Scottish turfgrass demo day a success

/in , /by

Scottish turfgrass demo day a success: More than 100 greenkeepers, groundsmen and grounds maintenance contractors from across Scotland attended an amenity demonstration day at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club on 11th March, with those who braved the day’s stormy weather able to see some of the latest golf and sports pitch specific machinery and turf renovation equipment in action.

Featuring a range of machinery demonstrations from a wide selection of industry-leading suppliers, the maiden ‘Scottish Amenity Demonstration Day’ was jointly organised by Germinal GB, Allgrass Turfcare and Campey Turf Care Systems. The event was also sponsored by Cub Cadet, Seddon, Fairways GM, Fleet Line Markers and Steadfast Site Supplies and was kindly hosted by Falkirk Tryst Golf Club.

Scottish turfgrass demo day a success

Scottish turfgrass demo day a success

“Despite the weather’s best efforts to disrupt proceedings, the inaugural Scottish Amenity Demonstration Day was a great success,” explains Alan Thomson, Technical Sales Representative for Germinal in Scotland. “As a group of like-minded suppliers, we recognised that there are no amenity specific events in Scotland where greenkeepers, groundsmen and turf care professionals can talk to multiple manufacturers and suppliers in a single location.

“We therefore worked together to organise the free-to-attend event to give visitors the chance to talk freely with a range of manufacturers about the latest golf and sports-specific grass seed mixtures and to see a selection of cutting-edge turf maintenance machinery – including the latest electrical and emissions-free equipment – in action.”

John Rushforth of Allgrass Turfcare extended a special thank you to Falkirk Tryst Golf Club for hosting the event: “Head greenkeeper, Gary McCandless and his team worked miracles to ensure that, despite heavily waterlogged ground conditions and torrential rain in the days prior to the event, the majority of demonstrations were still able to go ahead.

“Unfortunately, the wet conditions did prevent some machines from operating, but the sheer number of attendees proved there’s a clear appetite for this type of event in Scotland and we are already discussing the potential for future events.”

“Feedback from the event has been extremely positive,” added Richard Heywood of Campey Turf Care. “It was genuinely very gratifying to see so many faces from within the Scottish amenity sector coming together to learn about new developments within the industry and to try out the latest amenity-specific kit. This type of event is as much about networking on a semi-social basis as it is about promoting the latest machinery, and we look forward to organising similar open days in the future.”

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.

New seed blend for golf greens

/in , /by

New seed blend for golf greens: Germinal has introduced a new seed mixture to its Grade ‘A’ portfolio of golf-specific grass blends: containing two top-performing perennial ryegrasses and a high-ranking creeping bentgrass, A8 Ultrafine Ryegreens is the perfect ‘rescue’ mixture for the eradication of early season scarring.

A8 Ultrafine Ryegreens contains a blend of three of the very best cultivars: 45% Cabrio (ultrafine perennial ryegrass), 45% Escapade (perennial ryegrass) and 10% 007 DSB (creeping bentgrass).

New seed blend for golf greens

New seed blend for golf greens

Conceived specifically for greenkeepers who want to overseed their golf greens with a blend containing ryegrasses, the new mixture produces an exceptionally fine-leaved sward which is tolerant of low cutting heights (down to 3mm). It also delivers rapid germination and establishment in cooler conditions and boasts the added advantages of good disease resistance and excellent winter colour.

Cabrio was first introduced as a new cultivar in 2016 and went straight to the top of the BSPB’s Table L1 in 2017 with a fineness of leaf score of 8.8. It subsequently retained this position in 2018 (8.8) and 2019 (8.7) and holds the top spot again in 2020 thanks to another score of 8.7: a rating which puts it half a point clear of its nearest rivals at 8.2. Cabrio also ranks highly on Table G4 (perennial ryegrasses mown at 4-7mm) where it’s 8.4 score for fineness of leaf is the highest.

Escapade also boasts exceptional fineness of leaf (8.1 in Table L1) and offers superb resistance to Red Thread (6.1). It also displays excellent shoot density (7.7) and visual merit (7.6) as well as strong winter and summer greenness scores (5.8 and 6.0 respectively).

Meanwhile, 007 DSB, which was bred in the US using 24 parent plants to produce a single cultivar with a prostrate growth habit, high shoot density and good wear tolerance in a wide range of climatic conditions, has won plaudits wherever it has been used including at Ryder Cup and US Open courses and at the PGA Masters at Wentworth.

“By combining two top-performing perennial ryegrasses with a modern ‘superbent’, A8 Ultrafine Ryegreens creates a contemporary blend of seeds which is suitable for all greens renovation works, but especially when making good damaged areas: the ryegrasses provide initial rapid cover but will not persist in the long-term once cutting heights are consistently lower than 4mm – but by then their job will have been done and the creeping bentgrass will take over,” explains Richard Brown, Germinal Amenity Sales Manager.

“Cabrio is still the number one choice for greenkeepers who want to produce an exceptionally fine-leaved, hard wearing and aesthetically attractive sward that can not only tolerate a close mowing regime, but which will also give good ball roll or bounce. Similarly, Escapade provides added sward resilience, whilst the addition of 007 DSB, which has a lower water and nutrient requirement than older creeping bent varieties, is the ideal companion as it adds useful sward density to complement the bunched growth habits of Cabrio and Escapade.”

A8 Ultrafine Ryegreens is suitable for cutting down to a height of 3mm and has a recommended sowing rate of 20g/m2 (200kgs/ha) and overseeding rate of 10-15g/m2 (100-150kgs/ha). It is also suitable for sowing and overseeding tees and collars.

For more information contact Germinal on 01522 868714 or visit www.germinalamenity.com

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.

Planning for a brighter future

/in , , /by

Planning for a brighter future: These are challenging times for us all. First and foremost, everyone at SALTEX hopes that you, your colleagues, businesses, and your families are keeping safe and well. Recognising the challenges in front of us, we wish to assure you that planning for SALTEX 2020 continues to be in full swing.

After recent consultation with our strategic partners we are hopeful that the situation we face today will have passed and that SALTEX will take place on 4 and 5 November. We understand though that this is an evolving situation. Recent exhibitions at the NEC that were scheduled to take place this March and April have already promoted the fact that they have rescheduled for October and November this year. This provides us with added confidence to continue preparations for SALTEX 2020.

Planning for a brighter future

Planning for a brighter future

SALTEX has faced many challenges in its 74-year history and everyone associated with the exhibition – organisers, exhibitors, visitors – the groundscare industry, has always shown resilience. It is this strength and unity that defines this fantastic industry.

We are ever mindful of the government advice and guidance. We live in hope that after this period of darkness, SALTEX and the groundscare industry will be a shining light as we plan for a brighter future and return to better days ahead.

SALTEX 2020 will be a great opportunity for the industry to come together, to re-unite and to look ahead to the future. It is our hope that we can all gather as one and that SALTEX’s 75th anniversary will be the most vibrant and celebrated event in its long history.

In the meantime, we have already taken the necessary measures to ensure that our team can continue the work required to deliver SALTEX this November, while at the same time planning for every eventuality.

Of course, it is necessary to adapt to the uncertainty we are all experiencing, as government advice can change at any time. We are committed to keeping you up to date every step of the way.

Please take care of yourselves and loved ones and remember to offer extra support to those most vulnerable. Try and maintain a positive outlook and we look forward to brighter days ahead – because they will come.

If you have any questions, please email in the first instance:

Matthew Knight – matthewknight@rabdf.co.uk

Charles Neale – charlesneale@rabdf.co.uk

Luke Perry – lperry@iog.org

Geoff Webb
Chief Executive Officer
The Institute of Groundsmanship

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

Follow SALTEX on Twitter & Instagram @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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.

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

/in , /by

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF: Dennis Mowers and SISIS Equipment, leading British manufacturers of innovative professional sports grounds maintenance equipment, have become a member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).

Divisions of the Howardson Group, Dennis and SISIS have more than 90 years of experience helping people create their desired end result and have invested heavily in the future with new products, new facilities, latest machine tools, people skills and design technology.

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

Synonymous with reliable, high-quality equipment and after sales service, Dennis and SISIS offer a wide range of cylinder mowers, scarifiers, aerators, slitters, sweepers and brushes that enable groundsmen, greenkeepers and gardeners to create their perfect surface.

“Our machines are used at high profile international stadia around the world, many top football, cricket, golf and bowling clubs as well as local authorities, schools, colleges and universities,” said Toby Clarke, the company’s International Business Director.

“Our reputation is built not only on the quality of our products but also on the high level of customer and technical support provided by our experienced field and office-based teams and our professional dealership network. We are committed to exceeding expectations by the loyalty customers place in our brand, products and people.

“I’ve been working here for 26 years and all I’ve seen is growth. To see the company develop in this way and to be a part of it now at a more management and strategic level is fantastic,” added Clarke.

Dennis and SISIS have been long-time supporters of industry associations and are corporate members of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), STRI (formerly the Sports Turf Research Institute), the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA), the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA).

Clarke said: “We’re delighted to expand our reach by becoming a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation. From tee-to-green, Dennis and SISIS provide a full range of equipment for all golf course maintenance requirements. Superintendents, owners, technicians and other golf management professionals can look forward to seeing a great line-up of products at forthcoming events around the region, including November’s AGIF Expo in Bangkok.”

Eric Lynge, the AGIF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Dennis and SISIS have long been respected and trusted names in the turf maintenance industry in the United Kingdom and Europe. We look forward to working with Toby and his colleagues and helping them to enhance their businesses in Asia.”

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.

Electric performance in a top handle chainsaw

/in , , /by

Electric performance in a top handle chainsaw: Feast your eyes on the new DCS-2500T the first battery-powered top handle chainsaw from ECHO.

Here is an electric saw to meet the needs of the arborist and tree care professionals who use top handle chainsaws daily for pruning and arboriculture. Don’t let the light weight (dry weight 1.6kg) deceive you, this machine packs professional power with exceptional acceleration. In fact, the 50V Lithium-ion battery generates power and cutting performance equivalent to ECHO’s best-selling CS-2511TES petrol chainsaw; and it does it with low vibration and without the noise and emissions, making it perfect for use in noise-sensitive areas. Well balanced and ergonomically designed for manoeuvrability and precision, the DCS-2500T is the latest addition to ECHO’s 50V battery series and is part of their X Series of ‘best in class’ products. The superior, dependable tools are specifically designed for professionals who rely on their tools day in and day out. Often leading in terms of power and performance, X Series products are tested in the most extreme conditions, says the manufacturer, to ensure flawless operation.

Electric performance in a top handle chainsaw

Electric performance in a top handle chainsaw

The DCS-2500T is certainly packed full of beneficial user-friendly features to complement its power and near noiseless operation. Users will find the patented Quick Draw harness ring a real boon for hooking and unhooking the chainsaw in one movement. There’s a drop prevention lanyard hook for off ground safety and this is a truly easy to operate machine with an anti-slip handle grip and patented thumb rest adding to operator comfort. There’s a side-access chain tensioner to allow quick chain adjustments. The driving force, the brushless motor, will ensure long-lasting maintenance-free operation, while the casing has an IPX4 rating for water resistance so the chainsaw is showerproof for protection against the elements. The all-important oil adjustment is situated on the top of the saw so it’s easily adjusted, while filling is equally simple with the flip lever cap opening. Last but not least is the internal air filter which prevents dust from entering the main board and motor.

Qualified top handle arborists and tree surgeons looking for ultimate power with quiet, low vibration and emissions-free professional-grade performance will find ECHO’s DCS-2500T just the ticket for everyday use. Available from about mid-2020.  You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information.

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.