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Headland help to level the playing field

May 14, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Headland help to level the playing field: The 14 hectares of natural sports surfaces at Dauntsey’s School in Devizes are a tale of two halves. The main playing fields are located on a natural greensand belt, creating an acidic soil profile with a pH level below six. Meanwhile, the remainder of the site is on […]

BASIS launches new online learning platform

May 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Hannah Wilson

BASIS launches new online learning platform: BASIS has launched a new digital learning platform – the BASIS Classroom – that supports members in advancing their professional development from home. Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that the BASIS Classroom is a free ‘members only’ platform that contains a selection of voluntary digital training sessions on an […]

Headland help to level the playing field

May 14, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

BASIS launches new online learning platform

May 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Hannah Wilson

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Headland help to level the playing field

May 14, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Headland help to level the playing field: The 14 hectares of natural sports surfaces at Dauntsey’s School in Devizes are a tale of two halves. The main playing fields are located on a natural greensand belt, creating an acidic soil profile with a pH level below six.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the site is on a relatively heavy clay loam with pH levels above seven. Trying to level the field is Head Groundsman Dale Gleed who, together with Headland Amenity, has formulated a programme to optimise plant health and unlock the potential for better growth.

Headland help to level the playing field

When Dale joined the school in October 2017, it quickly became evident that the sports facilities were formed on two different soil types, but this was further highlighted during the drought of summer 2018. “This illustrated the stark contrast in growing conditions with the greensand side supporting strong, but not sustained, growth and the other areas which were very hard and dry, were virtually dead” he explains. “Adi Masters of Headland Amenity conducted some soil analysis and we constructed a programme around raising pH levels on the greensand areas to better support the establishment and growth of ryegrass.”

Dale has been applying CalciComplex^® organic soil amendment twice a year, once in the spring and again in the autumn. Through the inclusion of dolomitic limestone, CalciComplex^® can gently raise soil pH and provide additional nutrients in acidic profiles. “We used CalciComplex^® on around 4.5 hectares of the turf and with regular testing we have begun to see an incremental increase in the pH level. This, in turn, is unlocking further nutrients in the soil to increase the viability of Ryegrass in the surface which is hugely important to cope with the wear demands of the winter sports they host.”

“On the other areas we’ve been using Multigreen^®, either the 15-0-22 or 28-3-15 formulations, again applied in the spring and autumn. The great thing with this is, because it has a ‘temperature-only’ controlled release, we can apply it as early as the February half term and not have to be restricted to tight application windows around school fixtures because that’s when the conditions allow. This has delivered fantastic improvements in the plant strength, sward density and overall appearance of some of the pitches – particularly our cricket outfields.”

Dale concludes, “For other areas of our maintenance programme to work, particularly overseeding, getting the soil profiles right is crucial. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get the pH levels to balance but with Headland’s support, the right products and regular analysis we know we’re going in the right direction and are beginning to reap the rewards of that.”

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BASIS launches new online learning platform

May 13, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Hannah Wilson

BASIS launches new online learning platform: BASIS has launched a new digital learning platform – the BASIS Classroom – that supports members in advancing their professional development from home.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that the BASIS Classroom is a free ‘members only’ platform that contains a selection of voluntary digital training sessions on an array of subjects surrounding crop production, turf management and environmental protection.

BASIS launches new online learning platform

“Members can log-in to the platform and will be presented with a choice of topics applicable to their qualification. Once selected, members will be taken through to an online exercise that may include presentations, videos or even a quiz,” he says.

“The software is designed, so that exercises cannot be skipped, which ensures the appropriate amount and quality of training is delivered and CPD points are rewarded accordingly at the end of the session.

“It’s also worth noting that the courses will be available online for a year after first posting, so members can participate at a convenient time,” says Stephen.

The training will be put together by companies that want to share knowledge with members, but no longer have events as a platform to do so. The first two companies to submit a session were Origin Fertilisers and Certis and these are now live online.

Mandy McAulay, Origin Fertilisers marketing manager, explains that the company already has a strong digital focus, so BASIS’ new offering really complements the business.

“Our training session focuses on reducing ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions through appropriate fertiliser choice. It consists of an animated presentation with a voiceover, followed by a series of questions at the end,” she says.

“We’re always looking to broaden our advisory outreach, so the BASIS Classroom gives us the ideal platform to reach out to and educate members. This is especially important during a time when we’re unable to run ‘merchant meetings’ that are normally accredited by BASIS.”

Keeping in with the theme of environmental consideration, Kate Downes, Certis marketing communications officer, adds that their Classroom session focuses on the importance of using an integrated approach to slug control.

“We’ve prepared multimedia content, including a presentation with voiceover and videos to keep it engaging, informative and interesting. This way we hope we’ll be able to stay connected with our audience, without physically meeting with them,” she says.

“The BASIS Classroom is a great initiative, as it gives members the opportunity to continue to stay up-to-date with their CPD, but also gives us a great outreach platform that’s easily accessible to both providers and members.”

Members that want to participate in the BASIS Classroom training sessions can do so by visiting https://basis.vbms-training.co.uk/ using the login details and password emailed to you by the BASIS team.

For further information or queries, please contact help@basis-reg.co.uk or 01335 343945.

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)

Headland help to level the playing field

BASIS launches new online learning platform

Headland help to level the playing field

BASIS launches new online learning platform

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Headland help to level the playing field

Headland help to level the playing field: The 14 hectares of natural sports surfaces at Dauntsey’s School in Devizes are a tale of two halves. The main playing fields are located on a natural greensand belt, creating an acidic soil profile with a pH level below six.

BASIS launches new online learning platform

BASIS launches new online learning platform: BASIS has launched a new digital learning platform – the BASIS Classroom – that supports members in advancing their professional development from home.

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