New Kubota Distributor

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New Kubota Distributor: Kubota UK Engine Division has gone into a strategic partnership with Machinery OY, who are located in Vantaa, which will see the business represent Kubota’s full range of oil and water cooled diesel and dual fuel engines throughout Finland.

Established in 1911, Machinery OY is Finland’s largest supplier of new machine tools to the engineering and construction industry. In addition to the distribution of Kubota engines, the family run business will also provide full customer support services and spare parts to end users, dealers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) across a range of industry sectors.

New Kubota Distributor

Daniel Grant, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Engines Division, said: “We are very excited to be working with Machinery OY, a new relationship that brings together two leading players in the industrial engine market. With the ever expanding Kubota Engine portfolio, we recognise the strength and stability of the service offering and aftersales support the new business partnership can provide and believe our product and service expectations will complement their existing premium brands and company ethos.

“With the substantial changes coming into force in 2019 with EU Stage V, it’s vitally important that we utilise the highest levels of expertise and knowledge. The dedicated team at Machinery OY has vast experience with Non Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) engines, providing an excellent platform for Kubota to grow in sales, technical support and aftersales service throughout Finland.”

Kubota’s latest announcement means that the company has concluded its relationship with Koneskesko in Finland.

Arto Orjo, Sales Manager at Machinery OY, commented: “This is the start of a long and fruitful relationship between Kubota and Machinery OY. There is a lot to learn, develop and expand throughout Finland and we’re very happy to be working with such a well respected engine manufacturer like Kubota to achieve this. Our development programme will provide the necessary product and technical knowledge to offer Finland nothing short of customer service excellence.”

For more information on Kubota’s extensive engine solutions visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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Wildflowers at University of York

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Wildflowers embraced by the University of York: Leading wildflower experts, Wildflower Turf, have made the grade by providing the University of York with a biodiverse boost to newly-built campus facilities.

Based in Hampshire but having recently expanded operations to include a new growing site in Yorkshire, Wildflower Turf worked closely with the University’s landscape partners to enhance the area around the recently completed Piazza Learning Centre.

Situated within a picturesque lakeside setting, the Piazza Learning Centre is both sympathetic to the natural landscape while also being fully accessible to the University of York’s student population. The new building contains a range of high-quality learning spaces and facilities for those living and studying on the University’s Campus East.

At the outset of the project the University developed a very clear and practical biodiversity plan and Wildflower Turf was commissioned by the project’s landscape contractors, J Palmer Landscapes, to provide a wildflower solution that would enhance the existing natural environment.

Over 1,800m² of Wildflower Turf’s unique Native Enriched Turf product was installed in November 2017 and the addition of wildflowers has provided the University with a wonderful and aesthetically pleasing space.  As well as requiring little maintenance, the Native Enriched Wildflower Turf contains over 50 different native and naturalised species and will help the project to qualify for excellent BREEAM standards.

Other key parties involved with this project include Interserve Construction Ltd (Design & Build contractors), Race Cottam Associates, (Architects), J Palmer Landscapes (Landscape contractors), and Martin Woolley Landscape Architects.

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Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

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Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded: An Abergele green keeper has beaten competition from all over the UK to win the Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year 2018.

Darren Anderson, master green keeper at Abergele Golf Club clinched the win at The Golf Environment Awards ceremony in Harrogate, Yorkshire for his Tir Gwyllt project near the 3rd hole at the course near Gwrych castle.

Mr Anderson, 41 , said: “Firstly it was about us building an ecology area, the awards obviously encouraged us and we were still entering even though we thought we didn’t have a chance.

Green Keeper Wins Outstanding Environmental Project Of The Year

“I felt immensely proud when it was announced we won, I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to say, apart from thank you to everyone.”

The project created a wildlife haven on the overgrown site of the former 9th hole, and was a combined effort spearheaded by Mr Anderson with his team including Gareth Jones, Rob Myatt and Greg Howsam, with his wife Sali supplying the name Tir Gwyllt, or ‘wild land’.

The team created owl and bat boxes, a fruit table for butterflies, habitats for door mice and hotels for bees, ladybirds and other beneficial insects with recycled materials.

They also removed overgrown rye grass which allowed native species of orchid to return and planted wildflower gardens to encourage pollination.

After receiving the nomination along with clubs in Scotland and England, Mr Anderson was joined by club directors Terry Hughes, Martin Thomas, and Dewi Roberts for the awards ceremony organised by international sports pitch consultants the STRI Group and organisers of The Open the R & A .

Mr Anderson, a former pupil at Emrys ap Iwan, said: “The whole idea was we wanted to improve our environmental standing and encourage ecology with the resources we had really as we didn’t have money to spend.

“When we found out we made it to the final, we were over the moon and the club directors automatically said they were going along to support the awards, however when I saw the fantastic work the other finalist had done, I warned the directors, please don’t get your hopes up.”

As part of the award, Mr Anderson – a third generation green keeper, originally from Edinburgh – has will visit to Portugal in April for a showcase in environmental approaches to managing golf courses.

A spokesman for Abergele Golf Club said: “It goes without saying that we are extremely lucky to have Darren, the work he has put in to enter for this award and continues to do to maintain these standards makes Abergele Golf Club a Golf Course to be proud of.”

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Soil Biology Brings Rewards

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Soil Biology Brings Rewards: A greens team has seen its maintenance budget double and recruitment increase having introduced a range of soil biology methods across the course.

Harpenden Common Golf Club swept aside its existing greens renovation programme in favour of a less intrusive, environmental one based on applying compost teas, fertilisers, trace elements and zeolites.

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

“The old system of digging up our waterlogged greens twice a year to try to improve drainage had failed,” reports head greenkeeper Sean Brocklehurst, “so we invited an agronomist specialising in soil biology to take a look at the problem.”

Soil Biology Ltd’s Hillery Murphy recommended an extensive programme of boosting the microbial count across the 18-hole private members parkland course in a bid to reduce thatch and strengthen the rootzone.

Now in its fourth year of the soil biology strategy, Harpenden Common is reaping the benefits inside and outside the clubhouse, states Sean. “Poor drainage on the greens made them unplayable sometimes, forcing us to close the course and risking loss of members. Playing surfaces have improved so much that we can stay open year-round, which is great news for everyone here.”

General manager Terry Crump said: “Our key priority is to deliver the best possible course conditions and clubhouse facilities for our members. They will go elsewhere if we cannot provide golf whenever they want it.

“It’s no exaggeration to state that the club might have struggled if we had persisted with our existing maintenance strategy, which relied heavily on chemical and physical treatments.”

Year-round course playability has helped the club double the greens team’s maintenance budget, allowing it to introduce improvements across the site.

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

“We are raising standards off course as well as on to boost presentation around the playing areas,” says Sean, “and we have been able to recruit an apprentice greenkeeper to increase the team to seven. “

Harpenden Common applies Soil Biology products right across the course to raise quality throughout. “The zeolites add structural integrity to the turf and retain then release nutrients over time,” Sean explains, “also encouraging a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in the rootzone. Members agree the state of the course is the best it has ever been.”

Hillery Murphy says: “Harpenden Common is a great testimony to soil biology.  Zeolites deliver more consistent results, creating a honeycomb in which beneficial microbes can thrive and metabolise nutrients for the grass plant to take up. This is the future for course maintenance practices.”

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MM50 Chosen For Cricket Squares

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MM50 Chosen For Cricket Squares: After a successful trial, Jamie Foyster – owner of Sportsturf Management, has taken the decision to exclusively use Limagrain’s MM50 grass seed across each cricket square he tends to.

It is safe to say that Jamie Foyster knows a thing or two about cricket squares – he was introduced to the sport at the age of 10 as a player and was then helping to prepare and maintaining pitches by 15 at his local club. This continued over two decades and even though he was working in another job he still continued to work voluntarily on cricket pitches until he had an opportunity to join Sportsturf Management in 2008.

MM50 Chosen For Cricket Squares

Jamie took over the sole ownership of the business in 2012 and it was also at this stage that he first became acquainted with Limagrain UK.

“I wasn’t happy with my existing supplier – the seed just wasn’t performing as I wanted it to. We had an incredibly wet season that year and in the autumn I trialled MM50 on two cricket squares. Very soon it was apparent that the germination rate, the development and the root density was fantastic.

“However, the real test came in the summer of the following year, and for me the wear tolerance and the recovery rate was just superb. That sealed the deal for me and since then I have converted all my squares to MM50.”

MM50 possesses exceptional shoot density along with tolerance to close mowing making it particularly suitable for cricket squares. This superior mix contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars, Venice, Alison and Malibu, which are renowned for providing a great sward for cricket use. As Jamie reports, other key features of MM50 include fast recovery from wear and damage and high disease resistance.

It is products such as MM50 which is a direct result of Limagrain’s continual investment into research and development. The company is a major supporter of research partnerships with universities and institutes which will continue to help provide new varieties through plant breeding giving groundsmen and greenkeepers solutions in future turf management.

“Products and technology have come such a long way in the past decade,” says Jamie. “Machinery, seeds, fertilisers, you name it – they have all advanced massively. For example you just have to look at germination rates now compared to a few years ago. In this respect I would have to single out HEADSTART® GOLD seed coating.”

MM50 Chosen For Cricket Squares

MM50 is treated with HEADSTART® GOLD – Limagrain’s unique seaweed based seed treatment which helps to ensure rapid and even germination. This tried and tested grass seed treatment helps the seed get off to the best possible start – making it ideal to use in the less than favourable conditions that can sometimes be found on cricket pitches during renovations.

HEADSTART® GOLD is perhaps at its most beneficial when it comes to the fourteen squares that Jamie and his team carry out renovations on each year. In addition, they maintain a further eight squares all year round  – Jamie’s work has quickly caught the eye.

“Others have seen how well MM50 has performed on our squares and they have since started using it. To be honest, I recommend MM50 all the time now and quite a lot of clubs and schools I know of have switched to it.

“It’s just a tremendous package all round from Limagrain. Richard Sheppard (Amenity Seed Sales Specialist) will often come and see me, to see how everything is going and offer advice and support. I don’t even have to ask for that but it is a great service to have.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/amenity

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