Turf Matters September October 2020

THE INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE For all sports turf professionals in golf, football, rugby, cricket, tennis, horse racing, independent schools, universities and local authorities

September-October 2020 | £4.95

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Cheltenham cheer

Getting back to work

LINE MARKING: FINDING THE SWEET SPOT

YEAR ROUND AERATION PROGRAMMES

POWER IN THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS

39 How to get it right

52 Keep on playing

46 Hand held tools in focus

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WELCOME

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iWelcome

Much to look forward to Don’t forget Sport…

I hope, like me, you are now edging towards something which resembles LBC – Life Covid.

TheBefore last two months have been a nightmare for many people in certain theconfined countrytoand heart goes out to everyone dealing Iparts have of been mymy office at home, conducting interviews bywith phone the aftermath of unprecedented and devastating erosion. and Zoom for the last four months orflooding so. Ironically, If I might say so myself, I case scenario for many is months For haveThe beenbest pretty prolific on Zoom during the time,ofastemporary they are soliving. much easier others, lives will never toin what to set up and conduct thanreturn jumping a carthey andwere. travelling around to country While of sports grounds and golf clubs might seem to catch up the withfate people. inconsequential in the of such hardship, we and at Turf Matters That said, I can’t wait to face get back on the road again I now do havehave a particular empathylined withup. everyone who has seen years of agronomic some “actual” meetings literally washedtoaway in the space of a few Ihusbandry feel like a kid in the run-up Christmas.

The thought ofweeks. walking around must be hoped thatCourse banks Manager – the financial institutions, not the a golfItcourse with a proud or standing on the edge of the things which edge overflown rivers – takeup anatunderstanding approach pitch at one of our amazing stadiums staring the stands is already to sporting facilities which have been unable to service loans as a getting me excited. result of them being and so unable to bring revenue.

But that said, while weunplayable are being dropped some crumbs of in normality, As we seen with Winter Olympics, sport hasthe such we can’t be have complacent.

Mythe wiferecent and I happened to be in Aberdeen daya galvanising effect on society and can be the catalyst for so much good, before it was locked down again. Everything seemed normal to us, but a that it is imperative sporting facilities are not forgotten when the couple of nights before, the virus had caught some pub revellers unawares – promised assistance is being allocated. including some Aberdeen footballers.

On the issue of improving sporting facilities, we have been And BTME won’t be happening next year. I think that we have known invited by Briggs & Stratton to become involved in its Pitch for some time that the writing has been on the wall, and BIGGA has taken to Win competition, which provides a £3,000 makeover for the only responsible action and cancelled. A stripped back outdoor event in what is judged to be the Under 18s football pitch in most the summer will help the more disappointment, and will everyone a needassuage – find out on pages 16-17.

I amgive on the judging chance to catch up, evenand if we are still distancing and behind masks. panel visits willsocially be made to a shortlist of deserving Looking positively, if wesoon. can get topbe oflooking the virus, 2021 could be pitches Weon will not so much at some the year. So many major sporting events; a spring SALTEX; a BIGGA event DESSO but the desperate! which requires a sun hat, and everyone awful nightmare On a final note, I ambursting thrilledto byput thean reception that the behind us. Hopefully will provide light at the end of Many the tunnel forhave us all. firstitissue of TurfaMatters received. people Now, how many sleeps until my first road trip? taken time to say how much they liked the look of the magazine and how they enjoyed the articles. We’re all pleased you found it to your liking and we will work hard to maintain the high standards. Thank you all very much.

Scott MacCallum, Editor

Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, independent schools, universities, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.

Editor: Scott MacCallum Distributed every two months to sports scott@turfmatters.co.uk turf professionals, local authorities Design andof Production Editor: Tim and buyers turfcare machinery andMoat tim@turfmatters.co.uk products.

Customer Relations Manager: Editor: Scott MacCallum Sinead Thacker scott@turfmatters.co.uk sinead@turfmatters.co.uk Design and Production Editor: Tim Moat Sales Executive: tim@turfmatters.co.uk Marie Anderson Sales Manager: Pauline Thompson marie@turfmatters.co.uk

To advertise in Turf Matters, call Pauline onin07720 055676 or To advertise Turf Matters, email pauline@turfmatters.co.uk call Sinead 07841 927500

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Turf Matters is published by Straight Down TurfMiddle Matters was awarded Best the Communications Ltd. Writing and Best Design in the 2019 Turf & Ornamental All material © TurfAssociation Matters magazine 2014.

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Information contained Turf Matters can accept no anyeffort error is published in responsibility good faith and for every or All its liability for loss, hasmisrepresentation. been made to ensure accuracy.

Turf disappointment, or other Matters can acceptnegligence no responsibility for any damage caused by reliance information error or misrepresentation.

Allon liability for loss, contained in Turfnegligence Matters ororinother the event of disappointment, damage caused by reliance information contained in any bankruptcy or on liquidation or cessation Turftrade Matters or incompany, the eventindividual of any bankruptcy of of any or firm or liquidation or of trade of any company, mentioned is cessation hereby excluded. individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded.

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Inside Inside this thisissue issue News..........................................................4-23 News .........................................................4-15 Tea Break Teaser.......................................14 Pitch to Win........................................16-17 Cheltenham College......................28-35 Mowing .................................19-22, 24-27 Line marking. ......................................39-43 Tea Break Teaser ......................................29 What is a virus?................................44-45 Gleneagles..........................................30-35 Hand review held tools. ...............................46-51 BTME ......................................36-41 Aeration.................................................52-58 Diary of a Golfing Nobody.................42 UTV/ATV.................................................62-63 As seen on Twitter..................................43 Buyers’ Guide.....................................68-69 Golfingout Nobody’s Blog..........................70 Check our website: Check out our website: www.turfmatters.co.uk

www.turfmatters.co.uk The majesty of Gleneagles, pages 30-35 Next magazine distributed 2 May WE HAVE THE POWER: Hand held tools, pages 46-51 Next magazine distributed November 2020 Subscribe FREE to our e-zine: Details at www.turfmatters.co.uk

Turf Matters | March-April 2014 Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020| 3 |3

NEWS

LOCKDOWN SPARKS NEW INTEREST IN LEARNING A lawncare company has used its experience from the lockdown to launch the GreenBest Academy.

Entering lockdown in March, they say, meant that for the vast majority of the population life hit pause. Suddenly, we found ourselves doing the DIY we had been putting off for years, and surveying our dry and patchy lawn with dismay – aware that we would be unlikely to be travelling further than Costa Del Back Garden on our holidays this year.

For some, this uncovered a new passion – swapping spreadsheets for spreaders, blue sky thinking for actual blue skies and fertile imaginations for fertilisers.

We don’t know what the ‘new normal’ will look like when we fully leave lockdown, and for some that in itself is motivation enough to leave the rat race to focus on the good life.

That’s where the idea for the GreenBest Academy came from – during the COVID lockdown we saw a marked increase in demand for our lawncare range, and more and more requests for product knowledge.

The GreenBest Academy will cater for everyone from the established lawn care operative to the new starter trying to establish a business.

This autumn, head back to school yourself – email caroline.stanley@greenbest. co.uk to register your interest.

BIGGA cancels BTME, its annual turf exhibition

Jim Croxton, BIGGA’s Chief Executive

BTME will not take place in January 2021 as anticipated, with an alternative ‘Festival of Turf’ planned for summer 2021.

BIGGA has cancelled the exhibition due to the ongoing uncertainty relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was taken following consultation with members of the Association and regular dialogue with representatives of the Harrogate Convention Centre and other major stakeholders.

It was agreed the hosting of a gathering of turf professionals from across the globe would create an unacceptable risk of infection.

The education programme, Continue to Learn, is held alongside BTME each year and will still take place during January 2021, albeit as an online event and with an altered timetable designed to reflect the new digital platform.

The announcement of an alternative event in summer 2021 will enable BIGGA to explore options for hosting the event outdoors, which current understanding of the infectious disease indicates will make for a safe event and will allow improved social distancing measures to be implemented.

The Harrogate Convention Centre, home to BTME since its inauguration in 1989, has been utilised as an NHS Nightingale hospital since the

Harrogate Convention Centre, home to BTME, is currently an NHS Nightingale hospital

peak of the outbreak in April.

However, the alteration of dates will require a new venue to be found and discussions are underway with potential event hosts.

It is anticipated that BTME will return to the Harrogate Convention Centre in January 2022.

“The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves across our industry and BIGGA members have worked admirably in difficult circumstances to enable the continuing success of the facilities they maintain,” said BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton.

“The work they are doing in a safe and socially-distanced manner is admirable and has undoubtedly led to an increased confidence in golf as a safe pastime during these uncertain times.

“BIGGA considers it important to host an annual

event and BTME plays a vital role in the calendar year for the turf industry.”

BIGGA Head of Member Development, Sami Strutt, is responsible for the organisation of Continue to Learn.

“Although the association will have no physical presence in Harrogate during January, we will be hosting Continue to Learn as a digital event and I’m certain the spirit of Harrogate week will be as strong as ever before,” she said.

“We are in the process of building what will be an incredible series of online learning that will enable BIGGA members to continue their professional development, wherever in the world they may be.” n Watch Jim Croxton’s video interview with Turf Matters Editor Scott MacCallum on the Turf Matters digital platforms.

Forum calls for the Amenity Standard to become a requirement Since its launch at the start of the year, the Amenity Standard has been welcomed by all sides of both the amenity sector and policy makers. The Forum is now calling on governments to introduce this as a requirement 4 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

for everyone operating in the management of weeds, pests and diseases in amenity areas.

“The establishment of the Standard is seen very much as a game changing moment for the sector,” said Professor John

Moverley, Independent Chairman of the Forum.

The Standard has received the backing of all national governments in the UK. The Forum is holding its annual conference on October 15 where the

theme will be ‘’Planning for the Future’’ The event will be presented online. The delegate rate is £50. For further information on how to book or for more detail, contact admin@ amenityforum.net

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Etesia Buffalo is greener solution Etesia UK has reported a huge uptake in its Buffalo ride-on mowers, a range that offers an eco-friendly alternative to its diesel-powered counterparts.

It is common knowledge that grounds maintenance professionals are increasingly exploring more environmentally friendly methods of working. This particularly rings true in city centres or in highly populated areas where diesel powered products are beginning to be outlawed.

The obvious solution is to switch to zero-emission battery-powered equipment.

Battery technology has significantly evolved with advancements constantly being made in the sector and is now widely recognised as the smarter way to power

through most landscaping tasks, such as mowing, hedge-cutting or leaf-blowing.

However, where it currently falls short is when it comes to larger machines such as ride-on mowers.

“Who knows what the future holds, but, quite simply, the fact is that there is not currently a battery-powered machine on the market which is capable of equalling the performance of a professional petrol-powered ride-on mower,” says Etesia UK Managing Director Les Malin.

“When you take into consideration the widespread demonising of diesel and the lack of professional battery powered ride-on mowers then there are unfortunately few solutions.”

It is for these reasons that

Etesia UK has reported a record-breaking growth in sales for its range of Buffalo ride-on mowers – which are the only commercial, petrol powered ride-on machines available in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive.

The models are fitted

with catalytic converters as standard and are renowned for their low levels of noise and smooth operation. A vast range of accessories are available providing the operator with the ability to mulch, plough snow and much more.

www. etesia.co.uk

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 5

NEWS

Barenbrug at the Queen’s Club Graham Kimpton, Grounds Manager at the Queen’s Club

Grass seed runs through the blood of the Barenbrug family, since the company was founded in 1904 by Joseph Barenbrug and overseen today by his great grandsons, Bastiaan and Frank Barenbrug.

Similarly, groundsmanship runs in the blood of the Kimpton family. Graham Kimpton is Grounds Manager at the Queen’s Club in London, where he took over the reins in 2010 from his father, David Kimpton.

For over 15 years, the choice of grass seed for the courts at Queen’s has been Barenbrug.

Graham’s family association with groundsmanship is impressive. His uncle Peter worked at the nearby

“It is an all-round outstanding variety for close mown turf which complements our existing varieties, Barsignum and Barolympic, very well.”

6 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

Hurlingham Club for 50 years, his father worked at Queen’s for 43 years and his cousin Adam Tester is Grounds Manager at The University of Leicester.

With Graham’s eldest son, Sam, now working at Queen’s, he becomes the third generation of the Kimpton family to tend to the famous West London grass courts.

As well as managing 12 grass courts, Graham and his team also manage 15 other outdoor courts alongside all the gardens and hedges on the site. By Graham’s admission, even with seven full time staff they are never short of things to do when it comes to maintaining the high standards of the club.

Barenbrug grass seed was the originally the choice of Graham’s father, David.

But since taking the helm Graham has continued this partnership through his supplier, Paul Buxton of Collier Turf Care and with Barenbrug through Luke Hunt and Dr David Greenshields.

What sets Queen’s apart from most other grass courts is that they are composed of and oversown with a blend of Bent, Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass. Grass court tennis is now predominantly played on 100% Perennial Ryegrass surfaces and in some cases subject to a full annual renovation and re-sowing.

Graham’s father, David, was an early adopter of ‘dwarf’ varieties of Perennial Ryegrass and was quick to recognise the benefit of the significant gains in wear tolerance the specie brings over Bent and Fescue.

The courts at The Queen’s Club are oversown twice per year, with two different mixtures; Spring mixture – Barenbrug Ultrafine 50% Perennial Ryegrass – Barolympic 20% Perennial Ryegrass – Barsignum 30% Perennial Ryegrass – Eventus Autumn mixture – Queen’s Special Mix 25% Perennial Ryegrass – Barolympic 25% Perennial Ryegrass – Barsignum 22.5% Slender Creeping Red Fescue - Viktorka 22.5% Chewing’s Fescue – Barlineus 5% Browntop Bent – Charles In his time at The Queen’s Club Graham says there has been many advancements that have contributed to improving the standards of the surfaces. Improvements in machinery, particularly aeration and scarification equipment, as well as developments in grass

breeding from Barenbrug.

“We have used Barenbrug for over 15 years. I feel they offer the best out there, they give me good service and are always pushing the boundaries to create improved varieties”, said Graham.

2020 will see a first in Graham’s time at Queen’s, with one of the blocks of courts receiving a full surface renovation, relevelling and re-sowing from scratch. Graham intends to maintain the consistency and will use a bespoke blend to replicate the existing courts as close as possible Looking to the future, Graham plans to incorporate Barenbrug’s latest variety of ryegrass, Barprium, into the courts.

Regional Manager for Barenbrug, Luke Hunt, said that having watched Barprium come through the breeding programme and various European trials, they were excited to see it become available to the UK market.

“It is an all-round outstanding variety for close mown turf which complements our existing varieties, Barsignum and Barolympic, very well. Barprium has many properties that make it an elite variety, we are certain it will be a high demand variety for years to come.”

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Dennis PRO 34R a real time saver Michael Watson, Turf Manager at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, in Dunedin, New Zealand, claims that his two recently purchased Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers are saving the grounds team four hours of maintenance work compared to the previous mowers they were using.

The Forsyth Barr Stadium is the country’s largest and most versatile arena and Michael oversees the maintenance of the pitch.

Since the stadium’s opened in 2011, the number of events taking place on the pitch has rapidly increased. With an old set of rotary mowers, Michael felt that it was time to invest in something new to keep the turf clean and healthy and to help combat such heavy usage.

“We used to have two small rotary mowers, but they took such a long time as they were small and slow,” he said.

“The machines didn’t pick

up much debris either and perhaps worst of all they did not have a roller on them.

“I felt that we needed something bigger which would pick up debris more effectively after training and certain events while maintaining a visually appealing field.”

With this in mind Michael began his research and was recommended the Dennis PRO 34R by Power-Turf – a Dennis and SISIS dealer in New Zealand. It immediately caught Michael’s attention.

“I know that Dennis supplies some of the world’s best turf maintenance machinery for many different sports and maintenance tasks. I had also seen the Dennis G860 cylinder mower in action, so I was keen to find out more.”

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing

surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

“The time saving efficiency was a huge part of the decision to get these mowers. They cut mowing hours down from seven individual hours to between two and a half and three hours so we therefore now save about 4 individual hours when using these mowers.

“Everything just works so well together on the PRO 34R. Starting at the front with the brush, through to the two rotary blades and the smooth rear roller.

“With the huge amount and wide range of events experienced on the Forsyth Barr Stadium field, having a machine to pick up debris quickly and effectively while maintaining a visually appealing pitch was crucial. Due to the busy events calendar with sports training sessions/events most weeks

throughout the year and televised games from February until October, keeping the pitch clean from organic material with this machinery is a significant bonus.

“The ability to use them on game days shows how good these mowers are, considering the cut is from a rotary blade instead of your typical cylinder cut. The roller on the back also leaves a nice visual appearance on the turf.”

www. dennisuk.com

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 7

NEWS

Agreement expands Aquatrols offering Aquatrols and Redox Turf announced a global exclusive strategic agreement in January which made Aquatrols the sole distributor of Redox’s premier turf products.

This expands the Aquatrols offering, with a range of highly effective, differentiated nutritional products that are complementary to the existing wetting agent line.

“Soil moisture management and soil nutrition are

intrinsically linked, so joining forces with the most trusted brands in the wetting agent space is a move that seemed natural for our business,” explained Redox CEO, Darin Moon.

“We are eager to be able to offer turf customers easy access to our products

through Aquatrols who will provide global support through their sales and technical team.”

Currently in his third year as Aquatrols’ President and CEO, Matthew Foster, said that this agreement was one which would strategically help Aquatrols continue

to expand their presence in the global golf market.

“This agreement gives us the ability to offer turf managers the nutritional components of a maintenance programme from a trusted brand within the industry, in conjunction with our current water management products “By bringing our areas of expertise together, we will be able to better serve our customers in a way that is more holistic for their course.”

MM seed is first-class at Oxford University Jon Buddington, Grounds Manager at Oxford University, has reported excellent results from using a range of Limagrain’s MM grass seed.

Academic success aside, the University has produced 120 Olympic medal winners and is currently ranked among the top British universities for sport thanks to coaching and student commitment.

Oxford University Sport manages the University sports facilities at Iffley Road Sports Centre and the sports pitches within University Parks and on Marston Road. The man tasked with maintaining these wonderful facilities, which consists of 24 hectares of grass surfaces, is Jon Buddington, who has been the University’s Grounds Manager for two years.

As a frequent user of Limagrain seed throughout his 30-year career history, Jon was not surprised to see Limagrain’s MM50 seed performing well on a newly constructed cricket square upon the start of his tenure at the University.

8 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

“The new cricket square was overseeded with MM50 and because of the great results we continued to use it,” he said.

“Now we overseed with MM50 at the end of the cricket season and put a bit on pre-season just before we start rolling.

“We find that we get incredible results by overseeding with MM50 in the early spring when the surface is still damp, just before we start any heavy maintenance. It has been a very good seed for us especially for cricket - the MM50 has very good wear tolerance and we hardly ever get any debris.”

As Jon explained, MM50

- a blend of fine-leaved ryegrasses - is ideal for cricket squares and outfields.

This hard-wearing mix has rapid germination, very fine leaved appearance, high shoot density and is tolerant to very close mowing, along with high disease resistance.

All these attributes together produce a fantastic sward that has great colour all year round. It is also widely praised for its rapid recovery.

In the early stages of his new position at Oxford, Jon’s attentions soon turned towards the winter pitches.

After consultation with supplier, MW Turfcare, he was advised to try Limagrain’s MM60 seed on the rugby and football pitches.

This 100% ryegrass formula is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface.

It is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD®.

“We renovate and overseed with MM60 at the end of the rugby and football seasons which all depends on fixtures which can be often drawn out depending on the weather and internal college games.

Generally, we tend to apply MM60 to these pitches at the end of May and we get very good germination.”

In terms of applying MM seed, Jon admits to veering away from recommended rates.

“For me, it’s all about feel and visual. We don’t go by religious sowing rates or anything like that. In my opinion it is about getting as much grass in there as you can especially when you are taking it out and raking it and preparing cricket pitches.” www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

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ICL’s new multi-surface cleaner is effective against 99.9% of bacteria ICL has announced the launch of CleanShield, an alcohol-free, multi-surface cleaner which has been independently proven to be effective against 99.9% of bacteria, spores, viruses and fungi.

The most common way that microorganisms, particularly bacteria, are spread and cause infection is on hard surfaces and carried on people’s hands.

Preventing infection and managing the spread of germs from hands and surfaces is therefore important in all environments.

CleanShield is designed to bring broad spectrum pathogen protection and biological cleanliness to large areas in an instant. This sanitising solution has been independently proven to be effective against a wide variety of germs including Norovirus, Ebola, MERS, Swine Flu, Covid-19 and many more.

The alcohol-free, ready to use, no water formulation can be mopped, sprayed or wiped onto floors, walls, surfaces and equipment providing easy instant germ protection to any environment where the transfer of germs is a concern.

CleanShield is also safe to use on water

safe surfaces.

CleanShield has many advantages over alcohol-based products: • Alcohol hand gels and surface wipes do not kill spores or non-enveloped viruses.

• Alcohol hand gels and surface wipes often contain in excess of 70% alcohol which can dry the skin causing hands to crack and bleed. With no alcohol content, CleanShield will not irritate the skin.

• CleanShield is proven effective for up to 45 minutes on hands and three days on surfaces after its application.

Alcohol surface wipes have no residual protection.

• CleanShield is non-flammable.

It is available in 12 x 1 litre bottles and 4 x 5 litre bottles. www.icl-sf.co.uk

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 9

NEWS

New Kasco J Series fountains launched KAR UK has announced that the new and improved J Series fountains by Kasco are now available.

Kasco J Series fountains are said to be a perfect focal point in any pond or lake.

From the 30 ft high attentiondemanding Redwood patterns, to the two-tiered Linden patterns, each nozzle offers its own visual appeal. Designed with both beauty and function in mind, the fountains can improve overall water quality by increasing oxygen transfer.

The team of Kasco engineers have been busy using state-ofthe-art software to re-design all 2HP models and above in the J Series fountains – resulting in easier assembly and higher performance.

10 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

The re-designed J Series fountains also include: • 1-piece float – easier to assemble and install • New twist-and-lock nozzle design • New patterns deliver cleaner, crisper more beautiful displays • New bottom screen design decreases risk of clogging and easier to install • Improved overall performance with no additional amp draw All J Series Fountains come with multiple nozzles included in the price and can be paired with an optional light kit. Kasco products are distributed in the UK by KAR UK. www.karuk.com

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SALTEX 2021 integral to recovery of the industry SALTEX and Events Director, Luke Perry, believes that SALTEX 2021 will provide a huge opportunity for the grounds management industry to regroup, reunite and celebrate.

Luke Perry was appointed SALTEX and Events Director by the GMA just six weeks before the 2019 event.

“I was blown away by the exhibition. I’ve been involved with so many trade events and I have never seen such an opening to a show,” said Luke.

“Before the doors had opened the queue was stretching down to the NEC atrium and it really hit home just how passionate people are about SALTEX. It was inspiring.”

Luke’s words are high praise indeed from someone who has worked on some of the UK’s most

prestigious exhibitions. He has been immersed in the events industry for over 20 years and has worked across a diverse portfolio of shows which include the likes of BBC Countryfile Live, The British International Motor Show, Autosport International and several specialist events in the hospitality industry.

Enthused by his first taste of SALTEX, Luke was straight to work on preparations for the show’s 75th anniversary, spearheading the team of organisers in co-ordinating the strategy and making sure the event delivers on all fronts.

“Putting on a two-day show is an enormous amount of work - it really is a 365-day project, but I wouldn’t have been in the events industry for so long if I didn’t love what I do,” he said.

Luke is looking forward to making his mark on SALTEX’s 75th anniversary but will have to wait a little longer than originally planned, following the announcement that the show has been postponed from November 2020 to Spring 2021.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but absolutely the correct one. I think the

feedback and support from the industry certainly is testament to this.

“We’ve had a fantastic response from exhibitors with many claiming that it will provide them with enough time to recover and plan effectively. In fact, many have suggested that Spring is actually a better time of year and that echoes the same feedback we have had from visitors. With such an unprecedented year ahead, we’re planning more than ever behind the scenes to make sure it hits the right mark.”

Luke candidly admits that show preparations are somewhat different to the usual event planning he is accustomed to. Naturally, there is still uncertainty and questions arising as to how large gatherings and exhibitions will be delivered.

“The honest answer is that we do not have all the answers yet, but we do have time on our side,” he said.

“Our main priority is to put the safety of everyone connected with SALTEX above all else – and this is one of the reasons why the show was postponed.

“Nonetheless, we are working around the clock and planning for every eventuality.

Part of this planning involves ensuring that we can deliver a show in which people can assemble and interact with

a real awareness of the need to maintain safe practices.

“Should guidelines or restrictions still be necessary in March, we are working hard to ensure the show remains a brilliant and valuable experience for exhibitors and visitors. All we can do is take it stepby-step and ensure that we are prepared for each part of the journey.”

SALTEX 2019 saw a record-breaking attendance of 9,104. The show also received a huge number of first-time attendees, an increase in younger visitors and the international audience grew significantly.

“I think we’ve got a great standing; a great pedigree and a history of success.

Britain is a global leader in grounds management – SALTEX reflects that and has the opportunity to be the biggest and best in the world.

“As the GMA is a member organisation we’ve spent a lot of time listening to the industry and, in response, have quickly developed and issued essential Covid-19 resources. After this difficult period, I believe that SALTEX will play an integral role to helping the industry network, collaborate and continue to support one another more than ever before.”

SALTEX will take place on 3 and 4 March 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham.

www. gmasaltex. co.uk

Should restrictions still be necessary in March, we are working hard to ensure the show remains a brilliant and valuable experience – LUKE PERRY Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 11

NEWS

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NEWS

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FR Sharrock to distribute Spearhead F. R. Sharrock have signed a partnership agreement with Spearhead Machinery which will see the rapidly expanding dealer take responsibility for the distribution of Spearhead’s Amenity range of products in the North & Midlands of the UK. Commenting on the partnership, James Sharrock, Managing Director, said that they had been considering options for their amenity flail and rotary mowers for the last couple of seasons as requirements from

the market have changed.

“We wanted a manufacturer who was incredibly capable and prepared to work with us on development.

Spearhead have long been known for over-engineered, high-quality products and with their recent commitment to this sector we are confident that they will exceed our customers expectations in our new wide area flail and rotary mowers.”

Speaking after the signing of the agreement, Antony Prince,

Director of Sales & Marketing, said that Spearhead were committed to becoming the first choice for the enduser in the amenity sector – and the appointment of Sharrocks is a logical step in achieving this ambition.

“Their commitment to outstanding customer service and unrivalled product support reflects our own values and their continual investment into infrastructure and staff to meet customers’ increasing demands is a sure sign of success.”

GreenMech’s EVO series is proud to be market-driven “We listened, we worked and we made it awesome” – that was the mantra of GreenMech when they launched their EVO series at the 2019 Arb Show.

Now, they’ve made it lighter.

Offering all of the proven performance in a sub-750kg package, the EVO 165P SUB-750 is the latest launch in the woodchipper collection.

The brand-new EVO 165P SUB-750 retains many of the key features of the series, including a wide infeed chute, twin horizontal rollers, all-steel bonnet and heavyduty flywheel combined with the powerful, yet economic 37hp Briggs

& Stratton Vanguard petrol engine.

To bring the machine into the sub-750kg bracket, the 165P SUB750 features a redesigned chassis – rigorously tested to ensure durability – and alterations to its construction

and specification, without detriment to its overall performance.

“From the off, the EVO collection was very much driven by what the market demands and this is again the case with the sub 750kg EVO 165P SUB-750,” said Sales Director, Martin Lucas.

“The EVO has really established itself as providing more aggressive torque, bite and throughput than most other machines in its category and by incorporating this performance in a lighter weight package, we can meet the requirements of even more of today’s arborists.” www.greenmech.co.uk

‘Reborn’ Royal Norwich invests in Club Car Royal Norwich Golf Club – the first royal club in history to relocate – has invested in a new state-ofthe-art fleet from Club Car. More than a simple relocation, the club instituted a new business model which has inspired an on-site microbrewery, micro-bakery and, soon to come, beehives for honey production, nature trails, all for a more familycentric approach across the business.

The venue’s new fleet of 24 electric golf cars are powered by lithium ion battery technology and have also been customised with a bespoke

factory-order colour, stylish alloy wheels, upgraded premium comfort seats, as well as useful features such as USB phone chargers.

“We are aiming high. We want to create the ultimate customer experience at the reborn Royal Norwich,” said Phil Grice, General Manager and Director.

“So while we have been a happy Club Car customer for 15 years, we took the opportunity to analyse the competition and weigh up a number of factors before making our decision to renew.

“Club Car simply come out on top.

In terms of style, comfort, features and reliability – we felt they would provide the kind of on-course experience we are looking to deliver.” www.clubcar.com Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 13

TEA BREAK TEASER

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Tea Break Teaser HHHHHHHHHH

Schools are back – but what do you know about some of the more famous ones?

HHHHHHHHH

1. Which Scottish school did former Prime Minister Tony Blair attend?

2. Harrow school invented a sport which is popular to this day. What is it?

3. Blackrock College in Ireland boasts an old boy who not only was he the front man in a band but he also a prominent political activist. Who is he?

4. Which school did Prince Charles attend?

5. What are the main ingredients of the dessert devised at Eton College – Eton Mess?

6. What was the name of the pupil who picked up the ball and ran with it at Rugby School, thus inventing Rugby Union?

7. Which school did the fictional schoolboy Billy Bunter attend?

8. Which London school boasts, among others, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Peter Ustinov, Shane MacGowan, Louis Theroux, Nick Clegg, Helena Bonham Carter, Kim Philby and Andrew Lloyd Webber among their Old Boys and Girls?

9. In which decade was the first St Trinian’s film produced?

10. Which Somerset School is well know for the quality of its sporting programme and includes among its alumni current Formula 1 star Lando Norris?

11. Name the four houses at Hogwarts.

12. Radley College, in Oxford, was where this knighted English cricket captain received his education. Can you name him?

13. his school shares a name with one of the leading machinery companies within our industry.

14. All-girls school, Benenden, saw a famous new pupil enrol in 1963. Can you name her?

15. How many fee paying schools are there in the UK – over 1,500, over 2,500 or over 3,500?

Answers on page 69

14 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

NEWS

‘Flawless’ new pitch installation

by FLexGrass Swiss company FLexGrass was responsible for the stitching of a new hybrid pitch at Prenton Park, the home of Tranmere Rovers.

The project was a successful collaboration of a number of people and companies.

The club – and specifically the in-house team of Aaron Argomandkhah, Liam Cash and Tim Roberts – had been working on solutions to the pitch since the turn of the year.

In March, they took the decision to undergo a complete refurbishment and the pitch was ripped up.

FLexGrass’ UK partner John Mallinson, one of the top contractors in the country, managed to complete the usual five week construction build in just two weeks.

“The work carried out has been a huge success,” said Liam, Head Groundsman. “We went through some major issues last winter and as a club we did a lot of due diligence with regards to what work we wanted to be carried out. John Mallinson and his team did a fantastic job.

“We have had a new main drainage system installed at five metre centres and is backed up with a gravel carpet. Our irrigation was installed by Irrigation Control, who produced some great work at difficult times and have provided me with an all-new system with

both WiFi and remote controls.

We have eight infield sprinklers and 16 perimeters. We had a mini grow in period of four weeks post seeding to further secure the pitch ahead of stitching,” he said.

“FLexGrass, in conjunction with SISGRASS, stitched the pitch and were finished in five and a half days with one machine. They provided a fantastic product and a flawless installation. All in all we were match-ready after nine weeks from the first dig.

“Since then maintenance has been ticking along and we have been trying to maintain a strong, healthy root system ready for the new season. It has been a very successful project and we now have a pitch that can accommodate its use.”

After the construction process and the seeding FLexGrass came in with a Vertix new generation stitching machine and in six days the stitching of the hybrid surface had been accomplished.

Soon the surface will be used by Tranmere Rovers and FC Liverpool women team.

The pitch now has double the previous amount of primary drainage. A complete covering with a gravel carpet base which makes it very permeable. There are now 24 sprinklers, double the previous number, while it has a quad-drop system which feeds the grass every time it is watered.

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 15

NEWS

Grass tennis court magic is no illusion

Hey presto: Magician and volunteer groundsman George Hobson

A renovation from Campey Turf Care Systems – inspired by a professional illusionist – has brought a touch of magic to two grass tennis courts.

The courts at Sutton Upon Derwent Tennis Club have been a feature since French airmen originally founded it in the 1940s. They are now the only two grass surfaces in the York Tennis League – one of the biggest in the UK.

While the condition of the courts has always been at a usable standard, volunteer groundsman, George Hobson, saw the potential in them.

George had no experience of turf maintenance when he started two seasons ago, but along with his work as a magician – he has performed for the Aston Martin Racing Team at Le Mans – he has made significant progress with the courts.

“I first met Ben Taylor from Campey at Wimbledon’s Grass Court Seminar in August last year, and they had the machinery on the courts there which looked amazing,” said George. “After meeting Ben, I asked him if he knew of anyone who had a Koro in our area. Campey said they would do a renovation demo day on the tennis courts, so that’s how it started.

“The tennis courts at the club have never really had a renovation so the thatch was like a sponge. The quality of the courts wasn’t there because of that, but the Koro did the job we needed to take the thatch away.

“The courts are fantastic now, and they’ve held up well to the use they’ve had, which is now over 200 hours. We usually have 100 members at the club and from those that have played on them we’ve had loads of positive responses.

“I selected a new grass seed that was a 100% ryegrass. There’s a lot of wear on the courts, so I hoped this would allow them to stay at their prime for longer. The use of the Vredo seeder and Uni-Scratch prepared the seedbed perfectly to allow for very high germination rates.

“There’s always something new I’m learning and discovering which is really helping to expand my knowledge further.

“Doing the renovation and the results of it has attracted a few more members in which is good. The grass courts are in a really prominent position in the village so there’s a lot of traffic going past them and seeing them in such good condition has attracted some of those new members.”

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‘Game changer’ at La Grande Mare

Maintaining different soil types The 14 hectares of natural sports surfaces at Dauntsey’s School, in Devizes, are a tale of two halves. The main playing fields are located on a natural greensand belt, creating an acidic soil profile with a pH level below six.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the site is on a relatively heavy clay loam with pH levels above seven. Trying to level the field is Head Groundsman Dale Gleed who, together with Headland Amenity, has formulated a programme to optimise plant health and unlock the potential for better growth.

When Dale joined the school in October 2017, it quickly became evident that the sports facilities were formed on two different soil types, but this was further highlighted during the drought of summer 2018. “This illustrated the stark contrast in growing conditions with the greensand side supporting strong, but not sustained, growth and the other areas which were very hard and dry, were virtually dead” he explained.

“Adi Masters, of Headland Amenity, conducted some soil analysis and we constructed a programme around raising pH levels on the greensand areas to better support the establishment

and growth of ryegrass.”

Dale has been applying CalciComplex organic soil amendment twice a year, once in the spring and again in the autumn. Through the inclusion of dolomitic limestone, CalciComplex can gently raise soil pH and provide additional nutrients in acidic profiles. “We used CalciComplex on around 4.5 hectares of the turf and with regular testing we have begun to see an incremental increase in the pH level. This, in turn, is unlocking further nutrients in the soil to increase the viability of Ryegrass in the surface which is hugely important to cope with the wear demands of the winter sports they host.”

“On the other areas we’ve been using Multigreen, either the 15-0-22 or 28-3-15 formulations, again applied in the spring and autumn. The great thing with this is, because it has a ‘temperature-only’ controlled release, we can apply it as early as the February half term and not have to be restricted to tight application windows around school fixtures because that’s when the conditions allow.

This has delivered fantastic improvements in the plant strength, sward density

and overall appearance of some of the pitches – particularly our cricket outfields.”

“For other areas of our maintenance programme to work, particularly overseeding, getting the soil profiles right is crucial.

It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get the pH levels to balance but with Headland’s support, the right products and regular analysis we know we’re going in the right direction and are beginning to reap the rewards of that,” concluded Dale.

Multigreen at Dauntsey’s School

18 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

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NEWS

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Renewed fleet starts to make an impact Whitecraigs Golf Club on Glasgow’s south side has renewed its fleet of Jacobsen machines with dealer Fairways GM. Six new machines will help maintain their main 18 hole and nine hole Par 3 courses.

Delivered to the club were two LF570 lightweight large area reel mowers, an Eclipse 322 greens mower, two GP 400 greens mowers and a TR 330 tight area mower.

Peter Hall, Course Manager, said: “We had a good look around elsewhere before we made what I think are some sound choices. It’s ’like for like’ with everything improved.

Everyone was comfortable with

what we had so we are just going that step further. We’ve also got a maintenance contract which is peace of mind and guarantees everything to be in top working order. It’s a good deal for my team and for the club.”

“The two GP400s for example are three wheel drive, as opposed to the two wheel drive machines they replaced. They climb steep bankings effortlessly, even in wet conditions.

The TR 330 with cutting units that move side to side allows us to alter wheel tracks around bunkers each time we cut. This enables us to spread the wear and keeps the turf healthier.”

“The whole package was delivered

shortly after lockdown ended so it’s great to see Peter and his team enjoying their new machines as much.

We pride ourselves on good service so their contract means we absolutely go the extra mile to keep everything running smoothl,” said Fairways GM’s Regional Sales Manager, Rob Hogarth.

“At demo the TR 330 impressed.

Its technology allows operators to effortlessly shift all three cutting reels to either side of the machine, creating up to 45 cm of offset. Bunkers and other hazards can be trimmed while keeping the mower away from the edges.

You can see already the difference the TR 330 is starting to make.”

The new Jacobsen machines at Whitecraigs Golf Club

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 19

NEWS

Fertiliser from waste water: Is this the future?

ICL has been collaborating with Bangor University on a unique research project which is exploring soil-plant interactions and fertiliser impact for turfgrass. The results may well revolutionise the use of fertilisers and encourage sustainable innovation.

The research is being conducted

by Anna Ray (pictured below), who is working on her Masters by Research (MRes) and Dr Professor Davey Jones, from Bangor University.

A key focus for the research is struvite: a slow-release, sustainable fertiliser that is extracted from wastewater and Dr Professor Davey Jones believes it could well be the future. “We grow food, people eat it, we excrete waste, and we extract the nutrients from that. Recycling on this level is revolutionary,” he said.

Anna is in her first year of the research project and has already reported some positive results – most notably after a seven day fertiliser and microbial interaction assessment.

“The trial focused on the microbial activity in the soil and the impact of different fertilisers on it. Microbial communities are a key biological indicator for the soil and plant health, and the impact of fertiliser applications on this community is under-assessed.

The work demonstrated that microbial communities can be impacted but they are resilient and recover relatively quickly. Struvite had a similar effect to our control (water) throughout the experiment suggesting it is environmentally friendly. A promising result,” explained Anna.

With the human population and food production rising, using fertilisers is inevitable, but through careful product selection and accurate

‘It is important to develop sustainable fertilisers, with a minimal environmental impact’ 20 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

application, use of fertilisers can be improved and become more efficient.

“It is important to develop sustainable fertilisers, with a minimal environmental impact,” said. “Anna’s research will give us a better understanding of how fertilisers impact soil-plant interactions,” said Professor Jones Anna’s research was funded by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship, which is how she was connected to industry partner ICL. The collaboration with ICL gives Anna the opportunity to instantly present her ideas and results to the industry.

“When we are allowed to travel again, I will visit ICL to learn about the industry and present my research,” said Anna.

“With ICL we discussed the objectives for both parties. It’s a partnership of designing experiments and I think it is important for academics to keep in touch with the industry and its needs.”

Professor Jones was also quick to praise the importance of the collaboration between academia and industry.

“The industry brings an economical and practical aspect to our research.

We could engineer perfect fertilisers, but economically it will probably not work on mass scale. Researchers could gain knowledge that might take another 30 or 40 years before it is of commercial use.

“This union between academia and industry makes our research instantly valuable and it works perfectly for an urgent market need such as more sustainable fertiliser solutions.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Andy Owen, ICL International Technical Manager, explained that ICL utilised struvite from a company called Ostara as part of the Sierrablen Plus

Pearl product range.

“We know this recycled product is a sustainable option that also provides real turfgrass benefits.

We’re committed to develop products that perform, so we are keen to understand the fertiliserplant interaction in more detail.

“The collaboration with Bangor University allows us to explore the science further and ensures we can be clear in our marketing and communication with our customers.”

In looking further ahead, Professor Jones hopes to continue the research to new and more sustainable fertiliser products and critically evaluate them against conventional products.

“There is so much more to discover. For instance, we still don’t entirely understand how roots and fertilisers interact and why some fertilisers suppress root growth while others promote it. An answer to these questions will bring us closer to the perfect fertiliser.”

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Charterhouse’s Speed-Seed ‘one of the most accurate seeders’ there is Launched in 2019, the new Redexim Speed-Seed from Charterhouse Turf Machinery offers a lot more than just a new livery. Its remodelled variable seed rate calibration system makes the Speed-Seed one of the most accurate seeders available – ideal for overseeding large or small areas, quickly and with ease.

The popular range of dimple seeders has been extended to feature four width options - 1.1m, 1.5m, 2m and 2.3m. It utilises a spiked sarel roller, to create 990 holes per m2, and a rear brush which sweeps the delivered seed into the mass of holes down to depths of up to 20mm, leaving a groomed finish in its wake. An optional second spiked roller can be equipped to double the number of pockets created.

In addition to the new sizes and the new styling of the machine, the key introduction is a new seed calibration

system. The metering sections make ratio adjustments simple and accurate, while a new mixing bar and individual seeding elements ensure good, even distribution and less wastage – even when sowing small bent grass seed.

The seed system is fed by a tray with a maximum capacity of up to 337 litres (in the 2.3m width variant), and all four models offer a seeding speed of 7.5mph.

One of the first venues to take delivery of the new Speed-Seed was Boat of Garten Golf Club in the Scottish Highlands. The SpeedSeed 1100 was very quickly put to use by Head Greenkeeper Michael Mann, after its delivery in July 2019, to recover some drought damaged fairways. “We had looked at three or four different makes and models, but the compact size of the Speed-Seed 1100 meant it could closely follow the contours and challenging terrain we

have to work with across the site.

“The set-up and controls of the machine are all nice and userfriendly, and it’s accurate seed calibration system is easy to operate and adjust. It’s a very clean machine, that leaves minimal surface disruption and hardly anything to tidy up in its wake,” said Michael.

Speed-Seed: A ‘very clean machine’

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 21

NEWS

Spotlight on Martyn Parrish from Agrovista Amenity

‘You have to change the way you think and the way you approach your job’ P

rior to the launch of Agrovista Amenity, Martyn Parrish was a Technical Area Sales Manager for Maxwell Amenity. He had been in the role for two years before the acquisition.

“We’ve become one of the largest companies in the sector and are able to support the industry and create something very special,” he said.

“Merging two companies of that size is no easy task but I have been extremely impressed with the work that has been done. I feel proud to be working for this company.”

Martyn has spent most of his career in greenkeeping having started working at his local golf club at the age of 16. During his time as a greenkeeper, he completed his foundation degree in Sportsturf Management at Myerscough College and participated in the Ohio State Programme on a 12-month internship during which he worked on a Jack Nicklaus course construction and a grow-in in Texas – something which he pinpoints as a career highlight.

Before moving to Agrovista Amenity, Martyn was tempted away from golf for six years working as a Grounds Manager on a landscape

we have some amazing people in this industry that are creative and exceptionally good at overcoming problems 22 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

construction project of a 400 acre site in Henley on Thames.

He admits that moving into sales was a transition which took some time adjusting to. However, in the past three years Martyn has built up an impressive portfolio of clients and now looks after an area spanning from Berkshire across to Essex and up to Northampton.

“The commercial side of the industry was completely new to me. I have some great colleagues that helped me a lot during my early days. With my background, I felt most comfortable in the golf sector to start with, however I was very conscious to get in there and experience all parts of the sportsturf and amenity industry. Sometimes you can get locked behind your own gate and you only see what is behind it.

“I quickly learnt not to be afraid of my weaknesses – the more you talk, the more you interact with people and the more you immerse yourself in education – the more you will learn about the parts of the industry that you didn’t know as well.

“I now have at least one customer that covers every area in sportsturf and amenity and can often have five visits a day that are radically different.

My first visit might be a golf club followed by a local authority, then I might well move on to a football ground or a cricket ground and then visit a school in the afternoon.

“There are so many great people in the industry, and I love interacting with all the different people from the various facilities and sectors – it is the best part of my job.”

While Martyn is excelling in his current role, he admits that it is not without its challenges.

“The changes in legislation are probably the biggest obstacle to overcome. It has changed the way we manage surfaces and it will continue to do so. The loss of products and the sustainable use of resources have been difficult. You have to change the way you think and the way you approach your job, but fortunately we have some amazing people in this industry that are creative and exceptionally good at overcoming problems.”

With the acquisition bringing together two of the most experienced and progressive teams in the amenity turf market, Martyn believes that Agrovista Amenity is now well placed to be at the forefront of these creative solutions.

“In terms of research and development, I feel we are in pole position,” he said. “The company is now able to lead the way in terms of introducing new ideas, new products and proven solutions to the market.

We can also distribute these solutions and our products far and wide.

“Previously we only had ten people on the road – now there are well over 40 and that will continue to evolve.”

Outside of work, Martyn is recently married and admits to being addicted to sports and keeping fit.

As well as playing football and golf regularly, he has completed three Iron Man races across Europe and has represented Great Britain in the World Triathlon Grand Finals. www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Infinicut mowers ‘key to quality’ As part of an on-going investment programme, Warwick Independent Schools Foundation have purchased two Cub Cadet INFINICUT mowers, as well as a selection of TMSystemcassettes.

In a very short time Grounds Manager Duncan Toon has seen a vast improvement in the condition of the natural grass surfaces and puts it down to these newest additions to his machinery fleet.

Four schools occupy the eight hectare site of natural turf and sports facilities – Warwick School, Warwick Junior School, King’s High School and Warwick Preparatory School. Duncan and his grounds team of six are required to deliver top-quality surfaces for all.

“I joined the school in June 2018 while it was in the midst of a significant investment programme and started sourcing machinery to help improve the quality of the grounds.

I’d had a demonstration of the INFINI’s in my previous role at Birmingham FC and they’d been on my wish-list ever since. I knew these would be key to achieving the quality we were striving for.”

Duncan took delivery of an INFINICUT 34” Fixed Head and an INFINICUT 26” Floating Head mower, in quick succession.

“Alongside the superior quality of cut, and striping ability, another big selling point for us working in a school environment is health and safety. With the INFINI’s being battery powered, we no longer have to spend time and money sourcing and safely storing fuel – and the noise emitted is all but eliminated meaning we can mow anytime including through the exam season. They’re also incredibly comfortable to operate,

which is much more enjoyable for my guys while mowing large areas such as rugby pitches. In fact, they’re fighting to use them!”

The 34” unit, equipped with a seven blade SmartCut reel, is predominately for use on the rugby pitch and cricket square, while the 26” floating head model will become their wicket mower. Duncan is also impressed with the cassettes from the TMSystem range that came with the machines the PowerBrush and UltraGroomer.

“We’ve put the UltraGroomer across our cricket surface to thin out the sward and remove any unwanted Poa ingress and lateral growth. Compared to other verti-cutters, this cassette is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever used. When you think you’ve taken everything out, you go over again and it’s amazing how much more you get.”

“These machines have already made a noticeable difference to the health, presentation and quality of the swards,” explained a delighted Duncan, who is looking forward to adding further units to his fleet in the not-too-distant future.

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 23

ROBOTIC MOWERS

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Easier way to enjoy a manicured finish Robotic lawnmowers are fast gaining popularity nationwide.

Quiet, capable and autonomous in operation they deliver a manicured lawn with little-to-no user input, emission free and at low running costs. Honda’s range of battery-powered robotic mowers, all branded Miimo, spans five models, each developed to cater to different lawn area sizes.

Small Miimo Live, priced at £949 (ex VAT) sits towards the foot of range.

Designed for areas up to 400m2 , it features functions common throughout the Miimo range including Micro Mulching, whereby Miimo cuts grass clippings

so fine they drop down through the grass and act as a fertiliser, meaning no collection and lawn feeding is reduced.

Further smart features include the Smart Timer, which factors live weather into its

automatically set schedule as well as voice control via Amazon Alexa and app-control.

Step up to the £1,435 (ex VAT) Miimo 310 and the £2,047 (ex VAT )Miimo 520 and areas as large 1500m2 and 3000m2 can be cut, respectively, on terrain sloped at an angle up to 24’ without issue thanks to an advanced sensor system.

A team of range-topping Miimo 3000s £2,580.30 (ex VAT) can be joined up as team to cover areas over 21,000m2 , controlled by the Mutli Miimo hub to efficiently and automatically interchange between charging and cutting. www.honda.co.uk

Looking to buy a robotic mower? If it’s your first time dipping your toes into this gadget world, here’s ten tips on what you need to know:

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You will need to measure out the area you are looking to cut as most mowers are chosen according to the upper limit on the size they can cut over a period i.e.

2000 square metres over five days, a total of approximately ten hours a week. Ideally you want a mower to cover the area quickly and most efficiently. This usually means choosing a mower that doesn’t waste time by stopping a lot, and turns instead of reversing, stopping, then moving off. This stop and starting makes the mower less efficient.

What about the edges? The closer the robotic mower can cut up to the edge of any lawn, the less time you have to spend in cutting that edge. The best robotic mowers on the market are the ones that have side trim technology. This means they can leave the smallest possible edge to trim or none at all, depending on layout.

Garden zones and complexity also makes a difference to which mower you choose.

If you have both a back and a front lawn, you need a mower which you can set up in zones to cover more than one area. You also need to have a mower that can move between these zones easily. If, for example, you have a narrow passage or strip of grass between zones, look out for a robotic mower that can traverse a narrow passage without getting stuck and one that will still cut that strip of grass as it travels between the zones.

What about the weather? It is a good idea to choose a robotic mower that

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24 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

has a weather sensor on board as cutting wet lawn is bad for the grass and can damage it if the mower’s wheels slip in the mud. A rain sensor means your mower will automatically decide whether to go out and cut the lawn and cease cutting when it begins raining, going out again once it’s stopped, after a time to allow the lawn to dry.

Does it have slopes and how steep are they? If you have sloping lawns or hills within the area you are looking to cut, make sure the robotic mower can handle these gradients without slippage.

Charging stations are an important consideration. Most robotic mowers have a large flat dock they sit on which can take up a lot of room and look untidy, especially as they reverse and wear the grass around their base. The more advanced mowers on the market have discrete, side-charging docks on a grid-base which allows the lawn to grow through, making it almost hidden and definitely more pleasing to the eye.

Another consideration is maintenance. As the mower will be going out for ten hours a day, five days a week, you ideally want to make sure that the mower has durable blades that can cope with the continuous cutting. Look for a robotic mower that has a deck that rotates both ways while cutting, optimising both sides of the cutting blades and reducing maintenance in half.

Apps and wifi. Some mowers on the market have an app which provides

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an easy way to set-up your robotic mower and programme it or adjust the schedule from anywhere, at any time. It’s also a great way to keep tabs on how much mowing your mower has done and how many hours the blades have been in use – very useful to know when it’s time for a service.

Modular – to future proof your robotic mower, look out for mowers that you can easily upgrade certain features or add features to later down the line, when technology advances. This also means you are not paying for features you don’t need, but have the option to choose them should you wish to get them in the future.

Obstacle avoidance. Most robotic mowers on the market will hit into objects that are in front of it. This can cause damage to the mower itself or to the object it hits. Most importantly the mower will have to stop, reverse, stop and start over again making it less efficient. Most mowers get around this problem by physically excluding them when you are laying the boundary wire.

Currently there are only a few mowers on the market which have solved this problem by having obstacle avoidance sensors on board, allowing the mower to go right up to the object and then curve around it like a slalom skier. This saves time during cutting without needing to stop and reverse, as well as effort on installation, and in the future as for additions to the garden. www.kress-robotik.com

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IRRIGATION NEWS

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Irrigation control systems with added versatility I

rrigation systems have become an essential element in the maintenance of turf for many different sports in stadia, on training grounds and other areas. In the world of football, training regimes frequently involve slickening the pitch for specific periods of time or recreating playing conditions for particular players.

On match days, pitches are commonly watered for tactical purposes both pre-match and at half time. The correct specification, installation and management of rotors, sprinklers, valves, controllers and management systems will ensure that natural turf, hybrid and synthetic surfaces remain healthy, playable, safe and set up correctly for training purposes.

A sports turf irrigation system has the basic aim of providing the necessary water to any given area in the quickest possible time at the lowest cost. This needs to take into consideration different surface types, location in sheltered or exposed areas, prevailing and predicted weather conditions in terms of wind speeds, rainfall, sunlight

and evapotranspiration rates.

With natural turf, regular scheduled watering promotes health, resilience and deep root growth for firmer underfoot conditions and a reduction in the need for adhoc maintenance. Irrigation of hybrid and synthetic surfaces has other benefits too, in terms of keeping temperatures in check, deterring potential bacteria growth and helping to keep surfaces softer for protection from friction burns and other injuries.

When specifying an irrigation system, many factors need to be considered including the size and complexity of a project – for example, on a training ground there may be multiple pitches with specific uses and it can pay to address the installation as a whole rather than on an individual pitch basis. Capital budget, predicted running costs, water conservation targets and installation management all need to be considered. From here, the most suitable technology can be specified and thanks to the modularity and compatibility built into Rain Bird irrigation technology, users only pay

for what they need at the time as there is flexibility to add more irrigation zones, additional programs, extra features, hardware or accessories at a later date.

At the heart of a sports turf irrigation system is the controller and Rain Bird’s ESP-LXME and ESP-LXD models have been developed to offer all the features required, whether used with simple manual programming or operated remotely under the management of a central control system. Both are fully expandable, up to 200 stations with the two wire decoder ESP-LXD, and include a number of water management and self-diagnosis features that are designed to conserve water and identify any emerging problems.

In-built flow management, for example, protects against high and low flow conditions, managing water demand. The controllers are compatible with different makes of flow monitoring sensors which help to save water by sending data to the controller for precise monitoring of water flow. By recording the actual flow of every valve in the system, the sensors at each location can detect high / low flow or no-flow of water, alerting managers to potential problems and shutting down specific irrigation zones or areas if necessary.

A rain sensor can stop or delay irrigation in the event of precipitation, allowing watering to be postponed when irrigation is not needed. Water meters are engineered to measure water use accurately at low and high flow rates. If the pressure is too high, }

Simple Toro sprinkler upgrade I

f you need a quick fix irrigation solution, then Toro’s T7 golf sprinklers could be the answer.

It’s impossible for golf clubs to secondguess the great British weather when it comes to deciding on their irrigation needs – so how do you manage the inconsistency if your system isn’t quite up to scratch?

“For clubs pondering the question: do I give that much-needed upgrade or retrofit the green light only to be met with a washout summer – or risk limping through a scorcher with my current system?” explained Robert Jackson, Water Division Sales Manager for Toro irrigation distributor Reesink Turfcare.

“With Toro, there’s a quick, easy and cost-effective option – and that is to upgrade some of your sprinklers.”

It really is as simple as that. There are so many options to choose from to ensure your course is benefitting from the very latest Toro sprinkler technology.

“For instance, it’s widely known that you can replace competitor sprinklers with our T7 Series Rotor,” said Rob. “But it’s a common misconception that some older Toro sprinklers can’t be upgraded. This is untrue. Not only will upgrading to precision T7 sprinklers improve the overall efficiency of your system at the right pressure and flow, but, per unit, they’re also much less expensive than equivalent competitor models.

“Our range also includes conversion assemblies for upgrading both Toro and other manufacturers’ models.

My message is – talk to Toro.”

Sprinkler swap-outs addresses specific irrigation needs such as arc retention to achieve a strict start-stop without unwanted movement, eliminating dwell points and subsequent pooling and ensuring even distribution. www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 25

IRRIGATION

Irrigation control systems with added versatility } products equipped with pressure regulating devices can make significant water savings per minute per device.

Real time remote management of sports turf irrigation systems is possible with central control provided by Rain Bird’s IQ platform. This has set the standard as a solution for contractors and in-house ground management teams over many years. With the IQ platform, internet based weather information can be accessed and, with a weather station, data from field locations is collected and stored before adjusting watering schedules and run times according to current and predicted conditions. Information can be obtained on evapotranspiration conditions and rainfall intensity can be compared to the soil infiltration rate to determine how much water reaches root zones.

The latest IQ4-Cloud version is more user-friendly and secure than ever before.

It is 100% browser based, offering high levels of functionality and control over irrigation through any internet connected smartphone, tablet or desktop PC. The full suite of remote management tools is accessible through a mobile-ready, user-friendly interface. From their device, users can see in real time which zones and controllers are operating and can immediately access information on performance. IQ4 can automatically create and share reports with detailed analysis of real time or historic irrigation data, total water usage and running costs.

IQ4 allows users to manage several installations from a centrally located PC or on the move, which is very convenient for groundstaff or contractors simultaneously managing multiple pitches within one facility or with responsibility for multiple geographically spread sports turf installations.

“All of our current Rain Bird installations can be closely managed using the IQ Cloud management system. We run both desktop and mobile versions of the program, allowing us to interrogate at our convenience all of our customers’ Rain Bird ESP-LXD irrigation controllers. IQ Cloud allows me to change programming schedules on behalf of clients,” said Andy Burbridge of Sportsturf Irrigation.

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It’s time

By PETER ROBINSON

O

n the vast majority of golf courses, it is the greens on which course managers spend a high proportion of their time and available course budget to ensure they are in pristine condition. It is also the surface where invariably, a game of golf is either won or lost.

Irrigation requirements, uniformity and greens coverage is carefully evaluated, however, on most courses I have visited, but few have their tees irrigation sorted to the same degree.

Golf courses’ tees come in all shapes and sizes, even being controlled on the same solenoid station.

When you have almost always got a different sized ladies, men’s and championship tee on the same hole, it’s no wonder then that people get a bit confused when it comes to their irrigation requirements.

Maintaining the best turf cover on these areas can only be achieved if your tees irrigation system is up to the task.

So, let’s talk about proper tees irrigation. To start with, we should only use a greens sprinkler to irrigate a tee block if the block is greater than 15 metres wide. For all narrow tee blocks, we need a sprinkler that is specifically designed for the throw it needs to make.

Luckily all the golf irrigation manufacturers have pop-up sprinklers available that will irrigate much smaller areas.

Here are some examples. If your tee block is six metres wide (regardless of its length) then we need to install a pop-up sprinkler

designed to throw six metres radius. This is likely to be a ¾” BSP sprinkler and by choosing the correct nozzle you’ll be able to get roughly the right throw naturally. As a case in point, when you’re looking at the nozzle chart, most these days also have a column that shows you the expected precipitation rate (i.e. mm of water per hour).

If another tee is 10 metres wide you can probably use the same model sprinkler (the Rain Bird 5004 is the ‘go-

Rain Bird 5000 Plus series nozzles

too’ tee sprinkler of choice) with a bigger nozzle in it.

You just need to consult your sprinkler’s nozzle chart (which can be found online).

This will increase the flow rate, but then we’re covering a bigger surface area and you will probably find that the precipitation rate is roughly the same for both areas. This

means that although you have different nozzles throwing different distances and covering dissimilar sized areas, your application rates are much the same. This is called “matched precipitation”.

Incidentally, smaller sprinklers have lower flow rates so, even if you have twice as many sprinklers irrigating the tee area, you’ll often be applying less water with less wastage. More importantly you will be applying the correct amount of water to your tee blocks, regardless of how big or small each tee is.

These days it is all about ‘the intelligent use of water’.

Preferably sprinklers should be installed around the perimeter of any given area: for a square tee block of eight metres x eight metres, plan to install a sprinkler in each of the four corners. Each sprinkler would throw eight metres radius (choosing the same sprinkler as above but with a nozzle designed for eight metres throw). If the tee block is eight metres wide x 24 metres long have one on each corner and then two spaced equally down each side (each of them therefore eight metres apart) adding up to eight sprinklers in total (four each side of the tee). This method of choosing the radius of throw to be the same as the tee’s width isn’t new; when the sprinklers are spaced the same distance apart as their expected throw it’s called “head-to-head coverage” and this method will generally maximise your Peter Robinson

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for tee Rain Bird 5004 sprinklers on golf tee

uniformity. It’s important to have sprinklers on both sides of the tee if possible, again to maximise uniformity. This might seem like overkill but it will provide good coverage, which will allow you to grow a uniform surface of turf. If they are just down one side, then the side with the sprinklers will receive a load more water than the other side.

In a perfect world the course would have all the different tee blocks (championship, men’s, ladies’) on separate solenoid valves, but generally this just isn’t the case. When different blocks have significantly different characteristics, such as shading from trees, drainage and prevailing winds, you might want to consider changing your pipework to divide the blocks into two or more solenoid stations.

This can usually be achieved relatively easily if you have a decoder control system. If you don’t currently have your tees automated, then this is something you could consider as you incorporate them into your automatic system in the future. Divide your tees into blocks with different

Rain Bird solenoid valve with connected pressure valve

environmental or soil factors.

For tees that are less than 15 metres wide there are smaller pop-up sprinklers (often with ¾” inlets) that are designed for these smaller areas. They will save you water and offer a greater level of accuracy than a bigger greens-irrigation style pop-up sprinkler.

Once the block is greater than around 15 metres wide you can use a 1” inlet pop-up sprinkler (or bigger), like your greens sprinklers, and just choose the right nozzle for the required throw. All this information should be available on the internet if you look up your sprinkler model’s specifications.

The same, incidentally, applies if you have other

areas on the course you need irrigating, such as pathways you want to wet down (dust suppression is big business these days and has been highlighted this year in areas that have experienced unusually hot, dry conditions), ornamental area and gardens and bunkers that you want to irrigate.

There are even pop-up sprinklers with ½” bases that will accurately throw the water four to six metres radius, saving even more water and maximising your accuracy of coverage. For the edges

of your bunkers you can use driplines, which can be buried under the surface of the turf around the perimeter of the bunker. It will supply that six inches of turf on the edges of you bunkers with some water, preventing burn-off and dieback, while nobody needs to even know it’s there.

This can be installed having its own solenoid valve (you must include a pressure regulator) and added into your irrigation system. www.rigbytaylor.com n Peter Robin is Rigby Taylor’s Irrigation Product Manager.

Rain Bird 5000 series sprinkler for ornamental landscaped areas of the course

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 27

CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

Scott MacCallum ENJOYS AN EXTENDED SOCIALLY DISTANCED INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIAN BRAIN, GROUNDS MANAGER AT THE PRESTIGIOUS CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

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CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

Christian Brain, front right, with his team at Cheltenham College

W

riting articles while in lockdown is a different way of operating.

You do find yourself with more time to pull together the information you require, but, confined to barracks, you are a little more reliant on the likes of Wikipedia for background info.

So, I am particularly trepidatious to start this piece on the great work that Christian Brain and his team do at Cheltenham College by saying that the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, hosted at the school, is one of a huge number of Festivals carrying the Cheltenham name. Among the others are the world famous Cheltenham National Hunt Festival; the Cheltenham Literary Festival; the Cheltenham Jazz Festival; the Cheltenham Paranormal Festival and the Cheltenham True Believers Comic Festival.

Now, I hope that I haven’t given aficionados of the paranormal or True Believer Comic books any false encouragement, or opportunity, to share their passions with the like-

30 30| |Turf TurfMatters Matters| SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

minded but, if so, I can only apologise.

Oh yes. This may be revealing state secrets, but Cheltenham is also the home of the country’s spies – GCHQ! I mention this merely to show how much a town of population 116,000 (another Wiki info grab) impacts on the country and beyond. It surely punches above its weight.

Ironically, I hooked up with Christian on what is undoubtedly the strangest year of his professional life and at exactly the time he should have been watching the pitches, he’d so lovingly prepared, in action for the benefit of some of the country’s finest cricketers.

But the Cricket Festival, which brings visitors to the College from all over the world, was understandably cancelled.

Cancelled in just the same manner as every major sporting event in this country since March and, ironically, since the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, which controversially went ahead when many had wished it hadn’t.

But despite this Christian was in fine

form. The reason? He was just back at work having spent the previous three months on furlough.

“During the Coronavirus period the school took the decision to furlough some of the grounds staff, retaining a few members of the team to keep the grass cut and manage any urgent jobs,” explained Christian.

At the beginning of a time which was frightening for so many people on so many fronts Christian was understandably worried for what the future had in store.

“I don’t mind admitting that I did suffer from a bit of anxiety in the first three weeks of April. We were watching the death rates rising, the infection rates climbing and I was wondering when we would get back to working on the pitches. All those things were rushing through my head, and I did have sleepless nights over it.

“But thankfully thanks to family and close friends I was able to talk things through, agreeing that it was like a bad

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The issue of determining which sport to work on is particularly important at Cheltenham as the ground ‘doubles up’, working as cricket in the summer and rugby union in the winter – two of the main sports played at the school.

dream and that hopefully we’d all come out the other side.”

Christian used his time in furlough as productively as he could, talking to other Grounds Managers on their WhatsApp group and progressing the HND Level 5 he had been working through.

“I was able to work on my HND and actually took an exam while on furlough. You do three modules then an exam and then three modules and an exam and work your way through the levels,” he explained.

When Christian’s restart date

arrived, he was chomping at the bit, but it wasn’t a case of back to normal.

“I was brought back slightly early so that my two lads could basically have some holiday as they’d been working solidly since March. The whole team will be back together at the beginning of August. By then we will hopefully have confirmed what we are going to be doing as at this point we don’t know for certain if it will be cricket when the pupils come back, or if we will be back into rugby.”

Cheltenham College is a school from the Victorian age having been founded

in 1841 and caters for over 1,000 pupils spread over three schools – the PrePrep, Cheltenham College Preparatory School and Cheltenham College itself, while Christian and his team look after 10 hectares split over three different sites.

The issue of determining which sport to work on is particularly important at Cheltenham as the ground “doubles up”, working as cricket in the summer and rugby union in the winter – two of the main sports played at the school.

“We had a really difficult winter last year with so much rain. We are }

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CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

} free draining, as we are built on sandy

loam, but I had to call off some rugby sessions as well as some matches last year which is unheard of here.

We just couldn’t get the water away quickly enough and we did have a lot of damage. With the lockdown we haven’t had a change to repair it yet but are now looking to get some Limagrain seed in the ground, some sand dressing and some fertiliser on.”

The school rents out the cricket field to Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for the festival for a month to give time for stands, the marquees and the rest of the infrastructure to be erected and Christian is able to indulge his first love and prepare a first class cricket pitch.

Unlike most boys with a cricket interest, Christian’s dream wasn’t to open the batting for England, nor to become the country’s dashing

all rounder, in the mould of Botham, Flintoff or Stokes. Christian’s dream as a boy was to be the Head Groundsman at Lords!

But Karl McDermot needn’t be too worried as Christian now believes he has the very best job, ironically as his own version of an “all rounder”, combining the variety of different sports surfaces, but also gives him an annual (not this year admittedly) opportunity to prepare a top class cricket pitch.

It was this that attracted him to Cheltenham College, originally as Deputy, seven and a half years ago, having previously been at Radley College. He had attended the Festival as a youngster, mixing with the likes of Courtney Walsh and Jack Russell, and playing on the outfield during lunch and tea intervals.

“I like the school environment and with the annual first class cricket as well it combines both for me. Cricket is my passion and, I would say, my forte.”

This year’s postponement would have been the Festival’s 148th year, an event which attracts fabulous crowds of up to 6,000 a day and 30,000 over the fortnight from all over the world.

It is basically Gloucestershire’s home ground for two weeks each year hosting two four day matches and various other matches too.

“Gloucestershire’s home is Bristol, in the south of the county and coming here brings cricket to the north. The county is spread out and a lot of people don’t get down to Bristol to watch cricket.”

Christian is in full charge of the pitch for the Festival and he works closely with the Gloucestershire }

This year’s postponement would have been the Festival’s 148th year, an event which attracts fabulous crowds of up to 6,000 a day and 30,000 over the fortnight from all over the world.

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CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

} Operations team, who this year were

planning more of an on-site presence to take charge of the build-up, which previously had the propensity to drag Christian away from pitch preparation work.

“The lads sometimes get called away to help now and again but I’m in sole charge of the playing surfaces and that’s my role during the Festival,” he said.

Such is the close knit nature of cricket groundsmanship, Christian

34 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

has a phone full of the numbers of some of the best in the business. He is particularly close to Vic Demain, at Durham, whom he knew from before Vic moved into first class and then Test cricket. Having had an extended time away from work Christian and the team are very much looking forward to getting back into the pace of school groundsmanship.

“Moving from cricket into rugby and into football means that there is always something happening, and there is

always something coming up. So it makes time fly so very quickly. Added to this everything is split into terms and half terms. Before you know it, Christmas has arrived and another year has gone.”

As well as the natural turf pitches Cheltenham has astro pitches too which are used for hockey and tennis.

The astro pitch is relatively new and regularly maintained by S&C Slatter.

“It’s great to have to have the variety

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As well as the natural turf pitches Cheltenham has astro pitches too which are used for hockey and tennis. The astro pitch is relatively new and regularly maintained by S&C Slatter. of sport and our goal is always to improve on our surfaces each year and learn from what we have done the previous year,” said Christian, who has extended this drive for constant improvement by ensuring that his team – often the public face of the school when working on the grounds or attending weekend fixtures – have uniform which is befitting the professional approach they take to their work.

“Previously we had uniform from the local safety warehouse with a Cheltenham College badge added to it and it faded within a couple of washes.

I persuaded the school that we needed to look more presentable and we have upgraded our uniform. We do take pride in our appearance and feel smart coming into work.”

As I mentioned at the beginning of

his piece the town Cheltenham very much punches above its weight. I think, having spent some “virtual” time in the company of Christian, that we can

pay that very same compliment to the Cheltenham College grounds team.

Can I just ask the “fact checkers” to be kind to me!

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 35

PHI HELMN

How to develop and create great teams Master Greenkeeper Phil Helmn’s book ‘The Power of People’ looks at the strengths of effective leadership. Here’s an exclusve extract

T

alking about leadership strategies and styles can quickly become a bit ambiguous. It’s difficult to say exactly how each different strategy effect individuals or teams, however, it’s widely recognised that the old authoritative or draconian leadership styles have become understandably less popular in today’s modern world.

The important thing to keep in mind is that your role as leader is to influence, engage, and encourage people into action around a common goal. As a human being, leaders are just like everyone else, the same as any team member on the ‘coal face’. The initial thing to remember, as a leader, is that everyone has different personalities and as such, communication must be different. By adapting your message delivery style, fine tuning your communication, and using tried and tested management processes you will significantly increase your chances of helping lead your team to greater success. Team management and leadership focusses on the ability to administer and coordinate a group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves teamwork, communication, objective setting, and performance appraisals. Moreover, team management is the capability to identify problems and resolve conflicts 36 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

within a team. The method and style I have used to great effect and one which, if adopted, can increase productivity, improve efficiency and create strength and dynamics to your team is to build a strong foundation based around four key pillars (top right).

Clarity Define and communicate the team vision. Understanding the vision brings teams together under a common goal. They’re not simply working but performing together toward something.

Something that is big and exciting!

Competence Commit to continued education which develops continued growth and refinement through continued learning, practical application of skills, and networking both internally and externally.

Communication Speak from the heart when communicating. Teams are motivated when leaders are passionately engaged in the team’s vision, mission, and goals.

Culture Perhaps the best culture strategy and engagement tool for your team is to

empower them by delegating greater responsibility. Finding areas which can be delegated creates responsibility and, importantly, creates the authority to get things done which builds an enormous sense of self-worth.

Leaders aim to practically manage teams in a multitude of ways by focussing on the following: • Standardise operating procedures, keeping them consistent and simple. This is maintained by regular team meetings, with standard agendas and keeping open lines of communication from top to bottom and equally important bottom to top!

• Be present at key times in the team’s schedule. Be visible at breaks, lunches, team meetings and social gatherings to maintain contact with everyone.

• Know your team and tackle problems quickly. Even though our managerial challenges are important you must value the individual’s issues and appreciate no matter how trivial they may appear they are especially important to them. It’s also of the utmost importance to never promise on something you cannot deliver.

• Encourage feedback. Feedback

is one of the cornerstones of improvement. You must nurture an environment where feedback is encouraged and is accepted as a means to progress.

• Delegate. With multi-functional team’s, it’s vital to delegate. Having

a good culture means delegation is possible born through empowerment at all levels.

• Make communication and sharing of information a priority.

The communication pillar can be the biggest influence on team

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CULTURE

COMMUNICATION

COMPETENCE

CLARITY

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culture and success. Individuals at all levels appreciate communication and by making time within the working environment to facilitate conversations is vital to sharing information www.philhelmn.com

Phil Helmn has risen through the greenkeeping ranks from trainee to sports turf General Manager.

Since leaving college in 1987, where he gained his diploma in sports turf science with honours, he’s lived and breathed golf and greenkeeping all his life.

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LINE MARKING

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Eco friendly marking F

leet Eco-carrot markers are now available from Fleet, these are corner markers that are biodegradable, and will challenge the idea of burying many tonnes of plastic markers under 1000’s of sports fields every year.

Fleet Line Markers has recently invested considerably in research and development – resulting in a flurry of new products becoming available for customers. Recent innovations that Fleet have brought to the market are the COG Aline Marker, the latest version of the MAQA and BeamRider Marking Systems. The first and ONLY GPS guided line marker manufactured in the UK. Perhaps the most exciting new launch was the COG Aline Marker, a revolutionary new system which promises to bring an “entirely new approach to the line marking world”.

The COG Aline Marker has been designed to be environmentally friendly and also eliminate paint wastage. The System’s bespoke drums can be re-used repeatedly, saving money and helping the environment by preventing waste. When the COG drums do eventually reach the end of their re-usable life, Fleet will recycle them.

Their unique shape and design also means that, during shipping, the COG drums are completely stable – with no more than one strap to hold them, this eliminates single use wrapping, cardboard layers and/or plastic pallet covers. In addition to the huge saving on all single use plastic substituted by the reusable COG drums, Fleet will eliminate 40 to 50 tonnes of packaging per year.

Once fitted on the COG Aline Machine, a single COG drum is enough to mark up to 6 soccer pitches depending on what is acceptable to the customer, pressure setting, nozzle size and walking pace.

When the COG drums are empty, Fleet will arrange collection, at no further charge, and the re-using cycle begins again.

As well as being environmentally friendly, the COG Line Marking System is an extremely clean and convenient system to use. The COG drum is attached to the COG Aline with ease, making spillages a thing of the past. Every last drop of COG Icing Paint is used from the COG due to the angle of the drum on the machine.

If the COG drum is left connected to the COG Aline machine, there is no need to flush the system through with water, therefore saving paint and cost. Our FLOZLE drip control valve allows a teaspoonful of water to be pushed through just the nozzle, thereby ensuring that when the user goes back to the machine the

no fear of the battery running flat and no following day, everything is ready to go. fear of running into people/obstacles.

“At Fleet we strive to reduce our carbon MAQA GNSS is supplied with free footprint, the COG System eliminates software and hardware updates. single use plastics – and each single use Fleet’s eROK has been updated recently. plastic drum can contribute up to 6kg of Now with a longer battery life, the option carbon dioxide per drum. In keeping with to mark in the middle at the front or to the Fleet’s commitment to the environment our side, fully adjustable comfort seat and target is to eliminate more than 5 million “inching mode” to help load and unload the tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next five vehicle safely from the rear of vehicles. years,” explained CEO Iain McGuffie.

The eROK will also reduce labour times In addition to the COG Aline, the COG over pedestrian marking. The eROK can be drums can now also fit the COG BeamRider used with any of Fleet’s Kombi variants, such and the COG MAQA. The COG BeamRider as the BeamRider, the MAQA GNSS System, has all the advantages that go with the the Kombi Orange and the Kombi Classic.

COG Aline with the added benefit of being All spray markers are now fitted with able to produce laser straight lines on the Flozle Nozzle System which is a drip any surface, (natural grass, synthetic control valve that automatically cleans surfaces, hard/tarmac surfaces and EPDM the nozzle after every line marked. rubber surfaces) time and time again. www.fleetlinemarkers.co.uk Save time and money …The COG MAQA also benefits from the COG Drums.

The COG MAQA GNSS System uses multiple satellites and JOIN THE CONVERSATION enables the user to initial mark any sports marking, whether it’s football or rugby, or more complicated markings such as American football or lacrosse.

Initial marking can be carried out in a fraction of the time Turf Matters on Twitter taken when using string lines 10,599 followers and 3,4,5 triangles. A senior Football pitch can be done in Turf Matters email newsletter less than 25 minutes, an eight 23,309 subscribers lane 400 metre track including a 100 metre straight can be done in less than two hours.

Turf Matters on Facebook “We have done a track in 1,932 followers 25 minutes using two staff, one MAQA GNSS System and Turf Matters on Instagram 1 Kombi equipped with our 3 2,492 followers line Athletics Boom! Absolutely amazing!! The labour savings are immense. The COG Turf Matters on YouTube MAQA means that anybody 112,785 views can initial mark any type of sports marking with minimal training necessary,” said Iain.

We want to hear what you have As the COG MAQA requires to say. All of our social platforms an operator, there is no fear are open forums where we of the machine losing signal encourage people to share knowledge and experiences… and marking out numerous make sure you’re part of it! lines in the wrong place. No fear of a blocked nozzle, no www.turfmatters.co.uk fear of running out of paint and not knowing about it, ANY PLACE, ANY TIME, ANY DEVICE no fear of getting stuck, Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 39

LINE MARKING

Insight into line marking T

he introduction of VARS has been very controversial; the move from just goal line technology to its wider use has met with a mixed reception.

However, this level of sophistication is not been available to the vast majority of field sports and therefore referees still have the task and responsibility for making the right line call.

Lines that can make the difference between a good call and a bad one has been made easier due to the development of advanced pitch line marking paints that provide whiter, brighter lines at a visual quality that could only have been dreamt about just a few years ago.

How has this come about?

Firstly the making of the paint, or rather its specific production for application as a line marking paint, is quite complex. Just like a winning team, it’s about getting the right players in exactly the right positions, in the right formation, performing together in harmony.

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At the very basic level, the water quality is vitally important. At Linemark UK Ltd, the manufacturer of Rigby Taylor’s award-winning Impact paints, with their manufacturing plant situated in the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, they are extremely fortunate to have access to very soft water that contains just the right amount of calcium/magnesium ions.

Combined with carefully sourced, best-in-class, raw materials, many years of scientifically exacting and perfecting ratios, Linemark UK is producing paint of the highest performance quality All well and good, research and development has created a great formulation but what happens next – what are the tests necessary to ensure the paint is ‘fit for purpose’?

Let’s take an example of any athlete.

They will measure their fitness to compete in such areas, as speed, stamina, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular endurance. Measuring a line marking’s ‘fitness test’ is of course different but the same process of measurement still applies.

In this case it would be the measurement of whiteness, opacity,

durability drying time and sprayability.

It is the right combination of these measurements that will create the ‘sweet spot’ required.

How is this achieved?

Using a spectrophotometer in the lab, a measurement of a paint film’s whiteness (L factor) and its opacity number is provided.

This provides a good indication of how the paint covering will look when applied on the surface.

No matter how white and bright the paint may look, it has to have a high level of durability to ensure it has Whiteness and opacity between two different paints

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paint

The ‘sweet spot’ when it all comes together

lasting qualities. Again in the laboratory, the paint is applied onto square plates and let to dry.

It is then subject to a sequence of 500 or more spins of an abrasive wheel; the weight of the paint film is measured at the start of the sequence and again at the end to see how much paint has worn away and so in effect showing the toughness (durability) of the product.

By using the right resins, in the correct amount to safeguard the integrity of the paint film, a paint can be made that helps protect it from water, (washed away by rain or irrigation), surface friction (player and machinery wear) and UV light.

The time taken for the paint to dry is a vital part of the ‘fitness test’ and is dependant o a number of factors; temperature, humidity and air flow.

Under laboratory conditions, the paint is assessed and timed using a drying wheel, together with a temperature and humidity thermometer If this process is not carried out, the result on the pitch will be easily seen.

Modern line-marking

machines are mostly spray types and as a result, the sprayability or flow of the product is critical.

Formulas should be blended so that paint easily moves through pumps, pipes and nozzles.

There is little doubt that the advances in paint manufacture ensure grounds manager have the very best quality products that complement their skills.

When Rigby Taylor Ltd launched Impact ready to use paint over a decade ago, it smashed through the barriers of traditional practices and revolutionised line marking to such an extent that its development was rewarded with both the Queens Award for Innovation and also for Enterprise.

Impact paint is now sold in over 50 countries worldwide and was selected as the paint for marking the pitches for the 2018 World Cup final.

The advances in paint manufacturing technology is still continuing and the industry can expect to see this converted to product use in the vey near future… watch this line! www.rigbytaylor.com Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 41

LINE MARKING

Days of labour in a few hours

T

urf Tank One was used by ProSportUK Ltd to mark a 400m track incorporating a 100m track and two rounders pitches. From start to finish, the process took no more than four hours.

Typically, marking out a 400m running track from scratch takes days’ worth of labour. Plotting the lanes, curves, and full distance of the track accounts for most of this time whereas using the Turf Tank One means the task could be completed in three hours.

After arriving on site, a quick decision is made about where the track should go, and the location is plotted on the tablet.

Once the base station is set, the robot can be operated without cellular or real-time kinematic connectivity and coverage. Using the closed 42 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

system means the marker can be used anywhere with unprecedented reliability.

Once the Turf Tank One begins, it only needs to stop for the paint to be refilled – otherwise, it will mark continuously until the job is complete.

While it is marking the operator is free to complete other tasks with any alerts showing on the tablet if the robot does need assistance.

With the running tracks completed the position of the rounders pitches were plotted and marking quickly started, with each pitch taking less than ten minutes to complete.

Despite the location of one of the pitches being under trees, the base station ensured that the signal did not drop out at any point. www.prosportukltd.com

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WHAT IS A VIRUS?

Keeping safe through Mark Tomlinson, Head of Environmental Stadia Projects, for Bio Circle, provides a specialist’s view on what is required to ensure that stadia are clean and safe to operate.

W

hat is a virus? Have we ever stopped to think about it?

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has changed the world for everyone, including our industry, with dramatic effects.

The return to a “New Normal” has begun, with sport slowly seeing players and athletes return to training and facilities opening up to host various football matches and test cricket returning.

But what is next? When will fans return? Who is responsible for the assurance of safety and a COVID-free stadium? Is there a single answer?

The actual size of a COVID-19 cell is 100 nanometres. If you blew it up to the size of a common flea (1.5mm) it would be 15,000 times bigger.

We have all become experts in viral control, or have we? The Government directive was to wash your hands with soap and water following guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control. But do we know why? Why have huge manufacturers flooded the market with a treasure trove of different chemicals? “Let’s blast the virus to pieces,” one shop assistant told me.

An ex-colleague of mine proclaimed with great joy he was selling alcohol-based hand gels for an over inflated price and making “loads of money”. But stop for a minute! This express train of products and advice has just confused the market and, more importantly, our industry.

To be honest I would not know how to maintain a football pitch, a test wicket, or a golf course – that is for the experts. My experience of 32 years is environmental chemistry, surface technology. That’s understanding viral activity on a surface. If I want advice on an area of technology, I ask the experts.

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Karren Brady, vice chairman of West Ham and Apprentice star, came out with a statement in May: “How do we clean goals posts, corner flags, pitches and make them viral free”?

I was kicking and screaming at this stage because I had the answer.

“The safe and environmental way, that’s how you do it, Karren!”

I have encouraged clubs to simplify the process of viral protection. What are you trying to achieve? Have you been worried about bacteria or viral control on surfaces before COVID-19?

When was the last time you thoroughly cleaned your stadium seats?

What has shocked me is the lack of guidance or slow response from the regulating authorities within sport.

No disrespect to Head Groundsmen and grounds teams, but I have found the vast majority of you have enough on your plate just maintaining stadium and training facilities – let alone becoming viral experts to ensure multimillion pound athletes don’t catch COVID-19 from surface contamination! That’s my job.

How do we simplify the understanding and process of keeping surfaces hygienically clean from COVID-19? The best way to describe the situation is: If you go to the doctors and you have a viral condition you get sent away and told to rest and take paracetamol, but if you went to the doctors with a bacterial infection he will give you the antibiotics

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the pandemic

to “blast” the bacteria away.

COVID -19 is an envelope virus.

We do not need to “blast” it to pieces. We do not need strong chemicals with fancy titles, sold by inexperienced salesman who know very little about viral control.

Think again and rewind. Soap and water why? Answer – to degrease the virus! The outer shell of the virus consists of a fatty membrane in which viral glycoproteins are embedded. These glycoproteins have a crown-like structure and they bind the virus to the surfaces. The virus is also protected by this fat layer.

Our environmental product VIRAL CLEANER 100 works by dissolving and destroying the fatty membranes

surrounding and protecting the virus, in order to make the virus inactive, but at the same time protecting the surface being treated. Using V100 means there is no need for high powered disinfectants or alcohol-based solutions which are highly flammable and contain high levels of VOCs. Viral Cleaner 100 (V100) is turf and plant safe, non haz chem, non-flammable, non-VOCs and environmentally sustainable. But deals with our issue – an Envelope Virus such as SARS-CoV-2.

I am proud to be involved in the guidance of making our industry safer, The FA sites, WFA, Formula 1, Championship, EFL 1 & 2, Non-League, Devonshire Park, Legoland, schools,

have all adopted to simplify their processes with V100. A single spray application of V100 with a dwell time of 60 seconds ensures surface cleanliness.

Once fans return to stadiums, how will the process of hygienically clean seats change? We at Bio Circle Surface Technology can help. But remember Karren Brady’s words “How do we make goals post, corner flags etc COVID-19 free.” My advice is to simplify the process and look at the environmental option. n Bio Circle Surface Technology are present in 64 countries worldwide. The UK operation is based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Mark Tomlinson can be contacting on 07712 426122/ mark.tomlinson@bio-circle.co.uk Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 45

HAND HELD TOOLS

Hand held now has the power 46 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

making turf matter

T

he new 82V commercial range from Cramer offers true petrol rivalling performance, with industry leading power output from products including chainsaws, trimmers, and brushcutters.

Cramer offers the most comprehensive dedicated commercial cordless range in the market. From chainsaws and hedge trimmers, to telescopic pole pruners, twin bladed lawnmowers and sweepers. The range has everything for the commercial user.

When it comes to professional users, petrol-powered garden equipment has long been considered the only option in terms of gardening and maintenance of large park and recreation areas.

Ostensibly, the reason was that battery-powered garden equipment hasn’t been able to meet the high requirements. Cramer’s powerful battery system 82V is challenging this preconception. The range delivers all the power you demand from your commercial equipment, and you avoid all the negative effects that come with petrol-powered tools.

Full power with green energy!

Professional users expect a lot from their tools, optimal power, good ergonomics and a low lifecycle cost are all important factors when

choosing tools. Cramer’s 82V products are designed to provide professional power with no direct emissions of carbon dioxide, with an ergonomic lightweight design and reduced operational and maintenance costs.

Cramer’s battery-operated tools use brushless motors. In practice, this means the motors do not require any maintenance at all, while a combustion engine needs filters and spark plugs to be changed and should preferably be serviced once every season. The 82V battery is superior to petrol-powered tools Cramer is consciously using an 82V battery system for professional equipment.

This is because 82V equipment delivers more power with less effect. The optimal voltage means the battery cells do not need to be powered at maximum voltage. This way, less heat is generated and the battery’s life expectancy increases.

If you instead use systems with voltage lower than 82V, you will lose power in the tool. You simply don’t get the power you need and the battery system risks overheating during use as these systems have to work at higher currents, which in turn generate heat. On the other

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hand, systems with voltages higher than 82V require more battery cells.

More battery cells mean more weight, larger tools and significantly more expensive batteries. With Cramer 82V, you get equipment with both optimal performance and a better working environment. That’s why Cramer offers a sustainable and completely future-proof concept at an attractive price point.

A future-proof concept is our promise, which means your batteryoperated system will work with future products as well. Cramer’s 82V battery system is a sustainable and optimised battery system, providing all the power you need, while ensuring it is optimal for even higher performance in the future.

Cramer is changing the market for professional landscapers, with versatile battery power to tackle future challenges.

you avoid all the negative effects that come with petrol-powered tools.

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 47

HAND HELD TOOLS

}

High-tech and practical Honda

48 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

H

onda offers both petrol and battery-powered handheld tools developed to standards demanded by professional users.

A petrol range of hedgetrimmers (from £482.50 ex VAT), leaf blowers (£314.17 ex VAT) and brushcutters (from £345 ex VAT) is designed around hightech and practical 4-stroke engines.

A mechanical decompression system and super-light flywheel make for easy-starting, while the 360° lubrication system means the engine will run true, whatever the position.

Further promoting a user-friendly character, the engines are compact, lightweight and fuel-efficient (GX25 0.54 litre/hour at 7,000 rpm, Honda GX35 0.71 litre/hour at 7,000 rpm).

Also leaning on the 4-stroke engine and offering supreme flexibility, Versatools (from

£330.83 ex VAT) can tackle a wide range of landscaping tasks.

Honda’s development of battery energy solutions has delivered a range of cordless handheld tools that are quiet, emission-free and fully waterproof. Manufactured around the universal battery system, users can swap batteries between the leaf blower (£317.50 ex VAT), bruschcutter (£484.17 ex VAT) and hedgetrimmer (£434.17 ex VAT) in just a few seconds.

Three Li-ion batteries available, including the large-capacity 9Ah unit that features advanced thermocooling technologies, an LCD chargelevel display and can withstand a 2m drop. No matter the battery, consistent and sustained power drives a 36V motor, of a brushless design hence needs no servicing. www.honda.co.uk

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Efficiency and performance Makita has a wealth of experience in the garden machinery sector and its extensive range of cordless garden machinery products provides professionals with a tool suited to every project. Here, Mark Earles, Business Development Manager – OPE at Makita, looks at the benefits of choosing cordless chainsaws.

A

ll Makita products are designed with ease of use, efficiency and consistent performance in mind. .

Although petrol-powered machines are incredibly effective, battery-powered alternatives offer a number of additional benefits. Cordless models are lightweight, lower vibration, and quieter compared to petrol machines. With zero emissions and no fuel or oil required on-site, they are more environmentally friendly and safer to use.

Makita’s LXT cordless machines offer industry leading charging and run times, improving on-site efficiency. For example, Makita’s 18V LXT batteries can charge in as little as 22 minutes (for 3Ah batteries), up to 55 minutes (for 6Ah batteries).

To optimise the charging process, LXT batteries can also communicate with the

charger through CPU. The CPU built into Makita’s chargers assesses the condition of each battery – and works to identify issues such as whether the battery has overheated. If this is the case, the charger will cool down the battery. This enhances the life cycle of each battery, keeping them working at their optimum for longer.

With LXT, you can experience the same high power you would expect from a corded machine. As well as single 18V machines, Makita also manufactures chainsaws powered by two 18V LXT batteries. This means that tools like the DUC306Z and DUC355Z utilise two batteries, which are used in series to supply energy to the tools’ powerful 36V DC motor drive system.

With Twin 18V technology included, LXT machines offer outstanding cutting power – the DUC355Z and DUC405Z models are equivalent to a 35cc class petrol engine chainsaw and have an impressive no-load chain speed of 1,200m/min.

When choosing a chainsaw, always look at the additional features included, to ensure the machine is suitable for you and the job.

For ease of operation and control, Makita’s cordless chainsaws include a

variable speed trigger that enables the user to have the same control offered by the accelerator on a petrol product. In addition, a number of Makita’s machines include constant speed control, that can be used to maintain the chain speed for optimum operation when they are under load.

To improve control and safety, machines such as the DUC305Z include a kickback break and electric chain brake.

For advanced safety, look for the auto power off function, that automatically turns off the chainsaw after no activity for one minute to prevent accidental start-up. www.makitauk.com

Makita’s DUC405Z

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 49

HAND HELD TOOLS

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Pellenc tops green agenda

The Orbit team with some of their Pellenc fleet

O

rbit, one of the UK’s leading housing providers, has invested in a large fleet of battery powered Pellenc equipment, from dealer RT Machinery, to meet its low noise and carbon emissions requirements.

Orbit is one of the largest housing groups in the country and green objectives are at the forefront of its agenda.

Through its Orbit Earth initiative, the company aims to take responsibility for its impact on the environment and embed more sustainable practices throughout the business.

50 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

Rhys Warwick, an Estates Team Manager for Orbit, was asked to investigate the procurement of new machinery to complement its Orbit Earth initiative.

“I was looking specifically at commercially viable equipment rather than domestic tools and found that actually the market was very limited,” he said.

“Fortunately, we came across Pellenc at SALTEX last year and were really impressed at the design, the running times and pretty much everything about that equipment. It was probably one of the only brands we had seen that was really and truly commercially viable with the running times you would need to have a good full day’s work in grounds maintenance.”

A forerunner when it comes to lithiumion technology, Pellenc has established itself as the number one choice in the ‘zero emission’ professional power tools market.

Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and enough power to enable professional users to work for a full day on a single charge, it’s no wonder more and more professional users are turning to Pellenc. It is an attractive alternative to those who have, for several years,

been relying on fuel-based machinery.

A demonstration day was organised, and Orbit ordered a fleet consisting of Rasion Easy mowers, City Cut brushcutters, Excelion strimmers, Selion chainsaws, Arion blowers and the powerful ULiB 1500 batteries.

Over a three-year period, the equipment will continue to be incorporated into Orbit’s operations, as Rhys explains: “I would say that in three years’ time, 95% of our groundscare equipment will be electric, and all of that will be exclusively Pellenc.

“One of the main factors behind choosing the Pellenc equipment was from a health and safety point of view – in terms of the low vibrations, the noise reduction, more savings in fuel and less Co2. There are so many benefits for the user but also for the public. We operate in residential areas and our independent living sites have an elderly population – so in these areas the minimal disturbance will be beneficial.

“Our operatives have been extremely impressed with the running time of the 1500 battery. They have commented on being able to get round several sites, sometimes not needing a charge for two days.” www.pellencuk.com

AERATION

Perfect fit for our requirements C

ourse Manager at Selby Golf Club, Chris Goodall, believes that the arrival of their new Charterhouse Verti-Drain 7416 in November 2019 couldn’t have come at a better time.

The heathland course is very sandy, meaning it is playable all year round and, in turn, makes it one of the busiest clubs in North Yorkshire.

This level of traffic has seen the Verti-Drain in high demand over the winter period, tackling compaction on some of the high footfall areas.

“We previously had two separate aerators – one of which was proving too heavy for our ageing tractors, and the other was smaller so only really suitable for work on the greens,” explained Chris, who has been at the club for five years.

“When the time came to replace them, we wanted a good all-rounder – capable of site wide aeration.”

Having been impressed with the Verti-Drain at a previous club, Chris was keen to go down the Charterhouse road this time and spoke with local dealer FG Adamson and Sons.

52 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

“The size of the 7416 model was a perfect fit for our requirements and fleet of tractors.

“It’s super easy to set up, quiet in operation and covers the ground at

good speed. The timing of its delivery meant it was out straight away and every couple of weeks after that, relieving compaction on pathways, walkways and fairways which kept us free of any waterlogging over the very wet winter months.”

Chris purchased his Verti-Drain with solid tines, and additional hollow tines for year-round flexibility. “In a regular year, we would equip the Verti-Drain with pencil tines to aerate the greens through the summer then as we head towards the back end of the year we’d then look at hollow coring and using bigger tines on the fairways and other areas.”

The Verti-Drain 7416 has a 1.6m working width and offers a 14” maximum working depth.

The range of solid and hollow tine options, together with its weight, makes it a popular choice for golf courses; but its robust nature also makes it ideal for penetration of hard and compacted soils on a range of sports surfaces. www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

making making turf turf matter matter

How to tackle large areas quickly T

he Billy Goat range of Plugr aerators enables grounds professionals, landscapers and contractors to tackle large areas of lawn quickly and easily.

The Plugr aerator range has two series of machines – rhe 18 series and the 25 Series.

Within the 18 Series sits the PL1802V and the PL1801H. Both have an 18” working width so are ideal for smaller grounds.

They have four tines that place cores 2.75” deep and aerate 22,000 square feet per hour. They have an easyfolding handle that allows for compact use, transportation and storage, aided by the fact that they weigh only 109kg so are easy to steer without lifting. There are two engine options available. The PL1802V has a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 205cc engine. The PL1801H is powered by a 118cc Honda engine. Both are self-propelled.

For those seeking a more productive, cost-efficient way of aerating larger areas, the 25 Series is required. It offers

the best combination of productivity, comfort and results, while boasting intuitive controls, and variable speed fingertip hydro-drive innovation.

The 25 Series also has two engine options. The PL2501SPV is powered by a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 203cc engine, and the PL2501SPH has 196cc Honda engine. The 25 Series is best suited for more intense usage and larger areas. The models have a 25” working width and eight reciprocating cam driven tines that punch to core depths of 2.75”. They can deliver aeration to up to 42,500 square feet per hour.

Billy Goat’s aerators do not require any lifting, add on weights or have any chains, making them easy to operate with less fatigue.

The Billy Goat range of Plugrs is available nationwide through Henton and Chattell’s dealer network. Prices of the Plugr aerators start from £2610 including VAT. www.billygoat.co.uk

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Year round play GKB

Machines offer the ability to keep sports pitch or golf course in prime condition throughout the year.

During both construction and maintenance, there are multiple reasons for sand filling and top dressing.

In either case, the GKB Sandspreader enables the distribution of a wide variety of materials in the appropriate quantities with hassle-free application.

Ranging from 1m3 to 4m3, there are several hopper capacity options in four different designs. The shape and design of the sand hoppers ensures efficient operation and ensures a clear view along the machine. Giving complete control from the tractor, an optional touchscreen provides the ability to manoeuvre the machine from within.

Adapting to fit a multitude of vehicles, the SP100 especially has been developed on the back of the success of GKB’s trailed versions and is suitable for assembling on a turf trucks, including the John Deere Gator, Toro® Workman or the Jacobsen Truckster.

Under constant development, the GKB Sandspreader was created to offer versatility. www.gkbmachines.com

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 53

AERATION

Air2G2 opened soil profile T

he Air2G2 GT Air Inject from Campey Turf Care Systems has played a significant role in transforming the greens at the La Grande Mare Golf Club in Guernsey.

When he arrived at his new job two-years ago, Course Manager, Rick Hamilton, spoke with the members about their main concerns and the quality and playability of the greens was top of the list.

Because the course is built on marshland, the soil is very silty heavy clay, making it a problematic soil profile to produce a healthy root zone. The dense profile was causing the greens to hold moisture in the winter and hardpan in the summer, meaning there was little control of how they performed throughout the year.

From his previous experience in Asia, Rick knew the Air2G2 was precisely what was needed to open up the soil profile and bring life back into the greens.

“When I first analysed the greens, I knew we had to take action. It was

54 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

at the point that when we tried to change the holes, we would sometimes snap the blades in the hole cutter because the greens were that hard.

“For me, the Air2G2 is a game changer.

Every now and then over the years, different machines come into the industry, and I would say it is one of those game changing machines. I brought it over on hire from a dealer in Jersey and went out, and I could hardly get the probes to inject at first because the surface was that hard. But I managed to do it to really get through into the greens and loosen them up to get water and wetting agent in.

“The difference in the greens is massive in terms of playability, root development, the health in the root zone and getting the water to penetrate. And in the winter when it’s a bit wetter and softer, it helps to release some of the water and get the greens to drain.”

For Rick, the impact of the Air2G2 was immediate. There is an extensive aeration programme in place that sees the Air2G2 used regularly along with needle tining, a combination that has made members the happiest they’ve ever been with the greens. www.campeyturfcare.com

Toro’s high tech renovation feature Toro’s turf renovation tool range includes the 61cm Stand-On Aerator.

The Aerator features functions including the Smart Hour Meter, maximum-depth lockout, as well as maintenance reminders and time activation lockouts allowing for easy and efficient aeration of any turf.

The platform and cushioned panel will help to reduce operator fatigue. The engine and various other components are easily accessed for quick and simple maintenance, providing maximum convenience while saving time.

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Summer aeration programme tips T

he job of getting a green into tip top condition is not an easy one but keeping it that way can be even more difficult. That’s because it’s not so much what is happening on the surface that’s the problem but what is happening underneath and if the problem is not dealt with, it only compounds year on year.

Compaction and the problems that go with it – thatch, poor root development and impeded drainage – are well known to greenkeepers.

Traditionally the use of the aerator is in the spring and autumn, this is only a partial help to the problem of compaction. Given that cutting and play takes place at greater levels during the summer period, this is the time when the greatest compaction is being generated, so it should also be a period for ‘more’ aeration to be carried out.

The problem is that aeration machines, using solid or slit tines have led to even greater protests by the players due to the unevenness of the surface after this essential work is carried out.

Since 1990, Groundsman Industries have specialised in researching and developing machines and accessories that can be

applied to maximum effect to implement a year round aeration programme. An informed assessment of the condition and problems facing the green being tended is the first step. Compiling a 12 month plan of action is the second step. Thirdly, and most importantly, sticking to that plan is vital.

The elliptical plunge action tining mechanism of the Groundsman 345 and 460 range of pedestrian aerators enabled then to penetrate the soil down to 5 inch depth with the minimum of surface disruption. It is however important to fit the machine with the correct tines and holder combinations.

Triple holders fitted with 3/8” solid long length tines will produce a hole spacing of about two and a half inches this would be a good choice in a Groundsman machine to perform a summer aeration programme.

Varying the aeration depth can help avoid creating a hard pan and if a hard pan exists, fit the machine with twin tine holders, this will increase the hole spacing to 3” (75mm) but it will give the machine a better chance of punching through those stubborn hard layers.

Hollow coring is more labour intensive than solid tining but it only needs to be

carried out once a year at best. It is a very effective way to relieve compaction, prunes the roots and enables soil exchange.

The on-going and continual development of new tines and holders and their effects

by Groundsman has resulted in the most useful range of accessories available.

Groundsman offer a Seeding Attachment to fit on the front of the 345 and 460 pedestrian aerators. Top dressing may be applied before or after this operation as preferred.

The latest attachment from Groundsman is the Caster Wheel attachment, it fits onto the front support tube or bumper bar on the 345 and 460 pedestrian aerator models making light work of turning around at the end of each aeration pass. www.groundsman industries.com

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 55

AERATION

Rotorake: Reliable, does a great job C

Cive at work at Bourne Cricket Club

live Brown, a volunteer groundsman, has praised the SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk. 5 after it helped him pick up an award for the best ground in the Lincolnshire Cricket Premier League.

“In terms of loyalty, I like to think that I’m old school. It has always been Bourne for me – I’ve never wanted to play for anyone else and we’ve been through thick and thin together.”

Clive started playing for his beloved Bourne Cricket Club, who play their cricket on the Abbey Lawn, when he was just 12 years old and continued do so until the age of 41. During his playing career Clive supported the club by becoming a committee member and he also managed/ maintained the square for four years.

However, when he retired Clive wanted to further extend his support for the club.

It was at this point that he returned to the club and took on the grounds maintenance role once again. He

56 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

now spends approximately 30 hours a week at the ground and receives help from his assistant, Ian Greenfield. The two of them have been working tirelessly on the square for the past five years and were recently rewarded for their hard work.

“When I took on the grounds maintenance role, I set myself a target of achieving the best ground in the Lincolnshire Premier League – which is judged by the umpires.

They have a set criteria to follow in terms of the pace/bounce and other factors “In my first year we ended up finishing fourth and then gradually we climbed higher each year. In 2018 we were runners up and last year I’m pleased to say that we won it.

After previously using a SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk.4, Clive upgraded to a Mk.5 and claims that it has played an integral role in helping him to keep the square in an incredible condition all year round.

“I needed a machine that could assist with our heavy work load and because the Mk.4 was over 20 years old and as you can imagine, any machinery that old will of course lose some power. We did look at a wide range of machinery, but I was quite keen to stick with SISIS because the Mk.4 served us so well – it was incredibly

reliable and did a great job every time.

“My mind was made up after speaking to Keith Exton (former Head Groundsman of Glamorgan CCC) who highly recommended it.”

The SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk.5 is a powerful self-propelled heavy duty scarifier designed for the removal and control of thatch on fine turf. It features a contra-rotating reel with specially designed tipped blades for a clean, consistent cut and maximum thatch removal. A variety of maintenance tasks can also be carried out due to a selection of seven different interchangeable reels.

Clive purchased the verticutting reel, the scarifying reel, and the brush to accompany his Auto Rotorake Mk.5.

“These three reels give us a good chance to maintain the square in the conditions that we expect during a season. We normally start using it in February and continue to use it regularly throughout the year. It is great at cleaning out any build-up of thatch and the brush will be used prior to cutting, scarifying or verticutting.

“I will also use it to create the seed drill for when I am seeding,” he added. www.sisis.com

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Improvements came straightaway S

ince using products from Mansfield Sand, Stuart Vause (pictured), Head Groundsman at Castleford Tigers, claims that the pitch has resulted in a more free-draining, firmer surface.

It is safe to say that Stuart is living the dream. As a lifelong fan of Castleford Tigers, Stuart admits that he sometimes has to pinch himself to believe that he is working for the club that he loves.

“It’s my childhood team so for me this is a very special place to work.

There is no other place I’d rather be.”

For the past five years Stuart has been the Head Groundsman and, in that time, he has done a truly remarkable job. His work on the stadium pitch and the training pitch has been widely praised by players, fans and staff and he has also been recognised by the grounds management industry – winning the Professional Rugby Football League Grounds Team of the Year, not once, but twice in three years.

The transformation in the pitch since Stuart took over has been incredible, and in particular, Stuart believes that one of the biggest improvements has been since he started using Mansfield Sand’s MM40.

“The pitch is very old and there is not

much drainage at all. I thought that I really needed to get some sand into the pitch, so I got in touch with Mansfield Sand and we’ve used them ever since.”

Stuart now relies on Mansfield Sand’s MM40 which is sourced directly from the Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the company produces its renowned Mansil range of Silica Sands. MM40 is a medium sand which is predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces – from winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas.

Four years ago, he started by applying 20

tonnes of MM40 during his renovations but after seeing the difference it made, he has increased the quantity year-on-year and is now applying between 80-100 tonnes a year across the stadium and training pitches.

“I could see the improvements straight away. The roots were getting deeper, the surface was getting firmer, it was more stable during the winter months, and it was starting to drain more.

“Both pitches are in the best condition I have ever seen. The surfaces are holding up incredibly well and last year I hardly had to do any divotting and this when there could have been two or three sessions a day on them.

“This year we had the wettest February on record – no games were cancelled and no training sessions were cancelled – whereas in the past they would have been.

“It’s free-draining, consistent and the service is always brilliant. Gary Cunningham, from Mansfield Sand, will come in have a look and I’ll trust him to advise on what I need. After the sand is applied, he will come back in and then we’ll assess the results together. It is great to be able to have that knowledge and assistance,” added Stuart. www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 57

AERATION

Terra Float success for Wiedenmann

W

orld top 100 golf course, Port Salon in County Donegal is the latest club to take ownership of a Wiedenmann Terra Float Air 3-in 1 pneumatic overseeder.

“It’s a top quality machine, a real game changer for us,” explained Course Superintendent Johnny Shields.

The Terra Float Air is perfect for loosening surfaces, applying seed & spreading top dressing material. With its distinctive look, the surface conditioner and overseeder offers maximum accuracy at quantities from as little as 1 g/m2 Its beauty is the amount of accuracy and choice it gives.

Controls are worked from inside the cab and so the little and often approach is often adopted. Memory function control pad stores input and calibration data for next use.

Seed cartridges are easily changed.

Dealer for the area, Johnston Gilpin’s Sales Manager, Ricky Neill, supplied the machine and was on hand with Wiedenmann UK’s Andy Kerr to help with the installation and handover. www.wiedenmann. co.uk

PLANT HEALTH

Beating pests, Pests are an urgent problem for many turfgrass managers in the UK, so how are plant health issues and expectations from customers and stakeholders balanced with legal and environmental obligations?

T

he withdrawal of chemical pesticides has left many turf managers with no apparent answer to devastated turfgrass surfaces caused by insect larvae of the Crane Fly (Leather Jackets) and Chafer Beetle (Chafer Grubs) eating turfgrass roots, and by crows ripping up infested areas to feed on the grubs.

There is, however, hope as effort is put into finding legal alternatives to chemical pesticides. Before we get to the answer lets us recap the current situation.

Control of pests falls within three types:

Chemical, biological and physical.

Chemical Controls With rapid advances in the physical, chemical, and biological sciences since the late 19th century, pest control became focused on using cost effective and quick acting synthetic based chemicals.

The recognition that these formulations have harmful effects on human health, and can cause widespread environmental damage, has led to their gradual withdrawal.

The turfgrass manager is faced with the following: Chemical pesticides have been removed from use on turfgrass surfaces due to the risk of damage to the natural environment and human health There is no permanently approved pesticide formulation in the UK for use on amenity turfgrass surfaces There is only Emergency Authorisation for Acelepryn to control insect larvae, which can only be applied once per year to a restricted area of turf surface, and only after recommendation by a qualified pesticide advisor.

Biological Controls Biological controls, e.g. using 58 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

Leather Jacket

proprietary nematodes and genetically engineered bacteria, can help but the cost is prohibitive for many golf and sports clubs.

Also, specific environmental conditions have to be met before application of some of these methods, e.g. temperature and moisture, making success a lottery. Low cost compost teas and biostimulants can be extremely effective when used over a period of time, but some find that brewing compost tea does not fit in with restricted staffing levels.

Biostimulants that encourage microbe populations and increase turfgrass health and resilience, are low cost treatments that can have a great effect on playing surfaces. The key is understanding which biostimulant is required for specific purposes, i.e. pest control, rooting and heat/ cold tolerance. Yet, even with regular use of biological controls and biostimulants, there comes a time when a pest or fungal pathogen needs to be controlled, i.e. sometimes you just need to kill something!

Biological controls: – Can be expensive – Some require specific environmental conditions for success – Low cost options, such as compost teas, are slow to act but can be effective in the long term – Do not give a big, and immediate, control of heavy pest infestations Recent damage from Leather Jackets on golf courses have shown that protecting assets – and jobs – takes priority over how pests are controlled and this situation creates a demand for alternative control methods.

Physical Controls Due to the tremendous success of chemicals, physical control methods have been set aside, and some people may view their use as a step backward to some distant, pre-industrial age. Greenkeepers and Groundsmen are familiar with chemical pesticides and many are using biological methods, but not so many are aware of the available physical controls. Physical controls include rolling to squash grubs in

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legally soil, the use of UV-C light to damage the DNA of fungal diseases, and the application of oils and surfactants that smother turfgrass pests.

Recent advances have resulted in an increase in research and application of physical controls.

1. Passive physical controls: Physical barriers, defined as any living or non-living material used to restrict movements or to delineate a space, such as trenches and fences to stop crawling and flying insects.

Organic and artificial material mulches – Particle films, e.g. kaolin, which disrupt insect feeding habits – Inert dusts, e.g. lime, common salt, sand, kaolin, paddy husk ash, wood ash, clays, diatomaceous earths, synthetic and precipitated silicates and silica aerogels.

Trapping – Oils, which act primarily at contact sites by obstruction of the respiratory system (hypoxia) – Surfactants and soaps, which have an interaction with water on insect and larvae cuticles and causing drowning by helping water to infiltrate tracheae and spiracles.

2. Active physical controls: Active methods are used to destroy, injure, or induce stress in crop pests or to remove them from the environment, and can be classified according to the mode of energy use and include: – thermal shock (heat or cold) – electromagnetic radiation (microwaves, UV and visible light and radio frequencies) – mechanical shock – pneumatic control (blowing or vacuuming tools).

Are physical controls regulated?

The regulatory framework for physical control differs markedly from that for agrochemical products. Many physical techniques are subject to rules concerning how they are applied rather than how they control pests, and are designed to protect users and the general public. For example, the use of propane gas requires specialised training, as does the use of of tractors and utility vehicles for UV-C light and vacuuming equipment.

In the UK, chemical pesticides fall under the Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 (PPPR). On enquiring about products that work by physical action we received the following statement from the HSE: “Where a product has been determined by a scope exercise to act by physical means, then it is no longer considered to be in scope of PPPR and HSE have no jurisdiction over those products”

In summary Physical controls are not classed as pesticides and do not come under the PPPR, unless pests are controlled by actions similar to a chemical pesticide, e.g. poisoning.

Chemical and biological methods are sometimes incompatible but biological, cultural, and physical methods are compatible.

Industry demand, and economic and legislative incentives, will necessitate the use of physical control methods as alternatives.

Example of a physical control product that is fully legal and safe to use: TurfSolv® TS25 is a 21st century solution to the control of pests and diseases in all managed turfgrass surfaces. TS25 is expertly blended in the UK by Global BioClean UK Ltd, and is formulated from quickly biodegradable ingredients that are entirely safe for human health and to the wider natural environment. TS25 coats larvae and fungal pests in a fully water-soluble blend of vegetable oils and powerful surfactants, which block aerobic respiration and they are starved of oxygen – an effective physical control.

Application rate Apply 20L of TurfSolv® in 1000L of water per hectare.

For severe infestations apply once and repeat 3-5 days later. Assess the control and apply again 7 days after the second dose if necessary.

Once the pest is under control apply TurfSolv® at 10L in 500L water per hectare every four weeks for optimum turf health.

The grubs take a few days to die and the second/third sprays will ensure that newly hatched larvae are also controlled. www.turfsolv.com Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 59

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

David Snowdon, of Agronomic Services, is one of the longest standing and most familiar figures within the sports turf fraternity and he took time out to chat with Turf Matters about lockdown, the turf grass sector and his work with Floratine We are slowly coming out of lockdown and a sort of normality has begun to take shape.

How have you spent the last five months?

I have provided more agronomic advice to our customers via Zoom and over the telephone than ever before! This has included guidance on how they can maintain their courses with reduced staff and budgets.

We have made use of the furlough scheme for several employees. However, as a business, we have enjoyed our busiest six months in 14 years. This is mainly due to the diversity of customers and the types of products and advice we provide, both nationally and internationally.

Golf seems to be confounding predictions with many clubs seeing record numbers of new members. Have you found signs of positivity among your clients?

We have seen positivity among many clubs.

We have also been very excited to welcome new clients to our portfolio, which has been fantastic for the future of the business.

I do think many clubs were caught out with the high volume of people deciding to play golf. Given very little notice gave them limited time to prepare their courses.

They had to review their entire way of working with their teams and safety being one of the main factors. One of the ways this was achieved, was by teams splitting in to two groups and adapting their working practices, for example using one piece of machinery per one person.

One of the adopted methods used by many of our clients was to change their plans for renovation and we assisted by providing them with Ninja Tines as a viable alternative to aggressive aeration and top dressing. We were also able to supply chemical thatch management.

I know having a non-played golf course tends to defeat the purpose but will golf courses have benefited from not being played for an entire spring, or do they need play to keep them match fit?

The wildlife will have certainly enjoyed 60 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

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David in conversation with Real Madrid Head Groundsman, Paul Burgess

lockdown and the unoccupied greens, but that is really where it ends!

It has been extremely difficult to maintain course quality with skeleton staff and reduced budgets. Of the many clubs we deal with, those that have retained a high proportion of their employees have certainly regained routine much faster, which has resulted in less stress to the turf during the lockdown as well as a more contented work place. Producing quality playing surfaces is a neverending process, with certain procedures carried out every day of every week Water management, nutrition, thatch management and aeration are no exception as this is where our expertise lies.

into their products and they are always striving to stay ahead of the rest.

I know you have a strong relationship with Floratine. Can you describe how this came about and the benefits it has created for Agronomic Services?

I joined Floratine’s agronomic team as European Technical Director in 1999 and thought I knew a reasonable amount about soil science and plant nutrition! Over the next ten years, I gained an enormous amount of knowledge about plant physiology and soil science from a true genius, Travis Jones, who very sadly is no longer with us. Under his expert guidance, Floratine designed and engineered a range of true foliar applied products and soil conditioners, specifically for turf. There is no other company in the world who does this.

Our industry is flooded with companies selling products form the agricultural and horticultural world. The big difference is that the Floratine Products Group are pioneers and market leaders in their field.

They are continually pushing the boundaries on how to maintain sports turf. They are not in the business of producing and using fungicides, but specifically supporting and promoting plant strength and health.

I equate them to Formula 1 – they are so advanced when it comes to the innovation and quality of the raw materials that go

How will it assist turf managers with their maintenance programmes going forward?

As you know, there are far less fungicides available to turf managers and this will only continue to diminish. However, plants will remain under even more stress.

Floratine have always focused on plant strength and health and they have now added six important elements to the new range of foliar NPK products.

The latest new product created by the white coats at Floratine is X Factor. I know there is a great deal of excitement about it. Can you explain why?

Travis’s legacy lives on, with a team of formulators and chemists, who have taken Foliar Applied NPK nutrition to a completely new level.

There is simply nothing like the X Factor range on the market and there probably won’t be for some time! The technology that has been incorporated into these products will dramatically benefit turf and turf managers.

X Factor is just one of several Floratine products you work with at Agronomic Services. Can you tell me a little about some of the others?

Non-intrusive thatch management products, such as Thatch Buster and water management and soil conditioning products such as Retain and Pervade, have played a major role in supporting turf managers in increasing the efficiency of the rootzones.

What are your expectations and hopes for the next 12 months?

We have been so touched by the loyalty of our customers. It will be wonderful to be able to do more field visits as restrictions are lifted. We have learnt a great deal from Covid-19. We will continue to build the business both in the UK and internationally.

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 61

UTV/ATV

Tyre revolution Sussex-based Redstone Tyres has made a name for itself over the last 20 years. From well-known tyre wholesalers, they’re grown to become one of the UK’s leading grounds maintenance specialists, one of the few British tyre manufacturers and it is now making huge inroads into the ATV market.

The key to its success lies in the fact that it listens to customers and, what’s more, it acts on what it hears to give their customers what they want and need. And this is exactly what prompted a huge step forward for the company.

“It dawned on me that we had a company full of specialist tyre knowledge and expertise, so why shouldn’t we start making our own? After all, we knew what our customers wanted and we could give them exactly that, without having to compromise,” explained Managing Director, Marcus Hull.

Their Redwing brand of tyres was

born just a few months later, in 2015, shaking up the grounds maintenance market with its signature Turf 24 tyre, followed quickly by a growing range of popular tread patterns, including smart Fairway tyres for golf buggies.

Now, armed with a range of tyres for all major manufacturers of ATVs and trailers, UTVs, quad bikes and more, Redstone is in the process of shaking up the ATV market too. Leading the charge are four tyres that are ideal for the all sectors of the market. Redstone have really gone to town with the Redwing Knobbly, one of the most popular ATV trailer tyres, by making the toughest Knobbly tread on the market. It’s a third heavier than its nearest rivals and the only one to also offer a puncture resistant option in the unique RX Aramid.

Whatever the machine, whatever the terrain, Redstone has perfect tyres for ATVs, UTVs, trailers and quad bikes. If there’s a tread or a size you need, you only have to ask. redstoneuk.com

62 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

A MODEL FOR ALL OCCASIONS Honda’s expansive range of ATVs and UTVs (side-by-sides) offers a model for all occasions.

Honda’s main ATV line-up kicks off with the (2wd) Fourtrax 250 (from £4,600 ex-VAT). Ideal for carrying out light or mediumduty jobs, it benefits from features borrowed from higher specification models, such as an automatic clutch and a multifunction LCD instrument display.

From £6,425 ex-VAT, the Fourtrax 420 continues as a best-seller, with a variety of specifications to choose from.

A thick, soft seat cushion offers real comfort, which is even more noticeable on 420s fitted with the independent rear suspension that improves ride quality and grip levels. Manual

and electric shift (five-speed) transmissions are available.

Capable of hauling loads up to 600kg, the Foreman 520 models (from £7,850 ex-VAT) define heavy duty. A longitudinal engine layout routes power directly to the wheels, without any unnecessary detours, key to smoothly deploying the considerable torque.

From £9,999 ex-VAT, Honda’s Pioneer brings extra protection and power to the traditional abilities associated with an ATV. Robust rollover bars provide protection and the mounting structure to fit a full cabin, which keeps all weathers at bay, while a heater can be equipped too, so long days in the Pioneer are safe and comfortable. www.honda.co.uk/atv

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Introducing the gentle UTV – the Polaris Ranger EV Fitted with 12-inch turf tyres as standard, the Polaris Ranger EV pairs the off-road capabilities of the world’s bestselling UTV, with the clean and gentle operation of an electric vehicle.

Being completely electric, the Ranger EV gives you a clean ride with no exhaust fumes, as well as keeping disturbance to a minimum thanks to its whisper-quiet engine noise. It’s propelled by a single 48volt, high-efficiency AC-induction motor and needs little maintenance due to its direct drive system with low-noise transmission.

Charging from a standard domestic plug, the Ranger EV offers a usable and practical driving range in any environment.

The Polaris Ranger EV has a useful cargo bed with a quick and easy tilt function via a one-click lever. What’s more, the EV boasts an impressive 1,000lb or 454kg payload capacity in addition to a

1,500lb or 680kg towing capacity, making it the most capable battery electric side-by-side in its class.

The Macpherson Strut front suspension and Dual A-Arm independent rear suspension offers 9 inches of suspension travel, paired with 10 inches of ground clearance for a smooth and comfortable ride on any terrain. If you’re riding on rough ground, the Ranger EV has on-demand all-wheel drive, so all four wheels engage automatically when the vehicle needs more forward traction, reverting back to two-wheel drive when it doesn’t for ultimate

range and power management.

Polaris is proud to offer an extensive range of accessories for endless customisation options to the Polaris vehicle lineup.

From weather protection, style, performance, winches, tyres/ tracks, ploughs, audio, storage and much more – there are plenty of solutions and upgrades to choose from. In addition to parts and accessories for permanent installation, Polaris Lock & Ride system accessories are available for most of models in the range – including the Ranger and Sportsman. The revolutionary system allows fitment and removal in seconds, meaning that accessories can be added or removed as and when they’re needed.

The Ranger EV is available in Avalanche Grey, as well as with a Polaris Pursuit® Camo finish – starting from £14,148 including VAT.

Finance deal for Kioti CK4010CH Kioti UK have launched a finance package for their CK4010CH flagship model.

Two finance schemes are available, the first is a flat rate of 0% based on two annual payments. The second scheme has a 2.00 % flat rate but will allow the end user to spread payment longer, with what should be 55 monthly payments. Both schemes are based on 50% of the full retail price.

The Kioti five year 3,000 hour warranty gives owners further reassurance. The Kioti 3 cylinder 40 horse power engine gives efficient fuel consumption, low noise and low vibration performance. www.kioti-uk.com

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 63

stadium WINTER FUNGICIDE of light

Plan now for winter fungicide One of the frequent questions we get posed is what fungicide, when? It’s essential to have a planned programme going into the winter, with what you think you will need, based on past experience. But to get the best from it you need to be flexible to adapt timing and product choice to the prevailing conditions and disease risks. Syngenta Turf Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby (left), outlines how to achieve it

T

he one sure thing is that there will be microdochium patch outbreaks this year.

Already we have had reports of infections during humid periods, especially where there has been any nutrient or moistures stress and wear from heavy play. These factors are all being investigated as part of the Syngenta Unlock and Play trial at STRI. With golf courses playing catch up after lockdown, both financially and for

64 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

number of rounds, keeping turf in high quality right through the winter will be crucial for player satisfaction. Any early loss in playing surface speed and smoothness from disease will not be recoverable until next spring.

Right start The starting rule for fungicide selection is that systemic products are more appropriate whilst turf is still actively growing, where they will be taken up into the leaf and moved around within the plant to target points of infection. That is typically the initial treatments in the early part of the winter programme, although it will depend where in the country you are and, with current weather patterns, could continue well into the winter.

When growth is static, then a contact fungicide will sit on the leaf, or in the leaf wax layer, to protect against spores germinating in the surface and penetrating into the leaf. That is more applicable later in the season or during cold spells.

If turf is still being cut, systemic

actives such as azoxystrobin (Heritage) can recycle and replenish new growth with protection, whereas a contact fungicide would be mown off and new growth from the base left unprotected.

Clearly, if infection has already occurred, a systemic fungicide could still have an effect in targeting the pathogen in the leaf during the early stages of development – curative activity; whereas a contact would not.

Some fungicides do contain a combination of both systemic and contact activity, as a useful bridge between the two situations. Furthermore, the active fludioxonil (Medallion TL and Instrata Elite) can target disease spores in the thatch, to prevent early infection and reduce inoculum pressure.

Preventative application In all instances, the best results are consistently achieved with preventative fungicide applications. And to get the longest period of protection, it wants to be applied close as possible to the period of risk. Ideally, we are looking

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programme at a timing one to two days ahead of infection, not weeks in advance.

That means getting better at predicting infection risk and understanding when turf is most likely to be susceptible. The implication is that when conditions are favourable for microdochium, the window of opportunity to take corrective action can be very limited.

The typical weather conditions for disease outbreaks are well documented and developed in the GreenCast disease forecasts to model local disease pressure and risk. It does not necessarily follow that widespread disease will occur. If growth is strong and turf is not under stress, there is a good chance that it would withstand or outgrow some degree of short-term disease pressure, without the need for a fungicide.

However, if growth is slow, disease pressure is sustained or there is stress – which is the case for most intensively managed greens, for example – then a well-timed proactive fungicide treatment can help to supress disease through the risk period and prevent a serious outbreak.

Disease forecasting, along with personal

experience and indicator greens to foretell first outbreaks, is invaluable to adapt the fungicide timing through the season. By assessing the risk of infection, it gives the chance to extend application intervals when the pressure is low, but tighten up where risk is high. The aim of a proactive fungicide strategy is to use as little as possible, but as much as necessary, to attain the desired control levels.

Renovation stress Autumn renovations are often the trigger point for the onset of disease infections, with increased stress and damage to turf creating an easy entry point for disease. Whether renovations go ahead this year has been questioned by many clubs, in an effort to avoid further disruption to play and to reduce costs.

But any short term gain in reduced disease pressure by delaying renovation, will be offset by the longer-term implications of increased organic matter and sward composition that will exacerbate issues in the future.

If renovations are simply pushed back until later in the season, that could prove the worst of all worlds by creating added stress and plant damage that could coincide with rising disease pressure. A pre-renovation preventative fungicide application can be essential to come out of the process clean and give new seedlings the best chance to establish.

Also, with all turf management practices, anything that can alleviate stress, including water management, cutting height, nutrition and effects of excess sunlight, will help reduced the incidence and }

Autumn renovations raise the spectre of disease pressure

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 65

WINTER FUNGICIDE

every application has to be made as effective as possible, so as not to leave any disease pathogen uncontrolled } pressure of disease through the season.

Research with the use of Primo Maxx II has shown measures to protect and build up root mass through the summer, increases the carbohydrate reserves and the resilience of turf to better withstand the effects of disease.

The integrated approach of using both cultural controls and fungicides in combination has consistently proved the most cost effective and sustainable route to maintain turf quality.

Tailored strategy Every course or turf manager has to develop their disease management strategy that meets their specific customers’ demands.

Syngenta research, with STRI, has sought to qualify the impacts of low levels of Microdochium nivale infection.

Outbreaks at 1% to 2% of surface area affected are often seen as the maximum acceptable. Levels of 5% that might sound low, actually look visually extremely harsh.

For example, 5% infection on a typical

66 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

green would equate to 275,000cm2, or over 27m2. Most would consider 5.5m2 of infected area on a green – just 1% of the surface area – as unacceptably high.

Research in Ireland this season demonstrated that only an assessed score of 0%-0.25% disease infection, achieved by incorporating a new Syngenta development turf fungicide active into the programme, provided the necessary long-term control in a very high pressure situation.

Resistance challenges Fungicide options have been made significantly more challenging for turf managers this season, following the regulatory loss of some key actives that have been highly successful over past seasons. There are still sufficient permitted applications to create a comprehensive programme for most situations, but greenkeepers and agronomists will have to be smarter about where they are utilised.

There is also a completely new fungicide active for turf in the

registration pipeline, which is planned to become available for this season.

One of the issues is resistance management, where the objective is to use different fungicide modes of action with each application, to minimise the risk of enabling any less susceptible genotypes of a pathogen to evolve and multiply. With fewer modes of action available that is more difficult.

What it does mean is that every application has to be made as effective as possible, so as not to leave any disease pathogen uncontrolled. The best way to achieve that is preventative timing, always using the full recommended rate of a product, using mixed modes of action where available, and getting the application as accurate as possible.

Starting the disease control strategy early by integrating cultural control with effective fungicide technology, and applying them strategically, offers the best chance to keep playing surfaces clean and green right through the winter this season.

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Using autumn growth to restore root mass could help winter protection

Microdochium pressure Studies have shown that Microdochium nivale spores could be found in turf with no visible signs of infection throughout the year.

The research in Norway also showed that pathogen populations were equally present on greens as well as surrounding areas, along with being found in similar numbers in sunny areas of greens, compared to shaded areas.

This latter fact highlights that, with spore presence almost ubiquitous across the golf course, it is the prevailing conditions and health of the turf in localised areas that is the precursor to infection breaking out and the speed of development.

When M. nivale has been isolated and grown in laboratory conditions, the radial growth rate indicating rate of disease development was measured at 1.3mm to 1.6mm (av. 1.4mm) per day at 2°C. But when incubated at 20°C grew at 7.5mm to 8.5mm per day.

Whilst disease develops faster at higher temperatures, at cooler temperatures, when turf activity is slower, it is more susceptible to effects of infection. At cooler temperatures the M. nivale is also subject to less competition from other antagonistic microorganisms in the sward, and is therefore able to thrive in the niche conditions.

This also explains why, if turf is under intense stress at other periods of the year, Microdochium Patch can break out at unexpected times, and why the pathogen is so adept at surviving from one season to the next.

The original source of the infection also has to be considered.

If the spores arrive as wind-borne ascospores, the required conditions and development time would be slower, compared to if there is saprophytic mycelial growth in plant debris at a resting stage, poised for conducive conditions to develop. M. nivale has been reported to have strong saprophytic ability, hence the inoculum source could be conidia and hyphae already present in the sward.

Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 67

BUYERS’ GUIDE

BUYERS’ GUIDE Statistics reveal scale of

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AERATION

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Golf Course Management

Consultant www.lgseeds.co.uk Golf Course Advice; Locum Greenkeeper Service; Project Management; Practical Solutions for Genuine Problems EQUIPMENT

MACHINERY Bringing technical excellence and service Toro Reelmaster 5010-H with PowerMatch to Horsepower turf and groundcare

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n Agronomy Audits n Advisory Services n Project Management n Construction n Budgets www.gregevansmg.com Call: 07951 157208 or email: gregevansmg@gmail.com

www.billymcmillanassociates.co.uk Tel: 07774 632747

www.toro5010.com

TC1038 Turf Matters Buyers Guide.indd 1 ing by

AGRONOMY SERVICES

17:35

on Demand

• Turf Cutters • TurfBringing Aerators technical

The industry’s first true hybrid-drive fairway mower has arrived.

excellence and service to turf and groundcare

www.wiedenmann.co.uk 0141 814 3366

• Core Collectors

info@groundsmanindustries.com

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0141 814 3366

Fertilisers and Chemicals

ble 2

IRRIGATION

Table 1

SPORTS TURF CONTRACTORS www.toro5010.com

One of the UK’s

EQUIPMENTleading natural and artificial sports turf

Turf Matters | February-March 2016 | 33

specialists.

From TC1038 Turf Matters Buyers Guide.indd 1 21/12/2015 17:35 initial concept and planning through Contractors to construction, Good Grounding in Sport drainage, renovation Bringing technical and maintenance.

Agripower

04/03/2016 14:05

excellence and service towww.agripower.co.uk turf and groundcare Tel: 01494 866776

www.compo-expert.com agronomy@compo-expert.com

68 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

Agripower Contractors, Broomfield Farm, Rignall Road, Great Missenden, Bucks HP16 9PE

www.wiedenmann.co.uk 0141 814 3366

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making making turf turf matter matter

TURF

OVER 30 YEARS OF CARE, OVER 30 YEARS OF CARE, CONSIDERATION CONSIDERATION AND AND QUALITY QUALITY

www.turfmatters.co.uk www.turfmatters.co.uk

Invicta Groundcare Equipment Ltd

CALL US ON 01759 321000

www.inturf.com

FOOTWEAR

Tea Break Teaser

Answers

TRACTORS

Kioti UK Ltd Abbotsley Golf Hotel, Potton Road, St Neots, Cambs PE19 6XN Telephone 01480-401512 www.kioti-uk.com

One of Europe’s largest quality used golf machinery buyers InvictaTurfcare

Call us on 01474 874120

Invicta_groundcare

www.invicta-groundcare.co.uk

EQUIPMENT WASH DOWN

1. Fettes; 2. Squash; 3. Sir Bob Geldof; 4. Gordonstoun; 5. Strawberries, meringue and whipped cream; 6. William Webb Ellis; 7. Greyfriars School; 8. Westminster School; 9. 1950s (1954); 10. Millfield; 11. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff; 12. Sir Andrew Strauss; 13. Charterhouse; 14. The Princess Royal; 15. Over 2,500 – the latest figure suggests that there are around 2,600 independent schools in the UK.

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n Agronomy Audits n Advisory Services n Project Management n Construction n Budgets www.gregevansmg.com Call: 07951 157208 or email: gregevansmg@gmail.com

ON A SCREEN NEAR YOU Go to YouTube.com, search for ‘Turf Matters’ and find out why we’re our industry’s most watched channel.

Are you an employer looking to recruit? l Featured in the Turf Recruit section of the website –our most visited page l Featured in our monthly dedicated jobs e-shot – sent to over 26,000 industry professionals l No time limitations – the job remains listed online until you FILL IT l Regular social media promotion of your job to an audience of over 7,000 and growing

To find out more contact Marie Anderson Email: marie@turfmatters.co.uk Telephone: 07841 927500

www.turfmatters.co.uk Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | 69

COMMENT

making turf matter

Well, the season is well underway now and I’ve resorted to my regular form – bad news if you know what my regular form generally consists of.

I’m surprised, however, because midway through lockdown I changed tack completely with a view to revising the form which had won me precisely nothing in 50 years of effort. It wasn’t a complete shot in the dark, an accusation which could easily have been levelled at me in the past. No, this time it was following the strategy and form of a man who has burst onto the scene over the last three years.

70 | Turf Matters | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

I’m talking about Bryson DeChambeau, that cooky golfing mad professor – the man with every club the same length and a swing that wouldn’t look out of place in our monthly rabbits’ medal.

Let’s face it, it’s not a thing of beauty.

Now, I’ve not gone so far as to invest in a set of identically-lengthed Pings.

That would be just ludicrous and too expensive to contemplate. Nor have I purchased a Ben Hogan style bonnet. While sartorially spot on, it wouldn’t make a shred of difference to the bottom line of my score card.

No, what I’ve attempted to do is match Master DeChambeau in his other great golfing project of lockdown. Just as he has added three stone to his body weight, become the longest driver in the Tour’s history and barely dropped off the leaderboard in two months since, I’ve added on three stone and knocked an average of 12 shots off a round – mainly admittedly because I’m so exhausted carting around this additional bulk that I normally walk in after the 16th.

But I’m prepared to persevere. Nothing worth having is achieved easily in this life and that additional length is not an ambition I’m going to let drop lightly.

My diet now comprises of a full English every morning; a cheese scone and butter around 11; lunch of two platefuls of soup and two bags of crisps; two more buttered scones at 3pm; three course meal, including a family sized steak and kidney pie (chicken pie on Wednesdays), at 6 and a cheese and ham

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toastie at 10pm. Between times I take on extra glucose in the shape of chocolate.

I know, you must be astonished at the discipline shown by someone who is only a weekend club golfer, but I have been blessed by a single minded determination to achieve, and having seen the success of young Bryson I am keeping up this regime seven days a week.

One thing I have noticed, however, and I’m assuming it is a phase which has to be battled through. While Bryson looks to have made major changes to his shoulders, arms and chest, most of my changes seem to have appeared around my midriff. I fully expect this to move up to what I understand are called my pecs and my guns as I continue the process.

I don’t mind admitting that Mrs Golfing Nobody hasn’t exactly bought into my challenge and couldn’t in all honesty be described as being supportive. Sure, she has been spending endless days at the cooker and endless nights sewing elastic into the waistbands of what would be otherwise unusable trousers, but those tasks are not being carried out with her familiar joie de vivre.

I am aware that my plan has not met with universal approval at the club. I do hear a few whispers behind my back littered with the words “porky” and “lardy” while the odd light-hearted “Who ate all the pies?” is shouted across the putting green.

I do smile as I do know the answer to that particular question – it’s me!

I’m putting this down to jealousy and a bit of apprehension about how the success of my strategy might impact upon my opponents. If I can reduce a few of those 410 yard par-4s to two woods and a wedge rather than three woods I know that my scoring will improve and I may have to take Mrs Golfing Nobody off cooking and sewing duty and onto assembling a new trophy cabinet. *As told to Scott MacCallum