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Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

September 7, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor: The fairways at Ashford Manor Golf Club have recently been gaining a lot of attention in the greenkeeping industry, and Course Manager Allan Tait has revealed how he has achieved such incredible results. Established in 1898 the club is located in the village of Ashford, between Sunbury-on-Thames and Staines-upon-Thames. […]

Kubota releases new LXe-261

September 6, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Kubota releases new LXe-261: Kubota’s new LXe-261, which has been designed to meet current environmental standards, will be available for rental and showcased at several events around Europe over the coming months. With an increasing number of European markets tightening regulations and implementing bans on diesel vehicles, many local authorities and other public bodies are […]

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

September 7, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Kubota releases new LXe-261

September 6, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

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Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

September 7, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor: The fairways at Ashford Manor Golf Club have recently been gaining a lot of attention in the greenkeeping industry, and Course Manager Allan Tait has revealed how he has achieved such incredible results.

Established in 1898 the club is located in the village of Ashford, between Sunbury-on-Thames and Staines-upon-Thames. It is an 18-hole parkland course measuring 6,400 yards and is regarded as one of the finest courses in Middlesex, and beyond.

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

Allan Tait has been Course Manager for just over three years and has certainly helped boost the club’s reputation throughout his tenure. However, like many others, the team at Ashford Manor are facing very testing conditions.

“Currently we are experiencing challenging conditions with drought and high heat stress which is making it very difficult to produce high quality surfaces.”

Matters aren’t helped by the fact that the course is extremely dry having been built predominately on sand and stone. Therefore, Allan ensures that he is always one-step ahead.

“I am a great believer that the work we do through the winter will help us maximise the results throughout the summer,” he said. “During the colder months we frequently aerate and make certain that the water is deep into the profile, so we can keep it there for the summer months. We do adhere to a solid cultural regime and that goes hand in hand with the products we use – and one which has been key for us has been Aqua-Zorb liquid.

Aqua-Zorb liquid from Agrovista Amenity, is a concentrated non-ionic turf wetting agent that will enable water to move faster and deeper into the soil profile. One application can last all season and it is renowned for treating the cause of Localised Dry Patch. Aqua-Zorb can also improve drainage, alleviate compaction, reduce the quantity of irrigation required, suppress the formation of dew and greatly improve the quality of the sward.

Allan had trialled Aqua-Zorb in his previous role and therefore had no hesitation in using the product after Joseph Dormer from Agrovista Amenity suggested integrating it into his maintenance programme.

“In my old job I trialled Aqua-Zorb on the tees, which were poorly irrigated, because I wanted to improve the presentation of them,” he said. “It made a massive difference and so I had a lot of confidence to bring it here at Ashford Manor and apply it to larger areas.”

Due to the longevity of the product, Allan applies Aqua-Zorb liquid early in February/March at a rate of 50 L/ha. “We irrigate and combine it with rainfall to fully wet the profile – this reduces any hydrophobic conditions and ensures even moisture distribution all the way through,” he added.

“Aqua-Zorb is a fantastic product and since using it we are seeing very little dry patch, and when for instance, we are hand watering we are not seeing any beading on the surface – the water is going exactly where we want it to go. We also have less fairy ring activity, and generally the areas that are treated look a lot more solid and uniform.

“What has been really evident is the areas that have been treated and the ones that have not been treated. I am over the moon with the quality of turf we are producing and am still seeing the benefits of Aqua-Zorb in these really dry conditions.”

Allan applies Aqua-Zorb to most areas of the course, but it is the fairways that have received the most attention after a picture of them was posted on social media. Since then, many other greenkeepers have contacted both Allan and Agrovista Amenity to find out the secret behind the incredible fairways. However, the humble Allan refused to dwell on the attention and instead praised the working relationship between himself and Joseph.

“I’ve been using Agrovista products for fifteen years now and I have been working closely with Joseph for seven years,” he said. “He has been a greenkeeper in the past, so he understands where I am coming from. We have a good relationship and have very productive conversations.”

There is also a video with Joseph Dormer and the team from Singing Hills Golf Club which can be viewed by clicking here.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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

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Kubota releases new LXe-261

September 6, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Kubota releases new LXe-261: Kubota’s new LXe-261, which has been designed to meet current environmental standards, will be available for rental and showcased at several events around Europe over the coming months.

With an increasing number of European markets tightening regulations and implementing bans on diesel vehicles, many local authorities and other public bodies are actively seeking alternatives – such as electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs). In light of this, and in line with Kubota’s Environmental Vision published in 2021 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, they have been researching, developing and trialling electric tractors.

Kubota releases new LXe-261

One of the major challenges when developing electric tractors is range and operational time. For that reason, the new LXe-261 is equipped with a large-capacity battery that can provide rapid one hour charging and three to four hours of continuous run-time. This means operators will be able to quickly charge the batteries during lunch and continue working in the afternoon for optimal efficiency.

The LXe-261 also includes key features for mowing, hauling, and other green space management tasks, such as an independent PTO, a comfortable HST transmission and multiple hydraulic outlets. The specification of the LXe-261 is contained in a compact size, making this model well-suited to a range of applications.

Kubota’s new LXe-261 will soon be displayed at several shows in Europe, including Salon Vert in France, EIMA in Italy and SALTEX in November, Europe’s largest turf management show. It will then be available for rental in the UK from April 2023. After its release, customer feedback will be sought in order to shape the future developments and expansions to Kubota’s eco-friendly product line-up.

Kubota Corporation is the first Japanese manufacturer* to release a limited number of LXe-261 compact electric tractors in Europe, with the company actively striving towards carbon neutrality. For that reason, Kubota has been transitioning to electric, hybrid, and fuel-cell drives in an effort to decarbonise power sources and reduce CO² emissions.

These developments represent an important strategic step for Kubota in the UK and Europe, as it aims to fulfil the requirements of core customer segments who have long invested in Kubota’s range of compact tractors, utility vehicles and ride-on mowers for park maintenance and other groundcare tasks.

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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

Kubota releases new LXe-261

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

Kubota releases new LXe-261

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor

Confidence in Aqua-zorb at Ashford Manor: The fairways at Ashford Manor Golf Club have recently been gaining a lot of attention in the greenkeeping industry, and Course Manager Allan Tait has revealed how he has achieved such incredible results.

Kubota releases new LXe-261

Kubota releases new LXe-261: Kubota’s new LXe-261, which has been designed to meet current environmental standards, will be available for rental and showcased at several events around Europe over the coming months.

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