Turf News is the perfect place for professionals working within the UK’s vibrant turf industry – keeping you up-to-date with topical news, latest market developments and much more across all areas of the industry.
NEWS ARTICLES

JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record

/in , /by

JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record: A record-breaking group of JCB apprentices had two reasons to celebrate at the launch of National Apprenticeships Week on Monday (March 4th).

A total of 79 apprentices were awarded their apprenticeship certificates – at the same time as getting coveted contracts of employment with the Staffordshire-based digger maker.

JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record

The group is the biggest in the history of JCB to graduate as Level 2 and 3 apprentices in a single year. They received their awards from JCB directors at a special graduation ceremony at JCB’s World Headquarters, Rocester.

JCB has a long history of recruiting apprentices and this year marks 55 years since the first intake of nine completed their training and were presented with their apprenticeship certificates by company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford.

JCB Chief Executive Graeme Macdonald said: “New talent joining the business is fundamental to JCB’s future growth and success; our business is growing rapidly and the apprentices are an important part of our plans for the long term.  Over the past five years JCB has invested £30 million into its training programmes with more than 700 new recruits joining the business as apprentices or graduates. Their commitment to learning has been exemplary and their hard work has paid off with the award of full-time contracts.”

JCB Director of Learning and Development, Max Jeffery said: “The apprentices who have been awarded full-time contracts range from age 18 to 38 and include a former professional rugby player, pub landlord and cleaner as well former students from the JCB Academy. The diversity of this year’s graduating apprentices shows this is a great route into a new and promising career – no matter what your background, age or experience.”

Apprentices offered contracts include:

  • Adam Parkins, 29, from Alfreton, Derbyshire. Married with four young children, he left school aged 16 to pursue a professional rugby career with Premiership clubs Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints, where he remained until he was 27.  He is now a welder and assembler working on the iconic JCB Loadall production line, at Rocester.
  • Wesley Hemmings-Topliss, 19, from Burton. Having studied a BTEC at college, the former Thomas Alleynes High School, Uttoxeter, student found work as an office cleaner at JCB. He saw his friends studying apprenticeships with the company and decided he wanted a career making the machines too. He is now a welder in the JCB Hydraulic Business Unit, at Rocester.
  • Tom Clarke, 29, from Stafford, a former team leader at Screwfix, Stafford, where he was in charge of almost 100 people. Tom has become JCB’s first Level 2 Health and Safety Apprentice with the company’s Loadall division, at Rocester.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

ICL’s New Research Project

/in , /by

ICL’s New Research Project: Producing the top-quality turf needed for high-level sports requires a keen focus on turf maintenance and inputs. All applications of water and nutrients should be optimised to ensure responsible resource-use efficiency. ICL has started an exciting research project exploring the use of wetting agents to further improve water use and to potentially help optimise nutrient use for managed amenity turf.

It is a three-year research project delivered through the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, Lancaster University. The Centre is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is supporting local sports field construction specialists J Mallinson in collaboration with surfactant specialists at ICL.

ICL's New Research Project

Dr Andy Owen (ICL International Technical Manager) has been instrumental in planning the project. “I have known the research team here at Lancaster Environment Centre for a number of years and the chance to collaborate and generate useful research optimising inputs to turf through wetting agent use is invaluable.”

Graduate researcher Vasileios (Billy) Giannakopoulos is working under the supervision of Dr Jaime Puertolas and Professor Ian Dodd. Billy was selected ahead of a number of other applicants to embark on the three-year project and said “I’m delighted to be a part of this project as this kind of research has never been undertaken until now. It is such an interesting and relevant topic, with the potential to make a real difference for turf and crop management.”

The project will be utilising ICL’s H2Pro range of wetting agents which includes TriSmart, AquaSmart and FlowSmart and the research team will be using these products in a series of experiments, both laboratory, glass house and field-based.

A year has already passed on the three-year project and Dr Puertolas believes that some new ground-breaking information could well be on the horizon.

“Understanding surfactants and what they do is a very interesting subject, we normally modify the soil moisture by how we place the water through irrigation type or the frequency of the irrigation application but this is another way of manipulating how the water is distributed in the soil.”

“We hope to generate information which could improve irrigation effectiveness and better understand water and nutrient movement through a soil and uptake by a plant.”

“Working with J Mallinson and ICL is a win-win situation because we can deliver research in our line of expertise but also connect with industry practice; that is really important to us because it covers two of our aspirations – to be more environmentally friendly and to continue to innovate.”

Lana Farren, Research Manager for ICL, believes that the research is being carried out at an incredibly appropriate time. “The world is becoming more and more environmentally aware. The reality is that demand for water is increasing with large volumes being used for irrigating crops and amenity turf.

We also lose a lot of applied nutrients through leaching which can be environmentally damaging. If we can improve water and nutrient use efficiency then ultimately, we are becoming more sustainable.”

ICL's New Research Project

Prof Dodd commented “Providing sufficient water for crop production is a major challenge in many parts of the world. Even in the UK it can be difficult to assure this, as crop water use peaks in the summer when water availability in the environment can be limited, as we’ve seen this year.

This project is one of a number that have been funded in Lancaster’s Plant & Crop Sciences research group via the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, and it is heartening to see such engagement between academics and industry to develop real-world solutions.”

Andy feels that as a global supplier of turf and agricultural products, ICL has a certain responsibility to conduct such vital research. “ICL will continue to invest in good quality independent research that helps support our products. We recognise that water and nutrient use efficiency is critical for crop management worldwide, so this research is vitally important.”

“Our wetting agents are used both in sports turf and agriculture and ultimately we want to be able to support the whole range with robust data, so we can market them responsibly.”

For more information about the H2Pro wetting agent range please contact ICL on +44 (0)1473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie. For more information about the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation please visit www.globalecoinnovation.org.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Charterhouse Links Up With BIGGA

/in , /by

Charterhouse Links Up With BIGGA: Charterhouse Turf Machinery has teamed up with the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association to offer educational opportunities for golf course professionals across the nation.

In its new capacity as Education Supporter for the association, Charterhouse will help provide valuable professional development opportunities for BIGGA members.

Charterhouse Joins Forces With BIGGA

For over 35 years, Charterhouse has been a leading provider of professional maintenance machinery to keep both natural and artificial surfaces in first-rate condition. The company distributes the Redexim range of aerators, overseeders, topdressers and scarifiers for natural turf.  To compliment this, the Graden range of pedestrian verticutters and the BLEC range of specialist landscaping and turfcare products, are also available.

Commenting on the new agreement, Charterhouse Sales Manager Nick Darking said: “We have been a supporter of BIGGA for many years, in many different guises, including a number of years as sponsors of the annual National Championship. We are proud to now be working alongside BIGGA as an education supporter, helping to provide valuable professional development and educational opportunities to those in our greenkeeping industry.”

BIGGA Business Development Executive Lauren Frazer said: “With their extensive expertise providing valuable tools for the modern greenkeeper, Charterhouse Turf Machinery has long been a proud supporter of BIGGA members, including as title sponsor of the BIGGA National Championship. In conversation with Nick and the Charterhouse team, it was clear they wanted to build on that relationship and find a way to help greenkeepers all over the country to achieve new heights and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to sign this agreement, which will enable that to happen.”

To find out more about Charterhouse Turf Machinery, visit www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

John Deere Key At Dumbarnie Links

/in , , /by

John Deere Key At Dumbarnie Links: A brand new 18-hole golf course development on the south coast of Fife is coming, with Dumbarnie Links set to be open for play by spring 2020. The 165ha development reflects the historical location of a links course and sports club at Dumbarnie dating back to the 1830s.

Luke Beardmore of OB Sports Golf Management – the US firm hired to manage Dumbarnie – and John Deere dealer Sandy Armit of Double A signed a partnership deal last year for the supply of grow-in and maintenance equipment for this exciting £11 million project, which is supported by the local landowner Lord Balniel of Balcarres.

John Deere Key At Dumbarnie Links

Designed by former Walker Cup and Ryder Cup player Clive Clark, Dumbarnie Links is notable for featuring sea views on all 18 holes. The course manager is local man Grahame Taylor, who grew up in Leven and came from the Old Course at nearby St Andrews.

“The vision for Dumbarnie Links has been to provide a first class, true links style golf experience of international quality for all to enjoy,” said Luke Beardmore. “The golf course will be operated as a pay-and-play facility, with no members’ club or fees, and will be open to the public for a daily green fee. It has been designed and laid out to the highest standard while also respecting the coastal setting and environmental designations within the vicinity.”

Largo Bay to the south of the site forms part of a wider designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR Site). The Fife Coastal Path and Dumbarnie Links Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve are also adjacent to the site boundaries.

“Due to extremely favourable weather conditions last year the golf course construction work took just six months to complete, which is extremely fast,” said Luke. “The contractor, Landscapes Unlimited from the US, assembled a team of first class sub-contractors to build the course so quickly. The course will still need to mature throughout 2019, but so far the project has truly exceeded everyone’s expectations.”

John Deere Key At Dumbarnie Links

Luke Beardmore feels that John Deere has been at the forefront of the project’s success so far, adding: “Our initial success has largely been based on our strong working relationship with John Deere, and specifically the dealer Double A. The ability for Dumbarnie to work with the dealership team allowed us to keep the preliminary costs down while still focusing on the highest quality standards every day. This partnership has truly been a win-win for everyone.”

Sandy Armit of Double A added: “This is a very exciting project and we are very pleased to have been chosen to be involved with the initial loan and supply of John Deere equipment, including hire tractors and a ProGator utility vehicle with mounted sprayer and spreader. We look forward to phasing in a full fleet of course maintenance equipment through the grow-in period this year, in preparation for the course’s official opening in 2020.”

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Time To Safeguard Herbicides

/in , /by

Time To Safeguard Herbicides: Safe and timely use of herbicide products not only helps to ensure that active ingredients fulfil the requirements of amenity managers, but can also help to safeguard their future availability and effectiveness, points out Bayer.

Roundup® Development Manager Barrie Hunt explains: “Glyphosate has been reapproved until at least 2022 and we now need play our part to ensure that we continue to have this important herbicide at our disposal to control weeds in the amenity sector in the long term.”

Time To Safeguard Herbicides

The mild winter has meant continued growth in many parts of the country, but groundcare professionals should resist the urge to make an early start on weed control, he emphasises.

“Timeliness is essential to get the best out of products – check label recommendations for the correct application timing for the weed species being targeted. Planning applications carefully to ensure that the active ingredient is at its most effective helps to prevent survivors.”

Effective treatment of weeds also helps reduce the risk of herbicide resistance, a looming threat to our ability to maintain control, says Mr Hunt.

“There are currently no known cases of glyphosate resistance in the UK. However, globally, resistance has evolved due to practices including over-reliance on of the same herbicide i.e. glyphosate, not following label recommendations and a lack of, or limited, Integrated Weed Management strategies.”

Good Plant Protection Practice and an Integrated Weed Management strategy are key to demonstrating stewardship and responsible use of plant protection products which can help safeguard active ingredients, he comments.

“Whenever possible, use mixtures of herbicides, and consider integrating non-chemical control measures,” explains Mr Hunt. “Opportunities for selective applications are limited in groundcare, but spot spraying can be an extremely effective approach and application equipment technology is developing all the time.

Incorporating a residual partner with a different mode of herbicidal action is also possible in some circumstances.”

“By being vigilant, and keeping good practice to the forefront, we can help these valuable chemicals to continue to maintain the quality of sporting and leisure facilities.”

Caption: Timely application of herbicides is essential to get the best out of products and minimise the risk of resistance.

For further information on Roundup® contact the Technical Helpline on 01954 717575. Email: technical.helpline.uk@monsanto.com Web: www.monsanto-ag.co.uk 

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.