Innovation Awards shortlist announced

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Innovation Awards shortlist announced: Show organisers have revealed the final shortlist for the SALTEX 2021 Innovation Awards.

This year’s SALTEX Innovation Awards received a record-breaking 33 entries. From robotics to battery-powered mowers, tractors to utility vehicles, grow lights to chain saws, the entries included a wide variety of high-quality products, services and equipment.

Innovation Awards shortlist announced

Innovation Awards shortlist announced

Judged by an independent panel of industry experts it was decided that the following innovations would form the final shortlist.

  • AMS Robotics – Bigmow RTK and Parc mow RTK
  • Belchim Crop Protection – Enclean
  • EGO – EGO Power+ 107cm Z6 Zero Turn Riding Mower
  • EGO – EGO Professional-X CSX3000 Top-Handle Chain Saw
  • Etesia – ET Lander
  • Kersten (UK) – Hoaf Weedair 50i
  • Origin Amenity Solutions – Origin Amenity Solution Turf Science and Technology Centre
  • Reesink – Farmtrac FT25G
  • Ritchie & Ritchie Products – Reversible Bottom Blade
  • SGL – TurfPod
  • Turf Tank – Turf Tank One Line Marking Robot – logo functionality
  • Turfkeeper -TurfKeeper.com

The winner’s ceremony will commence in seminar theatre three on the first day of the show (3 November) where the overall winners will be announced across several categories including Robotics, Equipment, Information Technology, Environmental & Sustainability, Vehicles, Consumables and Machinery.

You can view all 33 entries here.

Pre-registration to SALTEX 2021 is essential this year. Attendees must print off their badges for entry to the show.

The safety of all our exhibitors, partners, visitors, contractors, and staff is our highest priority. For more information on Covid safety measures please visit https://gmasaltex.co.uk/covid-safety-measures/

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @GMA_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/GMASALTEX

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Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

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Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle: England’s finest links, Royal Cinque Ports, has found the final piece of their aeration puzzle by using the Air2G2 336 on their greens and fairways.

Course Manager, James Bledge, has been in charge of the Kent based links for nine years, and for a majority of that time, has hired an Air2G2 for use on the club’s large greens. Brilliant results over that time and a desire to work freely between tournaments and trial ideas led the club to purchase their own machine in August 2021, from Campey Turf Care Systems and put it straight to work to do what it does best.

Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

James explains: “It’s one of these machines that’s hard to quantify because you don’t see instant results, but it’s part of the jigsaw puzzle that comes together with everything else. We maintain really nice surfaces here, and I believe that to be part of it – we’ve had far less disease than we’ve ever had, and our greens have been firmer than ever.

“We had four big back to back competitions in this last month. First, we’ve had the Boys Amateur Championship, which is one of the biggest R&A events, then we had a week off before Deal Week, the South East Links Championship and the Halford Hewitt, which is the world’s largest amateur golf competition at the end of that with 640 competitors. So this week, we managed to get out and aerate everything, and it’s been well-timed because we got heavy rain at the end of that week, which could have seen the greens puddle up, but instead, they were fine.

“Not one single person could tell we’d been out with the Air2G2 the Monday following the Boys Amateur, and that’s a seven-day competition with all your practice days and qualifying. These greens were cut and rolled every single day, which could potentially bake them or form a hardpan near the top because it’s such intensive work, but the Air2G2 after that was the ideal thing to do, and they haven’t seemed stressed out since.”

With their own Air2G2, James can now deploy it as and when needed, which includes working on fairways. In the past, the club hired the smaller model, but with the 336, they are able to cover all of their greens in less than three days and build in time to aerate the new 0.8 hectares of fairway extensions.

“We’ve got it back out this morning on fairways which is probably a first, and I don’t think many people would do that, but with the crane fly and leather jacket activity high just now, and it probably will be for the rest of the year, I’m intent I want to watch when putting holes in the ground. The Air2G2 is a fantastic tool for that if you can explain to your team when they’re being sent out to do bits of fairways here and there.

“Our two new fairways are a lot firmer than the rest so you really need to get that into it to break up the soil, create some air and pore space and get the roots and moisture going through it. You can see there are some places where it’s pulling up a little bit, but I’m trying to explain to the staff that this will only be for a certain amount of time. The more we can get the Air2G2 into it, the more space there will be for the roots to dive down, and the fairway will get better.”

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Carbon neutral accreditation secured

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Carbon neutral accreditation secured: Nurture Landscapes Group, consisting of Nurture Landscapes and Gavin Jones Ltd, granted internationally-recognised carbon neutral specification for measures at Surrey head office and at client sites.

The Group has been awarded Carbon Neutral status in accordance with the PAS 2060 specification, four years ahead of target as a result of its ongoing commitment to sustainable operation in all areas. The firm also holds ISO 14001 and 50001 accreditations for environmental and energy management respectively.

Carbon neutral accreditation secured

Carbon neutral accreditation secured

In its 2019 carbon neutral statement, Nurture Group pledged to become a PAS 2060 accredited organisation by 2025 and achieve full net zero status by 2030. The former is the result of a wide internal evaluation of all the Group’s sites nationwide and the activities of its 1250 staff.

CEO Peter Fane commented: “Operating sustainably and reducing our impact on the environment has been a promise of Nurture Landscapes Group since day one. As individuals, we all have a part to play in preserving our environment for future generations and I’m proud of our teams for doing their bit in helping us as a company achieve our target ahead of schedule. Evaluating individual processes and devising new ones has been a monumental task but one we were fully committed to doing carefully in order to cover each criteria.

“In addition to continuing to work alongside our customers and suppliers to ensure that the materials, tools, and techniques we use continue to minimise the impact on our environment, we are investing in significant carbon offsetting projects in Madagascar, Uruguay and the Amazon, which we have chosen because of how close they are to our own activities and industry, rather than how much they cost. After all, we believe that companies such as ours have a duty to safeguarding the world our children will inherit.”

Nurture Group maintains sites across the UK, such as business parks, hotels, and Royal gardens, utilising various measures such as battery-powered vehicles and tools. The firm is also reviewing its company vehicle policy in line with advancements made in electric and hybrid technology, and assessing its own supply chain to identify areas on which its carbon footprint can be further reduced.

Moving forwards, Nurture Group has committed to reducing its annual carbon footprint year on year, with individual action points being reviewed every six months.

Further details about Nurture Group and its environmental commitments can be accessed at: www.nurturelandscapes.co.uk/sustainabilty/carbon-neutral/

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Sustainable launch from SGL

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Sustainable launch from SGL: In the midst of the worldwide transition to a sustainable society, SGL sets a new standard for efficient pitch management. The past years their agronomy and R&D team worked closely together, to bring together over a decade of agronomical research and technological innovation, and transformed that into the biggest and most efficient mobile grow lighting system for sports grass: the LED440.

The combination of improved growth algorithms and new in-house developed LED and Infrared technology, enables SGL to guarantee grass quality and energy savings.

Sustainable launch from SGL

Sustainable launch from SGL

SGL has been working with growth algorithms since day one and with the development of this new technology, it is again the foundation. Founder Nico van Vuuren believes data and technology are inseparable when it comes to sustainability: “In order to be able to have the desired grass growth while using resources most efficiently, you need to know what the conditions are and then calculate what input, such as light, temperature and water, is required. Our agronomy team has optimized our growth algorithm and is able to exactly determine the light and temperature requirements for every individual pitch. Our new LED and Infrared technology on the LED440 enables individual control of light and temperature accordingly. This combination enables us to guarantee energy savings and grass quality.”

Developing a 440 square meter lighting system with LED and Infrared, that is both effective and sustainable, came with a lot of challenges. SGL director of R&D, Scott Bogner, explains: “For a system of this size, we had to address issues like weight and power levels, and also the challenge of how to mix infrared and LED in our signature six-arm platform, so we started from scratch.” To meet both the quality and efficiency demands, the LED fixtures and Infrared fixtures have been designed by developers in-house, based on a decade of agronomical research. Bogner: “Usually in LED fixtures, roughly 35% of the energy is converted in convection heat. Convection heat warms the air around the fixture and is not directed to the surface, which means this energy is wasted. With our new LED fixture, this heat is collected and directed to the surface if additional heat is needed. In addition, we came up with an innovative asymmetrical reflector for our new Infrared technology, to get a consistent temperature across the entire footprint. By designing new LED and Infrared fixtures specifically for our 440 square meter platform, we were able to significantly decrease the number of fixtures. This resulted in a 70% weight reduction per square meter. However, one of the biggest accomplishments, is the overall system efficiency. Being able to deliver as much light as a previous system with a 40% energy saving, is a monumental improvement.”

For the most efficient operation, the LED440 has temperature sensors built in, which constantly measure grass temperature. SGL developed a new Smart control system to make sure only the amount of Infrared is added to reach the desired temperature set by the groundsman. This enables a perfect growing environment in all climates, also in winter, and significant savings in summers and hot climates. SGL agronomist Dr. Irene Vroegop explains the importance of a good light and temperature balance: “Two of the main plant processes, photosynthesis and respiration, are driven by light and temperature. When there is a disbalance, you will get either very thick leaves that are difficult to mow and hard to play on, or weak plants that get damaged easily and are susceptible for diseases. By creating the right balance, you can grow a strong plant that is able to endure a match, which is good to play on and can recover afterwards.”

Van Vuuren and the SGL team have been working towards this moment for years: “Twenty years ago, we set the standard with the first grow lighting systems in sports stadiums. But that doesn’t mean a thing if you stop innovating. There’s always a demand for higher quality; we always have to improve. The LED440 will be the next step for top quality sports grass in a sustainable way, and I’m very proud of that.”

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New approach for Newark Golf Club

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New approach for Newark Golf Club: Established in 1901, Newark Golf Club in Nottinghamshire is an 18-hole parkland/heathland golf course with a driving range and practice facilities maintained by a greenkeeping team of six led by course manager Alex Clarricoates.

Alex joined the club from school on work experience 13 years ago and was then offered a full-time job. Since he became course manager three years ago, a new club board took the opportunity after the first Covid lockdown to restructure the running of the golf course and make some necessary improvements. By outsourcing the pro shop and clubhouse to franchise operators, this freed up extra money to spend on the club’s main asset, the golf course.

New approach for Newark Golf Club

New approach for Newark Golf Club

“The club was very supportive and happy to make the investment I thought was necessary to improve the course quality, rather than simply making do with what we had,” says Alex. “I was therefore encouraged to put together a list of the machines we needed to get us properly equipped. For example, we used to hire in a contractor to do the vertidraining, but we now have our own machine which gives us much more flexibility and costs the club less money in the long run.

“Having bought our first John Deere package in 2017, the old fleet needed upgrading. There was a mix of deals on different terms with and without maintenance agreements, so essentially we emptied the shed and replaced the fleet, with the help of our local dealer Simon Fountain at Adamson’s Langworth depot.

“In particular, we decided to invest in new mowers dedicated to the rough, semi-rough and fairways, to give us more flexibility with the cutting regimes. We can now mow the roughs, aprons and tees more regularly, whereas before one machine had to do two jobs, and we also have a specialist amenity turf sprayer, which we didn’t have before.

“Another benefit is that one of my assistants, Jim North, used to work with Simon at the previous John Deere dealership, so he’s familiar with the kit and can look after all the service and maintenance.”

The new John Deere fleet (pictured on the 8th hole) includes three 2550E hybrid electric triplex mowers with two spare sets of 7- and 11-blade reels, a 6700A PrecisionCut fairway mower, 9009A TerrainCut and 1600T WAM Series 3 rotary rough mowers, a 4066R compact tractor with 440R front loader and 4-in-1 bucket, a ProGator 2030A utility vehicle with HD200 sprayer and cargo box plus TH 6×4 and TE electric Gators.

Ancillary equipment bought as part of the John Deere Financial five-year finance lease package deal includes a Charterhouse Redexim Top-Brush and Verti-Drain 7416 aerator, a Campey Turf Care Vredo DZ 214.07.5 compact seeder and a Tru-Turf RE50 greens roller.

“After the course was shut during the last lockdown, it took the team about a month to prepare the course ready to open again, using the new equipment, and it was in mint condition straight from the off,” says Alex.

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