Primo Maxx II Turf Growth Regulator Ref #CPRIMII-5

Primo Maxx II is a new generation, improved formulation of the active ingredient – trinexapac-ethyl. Primo MAXX II is a turf growth regulator that improves turf thickness, uniformity and health, providing a smooth, tightly knit cover that is better to withstand stress. Primo MAXX II achieves this by increasing lateral spread and turf density, in addition to slowing the vertical growth of the grass. This enhances the playability of fairways and greens.

Primo Maxx II is a new ME formulation with a slightly lower active content. All the advantages customers have come to know and trust of the previous Primo MAXX formulation remains available. Primo Maxx II delivers the same high performance as the original formulation at same field rates.

Developed and tested for Australian conditions by Syngenta, Primo Maxx II has an improved ability for plant uptake so has a slightly lower active ingredient load to achieve the equivalent result, thus maintaining the same safety profile of a caution signal heading.

Key Benefits of Primo MAXX II Turf Growth Regulator

• Improves overall turf quality and colour (greens and fine-cut turf included)
• Enhances the availability of non-structural carbohydrates enhancing health and resilience
• Regular applications at lower rates will result in a more durable surface
• Valuable pre-stress conditioning tool for bent greens against hot, stressful summers
• Early season applications can still accommodate spring renovations
• Effective growth and cost management tool that produces savings through reduced mowing time, clippings and machinery wear
• Versatility for use on turf farms, overseeding preparation, bunker edges and difficult-to-manage areas
• MAXX technology allows for excellent tank mix compatibility with fungicides and foliar fertilisers, often resulting in better performance from both as they are not removed as quickly through mowing

How does Primo MAXX II Turf Growth Regulator 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.

Primo Maxx II course conditioning from tee to green creates consistently better playing conditions demanded by today’s golfer. The number one factor players want from a fairway is the ball sitting proud. Primo Maxx II creates a denser more even sward cover for enhanced ball presentation and play.

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.

Primo Maxx II Turf Growth Regulator for Fairways and Roughs

On fairways and in play rough, the 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 so you have lower maintenance and repair bills and longer machinery working life to reduce capital expenditure
• Greater flexibility with mowing schedules
• Cleaner visual finish – with fewer clumps in wet conditions, better stripes and fewer seed heads

Primo Maxx II Turf Growth Regulator for 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

Primo Maxx II Turf Growth Regulator Delivers Enhanced 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.

Primo Maxx II Turf Growth Regulator Delivers 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.

Research has shown that Primo Maxx II applications increase the level of bioactive cytokinins within the plant – improving tolerance to heat and drought-induced stress. The presence of cytokinins in the plant has been shown to improve turf quality by delaying the degradation of chlorophyll caused by high temperatures and to alleviate leaf browning.

In trials under drought conditions, PRIMO MAXX® II enhanced the photochemical efficiency of turf by over 75%, compared to untreated turf. The relative water content of the grass leaves remained a healthy 20% higher than untreated 28 days after treatment.

Primo Maxx II is an important part of Integrated Turf Management programmes, creating turf conditions less conducive to disease, including:

• Reduced soft grass growth most susceptible to Microdochium (Fusarium) infection
• Raised cutting height reduces stress on the plant and associated risk of Anthracnose, without affecting turf quality and ball speed

Application Timing and Rate Variation for Primo MAXX II Turf Growth Regulator

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.

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.

• Greens: 0.2-0.6L/ha
• Fairways: 0.4-4L/ha
• Roughs and Semi-Roughs: 1-8L/ha

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.

Mixing and Compatibility of Primo MAXX II Turf Growth Regulator

Primo MAXX II is a micro emulsion concentrate (ME) with minimal odour as the product does not contain petroleum solvents. Primo MAXX II mixes completely with water and may be tank mixed with many commonly used fungicides and liquid fertilisers.

Primo MAXX II can be tank mixed with Heritage Maxx, Headway Maxx, Posterity, Instrata, Medallion, Subdue Maxx, Velista, Casper, Agador, Higran, Banner Maxx, Daconil Weather Stik and Monument Liquid.

Physical compatibility of mixtures is not a guarantee that a tank mix will be safe to turf (e.g. Primo MAXX II is compatible with broadleaf herbicides containing MCPA, 2, 4D or dicamba, but the tank mix can cause transient yellowing after application).