Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

July 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research: ICL has been collaborating with Bangor University on a unique research project which is exploring soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass. The results may well revolutionize the use of fertilizers and encourage sustainable innovation. The research is being conducted by Anna Ray, who is working on […]

Makita’s new XGT products

July 13, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Emma Woodley

Makita’s new XGT products: Makita has expanded its XGT 40V Max range of cordless power tools with the launch of four new brushless angle grinders – engineered to deliver the power needed for high-demand applications, with the added flexibility and improved safety of cordless. Also added to the range is the CF001GZ 40V Max ‘Swing […]

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

July 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Makita’s new XGT products

July 13, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Emma Woodley

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

July 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research: ICL has been collaborating with Bangor University on a unique research project which is exploring soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass. The results may well revolutionize the use of fertilizers and encourage sustainable innovation.

The research is being conducted by Anna Ray, who is working on her Masters by Research (MRes) and Dr Professor Davey Jones from Bangor University.

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

A key focus for the research is struvite: a slow-release, sustainable fertilizer that is extracted from wastewater and Dr Professor Davey Jones believes it could well be the future. “We grow food, people eat it, we excrete waste, and we extract the nutrients from that. Recycling on this level is revolutionary,” he said.

Anna is in her first year of the research project and has already reported some positive results – most notably after a 7-day fertilizer and microbial interaction assessment.

“The trial focused on the microbial activity in the soil and the impact of different fertilizers on it. Microbial communities are a key biological indicator for the soil and plant health, and the impact of fertilizer applications on this community is under-assessed. The work demonstrated that microbial communities can be impacted but they are resilient and recover relatively quickly. Struvite had a similar effect to our control (water) throughout the experiment suggesting it is environmentally friendly. A promising result,” she said.

With the human population and food production rising, using fertilizers is inevitable, but through careful product selection and accurate application, use of fertilizers can be improved and become more efficient.

“It is important to develop sustainable fertilizers, with a minimal environmental impact,” said Dr Professor Davey Jones. “Anna’s research will give us a better understanding of how fertilizers impact soil-plant interactions.”

Anna’s research was funded by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS 2), which is how Anna was connected to industry partner ICL. The collaboration with ICL gives Anna the opportunity to instantly present her ideas and results to the industry.

“When we are allowed to travel again, I will visit ICL to learn about the industry and present my research,” said Anna. “With ICL we discussed the objectives for both parties. It’s a partnership of designing experiments and I think it is important for academics to keep in touch with the industry and its needs.”

Dr Professor Davey Jones was also quick to praise the importance of the collaboration between academia and industry.

“The industry brings an economical and practical aspect to our research. We could engineer perfect fertilizers, but economically it will probably not work on mass scale. Researchers could gain knowledge that might take another 30 or 40 years before it is of commercial use.

“This union between academia and industry makes our research instantly valuable and it works perfectly for an urgent market need such as more sustainable fertilizer-solutions.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Andy Owen, ICL International Technical Manager, said: “ICL utilize struvite from a company called Ostara as part of our Sierrablen Plus Pearl product range. We know this recycled product is a sustainable option that also provides real turfgrass benefits. We’re committed to develop products that perform, so we are keen to understand the fertilizer-plant interaction in more detail. The collaboration with Bangor University allows us to explore the science further and ensures we can be clear in our marketing and communication with our customers.”

In looking further ahead, Dr Professor Davey Jones hopes to continue the research to new and more sustainable fertilizer products and critically evaluate them against conventional products.

“There is so much more to discover. For instance, we still don’t entirely understand how roots and fertilizers interact and why some fertilizers suppress root growth while others promote it. An answer to these questions will bring us closer to the perfect fertilizer.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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.

Makita’s new XGT products

July 13, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Emma Woodley

Makita’s new XGT products: Makita has expanded its XGT 40V Max range of cordless power tools with the launch of four new brushless angle grinders – engineered to deliver the power needed for high-demand applications, with the added flexibility and improved safety of cordless.

Also added to the range is the CF001GZ 40V Max ‘Swing Fan’, ideal for keeping cool and air circulating in all seasons.

Makita’s new XGT products

Makita has added four new brushless angle grinders (GA022GZ, GA023GZ, GA028GZ and GA029Z) to its XGT 40V Max line up. Launched in June 2020, XGT 40V Max is the highest power cordless solution from Makita – offering the high output, durability and fast charge times needed for high-demand applications.

To maximise on-site productivity, the GA022GZ, GA023GZ, GA028GZ and GA029Z have been designed to withstand frequent heavy-duty cutting and grinding. Each model delivers a no load speed of 3,000-8,500rpm and features a variable speed dial, enabling operators to easily control and adjust the speed of the machine, depending on the application.

The machines are available with a slide switch (GA022GZ and GA023GZ) or paddle switch (GA028GZ and GA029Z) depending on preference and the GA022GZ and GA028GZ have a wheel diameter of 115mm and the GA023GZ and GA029Z both have a 125mm wheel diameter.

The GA022GZ, GA023GZ, GA028GZ and GA029Z also include Makita’s Auto-start Wireless System (AWS), which connects the machine to a compatible dust extractor via Bluetooth. This improves user safety and ensures that when the tool is in use, the extractor is automatically turned on – and when the tool is powered off, the extractor automatically stops.

With safety in mind, the machines feature Makita’s Active Feedback Sensing Technology (AFT), which shuts down the tool to protect the user if the rotation speed suddenly slows down and the Anti–Restart function prevents accidental start-up.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita said: “The XGT 40V Max range of tools is the most powerful cordless solution from Makita to date, providing users with the power needed for high-demand applications across a variety of sectors. For improved efficiency, XGT machines all benefit from Makita’s brushless motor and optimised charging process – keeping operators working for longer, disruption free.”

To make working on site more comfortable, Maita has also added is the cordless, portable CF001GZ 40V Max Swing Fan to its XGT range. The ultra-quiet fan has three wind speed settings (high, medium and low) and delivers a maximum air speed of 120m/min – 190m/min, depending on the setting chosen. The fan can run for up to 730 minutes when using a 2.5Ah battery without oscillation, or 655minutes using a 2.5Ah batteries with oscillation.

The CF001GZ weighs just 3.0kg and has been designed with a large carrying handle for easy handling. The front cover of the fan can be easily removed, allowing for quick and convenient cleaning.

For more information on Makita’s new range of XGT power tools, please visit: www.makitauk.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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

Makita’s new XGT products

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

Makita’s new XGT products

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Soil-plant interactions and fertilizer impact for turfgrass research

Makita’s new XGT products

Makita’s new XGT products: Makita has expanded its XGT 40V Max range of cordless power tools with the launch of four new brushless angle grinders – engineered to deliver the power needed for high-demand applications, with the added flexibility and improved safety of cordless.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT