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Water Savings and wash-off

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Water Savings and wash-off: Thetford Golf Club is a free draining course set in a wonderful part of Heathland in East Anglia. The Breckland Forest where the course is located, winds its way through many variations of trees and heathland, sets the perfect scene for any golfer to enjoy.

After joining the club in the early part of 2024 Course Manager, Matt Perks and the club had ambitious plans to drive the course condition forwards by improving water security resources and irrigation. Part of this included upgrading the wash facility in the greenkeeper’s facilities. However aware of the impact on the environment that washing off so many machines could have, his and the club’s attention focused to address the issue. Two matters high on the agenda 1) The conservation of water and obligation to sustainability  and 2) Prevent pollution of the ground water ensuring compliance with current Groundwater Regulations. Matt believed that a new wash-off facility with water recycling was the way forward and researched suitable solutions.

Water Savings and wash-off

Water Savings and wash-off

A ClearWater wash pad recycling system from Acumen Waste Services looked to be the ideal solution for the club and a site meeting was arranged. Following this visit by the company, specifications were drawn up and a quotation provided.

Matt wanted to make use of existing concrete in the yard and amend this to ensure budgets could be achieved, this was no problem for ClearWater.

Matthew Mears ClearWaters director explained: “With sustainability being a major factor in business now and multiple machine washing at one time, ClearWater’s 5,000 litre (1320 gallon) capacity with two powerful hoses is more than adequate and also allows sufficient dwell-time for the biological treatment.” Thetford chose a turnkey package quoted by Acumen ClearWater and all work was carried out within a week schedule.

What was it that made ClearWater the choice for the club? The club takes their environmental responsibilities seriously and sustainability is key, so is a compliant washpad and water savings became a must. Matt Perks said; “ClearWater was the best choice after seeing that it could be installed below ground and that we could utilise an existing redundant area.” ClearWater does provide advantages over other solutions: there’s no noise as the system is below ground, all you will hear is the wash water jet leaving the water guns! Also, the system recycles treated water with very little loss, as the dedicated wash pad with it low curb surround is constructed in such a way as the waste wash water is discharged through grass traps and into the underground tank by gravity for treatment. Some water loss will occur through evaporation, particularly in hot weather. However, the system is topped up by rainwater falling on the wash pad , so no mains water feed needed.

Machinery wash-off for many has clearly demonstrated huge water consumption and wastage for many years at an ever-increasing cost, financially and environmentally. Water has become an increasingly valuable resource. Washpad water recycling is the way forward for those in the turfcare maintenance sector and other business needing wash off. With water savings in excess of 90% achievable.

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Suståne improving disease resistance from the ground up

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Suståne improving disease resistance from the ground up: The combination of Suståne 5-2-4 and 5-2-10+Fe is providing the perfect platform for a switch to finer grass species at Ely City Golf Club.

Looking to improve disease resistance from the ground up is Course Manager Alan Magee, who explains how the tried and tested programme from Suståne is the ideal base feed for encouraging bent grass to flourish on the greens at the parkland club.

Suståne improving disease resistance from the ground up

Suståne improving disease resistance from the ground up

Ely City is regarded as one of the finest courses in East Anglia, located on the outskirts of Cambridge and delivering a challenging but picturesque 18-holes of mature parkland. Assisted by a team of five, Alan has been at the club for the last two and a half years. “With the ongoing reduction in chemicals and the drive towards more sustainable practices, as greenkeepers, we’re having to tackle the issue of disease management in new ways – for me, that’s looking at how we can increase our tolerance with better, more resilient, grass species” he explains.

No stranger to Suståne, Alan has been a longstanding user of their 5-2-4 all natural slow-release nitrogen fertiliser at his previous club in Dorset. “The 5-2-4 is really the building block for the rest of our inputs. We apply this at eight-week intervals from the spring onwards, with complimentary liquid feeds put down as and when required.”

The original Suståne formula, 5-2-4 promotes enhanced disease suppression and quick green up, without excessive growth. Suitable for most turfgrass environments, Suståne 5-2-4 increases the soils’ ability to hold water and nutrients, improving suppression of plant pathogens and strengthening the plant’s tolerance again heat, drought and other environmental stress factors. “This product is a fantastic spring starter, getting us moving and providing all the nutrients we need to support bentgrass and strengthen our greens ahead of a busy playing season.”

“For some extra oomph, we use the 5-2-10+Fe every eight weeks from July onwards as we begin to prepare the surfaces for winter” Alan adds. With its 1:2 N to K ratio, Suståne 5-2-10+Fe aids plant hydration and disease suppression, also enhancing chlorophyll production for outstanding turf colour without excessive top growth.

“This combination gives us great consistency and the versatility to adapt to surface requirements depending on the weather.” He continues, “As we pursue a bigger bent population in our greens, I’m a firm believer that if we get the biology right in the soil, the rest of our programme will fall into place. Both the surfaces and the players will hopefully be thanking us as a result!”

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The innovation from AS-Motor

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The innovation from AS-Motor: At GaLaBau 2024, AS-Motor presented the first electrically powered ride-on mower for use in high grass areas with an interchangeable battery system. The AS 920 ESherpa 2WD thus opens up new possibilities for emission-free, extensive green space maintenance.

Exchangeable rechargeable batteries – strong and reusable

The new battery-powered AS 920 ESherpa 2WD high grass ride-on mower is equipped with four 56 volt LI-ion rechargeable batteries with a total capacity of 16 kWh. The electric drive and blade drive is highly efficient and ensures a professional mowing performance that even slightly exceeds that of a combustion engine.  The electric drive provides enormous blade power and guarantees an excellent mowing pattern. The two possible driving speeds of 0 to 7 km/h and 0 to 11 km/h enable area outputs of up to 6,300 m² or up to 9,900 m² per hour. The AS 920 ESherpa 2WD also impresses with its powerful and efficient wheel drive with a torque of 600 Nm.

The innovation from AS-Motor

The innovation from AS-Motor

The FusionCore battery system from Ariens not only offers above-average performance in all areas, it can also be used multiple times. The exchangeable batteries of the AS 920 ESherpa 2WD are compatible with the professional Zenith E and Arrow E zero-turn mowers from sister brand Ariens. This enables optimum seasonal use and utilisation of the cost-intensive batteries.

Innovative energy and charging management

With the exchangeable battery system, you can mow for many hours without interruption, as full power is achieved even with just two batteries. Empty batteries can be replaced in just a few seconds. When developing the ESherpa, the engineers orientated themselves on the classic electric car standard for the charging modalities. With the integrated 3.3 kW quick charger, the charging time for a full charge of 16 kWh is just under five hours. The type 2 charging socket enables charging at a wallbox (optionally available), at public charging points or with an adapter at a conventional 230 volt socket. The optional mobile charging station allows additional batteries to be charged outside the machine. The integrated LED interface on the steering column allows the driver to keep an eye on the charge status and capacity of each battery. Faults are diagnosed automatically. Energy is recovered during braking and the batteries are recharged (recuperation). To ensure that the smartphone never runs out of power, the developers from the high-grass experts have also thought of two integrated USB charging sockets (USB-A and USB-C) for mobile devices.

Sustainable in the long term

The new battery-powered ESherpa is 100 per cent emission-free and therefore guarantees a significantly reduced CO2 footprint, depending on the energy mix used. The extended seasonal usability of the rechargeable batteries on other machines also contributes to sustainability, as does the virtual elimination of plastic parts. The electric drive also has advantages for the driver in terms of comfort. Operating noise is considerably lower and body vibrations are greatly reduced. The driver will certainly also find the long-desired integrated cup holder comfortable.

AS 920 ESherpa 2WD- The calculation works out

Compared to combustion models, the maintenance costs for a battery-powered mower are considerably lower. The wheel and blade drive of the AS 920 ESherpa is completely maintenance-free. The mower is also ideal for utilising self-generated solar power, thus saving additional operating costs. Government subsidies are also available for electrically powered machines.

No experiments – Tried and tested high-quality components

The combustion engine model AS 920 Sherpa 2WD naturally served as the basis for the ESherpa. Many components have proven themselves there and can also be found in the new battery-powered ESherpa: the mechanical differential lock, the double blade bearing and the overload protection of the reliable AS Sherpa cross blade system. The high-quality all-round tubular steel frame, the tyres in combination with an oscillating front axle ensure very agile handling and a turning circle of just 0.65 m. The surfing mower deck compensates for unevenness and the track widening of the rear axle ensures increased tipping stability. The ESherpra also fits in perfectly with the popular Sherpa family in terms of comfort, with its comfortable seating position on a suspension seat and the convenient driving lever with parking brake and cruise control function.

The new member of the AS Sherpa family, the AS 920 ESherpa 2WD, will be available from the 2026 mowing season.

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GreenMech goes to the heart of operations

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GreenMech goes to the heart of operations: The purchase of an Arborist 150D Max from GreenMech has changed operations for the Heart of England Forest, providing usable woodchip to projects across their 7,500 acres of forest habitat.

As the only woodchipper on their fleet, the purchase in February 2024 is compact yet powerful enough to tackle coppicing projects and pruning works as the charity strive to create and manage woodland across Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

GreenMech goes to the heart of operations

GreenMech goes to the heart of operations

The Heart of England Forest (HOEF) is looking to create and manage a 30,000 acre forest with the aim of restoring forest cover, biodiversity and peoples connection with nature. Ian Hayward is a Senior Forest Ranger and works with a 21-strong forestry team on the broad range of maintenance needed in a woodland setting. “In the summer we’re access mowing our trail networks, looking after our young trees or conducting biodiversity surveys, then in winter it’s tree planting and maintenance, including coppicing and selective thinning – which is where our new GreenMech woodchipper comes in” he explains.

“As a local company to us, and proud British manufacturer, GreenMech was our first port of call and the machines we saw seriously impressed. After trying a couple of models, we opted for the Arborist 150D Max – diesel-powered, capable of processing all the by-products from our forestry work, and meeting both our budget and the needs of the team.”

The 150D Max is the latest addition to GreenMech’s Arborist range, one of the most successful and sought-after 6” chipper collections on the market. Powered by a 25hp Kubota diesel engine, the Arborist 150D Max utilises GreenMech’s disc-blade chipping technology and ‘No-Stress’ in-feed system to offer reliable, durable performance on timber and bushy brash.

Ian goes on to emphasise the simplicity of both the purchase process and the chippers operation. “We received training on the machine and the team find its straight-forward operation a really positive feature. The communication we’ve had from GreenMech throughout has been top-notch, especially from Neal Hussey who went out of his way to help us throughout the procurement process.”

“It’s currently our only chipper and will be really helpful when we’re doing coppicing projects as well as being utilised for clearance of material from tree safety and pruning work.” He continues, “As the forest grows, the amount of maintenance will increase the demand for the Arborist 150D Max with things like selective thinning needed more frequently. Here, we can turn the top end brash into woodchip for use on our woodland trails.”

“With this woodchipper we will be able to handle greater volumes of material and repurpose it for more positive projects – it will change how we operate.”

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Stop by BAGMA at SALTEX

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Stop by BAGMA at SALTEX: The British Agricultural Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA) are pleased to be returning to SALTEX to discuss industry issues, training and the other many benefits of BAGMA membership.

Following a year of rapid growth within the association, stand M102 will be the place to discover more about the new additions – including the revolutionary new paperless solution to machinery handover and installation.

Stop by BAGMA at SALTEX

Stop by BAGMA at SALTEX

BAGMA proudly offers a portfolio of approved service providers, to deliver improved access to a full range of services at exclusive and competitive prices for its members. Within the last 12 months, Fog Bandit Security Systems and the Renticy revenue platform have joined an extensive list of partners which includes finance solutions, utility services and currency payments.

Of particular interest is a new partnership between BAGMA and Culverdocs, who together have launched a new app to tackle the industry-wide issue of triplicate forms. Offering a new ‘Paperless Solution’, users can benefit from digitised forms for Handover and Installation and other administrative functions. Launched in early September, dealers around the country are already discovering the vast improvement in efficiency when delivering machines, hiring on and more.

Members and non-members can find out more or organise a demo with the Culverdocs team by stopping by the stand later this month.

Together with efficiencies and savings, BAGMA is also continuing its work to fight for better terms and conditions for dealers as well as providing support to the wider agricultural, groundcare and garden machinery industry in the form of advice and training. With one combined voice, the association and sector are stronger.

As a special incentive for SALTEX visitors, those interested in joining BAGMA can benefit from an exclusive joining offer which allows members to receive 15 months for the price of 12 – applies to new or lapsed members on their first year of membership. More information is available by speaking to the BAGMA team on stand M102.

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