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NEWS ARTICLES

Exteris™ Stressgard® fungicide now available

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Exteris™ Stressgard® fungicide now available – Greenkeepers can now get their hands on the new turf fungicide, that has been developed to treat for Microdochium Patch and Dollar Spot. Exteris™ Stressgard®, was launched by Bayer at BTME this January, and is now available to purchase from exclusive distributors, Headland Amenity and Rigby Taylor.

Exteris™ Stressgard® fungicide now available

“Over 10 years of development, and analysis of more than 100,000 potential active ingredients has gone into the new fungicide, that’s been specifically engineered and optimised for turfgrass using Stressgard® Formulation Technology,” says Neil Pettican, Bayer head of sales.

“Exteris™ Stressgard® adds another tool to the greenkeepers diminishing armoury, it contains a new active ingredient (Fluopyram) and is part of a totally new chemical group (SDHI).  It should play a vital role in the greenkeeper’s disease management strategy, to help reduce the chances of resistance occurring.”

Neil explains that, in bringing Exteris™ Stressgard® to the market, Bayer and its partners have undertaken a number of independent UK based trials.

“We’ve been really impressed by the results so far.  One particular trial, undertaken during the heavy disease pressure experienced in the UK in late 2016, displayed outstanding results for the treatment of Microdochium Patch. Trial plots treated with Exteris™ Stressgard® experienced a maximum of 5% disease activity whilst the plots that were untreated displayed up to 75% disease activity.”

TYM Tractors Debut At The Game Fair 2017

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TYM Tractors Debut At The Game Fair 2017 – Reesink Turfcare is bringing TYM tractors to the 59th Game Fair in Hertfordshire on 28 to 30 July 2017 for the first time.

Tym Tractors Debut At The Game Fair 2017

The event, which is billed as the nation’s largest celebration of the Great British countryside, draws a large crowd of people from the woodland and forestry, estate management and gardens sectors. It is this that makes TYM’s presence at the fair “an excellent fit” according to TYM sales manager Steven Haynes.

“TYM is a brand well recognised as a good addition to the maintenance equipment used on farms, National Trust land, large gardens and estates and schools, colleges and universities,” Steven says. “The range we’re bringing to the fair is popular with our customers in these sectors and we think will be well received thanks to their lightweight but powerful capabilities, ease of use and economy.”

Reesink Turfcare, the UK distributor of TYM, is bringing five tractor models to The Game Fair. While the full TYM range extends from 25 to 105hp models, the five on display will be the TS25, T293, TE40, T353 and T433, which forms the sub 50hp range, all suited for rural countryside applications.

Apart from the TE40 and TS25, both of which have a three-cylinder water-cooled engine, all the tractors coming to the show benefit from a powerful four-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine. All feature hydrostatic power-steering for effortless manoeuvrability, a tight turning circle and a four-wheel-drive front axle for greater traction where needed.

The tractors can be upgraded with optional heated and air-conditioned cabs for maximum operator comfort. Tractors without a cab feature rollover protection structures (ROPS) and can be folded down for compact and convenient storage under a low roof. They can also be fitted with an array of attachments such as backhoes and front loaders, a selection of which will be demonstrated at the fair.

Steven concludes by saying: “Not that it’s needed when the tractors’ unbelievable value is clear for all to see, but there may well be some exclusive promotions for visitors to the fair. We look forward to welcoming visitors on stand to showcase the range and let them know what’s on offer.”

Versatile GreenMech EcoCombi 150 Helps Wildlife Trust

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Versatile GreenMech EcoCombi 150 helps Wildlife Trust make light work of chipping and shredding – The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK.  To help power a biomass boiler which heats the visitor centre, the Trust invested in an EcoCombi 150 chipper/shredder from GreenMech.  

Versatile GreenMech EcoCombi 150 Helps Wildlife Trust

Formed in 2002, and the fourth largest in area, WTSWW looks after just under 100 nature reserves in Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.  Wildlife Trust Officer for Pembrokeshire Nathan Walton is responsible for 14 nature reserves within the county including Teifi Marshes which is also home to the main visitor facility, The Welsh Wildlife Centre.

Helping Nathan is a team of up to 30 volunteers, whose main remit is to support WTSWW in managing the various habitats on its reserves which include grasslands, wetlands and woodlands. “We carry out a lot of woodland management throughout the year but also deal with a variety of other materials. When the biomass boiler was originally installed the plan was the power it with common reed so when it came to looking for a chipper, we knew we needed something multi-functional” explains Nathan. “Whilst undertaking some research, we were recommended the EcoCombi 150 from GreenMech. Julian Cullis came to demo for us and it dealt with a variety of materials fantastically.”

The EcoCombi 150 combines the versatility of both a chipper and a shredder, designed with power, strength and versatility in mind. It has the capacity to deal with 150mm of clean timber and a shredding section for up to 50mm of organic material contaminated with soil, stones and green wet waste.

Nathan again, “It had no problem chipping the reed and, even though we now power the boiler with wood alone, having the shredder as another way of reducing the waste is really useful. We use the shredder now to predominately deal with brash.  The chip produced is mostly re-used in and around the habitats from which the wood originated, though some is used for ground maintenance at the visitor centre. The wood for the Biomass boiler is stored until it is seasoned and is then chipped straight into the boiler’s hopper. It’s been a great workhorse for us and it’s kit like this, along with our fantastic support team, that has put us and our facilities in such a great place.”

It was thanks to the Sustainable Development Fund, provided by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park that they managed to receive the funds to purchase the EcoCombi 150, which is now supported by local GreenMech dealer Powercut.

New Low Drift Nozzles For ProShield

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New low drift nozzles for ProShield – ICL has announced that all bottles of ProShield – a barrier acting, pre and post-emergent non-selective herbicide, are now being supplied with low drift sprayer nozzles.

New low drift nozzles for ProShield

As part of the new product authorisation, which has been officially registered by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD), ProShield will now come with two low drift sprayer nozzles as well as a stewardship checklist attached.

The newly authorised bottles are registered through to 2020 and any individuals who possess old label stock will have until 31st March 2018 to use them up.

Many turf and landscape professionals have been benefitting from ProShield for a number of years now. Rainfast in one hour and providing rapid knockdown, one application is all that is needed. It is renowned for killing a range of problematic weeds and its barrier action prevents germination for up to six months while protecting against re-growth on gravel and soft surfaces.

Although a huge success to date, Mark Pyrah – Landscape and Industrial Business Development Manager for ICL Turf & Landscape in UK and Ireland, believes that the new nozzles will have an even greater impact.

“With these new low drift sprayer nozzles, the operator will notice an immediate improvement,” he says. “The product will only affect the targeted area with minimized chemical drift. Not only will it make the task more effective but you are essentially getting more out of the product because there will be significantly less wastage.

“In such uncertain times in which a number of products are being removed from the market, it is vital that updates such as these are made to the packaging. At ICL we champion best practice and are always looking to make improvements that are in line with current legislation, to enhance an individual’s operations.”

Professor John Moverley OBE, chairman of the Amenity Forum, also voiced his support.

“As an independent organisation, the Amenity Forum fully supports product stewardship and the importance of choosing the correct nozzle so that the product is applied exactly where needed for effective and economic impact,” he said.

ProShield has an ultra-low dose rate of 4.5 litres/ha and its water-based, non-solvent formulation is classed as non-hazard and non-irritant to the operator. It can be applied with a knapsack sprayer and the new universal nozzles can be attached to existing equipment.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

Ransomes Helps Burgled Cowbridge Cricket Club

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Ransomes Helps Burgled Cowbridge Cricket Club – Ransomes, a Textron Specialized Vehicles brand, has donated a Ransomes Super Bowl pedestrian cylinder mower to Cowbridge Cricket Club located in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, after the club became a victim of a burglary. 

Ransomes Helps Burgled Cowbridge Cricket Club

The club is a not-for-profit members’ club with a remit to provide sporting opportunities for the community of Cowbridge and the wider Vale of Glamorgan. Affiliated to CricketWales, the club has produced numerous Wales Juniors players, and currently has two female members in the Wales representative squad.

Having used Ransomes equipment since opening in 1895, Chairman of Cowbridge Cricket Club Hugh Williams wrote to Senior Director of Ransomes Alan Prickett, to describe the club’s predicament and financial impact upon the organisation.

“Our loss of the Super Bowl was a major blow,” Williams said. “We are a not for profit club, and our members work hard to ensure that we are fully financially self-sufficient. The burglary put us in a difficult position as the excess and depreciation of the mower meant that we could not replace the mower like-for-like through our insurance policy.

“The donation made by Ransomes has been an incredibly kind gesture, and it has meant that we have not had to divert funds away from coaching programmes to fund a replacement mower. We have always used Ransomes equipment at Cowbridge, and we are proud of our playing surfaces and the number of high calibre players that have been produced at this club. I can’t thank Ransomes enough for the support they have given us during this particularly difficult time.”

“When I received the letter from Hugh at Cowbridge Cricket Club, I was deeply concerned by the potentially detrimental effect that the burglary could have had on the club,” Alan Prickett commented. “I decided to support the club in the same way that it has supported Ransomes since 1895. It’s only a small gesture, but it can often make the world of difference for clubs who rely on the commitment and passion of its members to remain a stalwart of the community.”

Cowbridge Cricket Club holds a CricketWales ECB Clubmark Accreditation, affirming its operating methods and constitution are compliant with best practice. The club has three senior XI’s and more than 100 juniors playing in five age groups.