Fairways Warehouse launches online

/in , /by

Fairways Warehouse launches online: Fairways Warehouse is the used equipment division of Fairways GM.  Fairways Warehouse retails high quality used ground care machinery so that you can buy with confidence.

The new website – www.fairwayswarehouse.co.uk – lists machines across the following categories: golf mowers, sports mowers, commercial and slope mowers, tractors, utility vehicles, aeration, implements and attachments, golf cars and more. The website offers intuitive navigation to help customers find exactly what they want. It gives a real sense of every machine with enhanced details and photographs, ensuring transparency and conveying the good condition that stands Fairways Warehouse equipment apart. Prior to listing, all machinery sold through Fairways Warehouse passes the Warehouse inspection.

Fairways Warehouse launches online

Fairways Warehouse launches online

As a Fairways Warehouse customer, you can gain access to the same excellent standard of service and after-sales support which has earned Fairways GM its reputation.  For over 15 years, Fairways GM has offered market leading ground care equipment, backed by an unrivalled service department and supply of high-quality parts.  Those purchasing Fairways Warehouse machinery can choose optional service packages, for extra peace of mind, subject to geographical limits.

Since launching in mid-June, the Fairways Warehouse website has received very positive industry wide reaction with clients encouraged to look back often to see additions as stock changes frequently.

Follow Fairways Warehouse online at www.fairwayswarehouse.co.uk  or on twitter @FairWarehouse, or on instagram @fairwarehouse or by telephone on 0800 028 1700

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

“Bio-mowers” yield big haul for golf course

/in , , /by

“Bio-mowers” yield big haul for golf course: A family of water buffalo greenskeepers are helping maintain interior of Laguna Golf Long Co and feed local community.

Laguna Golf Lang Co’s family of famous water buffalo greenskeepers have helped the club reap a record rice harvest: the fruits of which are going towards feeding members of the local community in Central Vietnam.

The bovine brood has been bolstered by the birth of Lulu, a new baby daughter, who joins fellow recent arrival Luna, eldest calf Bao and father and mother Tu Phat and Chi Chi in the workforce.

And the extra sets of hooves have dramatically boosted productivity with the club gathering 28 tons of rice from the 7 hectares of fields right in the middle of the Sir Nick Faldo Signature layout — a record harvest-time haul.

The buffalo “bio-mowers” have been vital in helping to maintain the elevated status of the layout, which winds its way through tropical jungle, ocean sand dunes and ancient rice paddies.

They help to manage the 7 hectares of rice fields located right in the middle of the course by eating excess weeds, crops while tilling the soil in the area that would otherwise require machinery and additional manpower to maintain.

The rice-fields, though, are not just for show. Harvested twice a year, they have previously yielded up to 20 tons of rice that are used to support the organic farm at Laguna Lang Co and donated to families and seniors in the area who are in need of extra support.

This winter’s record haul, however, surpassed previous harvests by some way. Additionally, the bumper crop could not have come at a timely juncture, with Vietnam’s economy taking a hit on tourism as the international borders remain closed to combat the spread of the global pandemic.

“The communities that have limited economic means have been hit the hardest by the economic downturn that has resulted from the global pandemic,” said Adam Calver, Director of Golf at Laguna Lang Co. “The fact that we are able to donate even more rice to locals who need it most this year was a really positive outcome for our edible golf course.”

The utilization of water buffalo as greenkeepers is part of a wider push by Laguna Golf Lang Co to be the most sustainable course in Vietnam. It has completely eradicated the use of single-use plastics in almost all aspects of its operations, scrapping items made of plastic such as on course garbage bags, locker room accessories, plastic cups and straws and replacing them with ones made from materials such as bamboo, paper, steel or natural grass.

Laguna Lang Co Resort has just finalized the installation of its own water bottling plant to allow the resort to completely eliminate plastic water bottles and utilize reusable glass bottles.

The club is also one of only three golf courses in the world to achieve EarthCheck Gold certification, a status it earned at the end of 2019.

“Continually mowing the fields to maintain vast rice terraces can consume a large amount of labour and fuel,” Calver added. “The water buffalo act as bio-mowers and help us protect the natural feel of the landscape; they give a true sense of place.

“Since we introduced the buffalo we have seen a number of birds such as egrets, moving in as they feast on the insects as the buffalo till the soil. We are currently building a new home for our family of ducks which will be used next year as part of our ‘Integrated Rice-Duck Farming Program’.”

Click here to read the original article:

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

INFINICUT® introduce new 60Ah

/in , , /by

INFINICUT® introduce new 60Ah: As part of their continuous product development programme, INFINICUT® have announced the introduction of a new 60Ah battery module. The new power unit joins the line-up, alongside the industry-leading 30Ah option, to offer extended run-time and more power for increased overall flexibility.

The benefits of battery power have become increasingly evident for products in our everyday lives, and with the INFINICUT® range, it has been an integral part of its design. Together with a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to that of a petrol-driven mower, the modular de-mountable battery configuration of the INFINICUT® has proven to deliver a reduction in noise output and significant improvements to the Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) levels for the operator.

INFINICUT® introduce new 60Ah

INFINICUT® introduce new 60Ah

This new, larger 60Ah battery offers a run-time of up to 390 minutes (dependant on machine, set-up and conditions) and supersedes the current 40Ah module option, giving the operator the opportunity of matching battery capacity with the specification required to deliver desired work patterns. The 30Ah and 60Ah module units are standard and interchangeable across the entire INFINICUT® range – including the floating head and fixed head cylinder mower collection, and SM34 Rotary model – to give reliable, consistent performance with the option of purchasing further interchangeable battery modules as required.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Green investment in BioProtection needed

/in , /by

Green investment in BioProtection needed: Bionema Ltd, a leading UK-based biopesticide technology developer, is working on effective, eco-friendly solutions to reduce the chemical residue on crops and increase organic food production.

However, founder and CEO Dr Minshad Ansari is concerned that, although there are many products in development, the limited number of BioProtection products currently registered for use in the UK and the EU is not fulfilling the current demand in the agriculture, horticulture, sport turf and forestry sectors.

Green investment in BioProtection needed

Green investment in BioProtection needed

“The recent EU commitment to reduce pesticide use by 50% within next 10 years is the right way forward, from an environmental and human health point of view, however BioProtection products cannot fill this gap in the market if the current lengthy, and costly, EU registration process continues. This takes much longer than US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration,” Dr Ansari says.

Despite a huge growth in the global BioProtection market, which is growing at an estimated 16% CGAR and is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2025, there is urgent need for the continued development and commercialisation of BioProtection products not only to replace traditional pesticide use but, more-importantly, to increase overall food production as the world population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050.

The Bionema technical team is currently working with growers, greenkeepers, sport turf managers and foresters by using a holistic technical and practical approach to combat the most damaging economic pests and diseases in their sectors, while helping to reduce pesticide residues in food and non-food crops.

Bionema researchers, funded by Innovate UK, the Welsh Government, the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP) and Green investors, have already assessed hundreds of natural insect-killing fungi, nematodes and bacteria to investigate their commercial use potential for the management of pests and diseases. Its laboratory, glasshouse, and field trials, conducted in UK and in the EU, have shown promising results and key products are now going through EU registration. These product formulations were tested against major economic soil and foliar feeding insect pests in the horticulture, sports turf, and the forestry sectors, some which had developed pesticide resistance.

Referring to the success of recent product trials, Dr Ansari says: “The use of nematodes with a biocompatible wetting agent, for example, successfully controlled vine weevils in soft fruits and ornamentals and also controlled chafer grubs and leatherjackets infestations in golf courses and pine weevils in pine forests. There are further efficacy trials planned over the next couple of years, which will include next generation product and formulation testing in the UK and overseas and we are looking forward to seeing positive results in the effective pest control of economically-damaging insects in high value crops.”

Bionema researchers have analysed the cost benefits of using BioProtection products versus chemical pesticides for organic and conventional food production and the results are very promising. It also continues in its research of product formulations and delivery systems to increase overall efficacy especially against soft body insects – such as western flower thrips, aphids, spider mites and fruit flies in high value crops – to meet end user demands for better efficacy.

However, BioProtection products must be applied properly for effective use and this is where Bionema’s training courses for end users, agronomists and IPM practitioners is essential.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Autumn care for your lawn

/in , /by

Autumn care for your lawn: Weather conditions are becoming less and less predictable. With a very varied summer behind us, invest some time and care in your lawn this autumn to make sure it is resilient and healthy ahead of winter. September is the ideal time to renovate your lawn, repairing any damage done over the summer and preparing the lawn for the colder months.

Lawnmower manufacturer and expert in lawn care, Allett, has some top tips for autumn.

Autumn care for your lawn

Autumn care for your lawn

Start with scarification. Raking the turf with a scarifier helps to collect and remove all dead matter before it becomes thatch. Thatch retains water, encouraging moss growth, which in turn prevents grass from developing deep roots. This means that the grass will be less tolerant in periods of dry weather next year, as the roots aren’t deep enough in the soil to find moisture. Thatch can also harbour turf diseases like Fusarium, so it’s a good idea to strip it out.

Scarifying can be tough on your lawn, so aerating it afterwards will help to replenish water, air and nutrients. Relieving compaction in the surface of the lawn allows air and water to penetrate and allowing water to percolate down through the soil, discouraging moss and encouraging grass root development.

Aeration can be done by hand with a garden fork, by poking holes one to two inches deep into the surface. However, for larger lawns, the Allett lawncare system can be fitted with the aerator cartridge to further utilise your lawnmower and get the job done much faster.

After aeration, reseeding sparse areas will thicken up the lawn and help minimise weeds and moss. After reseeding, top dress the lawn with a soil and sand mixture to cover the seed and to level the surface out. Be careful not to bury the grass – make sure it is showing through the top dressing otherwise the grass underneath it will die.

Next, top up the nutrients. Feed the lawn with an autumn/winter-specific fertiliser, as it will be lower in Nitrogen but higher in Phosphate and Potash than a summer fertiliser. Phosphate and Potash promote root development, helping the turf to go into winter with a head start.

When mowing after this autumn lawn care routine, raise the height of the cut 30-40mm. Cutting the grass any shorter can encourage moss spores to germinate. A slightly longer lawn will also be more resilient if there is an unexpected, prolonged dry spell or ‘Indian summer’ ahead.

The Complete Lawncare System features six interchangeable cartridges that fit on to Allett’s Kensington petrol mowers and Liberty 43 battery powered mowers. The system transforms the machine from a traditional mower to a specialist gardening tool simply by changing its cartridges. The system includes an aerator, a lawn brush, dethatcher, verticutter and a 10-bladed cartridge, as well as the walk-behind cylinder lawnmower, all in one machine which eases storage issues and reduces costs.

For further information visit www.allett.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.