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Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries. The Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY) Awards highlight best practice and experience in the challenging role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces. The […]

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range: The ZE Electric Zero-Turn range from Kubota has proven its credentials with operators looking to reduce their environmental footprint, all without detriment to productivity or cut performance. Verifying that sustainability does not have to result in a compromise in turfcare standards, the fully-electric ZE-421 and ZE-481 […]

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries.

The Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY) Awards highlight best practice and experience in the challenging role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces.

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

The Amenity Forum competition, supported by ICL and Syngenta, seeks to share guidance and advice that will raise the standards of spray application across the amenity industry.

You could be a lawncare professional in Essex, working on a golf course from Glasgow to Perranporth, treating roadsides or railways in York, or spraying grounds in Cardiff – all are welcome to apply

The Awards’ finalists will be announced at the Amenity Forum Conference in October, with the overall winner presented at the prestigious BIGGA Awards ceremony at BTME in January 2026.

Amenity businesses and sports turf managers are urged to actively encourage their sprayer operators to enter the awards this year.

All ASOOTY applicants will also be entered into a competition to win one of five Syngenta Sprayer Calibration & Application Kits.

Along with assessing operators’ skills of spray application and use of products, the ASOOTY judging panel also now incorporate the importance of an integrated turf management (ITM) approach to any issues involving turf and landscape maintenance.

Announcing the opening of the ASOOTY 2025 Awards, Amenity Forum Chairman, Ian Graham, announced: “This competition seeks to highlight the remarkable talent that exists within our sector, and I encourage as many spray operators as possible to engage with the process.

“Our industry has many highly skilled spray operators working within it, using a diverse range of products accurately applied through a huge range of complex application equipment. Past winners have ably demonstrated the professional approach to meeting these challenges.”

Syngenta Technical Manager, Sean Loakes, highlighted: “The skills of sprayer operators to make efficient, effective and above all safe applications is essential for the future sustainability of the amenity and turf care industry.

“The ASOOTY awards are a welcome way to recognise and reward the leading individuals and to learn from their experience,” he says.

Last year’s winner, Peter Pattenden, professional spray technician at Carden Park Golf Resort in, Cheshire encourages all sprayer operators to get involved and enter the ASOOTY Awards. Even at a relatively young age, his understanding of the spraying process and exemplary commitment to achieving consistent accuracy was evident.

ICL Landscape & Industrial Business Manager, Lewis Blois, added: “We are delighted to support such an important cross-sector industry initiative, with a continued commitment to raise standards and improve results.

“Importantly it provides a unique and vitally important resource for all involved in spray application across the amenity sector,” he points out.

The entry process aims to test sprayer operators’ broader knowledge of issues and solutions faced across the amenity sector through an initial on-line question form, including questions to assess an individual’s experience and approach to dealing with challenges.

It’s seeking to find operators that can make those important proactive decisions with every application

Entries to the ASOOTY Awards 2025 closes on Friday 12 September. The on-line entry form is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DB9LCNS

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

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Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range: The ZE Electric Zero-Turn range from Kubota has proven its credentials with operators looking to reduce their environmental footprint, all without detriment to productivity or cut performance.

Verifying that sustainability does not have to result in a compromise in turfcare standards, the fully-electric ZE-421 and ZE-481 mowers from Kubota’s Zero Turn collection are exceeding expectations too on operator comfort – reducing the noise, odours and vibrations associated with ICE-powered equipment.

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

With no internal combustion engine, the ZE produces no CO₂ or particulates during operation, supporting the UK air quality and net-zero commitments of local authorities and other green space managers. Instead, the ZE range is powered by a durable 48V, 10kWh lithium-ion battery which allows the mower to cover up to 15,000m² on a single charge. Depending on site conditions, the operator can choose between Eco, Standard or Boost mode deck settings to further optimise battery life whilst choosing between two transport speeds, when exhausted, the battery module can be removed and exchanged in minutes.

The advanced K-Sense auto-adjustment system also actively monitors deck load in real time to automatically balance mowing and travel speed to preserve cut quality on varying grass types and densities.

The ZE-421 and ZE-481 models come with a 42” or 48” side-discharge deck, ideal for professional contractors and landscaping applications, with an optional mulching kit available. Smooth and quiet in operation, additional comfort is provided by the adjustable seat and ergonomic deck controls designed to reduce fatigue and improve operator wellbeing.

In addition, the ongoing maintenance of the ZE range is significantly simplified, making it ideal for busy grounds teams. With no engine oil, spark plugs, fuel filters or exhaust systems to service, the routine upkeep is reduced to essential checks such as blade sharpening, tyre inspection and periodic battery monitoring. The electric drivetrain also results in fewer moving parts and less wear and tear, lowering the risk of breakdowns and maximising uptime.

The ZE range forms part of Kubota’s ongoing declaration to support a carbon neutral environment by 2050. For more details on other sustainable solutions for professional groundcare, visit www.kubota-eu.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)

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries.

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range

Minimise emissions and maximise uptime with the ZE range: The ZE Electric Zero-Turn range from Kubota has proven its credentials with operators looking to reduce their environmental footprint, all without detriment to productivity or cut performance.

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