Show time for Star and Kaaspeed

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Show time for Star and Kaaspeed: The latest lithium-powered transport options for the UK’s holiday park and resorts will be at the Holiday Park Innovation and Resort Show as distributor Reesink e-Vehicles showcases STAR EV buggies and utility vehicles and a KAASPEED electric scooter.

For holiday park and resort owners and managers keen to see the latest lithium-powered options for quiet, efficient, practical, and economical transport around sites, Reesink is bringing options for work as well as transporting guests.

Show time for Star and Kaaspeed

Show time for Star and Kaaspeed

Dave French, Reesink e-Vehicles sales manager, says: “For venues that require vehicles to work near customers, it’s essential they deliver clean, green power. With these lithium-powered buggies and utility vehicles from STAR EV there are no fumes and no noise pollution meaning customers can work smarter – and by that we mean earlier and for longer. Meanwhile, the KAASPEED scooter provides the latest, most unique mode of eco-transportation for guests and staff.”

Bringing the ideal combination of on-board charging, a good mileage per charge and an extensive warranty – up to six years on the lithium batteries – from STAR EV at the show will be the Capella Work Machine, market-leading when it comes to towing capacity and the amount of payload they can handle, the Capella lifted which is ideal for off-road load carrying situations and the Sirius people carrier that has been designed specifically as a personal transportation vehicle and is being extremely well received by current customers.

Dave continues: “Whenever there’s the need to move anything, product or person, from A to B in the efficient and green way, the range from STAR EV is it.”

KAASPEED’s electric scooter is a lightweight, self-balancing, wide-wheeled scooter that provides a fun method of transport for multi-surface adventures. These scooters are cost-effective, especially as little maintenance is required.

Dave comments: “KAASPEED scooters are a great choice and suit any terrain, which is a real selling point. They make travel fun, different and exciting. They can be used on all types of surface thanks to having the choice of two types of tyres – the Scorpion tyre offers excellent traction for woodland and sandy surfaces, while the standard plain tread tyres are perfect for flat ground with turf protection.”

For whisper-quiet, electric transport options delivering all-day productivity, come see us at the Holiday Park and Resort Innovation Show on stand HP1230.

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Cultivating new turf technologies

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Cultivating new turf technologies: Rolawn is furthering its commitment to the future of turf growing by calling on its history for new ways to overcome the industry’s biggest challenges. 

Rolawn, the UK’s market-leading supplier of turf and topsoil, thrives on innovation, a culture that was initiated in 1975 by the founding members of the family-run business and that continues to inform the research and development which keeps Rolawn’s turf production at the forefront of the industry today.

Cultivating new turf technologies

Cultivating new turf technologies

Whether investing in state-of-the-art equipment or developing and building its own cutting-edge technology, Rolawn applies the depth of knowledge gained during its 47-year history, to meet and exceed the needs of the market and to drive the turf industry forward. Farming an extensive acreage of turf, Rolawn supplies to the domestic, amenity, landscape and house building markets and considers consistent upgrades to its turf growing process part of its commitment to quality, its customers, and the environment.

The expertise and experience Rolawn have in turf growing informs and drives much of the pioneering technology that is developed at the company’s Yorkshire-based facilities. Expert engineers at Rolawn are kept busy, devising, and developing leading-edge equipment to address and adapt to the ever-changing challenges as they arise. In-house projects include producing the world’s largest turf pneumatic seed drill, developing the patented ProFresh® system as a unique way to tackle sod heating and, what is believed to be, the UK’s largest turf roll harvester.

As part of its growing fleet of vehicles, Rolawn has invested in an impressive line-up of sophisticated machinery including the Trebro AutoStack 3 harvester and a range of Fendt tractors. The machinery brings considerable benefits to production, particularly in improving Rolawn’s accuracy and efficiency.

Seed Drill Mark 2

Designed and engineered in-house, the Seed Drill Mark 2 has greatly enhanced Rolawn’s sowing process and is considered the secret to its seeding success. Specially selected, best quality grass seed is sown by the drill, using a multi-directional pattern to ensure weak spots are eliminated, providing a higher grade of turf. The drill’s dual seed application and its ability to level the ground provides unrivalled seed distribution which has resulted in improved establishment.

The pneumatic seed drill was entirely built by the Rolawn fabrication team and is believed to be the most advanced pneumatic turf seed drill in the country.

The Trebro AutoStack 3

Described as “the most refined, high-production machine on the market,” the AutoStack 3 from Trebro is an important addition to Rolawn’s fleet as it offers innovative features that set it apart from other turf harvesters on the market. Having already invested in the Trebro-TSR turf harvester, Rolawn is the first in Europe to have the Montana-made AutoStack 3, believing that it helps reinforce their commitment to quality and attention to detail.

The technology of this machine matches the ambitions of Rolawn, bringing the benefits of its many features, including sophisticated cutterhead accuracy and depth control, precise roll-up process, articulated steering for manoeuvrability, dual harvesting capabilities and improved weight distribution, which have allowed Rolawn to further increase productivity and build on the superior quality of the turf it grows.

Fendt Tractors

Rolawn uses three Fendt 314 machines. The power to weight ratio and onboard technology of the 314s offers improved accuracy when mowing, creating fewer scalpings and resulting in a better-quality product. With the aim of 60 hectares of mowing per tractor per day, this is now achievable with the flexibility and geared forward speed these Fendt machines offer.

Fuel consumption of the 314s is another distinct advantage. The AGCO engine, with Dynamic Performance power boost concept, helps the 314 reach 152 horsepower with lower emissions, being far superior on fuel and AdBlue than other tractors.

Rolawn’s fleet also includes the Fendt 516 tractor, which incorporates revolutionary live, real time grass plant analysis linked by sprayer and applicator control systems. This technology allows Rolawn to optimise field outputs, such as fertilisers, which has led to marked improvements in quality with reduced environmental impact.

All the Fendt machines Rolawn operates have been specifically chosen to boost efficiency and offer better overall turf consistency. Its move to Fendt machines has been “a real eye-opener” for the business and it intends to add more to its fleet in the future.

Commenting on the innovative turf growing approach at Rolawn, Jonathan Hill, sales director said:

“The consistent, superior quality of our turf is no accident. It is the result of years of research, refinement, and improvement. We are meticulous about the equipment and technology we introduce, investing time and money to ensure each element introduced positively contributes to the turf growing process and the quality of the product for our customers.

“We’re all driven by something,” Jonathan continues, “At Rolawn we are driven by innovation, by the desire to solve the ever-changing challenges faced by landscapers, groundskeepers, stockists, house builders and home owners, and to do it in a responsible way that limits our impact on the environment.

“We stand behind each and every one of our products, we take pride in our turf and we’re confident that it’s the technology, processes and people we put in place that make our products so exceptional.”

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Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham

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Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham: The rise of battery-powered machinery has impressed Richard Dexter, Head of Grounds and Gardens at Oakham School, but he believes “Dennis Mowers has gone one step further and made it even better.”

Oakham School, based in Rutland, East Midlands, is a vibrant, fully co-educational boarding and day school for 10–18-year-olds. The school’s strengths lie in the spectacularly wide range of academic and co-curricular opportunities provided.

Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham

Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham

Sport has always been an essential part of Oakham School life and it has an enviable reputation for excellent coaching and mentoring in a variety of sports. Equally impressive and highly regarded are the sports facilities and stunning grounds which equate to just over 75 acres.

Richard Dexter is the man responsible for maintaining these areas. Originally from a greenkeeping background, Richard joined the school 15 years ago and, in that time, he has worked his way up to the position of Head of Grounds and Gardens.

According to Richard, it was the “variety of all the different sports surfaces”’ which enticed him away from greenkeeping. He admits to having his work cut out but wouldn’t have it any other way.

With a team of ten groundstaff to oversee, health and safety is of the utmost importance, and it is for this reason that Richard started exploring the possibility of battery-powered equipment.

“We wanted to reduce hand-arm vibrations (HAVs) across the site and make sure that staff were getting as little exposure as possible,” he said. “Also, as a school, we are looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint at every opportunity. Therefore, we felt the time had come to purchase electric mowers and we looked at two different brands.

“I wanted the rest of the team involved in the decision because they are the ones using the mowers. I took on-board their feedback and every one of them said they wanted the Dennis – I’ve never seen them smile so much. The battery-life on the Dennis E-Series was the big game-changer.”

For many years, turf professionals have been choosing Dennis for their superb cut quality and reliability, and recently the company introduced the next generation of its mowers. The new and exciting E-Series is a range of battery powered mowers that are no compromise alternatives to the range of petrol machines which meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint, emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety.

Richard and his team decided on two mowers from the E-Series range – the Dennis ES-860 and the Dennis ES-510.

Users of the Dennis G860 cylinder mower will no doubt see familiarities in the new ES-860. This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and the range of 13 interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks.

This ES-510 is based on the Dennis FT510. With a choice of 12 interchangeable cassettes, the ES-510 is capable of scarifying down to -10mm. Ideal for fine turf it has the power to cut 10km on a single charge.

Both mowers feature a robust LCD keypad screen on the handlebar console providing the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information. Furthermore, traditional G860 and FT510 cassettes will also fit their battery-powered alternatives, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes.

Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham

Dennis E-Series Excites at Oakham

Richard and the Oakham team use the ES-860 on the cricket squares and the ES-510 on the wickets, and he revealed that they give him a certain peace of mind.

“The squares are about a hectare in size and normally that uses about 35% battery, and most times we cut them twice with the ES-860 before charging. It is peace of mind because you don’t want to get caught short while mowing – it is a long walk to our charging station!

“Depending on the weather we will use the ES-860 to cut the squares from 18mm down to 13mm and it gives us a perfect finish. We’ll also use the verticutter cassette every ten days on the squares but with the ES-510 we’ll give the wickets a verticut every time we prepare them. I also like the easy height of cut adjustment which is achieved in just a couple of clicks.

“It is a really nice experience using these mowers,” continued Richard. “They are both enjoyable to use, and that quietness is amazing. If children are in classes, we don’t have to worry about noisy engines disturbing them.

“Battery equipment has come a long way in the last few years, but I believe Dennis has gone a step further and made it even better. We no longer have to wear ear defenders, have no nasty vibrations or noise. Electric is no longer the future, it’s the now.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Deere keeps park in great shape

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Deere keeps park in great shape: Multi award-winning Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) attracts half a million visitors annually to its 500-acre estate near Wakefield.

Fashioned around 18th century Bretton Hall, the Grade II listed historic park and garden features 100 sculptures and installations scattered across the valley destination, with north and south sides sloping down to two ornamental lakes.

Deere keeps park in great shape

Deere keeps park in great shape

This year YSP celebrates its 45th anniversary. The Park opens every day except 24 and 25 December, so the eight-strong grounds team knows the work to keep presentation pristine rolls on relentlessly.

Diverse demand across the Park stretches from amenity grass and close-mown turf to formal gardens, arb work, water management and even a living roof on The Underground Galley, notes Mark Chesman, Head of Estates and Projects, who started life here as a landscape co-ordinator.

“Exhibitions and events run year-round,” he says, “and visitors expect everything to look clean, tidy and well-maintained to set the sculptures off in their best light.”

Handling the scale of the park’s upkeep depends on minimal machinery downtime and helping the team in that capacity is a full, flexible service agreement with local John Deere dealer Balmers GM.

A longstanding Deere customer, YSP had no hesitation moving across to Balmers when it opened a branch locally in 2015 after the previous dealer closed.

“All the Deere kit is exceptionally reliable,” Mark says. “Balmers are just a phone call away if we have any snags and they respond swiftly with fast turnaround on machine replacements.”

The cost of the annual service, undertaken in autumn/winter when summer’s heavy footfall lightens, is spread over 12 months, “which helps improve cashflow and gives us added peace of mind in knowing what the outlay will be”, Mark adds. “We replace older machinery as and when we need to, with new Deere units, such as our wide area and front deck mowers, covered by JD Powergard protection.”

The fleet of five diesel Gator TH 6x4s does the donkey work of transporting equipment, tools, material and green waste around the park. “The tipping facility is particularly useful, while the Gator’s six tyres ensure lower ground impact in the more sensitive areas of the site,” Mark says.

Under his mission to switch over to electric tools and machinery, Mark has started the process by adding a Gator TE to the fleet. “Our environmental policy and action plan is designed to reduce fossil fuel use and minimise our impact on the climate,” he explains.

“The Gator TE delivers zero emissions, has less vibration and is cheaper to run because it is a far simpler vehicle – just a battery and motor. It’s charged up overnight using a three-pin plug and we get a full day’s work on that – particularly important because of the size of the Park.”

Covering the 30 hectares of grassed open space around the hall is the JD 1600 turbo mower, with front and two side decks, supported by a 1580 ride-on collector mower, which Mark says is “a fantastic machine that comes into its own at the start and end of the season and to ensure the Park is tip-top for exhibitions”. Summer and other peak periods see the Deere mowers on duty trimming the overflow car park, meanwhile.

Under Balmers’ aftercare service, the park team attend an on-site induction programme when new machinery is delivered, followed by an in-house equivalent that includes a rundown on tyre checks and grease points, ensuring everyone’s fully competent.

John Deere’s 997 zero-turn ride-on handles the critical cutting in confined spaces, Mark says. “We want to be able to operate in ever tighter areas, as the complexity of maintaining the park rises. The 997 is coming up for replacement so we’ll be discussing options with Balmers soon.”

For some work, machinery and tools cannot replace the age-old traditional methods, Mark explains. “The team has to keep a safe distance from the sculptures when using ride-ons.

“Close cutting is completed with hand shears as we cannot risk even the slightest chip on any of the artworks.”

YSP includes works by British and international artists such as Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore (one of the largest open-air displays of his bronzes in Europe).

The Park manages a stand of historic woodland of high conservation value that numbers native species such as oak, ash, beech and hornbeam, with some veteran specimens estimated to be more than 300 years old.

“All trees on the estate are surveyed regularly. We have 2,000 parkland individuals, excluding the woodland,” says Mark. “Our longstanding arborists, Earnshaws, manage the large mature trees, while everyone is qualified to complete ground level work up to 380mm.”

With a board of trustees whose members include the present Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, YSP has every opportunity to wax lyrical about its many qualities but Mark does a pretty good job himself.

“This is a wonderful place to work and members of staff tend to stay here a long time [Mark himself has clocked up 17 years] to face the everyday challenges of what is a complex though beautiful place.”

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Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key

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Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key: Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, according to Keats, but for turf managers it is also the season when turf surfaces are most at risk from disease.

Management of disease, particularly Microdochium nivale which can be hugely damaging to both fine and sports turf surfaces, has changed dramatically in recent years – due to two main drivers: the changing climate and legislational changes, removing effective pesticides from turf managers toolkits. Headland Amenity explores.

Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key

Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key

With the reduction of available curative chemistry, it is no surprise that the latest approaches to tackling disease focus on challenging it before it strikes – utilising preventative treatments rather than relying on costly, repeated fungicide applications. Together with effective aeration and cultural maintenance programmes, applications of products defined as ‘non-pesticidal’ (not directly acting on the pathogen) are proving to be an effective management tool. Research indicates that if disease populations are kept to a minimum through October and November – traditionally the key months for disease infection – the potential for aggressive outbreaks during December and the following spring is significantly reduced.

The aim of a non-pesticidal programme, implemented as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy is three-fold:

  • To change the plants surface environment to make it harder for disease pathogens to grow on and into the leaf’s surfaces
  • Stimulate the plant’s natural defence mechanisms
  • Improve plant health, growth and strength by stimulating root and shoot development and chlorophyll production

Headland Amenity have been pioneering research work, carrying out trials using combinations of product to minimise Microdochium nivale, since 2007. This work paved the way for the now renowned 20-20-30 enhanced plant health (EPH) approach – utilising two plant protectants and a plant elicitor, all fully tank-mix compatible to boost plant health and combat disease. Headland’s 20-20-30 mix has been independently tested annually at the STRI in Bingley which has seen refinements and improvements to the programme, with the recent addition of Mantle®.

The first ‘20’ refers to protectant Liquid Turf Hardener. This is a low pH, liquid formulation of calcium, magnesium and nitrate nitrogen to facilitate rapid uptake and response even at low air and soil temperatures. Its role is to strengthen the plant cell wall to produce a harder, more disease resistant sward.

Turfite® Elite is a potassium phosphite-based elicitor and is the second key component in the 20-20-30 mix. Alongside potassium phosphite, Turfite® Elite features Salicylic acid, to maximise stimulation of the plants natural defence mechanism (SAR) and encourage plant growth. Research work by Headland Amenity as part of the Phosphite biostimulant stewardship group has also positively linked phosphite with both enhanced rooting and more efficient nitrogen utilisation – all contributing towards healthier growth and limiting the potential for damage by pathogens.

The second protectant product, Seamac® Proturf Fe is the final component, incorporated at a rate of 30l/ha. Seamac® Proturf Fe is a liquid formulation of chelated iron supplemented with magnesium and seaweed which acidifies the surface of the leaf to discourage pathogenic fungal growth. By using multiple forms of iron, Seamac® Proturf Fe also offers a rapid green up after application, and optimum long-lasting winter colour.

Found to enhance efficacy, Mantle® has been recommended to supplement applications of the 20-20-30 tank-mix since 2018. Mantle® is a water-soluble micronutrient package containing manganese, zinc, magnesium and Harpin Plant Elicitor. Mantle® creates an environment on the plant leaf surface that discourages pathogen growth and stimulates physiological processes conducive to better plant growth. Mantle® should be applied at 10kg/ha during normal and high disease activity periods.

Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key

Preventative, non-pesticidal approach proves key

Over the winter of 2021-22, trials were conducted at the STRI along with Headland’s own study at the Origin Amenity Throws Technology Centre. The findings demonstrated extreme effectiveness of the 20-20-30 mix in preventing disease – with minimal disease at all recorded on the treated plots between the months of September to March, while an average of 13% disease content was recorded on control plots during the same period. Along with excellent control, visual merit was also apparent even in areas that were neighboured by severely affected plots. In addition, turf health was measured via NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) readings where, again, the 20-20-30 mix maintained superior health to control.

John Hunnisett, Course Manager at Gillingham Golf Club recently discovered the 20-20-30 programme and credits the combination of products with making a huge difference to the health and presentation of the greens. “The combination of reducing organic matter and enhancing plant health with monthly applications of 20-20-30 between September and March has drastically reduced the amount of disease we registered – and what we did get was easily recoverable and didn’t lead to scarring.”

Essendon Country Club is another venue to benefit from the enhanced plant health mix, emerging from the autumn and winter of 2021 disease-free. “Where we would traditionally begin applications of 20-20-30+Mantle at the end of September, we brought this forward to the end of August last year because of the concerns we had about disease, Fusarium in particular” explains Director of Courses Marc Winnan. “The 20-20-30+Mantle was complemented with applications of DewCure™ to reduce leaf moisture and this combination, without a doubt, had a massive impact on protecting plant health and saw us get through the whole winter with no disease.”

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