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2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

2017 marks the 15th anniversary of total-play Ltd’s flagship cricket ground cover the Climate Cover System™. Its revolutionary design has remained unchanged since the product’s launch, and it is still the only truly breathable flat sheet cricket pitch cover on the market. Developed by former first class groundsman David Bates in conjunction with a team […]

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Germinal has added a new seed mixture to its Grade A range of sports seed products with the launch of a new semi-rough mixture for golf courses. Designed specifically for use along the border between fairway and rough areas, A32 Ecological Rough is made up of five different grass species, all of which have been […]

2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Developed by former first class groundsman David Bates in conjunction with a team of scientists, the Climate Cover System™ is designed by cricket groundsmen for the cricket groundsman. Its fabric has been selected to be extremely strong and both translucent and breathable. This importantly allows both light and air to pass through; protecting the pitch from rain whilst allowing vapour to escape and ensuring the grass plant continues to grow underneath – attributes that mean the covers can be left in place for far longer periods than traditional flat sheet cricket pitch covers.

This, alongside its lightweight and easy to deploy design make it a key piece of kit which can be found in use at the ECB National Academy, Lords cricket ground, test match grounds, county grounds, schools and local league clubs across the country. total-play Ltd MD, David Bates says:
“When we first developed the Climate Cover System™ I wanted to create something that helped to improve our pitches and would change the way cricket groundsmen used flat sheets. Having been in their shoes I understand the challenges involved in preparing first-class match pitches and wanted to give groundsmen everywhere a product that is practical but also didn’t harm the grass plant.

“We always strive to ensure our products are the best they can be and we have tweaked the product over the years but the fundamentals have stayed the same – it’s been a case of ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it?’.

“It’s also great to see so many smaller clubs now using the system – it’s always been a popular solution at the top end of the game, but we’re seeing sales to league and even non-league clubs increase. Thanks to the ECB and other funding streams clubs are being given the opportunity to invest in better solutions for their ground, and many are recognising the Climate Cover System™ as a great long-term investment.”

One recent satisfied customer is John Chaffin of Veryan CC in Cornwall, which purchased a Climate Cover System™ last summer, who says:
“The cover itself is brilliant, as a small village club it’s hard finding people to help with the groundwork so having a cover that’s light enough to put on and take off by yourself is amazing. The storage bag provided allows easy transportation and the cover being so breathable has allowed us to have the cover on for days at a time.”

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

February 7, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

A32 Ecological Rough has been designed specifically to enable greenkeepers to create fairway margins which adhere to the R&A’s guidelines regarding Pace and Play which state that: ‘Much time can be lost during a round as a result of searching for balls in the rough; it is also a source of much frustration for golfers. Time spent searching for balls can be reduced in the following ways; generally reducing the severity of rough so that, while the rough still provides a challenge, it is less likely to conceal a ball.’

Comprising 60% Corail (strong creeping red fescue), 15% sweet vernal grass, 15% Teno (small leaved Timothy), 5% AberÆRoyal (browntop bentgrass), and 5% crested dogstail, A32 produces a sward with very thin growth habits with wispy seed heads that don’t usually exceed 30-60 cm in height. These species also offer an attractive and diverse display of foliage throughout the summer, and create a valuable habitat for many species of native wildlife.

“A32 provides the perfect buffer between fairways and more off-line areas of play,” explains Richard Brown, Germinal’s Amenity Sales Manager. “It creates an easy to manage sward which can be maintained via infrequent cutting to create a thin, semi-rough environment that enables rapid ball retrieval and onward play. It also creates an ecologically valuable, natural grassland habitat, acting as an extension to wildlife-rich areas of thicker rough.”

Sophie Vukelic, Ecology and Environment Consultant at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) explains the ecological value of creating enhanced semi-rough environments: “Grasses are vitally important from an ecological viewpoint,” she describes. “They are the principle components of all grassland habitats, with different species providing unique diversity within machair to the north and chalk downlands in the south. These habitats provide food, shelter and vantage for a range of wildlife communities and are particularly valuable for molluscs through to invertebrates, bryophytes and small mammals. Often unappreciated are the secondary benefits of grasslands, which, by their presence, provide important food resources for bats and birds.”

Additional flower and heather species from Germinal’s extensive portfolio of wildflower seeds can also be added to the standard A32 mixture, giving greenkeepers and course managers the option to create their own bespoke seed mixture. “All of our wildflower mixtures have been deemed ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ by the Royal Horticultural Society,” Richard Brown continues. “That enables greenkeepers to create an enhanced ecological habitat whilst at the same time giving their courses a unique and definitive visual appearance.”

A33 Habitat Mixture
Germinal has also added a new wildlife-specific seed mixture to its 2017 seed offering: A33 Habitat Mixture provides the perfect mix of grass seeds to create an enhanced habitat for bees, bats and butterflies within semi-rough areas and along the edges of fairways.

A33 Habitat Mixture contains 35% Corail (strong creeping red fescue), 30% AberÆCharm (slender creeping red fescue), 5% red clover, 10% sweet vernal grass, 15% small leaved Timothy and 5% quaking grass.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

2017 Marks The 15th Anniversary For Climate Cover System™

New Seed Mixture For Faster Play And Enhanced Ecology

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