Launch Of ISEKI UK & Ireland

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Launch Of ISEKI UK & Ireland: ISEKI UK & Ireland has been launched as part of a huge investment in UK and Ireland markets by the Japanese tractor manufacturer.

The launch of ISEKI UK & Ireland is an exciting development showing great investment and commitment by ISEKI in these key markets. ISEKI UK ltd is a company formed with investment from ISEKI for the sole purpose of distributing the ISEKI range of products and growing market share and sales in the UK & Ireland Markets.

Launch Of ISEKI UK & Ireland

For the last many years, the ISEKI product line has been distributed in the UK and Ireland by Ransomes Jacobsen operating out of their facilities in Ipswich Suffolk. ISEKI would like to sincerely thank Ransomes Jacobsen for all their hard work and dedication over this period and look forward to building on this foundation.

The new ISEKI company will also be based in the Ipswich area and joining ISEKI UK in the new year as Managing Director will be ex-President of Jacobsen, David Withers.

Withers is well known in the industry having served for many years at Ransomes and Jacobsen and more recently working as a business consultant in the golf industry.

“I started working with Iseki when the product line came to Jacobsen in 1996 and have always enjoyed being involved with such an exciting and reliable product line. When ISEKI outlined their strategic vision of getting closer to the customers by investing in their own distribution in the UK it made sense to me” said Withers, who went on to say “I am really looking forward to joining Iseki UK in the New Year to head up this exciting new venture”

Kazuya Tani the European Managing Director of ISEKI  said “This is an exciting time for ISEKI we will be investing more in marketing and promotions of the ISEKI brand and want to see a wider acceptance of our products through expanding our markets served and getting more share from existing customers. The commitment of ISEKI to the UK Market will be significant and we trust that the market will react positively to this approach”

More information will be issued over coming weeks and no changes are anticipated to the current dealer network.

For more information go to www.iseki.co.uk

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WACA Jack Gets Cricket Ground Ready For Ashes Test

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‘WACA Jack’ Gets Cricket Ground Ready For Ashes Test: Next weeks’ Ashes test will be the last to be held at Perth’s traditional home of cricket.

John Lewis, who was given his more catchy nickname by WA fast bowling great Dennis Lillee, has been a WACA Ground staple for almost 40 years with his jobs varying from “general fixer-upper”, groundsman and assistant pitch curator to cultivating his beloved roses.

WACA Jack Gets Cricket Ground Ready For Ashes Test

But as the WACA prepares for its final Ashes battle tomorrow week before a move to Perth Stadium, the 71-year-old admits his tenure is also nearing an end. Unlike most Victorians who revere the MCG, his adopted State’s ground is his only love.

“To me it’s home … well, my second home anyway,” Mr Lewis said. “It may as well be because the only time I’m not here is when I’m home sleepin’. To be here for so long, this ground means everything to me, mate, it really does. It’s going to be hard to walk away, mate, I can tell ya.”

Mr Lewis, a former roof carpenter and truck driver who survived a heart attack in 2015, started work at the WACA on June 19, 1978.

“At 8am,” he said proudly.

He laughed as he recalled once heading out to the wicket to remove a broken stump with a hammer and a screwdriver, only to find English Test batsman Derek Randall unsuccessfully trying to loosen it pouring cordial down the stump hole.

Mr Lewis still has his part of the stump at home. But not all of his tasks were a joy. “There were 1287 old garden chairs which were all multiple colours,” he said.

“Every year they had to be shaved back and repainted with all new boards put on. It would take nearly the whole of winter to fix them up.”

And there was only a brief pause when asked what he could buy if he had a dollar for every time he had mowed the WACA lawn. “Probably the Taj Mahal,” Mr Lewis said with his trademark cheeky grin.

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Iprodione Withdrawal Update

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Iprodione Withdrawal Update: An EU meeting, held by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF), has voted against the inclusion of iprodione. As a result, all products across Europe containing this active ingredient, including Chipco® Green and Interface® from Bayer, will be removed from the market.

Bayer is working to the following timescales for the UK and Ireland, in terms of sell-out and usage periods of iprodione product based registrations:

  • 5 March 2018 – sales of Chipco® Green and Interface® will cease and the three month use-up period will commence
  • 5 June 2018 – this is the last date for storage, disposal and use of any iprodione based products, including Chipco® Green and Interface®

Iprodione Withdrawal Update

The loss of iprodione reduces the available number of fungicide groups for turf managers from six to five. With other chemicals also due for assessment, a further reduction in the total number of products on the market for turf disease control is to be expected.

In light of this, Bayer was pleased to launch a new turf fungicide, Exteris® Stressgard®, at BTME in January 2017.  The new product brings a totally new fungicide group to the market – SDHIs, and without this innovation from Bayer, greenkeepers would only have access to four fungicide groups.

“Exteris® Stressgard® has unique benefits, making it an integral part of many turf disease management programmes for the future.  It’s important for turf managers to appreciate that the continued pressure on contact acting, chemistry will likely mean that they need to adopt a preventative disease control strategy, and Exteris® Stressgard® is ideal for this approach,” says Steve Bishop, Bayer professional product manager.

Steve reminds greenkeepers that Chipco Green® in particular has been a key management tool for the control of turf diseases for over 35 years.

“Greenkeepers should not be concerned with using the product up to its last use date. Numerous studies have been conducted on iprodione and we believe that our products, when used according to the label, are highly effective and do not pose any undue risk to the operator and environment.”

For further information on the withdrawal of iprodione and Bayer products, please contact the Turf Solutions Team on 00800 1214 9451 or email turfsolutions@bayer.com

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College Reports Excellent Results From ICL

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College Reports Excellent Results From ICL: Radley College in Abingdon, Oxfordshire has reported excellent results from ICL, with Grounds Manager Adam King saying the ProTurf and Vitalnova Stressbuster have helped him improve the health and presentation of the school’s range of sports pitches.

Adam has been at Radley for 17 years, and is responsible for the maintenance of the huge 800 acre site which includes a tenanted farm and a 9-hole golf course as well as the numerous natural and synthetic pitches. Sports played at the College include rugby in the Michaelmas Term, hockey, rowing and football in the Lent Term and cricket, rowing, lawn tennis and athletics in the Summer Term.

College Reports Excellent Results From ICL

“We have 694 boys at Radley and sport is a major part of their life,” says Adam. “The campus is incredibly busy and the pitches are in use all-year round. We host 26 rugby teams, 16 football teams, 22 hockey teams and 24 cricket teams each year.”

Adam has a large team to help him with the mammoth work required to keep the facilities to the impeccable standards expected by Radley College. There is a total of 18 grounds staff including Adam, which consists of eight groundsmen, two greenkeepers and seven gardeners.

The team has strict maintenance procedures in place and, according to Adam, ICL products play an integral role.

“I have a long history with ICL and I have always found the products to provide consistent results.

“What I like about ICL is that, as a company, they are always looking ahead, always developing new products and adding to the stable of quality products. For what we need to do and what we need to achieve at Radley, no matter what the time of year – whether it is relieving turf stress or making grass grow, whatever you need ICL has, and you know that the products perform as you would expect.”

Adam applies ProTurf 15-5-15+2CaO+2MgO in readiness for a busy period of winter sports in which the potassium element can help pre-condition the turf for intensive play and the inevitable harsh weather.

“ProTurf is applied in early August so the grass surfaces are actively growing for the start of the season. The one thing we work on really hard here is recovery – for as long as we can. As long as the soil temperatures are there and the moisture levels are there, we want the grass to keep growing because we have 14 weeks of rugby followed by 12 weeks of football. We all know that by the time we get to January or February the recovery rates are minimal so if we can keep it growing up until Christmas then we will and this is where ProTurf really helps.”

College Reports Excellent Results From ICL

ProTurf contains a combination of Poly-S controlled-release fertilizer technology, readily available urea Nitrogen, and Polyhalite, a naturally occurring mineral sourced from ICL’s Cleveland Potash mine.

The Poly-S technology gives consistent, regular growth over a 2-3 month period without growth peaks while the uncoated Nitrogen portion provides an immediate turf response, even in cooler conditions. Polyhalite contains four macro-nutrients – Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Sulphur. Potassium is required for the process of energy transfer, especially photosynthesis and the breakdown of carbohydrates.

“We base feed with ProTurf,” Adam continues, “and then top up with liquid irons and Sportsmaster WSF SeaMax (a soluble seaweed concentrate) along with Vitalnova Stressbuster – which is a product I would use absolutely everywhere if I could.”

Vitalnova Stressbuster is a unique liquid formulation which pre-conditions turf against stress and helps generate a quick recovery. Featuring iron which provides an instant colour, Stressbuster also contains a unique combination of macro and micro nutrients, wetting agents, bio-stimulants and amino acids.

“Stressbuster is a lovely cocktail of everything you require which gives you a superb result. It contains iron, bio-stimulants, a little bit of sugar, some nitrogen – all of which encourage recovery. Colour-wise I would say we get about 21 days out of it and you get an instant colour-up overnight which is perfect when we apply before a game. It can also be complimented with some Primo Maxx II growth regulator.

“Ultimately Stressbuster is helping us to produce a tightly knit sward that keeps its colour and sends as many roots down as possible. That’s what it is all about in winter sports – with rugby and football it is all about traction so it is important that you have the right products in place.”

It’s not just the products that Adam and his team get great results from: “Emma Kilby (ICLTechnical Area Sales Manager), who I’ve known for many years, is an invaluable person to talk to ensuring that we have the best possible nutritional programme in place,” says Adam.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Scramblers Appointed As Pellenc Dealer

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Scramblers Appointed As Pellenc Dealer: Scramblers have been appointed as a new distributor of Pellenc’s complete range of battery-powered equipment in the Cambridgeshire area.

Scamblers was first established in 1974 and the family owned business specialise in supplying compact tractors, bank tractors, mowers, utility vehicles and turfcare and groundcare machinery for every aspect of turf and grounds maintenance.

New Pellenc Dealer Announced

Having seen the emergence of battery powered equipment over recent years, sales director Ed Scambler, admits that it has been a case of trial and error in selecting the ideal range of equipment suitable for his customers who operate in the commercial market.

“We have tried working with a number of different battery and cordless manufacturers,” he says.

“We’ve known about Pellenc since it first came into the country and we believe it has set the industry standard – it really is at the top end of the market. Until now there hadn’t been an opportunity to distribute Pellenc products so we are absolutely delighted to be working with them. It’s a truly professional brand and with a 3 year warranty on products and fantastic customer support, we know that we are in good hands – which in turn means our customers will be.”

As Ed says, the addition of the Pellenc range of equipment will present Scamblers’ customers with a lighter, odourless, noise-free and more cost effective alternative to petrol powered machinery. Pellenc has developed the most comprehensive range on the market leading the way in terms of performance, lightness and durability. The extensive product range features an impressive portfolio – from chainsaws, pole saws and hedge cutters to grass strimmers, brushcutters and mowers.

Not only will users be able to comfortably achieve a full day’s work without having to re-charge the battery but they will see a huge amount of savings by eliminating the necessity of purchasing fuel. Furthermore, users will be contributing to protecting the environment by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and noise pollution – something which Ed believes will be of huge benefit to his customers in Cambridgeshire.

“We are looking forward to promoting the green credentials, not only pollution in terms of fumes but noise pollution as well. Within Cambridge we have a lot establishments where noise pollution can be just as disruptive and as damaging as the fumes. With that in mind we can see the Pellenc brand being ideal for our customers who operate in universities, parks, hospitals and schools.

“There is a growing demand for green technology and equipment like Pellenc is the future.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk where you can also find more information on Pellenc which is sold exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.

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