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NEWS ARTICLES

Harborne GC chooses Toro

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Harborne GC chooses Toro: Harborne Golf Club in Birmingham have again evaluated and invested with Reesink Turfcare, upgrading its Toro fleet with three new machines chosen specifically to focus on improved course presentation and productivity.

The beautiful 6180-yard par 70 parkland course, famous for its fast, sloping greens, will now benefit from a brand-new Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower, a Greensmaster 3250-D and a GreensPro 1260 riding greens roller.

Harborne GC chooses Toro

Harborne GC chooses Toro

These new machines will enable course manager Jim Gilchrist, who has been overseeing the club’s greenkeeping team of five for 17 years, to keep the classic and unspoilt 1893 Harry Colt design in pristine condition while saving time and money all year round.

After spending time with the new fleet, Jim chooses the Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower as the absolute standout: “It has improved course presentation immensely from our previous rough mower. The fact that it covers more ground, reduces the time it takes to cut the roughs by half a day allowing us to focus on other areas on the course.”

Excited about the noticeable improvements, Jim is already planning more projects for the course, which include greens drainage using PC (Passive-Capillary) drainage on all 18 greens over the next few years. The club is also set to renew its frontline cutting machinery with Toro next year ­– a sign this symbiotic relationship will continue to flourish.

“During my time here, Toro has been instrumental in allowing us to achieve our goals over the years with the continued improvement on machinery and customer support. We have been an all-Toro club since 2012, and it has been all we could have asked for in terms of professionalism and reliability,” Jim explains.

“Dan Tomberry and David Timms from Reesink have been very supportive since they have taken on their new roles with the company, especially during the pandemic. They have made the whole process seamless and easy, so of course we’ll keep coming back to them. The Toro service centre Redtech is another big pillar in our line of work – Graham Hall and his team have been there for us from the very beginning for everything we’ve needed.”

Despite the difficult past few months, Jim believes there will always be opportunities for the industry to prosper. He says: “We have dealt with lockdowns, staff shortages across the business, and golfers’ expectations on their return. However, I feel that everyone came together for our club – from the committee to management and staff, they have all handled the whole process extremely well.

“The club, our members and our visitors have all appreciated the hard work and challenges we have faced over the last 18 months. Their support is what keeps us going and we will continue to make improvements on and off the golf course in the coming years.

“These new additions to our fleet will help with all the plans we have in store for Harborne Golf Club. We know the machines will deliver – Toro doesn’t disappoint. So, we’re very much looking forward to seeing all they’re capable of.”

As for what Jim thinks of the future of golf? “It looks very positive,” he concludes. “There could well be trials ahead, but nothing we won’t be able to tackle. By continuing to invest in our club, will bring continued improvement. Hard work and dedication from the team coupled with a machinery partner like Toro will produce visible, positive results, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

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Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials

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Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials: Indigrow developed Diamond Green as a liquid fertiliser based on potassium, calcium and magnesium. It contains essential plant oils to enhance plant health and increase disease resistance in turf grass. The combination of nutrients in Diamond Green improves the plants natural resistance to many known pathogens.

After the successful development the additive formulation, trials of Diamond Green at different application rates were carried out to assess its impact on the spread of Fusarium and Red Thread. It was tested three different application rates to assess it’s effectiveness.

Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials

Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials

Diseased turf cores were harvested from infected areas of turf on a parkland golf course. The cores were harvested in late Summer 2021 when these diseases were very active. Disease levels were consistent across each core at the time of harvest.

Throughout the trials, our aim was to find our the effectiveness Diamond Green had of different turf grass diseases without killing the fungus. As Diamond Green is a fertiliser with additives, it was important for us to show how this formulation would prevent the spread of the fungus within the cores taken from the parkland golf course.

Treatments

The following treatments were tested for their potential to reduce disease spread in already infected turf stands:

Number               Treatment                                                                                                           Rate

1                              Water:                                                                                                                  Untreated

2                              Fungicide (Tebuconazole 200 g/lt + Trifloxystrobin 100 g/lt):         1 lt/ha

3                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              10 lt/ha

4                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              20 lt/ha

5                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              40 lt/ha

Methods

The turf cores were harvested for each treatment, one infected with Fusarium Patch and one infected with Red Thread. The cores were then sprayed with each treatment until the turf surface was fully covered. The treated turf was then sealed in clear boxes to provide the humidity conducive to active disease spread. The development of the disease and the health of the turf was then monitored over the next 4-5 days.

Fusarium – Observations 4 Days After Treatment

Over a period of 4 days, the active Fusarium had spread freely on the untreated turf core and white, active mycelium was observed. The fungicide treatment has suppressed the spread of Fusarium, but there is still a small amount of active mycelium present.

Number               Treatment                                                                                                           Estimated Disease

Spread (%)

1                              Water:                                                                                                                  47%

2                              Fungicide (Tebuconazole 200 g/lt + Trifloxystrobin 100 g/lt):         14%

3                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              19%

4                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              8%

5                              Diamond Green:                                                                                              3%

At 10 lt/ha, Diamond Green has supressed the spread of Fusarium, but like the fungicide there is still a small amount of active mycelium present.

At both 20 and 40 lt/ha, Diamond Green has not only supressed the spread of Fusarium but allowed the turf to start to fill in disease scarred areas of turf. There is only a very small amount of active mycelium present on the turf

Red Thread – Observations 5 Days after Treatment

Over a period of 5 days, the active Red Thread has spread freely on the untreated turf core and active red areas can be observed.

At only 10 lt/ha, Diamond Green has had a limited impact on disease spread. However, at 20 lt/ha, the Red Thread has been almost completely suppressed and the turf has had a noticeable green up response and there is an obvious increase in growth rate.

Effect on Disease

It is important to state that Diamond Green is not a fungicide, it is a fertiliser with additives. We trialled both the fertiliser formulation without additives alongside the full Diamond Green formulation with additives. We found that when treated in isolation, the fungal growth is the same for just the fertiliser component as it is for the finished formulation containing the additives.

This confirms that it is the systemic acquired resistance within the plant that stops the spread of the disease.

Figure 1 – Diamond Green – Fertiliser component only

Figure 2 – Diamond Green Final Formulation Fertiliser component + additives

Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials

Diamond Green – Continuation of Product Trials

Other Diseases

As Diamond Green acts as a trigger to the plants natural defences, rather than having a direct effect on the fungus itself, it is safe to assume that the activity shown here on Fusarium and Red Thread would be similar on other turf grass diseases including: Anthracnose, Dollar Spot, Snow Moulds and Leaf Spot.

Conclusions

The applications of Diamond Green have been successful in reducing the spread of Red Thread and Fusarium and the higher the application rate of Diamond Green, the stronger the effect is on disease.

At higher application rates of Diamond Green, the treatment also produces a strong growth response, with turf able to quickly ‘fill in’ previously diseased/scarred areas. Although this trial was only observational, we have a strong indication that Diamond Green can play a vital role as part of an integrated disease management strategy. With the benefits to turf health (shown by increased growth response and improved colour), we predict that turf treated with Diamond Green will have improved resistance to future disease attack.

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John Deere training helps apprentices graduate

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John Deere training helps apprentices graduate: The latest group of talented young service technicians and parts personnel have successfully graduated from John Deere’s pioneering Ag Tech, Turf Tech and Parts Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes.

The 38-strong cohort passed the national scheme – provided by training provider ProVQ – and their achievements have been recognised at a special event held for them at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham.

John Deere training helps apprentices graduate

John Deere training helps apprentices graduate

John Deere dealer Ben Burgess saw success for two of its staff with James Skipper from Beeston in Norfolk winning the Ag/Turf Tech Apprentice of the Year for 2021 while Madeleine Green from the company’s Oakham site in Rutland won the Parts Tech award.

Both were presented with new Apple iPads as their prize by John Deere Apprentice Centre Manager James Haslam.

Farol saw its Ag/Turf Tech apprentices Ciahran Quick from the company’s Shefford Woodlands dealership in Berkshire, and Henry Atkins from Midhurst in West Sussex, pick up the runner up prizes of a certificate and high street vouchers worth £250.

John Deere Branch Training Manager Allan Cochran said: “Our apprenticeship programme has been running for nearly three decades and was created because we saw the trend of fewer people coming into the industry. We needed to take steps to ensure that there was new talent to fill our business and dealer network.

“That work is as relevant today as it was then. To see these fantastic individuals graduating from their courses and taking the next big step in their careers is incredibly rewarding.

“Helping to give these young people their first step on the career ladder builds a strong foundation for their future success, and John Deere places great importance on supporting them to reach their full potential.

“We aim to nurture and mould these enthusiastic apprentices who have the skills and desire to work in our business and across the industry.”

The next intake is already being enrolled with 61 Ag Tech and Turf Tech technicians so far signed up for their three-year course, in addition to six Parts Tech apprentices who study for two years.

John Deere’s apprenticeships involve students being trained in engineering, electronics, hydraulics, diagnostics, communication skills, computing, sales and marketing. Ag Tech and Turf Tech candidates study towards the land-based service engineering technician (level 3) qualification, while in Parts Tech individuals complete a Retailer Apprenticeship Standard (level 2).

New students are enrolled each year; apprentices need to be resident in the UK, employed by a John Deere dealer and aged 16 or over. The standard programmes include on-the-job training and assessment as well as up to eight weeks each year at the John Deere Apprentice Training Centre. Further details can be found at http://apprenticeshipfinder.co.uk/john-deere.

Now entering its 30th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. Since the first programme started in 1992, almost 1,000 apprentices have graduated through the three main schemes and are now working in the company’s nationwide dealer network.

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SubAir Systems and Soil Scout partnership

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SubAir Systems and Soil Scout partnership: Soil Scout’s sensors detect the turf’s underground moisture, temperature, and salinity levels while SubAir Systems’ units automatically adjust the moisture levels to provide optimized conditions for turf managers

Helsinki, Finland (November 9th, 2021) US-based SubAir Sports Systems has announced a partnership with wireless underground soil moisture sensor startup Soil Scout to give turf managers unprecedented control over their operations and turf with automated subsurface monitoring and ventilation.

SubAir Systems and Soil Scout partnership

SubAir Systems and Soil Scout partnership

Soil Scout’s sensor transmits moisture, temperature, and salinity data in real-time from up to 2 meters below the surface, while SubAir’s subsurface aeration and moisture removal units guarantee ideal pitch conditions, automatically adjusting the moisture levels of the turf according to live, real-time soil conditions. In a sudden downpour, the vacuum systems activate to eliminate excess moisture in the soil profile, with 36x faster drainage than natural drainage alone.

This combination of cutting-edge turf technology enables turf professionals to provide pristine playing surfaces for professional teams and players, thus creating entertainment that creates important memories for fans and players alike.

“Working with Soil Scout has so far been one of the best partnerships we’ve ever had in the entire turf industry. With both companies being the industry leaders in their respective fields, I’m super excited to work together to provide one of the most powerful solutions on the market to help turf managers achieve their goals based on real-time data from Soil Scout’s sensors and our aeration units,” says Brad Dennis, President of SubAir Sports Systems.

“Turf managers expect tools to be able to do their job efficiently and effectively as possible – our partnership provides the data and operational performance to ensure that ideal pitch performance requirements are met. Working with SubAir has been brilliant, and they’re true innovators in their industry – this partnership provides an unrivaled offering and we’re very excited to deploy this solution combination around the world together,” says Jalmari Talola, CEO of Soil Scout.

SubAir Systems and Soil Scout have been chosen to support all eight of the stadium venues at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The devices are also currently used in numerous iconic sports venues such as Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team – a sport where irrigation is a constant challenge due to baseball being one of the few sports that tarps their grass for rain and needing to keep infield clay dry.

“During the Major League Baseball season, it’s critical that our moisture levels remain in a range that allows us to keep the field hydrated enough that we can get through the day without any hotspots, but not so wet that the field is set up excessively for disease and fungal growth,” says Mike Boekholder, Director of Field Operations and Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philidelphia Phillies. “Soil Scout and SubAir help us manage our way through all that in as efficient a manner as possible.”

“Once the Soil Scout units report an average moisture level above our setpoint, the SubAir turns itself on to vacuum mode until the moisture levels drop back below the setpoint. We can likewise adjust the SubAir unit to run on specific schedules based on temperature data, or just turn off completely if the soils get too cold,” he continues.

Soil Scout recently announced its partnership with US-based provider of autonomous aerial intelligence services, GreenSight, as well as expanding its US operations with an aim to accelerate its go-to-market efforts and combat the ongoing drought in California.

Backed by Husqvarna, Soil Scout was co-founded by Finnish agrotechnology Ph.D. and 19th generation farmer Johannes Tiusanen and electronics expert M.Sc.Eng Jussi Sirkiä with a mission of giving soil experts the information they need to effectively manage their lands.

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Enclean exceeds expectations

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Enclean exceeds expectations: Enclean, a plant origin-based biocide from Belchim Crop Protection, picked up the innovation award in the consumables category at this year’s Saltex event.

“The successful launch of the product in 2020 has culminated in recent approval for use by Organic Farmers and Growers Limited (OF & G) across all organic systems and this prestigious award”, confirms Peter Corbett of Origin Amenity Solutions.

Enclean exceeds expectations

Enclean exceeds expectations

Having personally witnessed the development of Enclean from initial trials in 2017 Peter is well placed to discuss the merits of the new biocide, now widely seen as a “game-changer” in the professional biocide market.

Mr Corbett, who manages the commercial, technical and marketing of the chemical products portfolio for *Rigby Taylor (*now part of Origin Amenity Solutions) first saw the biocide in its development phase 4 years ago and was impressed with both its speed of action in eradicating algae and its positive effect on dealing with other green deposits that often build up on hard surfaces.

“From the outset when manufacturer Belchim Crop Protection first began trials on the active nonanoic acid, from which Enclean is derived, I saw the potential and, as a company, we recognised that there was a gap in the biocide market for it.

“Most de-greening chemicals require large volumes of product and water to break-down algae and green deposits. However, Enclean is fundamentally different in that it can be applied at low water volumes. One litre of Enclean mixed with water will treat well over 500m2. Being able to use a small knapsack sprayer fitted with a red 80-degree nozzle allows the operator much easier access to narrow pathways where algae can often build up.

“Enclean is plant derived, safe to use, and it has no environmental hazard classification. It’s fast acting and, once applied, it quickly degrades into natural elements leaving behind no harmful residue. Using a red 80-degree nozzle and maintaining the correct speed of application, 555m2 of coverage is readily achievable, and this is especially important for sprayer contractors who need to limit down-time spent on refilling” he confirms.

20 months on from its launch, 2 key pieces of customer feedback on Enclean that Peter has specifically noted have been its speed of activity, and the wider range of weather conditions that the biocide can be successfully applied in.

“Many traditional biocides cannot be applied in frosty conditions, or within 24 hours of rain. But with Enclean the application window is much wider, and very good results can be achieved even when temperature and weather conditions are far from perfect. Again, this is ideal for sprayer contractors who need to minimise down-time between jobs” he adds.

Peter’s positive feedback on the new biocide has now been reinforced by many recent customer testimonials, including both Royal Norwich Golf Club and Plymouth County Council.

Peter Todd, Director and Estates Manager at Royal Norwich Golf Club, first trialled Enclean last year.

“During the 2020 lockdown the club house patio became covered with algae. Due predominantly to lack of footfall, our high-quality stone slabs had become discoloured and slippery when wet. We sprayed with Enclean and over the next 2-3 days the algae had been controlled and the wet surface was no longer hazardous. The product removed the algae completely giving us lasting control. The treated area remained clean, and the surface regained its original colour despite the cold and wet conditions being less than ideal for biocide application.

“We also applied the product on the edge of the club’s parking area which had a mixture of algae and moss. Again, the control was rapid despite the wet and cold weather conditions. Using a shroud on the knapsack boom allowed us to spray neatly and obtain a sharp edge alongside the fine grass” he confirms.

David Houghton, Team Leader of Plymouth County Council, endorses Mr Todd’s feedback having trialled Enclean extensively during 2020 and 2021.

“Overall, and after a thorough test, we were very pleased with the results from the Enclean product. We were looking for a fast-acting biocide that is safe and easy to use. With Enclean we have found it” he says.

Summarising the products recent impact on the biocide market Peter concludes;

“Enclean looks to have a strong future in the amenity sector once customers understand that the cost of application per m2  is cost-competitive. One litre of Enclean treats 5-10 times the area of most competitor products and, due to lower water volumes, it can be applied much quicker and more efficiently. When customers recognise its greater sustainability and level of performance over market alternatives then I’m sure it will gain an even greater level of acceptance”.

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