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NEWS ARTICLES

More than a Premier Wicket

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More than a Premier Wicket: A break in play caused by the first COVID lockdown provided Ageas Bowl Head Groundsman Simon Lee with a window of opportunity to conduct a full renovation of the club’s nursery ground.

While the events of last year certainly kept everyone on their toes, Simon’s knowledge and experience of using Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures for the last 10 years, meant the results of the renovation – completed with J Intense – came as no surprise!

More than a Premier Wicket

More than a Premier Wicket

Simon took over at the home of Hampshire CCC in January 2020, on the back of nine years as Head Groundsman at Somerset CCC where he’d used both J Intense and J Premier Wicket. “You know what you’re going to get with Johnsons in terms of germination and quality of sward. We had just under seven weeks to get the project complete, before a number of international teams used the ground as a base for three months of training. The speed with which the seed established allowed us to get the ground back in play rapidly and I strongly believe that without that, we would have really struggled for coverage with the high levels of sustained play.”

The 100% perennial ryegrass J Intense mixture was sown on the nursery ground outfields in May – providing exceptional disease resistance and high wear tolerance and recovery, even under close mown conditions. On the main ground it was the proven Johnsons J Premier Wicket mixture, sown at relatively high rates, to recover some bare areas from the previous season and set the stage for a condensed season of matches – albeit behind closed doors.

“I have always had fantastic results with J Premier Wicket mixture in the past but coming to a new ground with different conditions you’re never sure how a product will adapt. My team and I couldn’t be happier with the strength and robustness we have achieved on our squares and now with matches every two weeks, we’re relying on its rapid germination to not only improve presentation, but to provide enough resilience to host matches later in the year.”

Simon concludes, “Despite the cold and challenging conditions we’ve had to start this year, the Johnsons mixtures are hardy enough and we can see the fruits of our labour with some germination already, and only more to come when conditions allow.”

Johnsons J Premier Wicket is also available with DLF’s ProNitro® seed coat technology – making it a great overseeding option for upcoming autumn renovations. Now including hydroactive water management technology, ProNitro® contains both fast and slow-release nitrogen to improve nutrient utilisation through the early stages of plant growth leading to stronger germination, quick uniform growth and improved root & shoot density.

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Polaris Ranger supports G7 summit

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Polaris Ranger supports G7 summit: With the support of CR Willcocks, a Polaris dealer based in the South West of England, Polaris supplied a fleet of electric utility vehicles – the Ranger EV – to the Devon and Cornwall Police for the G7 summit last week.

The 47th G7 summit was held on 11-13 June 2021 in Cornwall, UK, gathering leaders of G7 nations, the EU and guest countries to unite and work towards a greener, more prosperous future, as well as discussing how the world can rebuild and recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Polaris Ranger supports G7 summit

Polaris Ranger supports G7 summit

Used to support security operations around the Carbis Bay beach area of Cornwall, a total of seven electric-powered Ranger EVs and one Ranger Diesel machine were supplied for the event, along with full vehicle operation and safety training for firearms officers.

Superintendent Joanne Hall of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The G7 Summit was the largest operation in Devon and Cornwall Police history, with a total of 6,500 officers and staff on duty from all over the UK. We worked extremely hard to minimise the impact on the community around Cornwall, and as part of those efforts, we enlisted a fleet of electric Polaris Ranger vehicles to patrol and monitor the beaches and other hard to reach areas. Being completely electric off-road vehicles, they were the perfect choice for use on sand and provided our officers with the ideal solution for maintaining security without noise, pollution or disruption to the local community.”

Stephen Retallick, dealer principal at CR Willcocks, based in Newton Abbot, said: “Polaris have been excellent in helping us supply this fleet of electric UTVs to help Devon & Cornwall Police keep the G7 leaders secure. As more and more farmers and landowners go green, our involvement in the G7 Summit will raise awareness around the availability of electric off-road vehicles even more. It has already piqued the interest of a number of our existing customers as they become more environmentally conscious.”

The Polaris Ranger EV pairs the off-road capabilities of the world’s bestselling UTV, with the gentle operation of an electric vehicle, providing a clean ride with no exhaust fumes, as well as keeping disturbance to a minimum thanks to its whisper-quiet engine noise. Charging from a standard domestic plug and propelled by a single 48-volt, high-efficiency AC-induction motor, the Ranger EV needs little maintenance due to its direct drive system with low-noise transmission and offers a usable and practical driving range in even the most demanding work environments. What’s more, the EV boasts an impressive 454kg payload capacity in addition to a 680kg towing capacity and 25.4cm of ground clearance, making it the smoothest, most capable battery electric side-by-side in its class.

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Kawasaki launches industry first

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Kawasaki launches industry first: Kawasaki Motors Europe has launched a resource on its website that makes it easier and quicker for professional gardeners, landscapers and groundsmen to find machines and equipment Powered By Kawasaki wherever they are in Europe.

In an industry first, Kawasaki Motors Europe has introduced a section on its website to showcase participating OEMs ranges of Powered By Kawasaki machines. Meanwhile having a section of the website dedicated to OEM products means customers can see the range of Kawasaki powered machines available from different OEMs all in one place.

Kawasaki launches industry first

Kawasaki launches industry first

Louise Topp, Marketing Manager for Kawasaki Motors Europe who has co-ordinated the unique project, says: “What we wanted to do is streamline the purchasing process for customers. We appreciate how busy professional gardeners, landscapers and groundmen are and how any way to work more efficiently is valued. This is a resource that brings value to both the distribution network and its customers. It’s the only place online where customers can go and see what Powered By Kawasaki product lines are available, from which brands and from where, all on one website. It saves time researching their next purchasing decision and makes the process so much easier and quicker.”

In a nutshell, this resource removes the guesswork, as Louise explains: “If you are looking for a specific brand of mower or brushcutter with a Kawasaki engine you can rely on, then this new functionality makes finding it so much simpler. It can even help you find a brand using a specific engine type, such as Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) engines.

“When the customer identifies a brand and product line they’re interested in, it’s only a couple of steps to enquire and be led to a dealer locator. There’s also the option to enter an ongoing prize-draw to win a powerful brushcutter.”

Most of Kawasaki’s European OEMs are participating, says Louise: “When we explained the concept to them, they responded really favourably, and within weeks over 80 percent wanted to be involved. We have a wide-reaching European professional audience network and we wanted to be able to bring that together with us and our customers. We’ve got a strong platform to do this and it’s been well received. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

One of the OEMs involved is Husqvarna. Kawasaki powers an impressive range of lawncare products from Husqvarna – professional lawn mowers, garden tractors, ride-on mowers and commercial front mowers; and all these lines appear on the Kawasaki website.

Michael Axelsson, Product Marketing Communication – robotics and wheeled of Husqvarna, said of the pages Kawasaki produced for Husqvarna for the initiative: “This looks really good! Impressive ambition from your side – I hope it will be successful for both of us!”

Alongside Husqvarna, taking advantage of this service are many other industry leading turfcare brands.

Louise concludes by saying it’s all about working in partnership: “It’s great working together like this, we have a common goal to make sure customers get the machines they need in the easiest way possible and this provides that.”

The resource is supported by Kawasaki with an advertising and social media campaign to help inform professional gardeners, landscapers and groundsmen across the continent. To find out more visit Kawasaki-engines.eu/en/powered-by-kawasaki

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Growing Toro fleet for HHA

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Growing Toro fleet for HHA: Owing to gradual business expansion, HHA Grounds Maintenance in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, has grown its Toro fleet with the addition of the LT-F3000 Triple Flail Mower and the GrandStand stand-on.

The family-run business, which is celebrating 10 years of service, is responsible for grounds maintenance for a number of schools and parish councils in the East of England.

Growing Toro fleet for HHA

Growing Toro fleet for HHA

Owner, Harvey Hart, had encountered Toro Groundscare machines before and at a pivotal moment in the expansion of the business opted to boost the fleet with quality products they could trust.

Harvey comments: “With three two-man teams in operation daily between March and October, we needed a robust range of machinery which could cater for the variety of jobs we encounter.”

With lawns, playparks, schools, business sites and graveyards to maintain, HHA needed different machines to negotiate both urban and rural sites and varying terrains. With busy rotas and a growing client list, quality and longevity became key factors in deciding what machinery to add to the fleet.

Harvey continues: “We have two Toro Z-Master Zero-Turn mowers which we got over eight years ago and they remain in excellent working condition. As the business grew, we decided to add to the fleet with a Triple Flail mower and a GrandStand stand-on machine.

“Both are fantastic, but we are especially pleased with the GrandStand which is compact, nimble and can get into places that the sit-on can’t. As with all Toro mowers the cut is beautiful. Our clients are always thrilled with the finish.

“You can’t fault the Toro machines. They are absolute workhorses that just run and run if you look after them. We get minimal issues and we take good care of them. They pay for themselves, especially when you think that some of our Toro’s have been operating almost as long as our business!”

This was the first time that HHA had bought machines directly from Reesink Turfcare East Anglia branch, which Harvey cites as being ‘fantastic’. Having been impressed by the customer service he also signed up to a maintenance contract to offer ultimate peace of mind in the eventuality the machines required any aftercare.

Alastair Rowell, UK sales manager for turfcare equipment at Reesink Turfcare, comments: “It’s wonderful to work alongside businesses like HHA and help them grow their fleets. Their teams are getting increasingly busier with further expansion on the cards, so it’s important that they are supported with the right tools for the job.”

Speaking of the future, Harvey concludes: “Our potential is vast and to have a range of premium mowers along with the support of a leading brand like Toro is integral to us.”

Reesink Turfcare is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Toro groundscare machinery. For further information on the range call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk, or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Turf diseases to be aware of

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Turf diseases to be aware of: Summer is here and with it are several turf diseases to be aware of.  Here’s a guide to dealing with a few of them.

Anthracnose is a stress disease, so combining any 2 or 3 of several potential stresses can encourage the disease.  Common stresses include lowering of height of cut, low N inputs, heat, extremes of soil moisture, high thatch, aggressive verticutting, high wear, etc.

Turf diseases to be aware of

Turf diseases to be aware of

Symptoms within a sward are patches of irregular, yellow/brown/bronze-coloured patches and a loss of turf density. Foliar blight-affected leaves lose colour to become a yellow colour and black spots containing fruiting bodies (acervuli) can be seen on the leaves.

The three biggest factors in anthracnose development are mowing height, deficiencies of N or K (mainly N) and poor control over soil moisture.  Avoid these three and your chances of avoiding anthracnose are greatly increased.  Keep green speeds up by applying slow-release N to maintain turf health without excess growth.  I recommend high potassium liquids in nearly all my golf green recommendations throughout summer to help keep anthracnose at bay as higher levels of K in the leaf reduce anthracnose.  It’s also a good idea to add in phosphite and salicylic acid with your foliar mixes.  Both work in a similar fashion by ‘tricking’ the plant into thinking it’s under attack from a pathogen and increasing its defences.

Consistent moisture levels across the whole surface are important in preventing Localised Dry Spots and anthracnose, so use of a soil moisture meter and hand watering is crucial.  Maintain a good wetting agent programme to maintain consistent soil moisture across your site.

Take-All Patch affects golf greens and you probably won’t see symptoms until later in the summer, but you can prevent it now.  For those on Take-All prone sites:  get a good programme of biostimulants in place employing seaweeds, amino acids and humic acids.

Light straw-coloured circular patches become visible that have a well-defined edge between healthy and infected turf.  They may have a bronze tinge around the edge when the disease is active.  These may be slightly depressed and contain unaffected species or weeds in the centre

Low soil manganese levels are often associated with this disease as the pathogen oxidizes available Mn2+ to Mn3+ or Mn4+, making it unavailable to the plant; extra manganese inputs have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms.  High pH soils are also more vulnerable.

On sites who traditionally suffer badly, two applications of azoxystrobin 2 weeks apart in early summer, and then again in late August will help.  Combine applications of azoxystrobin with a wetting agent to get the active ingredient down into the soil where it’s needed.

Be aware of Waitea Patch during a hot spell.  Hydrophobic layers are a factor with this disease, therefore moisture and thatch management are key.  With modern moisture meters you can really track soil moisture levels very accurately and watch the VMC% drop and then treating with a hand water and surfactant hose end pellets to keep moisture consistent.

With a Poa annua sward, turf shows symptoms of coalescing yellow rings around 20-40cm in diameter.  There is often (but not always) darker green turf in the centre of the ring.  The disease affects the leaves, stem, crown and upper roots and if it gets to advanced stages will turn leaves a brown/red colour and kill plants.  Very similar in appearance to Superficial Fairy Rings, but Waitea does not have the mushroom smell or mycelium below the surface associated with Superficial Fairy Rings.  Waitea Patch can develop mycelium on the leaves, crown and soil surface, but not sub-surface.

The big difference between Waitea and Superficial Fairy Ring is smell: fairy rings give off a distinct mushroom smell when you take out a core and have good sniff.  Waitea Patch does not smell anywhere close as strong of mushrooms, if at all.  Mycelium can develop on the surface with Waitea Patch, but below the surface with Superficial Fairy Rings and is usually reasonably easy to spot with Fairy Rings (take a core and put it into a ziplocked, soil sampling bag to incubate for 24 hours to see where mycelium develops if uncertain).

Superficial Fairy Ring always have some element of hydrophobic soil associated with them – Waitea CAN have hydrophobic soil too, but it will be likely be completely unrelated to the disease.

With Waitea Patch you need to try to reduce surface moisture (i.e. don’t hand water it!) and with Superficial Fairy Rings you’ll need to break that hydrophobicity with a wetter and get moisture back into the soil (i.e. hand water it with a hose and wetting agent pellet!).

Geoff Fenn BSc (Hons)

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