New Germinal Appointment

New Germinal Appointment: Alan Thomson has been appointed as Germinal’s new Amenity Technical Sales Representative for Scotland and the North East of England.

Based from his home in Glasgow, Alan will provide technical sales support to Germinal’s customers throughout his region, and will be responsible for promoting the company’s popular range of Grade-A sports and amenity grass seed mixtures to golf course greenkeepers, turf growers, sports groundsmen and landscapers.

New Germinal Appointment

Currently training with the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute) to gain his FACTS (Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme) qualification, Alan will also be responsible for promoting Germinal’s specialist amenity fertiliser range which includes conventional compound products as well as liquid and phased-release fertilisers and specialist sward conditioners.  Alan will also promote Germinal’s range of regional and general landscaping wildflower seed mixtures.

Alan joins Germinal from Glasgow-based John Deere dealership, Nairn Brown, where he was the company’s area sales manager for the central Scotland region.  Prior to this he has worked as the Scottish sales manager for Tacit Golf and also has previous greenkeeping experience from his time at Bothwell Castle Golf Club.

Alan can be contacted via the following:

Mobile: 07887 578802

Email: alan.thomson@germinal.com

Web: www.germinalamenity.com

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Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME: Wiedenmann UK’s popular rough management duo,  the Super 500 and the Terra Rake,  give Wiedenmann Terra Spikes a run for their money when it comes to  greenkeepers’ wish list kit.  Fortunately all three machines will be well represented on stand Red 218 at BTME 2019.

“For rough management, it’s the combination of time saved plus their unrivalled versatility that makes them so popular,” say Wiedenmann UK.

Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

“If you have ‘traditional ridge and furrow’ undulations the Super 500 follows contours easily without scalping and produces a consistent height of cut, whether scarifying or flail mowing. It also is a very thorough leaf collector. The Terra Rake will work in tandem. It scarifies, pulls out thatch and can help us with a long list of other tasks.”

With 11 separate Terra Spikes it’s the class leading Terra Spike GXi8 HD that will get the nod for Harrogate.  Superfast, efficient and precise the 1.8 m wide GXi8 HD can potentially access all areas at depths to 250 mm.

Wiedenmann To Exhibit At BTME

Look out, too, for the Terra Float Air pneumatic seeder and the 230* swivelling Mega Twister blower. It’s a great opportunity to see these up close and appreciate the simplicity and excellence of their German engineering.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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Secret Valley Fight Water Reduction

Secret Valley Fight Water Reduction: The Secret Valley Golf Resort in Cyprus, managed by Troon Golf, has used PBS 150 from Aqua Aid Europe to combat a lack of water caused by climate change.

Cyprus is one of the hottest countries in Europe and has average temperatures nearing 30°C from June to September. During this time the average rainfall is 0mm with a small reprieve in September when it rises to 3mm.

Secret Valley Fight Water Reduction

Recently, rain during the winter months has reduced, leading to reductions in water around the island. This has caused Golf Course Superintendent, Derek Smith, to focus on methods of reducing hydrophobic conditions on the course.

Derek’s employment history has seen him work in warm climates before when at Palmares Golf Resort, Portugal, Alcanda Golf Course, Majorca and The Wave Golf Course, Oman, but a lack of water to manage heat, similar to what was experienced in the United Kingdom in the summer of 2018, was a challenge he had to address quickly.

Derek explained: “Due to climate changes the winters have changed in Cyprus with less and less rainfall falling. The dams are running at under 30% and they are our only source of water, so reductions from the water authorities have left us struggling for water.

“I have always been very water efficient as I truly understand how this is affecting the turf industry. Because we could not spend the value of water in our budget due to the cuts, we decided to use some of that money to help the plant in other ways. One by using a high-quality wetting agent and another by using growth retardants.

“We had already started using OARS HS and from my experience using them, I trust Aqua Aid products and their longevity. After meeting a representative from Aqua Aid Europe and explaining our issues it was decided that we’d try PBS150. We applied it once in the middle of May and during the summer months we saw a water reduction of around 30% and I’ve seen a much better sward density and far, far less isolated hydrophobic areas.

“For us, saving water is beneficial enough, but by not having to spot water we have reduced labour costs. I also hope that by using PBS 150 we can work on our very poor river silt soil and turn it into a healthier environment.”

PBS 150, or polyfunctional branched surfactant to use its full name, utilises multi-branched molecular technology to address the source of performance loss – biodegradation of the surfactant molecule by soil microbes.

It is designed to reduce hydrophobic conditions on a sustainable basis for five months or more, encouraging a pattern of hydration and re-hydration that improves the amount of available water in the soil profile to meet the metabolic demands of the plant. The 3D Multibranched technology  helps to even-out moisture difference in multiple directions, providing a great tool to give more control over moisture conditions.

By doing this the uniform movement of water into and through the soil matrix is restored and the stress tolerance is improved along with the turf quality and colour.

For more information on the range of products please visit the www.aquaaid.eu

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New Greens Team At Sleaford

New Greens Team At Sleaford: It’s all change at Sleaford Golf Club after new faces were brought in to look after their greens and fairways.

There have been many changes in the greenkeeping team at Sleaford Golf Club in recent weeks after the retirement of the club’s longest-serving greenkeeper Arthur Simpson, and the decision of head greenkeeper Ian Batty to change careers after nine years at the club.

New Greens Team At Sleaford

Brian Sharp takes over as head greenkeeper after similar positions at Crail Golfing Society and The Roxburghe Hotel, in Scotland, and latterly at Westerhope Golf Club, near Newcastle

“I felt it was the right time for a new challenge and I wanted to get back to managing a links-style course from where I learnt my trade in Scotland,” said Brian (49).

Sleaford GC have also taken on two apprentices to learn their trade and qualify as greenkeepers, and after a huge response to their advert on Facebook, Chloe Lea and Mark Payne were appointed.

Chloe is breaking new ground as the club’s first female greenkeeper.

She said: “I wanted to find a job working outdoors in a natural environment in a role that was physically active; it was a perfect opportunity.”

For Mark, the Sleaford course will be highly familiar territory as a member of the club and a keen golfer.

For over 20 years Mark has worked on the perimeters as a landscape gardener, tree surgeon and irrigation engineer for more than 20 years.

“This was a great opportunity to put all my skills to the test in one job and so far is the best move I’ve ever made. I’m loving the job,” he said.

Committee member Nick Lawson added: “After a lot of searching for the right staff we have hopefully recruited the best people to take the club forward with our existing greenkeeping team of Jimmy Smith and James Bonser.”

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Wiedenmann A Time Saver

Wiedenmann A Time Saver: Two new kit arrivals for a busy Middlesex grounds team are saving up to five working days a month.

The Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD and the Wiedenmann Super 500, delivered in October, are significantly reducing time spent on aeration, collecting and scarifying.

Wiedenmann A Time Saver

Chris Lynch, Grounds Manager at John Lyon School, Harrow-on the-Hill and his two assistants, Mark Chandler and Joe Naughton now have breathing space to tackle different projects. The site, at Sudbury Fields in North West London, has four full size football pitches, three junior size pitches, 4 training zones and three cricket squares. On any given afternoon up to 200 pupils and PE staff from the independent boys’ day school, make full use of the playing facilities.

“Other than our 1st team football pitch, each pitch and training zone can get used up to nine times per week,” said Chris Lynch.

“With our previous aerator, we could expect to cover all 28 acres, minus the cricket squares, in five to six working days. Now with the GXi8 HD, the sports fields with the cricket squares included can be done in less than three days.

“We’re also saving at least two days a week with the Super 500.  Just last week all pitches were raked quite roughly to take out dead grass. Lots of material came out. We took the Super 500 across and in one pass it picked everything up.  I was beyond impressed.  All 28 acres collected with one pass in just over two days.”

“In terms of time saved and work quality these machines are fantastic. All of a sudden productivity is increased by a week per month.  Over a year we’re talking about an extra month to do other work across the site.  Any Head Greenkeepers or Grounds Managers reading this with a similar amount of usage every day will know how invaluable that kind of time is to absorb the extra work given to us. I am very fortunate to work for a school that backs me with the machinery needed to keep the surfaces at their best.”

The Terra Spike will run at least once every three to four weeks, typically, September through until April or May.

“On 20 mm tines we will comfortably get down to 250 mm as no complex pipework lies beneath any of the pitches. The Terra Spike will not only help repair and replace levels but keep air and water moving through the profile,” continued Chris Lynch, who took up his role 2.5 years ago after a 15 year spell at The Harrow School.

“Another key benefit will come during March/April, when 400 tonnes of sand is put down to help aid pitch recovery as part of our renovations. The Terra Spike’s efforts will also assist the way we deliver chemical and fertiliser products required for the turf. Sand aids in unlocking positive nutrients locked up in the clay and the Terra Spike will allow the sand to work down into the clay to aid this process. “

“For me the Terra Spike is the easiest machine on the market to use.  Its set up is really simply.  If you are not happy with something it’s a small quick adjustment to the depth or the heave.

Wiedenmann’s Super 500 is a three-in-one sweeper, collector, scarifier known across the industry for its versatility and 2.5 m³ capacity. The John Lyon team has seamlessly incorporated the Super 500 into their weekly routine.

Wiedenmann A Time Saver

“We have the largest collection of oak trees in the neighbourhood and need to lift leaves before they contaminate the turf surface so the Super 500 is out on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. We cut on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and mark everything on Fridays, weather dependent of course” explained Chris Lynch.

“The Super 500 has been set up as a scarifier which just tickles the surface as we work. We don’t want to go into hard, as leaf collecting is the priority for now.  When I joined, one of the biggest problems I inherited was thatch and there is still some thatch level in our pitches.   The Super 500 given time will help alleviate that, stopping debris working its way down through the surface.  In this instance, it’s not necessarily what you see on the top that causes problems, it can be what’s down below. I am looking forward to getting this into the surface far more aggressively come renovations time next spring”

Area Sales Manager, Grant Buckingham, from Wiedenmann UK dealer, Ernest Doe & Sons, at Esher, was on hand throughout the sales process.

The John Lyon School was founded in 1876 for the education of local boys by the Governors of Harrow School, in keeping with the wishes of John Lyon, the founder of Harrow. Now it takes 650 pupils with sport being central of importance. In particular the school has a tailored sports mentoring programme which helps nurture and develop elite sports performers and selected sports scholars.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX

Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX: Visitors to the TH WHITE Machinery Imports stand at SALTEX in early November, were among the first in the UK groundscare industry to see an advanced protype of Dvorak-Spider’s new and compact slope mower, the Spider CROSSLINE.

With its innovative and compact design, it complements the current Spider ILD01 and Spider ILD02 remote-controlled mowers and features a terrain following mowing deck, integrated stabilising winch, a skid-steer option and is powered by a Honda GXV390, 4-stroke petrol engine.

Spider Show Slope Mower At SALTEX

Like the bigger machines it can mow slopes up to 40 degrees and then with the stabilising winch attached to a ground anchor it can mow at 55 degrees. No other dedicated slope mowers can match this degree of slope severity.

Robustly constructed for full commercial use, the Spider CROSSLINE provides the ideal cutting results on the steepest slopes with an emphasis on user friendliness and ease of use. It has a cutting width of 65 cm (25.6 inches) and a cutting height ranging from 4 – 12 cm (1.6 – 4.7 inches), while fuel consumption is between 1-2 litres per hour depending on the terrain with a maximum speed of 6 km/h.

Commenting on the new mower, Nick Penn, Spider’s UK Sales Manager said,

“We have been asked by end users for a smaller, but equally robust mower for some time and the XLINE as it will be denoted with decals on the body panels, is our response. It is slightly different from the larger models in that it has an articulated frame, which enables the mowing deck to follow ground contours more precisely. The proven technologies inherent in the other machines have been further developed and we feel we have ‘crossed the line’ in terms of our development strategy, hence the name.”

Pricing in the UK will be approximately £15,700 when the mower is launched next spring, compared to 19,700 for the Spider ILD01 and £31,400 for the flagship machine, the Spider ILD02.

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Bayer To Show Glyphosate Studies

Bayer To Show Glyphosate Studies: Bayer announced Nov. 21 that it will soon include safety study summaries of glyphosate on its dedicated transparency platform.

The company said this next step will mark the first anniversary of its Transparency Initiative, which was launched on Dec. 7, 2017.

Bayer To Show Glyphosate Studies

“Our commitment to transparency remains core to our mission as we move forward as a combined company,” said Liam Condon, member of the Bayer AG board of management and president of the Crop Science Division. “We recognize that people around the world want more information around glyphosate, and we are eager to offer access to our glyphosate-related safety data on our dedicated transparency platform. This platform has set new standards of accountability and responsibility in the sector; we pledge to use it as a springboard to continue to share science-based information with the public.”

Bayer said its platform demonstrates how transparency regarding crop protection safety studies can help the company achieve its commitment to sound science and the safe use of its products while at the same time maintaining confidential business information.

In addition to the glyphosate study summaries, which will be made available on Dec. 7, 2018, access to the underlying safety study reports — owned by Bayer and submitted for the review that led to the European substance renewal decision in December — will be enabled next year.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and agriculture. In fiscal 2017, the group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of 35.0 billion euros.

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ICL’s Four-Year Seaweed Project

ICL’s Four-Year Seaweed Project: ICL has teamed up with Royal Holloway, University of London to embark on a unique four-year research project which will look in depth at the effects of seaweed products on turfgrass plant parasitic nematodes.  The project is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and ICL.

“It came about following a discussion with Andy Owen (ICL International Technical Manager) at a greenkeeper meeting a couple of years ago,” says Alan Gange, Professor of Microbial Ecology at Royal Holloway. “We started talking about the need for turfgrass research, particularly focused on nematodes because we had noticed that in the last ten years greenkeepers and groundsmen have become much more aware of these and they appeared to be becoming a real problem.”

ICL's Four-Year Seaweed Project

Alan believes that the rise of nematodes could potentially be attributed to the loss of certain chemicals and the effects of climate change. As it stands, there are few options available for the turf manager who has a nematode problem but Alan feels that seaweed could well offer a sustainable solution.

“There are scattered reports that some seaweed products or extracts, contain various chemicals which can protect plants against pests and diseases. We think that when the right seaweed is applied to a grass plant it could change the resistance of the plant to disease and insect attack. Nematode infection could then be reduced when the seaweed product is applied. So that is the essence of what we are trying to do here in sports turf.” Someone asked me a while ago if we are creating antibiotics for plants and in a way that is indeed what we are trying to do – we are trying to harness the plant’s natural resistance mechanism and improve it.

ICL’s SeaMax product, which is used as a bio-stimulant and fertilizer, has been a huge success in the sports turf industry. It contains a premium high concentration of Atlantic Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract, sustainably harvested from renewable resources by Acadian Seaplants. We have already shown many turf benefits through using Seamax says Andy Owen, and we wanted to explore its capabilities further, with a more detailed research project with Royal Holloway.

Integral to the research project is student Tamsin Williams, who was successfully appointed following a rigorous interview process. Tamsin, who throughout the four-year project will be working with ICL to better understand how the commercial side of the sports turf industry works, believes that this studentship was a perfect fit for her ambitions to develop a career in research.

“In my previous role I was working on pathogen and insect bio-control using fungal bio-pesticides. I had also worked with plant parasitic nematodes before, so when I heard this was a bio-control project for nematodes I felt that it was perfect and it made so much sense to apply. Nematology is one of my main interests, but it’s also the fact that seaweed products are sustainable – we could be finding an environmentally friendly solution for a serious turf problem, which potentially could transfer to other crops as well. This makes it a really valuable research topic.

ICL's Four-Year Seaweed Project

Tamsin has already begun her experiments looking at how plants and the soil microbiota respond to SeaMax seaweed application, before she will add plant parasitic nematodes into the study. However, these are just the first steps in an ever-evolving project according to Andy Owen.

“We will start with a proof of concept to gather further evidence that it does indeed work. In subsequent years there will be a focus on investigating the modes of action that are occurring, and then optimising applications in terms of rates, timings and frequency, so that we can provide the right advise to the end-user.

“Hopefully this project will generate the research to show turfgrass managers that certain approaches can help support and develop a plant’s resistance to pests and diseases and that you might require fewer synthetic chemical applications,” adds Alan. “Ultimately providing a sustainable and integrated management approach to keep surfaces healthy.

“As an ecologist it concerns me that many biological products, which contain microbes, are being sold in the turf marketplace with little or no supporting research behind them whatsoever. It is never published in reviewed journals and therefore with most of the products, one has suspicions about them because you just don’t know what independent research has been conducted. However, ICL genuinely want to find out more about their own products and they are committed to research.”

In re-iterating Alan’s sentiments, Andy confirmed that ICL will look to publish this work where possible and intend to present the data openly at a number of events. The industry will be able to gain a greater insight into the project in January 2019 when Alan’s research group will speak at BTME’s Continue to Learn education programme.

“What we want to do is support our products with robust research, and ensure that any claims we are making can be fully substantiated,” he says If anyone would like to find out more then come along to BTME in Harrogate next year.

“From our point of view, we are really excited to be working with Royal Holloway on this project. We are always looking to do independent research on our products and you don’t see very much of this happening in the turf industry. I can’t wait to see how it develops.”

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

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Quadraplay Praised At Dudley Kingswinsford RFC

Quadraplay Praised At Dudley Kingswinsford RFC: After recommendation from Keith Kent, head groundsman for the RFU, a volunteer groundsman at Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Club in the West Midlands purchased a SISIS Quadraplay, and was full of praise for the single pass maintenance system.

Founded in 1922, Dudley Kingswinford is an English rugby union football club which was originally known as the Bean Football Club. The name Dudley Kingswinford was adopted in 1927 and after playing at several grounds the club moved to its current premises in 1962. The club runs seven senior sides, a ladies team and a full range of junior sides.

Quadraplay Praised At Dudley Kingswinsford RFC

The teams play their games across four full size pitches and four junior sized pitches which are maintained throughout the year by a group of volunteers. Grounds chairman John Griffiths oversees the team of volunteers and explained how the club came to purchase the SISIS Quadraplay.

“We had a visit from Keith Kent through the RFU Groundsmen Connected scheme. He looked round to see what equipment we had and then he identified what he thought we needed. I already had my eye on the Quadraplay, so when Keith also recommended it, along with a grant which also assisted our purchase, it was a win-win.”

The SISIS Quadraplay multiple-purpose, single-pass maintenance incorporates a mounted frame for up to four implements such as grooming rakes, spikers, slitters, rollers and brushes. The implements can be fitted to the mainframe in any order and can be independently adjusted to achieve the desired effect. Compact, robust, versatile and with the ability to carry out up to four operations simultaneously – the Quadraplay makes life a lot easier for many groundsmen.

At Dudley Kingswinford, John uses the spiker slitter, the straight brush, the spring tine grooming rake and the roller, and believes that each plays a major role in his maintenance procedures.

Quadraplay Praised At Dudley Kingswinsford RFC

“We use it from October until March quite regularly on all of the pitches and at all times we have the four implements attached. I really like the spring tine rake which is great for standing grasses up to improve presentation and remove thatch; the slitter is a big help in relieving compaction which in turn helps absorb water, air and nutrients into the root zone; we use the straight brush to remove excess dew and then the roller is just what we want to level the bumps out and press the divots back into place. From a presentation point of view, it also give us that all important stripe.

“It even helped us when it snowed last year because we used the Quadraplay to clear the ice off the lines. We simply ran over the ice with the slitter to break it all up and then used the brush to move it off.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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New John Deere Appointment

New John Deere Appointment: Michael Grey has been appointed the new strategic account manager for turf and other non-agricultural equipment at John Deere Limited, replacing Brian D’Arcy.

Working from the John Deere Limited headquarters at Langar near Nottingham, Michael is now responsible for maintaining existing and developing new relationships with strategic and key account customers throughout the UK and Ireland, with support from the company’s national dealer networks.

New John Deere Appointment

Michael Grey studied Agricultural Business Management at Reading University and joined John Deere in January 2012 as an area aftermarket manager covering Ireland, Wales, the West Midlands and south-west England. He was then promoted to territory manager for central and southern England in 2015 before taking up his new role at the beginning of October.

“Michael’s customer and dealer experience gained over nearly seven years on territory will serve as a very good foundation for his new position as strategic account manager,” said turf division sales manager Chris Meacock.

After joining the company as a demonstrator in 2007, Brian D’Arcy was promoted to product sales specialist in 2008, then territory manager for Wales and the West Midlands in July 2009 before taking on the strategic account manager role in 2014.

Brian has recently been promoted to the post of product manager for compact & utility tractors in Region 2 (Europe, CIS, North Africa and the Near & Middle East), based at Deere’s European HQ in Mannheim, Germany.

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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