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NEWS ARTICLES

New ICL launch at BTME

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New ICL launch at BTME: ICL is looking forward to welcoming visitors to its interactive stand at BTME 2022 (Purple Zone 426) where the team will be talking all things turf and providing an exclusive look at an exciting new product for the golf market.

Gronamic Golf 6-2-4, a new organic based fertiliser is a unique blend of credible and sustainable ingredients to provide a natural turf response and is the latest product to be added to the Gronamic range.

New ICL launch at BTME

New ICL launch at BTME

The organic content of Gronamic 6-2-4 is 100% plant based and is formulated as a fine granule. It contains:

SeaMax, the sustainably sourced seaweed concentrate that has been shown in trials to improve turf colour, turf quality, root development and stress tolerance.

Struvite, a recycled blend of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate that is collected from wastewater, is another sustainable component that provides real turfgrass benefits. 

Polyhalite, which is exclusively mined by ICL ensures that essential macronutrients are available to maintain healthy turf and reduces the possibility of nutrient deficiency.

Visitors to the ICL stand will have the opportunity to gain expert advice on granulation, water soluble fertiliser and surfactant technologies.

Often a vibrant hub of discussion and networking, the stand will also feature the famous ICL barista, who will be on hand to serve coffees and other hot drinks throughout the event.

Aside from the exhibition, ICL is once again proud to support BIGGA’s Continue to Learn education programme. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship, sees five BIGGA members receive three nights’ hotel accommodation and 15 hours of training and personal development opportunities.

ICL’s very own Dr Andy Owen and Henry Bechelet will also be hosting two informative sessions in the Continue to Learn programme. In the first, a half-day class entitled ‘What’s in a soil analysis?’ Andy and Henry will examine the process of soil sampling and the interpretation of soil analysis results. Actual results will be explained and discussed, and the critical information highlighted to provide a guide to getting the most from the process. The class will also provide advice on how to utilise soil results as part of your annual golf course management.

In the second seminar, entitled ‘Research Matters’, Andy and Henry will be updating delegates on four university‑based fundamental turf research projects being managed by ICL. There will be a focus on presenting the key results and practical outcomes on the subjects of managing plant parasitic nematodes with seaweed extracts, utilising recycled nutrients, contrasting the plant and soil health benefits of organo‑mineral fertilisers and the very latest science on wetting agents and plant water uptake.

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

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Foundations of a first-class course

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Foundations of a first-class course: Visitors to the DLF stand 270 located in the Red Zone at BTME 2022, can expect a range of market leading products from the world’s leading grass seed breeder and producer.

The MM brand and mixtures are now part of DLF UK and will benefit from access to the full DLF breeding and research programme. This will bring many benefits including a greater portfolio along with increased research and development.

Foundations of a first-class course

Foundations of a first-class course

BTME 2022 will also mark the launch of the exciting new MM Supreme Ryegreen mix which will offer golf course managers a 100% Ryegrass mixture for use on greens and fineturf areas. This unique new mixture benefits from the inclusion of Singapore Perennial Ryegrass, which is extremely fine leaved with good shoot density along with high disease and wear tolerance.  Furthermore, MM Supreme Ryegreen bring the main benefits of Perennial Ryegrass – fast establishment and wear tolerance in close-mow situations.

As the demand and pressure placed on the modern-day greenkeeper to produce a consistent playing surface continually grows, seed quality, purity and vigour are the essential ingredients for a first-class golf course and Limagrain’s MM range of seed mixture provides exactly these.

For over 30 years, greenkeepers and course managers have been enjoying the benefits by choosing the MM brand and the high-quality varieties used in MM mixtures. All varieties are thoroughly tested at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) – ensuring that the finished product will meet your requirements for play, appearance and maintenance.

For golf greens MM9 – a three-way Browntop bent mixture continues to be a leading mixture for renovations and species exchange. For links style courses and sustainable golf, MM8 offers a great option – a three-way fescue mix with excellent disease resistance, drought tolerance and minimal fertiliser requirements gives course managers a fine, dense sward, MM Coastal is great option to MM 8 where salt spray is in issue, the 100% Slender Creeping Red Fescue mix provides excellent salt tolerance for golf greens and also tees and fairways.

If you are looking for a mixture ideal for tees and fairways, then the 100% Ryegrass MM50 should be considered. It is capable of rapid establishment and fast recovery from divot scarring plus high wear tolerance and has extremely fine appearance.

For links style fairways where damage and wear are lower, MM12 or MM13, are both well suited to this challenging environment as they are drought tolerant and have low maintenance requirements.

Visitors to the stand can also find out more about DLF Pro Flora and Colour Boost range Wildflower mixtures. The mixtures are ideal for those wanting to establish a traditional perennial flower meadow or a high impact colourful display of annuals and perennials.

The MM team of amenity seed specialists will all be on hand at BTME to discuss the products in more detail and will also be available to offer their expertise on any queries you may have.

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Farol expands Club Car offering

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Farol expands Club Car offering: We are excited to announce that as of 1st December 2021, Farol will be purchasing the assets of CaddyCars and transferring current/future sales and hire business of the company.

CaddyCars has been in operation since 1991, supplying golf courses with golf buggies and utility vehicles. Later diversifying the business into supplying councils, manufacturing, distribution, hospitality, and homeowner markets.

Farol expands Club Car offering

Farol expands Club Car offering

Farol has seen significant growth to become Europe’s largest John Deere specialist Golf and Turf machinery dealership. Whilst continually looking to drive the business forward, there were gaps in the buggy and utility vehicle range, Club Car is an ideal fit to the portfolio. Farol was subsequently awarded the franchise in 2021 (which has already resulted in buoyant sales and interest in the brand).

Andy Bourke, Club Car’s Regional Manager, said: “Farol is a dynamic, innovative company that’s well placed to serve customers with our range of market-leading utility and transport vehicles and deliver the highest level of aftersales service and support.”

With global supply chain and manufacturing delays still a factor in the ordering process for many companies, we firmly believe that the benefits of scale that come with Farol will allow us to strengthen our position with the Club Car brand; being able to purchase and hold a larger number of machines and parts stock, while still maintaining the same high level of service that existing customers are used to.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all existing customers of CaddyCars for their business over the years, and to confirm that all current business, ongoing deals or deals in discussion will remain unchanged and business is as usual, but under the name of Farol Ltd.

Philip Rosier of CaddyCars will now manage the Club Car business for Farol, this will ensure a smooth transition for existing customers to Farol and future growth.

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Moped vandals tear up cricket pitch

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Moped vandals tear up cricket pitch: A cricket club has been hit for six after moped-riding vandals caused damage to their pitch.

Read the full article from Gazette News here

Groundsman to play on his 'sacred' pitch

Groundsman to play on his ‘sacred’ pitch

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Engineered to protect the lawn

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Engineered to protect the lawn: STIGA’s new robotic lawnmower, designed and manufactured in Italy, helps produce a healthy lawn whilst allowing time for owners to enjoy their outdoor space in peace and quiet.

Stig is the first robot that can properly care for a lawn in just two mowing sessions a day, with an 80-minute charge and five hours between cuts. It allows the grass to recover and stay healthy, and leaves plenty of time for users to enjoy their outdoor space in peace and quiet.

Engineered to protect the lawn

Engineered to protect the lawn

It is the first of a new breed of robot lawnmowers and combines 90 years of STIGA’s engineering innovation and expertise with a deep understanding of the science of grass. Stig has been designed and developed in Italy, at the STIGA Group headquarters and production facility in Castelfranco (TV). This high-tech hub of innovation is home to a talented multicultural R&D department with a range of backgrounds and skills – mechanical and electronic engineers, technicians, software experts, prototype and test engineers and an agronomist.

Maximum lawn health and more time to enjoy the garden

A healthy lawn requires a robot mower to work with fewer cutting phases, and more time between cuts. Stig covers a maximum working area of 1200sqm, is suitable for all lawn terrain – even slopes up to 45% (24°) – and with twice the run time of any other robot mower. Because Stig completes mowing in daylight hours there is no night mowing to disturb nocturnal wildlife or neighbours and this also allows the lawn to fully recover.

Long-lasting clean energy and high-performance cutting

Stig runs on STIGA-owned E-Power lithium-ion batteries. These ensure reliable, long-lasting performance from a clean energy-saving power source with no emissions. E-Power batteries are designed for long-life: even after 1500 charging cycles they continue to operate at over 80% capacity.

Customers have the option to select two different sized batteries at purchase, to suit the size of the lawn they need to cut. Compact and lightweight (less than 8kg), Stig intelligently navigates gardens of all shapes and sizes, tackling narrow spaces and manoeuvring around trees and bushes.

It’s exceptional cutting performance is delivered via four pivoting carbon steel blades, spinning at up to 2850rpm. An easily adjustable height of cut ensures a precise grass length from 20 to 60mm. The cutting performance is matched by built-in safety features, pivoting retractable blades, two stabilising front wheels and multiple obstacle detection. If Stig is lifted or tips over the blades automatically switch off in under 2 seconds. It is also very quiet thanks to a bottom cover constructed from noise-insulating materials.

Intelligent navigation, user-friendly connectivity

With just five buttons for selecting primary functions, Stig’s on-board control panel allows users to get started quickly and easily. An intuitive interface and Bluetooth connection allows control directly from a smartphone, using very simple functions. A battery light indicates charge level, and a warning light signals the presence of hazards. Stig is supplied with the dedicated STIGA.GO App, available for iOS and Android. This provides advanced control including a full scheduling function allowing users to plan cutting sessions to suit their needs, the weather forecast and seasonal changes. Complete coverage of the lawns is guaranteed with two front coil sensors and a static algorithm. Using “Go-To-Cut” via the App, the user can instruct Stig where to begin mowing. Bump sensors detect objects, and the soft-shell body absorbs any impacts without damaging the mower. A rain sensor automatically sends Stig back to its charging dock.

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