BASF – at the forefront of research and development across the turf care industry

Professional turf care is an art form that requires skill, precision and high-performance products to be successful. Sometimes even the most experienced and skilled greenkeepers have been let down by their products, which is why BASF invests heavily in cutting-edge technology and the best experts in the business to ensure that its solutions are ahead of the game, providing exactly what is needed and when.

Whether a golf course manager, agronomist, farmer or landscape architect, many professionals rely on effective products that keep turf free of diseases, pests and weeds through every season.

With the backing of thousands of employees worldwide, BASF is perfectly positioned to create a powerful portfolio of product solutions that can be tailored to meet the demands of every turf landscape. Effective and efficient research and development underpins every solution that BASF creates, and it is not a company that is content to rest on its laurels. It constantly invests in the growing opportunities that digitalisation and supercomputing power offers, meaning that it constantly maintains its place as an industry leader. In fact, it invested 2.1 billion euros into research and development expenses last year alone, with 1000 products being patented.

For example, brand-new product Maxtima was launched at BTME 2024 by BASF Turf, a new cutting-edge demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide. This crop safe solution was devised after BASF’s scientists discovered new enzyme assays in their research.

Rob Gladwin, head of technical management for UK said: “The assays test the efficacy with which the DMI chemistry, which includes azoles, inhibit the fungal target site, CYP51 –– blocking this enzyme prevents a fungal cell from producing ergosterol causing it to die.

“Together, the team discovered a unique property of an entirely new family of triazoles –– this molecule has a ‘hook’. It’s an isopropanol linker. This moiety is a small part of the larger molecule and it’s unique for a DMI. We synthesised it and noticed very strong fungicidal effects.”

The launch of Maxtima pays testament to the cutting-edge research and development that the BASF team undertakes every day. In fact, BASF’s researchers are working on hundreds of products at any one time, with research centres in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

Furthermore, BASF collaborates with a global network of top universities, research institutes and companies, giving direct access to external scientific expertise, talented minds from various disciplines, as well as new technologies. This helps to quickly develop targeted, marketable innovations, strengthening its portfolio with creative new projects and reaching its targets for worldwide expertise and growth.

To find out more about BASF’s industry-leading turf products, visit https://www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Product-innovation/Turf/

Ends

Editors notes

Professional turf management requires skilled personnel and high-performance technology. BASF Turf supports greenskeepers, superintendents, amenity managers, agronomists and technical experts in the turfcare industry with a powerful portfolio of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, biological solutions, colorants and turf nutrients.

Whether you are managing golf, sport, ornamental landscape, or amenity turf, our expert range of professional solutions provides the optimal level of protection and nutrients for both cool and warm-season turfgrasses and landscape beds.