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R1 and R9 from OAS overcomes challenge

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R1 and R9 from OAS overcomes challenge: Where most bowling greens benefit from the flexibility of changing heads to spread the wear, the small green at Errol Bowling Club in Perth offers Greenkeeper Graham Craig no such luxury!

It’s down to the resilience and recovery of R1 and R9 seed mixtures from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS), that despite the high wear and challenges of long dry spells of weather that the green is looking and playing better than ever.

R1 and R9 from OAS overcomes challenge

R1 and R9 from OAS overcomes challenge

OAS brings together four leading industry names – Rigby Taylor, Headland Amenity, Symbio and TurfKeeper. The group benefits from Rigby Taylor’s market-leading ‘R’ Range grass seed being added to their portfolio.

On his retirement from running his own thatching supply business, Graham took on the role of Greenkeeper seven years ago – at which time the decision was also made to bring more of the green maintenance in-house. “While the two jobs may appear contrasting, there were some principles of working with the water reed grasses that I could apply to operations here at the club, and when I needed advice on things, I called upon contacts such as Andy Menmuir from OAS who has helped me a great deal over the years to tackle the challenges of our high wear surface.”

The green, at just 1000m2, is tasked with hosting friendlies and league games so to give Graham and the club the best chance of withstanding such traffic, Andy suggested a combination of R1 and R9 seed from the Rigby Taylor fine turf range. “We’ve used this combination for the last four years” Graham explains, “with R1 oversown on the full green, and then a mix of R1 and R9 used for additional strength on the heads.”

R9 is a fast-establishing, 100% ultra-fine perennial ryegrass blend of four dwarf PRG cultivars – hard wearing, with fineness of leaf, high shoot density and a tolerance for close mowing making it ideal for fine turf applications. “I apply R9 to the heads, oversown into core holes and then dressed which gives us outstanding establishment and germination. The initial burst of growth shoots up like a forest of fir trees and is brilliant for filling in any bare areas. Longer term, it stands up well to the wear.”

“Andy also plans out our summer and winter-feeding programmes, in particular working with me to keep on top of moss which is a big issue for a lot of greens and saps the run out of the bowl.” He concludes, “I am very proud to say I have zero moss on the green at the moment thanks to the OAS plan, in fact – as a player myself travelling round and visiting lots of other greens – I’d say ours is looking and playing incredibly well.”

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CombiTool delivers maintenance without compromise

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CombiTool delivers maintenance without compromise: Proving that multi-purpose certainly doesn’t have to mean compromise, a CombiTool from GKB Machines has been delivering on every front since its delivery at Rookery Park Golf Club in May 2023.

Head Greenkeeper Neil Davey explains how the ability to conduct multiple operations in a single pass is not only saving them labour hours, but the flexibility to adjust the working depth of each attachment independently is delivering even better results than they’d hoped for across greens, tees and approaches.

CombiTool delivers maintenance without compromise

CombiTool delivers maintenance without compromise

The heavy clay profile of the club in Lowestoft, Suffolk, is the number one challenge for the greens team – with anything allowing them to get some well-needed extra drainage a welcome addition to Neil, his fleet and the team of five. “You see this kind of equipment in use a lot at football and sporting venues and, after seeing it for the first time at SALTEX, I thought why are we not using this sort of machine to slit & roll tees and approaches on a golf course!” explains Neil.

“The build quality of the GKB kit always impresses me so having seen it on the stand, and thinking about the uses for the various attachments we purchased the CombiTool without even having a demonstration. It hasn’t disappointed… in fact, since it was delivered by Stuart Paterson at Ernest Doe it’s been out on the course more than it’s been in the shed and has exceeded all of our expectations!”

Launched in November 2022, the CombiTool features four attachment slots which can be tailored to the venue or task at hand, offering versatility and value-for-money while allowing multiple maintenance operations to be completed in a single pass. “We opted for the 1.6m working width with mini-slit on the front, followed by harrows, then a roller and the brush at the rear for presentation and to stand everything up ready to cut behind. We’ve so far passed over the tees and approaches a couple of times, along with two operations on the greens, where we simply raised the brush and harrows to make the operation less invasive.”

“That’s the real beauty of this machine – the versatility and ability to control the depth of each attachment means you can be as soft or aggressive as the surface demands. You could also swap different attachments in or out to suit, making it super simple for us to get some slits in the ground for additional drainage or ahead of applications of wetting agents or topdressings.”

Neil continues, “The possibilities of this unit are endless around the course. We’re going to try it out on the fairways once the current spell of dry weather is over. We’re also going to remove the roller and use the harrows and brush to see how that combination gets on with wormcasts.”

“Not only does this machine give us so much flexibility, the convenience of it is another major plus. If I wanted to slit and brush ordinarily, this would be two people running two separate machines. With the CombiTool, it’s all done in one pass, with a second team member following on behind with a mower, leaving an incredible quality of finish” he adds.

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BASF launches Nemaslug 2.0 for improved slug control

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BASF launches Nemaslug 2.0 for improved slug control: Leading pest control solutions manufacturer, BASF, has launched a new and improved version of its hugely popular and effective biological slug control treatment, Nemaslug. Nemaslug 2.0 provides all of the protection and high efficacy rates of the original product, but has additional benefits, too.

The improved product has been produced following the discovery of a new species of nematode – Phasmarhabditis californica. This species of nematode can be packed at much higher concentrations, so the same amount of effective nematodes can be stored in a smaller pack, which has helped BASF to reduce the plastic packaging of its slug control solution by half. More efficient storage as well as fewer containers being needed to transport the product, further reduces the carbon footprint, which aligns with the company’s sustainability goals and its aims to provide a greener option for slug control.

BASF launches Nemaslug 2.0 for improved slug control

BASF launches Nemaslug 2.0 for improved slug control

On top of this, improvements made to production has led to a further reduction of over 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, while the UK-based facility negates the need for carbon-heavy international shipping.

Nematodes occur naturally in the soil and seek out and kill specific target pests. They attack the pest by entering its body and releasing bacteria that quickly and effectively kills it. The nematodes then reproduce inside the dying pest and release a new generation of hungry nematodes, which disperse and search for further prey, protecting the area for up to six weeks.

By tapping into the benefits of this naturally occurring friend of the gardener, soil can remain healthy, while ensuring slugs are conquered and plants protected.

The company is dedicated to investing in research and development to ensure that it is able to provide the highest quality nematodes to gardeners, and is keen to create a product that will appeal to those looking for a greener option for slug control. It is this dedication to research and development that has enabled the discovery of a new species of nematodes to use in its Nemaslug product.

This small but powerful box of fresh nematodes can be delivered directly to a gardeners’ doors throughout the growing season to ensure that slugs can be controlled effectively by harnessing the power of nature.

To find out more about how nematodes work, take a look at this short video – https://youtu.be/JHNG1KSluh0

For further information please visit https://www.nemasysinfo.co.uk/ and follow basf_nemasys_uk on Instagram.

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BOSS ORV welcomes Euromec Contracts Ltd

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BOSS ORV welcomes Euromec Contracts Ltd: BOSS ORV has announced they have partnered with Euromec Contracts Ltd to retail Corvus Off-Road Vehicles’ products in the East Midlands region.

Euromec, which dates back to 1997, has developed as industrial cleaning and groundcare equipment specialists. They offer sales and service of scrubber dryers, floor sweepers, lawn mowers, tractors and utility vehicles. Based in Market Harborough, it is a UK company with over twenty-five years of experience in municipal and industrial powered machinery.

BOSS ORV welcomes Euromec Contracts Ltd

BOSS ORV welcomes Euromec Contracts Ltd

As well as becoming a Corvus dealer, they are also official UK dealer for Kubota, Honda Power Products, STIGA and Mountfield. As partner with some of the world’s leading manufacturers, they say they have a particular pride in sourcing innovative products but emphasise they believe in putting the customer first and providing a full range of after-sales services.

Phil Everett, MD at BOSS ORV, the sole UK distributor of Corvus 4×4 utility vehicles, welcomed the company to the Corvus dealer network, now comprising forty-three dealers giving a total of sixty outlets across the UK. He says he’s looking forward to working with Finance Director Maria Griffith, Sales Director Graham Hill, Director Nikki Heighton, Annie Povilionis, and all the Euromec team to grow the Corvus business in the region. They will sell the complete range of the Corvus Terrain UTVs and accessories from Europe’s first off-road utility vehicle manufacturer. This includes the professional UTVs, the Terrain DX4, the all-electric EX4 and, coming later in the year, a new midsize model.

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01785 561046 E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk Web: www.bossorv.co.uk

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Greenkeepers granted access to career-defining training

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Greenkeepers granted access to career-defining training: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and turf machinery manufacturer Jacobsen have revealed the 20 ambitious association members who will form the Future Turf Managers Initiative (FTMI) Class of 2023.

Each year FTMI co-founders BIGGA and Jacobsen invite 20 up-and-coming association members to participate in the intensive training programme, which has been credited with developing some of the greenkeeping industry’s most influential course managers and head greenkeepers.

Greenkeepers granted access to career-defining training

Greenkeepers granted access to career-defining training

FTMI was first hosted in 2013 as a two-day education event and since then has expanded around the world, with similar schemes being introduced in Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand. The event is aimed at up-and-coming greenkeepers who are not yet in course manager or head greenkeeper positions. Focusing on personal and professional development, rather than agronomy-based subjects, FTMI utilises the expertise of leading course managers, dynamic trainers and industry experts to mentor and educate the next generation of industry leaders.

The members of the FTMI Class of 2023 are:

  • Jack Ashall, Knowle Golf Club
  • Will Barnes, The Berkshire Golf Club
  • Kevin Butcher, Walton Heath Golf Club
  • Dan Fisher, North Foreland Golf Club
  • Jack Hall, Northampton Golf Club
  • Oliver Kirk, Bury St Edmunds Golf Club
  • Stephen Mancini, Prestwick Golf Club
  • Christopher Naughton, The Gleneagles Hotel
  • George Nock, Enville Golf Club
  • Scott Patrick, R&A Lethamhill Golf Course
  • Aaron Peacock, Horsham Golf & Fitness
  • Levi Pethick, Stoneham Golf Club
  • Samuel Richards, Sherborne Golf Club
  • Michael Sparke, King’s Hill Golf Club
  • Shane Stannard, Aldeburgh Golf Club
  • Craig Swindells, Chipping Sodbury Golf Club
  • Nicholas Thorley, Saunton Golf Club
  • James Walker, St Andrews Links Trust
  • Jack Wellings, JCB Golf and Country Club
  • Bradley White, Wentworth Club

Sam Evans MG was previously an FTMI graduate and now mentors on the initiative. The course manager at North Hants Golf Club, he said: “FTMI is a great way of proving to the industry that you want to kick on and that you realise it’s not going to be put on a plate for you. Everyone wants to help each other out and that’s one of the reasons I enjoy being a mentor. Hopefully, a few years down the line some of these guys will be mentors themselves.”

Adam Underwood, international marketing manager for Jacobsen, said: “Jacobsen values the Future Turf Managers Initiative as the pinnacle of our commitment to the industry. We understand the challenges our customers face and to support them with learning and development on training outside of agronomy is very important to us. Our thanks go to BIGGA and the team, without whom the FTMI would not be possible.”

Head to the BIGGA website for more information about FTMI and for a closer look at the class of 2023.

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