Dennis & SISIS Confirm Cricket Day

/in , , /by

Dennis & SISIS Confirm Cricket Day: Dennis and SISIS have announced the date for their popular cricket renovation day for 2018. The event will take place at Cheltenham College on 7 August and those wishing to attend are encouraged to register soon to avoid disappointment.

Since 2011, the Dennis and SISIS series of seminars have seen over 1200 cricket groundsmen in attendance, bringing together volunteers and professionals representing test and 1st class venues, club cricket, schools, colleges and universities. High quality speakers and interesting topics has ensured these seminars quickly gained a reputation as a ‘not to miss event’ with groundstaff travelling considerable distances to be in attendance.

Dennis & SISIS Confirm Cricket Day

The August event at Cheltenham College, will be a mix of thought provoking indoor presentations and discussions with outside practical demonstrations – with plenty of time built into the programme for speaking with your fellow groundsmen. There will also be a number of high profile, well respected industry sponsors in attendance offering support and advice.

“Following the highly successful seminar held at The Brightside Ground, Bristol in 2017, the decision to return to Gloucestershire to continue our ‘For the groundsmen by the groundsmen’ series of educational seminars was a relatively straightforward one and we hope delegates find the event informative, but above all enjoyable,” commented Roger Moore, sales and marketing manager at Dennis and SISIS.

The day includes a talk on profile reading and autumn renovations from turf consultant Alex Vickers and an overview on renovations from contractor Keith Exton of Perfect Pitches.

The morning will finish with a soil core clinic led by Keith, Alex and Ian Smith, turf consultant from St Albans School.

After a complimentary lunch, groundsmen can attend two practical sessions; one on end of season renovations and the other on aeration. Cheltenham College head groundsman Christian Brain and Robert Jack (Dennis and SISIS) will join the delivery team for the first of those while Jason Briggs from Dennis and SISIS will lead the final session alongside Keith Exton.

The day will end with a question and answer session with the panel of experts.

Attendance to this informative seminar is free and seats are expected to be filled extremely fast.

To register your interest please contact Roger Moore at Dennis & SISIS on 01332 824777 or email Roger on roger.moore@dennisuk.com

For more information, visit www.dennisuk.com or www.sisis.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Ireland’s New Fungicide Launch

/in , , /by

Ireland’s New Fungicide Launch: Ireland’s greenkeepers are now able to access the latest in turf fungicide technology, to tackle both Microdochium Patch and Dollar Spot on their greens this coming disease season.

Exteris® Stressgard® was launched by Bayer to the UK market in early 2017 and is now registered for use in Ireland.

Ireland's New Fungicide Launch

Greg Collins, from the Bayer Turf Solutions Team, explains that the product brings a totally new category of fungicide to the market. “It contains a third generation SDHI, and is the very first of its sort to be launched in the Irish turf industry, providing a new tool for the greenkeepers’ diminishing armoury.”

He explains it is the formulation of two active ingredients (AI) that makes the new fungicide so unique. “The SDHI – fluopyram, has a systemic action that moves up through the roots and leaves to prevent disease as the plant grows. The other AI – trifloxystrobin, is part of the strobilurin group, and acts as a ‘local penetrant’ that offers targeted disease control.

“There are very few curative fungicides still available on the market, following the loss of iprodione, so a transition to a preventative approach is required, and Exteris® Stressgard® can help greenkeepers do just that,” says Greg.

Irish Sports Turf Institute trial manager, Mark Sheridan, put Exteris® Stressgard® to the test using preventative applications for Microdochium Patch control, and saw a clear improvement in disease suppression, compared to untreated plots.

“Turf professionals once had the comfort of curative chemistry, but with the loss of iprodione and other similar products, the future of disease control lies with the use of preventative, integrated management programmes.

“When Exteris® Stressgard® is applied preventatively, and proactive cultural practices such as aeration, judicious use of fertiliser and irrigation, are teamed with appropriate biological control measures, it’s possible to achieve significant turf protection,” explains Mark.

Key benefits of Exteris® Stressgard®:

  • New chemical group to the turf market.
  • Developed with Stressgard formulation technology specially for turfgrass
  • Targeted Microdochium Patch prevention
  • Dual active formulation
  • Flexible water volumes
  • Quick dry time and absorption
  • Aids in resistance management

Reduces damage from harmful UV radiation

For more information please visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk/Turf-Management, email turfsolutions@bayer.com or contact Cropcare on 01-2874485

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

/in , , /by

Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes: Blenheim Palace, based in Oxfordshire, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, has taken delivery of a Ransomes MP495 cylinder mower to maintain its prestigious gardens. Delivered by local dealer The Turney Group, this addition is a continuation of the long-standing relationship between Ransomes, The Turney Group and Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal English country house to hold the title of ‘palace’. The Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and welcomes around 800,000 visitors every year.

Palace Gardens Choose Ransomes

Hilary Wood, Head of Gardens at Blenheim Palace, manages a team of 10 full-time and six part-time staff who are tasked with manicuring 120-acres of gardens, and some of the 2000-acres of parkland across the 12,000-acre estate.

“We have a lot of land to maintain at Blenheim Palace, and it’s important that we have the correct machinery for the job,” Hilary said. “We have been using Ransomes ever since I first arrived in 1981; so more than 37 years. We have had Ransomes Commander mowers in the past, which have been brilliant, and we have now opted for the new Ransomes MP495, which we have been using since April, and it has exceeded all expectations.

“We have a very happy relationship with our dealer; it’s a family-run business and we receive a very friendly, personalised service. We can always rely on them to be with us whenever we need them, which is something we haven’t had from other suppliers in the past. The Turney Group always let us demo a machine over a period so that we can try it in various conditions and make an informed decision. This gives us confidence in the purchase we make.”

Trevor Wood is an operator at Blenheim Palace. Commenting on the new machine, he said:

“It’s a great mower; it has a quiet cab, it’s easy and comfortable to drive, all of the controls are in the right place, and the air conditioning has been very handy with the hot temperatures!

“We use the MP495 to maintain garden areas; we know Ransomes is a reliable brand and has the ability to produce a pristine finish. People come from all around the world to visit Blenheim Palace, and they expect to be blown away; it is our job to produce the best possible presentation, and we know that the Ransomes mower and the back-up and support from The Turney Group will allow us to achieve this.”

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Vandals Target Castlerock GC

/in , , /by

Vandals Target Castlerock GC: Police are appealing for information following extensive criminal damage caused to Castlerock Golf Club’s course and green hut during the early hours of this morning.

A police spokesperson said “Those responsible have caused damage which will cost thousands to repair.  A deliberate fire was started on the long grass on the course and we believe smoke and flames would have been visible from Circular Road and further afar.

Please if you have any information which you believe may assist us in our investigation please contact Limavady Police on 101 quoting ref CCS 731 of 15/7/18.”

Commenting on the vandalism Councillor William McCandless said “The vandalism at Castlerock Golf club has not just been an attack on the club itself, it has a serious detrimental effect upon our Tourism Industry.

Our Council area relies heavily upon Tourism for jobs and revenue and golf is an important factor in this. Golf tourism is a key priority at Tourism N.I. and courses like Castlerock are crucial to this strategy.
Castlerock Golf Club established in 1901 is located at the mouth of the river Bann with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the hills of Donegal and Islay.

A tough links course Castlerock can certainly compete with neighbouring Portstewart and Royal Portrush for an enjoyable days golf. Recently extensive work has been carried out by the club to improve many of the holes.

I would appeal to anyone who noticed anything unusual to contact PSNI to assist in apprehending those who carried out this damage. Arson and breaking windows are serious crimes and must not be tolerated.”

A spokesperson for Castlerock Golf Club said “Anyone with information please contact the PSNI or to the club direct by emailing bert@castlerockgc.co.uk.”

Click here to read the original article

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Council Looks To Rigby Taylor

/in , , /by

Council Looks To Rigby Taylor: A revolutionary vertical drainage system is set to assist with reducing Wandsworth Council’s perennial misery of cancelled football games due to waterlogged playing surfaces on its Wandsworth Common pitches.

The non-obtrusive Groundwater Dynamics’ system – based on the use of vertical plastic pipes (EGRP) which draw in excess water horizontally – is being trialled on three of most troublesome of the council’s seven winter pitches and, depending on their success, the system could be extended across more of the 96 winter pitches that are under the borough’s care.

Council Looks To Rigby Taylor

As Principal Parks Officer – Operations for Enable Leisure and Sport, the operation that delivers Wandsworth Council’s leisure services, Steve Green explains:

“Being on a clay base, these pitches are forever flooding whenever we have excess rain and while the installation of traditional drainage would have been cheaper by up to around 20 per cent, we wouldn’t be allowed by Thames Water to link the new drains to surface water outlets (storm drains and sewers, for example).

“This alternative system not only means the water can be dealt with ‘at source’, but also that current infiltration rates can be increased by at least seven times [in some cases far higher].

“And the installation hardly impacts surface appearance – indeed, looking at the work, I reckon we could easily play on the pitches within hours of installation. In addition, the system will last over 25 years with regular vertidraining and earthquaking (twice per annum for each operation).”

Council Looks To Rigby Taylor

The system – which is suitable for all soil types and is in use on a number of sports surfaces, including at Edgbaston Cricket Club – was installed on the Wandsworth Common pitches by drilling a series of bore holes in a grid pattern across the playing surfaces.

Central rows of 3 m deep holes (of 89 mm diameter) are flanked by 1.5 m deep holes of 62 mm diameter, at 1.5 m spacings. The sequence was repeated at every 5 m along the length of each pitch. There are also adjacent bores to depths of 6 m and 12 m.

Each borehole accommodates an Energy-passive Ground water Recharge Pump (EGRP) pipe, the top of which sits 300 mm below the surface. The hole is then simply ‘plugged’ and top-dressed.

The innovative five-chamber EGRP design with its mild vacuum draws in water horizontally (to the deeper, 89 mm diameter EGRP pipe) and this then drains away into the lower unsaturated strata/water table.

“We have a myriad of users including private schools, academy squads as well as local teams using these pitches which are among the 1,600 acres of open space we maintain,” adds Steve. “The winter pitches are booked for seven days each week, so any cancellations always create headaches – and disappointed players!

“We started to investigate possible solutions and having such a good relationship with Rigby Taylor – from which we source (via idverde) a lot of products, including R14 perennial rye grass seed which we use across all the pitches, as well as selective herbicides, fertilisers, aggregates and topdressings – the Groundwater Dynamics’ system was presented.

Council Looks To Rigby Taylor

“We looked at the system in use at a football training ground (Fulham FC’s) and on a rugby pitch (in Bushy Park, Hampton Court) and spoke to the groundsmen there before going ahead with the trial.”

Steve has been with the council for 38 years and includes cemeteries, litter clearance and buildings maintenance in his remit, which embraces the management of three direct staff and around 100 indirect. He and colleague Andrew Green, who oversees and manages the council’s wide range sports surfaces, both agree that the former methods of earthquaking and vertidraining couldn’t cope with the waterlogging caused by severe rainfall.

“Nowadays,” says Andrew, “extremes of weather are becoming more common, but we’re totally confident that this new system of drainage will go a long way in reducing a problem we’ve had for years on these pitches.”

For more information, visit: www.rigbytaylor.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.