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Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

From 1 March 2017, all bottles of the barrier acting, total herbicide, Pistol® from Bayer, will be supplied with two low drift sprayer nozzles and a stewardship checklist attached. The addition of the low drift nozzles forms part of the new authorisation for Pistol® which was officially re-registered by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) under […]

Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Spey Valley Golf & Country Club may have been voted the most picturesque course in the UK, but for Head Greenkeeper Dave Beardwood it has its drawbacks. At 400 feet above sea level, and set in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, this 18 hole championship course delivers some spectacular views for the players. With a reduced growing season being so far north, Dave needs to maximise the efficiency of the maintenance season so he turned to a Graden CSI and a Redexim Speedbrush, from Charterhouse Turf Machinery for help.

“Because of our high location, we have a more limited window to get maintenance activities done. We don’t usually get good growth until the start of May and it tails off again in October – we just don’t get the soil temperatures” explains Dave. When he joined Spey Valley nearly 3 years ago, there was an issue with moss on the greens which Dave didn’t want to tackle with coring. “I was keen to eradicate the moss using a less invasive method, while still removing a good amount of material.”

Having used a Graden machine before during his time working at a club in Cyprus, Dave decided to invest in a Graden CSI, from Charterhouse Turf Machinery, which was delivered mid-2016. Due to staffing levels, the greens were covered over a period of weeks with Dave delighted at the results. “We removed a good amount of material, some of which we sent off for testing. It showed only 5% thatch which reaffirmed my decision not to hollow core. When using the CSI we used a combination of sand and seed to backfill the grooves and we achieved great germination, despite the work taking place late in our growing season.”

At the same time, Dave took delivery of a Redexim Speedbrush to help him achieve his greens project. “We’d carried out some deep aeration followed by a heavy topdress, and with the damp mornings etc it took a while for the sand to work in – it was evident we needed a piece of kit to work the sand down more effectively.” To date, the Speedbrush has been great for light topdressings following the Graden work and for collecting seedlings and debris from the greens.

“It’s relatively early days but the results achieved with both machines so far are very positive. We’re all looking forward to what can be achieved with a full year and season ahead.”

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

March 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

The new authorisation confirms that Pistol® is registered through to 2020. Bayer is already in the process of re-labelling bottles and distributors have until the end of February 2017 to sell any remaining ‘old label’ stock. However, any individuals purchasing these products will have until February 2018 to use their stocks.

“The new nozzles will mean that amenity professionals using Pistol® will have a more targeted spray pattern and chemical drift will be minimised, so the product only affects the target area and there is less wastage,” says Dr Colin Mumford of the Bayer Turf Solutions Team.

“As an independent organisation, the Amenity Forum fully supports product stewardship and the importance of choosing the correct nozzle so that the product is applied exactly where needed for effective and economic impact,” adds independent chairman of the Amenity Forum, Professor John Moverley OBE.

“Pistol is an essential product for the control of annual and perennial weeds and grasses on soft and gravel surfaces. And without such updates to the packaging, we could see even more products removed from the market, so we aim to ensure that our products are stewarded correctly and we always encourage best practice,” says Colin.

A key benefit of Pistol® is that it has a long lasting, systemic and residual mode of action. Once it is applied, its effectiveness will continue, as a barrier is created on the upper profile of the soil that will remain throughout the season, controlling germinating weeds and preventing their establishment.

The herbicide can be applied with a knapsack sprayer, and the nozzles are universal, so will fit to the user’s existing equipment.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Spey Valley Golf Club Tackles Thatch

All Pistol® Bottles Now Supplied With Low Drift Nozzles

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