Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

September 18, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Chris Grayson

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership: Husqvarna, global leader in robotic lawnmowing, today launches Husqvarna EPOS technology, a satellite-based solution for a new series of professional Husqvarna Automower® robotic mowers, enabling mowing with virtual boundaries. Next year, Husqvarna has pioneered and shaped the robotic mowing segment for 25 years with high performing, silent and direct emission-free robotic […]

ICL On Target At Temple GC

September 17, 2019/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Lucy Nicholls

ICL On Target At Temple GC: A fortnightly greens tank-mix consisting of Vitalnova Stressbuster, Greenmaster Liquid, Primo Maxx II and Ryder turf pigment, has proved to be a valuable base feed which has helped to reduce the use of fungicides according to Ben Kebby, Course Manager at Temple Golf Club in Berkshire. Built on land […]

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

September 18, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Chris Grayson

ICL On Target At Temple GC

September 17, 2019/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Lucy Nicholls

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

September 18, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Chris Grayson

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership: Husqvarna, global leader in robotic lawnmowing, today launches Husqvarna EPOS technology, a satellite-based solution for a new series of professional Husqvarna Automower® robotic mowers, enabling mowing with virtual boundaries.

Next year, Husqvarna has pioneered and shaped the robotic mowing segment for 25 years with high performing, silent and direct emission-free robotic mowers that are designed to help landscapers maintain healthy lawns and increase productivity.

In 2019, Husqvarna introduced its first all-wheel drive robotic mowers, allowing residential and professional users to cover areas with an incline of up to 70 % – an important further step into the professional segment. Husqvarna is committed to continue to lead and develop the robotic mowing category through customer centric innovation and solutions.

As the next step, Husqvarna today launches the Husqvarna EPOS technology, a high-precision satellite navigation system that delivers an accuracy of 2-3 centimetres. It is used to create virtual boundaries for professional robotic mowers. The new system will significantly increase the flexibility and use of professional robotic mowers in green spaces, as virtual boundaries can be adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of sports fields and public spaces. This new system further opens up opportunities for areas which historically were challenging for robotic lawnmowers, for example areas passing hard surfaces or those which are often remodeled as well as making aerating and scarifying easier.

Sascha Menges, President Husqvarna Division, commented: “Robotics and autonomous solutions will play a major role in the future of green space management. We are committed to continuously improving professional green space management and Husqvarna EPOS is a technological breakthrough in Husqvarna’s robotic mowing that will further accelerate the adaptation of robotics in professional lawn care. “

Husqvarna pro robotic mowers with Husqvarna EPOS integrate with Husqvarna Fleet Services, a digital fleet management control system, and make the management of large lawns and green spaces easier and more flexible and efficient than ever before.

The new technology is the next step in Husqvarna professional robotic lawnmowing and will be launched with selected professional customers in US, France, Germany and Sweden in 2020.

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.

ICL On Target At Temple GC

September 17, 2019/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Lucy Nicholls

ICL On Target At Temple GC: A fortnightly greens tank-mix consisting of Vitalnova Stressbuster, Greenmaster Liquid, Primo Maxx II and Ryder turf pigment, has proved to be a valuable base feed which has helped to reduce the use of fungicides according to Ben Kebby, Course Manager at Temple Golf Club in Berkshire.

Built on land once owned by The Knights Templar, The Temple Links, as the course was first known, was designed in 1909 by Willie Park Junior. The Club recently celebrated its 110th year anniversary and its membership base is thriving – seeing an increase from 250 to 750 in just five years.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that Ben also started at the Club five years ago but the modest Course Manager refuses to take credit for the rise in membership. It is however evident that he has implemented a number of positive changes at the Club but when asked about his success Ben instead prefers to talk about his love for Temple.

“From the very start I was as ambitious as anyone but that has changed now,” he said. “As with most people, when you start in greenkeeping you want to be in charge at the world’s best course overseeing the sport’s most prestigious tournaments. However, since arriving at Temple I have come to the conclusion that lifestyle and happiness trumps ambition. The members here are fantastic, my boss Keith is superb and the area I live in is amazing. I am close to family and it ticks every box for me.”

Ben crossed the channel where he was working as an Assistant Superintendent at a course in the West of Paris to take the position at Temple Golf Club and felt that it was a vital chapter in his greenkeeping journey. His days as an apprentice at Berkshire Golf Club may seem a lifetime ago but Ben has rose rapidly up the career ladder and claims that choosing the correct products is key, especially when it comes to the greens.

“We live and die by the standard of our greens and we are only as good as the day before,” he said. “Last year we were hit quite badly with disease on the greens and I sprayed more fungicide than ever before and I just felt like I was chasing my tail – so that was one reason I went with this new tank-mix.

“The other reason for using the mix was because we had an ICL seminar here in spring last year with Andy Owen (ICL International Technical Manager) and he revealed the results of a trial he carried out in which he didn’t use a fungicide application throughout the autumn to see if he could achieve acceptable standards of greens performance. By using the right technologies, an example being Vitalnova Stressbuster, and getting timing of applications correct, he was able to achieve his goal and significantly reduce disease outbreaks to an acceptable level, this prompted me to examine my own approach.”

Inspired by Andy Owen’s trial work and after discussing it in more detail with Matt Nutter (ICL Area Sales Manager), Ben decided to push ahead with a tank-mix which consisted of Vitalnova Stressbuster (10 L/ha), Primo Maxx II (0.3 L/ha) Greenmaster Liquid 25-0-0 (10/20 L/ha) and Ryder (1 L/ha).

“I’ve been using it for approximately five months now and have seen some notable improvements. For starters, drought resistance is better – I was usually putting down about 2mm a night of water as a minimum whereas this year I can run on 1mm. The moisture is now far easier to control and before using this tank-mix I had to over-water just to control it.

“Another remarkable improvement is that the disease pressure has significantly reduced, in fact so-much-so that I have not sprayed a fungicide since February. In recent weeks we have had some heavy rain and high temperatures and we’ve had no disease outbreak whatsoever.

In this sense my thoughts go towards Ryder and Vitalnova Stressbuster with that little bit of iron mixed into it. The foliar grouping works together really well as a preventative, and was inspired by Andy’s presentation.”

While Ben continues to see consistently good results from his tank-mix, he believes that ICL’s continuous product research, trial work and data are essential in helping the industry to move forward.

“The trials, the studies and the explanation of data are incredibly important to me. Anyone can say they have run a trial but I am so much more comfortable going with a product which has some clear data and research behind it.

“It helps greenkeepers to move forward and to overcome obstacles. For example, I can sit here and know that if fungicides were withdrawn tomorrow, I can use the example set by ICL’s trial work presented by Andy and I have the confidence to design a programme to allow the greens to perform well throughout the whole season. It is a nice position to be in.”

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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

ICL On Target At Temple GC

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

ICL On Target At Temple GC

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership

Husqvarna Expand Innovation Leadership: Husqvarna, global leader in robotic lawnmowing, today launches Husqvarna EPOS technology, a satellite-based solution for a new series of professional Husqvarna Automower® robotic mowers, enabling mowing with virtual boundaries.

ICL On Target At Temple GC

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT