Future-Proofed Irrigation at Bedford School

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Future-Proofed Irrigation at Bedford School: Bedford School’s cricket facilities have undergone a significant transformation following the installation of a fully automated Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by JK Irrigation. The upgrade has not only boosted efficiency but also future-proofed the grounds for continued development over the next decade.

At the heart of the new system is the Hunter ACC2 controller, complete with an internet module that gives Head Groundsman George Mills and his team full remote access. Each grounds team member is responsible for a different area, and thanks to the Centralus platform, they can now manage their irrigation schedules from their phones, no matter where they are.

Future-Proofed Irrigation at Bedford School

Future-Proofed Irrigation at Bedford School

“We’ve got all the grounds team set up with their own logins,” George explained. “Chris, my deputy, manages the first team square, Glenn looks after the second team square, Anthony does the grass nets, and I focus on the smaller third team square. That bit of ownership means everyone really takes pride in their area – and yes, there’s a bit of healthy competition too!”

The system features Hunter G-800 TTS valve-in-head sprinklers around the main cricket squares and Hunter I-25 sprinklers for the smaller areas. Two 25,000-litre tanks water storage tanks and a Lowara pump system, controlled via an integrated unit, ensure powerful and consistent pressure – around seven bar – which is a dramatic improvement on the school’s previous setup.

“Our mains pressure was poor – barely one bar,” George said. “Before, we were moving a single sprinkler eight to ten times just to get coverage. Now we can water the first team square in 15 to 20 minutes at night when it’s more efficient and better for the plant.”

Two thousand metres of pipework now runs beneath the surface, installed by JK Irrigation with help from the in-house team for reinstatement works. The installation also includes 13 strategically placed water boxes across the site, all configured to accommodate future system expansion.

“We’ve designed this with the long term in mind,” George added. “We’re hoping to add a fourth cricket square soon, and we’ve already got the infrastructure in place to irrigate it. We’re also planning a full renovation of the first-team rugby pitch, and the irrigation will go in first so we can reseed quickly and maintain momentum.”

The system has already proven invaluable during periods of dry weather. The team can now reliably water in granular fertilisers – even in hot conditions – and maintain the feeding schedule without compromising on turf health.

“We’re applying a granular every month,” George said. “Being able to water it in properly means we’re seeing better uptake and performance. It’s a huge advantage, particularly in seasons like this where rainfall can’t be relied on.”

Beyond the immediate benefits, George sees the project as an investment in both the grounds and the people who manage them.

“Everything we’ve done – the system, the infrastructure, the way it’s all been set up – is about improving the site for the next 10 years and more.”

With strong support from the school, a dedicated team, and a robust irrigation system in place, Bedford School is perfectly positioned to deliver top-quality playing surfaces well into the future.

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on X and Instagram @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

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Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership: The British and International Golf Greenkeeping Association (BIGGA), Lantra and Land-Based Assessment Ltd (LBAL) have commenced a strategic partnership designed to boost skills development across the greenkeeping sector through high quality apprenticeships and robust assessment. The collaboration prioritises clear progression routes via the BIGGA Formal Education Pathway and sector wide Apprenticeship awareness.

The partnership commits to shared evidence and continuous improvement for greenkeeping apprenticeships, with Lantra working closely with BIGGA to support the apprenticeship routes at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 5.

Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

Lantra will be at BIGGA’s annual flagship event, BTME in January 2026, joining GTC Approved Training Providers at a collaborative exhibition in the GTC Education Hub. Furthermore, to mark the strategic partnership, BIGGA have been announced as a sponsor of the Land-Based and Environment Learner of the Year Awards, which is set to take place later this month at the National Conference Centre, in Solihull.

Commenting on the partnership, Jo-Anne Bryan, Head of Apprenticeships and Standards at Lantra said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with BIGGA on championing apprenticeships within golf greenkeeping.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for new entrants starting out as a Golf Greenkeeper, to then progress to an Advanced Sports Turf Technician, at Level 3, and for those wanting to excel to a Golf Course Manager at Level 5. These apprenticeships provide a great career pathway within the industry.

Rob Phillips, Learning and Development Manager – Technical, at BIGGA also commented “This partnership marks an important step forward in uniting our efforts to deliver exceptional education and career development for greenkeepers. By aligning the BIGGA Formal Education Pathway, industry recognized apprenticeship standards, and Lantra’s ongoing commitment to robust assessment, we are creating a clear and credible route for progression that strengthens the future of the profession.”

Together, BIGGA, Lantra, and LBAL will deliver a coordinated programme of promotion and on the ground engagement to strengthen apprenticeship outcomes and professional standards in greenkeeping.

BTME 2026 will take place from 20 to 22 January at the Harrogate Convention Centre, when exhibitors can look forward to an optimised event experience supported by FFAIR’s award-winning technology.

For more information about BIGGA and its various activities including how to become a member, visit www.bigga.org.uk

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Smarter Mowing at Your Fingertips: Trimax Launches OptiAdjust

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Smarter Mowing at Your Fingertips: Trimax Launches OptiAdjust: Trimax Mowing Systems is set to unveil its latest innovation, OptiAdjust, at Saltex 2025 — a system designed to redefine mowing efficiency, safety, and precision. Developed as an evolution of the ever-popular Pegasus S5, the Trimax OptiAdjust system allows operators to change mowing heights between 10–80 mm without leaving the cab.

Using the intuitive Trimax Connect app, available for both Android and iOS devices, operators can make instant height adjustments from inside the tractor. The result is less downtime, greater accuracy, and improved presentation across every pass — whether maintaining sports fields, large estates, or municipal spaces.

Smarter Mowing at Your Fingertips: Trimax Launches OptiAdjust

Smarter Mowing at Your Fingertips: Trimax Launches OptiAdjust

“OptiAdjust takes everything operators love about the Pegasus S5 and makes it even smarter,” says Rikki Bown, Business Development Manager at Trimax.
“The ability to change cutting heights in seconds — from the seat of the tractor — is a real step forward in mower efficiency and ease of use.”

Precision and Productivity Combined

OptiAdjust brings measurable benefits across key areas of turf management:

  • Increased Productivity: Operators no longer need to stop and manually adjust the mower. This reduces downtime and allows for efficient coverage of large areas.
  • Enhanced Safety: Adjustments from within the cab reduce direct contact with the mower, minimising operator risk.
  • Quality Control: Automated height control ensures a precise, consistent cut for a cleaner, high-quality finish, eliminating the need for rework.
  • Smarter Mowing Management: With OptiAdjust, changing heights takes seconds rather than minutes, allowing operators to easily adapt to grass growth and presentation requirements for consistent results year-round.

Built on Proven Trimax Engineering

By combining the latest technology with Trimax’s renowned build quality and engineering, OptiAdjust represents a natural evolution in mower performance. The system not only enhances mowing efficiency but also supports turf health — making smaller, more frequent height changes during high-growth periods helps maintain turf quality and reduce disease risk.

OptiAdjust has been designed to integrate seamlessly with the Pegasus S5 platform, trusted by grounds professionals worldwide for its reliability and performance.

See It Live at Saltex 2025

Visitors to Saltex 2025 can see OptiAdjust in action on the Trimax stand H082, where the system will be demonstrated alongside the company’s trusted range of commercial rotary and flail mowers.

OptiAdjust is available as an optional feature on new Pegasus S5 models.

For more information, or to watch the system in action, visit:
https://trimaxmowers.co.uk/trimax-optiadjust/

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Green-tech aids increase in biodiversity

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Green-tech aids increase in biodiversity: As Scotland’s eighth newest city (2022), Dunfermline was the birthplace of King Charles 1 and once served as the ancient capital of Scotland. Over recent years the city has become more popular with house prices increasing and investment in new residential developments.

As part of the Dunfermline Eastern Expansion, Taylor Wimpey have built around a hundred homes, a mix of 3, 4, and 5-bedroom houses, as well as affordable housing units, situated around Macpherson and MacCallum Avenues.

Green-tech aids increase in biodiversity

Green-tech aids increase in biodiversity

Although Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is not mandatory in Scotland just yet, the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), focuses on ‘significant biodiversity enhancements’ for major developments. And any urban greening, particularly street trees, plays a vital role.

Although new developments have modern storm drains and sewers, unlike the old, woefully inadequate Victorian-era systems in the city centres, it is still important to attenuate rainwater, and subsequent runoff, diverting it from gushing straight down the drains. Trees are highly efficient at doing this, both through their root network, and leaf canopy. Add to this their ability to store carbon, capture airborne particulates, and provide habitat for birds and insects, and the value of trees to our neighbourhoods cannot be denied.

Green-tech Involvement

Advance Construction (Scotland) have been offering groundworks and civil engineering expertise throughout Scotland for over twenty-five years. They have worked with Green-tech for over ten of those years across various projects.

ACS approached Green-tech to price up twenty-one tree pits throughout the new Taylor-Wimpey development, using the TreeParker® tree pit support system.

Having been used in mainland Europe for the past twelve years or more, on high-profile projects such as the pavements around the Eiffel Tower, and Rotterdam’s main boulevard, Coolsingle, TreeParker® works by supporting the paving above a tree pit, whether used for pedestrian or vehicular traffic. In doing this, it protects the soil within the tree pit from becoming compacted. This enables the landscaper to use a soft, friable, organic topsoil for the tree to grow in, rather than having to make do with a less organic, structural tree sand.

Unlike similar systems, it has several distinct advantages. The heavy-duty, reinforced legs are available in six height options from the factory: 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500mm. This gives a previously unheard-of adaptability with depth options. From a contractor’s point of view, it means there is never any need to stack two units to achieve a depth over 600mm, saving installation time and money.

The other major advantage is that there are no side walls to get in the way of utilities, new or existing. By having smooth, rounded legs rather than side walls, the units can easily straddle or work around service pipes and lines.

There was a mix of tree pits across the site, mostly single trees, but also three double tree pits in the central section of MacCallum Avenue. To finish off the installations, Green-tech supplied cast-iron Newdale tree grilles, along with Wharfdale tree guards, to protect the trees from any vehicular contact. Grilles are an ideal way to give a smart, long-lasting finish to a tree pit, whilst allowing air and water access into the rooting area.

In total, twenty-one TreeParker® tree pits were installed, each having Mona Relief irrigation rings and cast aluminium filler caps, as well as underground anchor systems. With it being vital to the health of any tree or planting scheme, Green-tech delivered a total of 260 tonnes of Green-tree British Standard subsoil and Geocell topsoil to site over a staggered period as required.

Client Feedback

Stuart Mcneill, Managing Quantity Surveyor for Advance Construction (Scotland) comments, “We have always found Green-tech to provide excellent service. They deliver what they say, when they say they will. We found the TreeParker® system to be surprisingly quick and simple to install, and we look forward to working with it again.”

Further Information

For further product information or to request a CPD in person or remotely on any of our urban or rural modules, please email info@gtspecifier.co.uk or call on 01423 369728.

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Agrovista’s new line-marking duo sets new standards

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Agrovista’s new line-marking duo sets new standards: Agrovista Amenity has introduced two new innovations to support grounds teams with accurate, efficient pitch marking: the Max-Line line-marking paint range and the exclusive PaintMaster Pro RLM01 robotic line marker. Together, they provide a simple, reliable solution for achieving professional results across a wide range of sports facilities.

Max-Line: Superior line-marking performance

Max-Line is Agrovista Amenity’s latest line-marking paint range, developed to deliver exceptional coverage, durability, and visibility. Designed for both conventional and robotic line-marking systems, the paint is formulated to deliver crisp, long-lasting lines that withstand play and weather conditions.

Agrovista’s new line-marking duo sets new standards

Agrovista’s new line-marking duo sets new standards

David Mitchell, Line Marking Business Development Manager at Agrovista Amenity, explained the thinking behind the new range:

“What we wanted to do was create a line-marking offer that is simplified but effective, covering all the bases while looking forward to the latest paint formulation technology.”

David highlighted how ranges within Max-Line have been designed with robotic markers in mind:

“With our nozzle technology, you can mark out a full-size pitch using under three litres of paint. That means a robotic marker can complete multiple pitches without having to constantly stop and refill, which is exactly what grounds teams need.

“We’ve also moved away from the throwaway plastic nozzles, which when blocked are difficult to clean and gone to stainless steel nozzles that can be stripped down, cleaned, and reused. If you don’t lose it, you’ve basically got a nozzle for life. It’s all about making the process sustainable, easier and more reliable for the customer.”

PaintMaster Pro RLM01: Exclusive to Agrovista Amenity

The PaintMaster Pro RLM01 is available exclusively through Agrovista Amenity in the UK.

Compact and intelligent, it sets a new benchmark for robotic line marking, combining centimetre-level GNSS positioning with simple, intuitive controls.

Key features include:

High precision: Dual GNSS positioning and optional laser kit deliver centimetre-level accuracy, even under trees or near stands.

Smart efficiency: A 0.5 kWh battery marks up to 8 full-size football pitches, with the option to extend to 16. Quick battery swaps allow continuous operation.

Smart control: Cloud-based software with real-time monitoring, multi-device management, automatic field switching, and remote app control.

Built around you: Portable design, quick-change paint refills, simple maintenance, and finance options.

Optional attachments, such as a handheld point marker and laser kit, further enhance flexibility, making the RLM01 suitable for football, rugby, athletics, and multi-sport facilities.

David believes it is a genuine step forward for grounds teams:

“For me, this robotic line marker represents the next step. It’s compact, easy to use, and incredibly efficient. Grounds teams can set it up quickly, let it get on with the job, and focus on other tasks — that’s where the real value lies.”

He added that its affordability also makes it stand out:

“We’ve been able to bring this robot to market at a much more accessible price point. I’ve already got customers, including contractors and local authorities, who are choosing to buy two machines instead of one because it makes sense for their budgets and doubles their productivity. In addition, we also offer finance and lease options that can be individually tailored to help fit within budgets.

“Recognising the importance of after-sales support we have partnered with XDC Autonomous Solutions who have considerable knowledge and expertise in the line marking robotics industry. XDC provide our customers with a comprehensive installation, training and support package via their UK based customer service team.”

A complete pitch-marking solution

By pairing the high-performance Max-Line paint with the cutting-edge PaintMaster Pro RLM01, Agrovista Amenity is offering grounds teams a package that saves time, reduces effort, and improves cost-effectiveness — all without compromising on quality.

“Our objective was to make life easier for grounds teams,” David concluded. “Max-Line gives them a reliable paint system that works brilliantly with both manual and robotic machines, while the RLM01 makes robotic marking more affordable and accessible than ever before. Together, they offer a solution that’s simple, efficient, and built around the customer.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.amenity.agrovista.co.uk

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