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A tougher machine for tougher jobs

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A tougher machine for tougher jobs: The Toro Company, a global leader in turf and landscape equipment, has revealed a heavy-duty and battery powered addition to its domestic line of lawnmowers. The Toro 60V HD Proline further reinforces Toro’s move to more environmentally friendly products, while still providing a powerful and reliable machine.

The HD Proline features a 6mm thick cast aluminium deck and is designed to withstand the demands from professional gardeners and landscapers – but still remains simple and easy to use for the everyday gardener. The HD Proline is the ideal choice for those with slightly larger areas of land, where a standard consumer lawnmower would not be suitable, and a ride on would be too large an investment – the HD Proline fits perfectly in this gap.

A tougher machine for tougher jobs

A tougher machine for tougher jobs

The Recycler technology is designed to lift, suspend and recut grass clippings into a fine mulch, and redistribution across the lawn contributes towards a much healthier turf. The design of the deck also works to reduce the chance of blockages and will more efficiently collect grass. While being designed to withstand the extremes of commercial mowing, the HD Proline is extremely lightweight for its purpose, allowing for extended daily use.

The HD Proline uses a heavy duty 60V lithium-ion battery to optimise its runtime and output. The battery is also interchangeable with the Flex-Force range of garden machinery, to allow for maximum flexibility and easy power to get the job done. The range includes a leaf blower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and string trimmer – all of which may be required in an area with more land. The Flex-Force range also includes more domestic Recycler lawnmowers.

For more information please visit: https://www.pros.toro.com/equipment/powered-by-battery-fueled-by-toro-new-60v-hd-proline-53cm/

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Bernhard & Company form new partnership

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Bernhard & Company form new partnership: Industry-leader in turf sharpening equipment and management solutions, Bernhard and Company, has established a new partnership with SGDC India Pvt. Ltd. which is now the company’s official distributor within India.

SGDC and Bernhard and Company share common values, with a focus on customer experience utilising cutting-edge technologies that deliver on value, innovation, and design. Formed more than a decade ago, SGDC India is the nation’s leading Golf Course Development company and offers itself as a one-stop-shop solutions provider for all golf course infrastructure and maintenance requirements.

Bernhard & Company form new partnership

Bernhard & Company form new partnership

This appointment comes as Bernhard and Company looks to ensure it can service current customers more efficiently, while also helping to increase sales through improved contact with new prospects. SGDC will be responsible for direct sales and customer relations within India and will demonstrate the knowledge and passion that Bernhard and Company possess for its grinding philosophy.

Anit Mehrotra, Director & CEO of SGDC, said: “We are delighted to establish a new working relationship with Bernhard and Company, and we are committed to taking the company’s business to the next level in India.”

Steve Wilson, Bernhard and Company Territory Manager for Pacific Asia, added: “We look forward to growing our network in India, and are proud to introduce SGDC to our network of world-class distributors who can deliver our industry-leading turf management solutions.”

Bernhard and Company grinding machines are used by more than 65 of the world’s top 100 golf courses to ensure perfect, tournament-ready playing conditions year-round, while the company’s turf management solutions and educational support are utilised at major sporting events around the globe.

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New ICL research at Bangor University

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New ICL research at Bangor University: ICL is collaborating with Bangor University to carry out research on the effects and benefits of organo-mineral fertilizers for turf.

MRes (Masters by Research) student, Deniz Arslan, is carrying out the yearlong research at Bangor University, and believes that the findings could be of great benefit to several sectors.

New ICL research at Bangor University

New ICL research at Bangor University

“We will be looking at how efficient organo-minerals are comparing to mineral and organic versions and how they all effect soil health,” she said. “The outcomes of this research can be important for all fields and will provide information to help fertilizer users make informed decisions.”

Mineral fertilizers are very commonly utilized and there is plenty of research detailing their benefits and the issues which can arise from poor product selection or over-application, for example leaching of unused nutrients from the growing zone of a crop.

On the other hand, organic fertilizers offer other potential benefits, such as supporting microbes in the soil, but are often described as not performing as efficiently or productively as mineral fertilizers.

“Organo-mineral fertilizers, combining the benefits of minerals and organic sources, could be a more sustainable step for turf managers to take,” said Deniz. “I hope to prove that organo-mineral fertilizers are indeed beneficial for the soil and environment, and with no negative performance issues for turfgrass. Agricultural trials do show higher yields and performances which is promising, but of course it is different when measuring turf. You don’t necessarily want to grow more or longer grass.”

Gronamic, ICL’s organo-mineral fertilizer brand, will be used in this research project. The experimental trials will include glasshouse trials of perennial ryegrass with Gronamic Sport High N and Gronamic Golf High N, contrasting with equivalent mineral and organic fertilizers.

“This unique research project will focus on plant growth, soil health and nutrient use efficiency factors, making use of the advanced equipment and facilities available at Bangor University,” said Deniz.

The scholarship named KESS (Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship) is led by Bangor University and links companies with academic expertise and universities to collaborate in research projects for PhD and Research Master qualifications. ICL supports several research collaborations and has close ties with the universities in order to help bridge the gap between industry and academia.

For Deniz it means that she has a direct link to the industry and access to expert knowledge in high quality turf management. With all the resources at her disposal she is hopeful that this research could have a global reach.

“Finding solutions for conventional mineral fertilizers will be beneficial for all fields and industries, from agriculture and turf management to landscaping, and hopefully I can be part of that development.

In the long term it can even impact the low-income nations and industrializing nations as well, for instance by applying it to urban green spaces and sustainable land management whilst keeping prices low as mineral resources are slowly depleting,” she said.

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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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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