TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

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TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine: British Sugar TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch will be cycling 100 miles on Sunday, 29th May, in support of Ukraine by raising funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee. He and his wife Jane are taking part in the RideLondon-Essex 100, which is taking place after a two-year hiatus as a result of COVID.

The ride starts on London’s Victoria Embankment and continues into Essex via Epping Forest, Ongar, Fyfield, Great Dunmow and Chelmsford, returning through Ongar to Central London and the finish at Tower Bridge.

TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

Whilst Andy and Jane enjoy ‘leisure’ cycling, this event is going to be quite a mission for them both: “Like every thinking person, we’ve watched with disbelief the conflict unfolding in Ukraine and wanted to do what we could to help the now millions of people fleeing the country,” said Andy. “Any short-lived discomfort Jane and I experience during the 100 miles of the cycle ride will be nothing compared to the despair the Ukrainian people are experiencing. I hope my industry colleagues will help us raise as much money as possible by sponsoring us.”

You can sponsor Andy and Jane Spetch at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Andrew-Jane-Spetch

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New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4

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New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4: A further two more new dealers have joined the fast-growing Corvus dealer network to bring a total of seven additions in the first quarter of the year. The latest partners in selling and supporting the Corvus Terrain range of 4×4 utility vehicles are Scotland’s W.M. Rose & Sons and JG Paxton & Sons in Lancashire.

W.M. Rose, with roots dating back to 1923, is an established family-run business directed by brothers William and Ian Rose. The company has two depots in Peebleshire and East Lothian supplying a wide range of agricultural, construction and industrial machinery. Their stated aim is to provide a quality driven service through their After Sales support and Parts Department.

New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4x4

New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4

Phil Everett, MD of BOSS off-road vehicles, the sole UK Corvus distributor says, “we’re delighted W.M. Rose can give the Corvus range such a presence in Scotland, selling to customers the Terrain UTVs are very much built for. It is great to partner with a company that invests so heavily in product training and support.”

Moving south of the border finds another family-owned agricultural machinery dealership, Paxtons, with their head office in the unusually named Durham village of Pity Me. They too have pride in their heritage, dating back to 1853, while today they are main dealers for a wide range of leading brands. With depots in Northallerton, Alnwick, Bentham and Lancaster, they are serving the requirements of farmers, contractors, local authorities and equestrian customers across Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Lancashire.

“Paxtons have everything we’re looking for in a Corvus dealer,” says Phil Everett. “They are all you would expect of such a progressive business providing high-quality service backed by highly skilled technicians. We know the Terrain range of UTVs is in excellent hands and welcome Paxtons to the Corvus family.”

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01597 810188, E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk or visit www.bossorv.co.uk

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Headland Amenity at AFC Telford Utd

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Headland Amenity at AFC Telford Utd: Blaukorn has been praised by the Head Groundsman at AFC Telford United for delivering a fast, but long-lasting, colour boost to their stadium pitch.

A single application of the quick release fertiliser from Headland Amenity was put down in February and, in conjunction with Greentec, should deliver the nutrients required to see the pitch safely through to the end of the season.

Headland Amenity at AFC Telford Utd

Headland Amenity at AFC Telford Utd

The maintenance at the New Bucks Head Stadium is very much a family affair – with current Head Groundsman George Conway taking over the role following his father’s retirement in January 2022, with additional support and match-day help from George’s brother, Andrew. Shortly after his appointment, George had a visit from Headland’s Regional Technical Manager for Sports Turf, Jack Hawkes, and the pair constructed a feeding programme for the remainder of the season and beyond.

“We’d applied a fertiliser around New Year, but needed something to give the pitch a bit of a kick” explains George. “Jack suggested Blaukorn 15-3-20, applied at 30g/m2 which went down middle of February and within four days the pitch was presenting beautifully, with a really enhanced and vivid colour! We’re now four weeks on and the results are still visible.”

Blaukorn 15-3-20 is a homogenous granule with no carrier and a highly water-soluble phosphorous content that breaks down quickly when in contact with moisture. Containing ammonium and nitrate, Blaukorn provides a fast response even at low temperatures – something that impressed George. “The temperatures we had in February were low but that didn’t hamper the response we received from the product. It gave the pitch the boost it needed with results that have lasted.”

“We’re then going to be applying Greentec 14-2-6 to deliver a mix of nitrogen sources which should see us through to renovations.” In addition to AFC Telford United first-team matches, the pitch also hosts West Brom Under 23’s and junior fixtures so as well as being a high-use surface, application and maintenance windows can be tight. “I’ve had fantastic support from Jack. He pops in regularly to see how the pitch is holding up and is not afraid to suggest new things to maximise the results from the programme, respecting our resources and budget.”

“Considering the number of games we’ve had, the Chairman and the players are delighted with how the pitch is holding up” concludes George. “We’ve had great success with the Headland programme to date and look forward to continuing that with a brand new one that will start as soon as the new seed goes down.”

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New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

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New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh: Lehigh Country Club in Pennsylvania is coming to the end of a bunker renovation with architect Ron Forse. And the club is installing the Capillary Bunkers liner as part of the process.

Lehigh was built by architect William Flynn in 1926. And, says director of grounds John Chassard, the course is mostly unchanged from what Flynn created. “Back in the late 1980s, the club decided it needed a consulting architect to oversee the course,” he says. “Until then, there was no strategic planning – a grounds chairman could take office and do what he wanted. Fortunately most of ours had basically left the course alone, but still, it was a potential problem.”

New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

The club hired architect Ron Forse at that time, and, working with Forse, regrassed the greens, rebuilt the bunkers and reset fairway lines. “That was our first masterplan,” says Chassard. “Up till that time, the bunkers had not been touched – except for day to day maintenance – since the club’s foundation.”

In 2008, the bunkers were slightly reworked again; sand was replaced and a small amount of drainage was added to problem areas to improve performance. “We put geotextile liners in about ten per cent of our worst-performing bunkers,” says Chassard. “But they didn’t survive winters too well. The pins holding the liners down would push out, burrowing animals would damage the liners, and bunker rakes would catch them every now and again. So, two or three years ago, we started talking about redoing the bunkers again and adding a better liner.”

Lehigh trialled several of the liner products on the market, including Capillary Bunkers and a number of its principal rivals. “But as time went on and we started to try to lock down contractors for the work, the choice became quite obvious,” says Chassard. “Ron has a lot of experience with Capillary Bunkers, as does the contractor we chose. Plus, the issues with rival products really came into focus: timing, the specific conditions needed for installation, and the need for a certified installer. Capillary Bunkers can be installed in any weather, and it’s very easy to source, which made us able to schedule the work better, and get bunkers installed when we were ready, not when the installer was. Once we started doing the first few bunkers, it became clear to me that that was something I could install with my own crew – which could be important as we didn’t do all the bunkers at one go. We are in the middle of the project, and everything has been very positive so far – we expect to finish by the end of April and be ready for the season to get going!”

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Nemaslug harnesses nature

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Nemaslug harnesses nature: Leading pest control solutions manufacturer, BASF, has reduced the plastic packaging of its popular Nemaslug product by one third, thanks to the introduction of a new slug control nematode species. This is in line with company’s sustainability goals and its aims to provide a greener option for slug control.

Nematodes occur naturally in the soil and seek out and kill specific target pests. They attack the pest by entering its body and releasing a bacterium which quickly and effectively kills it. The nematodes then reproduce inside the dying pest and release a new generation of hungry nematodes, which disperse and search for further prey, protecting the area for up to five weeks.

Nemaslug harnesses nature

Nemaslug harnesses nature

By tapping into the benefits of this naturally occurring friend of the gardener, soil can remain healthy, while ensuring slugs are conquered and plants protected.

The company is dedicated to investing in research and development to ensure that it is able to provide the highest quality nematodes to gardeners, and is keen to create a product that will appeal to those looking for a greener option for slug control. It is this dedication to research and development that has enabled the discovery of a new species of nematode to use in its Nemaslug product.

The new species, the Phasmarhabditis californica, will provide the same high efficacy rates as the original species, and will be applied in exactly the same way, but has additional benefits, too.

This species of nematode can be packed at much higher concentrations, which has allowed for the significant reduction of pack sizes. More efficient storage as well as fewer containers being needed to transport the product, further reduces the carbon footprint. On top of this, improvements made to production has led to a reduction of over 20 ton of Co2 emissions in each run, while the UK based facility negates the need for carbon-heavy international shipping.

This small but powerful box of fresh nematodes can be delivered directly to gardeners’ doors throughout the growing season to ensure that slugs can be controlled effectively by harnessing the power of nature.

To find out more about how nematodes work, take a look at this short video – https://youtu.be/JHNG1KSluh0

For further information please visit https://www.nemasysinfo.co.uk/ and follow basf_nemasys_uk on Instagram.

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