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NEWS ARTICLES

Ireland’s New Fungicide Launch

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Ireland’s New Fungicide Launch: Ireland’s greenkeepers are now able to access the latest in turf fungicide technology, to tackle both Microdochium Patch and Dollar Spot on their greens this coming disease season.

Exteris® Stressgard® was launched by Bayer to the UK market in early 2017 and is now registered for use in Ireland.

Ireland's New Fungicide Launch

Greg Collins, from the Bayer Turf Solutions Team, explains that the product brings a totally new category of fungicide to the market. “It contains a third generation SDHI, and is the very first of its sort to be launched in the Irish turf industry, providing a new tool for the greenkeepers’ diminishing armoury.”

He explains it is the formulation of two active ingredients (AI) that makes the new fungicide so unique. “The SDHI – fluopyram, has a systemic action that moves up through the roots and leaves to prevent disease as the plant grows. The other AI – trifloxystrobin, is part of the strobilurin group, and acts as a ‘local penetrant’ that offers targeted disease control.

“There are very few curative fungicides still available on the market, following the loss of iprodione, so a transition to a preventative approach is required, and Exteris® Stressgard® can help greenkeepers do just that,” says Greg.

Irish Sports Turf Institute trial manager, Mark Sheridan, put Exteris® Stressgard® to the test using preventative applications for Microdochium Patch control, and saw a clear improvement in disease suppression, compared to untreated plots.

“Turf professionals once had the comfort of curative chemistry, but with the loss of iprodione and other similar products, the future of disease control lies with the use of preventative, integrated management programmes.

“When Exteris® Stressgard® is applied preventatively, and proactive cultural practices such as aeration, judicious use of fertiliser and irrigation, are teamed with appropriate biological control measures, it’s possible to achieve significant turf protection,” explains Mark.

Key benefits of Exteris® Stressgard®:

  • New chemical group to the turf market.
  • Developed with Stressgard formulation technology specially for turfgrass
  • Targeted Microdochium Patch prevention
  • Dual active formulation
  • Flexible water volumes
  • Quick dry time and absorption
  • Aids in resistance management

Reduces damage from harmful UV radiation

For more information please visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk/Turf-Management, email turfsolutions@bayer.com or contact Cropcare on 01-2874485

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Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

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Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes: Blenheim Palace, based in Oxfordshire, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, has taken delivery of a Ransomes MP495 cylinder mower to maintain its prestigious gardens. Delivered by local dealer The Turney Group, this addition is a continuation of the long-standing relationship between Ransomes, The Turney Group and Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal English country house to hold the title of ‘palace’. The Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and welcomes around 800,000 visitors every year.

Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

Hilary Wood, Head of Gardens at Blenheim Palace, manages a team of 10 full-time and six part-time staff who are tasked with manicuring 120-acres of gardens, and some of the 2000-acres of parkland across the 12,000-acre estate.

“We have a lot of land to maintain at Blenheim Palace, and it’s important that we have the correct machinery for the job,” Hilary said. “We have been using Ransomes ever since I first arrived in 1981; so more than 37 years. We have had Ransomes Commander mowers in the past, which have been brilliant, and we have now opted for the new Ransomes MP495, which we have been using since April, and it has exceeded all expectations.

“We have a very happy relationship with our dealer; it’s a family-run business and we receive a very friendly, personalised service. We can always rely on them to be with us whenever we need them, which is something we haven’t had from other suppliers in the past. The Turney Group always let us demo a machine over a period so that we can try it in various conditions and make an informed decision. This gives us confidence in the purchase we make.”

Trevor Wood is an operator at Blenheim Palace. Commenting on the new machine, he said:

“It’s a great mower; it has a quiet cab, it’s easy and comfortable to drive, all of the controls are in the right place, and the air conditioning has been very handy with the hot temperatures!

“We use the MP495 to maintain garden areas; we know Ransomes is a reliable brand and has the ability to produce a pristine finish. People come from all around the world to visit Blenheim Palace, and they expect to be blown away; it is our job to produce the best possible presentation, and we know that the Ransomes mower and the back-up and support from The Turney Group will allow us to achieve this.”

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com

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Vandals Target Castlerock GC

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Vandals Target Castlerock GC: Police are appealing for information following extensive criminal damage caused to Castlerock Golf Club’s course and green hut during the early hours of this morning.

A police spokesperson said “Those responsible have caused damage which will cost thousands to repair.  A deliberate fire was started on the long grass on the course and we believe smoke and flames would have been visible from Circular Road and further afar.

Please if you have any information which you believe may assist us in our investigation please contact Limavady Police on 101 quoting ref CCS 731 of 15/7/18.”

Commenting on the vandalism Councillor William McCandless said “The vandalism at Castlerock Golf club has not just been an attack on the club itself, it has a serious detrimental effect upon our Tourism Industry.

Our Council area relies heavily upon Tourism for jobs and revenue and golf is an important factor in this. Golf tourism is a key priority at Tourism N.I. and courses like Castlerock are crucial to this strategy.
Castlerock Golf Club established in 1901 is located at the mouth of the river Bann with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the hills of Donegal and Islay.

A tough links course Castlerock can certainly compete with neighbouring Portstewart and Royal Portrush for an enjoyable days golf. Recently extensive work has been carried out by the club to improve many of the holes.

I would appeal to anyone who noticed anything unusual to contact PSNI to assist in apprehending those who carried out this damage. Arson and breaking windows are serious crimes and must not be tolerated.”

A spokesperson for Castlerock Golf Club said “Anyone with information please contact the PSNI or to the club direct by emailing bert@castlerockgc.co.uk.”

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Football’s “Made in England” Pitches

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Football’s “Made in England” Pitches: Sunday’s World Football Cup Final, the first-ever to be staged on a revolutionary hi-tech playing surface, is set to deliver a multi-million pound boost to SIS Pitches, the English firm behind the groundbreaking technology.

Cumbria-based SIS Pitches installed its hybrid surfaces using patented fibre injection technology with undersoil aeration system in six of the 12 tournament venues, including Moscow’s 81,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium, which will host Sunday’s decider between France and Croatia.

Football’s “Made in England” Pitches

Luzhniki’s pitch uses SISGrass, – 95% natural grass reinforced with 5% synthetic fibres – and SISAir, a unique aeration system capable of removing a deluge of rain from the surface in just five seconds, whilst optimising root moisture via a network of undersoil pipes.

George Mullan, CEO of SIS Pitches, said: “With around one billion people expected to watch the final, there’s clearly pressure to get the pitch in top condition, despite it being used for over 60 hours – the equivalent of a full Premier League season – in the past five weeks. That would have been impossible on a traditional all-grass pitch.

“Everyone has been raving about the quality of football at this tournament and our pitches have certainly given Modric, Lukaku, Mbappe and Kane a brilliant platform to perform on. The feedback we’ve had from everyone involved has been hugely positive. It’s the first worldwide showcase for these technologies to be combined at a World Football Cup final and it’s performed perfectly.”

The six World Football Cup stadia using SISGrass are Luzhniki, Spartak, Samara, Kaliningrad, Saransk and Rostov.

Football’s “Made in England” Pitches

Having installed over 80 hybrid surfaces worldwide, including English Premier League sides Chelsea, Newcastle United, Fulham and Bournemouth, as well as Scottish champions Celtic and the English FA’s St George’s Park complex, with Barcelona to follow, SIS Pitches predicts annual revenues will grow from £55m to £65m in 2019.

Mullan said: “We’re seeing huge interest from professional sports teams in the US and Japan, as well as the enormous American university sector and we’re installing eight SISGrass pitches in France this summer alone.”

Founded in 2001, SIS Pitches employs over 340 staff worldwide, with manufacturing headquarters in Maryport, Cumbria.

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Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

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Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers: Already renowned for their low maintenance and durable machinery, Major Equipment has announced a series of upgrades to their tractor mounted Swift Roller Mowers. These mowers are available in working widths from 1.9m to 5.4m.

Built light to allow them to be used on smaller compact tractors, there is no compromise on strength with the use of Strenx™ 700 MC high-yield steel, which is stronger than steel traditionally used in machinery.

Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

Now the mower bodies are galvanised using zinc hot-dip galvanisation for added protection from harsh exterior conditions. Hot-dip coating of the metal doubles the life span compared with painting and, Major say, it will protect steel from corrosion in most atmospheric conditions for 25 to 30 years.

It’s no wonder then that Major has also introduced a three-year professional warranty for all models in their Swift Roller Mower range but they haven’t stopped there. The roller mowers’ custom designed gearbox has been upgraded for improved and consistent mowing, even in the toughest conditions. High speed blade tips on the Major roller mowers offer higher output with an enviably professional cylinder mower finish every time you cut.

Major Upgrades For Swift Roller Mowers

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