $0.10 per square metre, including energy, maintenance and labour. For growers, the decision becomes less about whether cooling costs money and more about whether a modest per-pallet cost is worth gaining extra saleable days, wider delivery reach, reduced waste and stronger customer confidence.

One of the most interesting findings came after visual saleability had ended. In the summer trial, Coolabah planted test pieces from the vacuum-cooled pallet on Day 6, after it had already been classified as unsaleable. By Day 21, the turf showed clear regrowth and root establishment. That suggests biological viability may outlast visual saleability, opening another commercial benefit: reduced waste and lower financial risk on stock that misses its original retail window.

Vacuum Cooling is no longer just a promising technology – it is already delivering these results for growers worldwide. Now that it has been tested with Australian turf, it shows what it can do under real conditions, with real turf, in real operations.

The next step is easier than ever. Heuch now offers a lease-to-own model in partnership with Finlease, giving growers a practical pathway to adopt the technology without carrying the full upfront capital burden.

Last year, we introduced vacuum cooling. This year, we can say something much more powerful: the proof you were after is here.

Scan this QR code to explore our small, medium and large vacuum cooling systems, download the full trial results, and see what a lease-to-own pathway could look like for your operations.

Creating a Rooftop Green Space with Sir Grange

By Luke Blanch, Owner of Transition Landscaping

I completed my apprenticeship and Certificate III in Landscape Construction 15 years ago on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, working on high-end architectural projects, before starting my own business.

Transition Landscaping is a small structural landscaping company located in Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW. Our full-time team consists of two structural landscapers and a carpenter. We also work with an experienced network of highly skilled sub-contractors.

In the early days of Transition Landscaping, we travelled extensively between Sydney and Batemans Bay for work. These days, most of our projects are local, primarily between Huskisson and Hyams Beach. We offer high-quality soft and hard landscaping, with a focus on craftmanship and attention to detail.

Recently we completed landscaping for a project built by Tim Clout Building, commencing in February 2023 and completed in May 2025. It stands as one of the largest projects Transition Landscaping has undertaken, with our crew on site almost continuously for nine months.

Every aspect of the project required close attention to detail, and nothing was overlooked. Despite several sleepless nights, full credit goes to Tim and his team for delivering an almost flawless operation. Their projects are consistently well organised and run smoothly.

While the original plan provided a strong foundation, as is often the case in landscaping, the project evolved as construction progressed. Our client brought a clear vision to the project, with a background in design and floristry. This was a rewarding experience working closely together creatively to achieve the desired outcome.

The eastern boundary of the property borders a bush reserve, and the home was designed so that all major living areas overlook this aspect. The cabana sits directly in line with the kitchen, living, and dining areas, with its roof at approximately the same level as the internal floor and balcony. Early in the project, the decision was made to transform the cabana roof into a green space.

Cabana Rooftop Grass Installation

Initial concepts included large boulders surrounded by crushed river pebbles, with clumped areas of Sir Grange Zoysia turf. Transition Landscaping regularly use Sir Grange in this way to soften gravel pathways and complement stepping stones. Its soft, wavy growth habit and low maintenance requirements make it ideal for this application.

Ultimately, the decision was made to simplify the design and cover the entire cabana roof with Sir Grange. The intention was to soften the appearance of the concrete roof rather than make it a feature. Left largely to establish naturally, the green tones of the Sir Grange blend seamlessly with the surrounding bushland backdrop.

We sourced Sir Grange through local supplier Turfco. We have collaborated on numerous projects in recent years with Turfco and they have always supplied the highest quality turf.

The cabana roof is constructed from 250mm think reinforced concrete, graded to the corners with stormwater outlets to manage runoff. Structurally, it was more than capable of supporting a rooftop garden.

We engaged Southern Fab who specialises in Aluminium installations to construct a powder-coated aluminium edge system, bolted to the perimeter of the roof, allowing us to achieve a consistent finished level for the soil profile. The dark grey colour was selected to match the handrails, windows and other architectural elements.

The concrete roof was first waterproofed, then covered with a full layer of geotextile fabric. A 30mm Atlantis drainage cell system was installed across the entire surface, followed by another layer of geotextile fabric. A sandy loam turf underlay mix from Terara Sands was then installed to an average depth of 150mm.

Subsoil drip irrigation was installed at 350mm spacings to irrigate the Sir Grange, chosen specifically to avoid overspray. For future projects of this nature, we would also consider incorporating a pop-up spray system to better manage extreme heat conditions. The Sir Grange turf was then installed like any other turf installation.

Regular watering was maintained until the turf established strong root growth. During establishment, we experienced some drying at the edges, due to a combination of dark edging, sandy soil and shallow soil depth. Post-establishment, this has been minimal, occurring only during the hottest summer days.

Twelve months on, the rooftop Sir Grange has performed exceptionally well. It has largely been left to establish naturally, with minimal maintenance required. Ongoing care has primarily involved clearing leaf litter that has settled on top of the grass after strong winds. The turf has been mown twice now to encourage dense growth, and a fertiliser program using Lawn Solutions Pro Plus Fertiliser has been implemented to support the fine leaf structure.

The performance of Sir Grange in this setting has been outstanding, proving its versatility beyond traditional applications. It’s a finish that not only looks the part but will continue to deliver over time.

Twin View Turf Resurfaces Gallas Fox Park

For the Roma Echidnas Rugby Union Club, Gallas Fox Park is more than just a playing field. It is the heart of rugby in the Maranoa region. A venue that has hosted generations of players, drawn crowds from across southwest Queensland and played a vital role in the town’s sporting culture.

In 2024, the club took a major step toward securing the future of the game in Roma by undertaking a complete resurfacing of the main field and training area. Working alongside Twin View Turf, Maranoa Regional Council, and a dedicated group of volunteers, the Echidnas transformed the surface into a modern, resilient rugby field capable of hosting major events and supporting the club’s growing participation base.

The project combined careful engineering, innovative turf selection and strong community collaboration to overcome the unique challenges of building a high-quality sporting surface in remote regional Queensland.

Designing Drainage for a Flat Landscape

One of the biggest challenges facing the project team was the natural topography of the site.

Gallas Fox Park sits on extremely flat ground, meaning there are no natural low points or existing stormwater services available to easily drain the field. In many sports field projects, drainage systems simply outlet into nearby stormwater infrastructure, but at Roma this option didn’t exist.

The first step was to take a detailed survey of the field surface. From this data, a design was developed that carefully balanced surface runoff and subsurface drainage, ensuring water could move effectively across and through the soil profile without creating uneven playing conditions.

Designing the correct fall across such a flat surface required precision. The finished field needed to shed water efficiently while still appearing visually level and providing consistent footing for players.

Once the design was finalised, construction work began.

Rebuilding the Field from the Ground Up

The first stage of construction involved tilling the surface, breaking up the existing soil profile and removing compaction that had built up over years of use. This process helped blend the soil layers into a more uniform base for the new root zone.

Following this, the field underwent laser grading, a highly accurate method of reshaping the ground to match the planned finished surface levels. This process required over 1500m2 of soil to be moved by laser-controlled equipment. This ensured the field slopes were precise, allowing water to move correctly across the surface.

With the ground profile prepared, the next step was installing the drainage infrastructure.

Installing Subsurface Drainage

A new subsurface drainage system was installed across the entire field at 7.5-metre spacing, forming a network designed to quickly remove surface water and excess moisture from the turf root zone. There was over 2.6km of draincoil and PVC pipe installed to complete the drainage system on this project.

Effective drainage is critical for rugby fields, where repeated tackles, scrums and heavy foot traffic can quickly damage a saturated surface. By allowing water to move away from the playing surface quickly, the drainage system helps maintain a firm, stable field that can recover more quickly between games.

The drainage network was carefully integrated into the reshaped soil profile, ensuring it would function effectively despite the flat conditions of the site.

Building the Growing Medium

With the drainage system in place, attention turned to creating the growing medium that would support the turf.

More than 1,250 tonnes of sand growing medium were imported to the site and blended with soil amendments and organic materials. This mixture provides an ideal root zone for sports turf, balancing excellent drainage with the ability to retain nutrients and moisture.

Once spread across the field, the sand profile was laser levelled once again to achieve the final playing surface levels. This carefully constructed base created a stable and free-draining platform ready for turf installation.

Turf Installation Becomes a Community Effort

Installing the turf was one of the most rewarding stages of the project and a clear demonstration of Roma’s strong community spirit.

Over 9,500 square metres of washed TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda turf was laid across the main field over three days.

The installation brought together Maranoa Regional Council staff, Roma Echidnas players and club volunteers, all working together to roll out pallets of turf across the field.

Twin View Turf’s Trent Hobson assisted with laser levelling and ensured pallets were positioned correctly to keep the installation running smoothly. The quality of the turf itself was immediately evident. Despite being harvested only days earlier, the turf arrived with a thick, healthy and vibrant root system, with roots already extending well beyond 60 millimetres. This strong root development helped the grass establish quickly once laid.

Seeing the field take shape over just a few days was a proud moment for everyone involved.

Establishing the Training Field

While the main field was fully turfed, the adjacent training field was established using a different method. On 23 December, the training field was planted using TifTuf stolons, allowing the grass to spread naturally across the prepared soil surface.

The two fields were planted several weeks apart to ensure the irrigation system could maintain adequate watering during the extreme summer heat of Central Queensland. This staggered approach helped protect the young turf and allowed both surfaces to establish successfully.

Choosing Turf for Roma’s Conditions

Selecting the right grass variety was one of the most important decisions in the project. Roma’s irrigation water presents a significant challenge. Testing has shown very alkaline water with pH levels between 9.5 and 9.9, which can create long-term soil health problems and place stress on many turf species.

To ensure the new field would perform under these conditions, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda grass was trialled on site six months before construction began. Three small areas were planted across the field and monitored throughout the winter playing season.

The results were impressive. TifTuf proved capable of handling Roma’s extreme winter conditions, including numerous frosts and temperatures well below 0°C. It also demonstrated excellent tolerance to the alkaline irrigation water.

Another key benefit is TifTuf’s exceptional drought tolerance, meaning the field requires less irrigation overall. Using less water helps reduce the amount of alkaline irrigation entering the soil, limiting the gradual increase in soil pH over time.

Delivering the Project Within Budget

Like many regional sporting organisations, the Roma Echidnas needed to complete the project within a limited budget. The resurfacing was supported by Federal Government funding through the Women in Sport grants program, helping improve facilities and encourage broader participation in rugby.

To keep costs manageable, both the club and Maranoa Regional Council undertook portions of the project themselves, contributing labour and equipment wherever possible. This cooperative approach ensured the resurfacing could be completed without compromising the quality of the final field.

A Successful First Test

The newly resurfaced field faced its first major test just eight weeks after the turf was installed, when Gallas Fox Park hosted the Santos Roma Rugby 7’s tournament. The event featured more than 13 hours of rugby across two days, including warm-ups, training sessions and competitive matches.

Despite the heavy schedule, the new surface performed exceptionally well, providing a stable and high-quality playing field throughout the tournament.

For Trent Hobson of Twin View Turf, the whole project was a rewarding experience.

“Working with the rugby club and seeing the volunteers chip in to make the project happen was incredibly satisfying,” he said. “Hearing the feedback after the Rugby 7’s made all the hard work worthwhile.”

The success of the resurfacing has already drawn attention from the wider rugby community. Representatives from Queensland Rugby Union have visited Gallas Fox Park and were highly impressed with the quality of the playing surface. Their visit has helped pave the way for Roma to host another major event later this year. In September, the town will welcome the Santos Festival of Rugby, where the Queensland Reds are scheduled to play a match in Roma.

For the Roma Echidnas and the wider community, the resurfacing of Gallas Fox Park represents more than just a new field. It is an investment in the future of rugby in regional Queensland, supporting players, attracting major events and strengthening the local sporting community.

Through careful planning, technical expertise and a remarkable volunteer effort, Roma now has a rugby field ready to host the next generation.

How investment in turf technology is reshaping performance

Alves Filho – Agronomist | Sports Turf Manager at Aspire Sports Turf

The turfgrass sector has experienced a significant transformation in recent years, largely driven by rapid technological advancement. From elite football pitches to prestigious golf courses and expansive public landscapes, the industry is increasingly leveraging data analytics, automation, robotics, and applied science to deliver surfaces that are not only aesthetically superior but also high-quality, resilient and performance oriented.

In today’s high-performance context, data collection at field level has become indispensable. It supports not only agronomic aspects of grass maintenance but also plays a critical role in athlete performance and safety.

Genetic innovation has been a key enabler in this shift, supporting the development of turfgrass varieties with reduced requirements for water, fertiliser, and chemical inputs. These improved cultivars, when integrated with modern management technologies, demonstrate enhanced tolerance to environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures, salinity, high traffic intensity and directly supporting global sustainability goals.

The adoption of digital tools and precision technologies continues to reshape day-to-day operations. Mobile applications, smart irrigation systems, soil sensors, supplemental grow lighting, drones, autonomous mowing units, and robotic line-marking are just few examples of technology used in modern turfgrass maintenance and, they are becoming standard components of a data-driven management approach focused on efficiency, consistency, and resource optimisation.

At the same time, complex site-specific challenges remain central to decision-making. Factors such as shaded environments, suboptimal or saline irrigation water, poorly drained soils, lack of air circulation, and the selection of appropriate species or cultivars must be carefully evaluated. These considerations extend beyond agronomy into operational and strategic domains, including competition scheduling, staff alignment, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement. Effective turf management therefore requires continuous collaboration among all parties involved, from design and construction through maintenance and usage.

Having had the opportunity to closely follow the sector’s evolution over the years, it is evident that continuous professional development is no longer optional, it is essential. The breadth of technologies and responsibilities associated with modern turfgrass management demands ongoing engagement with training programs, technical seminars, workshops, site visits, and professional knowledge exchange.

I recently attended the SGL Masterclass 2026, which provided direct exposure to iconic facilities in the United Kingdom. Through technical presentations and behind-the-scenes stadium tours, more than a hundred professionals from around the world gained valuable insights into infrastructure, maintenance logistics, and operational standards at the highest level. Notably, the sustained dominance of European football clubs, particularly those competing in the Premier League, reflects consistent investment in advanced infrastructure and high-performance environments, including both stadiums and training complexes.

Routine testing, particularly for traction and surface hardness as an example, may become an essential practice in managing injury risk, especially concerning knee and ankle ligaments. While you cannot fully eliminate injuries, well-managed turfgrass pitches significantly reduce the likelihood of incidents associated with poor pitch conditions. In this sense, pitch quality is a risk mitigation tool as much as it is a performance variable.

Readings such as surface hardness, rotational traction, soil moisture, and height of cut (HOC) directly influence pitch quality and match dynamics. These parameters affect player’s speed, surface stability, ball roll and ball bounce characteristics, and injury risk.

From a financial perspective, the cost associated with player injuries can far exceed the investment required for advanced turf technologies and maintenance practices. Consequently, elite organisations increasingly view the playing surface as a strategic asset, prioritising precision management to safeguard player availability and long-term performance.

This paradigm shift can also drive greater integration between agronomy department (turfgrass management) and sports science departments (physical education, physiotherapy, orthopedics). What were once isolated functions may now be part of a broader, transdisciplinary performance framework. Data sharing, collaborative analysis, and continuous feedback loops can enable more informed decisions, positioning the playing surface as an active contributor to both performance outcomes and athlete welfare.

Beyond performance considerations, the quality of the playing surface is a critical component of the broadcast product. With millions of viewers worldwide, visual presentation plays a significant role in audience perception. Uniformity of grass cover, colour, sward density, and playability standards must meet the highest expectations.

Major competitions including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and La Liga, have long recognised the importance of playing surfaces as part of their global product offering. This also extends to other elite-sports performed on grass such as golf, American football, rugby, and horse racing, where surface quality is integral to both performance and presentation.

In my opinion, organisations that integrate turfgrass expertise into their decision-making frameworks are better positioned to optimise resources, safeguard athletes and users, and elevate the overall quality of their product. In this context, turfgrass management is not simply an operational function, it is a strategic pillar of the industry.

Max Stephenson, Twin View Turf

There are people within every industry who build successful businesses, and then there are the rare few who help build the industry itself.

This year at the Lawn Solutions Australia Conference, Queensland turf producer Max Stephenson was inducted into the Lawn Solutions Australia Hall of Fame, one of the highest honours the group can bestow.

It is an award that is not handed out lightly. Over the past two decades it has only been presented four times, reflecting exactly what the award represents. The Hall of Fame is not about annual sales figures or business growth. It recognises a lifetime of contribution to the Australian turf industry and to the people within it.

For more than 30 years, Max has been one of the defining personalities of Australian turf. He has been a producer, innovator, mentor, problem solver and trusted voice within the industry, but above all else, he has always been someone willing to help.

Anyone who has spent time around the turf industry knows Max, and most people probably have a story about him. It may have been advice over the phone, a visit to help solve a problem, a blunt but honest opinion shared across a conference table, or a late-night conversation at an industry event somewhere around the world. Over the years, Max has had an impact on countless people throughout the industry.

From Pineapples to Turf

Long before Twin View Turf became one of Australia’s most recognised turf businesses, Max’s background was firmly planted in agriculture.

After growing tobacco, capsicums and other small crops, Max spent many years in the pineapple industry. He sold whole fruit as well as fresh-cut and packaged pineapple to supermarkets, which at the time was considered a revolutionary concept.

Pineapple farming, however, came with enormous risk. A crop could take two years from planting to harvest and bad weather at the wrong time could wipe out an entire season. As industry conditions changed, Max began exploring other opportunities. He investigated everything from vegetables to aquaculture before ultimately deciding turf was the future.

The appeal was simple. If the weather turned bad, you could simply keep mowing it. As soon as a pineapple paddock was harvested, the rotary hoe followed behind.

In 1996, Twin View Turf was established with approximately 55,000 square metres of turf production. From those beginnings, Max helped grow the business into one of the true success stories of the Australian turf industry.

Today, Twin View Turf operates across more than 600 acres in production, produces over 800,000 square metres of turf annually and employs more than 50 staff across the business. Based at Wamuran in south-east Queensland, the company has become widely recognised not only for residential turf supply, but also for premium sports turf production, sports field construction and industry-leading service.

An Innovator by Nature

Innovation has always been central to Max’s approach.

If a new piece of machinery arrived on the farm, there was every chance it would spend its first day in the workshop being modified with an oxy torch, grinder and welder. Max has never been satisfied with simply accepting something as good enough.

He was an early adopter of technology across turf production and logistics and continually searched for ways to improve efficiency and turf quality.

One example that has become part of industry folklore was his experience with one of the first Trebro Autoslab harvesters. While Max loved the idea of automated harvesting, he was frustrated by the performance of the vacuum system on the machine. Rather than accepting the limitations, he designed and built the first hook-and-bump system, reflecting the practical and hands-on way he has always approached problem solving.

That mindset extended well beyond his own farm.

Throughout his career, Max has contributed knowledge, planting material and practical support to industry research projects and turf development initiatives. He worked closely with researchers and fellow producers and was involved in supplying material for trials into warm-season turf varieties and saline-tolerant grasses in Australia.

A Presence Across the Industry

For decades, Max has been a familiar face at conferences, field days and industry events both across Australia and internationally.

Long before global industry travel became commonplace, Max was building friendships and networks throughout the turf world. Many within the industry still talk about the “pineapple days”, when conference attendance often meant loading up stories, opinions and ideas and travelling wherever the next opportunity to learn existed.

That willingness to connect with people has become one of Max’s defining traits. He has built a remarkable network of friends across the globe and has always been generous in sharing what he has learned.

If someone in the industry had a problem, Max was often one of the first people to offer advice. It was never polished corporate language or carefully filtered responses. It was practical, direct and based on real experience.

That honesty is part of what people respect most about him. Max has always been unapologetically himself, quick with an opinion, fiercely passionate and completely authentic. People have always known exactly where they stood with him.

Beneath that directness has always been someone deeply invested in helping others succeed. It is a quality many within Lawn Solutions Australia have benefited from over the years. There would be very few members within the group who have not learned something from Max at some point in their career.

Life Beyond Turf

Outside the turf industry, Max’s appetite for adventure has been just as strong. For many years he was heavily involved in deep scuba diving before eventually deciding that exploring extreme depths might not be entirely compatible with a long and healthy life.

That search for adventure eventually led him towards another passion, vintage cars and international rallying. Through clients and friends, Max discovered the world of endurance motoring events, where he could combine several of his greatest interests, fixing things, navigating, travelling and spending time with family.

In a 1921 Vauxhall, Max has completed extraordinary journeys across the globe, often accompanied by his wife Julie or his sons. His travels have included routes from Beijing to Paris, London to Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro to Ushuaia, along with countless journeys of more than 10,000 kilometres throughout Europe.

Like everything Max does, these adventures have become less about the destination and more about the stories, friendships and experiences collected along the way.

A Deserving Honour

The Lawn Solutions Australia Hall of Fame exists to recognise people whose contribution extends far beyond their own business. It recognises people who help shape the culture, standards and future of the industry.

Max Stephenson embodies that perfectly.

His contribution to Australian turf has been immense, not only through the success of Twin View Turf, but through the people he has helped, the knowledge he has shared and the standards he has pushed the industry towards.

For many, Max represents the spirit that built the Australian turf industry. He is hardworking, innovative, independent, generous and deeply passionate about what he does. There are countless stories that could be told about Max Stephenson, but perhaps the simplest summary is this. The industry is better because he has been part of it. Congratulations to Max Stephenson on his induction into the Lawn Solutions Australia Hall of Fame, a truly deserving recognition for a lifetime dedicated to turf.

Turf Placemats at a Byron Bay Wellness Retreat

In February 2026, a private resort in Byron Bay became the setting for an immersive wellness retreat that redefined modern luxury, grounded not in excess but in intention. Designed and curated by ONSO Atelier for Chemist Warehouse and Melrose Future Labs, the three-day experience brought together a select group of guests to explore the evolving science of longevity and healthy ageing.

At the heart of the retreat was a simple but profound philosophy. Wellbeing is cumulative. Through a series of thoughtfully curated experiences, guests were guided across the essential pillars of vitality, including nutrition, movement, sleep, genetics, mental wellbeing, and social connection. Melrose Future Labs’ science-led approach anchored the program, emphasising cellular health and energy metabolism as the foundation for long-term wellness.

Among the many carefully considered details, one element stood out for its originality: freshly cut turf placemats.

Where Nature Meets the Table

The concept was as unexpected as it was striking. Nicole of ONSO Atelier envisioned dining tables set not with traditional linens, but with living, breathing pieces of landscape. Individual squares of lush turf were cut fresh and placed beneath each setting.

To bring this vision to life, Tyagarah Turf, a family-run farm located just 15 minutes from Byron Bay, was commissioned to create 24 bespoke placemats, each measuring 500 millimetres by 500 millimetres.

“It was a completely unique request,” the team recalls. “We had never produced anything like it before, but that is what made it so exciting.”

Before sunrise on the day of delivery, the process began. A carefully selected section of TifTuf turf, chosen for its vibrant colour and slightly longer blade, was harvested in larger slabs. Rather than reconfiguring machinery for such a small run, the team opted for a more hands-on approach. Each piece was meticulously measured and hand-cut.

The finishing touch lay in the handling. Each square was stacked grass to grass to preserve its integrity and prevent soil transfer, ensuring the final presentation was as refined as the concept itself.

Delivery to the venue, Belle Helena Private Resort, was a moment in itself. Set at the end of a winding, tree-lined drive, the property offered a secluded, natural backdrop that perfectly complemented the event’s ethos.

As the installation came together, the turf placemats transformed the dining experience, blurring the line between environment and design. The result was both tactile and visual, a tablescape that quite literally grounded guests in nature.

For Nicole and her team, the outcome was exactly as envisioned. For Tyagarah Turf, it was an opportunity to step beyond traditional applications and contribute to a creative project in a new way.

Cultivating More Than Turf

Established in 1979, Tyagarah Turf has grown into a respected supplier within the Northern Rivers region, servicing areas from Iluka to the Queensland border and inland to Lismore, Casino, and Kyogle. Now part of the Lawn Solutions Australia network, the farm has undergone significant transformation under current ownership.

In recent years, progress has not come without challenges. Severe weather events and repeated flooding have tested both resilience and resolve. Through persistence and a commitment to quality, the farm has steadily evolved and now produces a range of premium turf varieties.

Beyond the product itself, what stands out is a deep connection to the industry. “It is more than just business,” the team reflects. “There is a genuine sense of community, with people supporting each other, sharing knowledge, and wanting to see each other succeed.”

Experiential design continues to push boundaries and the use of turf as a tablescaping element speaks to a broader shift toward authenticity, sensory engagement, and immersion into the natural world.

At this Byron Bay retreat, something as simple as grass became a defining detail. Not just decorative, but symbolic of growth, grounding, and the quiet luxury of thoughtful design.

For those who experienced it, it is unlikely they will look at a place setting the same way again.

Cobbitty Turf Celebrates 40 years

More than 40 years ago, Geoff Hatton Senior made a decision that would shape not only his future, but that of an entire family business. After years in greenkeeping, he was ready for a change.

“I was sick of working under committees. I wanted to go into business for myself.”

With a strong background in golf course construction and landscaping, Geoff began working across large-scale projects while holding onto a bigger ambition, owning his own turf farm. That vision stayed with him for years as he searched for land up and down the coast. An early opportunity in Cobbitty in 1985 slipped through his fingers, but not long after, a chance conversation led him to approach Sydney University with an idea. He offered to lease land to start a turf farm. They agreed, and from there everything began to unfold.

Building the Foundations of Cobbitty Turf

By 1987, Geoff and his family had purchased their first property, 43 acres at Theresa Park. The land had previously grown turf, but only a poor-quality kikuyu that was not suitable for harvesting. Undeterred, Geoff worked tirelessly, balancing farm work with landscaping jobs and council contracts while building the family home on weekends.

In the early years, progress was slow. The original kikuyu failed to meet expectations, prompting a fresh start. A new variety, Greenlees Park couch, was planted along the river flats and marked a turning point. “I will never forget mowing it with my little three gang trailing mower. They were some of the best days of my life.”

A Defining Moment in 40 Years of Cobbitty Turf

From there, the farm steadily expanded. The mid 1990s brought a pivotal moment for both the business and the wider turf industry. Alongside respected industry figures, Geoff was introduced to a new buffalo grass variety being developed by Brent Redman.

Recognising its potential immediately, the group encouraged formal registration and patenting. Soon after, licences were issued for what is now known as Sir Walter DNA Certified, a variety that would go on to become one of Australia’s most recognised turf grasses. The Hattons were among the first licensed growers.

Expanding the Reach of Cobbitty Turf

As the business grew, so too did its reach. Over the next two decades, the Hattons remained closely connected to their roots in sports turf construction. It was during this time that Geoff Hatton Junior became more involved in the overall management of the business.

From Adelaide to Darwin, they delivered high-quality sports fields, contributed to major golf course projects, and played a significant role in horse racing track construction. Their expertise led to involvement with five Olympic venues for the Sydney 2000 Games, including acting as principal contractor for two and maintaining the softball and baseball facilities in Blacktown throughout the event.

During this period, Geoff Snr also identified an opportunity that would expand the business further. After attending an international turf conference in the United States, he discovered the Koro Field Topmaker system, now known as Koro by Imants FTM.

Bringing this technology back to Australia helped transform turf renovation practices. The family became Australasian distributors and continue in that role today through their sister company, Sustainable Machinery, which represents brands including Imants, Foley and Vredo.

From walk behind Ryan turf cutters and manual loading to robotic harvesters and mechanised delivery systems, the evolution of Cobbitty Turf has reflected the broader changes in the industry. Throughout it all, the focus has remained on producing high quality turf. Joining the Lawn Solutions Australia network strengthened this commitment, providing Cobbitty Turf with access to some of the most amazing cultivars and species in turfgrass available, keeping their pride of product intact.

For the next generation, Geoff Jnr’s children Alex and Allira Hatton, the journey has included significant challenges. In 2022, devastating floods brought operations to a complete stop. Three major flood events within 12 months caused widespread damage and left a lasting impact. “Hearing the air rising from the ground for days after the water went down, and dealing with the aftermath is something that stays with you.”

For nearly six months, not a single roll of certified turf was sold. What followed was two years of rebuilding, paddock by paddock, with a small team of just Geoff Jnr, Alex and Allira. It was a defining period for the business.

The Future of Cobbitty Turf

Today, the farm is thriving once again. Lush green paddocks are back in production, turf is being harvested daily, and deliveries are running six days a week. For Alex and Allira, the transformation has been remarkable. “It is the best we have ever seen the place. The people we work with now are amazing and we have built a strong culture where everyone has each other’s backs.”

More than just a business, Cobbitty Turf remains a family legacy built on hard work, innovation and a genuine passion for turf. Alex and Allira reflect on this journey, “There are still challenges ahead, but that is how we have always grown, and we hope that’s how it will always be. If we are honest with you, we are proud to be a part of it.”

“After 40 years doing what we do best, we just have one question… where did the time go?”