SALTEX Reveal Learning Live Details

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SALTEX Reveal Learning Live Details: The all-encompassing Learning LIVE education programme will once again be a prominent feature at this year’s SALTEX exhibition. The CPD-accredited seminars are free to attend and registration is now open for all sessions that are due to take place in four purpose-built seminar theatres on the SALTEX show floor in Halls 6, 7 and 8 at The NEC, Birmingham on 31 October – 01 November.

Last year’s Learning LIVE programme was the biggest one yet and featured more than 100 industry experts who took to the stage to address a variety of topical issues and highlight best practice case studies within the turf care industry – and feedback gathered from seminar delegates has helped organisers to create an even better line up of speakers and learning opportunities to suit the needs of all SALTEX visitors at this year’s event.

SALTEX Reveal Learning Live Details

Day one will feature an interesting panel debate featuring Professor Colin Fleming (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute), Neil Stubley (AELTC), Tony Bell (Middlesbrough FC) and Andy Gray (Southampton FC), who will discuss a chemical-free alternative to clean up your soil. Adam Witchell (Forest Green Rovers FC) and Roy Rigby (Manchester City FC) will be among those highlighting emerging trends in groundsmanship and a panel of professional groundsmen including Anthony Facey (Colchester Utd FC), Dave Mitchell (Carlisle Utd FC) and Stuart Vause (Castleford Tigers) will be discussing groundsmanship on a budget and sharing valuable money-saving tips.

Elsewhere on day one HR consultant Frank Newberry and Scott Tingley (Watford FC) will be on hand to provide career development tips and reveal how to secure the top jobs, while delegates will get the chance to ask questions to a panel of pest and disease experts in a session run by the Amenity Forum. There will also be plenty of technical advice on offer within Dr Ruth Mann’s (STRI) presentation on how technological advances are helping to improve turf grass quality on playing surfaces.

On day two, Phil Garrod (Advance Grass Solutions) will be sharing new ideas that have had successful outcomes in preparing pristine turf for multi sports on a single site and Ted Mitchell and Corin Palmer from the RFU will explain how the RFU and Premiership Rugby are raising the standards of groundsmanship. Andy McKay (Sussex CCC), Gary Barwell (Warwickshire CCC) and Chris Wood (ECB) will also explain how to prepare a cricket wicket to world-class standards.

In addition, phosphite for cool-season turf grass management; sports pitch renovations; the benefits of topdressing and education in the sports turf industry will be addressed by expert speakers including Andy Spetch (British Sugar Topsoil) and Dr Stewart Brown (University Centre Myerscough).

This is just a snapshot of sessions available at this year’s show. Go to www.iogsaltex.com to check out the full programme, register your visit to SALTEX and book into your preferred sessions to avoid the queues.

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R Hunt & New Forest Merge

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R Hunt & New Forest Merge: John Deere dealerships R Hunt Ltd and New Forest Farm Machinery Ltd are set to merge under the new name Hunt Forest Group. The family owners of both companies have signed an agreement which will commence on January 1, 2019. Until then, the two dealers will continue to trade as they do today.

Tim Hunt will become managing director of the new business while Ed Smales, the current dealer principal of New Forest Farm Machinery, will take a director’s role. Hunt Forest Group will continue to operate from the same outlets across southern England, with the same staff.

R Hunt & New Forest Merge

R Hunt is a longstanding John Deere agricultural and homeowner equipment dealer with four outlets covering Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight. It has been a John Deere dealer since 1971 and currently employs 71 staff.

New Forest Farm Machinery is an agricultural, professional turf, homeowner and construction equipment dealer employing 43 people and trading from two outlets, one in Hampshire and one at recently opened turf premises in Somerset. It has been a John Deere agricultural dealer since 1979 and has held the company’s turf franchise since 1986.

“Both companies are well-established, profitable businesses that place a strong emphasis on customer service, and the merger is perfectly aligned with our Dealer of Tomorrow strategy,” says John Deere’s division sales manager Joedy Ibbotson. “This will provide the new business with more resources for both customers and staff, more inventory, more product support capability and a greater knowledge base, all of which will help deliver an even more distinctive customer experience.”

R Hunt managing director Tim Hunt says: “Both families feel confident that this merger will help to establish Hunt Forest Group as a frontline ag and turf dealer in the UK. The emphasis is very much on the ability for both companies to grow and have the opportunity to engage with more customers, with a more diversified product line-up for the entire business.”

New Forest Farm Machinery managing director Ed Smales adds: “We are excited about working with the Hunt family to further grow our business as Hunt Forest Group. Their experience in large ag machinery and precision farming will enhance the customer experience within our existing territory and help us create a more diverse and robust dealer business for the future.”

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

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Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

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Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods: Two tank mixes containing a range of Sherriff Amenity products have been impressing at Sweetwoods Park Golf Club in Cowden, Kent, with Course Manager Allan Tait reporting excellent results. Based on the borders of Kent and Sussex in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Sweetwoods Park offers a fantastic golf experience through its par 72, 18-hole golf course.

Widely praised by its 450 members, the Championship course is kept in impeccable condition from season to season thanks to Allan Tait and his greenkeeping team.

Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

Allan, who has been the Course Manager at Sweetwoods Park for just over 4 years, predominantly uses Sherriff Amenity products on key areas of the golf course and has singled out two tank mixes for particular praise.

“The majority of products I use on my greens, fairways, tees and approaches are all from Sherriff Amenity and I’ve always had consistently good results. I’m a fan of foliar feeding as I feel I have more control over growth and more flexibility with regards to tank-mixing,” said Allan.

Therefore, on his fairways, tees and approaches he relies on a liquid tank mixture which consists of Evolution Xtra 46.0.0 Soluble, Ferromel 20 – a water soluble formulation of iron sulphate hepta-hydrate and Primo Maxx II growth regulator.

“I use this mix for recovery in spring; Evolution Xtra encourages steady growth, whilst Ferromel 20 provides colour and discourages moss. The Evolution Xtra provides rapid greening, while the iron in the Ferromel 20 discourages the moss and the Primo Maxx II keeps control of the growth.

“For fairways I normally budget for two applications per year of this mix and that is more than enough because it has great longevity. It is nice and controlled and you don’t get a flush from it. I also like how soluble the product is. With some solubles you really have to grind them down but with the Evolution Xtra 46.0.0 Soluble, you simply run a hose over it and it disperses perfectly into the tank. I never get any blockages either. For me, it’s been a game changer.”

Allan admits that he prefers the preventative route, but most recently, following a prolonged dry spell, he turned to a tank-mix containing Aqua-Zorb 45 wetting agent, Rootmass Plus soil and plant conditioner and Amino Turf – a bio-stimulant.

Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

“I’ve experimented with wetting agents before but for the past couple of years I’ve not really touched them – I’ve mainly used penetrants. However, after the recent weather conditions the greens were beginning to show signs of heat stress, drought stress and disease. I had watered them quite heavily and it was clear that it wasn’t enough or that it wasn’t getting into the right places so I decided to look at Aqua-Zorb 45 as a solution. I had heard of numerous golf clubs reporting great results from it so thought I would give it a go. With the seaweeds and amino acids in the mixture, which have been proven to reduce the stress and lessen the chance of getting disease, it seemed like a perfect tank-mix.

“We applied it down and the next day, literally within 24 hours, the greens had a completely different look to them – they were so much healthier. I will continue to apply that mixture every four to five weeks right through until the end of the season. It has made a huge difference to the greens and it means that I could sleep easy at night!”

Ever the perfectionist, Allan is always looking at ways in which he can take the course to another level and he believes that the technical support he receives from Amenity Specialist Joseph Dormer is another benefit in his decision to work with Sherriff Amenity.

“I like to think I’m quite technically minded and I like to know every product inside out – Joseph is exactly the same and we are quite often having discussions about the technical aspects of greenkeeping. It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off one another.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

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R-VAN Nozzles Set New Standards

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R-VAN Nozzles Set New Standards: Rain Bird now offers a full range of R-VAN rotary adjustable, full circle and strip nozzles, ensuring efficient irrigation of both large and smaller areas in residential and commercial applications.

Coupled with fast installation and simple maintenance – no tools required – R-VAN nozzles set new standards in performance, with just nine models required for full 45 to 360 degree coverage and ranges from 2.4 to 7.3 metres. This compares to up to fifteen if alternative brands of nozzles were to be specified, keeping investment costs lower from the outset.

R-VAN Nozzles Set New Standards

All R-VAN nozzles can be quickly hand adjusted for arc and radius. Simply by pushing down and turning the nozzle cap, the arc can be increased by up to 270 degrees and by turning the radius adjustment dial clockwise, the throw distance is increased without needing to use a separate adjustment tool. With these two actions, areas of any shape can be effectively irrigated.

The precipitation rate of the R-VAN nozzles is matched with the Rain Bird 5000 series rotors. Long-distance watering is effectively increased to up to 10.7 metres within the same zone. Precipatation rates are also matched across all the different types of R-VAN nozzles, making irrigation design layouts and zoning much easier. There is no longer any need for multiple zones and valves to accomplish the same irrigation coverage that would be required with other makes of nozzle.

Producing gentle rotating streams of water, R-VAN nozzles provide uniform coverage with lower precipitation rates. This lessens the risk of wasteful run-off that can lead to ground erosion. R-VAN nozzles can require up to 33% shorter run-times, providing significant water savings and making them ideal for applications where there are time restrictions on irrigation cycles.

With larger droplets and thicker streams of water, R-VAN nozzles have high wind resistance and can be used in windier conditions without misting. Irrigation is kept within the target zone and not wasted on surrounding hardscapes and other areas.

R-VAN nozzles have been specifically designed to let dirt and debris pass through, but if a nozzle sticks, a simple twist ensures easy debris flushing. There is no need to replace the nozzle in the event of clogging. Overall, R-VAN nozzles are claimed to be up to 30 percent more efficient than alternative makes and are compatible with all Rain Bird spray bodies, risers and adapters. Each of the nine units are colour coded for easy identification.

For more information, visit: www.rainbird.eu/golf

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Bayer Braced For Roundup Lawsuits

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Bayer Braced For Roundup Lawsuits: Industry analysts have warned that Bayer is bracing itself for thousands of future claims, after the successful lawsuit against Monsanto in California in August in which a jury ruled that a former groundskeeper’s cancer was caused by Roundup, and that the company knowingly withheld information about the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate.

German-based acquired Monsanto earlier this year for $63 billion and according to Reuters, the company faces years of legal activity with some 8,000 lawsuits currently being brought against Monsanto, much higher than the 5,200 cases previously disclosed by Bayer in June.

“The number of plaintiffs in both state and federal litigation is approximately 8,000 as of end-July. These numbers may rise or fall over time but our view is that the number is not indicative of the merits of the plaintiffs’ cases,” Bayer’s chief executive Werner Baumann admitted to analysts in a conference call.

The lawsuits are also pulling in food manufacturers, with General Mills having to remove a claim about the use of ‘100% natural whole grain oats’ in its Nature Valley brand cereal bars.

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