STRI Professional Qualifications For The Amenity Industry

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STRI professional qualifications for the amenity industry – STRI Group, the world’s leading sports turf consultancy, has announced the training dates of its amenity sector qualification courses.

STRI Professional Qualifications For The Amenity Industry

The professional training courses take place during autumn and winter 2017 at STRI’s HQ in West Yorkshire, and include both introductory and professionally recognised qualifications.

Courses consist of BASIS (Amenity Horticulture), Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture, Fertiliser Advisers Certificate and Training Scheme (FACTS) and Nutrient Management Planning (NMP). Each qualification is recognised by BASIS, the independent standards setting and auditing organisation for the pesticide, fertiliser and allied industries.

In-depth training, and dedicated student support, will be provided by STRI research field experts, Dr Ruth Mann and Dr Christian Spring. STRI’s training courses allow individuals to build their skills and confidence by keeping their knowledge up-to-date, and enable career progression within the amenity industry. Courses include dedicated turf sessions, which have been specifically developed by STRI, to meet qualification requirements.

Courses will be held at STRI’s world-class research facilities in Bingley, and food and refreshments will be available.

Andrew Kerr, Head Greenkeeper at Surbiton Golf Club, said: “As a qualified greenkeeper and having been in the industry for 20 years, I thought that I knew a lot about being an agronomist – that is until I was introduced to BASIS. I completed the Foundation BASIS at Harrogate and this encouraged me to do the Professional BASIS.

“Two separate weeks of lectures and intensive study grounded and enthused me in everything to do with grass, weeds and chemicals. The written, practical and verbal examinations were challenging but now I know that I am a more knowledgeable and effective greenkeeper.”

 

The BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture
Week One: 9 – 13 October, Week two: 6 – 10 November, Exams: 4, 5, 6 December
The BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture is the national qualification for all field, sales and technical staff (FSTS) who advise on the use, selling or supplying of plant protection products in the amenity industry, head greenkeepers, head groundsmen, and course managers.

Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture
31 October – 02 November
The Foundation Award offers an introduction to understanding turfgrass management, including the use of professional pesticides in the Amenity Horticulture sector. The course is ideal for deputy greenkeepers, groundsmen and landscapers who wish to then pursue full accreditation through attainment of the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture.

 

Fertiliser Advisers Certificate and Training Scheme (FACTS)
13-15 November, 7-8 December (exam on 8th Dec)

The FACTS Turf Certification and Training Scheme is an independent scheme for advisers in plant nutrient management. This course provides a fundamental understanding of fertilisers, turf nutrition, and the environmental impacts of fertilisers.


Nutrient Management Planning (NMP)
20-22 November (online 30 question multiple choice exam)
The NMP course has been designed for FACTS (Turf) Qualified Advisors to update their expertise on fertiliser issues and legislation. The NMP training is compulsory for current FACTS Qualified Advisers and those gaining the qualification, to maintain their FQA status.

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Hybrid Pitches At National Cricket Performance Centre

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Hybrid pitches installed at National Cricket Performance Centre – The ECB have installed two groundbreaking “hybrid” pitches at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, having been inspired by the impact of similar surfaces in Premier League football.

The pitches combine a majority of natural turf grass with around 5% of twisted yarn. In football, that has led to considerable improvements in stability and durability. Now the ECB are able to investigate whether there could be equivalent advantages for cricket, especially for the recreational game.

Chris Wood, the ECB’s Pitches Consultant, explained: “This goes back several years to a conversation I had with Darren Baldwin, the Head Groundsman of Tottenham Hotspur.

“The majority of Premier League venues now use hybrid pitches, and even to the casual observer of football, I think it’s obvious that those pitches have been of a far more consistently high quality, around all clubs and throughout the season.

“That is because introducing a relatively small amount of artificial twisted yarn greatly improves the stability of the surface underfoot, and allows the sward to endure the long football season with a consistent playing performance.

“We have had to wait to apply this technique to cricket – there have been semi-hybrid pitches, but using artificial turf with cricket loam infill rather than natural grass. But now SISGrass have developed a new, more compact stitching unit than has been used for football. We took the machine to Loughborough last week and have laid one pitch on the square and another in the outdoor nets.

“We’ve used a straw-coloured yarn, rather than the brighter green in use in football, to make it look as authentic as possible. They still need to be seeded and enhanced, but we hope they will be playable in the near future.

“Possible advantages are increased durability of pitches for matchplay and practice, with prolonged uniformity of grass cover. We need to see whether the ball moves off the seam, and if there are significant impacts on bounce and carry.

“Clearly there will also be changes to the character of the game if pitches are deteriorating less. But it is possible that the introduction of the artificial yarn may lead to the ball ‘grabbing’, and therefore turning more consistently. We have already seen from a semi-hybrid pitch facility in Loughborough and at the ICC Academy in Dubai that the ball does turn.

“It is fitting that we have installed the pitches at Loughborough, as our centre for innovation around cricket. Will Relf, the Sports Grounds Manager at Loughborough University, will be taking charge of this trial, as he has done several other research projects which have allowed us to practise on a variety of surfaces, even under a marquee in the winter months.

“Will is excited by this latest trial, and so am I – it could be one of the most interesting projects in my time with the ECB.”

To read the original article from ECB, click here

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Carlisle Utd Sow Seeds For Another Award-Winning Pitch

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Carlisle United hope they have sown the seeds for another award-winning pitch at Brunton Park. With the Blues’ first home pre-season friendly for two years just six weeks away, work has been stepped up on the playing surface.

Carlisle’s grounds team – last season named the best in League Two – seeded the pitch on Thursday. That followed preliminary work after last weekend’s UB40 and Olly Murs concerts had left Brunton Park.

The Blues need to have the pitch ready for the friendly against Blackburn on Friday, July 28, with the league campaign getting under way the following weekend.

Stadium manager David Mitchell said: “We have a window of six weeks and one day from it being seeded until the Blackburn game.

“Seven weeks would be an ideal minimum period, so we’re working outside the box.

“But if everything goes to plan like last year, we’ll get there.”

Mitchell said initial work on the pitch started three days later than planned because of heavy rain last week.

United’s head groundsman and his team – Paul Butler and Matt Henry – received the EFL League Two grounds team of the year award for 2016/17, pipping Plymouth, Portsmouth and Doncaster.

Manager Keith Curle said the club should be proud of their efforts.

To read the original article from News and Star, click here

 

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Cosby GC Prepares Course For A 50/50 Bent/Poa Split

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Cosby GC prepares the course for a 50/50 Bent/Poa split with help from Headland – Cosby Golf Club Head Greenkeeper, Thomas Flavelle, is in the process of preparing the course for a sward conversion programme. 

Cosby GC Prepares Course For A 50/50 Bent/Poa Split

To help him get the course best prepared for the change he has been working closely with Andy Lane of Headland Amenity.  Previously called the Narborough Golf Club, it was founded in 1895 and today offers a challenging and picturesque parkland course set in the heart of the Midlands.

Thomas came into the role in 2015 with a clear strategy to implement a sustainable maintenance regime. “During my degree, and some time spent studying in America, it’s evident that there’s a shift in the way courses have to be managed. We’re losing more and more chemicals as the years go by so the focus must be on creating sustainable greens to give surfaces the best chance of thriving through the winter months. Here at Cosby we’re trying to conduct a sustainable regime with the main aims of lowering organic matter to try and encourage finer species into the greens.”

Thomas intends to embark on a 5 year project to achieve a 50/50 (or better) Bent to Poa split.  To give the Bent seed the best chance, Thomas has enlisted the help of Andy Lane from Headland to assist with a feeding and soil preparation programme. “Andy came in and we discussed my aims and objectives and he then created a nutritional regime around this. Following the results of some soil samples we began a full Headland programme on the greens, tees, approaches and fairways.”

“When I started at Cosby we struggled with some hydrophobic areas on some of the greens and improving those areas was one of my first tasks. Andy suggested we use a combination of TriCure AD and Turf Complex which quickly improved the drainage and dry-down characteristics. We’ve continued to use TriCure AD on a monthly basis and have cured the hydrophobic areas and seen no new areas form. Another great product that we apply before big maintenance tasks in spring and autumn is           C-Complex 4-3-4. The high humic acid content is excellent for encouraging root and shoot development which is ideal after aeration work.”

Thomas faces the challenge of managing three different green constructions at Cosby; sand based, clay push-ups and one USGA spec green, but trusts the Headland products to work for them course wide. “We achieved fantastic results in the first year from the products we used, in particular noticing how quick the uptake is – you notice the differences very quickly. Andy gives sound, honest advice and knows the vast product range so well that he can suggest which products to tank mix, maximising the efficiency of our time and applications. We also use Headland’s Weathercheck service and follow Mark Hunt’s WeatherBlog which provides an invaluable source of information.”

They’re currently awaiting the results of some soil analysis which could signal the start of Bent seed applications. “What we didn’t want to do is put the Bent seed down before the soil conditions were correct and consequently lose the newly germinated seedlings through further maintenance procedures. I am always confident with the Headland products that they are designed to 100% deliver everything required for a healthy sward and when combined with the correct cultural practices, it is now possible for us to achieve a very sustainable course.”

 

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10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow

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10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow – Etesia UK has announced that the Donky electric wheelbarrow is now available with a 10% price discount.

10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow

Lightweight, noiseless, no fumes and big savings on fuel – since its launch in 2015, the environmentally friendly Donky electric wheel barrow has quickly become a popular choice for those responsible for landscape management.

With a powerful 1700 W engine, electronic advance management and two driving wheels with an agricultural profile, the Donky has an impressive capacity to move in difficult terrain. Unlike non-electric motorised wheelbarrows, users can enjoy up to two days of work without any harmful pollutants – in turn helping to protect the environment.

Working and moving in complete silence, and not creating any noise problems for the surrounding area, the Donky electric wheelbarrow can move up to 250 kg or 180 L (400L with the boards) in one trip. With a tank integrated in the tray and a 1″ valve, it can carry 85 L of water or liquid and a spray hose can be connected to it.

The Donky is not just comfortable, environmentally friendly and silent, it is also a true tool carrier; with its exclusive MRM tray and accessories, it will help you in a large variety of jobs throughout the year from cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, transportation of liquids and work platforms. It allows the transport of bulky products (boards, cross member, closing fabric and reel), and provides a working surface at a suitable height. The Donky also features a tray emptying function which is achieved by a central lever, with unlocking and assistance.

This versatile machine can be used in many areas including building and landscaping sites, breeding farms, transport activities, snow clearing, green space maintenance, vegetable farming and plant nurseries.

Furthermore, the hourly cost of use of an Etesia Donky wheelbarrow is approximately £0.03 meaning that the operator will notice significant savings when compared to a fuel based wheelbarrow.

Now with a 10% price reduction, the Donky is an even more cost-effective solution priced at just £3231 +VAT.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk

 

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