June 9, 2020 - Turf Matters

Toro’s internet of turf: Leading the way with technological innovation in the golf and groundscare industry, Toro’s Internet of Turf represents the future of turfcare.

Toro’s Internet of Turf brings together five of Toro’s key technological products and services which when connected online help reduce operating costs, enhance safety and produce the best quality playing surfaces possible.

Toro’s internet of turf

Combining Lynx central control system, Turf Guard wireless soil management system, GeoLink precision spray system, myTurf Pro asset management system and NSN technical support, the Internet of Turf brings together for the first time accurate information on all aspects of turfcare management from one access point.

Robert Jackson, water division sales manager from Reesink Turfcare, sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation products, says: “Technology is helping turfcare businesses to better manage resources and helping workers to complete tasks faster. Using technology and connecting certain elements of turfcare management online can help turfcare professionals maintain the perfect playing conditions every day by providing actionable data to help optimise turf management decisions.”

Irrigation application with the Lynx central control system allows access in real time from any mobile device to accurate irrigation information. The touch of a button is all it takes to change your irrigation plan, and with additional extras such as the weather station, you can adapt in response to changes in the weather, from wherever you are.

Turf and soil monitoring are made easy with Toro’s Turf Guard wireless soil monitoring system. Accurately monitoring soil condition including moisture, temperature and salinity levels, turf managers can access the essential soil information they need, when they need it, to maintain optimum soil and plant health.

Accurate application of fertilisers and pesticides is another key factor for soil health. Whether to deliver essential nutrients or to protect turf from diseases, ensuring uniform coverage and the correct volume of application is vital, and Toro’s GeoLink precision spray system helps you to achieve this by utilising pinpoint GPS technology to help guide operators.

The Internet of Turf enables turf managers to bring together irrigation and machinery to gain a comprehensive overview of all the elements of their role. And when it comes to the core elements of turfcare management, having cutting-edge technology will help improve profitability and playability, something that is certainly true when it comes to the management of turfcare machinery.

Toro’s web-based asset management system, myTurf Pro gives turf managers the capability to monitor fleet health, order parts and schedule service activities, helping to improve staff efficiency, lengthen the life of equipment and reduce overall maintenance costs.

And wrapping up the five technologies is NSN technical support. Toro’s web-based customer portal provides a knowledge-sharing database, online chat and remote central connectivity and monitoring, meaning support is there whenever you need it.

Robert concludes: “By delivering connected information on one platform, Toro’s Internet of Turf brings easy access to all aspects of turfcare. Showing how it all comes together and enabling decisions to be made that maximise the performance of the crew, the equipment and the turf. Toro’s Internet of Turf gets rid of the need to manually wade through data and instead brings turf management into the future, giving you more time to get the tough jobs done.”

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Charterhouse kit at Glasgow Academy: With a fleet of natural and synthetic machinery from Charterhouse Turf Machinery, Head Groundsman Robert Cheape is well equipped to maintain the four separate sites that make up The Glasgow Academy.

He has recently taken delivery of his third Verti-Drain^®, a 7521, for the regular aeration of the eight grass rugby pitches, while an X-treme Clean is ensuring the playability and safety of their four artificial surfaces.

Charterhouse kit at Glasgow Academy

With facilities for cricket, ladies and men’s hockey and tennis, it is the rugby section that is best known – with Glasgow Academicals RFC celebrating their 150^th anniversary in the 2016-17 season. “Our rugby pitches see a lot of play, from both external clubs and the 1400 pupils of the academy” explains Robert, who has been at the school for 36 years. “Weather permitting, we carry out aeration once a month, and for over 20 years that’s been with a combination of a Charterhouse slitter and Verti-Drain^®.” Upgrading their machine roughly every seven years, Robert’s latest model – the 7521 – was delivered by local dealer Hamilton Brothers.

“It was the 2.1m working width and the range of tine options that really appealed with the 7521. We can go out with solid tines working at depths of up to 16” through the winter months alongside our slitter, then incorporate.some hollow coring between March and September. This gives us ultimate flexibility to react to ground conditions and adjust penetration and heave accordingly.” By keeping on top of routine maintenance, Robert has also been impressed with the reliability of the Verti-Drain^®. “They’re well-built and easy to operate and maintain – with all of our Verti-Drain’s^® we’ve never had any issues with breakdowns.”

On the club’s two full-size astro hockey pitches, together with their two ¾ size MUGA surfaces, it’s a trusty combination of brushes from the Charterhouse synthetic collection used alongside the X-treme Clean 1200. “We brush once a week and then follow up with a monthly pass of the X-treme Clean.” Using horizontally rotating brushes, the X-treme Clean lifts the pile and agitates the infill – removing dirt, debris and compaction. “As with all of our Charterhouse kit, it’s efficient, reliable and does exactly what you want it to. We’ve used it for years and will be happy to do so for many more to come.”