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Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

October 27, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Timothy Gilbert

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring: Greenkeeping is not a profession where cuts can be made if standards are to be maintained. If clubhouse revenues from restaurants, stores, and memberships continue to fall, smaller greenkeeping teams will have to work longer hours just to maintain the standards they have. Cuts are a real threat – teams will be […]

New biocide gains momentum

October 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by External Source

New biocide gains momentum: Following its recent launch, new biocide Enclean has made a successful introduction into the amenity sector following positive reports from early adopters confirms agronomist Robert Bone, Amenity Specialist with Agrovista. Mr Bone, who has over 35 years of industry experience, first saw the biocide in its development phase 18 months ago […]

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

October 27, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Timothy Gilbert

New biocide gains momentum

October 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

October 27, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Timothy Gilbert

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring: Greenkeeping is not a profession where cuts can be made if standards are to be maintained. If clubhouse revenues from restaurants, stores, and memberships continue to fall, smaller greenkeeping teams will have to work longer hours just to maintain the standards they have.

Cuts are a real threat – teams will be forced to do more with less – and still have to tackle sustainability targets brought on by climate change and water scarcity. The key – as always – is buried underground.

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

Manual sampling gives an understanding of what’s needed for a safe, durable, and high-performing surface for players, but an understaffed team will find it difficult to achieve high sample consistency over a large area.

Instead of going out to collect data, permanently positioned sub-soil monitoring systems can stream readings from multiple key locations across golf courses in real-time, collecting all the information needed to make a real-time assessment on where to allocate time and resources.

9 ways data-drive sub-soil monitoring can help greenkeepers tackle today’s challenges

1 – Water consumption

This is a sensitive issue in many markets. Greenkeepers with a detailed view of in-field course variation can precisely irrigate where needed according to live current levels.

2 – Salinity buildup

Over irrigation can also lead to increased salinity levels, making it more challenging for plants to take up moisture. Sub-soil salinity data gives greenkeepers the opportunity to proactively alleviate this potential issue, e.g., with the inclusion of salt-resistant grass varieties.

3 – Optimal nutrient usage

More precise irrigation will lead to reduced fertiliser leaching by preventing overwatering. Real-time soil temperature data will also help greenkeepers decide when to best apply fertiliser products to ensure better plant uptake.

4 – Proactive agronomic turf improvement

When data is streamed from across a course in real-time, proactive agronomic turf improvement can be achieved as predictions can be made for plant nutrient and moisture requirements. This will also help reduce disease incidence as peak turf disease activity can be forecasted.

5 – Black thatch

Saturated soils with low oxygen levels are prime black thatch locations, so accurate aeration and top dressing regimes are essential. Permanently positioned underground soil monitoring devices will allow greenkeepers to ensure their surfaces are supported by optimal sub-soil conditions.

6 – Maintenance efficiency

A true understanding of how to smartly allocate time and resources will improve work efficiency in maintenance, reduce labour costs, and allow you to devote more time to proactive turf development.

7 – Optimal irrigation and sub-surface air system usage

Real-time sub-soil data can be used to automate irrigation and sub-surface air systems, thus providing more accurate and timely usage and potential labour-saving benefits.

8 – Justifying expenditure

A data-driven way of working leads to an evidence-based approach to management that can be used to justify the applications of costly resources.

9 – Energy efficiency

Underground soil sensors can also lead to reduced energy consumption. By optimising irrigation, you can reduce pumping time, and consume less energy. Better management practices can reduce the number of above surface operations, including mowing, aeration, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides.

Finally…

Data-driven sports turf management is a real option for greenkeeping teams looking for ways to adapt to today’s world. Yet it is not a compromise. Instead of reacting to changes, a golf course that has collected several years of historical data can proactively work towards even greater efficiencies and improvements that will compound with each new year.

About Adam Sedgwick

Soil Scout VP of Global Sales Adam Sedgwick has accrued decades of experience working across several continents in a wide range of leadership roles. From turf and amenity to precision farming, machine control, machine automation and GPS, Adam has spent his career at the forefront of agricultural technology and processes. A Harper Adams graduate with Masters degrees in Agri-Business and Crop Science, Adam strongly believes in Soil Scout’s potential to contribute to a new era of sustainable agriculture and professional turf management.

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New biocide gains momentum

October 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by External Source

New biocide gains momentum: Following its recent launch, new biocide Enclean has made a successful introduction into the amenity sector following positive reports from early adopters confirms agronomist Robert Bone, Amenity Specialist with Agrovista.

Mr Bone, who has over 35 years of industry experience, first saw the biocide in its development phase 18 months ago and was impressed with both its speed of action in eradicating algae and its positive effect on dealing with other green deposits that often build up on hard surfaces.

New biocide gains momentum

“I followed Enclean’s progress across a number of trials during 2019 and although it’s designed primarily to remove algae, trials have consistently shown the biocide’s main active ingredient, Nonanoic acid, also has a secondary effect on breaking down other green deposits that can accumulate on hard surfaces.

“Enclean is plant derived, safe to use, and it has no environmental hazard classification. It’s fast acting and, once applied, it quickly degrades into natural elements leaving behind no harmful residue,” he confirms.

Since the March launch Robert has been working with his customer base of ground maintenance contractors, county councils and local authorities conducting operator training courses to help them better understand the new biocide, its efficacy and level of control under different operating conditions and on different surfaces such as pavements, the outer surfaces of greenhouses, wooden decking and fence panels.

Despite the restrictions on face-to-face meetings due to Covid-19 he believes that Enclean has rapidly gained wide acceptance amongst his clients due to the success of the training courses and product demonstrations.

“Application advice is a key part of the agronomic service I provide to customers and the training courses are a good way of promoting best practice. Although there are a number of established biocides able to deal with algae, Enclean’s very low dilution requirement of 1L of product to 14L of water offering users over 550m² of coverage is a potential game changer allowing the operator to apply the product using a small knapsack sprayer.

“Often, when there is a build up of algae, it occurs in narrow pathways that have limited access to sunlight or wind. Many biocides tend to require large water volumes and that can be a serious problem if the large tank on an ATV or UTV mounted sprayer can’t access the area you need to treat. If you’re working in a relatively remote place, far away from a water source, another potential issue is accessing significant volumes of water to be able to do the job. Using a biocide that requires a relatively small amount of water from a knapsack sprayer can be a major advantage,” he explains.

Colin Simpson, Estimating and Purchasing Manager with Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Limited, also sees a positive future for Enclean following extensive product trials this year across a number of the company’s school maintenance contracts.

“We’re one of the largest horticultural and ground maintenance service providers in North Yorkshire and, until recently, we had been struggling to find a really effective hard surface biocide. With many schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year it had caused a build up of algae on pathways around many school buildings due to the simple fact that people weren’t using them as often.

New biocide gains momentum

“One of the key considerations when we apply any chemical is the safety aspect. Not only the safety of our operator, but the health and safety of children using the pathways and making sure we don’t harm the environment. Enclean’s very low environmental hazard classification combined with a high level of operator safety ticked both boxes.

“When we look at contracts where we are spraying large areas, time is also a factor so the fact that Enclean does not foam in the tank meaning it can be cleaned out quickly following use was another positive. Based on our experience it is best to apply the product in dry, sunny conditions. Try to find a 2-3 day window of dry weather after application if possible. In the right conditions surfaces were completely clear within 14-21 days of application and there was no requirement for a follow up spray,” he confirms.

Simon Race, Director of Sports Turf Services Limited – a family run business based near York, also found that tank cleaning post application was both time consuming and problematic when using biocides that required large water volumes.

“We used to use Qualgex but, although it performed well enough, it foamed in the tank leaving a residue that required significant washing out of both the tank and pipes after the product was applied. We wanted something that was both quicker to mix and easier to apply using smaller quantities of water. Enclean was the obvious answer.

“As long as you apply at the advised rate in dry conditions you should see the correct visual signs of the algae and other green deposits beginning to turn brown and decay after just 2-3 days. Whilst 1 application will generally clear most surfaces we did find that when dealing with black algae engrained into older stone surfaces a follow up application will often be required to complete the job,” he concludes.

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)

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

New biocide gains momentum

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

New biocide gains momentum

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Data-driven sub-soil monitoring

9 ways data-drive sub-soil monitoring can help greenkeepers tackle today’s challenges

Finally…

New biocide gains momentum

New biocide gains momentum: Following its recent launch, new biocide Enclean has made a successful introduction into the amenity sector following positive reports from early adopters confirms agronomist Robert Bone, Amenity Specialist with Agrovista.

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