Cultivating new turf technologies

Cultivating new turf technologies: Rolawn is furthering its commitment to the future of turf growing by calling on its history for new ways to overcome the industry’s biggest challenges. 

Rolawn, the UK’s market-leading supplier of turf and topsoil, thrives on innovation, a culture that was initiated in 1975 by the founding members of the family-run business and that continues to inform the research and development which keeps Rolawn’s turf production at the forefront of the industry today.

Whether investing in state-of-the-art equipment or developing and building its own cutting-edge technology, Rolawn applies the depth of knowledge gained during its 47-year history, to meet and exceed the needs of the market and to drive the turf industry forward. Farming an extensive acreage of turf, Rolawn supplies to the domestic, amenity, landscape and house building markets and considers consistent upgrades to its turf growing process part of its commitment to quality, its customers, and the environment.

The expertise and experience Rolawn have in turf growing informs and drives much of the pioneering technology that is developed at the company’s Yorkshire-based facilities. Expert engineers at Rolawn are kept busy, devising, and developing leading-edge equipment to address and adapt to the ever-changing challenges as they arise. In-house projects include producing the world’s largest turf pneumatic seed drill, developing the patented ProFresh^® system as a unique way to tackle sod heating and, what is believed to be, the UK’s largest turf roll harvester.

As part of its growing fleet of vehicles, Rolawn has invested in an impressive line-up of sophisticated machinery including the Trebro AutoStack 3 harvester and a range of Fendt tractors. The machinery brings considerable benefits to production, particularly in improving Rolawn’s accuracy and efficiency.

Seed Drill Mark 2

Designed and engineered in-house, the Seed Drill Mark 2 has greatly enhanced Rolawn’s sowing process and is considered the secret to its seeding success. Specially selected, best quality grass seed is sown by the drill, using a multi-directional pattern to ensure weak spots are eliminated, providing a higher grade of turf. The drill’s dual seed application and its ability to level the ground provides unrivalled seed distribution which has resulted in improved establishment.

The pneumatic seed drill was entirely built by the Rolawn fabrication team and is believed to be the most advanced pneumatic turf seed drill in the country.

The Trebro AutoStack 3

Described as “the most refined, high-production machine on the market,” the AutoStack 3 from Trebro is an important addition to Rolawn’s fleet as it offers innovative features that set it apart from other turf harvesters on the market. Having already invested in the Trebro-TSR turf harvester, Rolawn is the first in Europe to have the Montana-made AutoStack 3, believing that it helps reinforce their commitment to quality and attention to detail.

The technology of this machine matches the ambitions of Rolawn, bringing the benefits of its many features, including sophisticated cutterhead accuracy and depth control, precise roll-up process, articulated steering for manoeuvrability, dual harvesting capabilities and improved weight distribution, which have allowed Rolawn to further increase productivity and build on the superior quality of the turf it grows.

Fendt Tractors

Rolawn uses three Fendt 314 machines. The power to weight ratio and onboard technology of the 314s offers improved accuracy when mowing, creating fewer scalpings and resulting in a better-quality product. With the aim of 60 hectares of mowing per tractor per day, this is now achievable with the flexibility and geared forward speed these Fendt machines offer.

Fuel consumption of the 314s is another distinct advantage. The AGCO engine, with Dynamic Performance power boost concept, helps the 314 reach 152 horsepower with lower emissions, being far superior on fuel and AdBlue than other tractors.

Rolawn’s fleet also includes the Fendt 516 tractor, which incorporates revolutionary live, real time grass plant analysis linked by sprayer and applicator control systems. This technology allows Rolawn to optimise field outputs, such as fertilisers, which has led to marked improvements in quality with reduced environmental impact.

All the Fendt machines Rolawn operates have been specifically chosen to boost efficiency and offer better overall turf consistency. Its move to Fendt machines has been “a real eye-opener” for the business and it intends to add more to its fleet in the future.

Commenting on the innovative turf growing approach at Rolawn, Jonathan Hill, sales director said:

“The consistent, superior quality of our turf is no accident. It is the result of years of research, refinement, and improvement. We are meticulous about the equipment and technology we introduce, investing time and money to ensure each element introduced positively contributes to the turf growing process and the quality of the product for our customers.

“We’re all driven by something,” Jonathan continues, “At Rolawn we are driven by innovation, by the desire to solve the ever-changing challenges faced by landscapers, groundskeepers, stockists, house builders and home owners, and to do it in a responsible way that limits our impact on the environment.

“We stand behind each and every one of our products, we take pride in our turf and we’re confident that it’s the technology, processes and people we put in place that make our products so exceptional.”

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