Greenkeepers work fury

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Greenkeepers work fury: Greenkeepers at Caird Park Golf Club in Dundee are said to be fuming they are being forced to continue going in to work despite two of their colleagues testing positive for coronavirus, according to the region’s Evening Telegraph.

A report from BIGGA last week claimed that it was in their understanding that greenkeepers are able to keep “essential maintenance” of golf courses should they wish to, despite the UK lockdown for COVID-19 so that golfers would still have courses to play when the health crisis is over.

Greenkeepers work fury

Greenkeepers work fury

Union bosses are said to be backing the call for greenkeepers at the club to be off work due to two members of staff testing positive for COVID-19, with one other self-isolating due to having symptoms.

A decision to remove staff workers from the course is now being strongly backed by union bosses representing the club.

“Following the confirmation of the cases the remaining staff feel they shouldn’t be asked to go into work,” said Dundee branch secretary of the GMB, Jim Cunningham.

“The union is backing this call and we are demanding that our members should not have to go to work in the meantime. We have asked that the remaining workforce is currently removed from such  hazardous duties.”

He added: “We have been told that golf courses must be maintained so that when the current crisis is over they can immediately come back into use.

“However, we don’t believe that the greenkeepers and groundsman are essential staff currently. City council gardeners are not working at the moment and we don’t think our members should have to either.”

It is also claimed in the report that members of staff were not being supplied with the correct level of protective equipment with which to go about doing thejr jobs on the course.

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ICL’s LockStar available in Ireland

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ICL’s LockStar available in Ireland: ICL has announced that LockStar – a new residual, pre-emergent total herbicide for vegetation management, is now available in Ireland.

LockStar arrives at a time when public green spaces, amenity areas and transportation infrastructure are all coming under increasing pressure from reduced budgets, weed infestations and a reduction in chemical solutions available on the market. This new herbicide will keep areas such as these weed-free, functional and visually pleasing.

ICL’s LockStar available in Ireland

ICL’s LockStar available in Ireland

Developed for use on natural surfaces not intended to bear vegetation, permeable surfaces overlying soil and railway ballast, LockStar controls a broad spectrum of weeds and has an innovative, long-lasting formula which allows for professional and safe weed control. The formula contains diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium – the first herbicide to receive full approval in amenity and landscape situations for many years.

When applied before germination LockStar creates a dual barrier at the soil surface ensuring that soil is kept weed-free for up to four months. To control weeds that are already present, LockStar should be tank-mixed with glyphosate or a fatty acid.

Plants can become resistant to active ingredients within products with the same mode of action, which is why LockStar features these two different active ingredients. Affecting plants in multiple ways, they give increased longevity compared to products with a single mode of action – useful for users undertaking a resistance management programme.

LockStar, available in a 500g pack, uses the latest generation of water dispersible granules, which means the product quickly dissolves in water and remains stable in the spray tank for a minimum of 24 hours.

Compared to conventional weed management programmes, LockStar keeps surfaces clean and weed-free for longer, as well as reducing the number of applications and amounts of herbicide required.

In Ireland LockStar should be applied at a rate of 500g/ha between March and June, with just a single application per season.

Please contact ICL Country Manager Colman Warde on +353 8777 99527 or visit www.icl-sf.ie for more information.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Ffos Las stay on course

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Ffos Las stay on course: The dual-purpose track at Ffos Las Racecourse in Carmarthenshire stages Flat meetings throughout the summer months and National Hunt meetings for the rest of the year.

The challenge of keeping the track fit for the year-round schedule falls to Estate Manager and Clerk of the Course, Dai Jones. For Dai, the combination of Masterline PM79 and Johnson’s J Nitro 4Turf is the odds-on favourite for delivering hard-wearing, quick-recovery surfaces even under the most challenging of conditions.

Ffos Las stay on course

Ffos Las stay on course

Formally the site of an open cast coal mine, the location of the Ffos Las course leaves them exposed to strong south-westerly sea winds which, when combined with multiple years of heavy rainfall on the trot, causes challenging ground and growing conditions. “DLF worked in close counsel with the contractors throughout the construction process” explains Dai, who has been at the venue for two years. “They recommended the ProMaster 79 mixture from Masterline which was used to get the course ready for opening in 2009 and has continued to work well for us ever since.”

“With over 65 inches of rain falling here last year, I sat down with our local DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to look at some alternative mixtures that would help to give some additional strength to some of the hardest hit areas.” They opted for ProNitro coated J Nitro 4Turf from Johnsons Sports Seed. 4Turf tetraploid rye ensures exceptional disease resistance and very rapid germination even at soil temperatures as low as 3oC. Its deep-rooted quality makes it ideal for the high wear requirements associated with equestrian use.

The J Nitro 4Turf gives Dai and the team a mixture for divot repair and overseeding that delivers reliable results for racing throughout the challenging winter months. “We used this on the take-off and landing sides of the fences, the hurdles and the bends through the winter months and found it to establish well even in the cold and wet. The root growth is tremendous giving us great hardiness and wear tolerance.”

He concludes, “We’ve now got a combination that is really well suited to our conditions. Through the summer we get strong recovery, great colour and healthy surfaces for racing with the PM79 mix. We can now sustain this when the ground softens, with J Nitro 4Turf giving us that extra boost.”

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Kubota celebrates 130th anniversary

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Kubota celebrates 130th anniversary: In these challenging times we express our solidarity with all our customers, employees, suppliers and distribution partners.

We thank all those of you who are on the front-lines helping others; like farmers who make sure that we have food or healthcare and medical professionals who take care of all those who are suffering. Kubota is #OnYourSide and we will be there long-term to support you.

Kubota celebrates 130th anniversary

Kubota celebrates 130th anniversary

Kubota’s journey started in 1890, by manufacturing Japan’s first iron pipelines for waterworks. Its founder, Gonshiro Kubota, laid the foundations of a company that is now one of the major players in the industry. Starting off as a foundry, Kubota would soon become a benchmark company in the global agriculture, construction and water-related industries.

Over time, the company expanded its business along with its range of services and products. In 1922 it started producing kerosene-driven engines for agro-industrial use, where it achieved significant progress in the field. Later on, in the 1960’s, the company launched its range of tractors for dry-field farming, before beginning work on water supply projects and sewage systems. In 1974, Kubota introduced its own compact mini excavator, making ground breaking work easier for all. By 1998, Kubota had extended its agricultural machinery business further as part of its internationalisation strategy, and had also established a manufacturing and sales operation in China.

The world today faces various serious issues. Kubota constantly accepts the challenge to sustain the future of our society and today represents one of the leading machinery manufacturers, becoming a reference for companies across the globe. Its product offering covers multiple areas such as farming, construction, and also water supply systems. The Japanese company is also the world´s leading manufacturer of compact diesel and gasoline engines for industrial, agricultural, construction and generator applications. Aside from this, Kubota’s technological solutions applied to farmwork, such as the Autonomous Tractor and the Kubota Bi-speed system, have significantly improved and simplified the work of operators worldwide.

Moreover, Kubota is highly committed to the protection of the environment and helping to address global water and food scarcity issues. Its engines, lawn mowers and compact construction equipment, precision equipment and materials contribute to urban maintenance.

On top of this, Kubota employs its technologies, expertise and acquired knowledge to develop and commercialise products manufactured in Japan’s globally renowned water infrastructure industry with the aim of protecting the Earth’s limited resources and deliver clean, safe water to everyone around the world.

Mr. Yuichi Kitao, President and Representative Director of Kubota Corporation recently highlighted the core values of the company as a tribute to its founder: “On the occasion of our 130th anniversary, it would be amiss of us to not remind ourselves of our founding principles and that “there will be no growth without innovation.”

Special mention was made to the two main values of Kubota philosophy today: “One Kubota” and “On Your Side.” According to Mr. Kitao: “ ‘One Kubota’, is the core belief that every member of the company is essential to our group, and to be ‘On Your Side,’ means that each and every employee must reconsider what we do each day, ensure we are incorporating the needs of the market into all our products and services, and look at it through the eyes or perspective of the customer.”

As a result, given Kubota’s long history and evolution, it is important to remember its origins, where the company was at the beginning, and where it is going. Kubota will continue to work as it has been doing for 130 years to provide the best quality and most appropriate products and services, whilst guaranteeing environmental protection in order to leave a better world for tomorrow’s generation. By means of innovation, research, and most significantly by communicating efficiently with its customers, the company will remain true to its motto “For Earth, For Life”.

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INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

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INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough: The Loughborough University Stadium is the jewel in the crown of the dedicated ‘football hub’ at the site’s Holywell Sports Complex.

In June 2019, Team Leader of the complex Kris Nurse took delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX mowers, together with a set of TurfClean™ cassettes, which have been working hand-in-hand to keep the stadium’s brand-new SIS hybrid pitch in first-rate condition.

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

With such a wealth and breadth of sporting facilities at the University, the grounds department is split into teams – with the cricket division being the first to experience the INFINICUT®. “They’ve used a fleet of 22” and 26” INFINICUT® mowers for a number of years and have always sung their praises” explains Kris, who has a team of three working with him in the football hub. “We obviously had an opportunity to use them too and were impressed with how lightweight they are and how simple the mower is to set-up and use, so I spoke to Oliver Hall at MTD about the 34” fixed head version.”

“Together with the quality of cut and finish they deliver, the University were also keen on the fact that they’re battery powered. Because of the amount of large machinery we operate on a daily basis, we have a real issue with Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) so taking delivery of our duo of INFINICUT® mowers has been a fantastic step forward in improving that.” Since the new hybrid pitch was installed in September 2019, it has hosted over 60 games for student teams, together with a number of external matches including Derby County Under 23’s. To keep the pitch playing at the standard required, the mowers are in use four or five times a week.

Helping with the post-match clean-up, Kris also purchased a set of TurfClean™ cassettes from the renowned TMSystem™. “These have been a god send. We use these after play to rid the surface of any debris and stand the grass plant back up. It then takes less than 10 minutes to swap those out and put the cutting reels in, and we’re straight back out to cut. This has eliminated the wheel lines we used to get by using a rotary mower and gives us a quality of finish that is fitting to the arena and the fantastic level of play that we are lucky enough to host.”

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