Hong Kong EcoBunkers Survive Typhoon

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Hong Kong EcoBunkers Survive Typhoon: Hong Kong were last weekend hit by Typhoon Mangkhut, which was the most intense storm to hit the territory since records began back in 1946. Winds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph) battered the region, and the associated storm surge saw floodwaters reach their highest levels since 1904, up to 3.38 metres (eleven feet) above normal.

The storm uprooted 1,500 trees and shattered hundreds of windows across Hong Kong. But on two of the territory’s golf courses, the damage was less than might have been expected. During the summer, both the Shek O Country Club and the Clearwater Bay G&CC installed the EcoBunker synthetic edging system in trial bunkers on their courses, and both bunkers survived the storm with no damage to the artificial turf wall, in contrast with the rest of the course, several holes of which were left underwater.

Hong Kong EcoBunkers Survive Typhoon

During summer 2018, the 99 year old Shek O club used a small area of land close to the coast to build a new short game practice area, with three artificial grass greens, each with three tees, creating, in effect, a nine hole par three short course. Late in planning, the club, in conjunction with Hong Kong-based EcoBunker distributor Jeffrey Eshuis of Centaur Asia Pacific, decided to use the EcoBunker system on the practice area. Course manager Ross Grieve was interested in learning about new bunker construction methods that could be used to reduce his maintenance on many of the course’s bunkers, which tend to suffer from regular washouts during the region’s regular heavy rainfall events.

EcoBunker airfreighted three pallets of its product from London to Hong Kong, and chief executive Richard Allen travelled to the territory to train the local teams in the unique EcoBunker construction technique.

Meanwhile, at Clearwater Bay down the coast, EcoBunker construction specialist Llewelyn Matthews built another trial bunker – using a combination of Capillary Concrete liner technology and EcoBunker edging – in August. That too survived Mangkhut intact.
Richard Allen said: “The design is based on an innovative fusion of established engineering techniques, providing confidence in the strength and stability of our product and our construction methodology, but you don’t get any testing grounds more severe than a super-typhoon of this kind. Both clubs have a lot of clearing up to do elsewhere, but their EcoBunkers won’t be adding to the workload.”

Hong Kong EcoBunkers Survive Typhoon

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Reesink To Distribute 1st Products

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Reesink To Distribute 1st Products: Reesink Turfcare is delighted to announce it has secured the exclusive UK distribution rights for a specialist range of tractor mounted aeration equipment from 1st Products, an American-based company.

Better ways to aerate and remove thatch to more efficient seeding, the versatile capsule range of 1st Products tractor attachments, which are available now, complement Reesink Turfcare’s growing range of tractor mounted attachments.

Reesink To Distribute 1st Products

Steven Haynes, sales manager for TYM, which Reesink also distributes and which are a good fit with the 1st Products range, says: “We’re introducing three core product lines back into the UK from 1st Products, having been previously imported by Mumby Machinery.”

First in the range is the AERA-Vator, a subsurface aerator whose unique osilating vibrating tine system loosens, rather than punches, the soil around and underneath each tine. Allowing better air and water infiltration and easing soil compaction, the AERA-Vator does the job without leaving cores or plugs behind and means less post-aerification clean up. The AERA-Vator is also able to aerate dry soil to reduce the expense of pre-irrigating; in fact, the harder the soil, the better the AERA-Vator performs. The AERA-Vator can also be equipped with a unique seeding box, allowing the customer to aerate and seed in one pass.

The AERA-Vator has the additional benefit of being designed with a universal frame system, so extra shafts can be added to expand its capabilities. The shafts, available in conjunction with the AERA-Vator through Reesink Turfcare, are the Multi-Tine, Multi-Slicer, Multi-Spike and the non-PTO Coring shaft.

The big brother of the AERA-Vator, is the AGRI-Vator. A larger machine ideal for relieving soil compaction on bigger areas such as race courses and polo fields, the AGRI-Vator brings the same oscillating hubs as found on the smaller AERA-Vator, but with larger tines to provide more depth and subsoil fracturing. The tines create holes which are six inches deep and their aggressiveness can be varied by changing the PTO RPM and groundspeed.

The biggest advantage of the last item in the range – the VC Verti-Cutter – is the speed and depth which the machine can work to. Depth adjustments can be made in the field with no tools using a simple detent pin allowing the height to be adjusted in 5mm increments. It has a unique swing-hitch allowing for enhanced manoeuvrability around obstacles without the need for the operator to lift the unit and the pivot points in the hitch, as with all frame and shaft assemblies, allow the unit to turn and float over uneven terrain.

Steven concludes by saying: “This range from 1st Products was chosen to give customers even more value from their tractor investment. Reesink is careful in selecting items to pair up with existing products, but with 1st Product’s reputation and almost 40 years’ experience as a leader in the turfcare market, we’re happy to partner with them to bring a reliable range of quality attachments to our customers.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress

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Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress: After a summer of prolonged dry weather, grass plants have experienced extreme droughts, and greenkeepers are reminded to act now before disease onset this autumn.

Dr Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, explains that stressed turf is more likely to be affected by diseases such as Anthracnose, foliar blight and Anthracnose basal rot.

Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress

“Grass swards are struggling to recover following this summer’s extreme weather conditions, making them more susceptible to disease. If weather conditions are cool and damp going forward you’ll be more likely to see disease outbreaks,” he says.

“Anthracnose is known as a low nitrogen disease so it’s essential to monitor plant nutrition regularly to keep your grass plant in the best condition. You can do this by looking at grass clippings when mowing greens or taking soil or tissue samples and applying correct nutrients if required.

“However, if conducive weather conditions prevail, I’d advise greenkeepers to treat turf preventatively to stop disease from establishing, using a dual action fungicide such as Dedicate (tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin).

“As well as helping to reduce the impact of scarring, treating turf preventatively will minimise the effect of Anthracnose, in turn leaving you with a healthier grass plant that’s able to withstand other disease stresses like Microdochium Patch,” says Colin.

Following the loss of iprodione, Colin recommends that greenkeepers use an integrated approach to combat disease. This should include both cultural and biological controls as well as fungicides if required.

For further information about preventative fungicides please visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk or contact the Turf Solutions Team on 00800 1214 9451, at turfsolutions@bayer.com

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Pompey’s Fox In The Box

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Pompey’s Fox In The Box: It appears Portsmouth may have unearthed a new fox in the box, but it’s not a new striker that has arrived at Fratton Park.

Not that they need much help in that department as things stand anyway!

Pompey's Fox In The Box

Nor is it the breakthrough of one of their academy youngsters, who’ll set the world alight with his youthful exuberance and a disregard for reputations, leaving even the most experienced of defenders running scared.

Unfortunately, it’s the discovery of a danger of a different kind that will have the club’s groundsman feeling nervous. Fratton Park has always had problems with foxes.

And it appears the latest batch of unwanted residents at PO4 have taken their residency to a new level.

As Pompey prepare to play host to Wycombe on Saturday, the ground staff at Fratton Park arrived at work on Thursday to discover some interesting chunks had been taken out of the playing surface.

That will leave the groundsman ‘holed up’ all day in a race against time to repair the damage ahead of the visit of the Chairboys.

And he’ll have to come up with a cunning plan so that he’s not outfoxed in the future!

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Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

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Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula: Brian Scott, Course Manager at the Rosemount course at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Perthshire, Scotland, has praised a tank-mix combination of ICL’s Vitalnova Stressbuster and Syngenta’s Primo Maxx II growth regulator for the success of his greens.

The Rosemount Course, venue of Greg Normans first European tour victory was designed by James Braid with influences from Dr. Alistair McKenzie – the renowned architect of the Augusta National course. It has played host to a number of prestigious professional and amateur tournaments and provides a challenging test for golfers of all abilities.

Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

This heathland course is set through mature pines, silver birch and heather and has many admirers across the world. One of Rosemount’s greatest attributes is its immaculate greens which are frequently praised by members and guests alike.

For the past three years Brian has been applying a tank-mixture consisting of Vitalnova Stressbuster and Primo Maxx to the greens – which was a combination recommended to him by Jamie Lees, ICL’s Technical Area Sales Manager in Scotland.

“A few years ago; we were looking for something we could use consistently instead of mixing four or five products. Jamie suggested the combination of Stressbuster and Primo Maxx and in the first year we had such good results it made sense to continue with it.

Brian applies a mixture of both Vitalnova Stressbuster and Primo Maxx II at half rate (0.2 L/ha Primo Maxx II & 20 L/ha Stressbuster) every two weeks from May through to September and believes the two products perfectly complement one another. While Primo Maxx II helps keep excessive growth at bay, Vitalnova Stressbuster pre-conditions turf against stress and helps generate a quick recovery. Featuring iron which provides an instant colour, Vitalnova Stressbuster also contains a unique combination of macro and micro nutrients, wetting agents, biostimulants and amino acids which help to fight off unwanted stress as well as stimulating the good bacteria in the soil.

Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

With a hectic maintenance schedule and the un-predictable Scottish weather, Brian believes that flexibility is key to keeping the greens in impeccable condition throughout the year.

“I particularly like how you can be so flexible with this tank-mixture. Depending on how your growth is, we might up the Primo application, add an extra bit of nitrogen or if it is dry then we might add more wetting agent.

“Since we have been using this formula we haven’t suffered with any disease or loss of colour – in fact after applying it we see colour up in just a couple of days. We wanted longevity and it provides us with exactly that.”

Please contact ICL on +44 (0)1473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie

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