Get Straight With Glyphosate

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Get Straight With Glyphosate: Glyphosate has been in the news again recently, and as groundcare professionals look to their 2019 weed control programmes, Roundup Technical Development Manager Barrie Hunt gives an update on legal and best practice information to help plan ahead.

Q. What is the legislative situation with glyphosate at the moment?

A. Glyphosate was formally re-Approved on 12th December 2017 by the European Commission.

Q. How long has glyphosate been approved for and what does that mean for Roundup products?

A. Glyphosate, as an active substance, has been approved for a period of 5 years. The second stage of the process is the reauthorisation of the individual glyphosate products and this is currently ongoing. Both Roundup ProVantage and ProActive have been submitted for reauthorisation and we expect that process to be completed by the end of the year. In the meantime, both products continue to be fully available.

Q. Are they stocked by the same range of distributors?

A. Yes, there have been no changes to distribution agreements and you can still order Roundup products from your usual merchants.

Q. Are there any new restrictions on using glyphosate products?

A. The major change to product availability affected glyphosate products containing POE-t, also known as ethoxylated tallow amine, which is a surfactant to help wet the leaves. Since the end of June 2018 products containing POE-t are no longer authorised for use or storage. No Monsanto amenity glyphosate products contain POE-t.

We are not aware of any changes of use or label restrictions and in our product re-authorisation applications we have applied for the full range of existing uses.

Q. One of my local authority clients has expressed concern about using glyphosate in public open spaces such as parks. How can I put their mind at rest?

A. Roundup has been used successfully and safely for more than 40 years. Roundup ProVantage and ProActive act on the target’s enzyme system, which is unique to plants and not found in humans, animals, fish or insects. Roundup products have been widely used for over 40 years and their safety has been assessed by Pesticides Regulatory Agencies from all over the world, including the World Health Organisation.

As part of the recent re-Approval process, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency both assessed glyphosate in detail and concluded that it can be used safely and does not cause cancer.

People, pets and wildlife need not be kept out of treated areas, although it is best not to walk in areas where the spray is still wet as transfer to other vegetation may lead to unwanted damage to other foliage. Once the spray is dry this cannot occur.
A leaflet explaining how Roundup works is available to distribute to clients and to the public – contact the helpline on 01954 717575 for copies.

Q. Is there anything I can do as a contractor to help ensure that glyphosate remains available for use in the future?

A. Always use chemical products in accordance with the label recommendations and all applicable pesticide legislation, and in conditions where the active ingredients can work most effectively to avoid the risk of resistance.

Although there are no known cases of glyphosate resistance in the UK, it is a very real threat, and amenity professionals should have a Resistance Management Strategy in place.

This includes using the correct dose rate of a reputable, approved glyphosate product, treating at the correct weed growth stage with correctly calibrated equipment and in good conditions; using other active ingredients and non-chemical methods of weed control as part of an Integrated Weed Management Plan.

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Standards Maintained at Ladybank

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Standards Maintained at Ladybank: Designed originally by Old Tom Morris, Ladybank Golf Club is a rare thing in Fife, enjoying as it does a reputation as one of the finest inland layouts based in Scotland and providing a classic heathland challenge to golf lovers away from the sea.

Recently ranked #2 in Great Britain’s Top 100 Courses under £100 by National Club Golfer magazine, Ladybank is established on the Fife Open Championship Qualifying Trail, and has hosted final qualifying on seven occasions since 1978 for the Open Championship played at St Andrews. It was also a qualifying venue in July for this year’s Senior Open Championship on the Old Course.

Standards Maintained at Ladybank

Managing secretary Gordon Simpson joined the club over two years ago and carried out a comprehensive assessment of the whole club and course set-up. He knew the course and its quality from playing regularly in qualifying tournaments as a PGA professional, and immediately recognised that the combination of an ageing machinery fleet and increasing repair bills meant a replacement policy needed to be implemented.

Gordon therefore asked the six-strong greenkeeping team led by course manager Colin Powrie and head greenkeeper David Gray to put together a wish list of new machinery from scratch, that would help them to maintain the golf course to the required high standard. As a result, the club has made its first ever John Deere fleet purchase, with equipment supplied by John Deere dealer Double A of Cupar in Fife.

The new machines include a 7500A fairway mower with TechControl display and smaller QA5 cutting units, a 4049R compact tractor, a Pro Gator utility vehicle equipped with an HD200 low-profile amenity turf sprayer and two 220SL walk-behind greens mowers.

“We conducted the usual tender process and gave the different manufacturers a list of the priority kit we required to replace the older machines,” says Gordon. “Double A and the dealership’s golf specialist John Bateson were superb throughout the process, both in supplying demonstration machines throughout 2017 and in their overall level of service, support and advice to help us develop the golf course in the way we wished.

“The process was admittedly a lengthy one but the ongoing feedback we had from the membership was invaluable to me in the decision-making process, particularly with regard to the high levels of presentation and finish right across the course. This ultimately showed us that the quality of cut from the John Deere machines was far superior and sharper looking.”

“We have quite undulating fairways, so the smaller QA5 cutting units on the fairway mower suit our terrain very well by getting easily into the dips and hollows,” adds Colin Powrie. “The new hand mowers are used on the 1st and 18th tees and the collars, so these are now nicely striped up for better presentation.”

Gordon Simpson admits John Deere would not have been his original number one choice, having never done a deal with the company before in his previous roles. However, he is now happy to state that everything the club experienced over the 20-month process of choosing a new supplier proved that he wanted to partner with John Deere as a brand and Double A as a local business.

“With the volume of kit that had to be replaced, it was always the case that the club would need to spread the investment over several years to make it more manageable,” says Gordon. “With all the work they put into the tender, John Deere and Double A simply stood out a mile, and we knew this was the manufacturer and dealer we wanted to partner with.

“We were looking for a long-term relationship with our supplier, which is why it took us so long to make the decision, but we certainly feel that we’ve picked the right route for us and our ambitions for the club.”

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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September Update From Scott MacCallum

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September Update From Scott MacCallum: Well, the football and rugby seasons are in full swing once again and those with affiliations to a particular team – most of us – are experiencing the uncomfortable feelings we all get when our team is in action.

We might be engaged in a serious piece of conversation about potential new curtains for the bedroom, or watching the latest episode of Bodyguard, but what we really want to do is steal a look at our phone to check the score. You know full well it’s not going to go well – not the score, but the reaction from your other half to what is a display of less than 100% attention to the task in hand.

September Update From Scott MacCallum

I’ve said before, but the extent to which sport weaves its way into our every day lives, and dictates our moods, is never to be underestimated. My wife and I even got caught up in the World Cup and found ourselves not disinclined to share a smile when England scored. Even from north of the border the atmosphere created by a thumping of Panama and a penalty shoot out win against Columbia could be felt. The distant memories when Scotland qualified for five consecutive World Cups made those feelings all the more poignant.

Scotland’s qualification for the Women’s World Cup next year is small consolation and I’m sure the entire country will get behind the team but the, amended, famous Tartan Army chant “When you hear the noise of the Tartan Army girls” doesn’t quite work to the same extent.

I do live in eternal hope that the next generation of football’s superstars could contain the odd one with a Scottish accent, but living in hope is something I’ve become used to – living in expectation is something I leave to those south of the Hadrian’s Wall.

Anyhow, all of the above would not be possible without the pitches to perform on and with none of us knowing what sort of weather we are going to get to prepare those pitches it is a credit to all that standards are so high and that the limitations of budget are exceeded so frequently.

Scott MacCallum

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Campey Turf Care Return To SALTEX

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Campey Turf Care Return To SALTEX: Campey Turf Care Systems will be returning to the NEC in Birmingham for SALTEX 2018, presenting their range of industry-leading machines.

Throughout the year Campey products have made an impact at major sporting events including  the use of the Air 2G2 GT Air Inject in the build-up to the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, Paris.

Campey Turf Care Return To SALTEX

Innovation and application have both continued to evolve, with the Koro FIELD TOPMAKER now being used with great success to renovate cricket squares as well as further use in golf. These sports have been able to adopt the machine due to the introduction of a smaller and lighter Koro FTM that was specifically designed with finer turf in mind, offering the industry as a whole the cleanest renovation possible.

A selection of Campey machinery will be on display at Stand G100 along with the Campey Product Specialists, who will be on hand to answer any questions and advise on the best machinery for your situation.

For more information, visit: www.campeyturfcare.com

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Groundsman Industries Ready For SALTEX

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Groundsman Industries Ready For SALTEX: Groundsman Industries have lined up three products from their range that are more than worthy of special attention at the Saltex exhibition. The Northern Ireland manufacturer has a worldwide reputation for durable, high performance equipment and the latest machines affirm this. The Groundsman Turf Multi-Cutters are renowned for their smooth, effortless cutting ability, ease of use and operating comfort. Features and benefits which become obvious within the first few feet of operation.

The two-wheel drive model, the TMC26, is simple to operate and portable, making it ideal for landscapers, contractors and hire outlets, with the cut quality to work in fine sports turf as well. There’s a range of interchangeable sod cutting blades available from 30cm (12”) to 60cm (24”) wide that are adjustable down to 7cm (3”) deep. These are complemented with blades for mole draining, de-compacting, trenching and cable and pipe insertion, down to 15cm (6”) depth. The precision cutting of the rear blade four-wheel drive model, the TMC46, makes it the choice of golf clubs and turf farms.

Groundsman Industries Ready For SALTEX

Groundsman offer a range of pedestrian and tractor mounting turf aerators ranging from 45cm (18”) to 180cm (6ft) working widths. Take the 345HD model and you have a compact, professional pedestrian machine that can access most garden gates and aerate all types of grass including gardens, parklands and fine lawns as well as sports greens. For larger areas the tractor mounting models are available for tractors from 18hp. Rugged, durable and low maintenance, this range has a proven record for reliability, performance and versatility. There is a crank driven elliptical plunge action mechanism that drives the tines into the most compacted surfaces, down to 15cm (6”) deep, with very little surface disruption. Quick change hollow core, solid and slitting tines are available together with tine heads for thatch removal or surface preparation for overseeding.

Also on display at Saltex, the Groundsman Flexblade Core Collector attaches to any aerator, pedestrian or tractor mounted with swath width from 60cm (24”) up to 210cm (83”) to enable you to core and collect in one pass. It’s also available for compact tractors and turf vehicles for follow-up collection of cores and linear aeration soil. The patented Flexblade core collector system was developed by Groundsman Industries and is the most efficient method of collecting cores, wet or dry, with minimum disruption. Attached to an aerator the Flexblade catches more than half the cores before they touch the ground. The remainder are scooped cleanly from the surface by the Flexblade that follows undulations like shovels, for the cleanest possible collection. The holes remain open for top dressing. Trampling and surface disruption are minimised and the greens are quicker back in play. Visit Groundsman Industries at Saltex on Stand No. K078

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