AriensCo Confirm SALTEX Launch

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AriensCo Confirm SALTEX Launch: AriensCo will be exhibiting their complete range of zero-turn mowers at Saltex 2019. On display will be the IKON-X, APEX and the all-new ZENITH for professionals, together with the ZOOM domestic zero-turn.

The Ariens IKON X is a tough, durable zero-turn packed with commercial quality features. Built with a tubular steel frame for unprecedented strength, the IKON X comes with a 11.4cm (4½”) deep fabricated deck made of 10-gauge steel. A padded high-back seat offers the operator total comfort. There’s an easy dial-operated system for cutting height selection. and a choice of 107cm (42″) or 132cm (52″) cutting widths.

AriensCo Confirm SALTEX Launch

Ariens APEX is a top-of-the-class zero-turn with commercial grade features and performance. With its industry leading steel frame design, the APEX offers durability and comfort. It comes with a 14cm (5½”) deep fabricated deck made of 10-gauge steel, with a reinforced leading edge providing the airflow to tackle tough mowing conditions. The plush, padded high back seat and armrests are designed to enhance operator comfort and reduce fatigue. The foot-operated deck lift system is simple and intuitive, providing effortless adjustment between 15 cutting positions. The APEX offers a choice of 122cm (48”) or 132cm (52”) cutting widths.

The all-new Ariens ZENITH 60 is designed for the professional looking for all day, everyday use from their mower. It’s packed with commercial grade features and provides maximum performance with its large 152cm (60”) cutter deck and faster ground speed. The steel frame supports a folding ROPS, fitted as standard, for added protection and peace of mind.

Ariens’ ZOOM is the ideal choice for those looking to mow a large lawn quickly and comfortably. It features a one-piece deck made of 12-gauge steel and intuitive foot-operated deck lift.

Ariens CE zero-turns are manufactured in their UK plant. The complete range of products, including walk-behind mowers and snow throwers, is sold through approved dealers.

Visit Ariens at stand F041 and speak to one of the sales representatives for further information on the Ariens product range. Alternatively visit ariens-uk.com or call 01844 278800.

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Register For Turf Maintenance Live

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Register For Turf Maintenance Live: Registration continues for Turf Maintenance Live, the annual showcase of turf maintenance equipment from leading manufacturers and distributors, which is being held at the Woollam Playing Fields, Harpenden Rd in St. Albans on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 October.

Entrance to the event, now in its fifth year, is free but pre-registration is essential with BIGGA and IOG members able claim CPD points for their attendance.

Register For Turf Maintenance Live

Visitors interested in attending the event and seeing the latest innovations and equipment in action can register by completing a registration form online at: https://www.turfmaintenancelive.com/ or email register@turfmaintenancelive.com .

Having been a founder member of the Turf Maintenance LIVE team, Richard Fry of Rigby Taylor commented,

“Having the opportunity to demonstrate ‘LIVE’ some the products that we distribute is very valuable. In particular, the company’s award winning range of line marking paints and applicators, as well as fertilizer spreaders benefit from being showcased in a practical use situation. At this TML event, there will be demonstrations of the latest advances in robotic line marking, allowing visitors to see how new technology is being introduced to the groundscare industry. In addition, visitors will be able to see the POGO, a major advance in water management in use, in particular, moisture measurement and recording and talk to company specialist on seed selection, nutrition and plant health.

Emma Wilson of Husqvarna added,

“We are once again pleased to be part of the TML team. This event is a fantastic opportunity to meet turf professionals face to face in a hands-on environment. In recent times we’ve seen a surge in demand from commercial businesses for battery product and new, environmentally-friendly technology. This is now becoming the choice of many businesses and at this year’s event we will be showing our latest solutions in turf maintenance, demonstrating our latest technology which covers the maintenance of all areas that complement open green spaces.

Attendees will also be able to see the latest in world leading robotics with the Husqvarna Automower® range, including the new AWD Automower®, capable of 70% slopes. Speak to the Husqvarna Commercial team for solutions and not just a product at this year’s Turf Maintenance LIVE!

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MM60 Superior For Stoke City

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MM60 Superior For Stoke City: When Andy Jackson, grounds manager at Stoke City FC, trialled a number of different seed mixtures eight years ago, he felt that there was one in particular which was far superior and that was Limagrain UK’s MM60.

From apprentice to grounds manager, Andy Jackson has been at Stoke City FC throughout his entire career. Arguably there is not one person who knows the stadium and training ground better and there is certainly no-one better placed to know what the pitches need in order to thrive.

MM60 Superior For Stoke City

“We like to think of the pitches like athletes so they need the correct nutrients to perform,” he said. “I like to think that it is a case of our pitches going to see the doctor or the nutritionist every day.”

Andy oversees the maintenance of the pitch at the bet365 Stadium and all of the facilities at Clayton Wood, Stoke City FC’s Training Ground and Academy, which includes a further eleven natural pitches. The facility hosts club players from the first team all the way down to Under 9’s and sees approximately 120 players through the door every day.

It is safe to say that the pitches experience a lot of usage and eight years ago Andy decided to trial a number of new grass seed mixtures.

“We trialled MM60 eight years ago at the training ground and were very happy with what we saw,” he said. “I felt that the MM seed was far superior to the other brands we were using and since then we have been 100% MM60 over both sites and that’s from renovation to overseeding throughout the winter.”

Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface. It is a 100% Ryegrass formula which 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®.

“I believe that the MM range really excels because of the products they use on the seed such as Headstart GOLD®. It is particularly suited to where the industry is heading in the future – so it is not a case of putting lots of nitrogen onto the seed and flushing it up, it is more a case of the seed being nurtured gradually and healthy and I think that is where we do really well in the summer months. I’ve noticed that Headstart also helps with disease resistance and provides good plant protection too.”

MM60 now includes Limagrain’s new Ryegrass cultivar Annecy which has outstanding disease resistance particularly against Leaf Spot, something which particularly struck a chord with Andy.

“We used to have quite a lot of Leaf Spot which is quite common in Ryegrass situations in stadiums and training grounds,” he continued. “I believe that the MM60 seed has helped us to cut that out by at least 60%.”

At the Academy, Andy and his team will start renovations around mid-April and at the stadium they will typically start in June. After sowing MM60 during renovations Andy claims that the first cut will be carried out normally eleven days after the seed has been applied. When it comes to overseeding in winter, Andy will apply three to four bags of MM60 after every home game.

“We still get great germination from the seed throughout the winter,” said Andy. “I’m also very impressed with the fineness of the leaf. The leaf is finer than any of the other products we have used in the past which means we can get more plants per square metre. So, what we find is that after a match we are getting less damage to the pitch, and if there is a scar or a divot then it actually recovers faster. It can fill the space back in very quickly and for me that is a huge benefit.

“For me, the back-up offered by the companies I work with is essential and I believe the customer service from Limagrain fantastic. We even involve them in some of the conversations we have about other products, not just seed, because we are always looking at new way’s we can improve the pitch and I trust and value their input.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Leeds Upgrade To “ELITE” Pitches

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Leeds Upgrade To “ELITE” Pitches: When 2019 pitch renovations came around, selecting a seed mixture was a straightforward decision for Kiel Barrett, Head Groundsman at Leeds United Football Club. Having looked at all blends on the market, ELITE SPORT from Barenbrug, was the product which stood out.

Kiel stated, “For starters, it is the number one mix on the market when referring to the BSPB/STRI Turfgrass Seed publication. However, after many meetings with Barenbrug’s, Phil Logan, we discussed the importance of looking beyond the booklet. For example, Barcristalla has a much darker colour and better disease tolerance then other top varieties. Sure, wear tolerance is important, but particularly stadiums need to start thinking about the new challenges we face, wear is only part of the jigsaw. We also discussed a tailored over-seeding plan to ensure we are capitalising on specific cultivar traits at the time of year when they will benefit us the most, not just a one-size-fits-all approach”.

Leeds Upgrade To “ELITE” Pitches

Kiel was so impressed with the product that he made the decision to change all the pitches to ELITE SPORT. That included the iconic stadium, Elland Road, and every pitch at the training ground at Thorp Arch.

Deputy Head Groundsman at Thorp Arch, Stefan Jones, commented, “The germination and establishment speed was excellent, we couldn’t have asked for better. I was also very impressed with the purity of the seed; we have had very few weeds.” Kiel added, “Thorp Arch is a challenging site, in a wet part of Yorkshire that sees heavy wear combined with intense disease pressure. ELITE SPORT has stood up well to the challenge and was the obvious choice for us in our conditions”.

ELITE SPORT stands to be improved upon further in 2020 with some exciting new cultivars yet to be announced.

For more information on ELITE SPORT and other sports mixtures, visit www.barenbrug.co.uk, tweet us @BarenbrugUK or speak to one of our technical team on 01359 272000

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SISIS Heading To FSB 2019

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SISIS Heading To FSB 2019: SISIS will be exhibiting at FSB Cologne, Germany from 5-8 November 2019 where the British manufacturer will be showcasing a range of market leading turf maintenance equipment for synthetic surfaces.

Visitors to the exhibition will able to locate SISIS in hall 10.2, Aisle A, Stand No. 038, and will have the opportunity to see the following products:

SISIS Heading To FSB 2019

SISIS Brush-Pro                                

The SISIS Brush-Pro is a ride-on brushing system comprising a pair of mid mounted oscillating units and three rear mounted brush units that that have been specifically designed for maintaining synthetic surfaces. The machine has been designed for maximum manoeuvrability and operator comfort which features an electric start, hydrostatic drive for forward/reverse and its brush combinations – oscillating for thorough periodic work and rear mounted brushes for more routine work.

SISIS Osca 3

The SISIS Osca 3 is a tractor mounted powered oscillating brush with a 1.9 meter working width and is equally effective when used on synthetic turf with sand or rubber infill. The two oscillating brushes stand the carpet fibres up and redistributes the infill evenly, minimising compaction on the surface and improving its performance – giving consistent playing characteristics while preventing pile damage caused by reduced infill levels.

A contributory factor to the reduction of compaction is that the Osca’s working width will use fewer passes than other more conventional drag brushes to complete a pitch. Its aggressive brushing action agitates the upper infill level of the surface from side to side as well as brushing forward, helping reduce surface compaction and encourage the fibres to stand up straight which reduces the risk of contamination, drainage problems and leaves a consistent playing surface across the whole pitch.

SISIS Twinplay with Flexicomb and straight brush

The SISIS team will also be showcasing the Twinplay Towed Implement Frame (TIF) and the Flexicomb and straight brush. The Twinplay frame is a single pass maintenance system which accepts two implements at any one time and the Flexicomb and straight finishing brush is recommended for both sand and rubber infill surfaces. The Flexicomb ensures even distribution of infill and lifts the carpet pile while the straight brush produces a smooth level and eye-catching presentation. For rubber crumb surfaces a more aggressive brushing is required and this can be achieved by adjusting the crossbar on the Flexicomb to stiffen the bristles.

As well as the products being on show, the experienced SISIS team will be on hand to advise on maintenance procedures and offer tips on how to prolong the life of synthetic playing surfaces.

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

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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