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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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Replay Rejuvenation Process Pays Dividends At Ecclesall LTC

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New for Old – Replay Rejuvenation process pays dividends at Ecclesall LTC – Ecclesall Lawn Tennis Club in Sheffield has enlisted the help of Replay Maintenance to bring some much needed TLC to its 4 artificial grass courts to bring them back to a safe and playable condition.  Celebrating its centenary in 2015 the club has a private membership of over 120 people. 

Replay Rejuvenation Process Pays Dividends At Ecclesall LTC

Club Secretary Martin Gilmour has been involved with the club his whole life.  Following an investment in 2004, new carpets, floodlights and changing facilities were installed.  Since then however, the courts have struggled with their shaded location.  “The club is sandwiched between two residential roads” explains Martin. “With the gardens that surround us, we get problems like leaves that drop but the biggest issue is the shade – especially on the bottom court.” This combined with the mild conditions and sporadic rainfall experienced over the previous couple of years meant moss was becoming an issue, causing the courts to become slippery and dangerous. “We’ve been trying to keep on top of the maintenance in-house, as well as calling in some companies to come in and clean the courts, but we haven’t had a lot of joy with these in the past.”

With an admittedly sceptical mind, Martin looked for another company who could come in and sort the courts out once and for all. “I contacted Replay Maintenance and Nick Harris came straight back to me; he visited and explained how their Rejuvenation process worked. Even though I wasn’t sure they’d achieve what they said they could, we went ahead.  How wrong I was – they came in, they did deliver and now the courts look as good as new!”

Replay’s unique Rejuvenation process uses compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of infill; restore the pile to vertical and fill again with new clean infill. Thanks to Martin choosing 15mm pile when the courts were installed, the tests conducted by Replay showed that there was still a good amount of life left in the carpet.

“After the Rejuvenation process the courts were back to an as-new condition.  Already we’ve had many comments from players on how fantastic the courts are now, which gave us the confidence to embark on a service agreement.  Replay will now visit 4 times a year to ensure we’ll have great looking courts for the foreseeable future – and as important, we’ve extended the lifespan of our investment much further than it would have been if it weren’t for them.”

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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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Spider Launches Social Media Campaign With ‘Mow-Na Lisa’

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Spider Launches Social Media Campaign With ‘Mow-Na Lisa’ – Dvorak, the Czech-based manufacturer of the Spider range of remote-controlled slope mowers, has launched its first global social media campaign featuring a giant version of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa portrait, mown on a hillside at Dolní Kalná in the Czech Republic.

Spider Launches Social Media Campaign With ‘Mow-Na Lisa’

The portrait, on a grass canvas measuring 200 metres x 250 metres with a gradient of 45 degrees, was created over a period of three days: two days of detailed surveying and one day mowing, using the company’s Spider 1 and Spider 2 mowers. It was filmed by the creative motion picture and digital agency, Mustard, based in Prague.

Using their professional film crew equipped with the latest drone technology, the video shows how this remarkable feat was created. A scale drawing of the famous portrait was used to transfer reference points to the hillside using laser surveying technology and then the skilled Spider operators, including the company’s Managing Director, Lubomir Dvorak, mowed the 50,000 square metre image taking direction from the video producer.

Pavlina Novakova, International Marketing Manager explained how the project was developed,

“We wanted to make a video to raise the profile of our product range and our company on a global stage. The germ of an idea was put forward at one of our regular marketing meetings and was gradually developed over a timescale of six months. We looked for an iconic image that would be recognized around the globe and decided on Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work. Not only was da Vinci a great artist, but he was also an exceptional engineer. That connection dovetailed perfectly with the innovative technology in our Spider mowers.

We realized that it would require professional help, so we contacted Cream, a creative communications agency, also based in Prague who, along with Mustard, took the project forward.

Spider Launches Social Media Campaign With ‘Mow-Na Lisa’

“First, we had to find a suitable location, obtain permission from the landowner and then wait for the perfect weather conditions. We did consider doing it close to a motorway, but this would have removed the element of surprise for the campaign, as we were convinced many people would take photographs of the completed image and post it on social media before the official launch.

“We are delighted with the finished video and are hoping it will go viral. So many people were involved in the production and it was a great experience for all of us at Spider to be part of it.”

The completed video can be viewed 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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