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York Racecourse looks to the future with GroundTech

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York Racecourse looks to the future with GroundTech: The award-winning grounds team at York Racecourse have gained two new recruits, in the form of an Echo TM-1050 and Echo TM-2050 robotic mower from GroundTech.

In the few shorts weeks since their delivery, the pair have been well received by Head Groundsman Adrian Kay as well as visitors to site who have commented that the enclosures and other perimeter areas have never presented better at this time of year.

York Racecourse looks to the future with GroundTech

York Racecourse looks to the future with GroundTech

With a busy race season from May to October, and a calendar compromising of weddings and corporate functions, the maintenance is a year-round operation for Adrian and his team of seven. Like many in the sector, York Racecourse have found recruitment to be a challenge, particularly since the pandemic. They’ve decided to turn to technology to provide a helping hand. “We recognise that people don’t want to be working 60-70 hours per week, or at unsociable hours, much of which was attributable to the time it takes to mow our expanses of lawn. By investing in this pair of robotic mowers, I can redeploy my skilled team to other maintenance tasks, ensuring we can maintain presentation levels” Adrian explains.

Following advice from Echo’s Sam Daybell, they opted for the Echo TM-1050 and TM-2050. “We worked really well together, assessing the size and specification of the prospective areas to find the right fit. The TM-1050 is primarily used on our premium grass car parking areas, and the TM-2050 on the enclosures, parade rings and a number of medium and high spec lawns.”

“We’re already benefiting from all the well-documented advantages that robotics brings – mowing through the night and at weekends, in all manner of weather conditions.” Adrian continues, “It’s also meant that we’ve been able to retain presentation over a difficult, wet winter with the light footprint of the robots. This has not gone unnoticed by visitors to the course.”

“Considering the wider benefits, it means less need to turn to our petrol or diesel mowers which is a big plus from an environmental sustainability standpoint. In 2023 we launched ‘Green Knavesmire 300’ demonstrating our commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2040, with these new editions from GroundTech playing their part in this wider goal.”

Together with the expert support from the team at GroundTech and Echo, Adrian is enjoying exploring the full functionality of the software, allowing him to monitor the robots 24/7. “I’m not sure I should admit this in print, but I find I’m on the app at four in the morning, making sure everything is going according to plan!” he laughs. “But it is very useful, being able to see things like the battery life etc. Every day we’re taking the opportunity to learn more about them and really bed them into our routine before the season kicks off in May.”

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Origin Amenity Solutions Appoints Richard Walton

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Origin Amenity Solutions Appoints Richard Walton: Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS), a leading provider of innovative products and services for turf management in the sports and amenity sectors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Walton as its new Managing Director.

OAS is now part of the newly formed Living Landscapes division within Origin Enterprises PLC. The creation of Origin Living Landscapes reinforces the Group’s commitment to the sports, landscape, and environmental markets to address the growing demand for sustainable and environmental product solutions.

Origin Amenity Solutions Appoints Richard Walton

Origin Amenity Solutions Appoints Richard Walton

Richard brings over 27 years of experience in commercial leadership roles within the amenity and landscaping industry. Before joining Origin, he held senior positions at Scotts Professional, Everris, and ICL, where he demonstrated a strong track record of driving business growth, strategy development, and acquisition initiatives. Since joining Origin in July 2023 as Commercial Officer for the Sports and Landscapes sectors, Richard has made significant contributions, identifying areas for strategic improvement and implementing initiatives that have delivered measurable value. Richard will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the strategic direction of OAS.

Chris Clark, who previously held the role of MD with OAS, will continue as head of Origin’s Amenity division, currently comprising eight individual businesses. The Amenity division has been divided into two sub-divisions of Sports and Landscapes; Clive Whinnett has been appointed as Managing Director of the Sport division. This restructuring will increase focus on establishing and growing the Origin Living Landscapes brand as the leading solutions provider for the sports, landscape, and environmental sectors.

Chris comments: “Richard’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Origin Amenity Solutions. His extensive industry expertise, passion for innovation, and proven leadership capabilities make him the ideal person to lead OAS. I am confident that he will build on our successes and drive continued excellence in service delivery for our customers.”

Richard Walton added: “I am honoured to take on this role and lead Origin Amenity Solutions at such an exciting time. OAS has an outstanding reputation for delivering future-ready products, services, and advice, and I look forward to working with the talented team to build on this legacy and achieve new levels of success.”

This appointment reflects Origin’s continued commitment to strengthening its leadership team and advancing its strategic objectives within the sports and landscaping sectors. With Richard at the helm, OAS is poised for sustained growth and innovation.

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Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

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Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant: Hayter, a name synonymous with British lawnmower excellence for over 75 years, has been awarded the Royal Warrant by appointment to His Majesty the King, as manufactures of horticultural machinery – one of the most prestigious awards in the country.

This honour, held until 2030, reaffirms Hayter’s unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, from its historic petrol mowers to the cutting-edge battery-powered Harrier® range.

Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

Craig Hoare, Hayter’s Sales & Marketing Manager, had this to say about the Royal Warrant:

“We feel honoured to be given this Royal Warrant on behalf of His Majesty the King. As a British business that has manufactured products from the same factory site in Spellbrook since 1946, our dedication to British engineered products, consumers and professionals has never wavered. We will continue to innovate within the grounds care industry, pushing standards well into the future.”

Hayter’s story began in 1946, when the company’s founder, Douglas Hayter, conceptualised the iconic Hayter rotary lawnmower after seeing a 100-year-old horse-drawn rotary mower in the London Science Museum.

Returning home to Spellbrook, Hayter made his first rotary mower with a collection of spare pieces, a dustbin lid and a two-stroke engine – the rest is history.

Hayter’s association with royal recognition dates back to 1960, when the company was first awarded the prestigious Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, Hayter has continuously maintained this honour, a testament to the enduring quality, innovation, and craftsmanship of its professional and residential battery and petrol mowers.

Now, in 2025, Hayter proudly holds the Royal Warrant under His Majesty King Charles III, marking a new chapter in this long-standing tradition. This distinction reaffirms Hayter’s unwavering commitment to excellence and ensures the company’s place in the Royal Household until 2030.

All in all, this means Hayter will have held the warrant concurrently for 70 years – no small feat for a business of any size.

Hayter is once again setting new industry standards with their innovative battery range of mowers, with their latest Harrier® 56 60V mower using a dual battery system that enables two batteries to share the workload simultaneously, lowering battery temperature and mitigating charge loss.

Craig also commented:

“We’ve not once stopped pushing our mowers to new heights, iterating on loved designs to meet the growing needs of landscaping and gardening professionals across the country. There is no greater honour than supplying the finest mowers to the Royal Estate, and we cannot wait for His Majesty’s gardeners to experience the fantastic improvements we have made.”

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Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

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Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood: Rockyfold Wood, situated within the Kentchurch Estate in Herefordshire, recently suffered an outbreak of Ash Dieback. Large areas of infected trees had to be felled, leaving the site in need of restocking.

A key challenge of this project was the presence of local deer populations, which posed a threat to young saplings. To safeguard the newly planted trees and give them the best chance of thriving, protective measures were required.

Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

The Project

To effectively restore the woodland and ensure the successful establishment of new trees, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture collaborated with Kilmaha Ltd. to lead the replanting efforts.

Pryor & Rickett Silviculture is a well-respected forestry management company that provides sustainable woodland solutions across the UK. Their work involves long-term planning, biodiversity enhancement, and commercial timber production. Working alongside Kilmaha Ltd, a forestry and countryside management company,  they were tasked with restocking the site while ensuring the new trees had optimal protection from deer browsing.

Products Used

To support healthy tree growth, the team turned to Green-tech, the leading supplier of tree protection materials and the largest distributor of Tubex tree shelters. Green-tech provides shelters and stakes that offer a controlled micro-environment, reducing environmental stress and preventing deer browsing damage.

To maximise tree survival rates and create a thriving woodland, the following products were selected:

  • Tubex 1.5m tree shelters – Chosen for their reliability and effectiveness in shielding young saplings from browsing deer, which aids tree establishment and enhances survival rates while fostering optimal growing conditions.
  • Stakes – Used to securely position the shelters and ensure stability during early tree development.

Green-tech involvement.

Tom Whitchurch, Senior Forest Manager at Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, comments, “We sought competitive quotes and ultimately chose Green-tech as our supplier due to their strong industry reputation, competitive pricing, and high standard of customer service. Our sales advisor, George, provided expert guidance, ensuring that the right products were selected for the project’s specific requirements.”

The Outcome

The Rockyfold Wood restoration project has successfully restocked the woodland, ensuring a new generation of trees can establish and thrive. The use of Tubex tree shelters has provided essential protection against deer, securing the long-term success of the replanting efforts. This initiative restores a vital part of the Kentchurch Estate and contributes to sustainable forestry practices and biodiversity enhancement.

This project demonstrates the value of sustainable woodland management and highlights the strong partnership between Green-tech, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, and Kilmaha Ltd in delivering high-quality, long-lasting solutions for UK woodlands.

“Green-tech is my go-to supplier for plant protection and landscaping materials. George and his team deliver high-quality service and always come back with solutions to any problems or queries I may have. They price competitively and dispatch efficiently.” Tom Whitchurch, Senior Forest Manager at Pryor & Rickett Silviculture

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Bionema’s RootVita® SP Increases Maize Head Size by 50%

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Bionema’s RootVita® SP Increases Maize Head Size by 50%: A groundbreaking field trial in South Africa has demonstrated that RootVita® SP, Bionema Group’s innovative biostimulant technology, can increase Maize head size by 50%, marking a significant advancement in sustainable agriculture.

A prominent Maize farmer in South Africa tested this product in partnership with Bionema Group to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing root development, nutrient uptake, and overall plant health.

Bionema’s RootVita® SP Increases Maize Head Size by 50%

Bionema’s RootVita® SP Increases Maize Head Size by 50%

The Global Importance of Maize

Maize is the most widely grown cereal crop in the world, feeding over 1.2 billion people globally. It is a staple food for over 300 million Africans, accounting for 30–50% of daily calorie intake. With increasing climate challenges, soil degradation, and fertiliser price volatility, improving Maize productivity is critical for developing nations’ food security and economic stability.

Why This Matters for Africa

Africa’s Maize production is expected to fall by up to 30% by 2050 due to climate change and depleting soil nutrients, threatening the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. South Africa, one of the continent’s largest Maize producers, faces rising input costs and erratic rainfall, making sustainable solutions like RootVita® SP crucial.

The successful 2024–2025 field trials of RootVita® SP demonstrated:

✔ 50% increase in Maize head size.
✔ Improved soil microbiome activity for long-term fertility.
✔ Higher resilience to environmental stress.
✔ Reduced reliance on synthetic fertilisers.

Field Trial Findings: Transforming Maize Productivity

The trial, conducted across multiple farms in South Africa, was initiated in late 2024 and continued through the 2025 maize-growing season. The region’s soils often suffer from nutrient deficiencies, and climate variability has made crop production more challenging.

RootVita® SP, when integrated into standard Maize farming practices, significantly improved nutrient absorption, root development, and overall plant vigour, resulting in larger Maize heads and improved grain quality. These findings highlight the critical role of biostimulants in modern agriculture.

Sustainable Agriculture: Reducing Dependence on Chemical Fertilizers

With the rising costs of synthetic fertilisers and stricter global regulations on chemical inputs, farmers are turning to biological alternatives to maintain productivity without harming the environment. RootVita® SP offers a cost-effective, sustainable alternative that boosts yield and improves soil health and crop resilience against climate stress.

Dr. Minshad Ansari, CEO and Founder of Bionema, said, “This trial reinforces Bionema’s commitment to creating innovative biological solutions that transform modern agriculture. A 50% increase in Maize head size is a game-changer, particularly in regions where food security and soil health are pressing concerns. RootVita® SP is proving to be a sustainable alternative that allows farmers to maximise yields while reducing their reliance on chemical inputs.”

About Bionema Group

Bionema Group is a pioneering biotech company specialising in biocontrol and biostimulant solutions for sustainable crop production and plant health management. With a strong focus on biological alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals, Bionema’s products support farmers and growers in improving yields, enhancing soil health, and reducing environmental impact.

For more information on RootVita® SP and its application in Maize and other crops, visit: www.bionema.com

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