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Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

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Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse: Lifting, mowing and manoeuvring within confined areas are proving no problem for an estate in the heart of Lincolnshire following the delivery of a Kubota LX 351 – which the owner describes as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of compact tractors.

Complete with a range of attachments, the LX 351 was installed by Irelands Farm Machinery in Spring 2022 and has gone on to be fundamental to the expanding orchard operation, making light work of the year-round estate management and reducing the reliance on external contractors.

Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse

The 400-acre family-run estate comprises arable land, run by a tenant farmer, with 34 acres of woodland a further 6 acres of grassland in the final stages of being converted into a fully-operational orchard – with close to 1000 apple trees planted come the end of February 2023. A spokesperson for the estate said, “Our tractor is at the centre of everything we do here, so when it came to looking for a new one, we spent extensive time researching and comparing the options available. We had used Kubota machinery on hire previously and were impressed with the quality and engineering, but still looked at the specification of comparable brands.”

They continue, “Our wish list was for a 35hp tractor, powerful but small enough to navigate around the estate and capable of being equipped with attachments for mowing, towing, hedge cutting and lifting and moving pallets to where they are needed. We also wanted a cab and air-con for comfort and safety as we work all year-round.” Ticking every box, with a competitive price tag and excellent back-up support from the team at Irelands, the LX 351 complete with mixed service tyres, front-end loader and counterweight, front forks, log grapple, 60” mid-mounted mower deck and 2-tonne Kubota tipping trailer was installed in April last year.

“It’s proven itself to be a real workhorse, from lifting pallets on and off delivery vehicles, assisting with pruning trees, felling and planting jobs throughout the winter and spring and assisting with the apple harvest in September and October. Attachments are easy to switch with the ‘quick attach’ mechanism and all of the controls and features are designed for comfort, making for a very pleasant operator experience. The cut quality with the mid-mounted deck has also been superb, navigating around the newly planted saplings where the gap is no more than 4m.”

The LX 351 has also enabled the team to conduct more operations in-house, saving money otherwise spent on bringing in contractors, to the point where the estate are now considering offering contracting services themselves to those in the surrounding area. “This investment will pay for itself in no time and there’s been nothing we have asked of it to date, that it hasn’t been able to deliver.” They conclude, “The whole experience has been so positive that we would not hesitate to consider further equipment from the Kubota brand in the future, as and when the need arises.”

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4turf® delivers a sustainable drought-tolerant sward

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4turf® delivers a sustainable drought-tolerant sward: Opened in late 2019, Stoneham Lane Football Complex comprises 64sq.Km of artificial and natural sports pitches – supporting grass roots football for players of all ages and abilities.

Part of the FA’s Parklife Project, the maintenance of the Complex falls under the remit of Hampshire FA Facility Operations Manager Pete Hussey who, in conjunction with seed from DLF, keeps the five grass pitches fit for more than 425 matches per season.

4turf® delivers a sustainable drought-tolerant sward

4turf® delivers a sustainable drought-tolerant sward

Alongside the Stoneham Lane facility in Eastleigh, Pete also manages operations at the Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke and the Front Lawn Community Hub in Havant – all designed to support and fund grass roots sport within the local area. “I’ve been in this role for three and a half years, but have worked with DLF for 17 years, having used various seed formulations at my previous venue” explains Pete.

“When Stoneham was constructed, one of the major focuses was on drainage – giving us incredible infiltration rates in the region of 52mm per hour. However, the flip side of that is that we have no irrigation meaning that in the dry months, pitches struggle to retain moisture and thin out quickly.” Foreseeing the challenges that lay ahead, Pete spoke to his DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to explore more drought-tolerant varieties – and just in time, before one of the most prolonged droughts experienced in the UK, in the summer of 2022!

“We opted to switch from the 100% diploid perennial ryegrass mix to Johnsons J 4Turf 50, sown in May 2022, and we couldn’t have been more impressed with the results.” J 4Turf 50 incorporates 4turf® tetraploid perennial ryegrass, a larger seed with higher energy reserves to deliver deeper rooting, better establishing plants – including in cooler temperatures – with enhanced colour, disease resistance and drought tolerance. The 2023 formulation contains 50% 4turf® tetraploid rye and 50% diploid perennial ryegrass.

“The J 4Turf 50 established well before the hot conditions arrived. We were limited on how much water we could get onto the pitches and were thinking we would need to do a lot of recovery work ahead of the new season, however after the rain returned, the pitches recovered amazingly! We didn’t need to do any additional overseeding or fertilising, we relied on mother nature and the seed to do what it promised it would, and it did exactly that.”

Pete continues, “As the season progressed, the J 4Turf 50 coped with the high wear, recovered fast and remained strong enough that we saw no disease activity at all last year. In fact the pitches looked so good, we were able to wait until after Christmas to put a feed down.” He adds, “This switch has given us everything we want in terms of performance, but more than that, has moved us towards a lower input sward which is more sustainable to manage.”

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BAGMA signs up a new General Manager

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BAGMA signs up a new General Manager: A well-known industry name will be taking the reins at the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA), as they announce Nick Darking as their new General Manager.

Effective from 13th March 2023, Nick will be building on the legacy of departing Director Keith Christian, bringing with him more than 30 years of industry knowledge and experience to this lead role.

BAGMA signs up a new General Manager

BAGMA signs up a new General Manager

Nick joins BAGMA on the back of more than three decades in the land based engineering sector working with a cross section of customers and dealers in both the agricultural and ground care sectors.

The majority of Nick’s career has been with leading machinery supplier – Redexim – where he began in a hands-on role in the workshop, before a long and illustrious track record in a sales and support role. It is also here that Nick forged many strong and longstanding relationships with partners across the Redexim dealer network.

In addition to Redexim partners, Nick has also had the pleasure of working closely alongside the leading industry associations including BIGGA and the Grounds Management Association (GMA), and has sat on the AEA’s ‘Outdoor Power Equipment Council’ for the last 10 years.

Commenting on his appointment, Nick said: “I am delighted to be joining the BAGMA team, working with a fantastic group of industry professionals and using my knowledge to further the aims and objectives that BAGMA work so passionately to achieve.

“Having worked with a number of BAGMA members in my previous roles, I look forward to re-connecting and developing these relationships and taking the next step of my career in the industry which I love.”

Keith Christian said: “I am pleased to be handing over BAGMA to a person that has a similar industry background to myself and an understanding of the UK dealer network and their needs in today’s ever changing business world.”

Ruth Bailey (CEO AEA) commented: “This is a superb appointment for us and for the industry. We are absolutely thrilled that someone of Nick’s standing and experience will be taking the helm at BAGMA and carrying on with the dedicated and passionate path as set by Keith. I very much look forward to working with Nick in the years to come.”

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New starters herald a bright year

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New starters herald a bright year: Following on from a record-breaking year in 2022, Capillary Concrete, the world-leader in sportsfield drainage and moisture control, has made a number of key appointments aimed at enabling it to move even further forward in 2023 and beyond.

In the golf sector, the company’s biggest market, Capillary has appointed Niklas Svantesson to establish its business in Canada. Swedish, Svantesson was for some years course manager at Halmstad Golfklubb in the south-west of the country, where he was awarded Golf Course Manager of the Year in 2007, and took charge of preparing the course for the Solheim Cup in the same year. For the past eleven years, he has been club manager at Gothenburg Golfklubb in Sweden’s second city, the country’s oldest club. He moved with his family to the United States in 2022 to lead Capillary Bunkers’ drive into Canada, and also to play a key role in the further development of the revolutionary Capillary Hydroponics technology.

New starters herald a bright year

New starters herald a bright year

Svantesson says: “The Capillary Bunkers solution has proven itself for many years and I’m looking forward to introducing it to the Canadian golf community. The development of the new revolutionary system Capillary Hydroponics for heavily loaded grass surfaces and sports arenas will arouse interest in many places in the world. To grow grass with water from below without any sprinklers in a closed plant bed where you control the gas exchange, moisture level, nutrient supply, disease control without leakage. The fact that there will be no negative environmental impact and it is 100 per cent natural feels right, and the saving of 80-90 per cent of water consumption per year and that the pumps are powered by a solar panel opens up great opportunities in places in the world where there are both energy and water shortages.”

Another Swede, Louise Torgersen, has joined the company as manager of Capillary Equestrian, its solution for controlling moisture levels in riding arenas. A Swedish international showjumper and twice winner of the national championship, with a background in events and marketing, she will work with the company’s sales team, using trade shows, other events and social media, to increase its presence within the equestrian sector. “For me as an equestrian, it feels great to work with a system that I think will revolutionise the industry of equestrian footing,” she says.

An engineer with a passion for horses, Alexandra Kettil has joined Capillary Concrete’s product development team. She studied engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, and has a degree in industrial engineering and management. Since graduating in 2019, she has worked with two different startups developing innovative products for the equine industry; at Capillary Concrete, her role will involve developing ideas into marketable products.

Finally, Brandy Laymon has joined Capillary’s office in Wellington, Florida, as staff accountant. Born and raised in a small town in Kentucky, she moved to the Sunshine State four years ago after receiving her masters degree in accountancy. “City life is quite a culture shock, but I’m enjoying every minute of it,” she says. “I am looking forward to being able to use my skills to help the company grow. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Capillary Concrete in the coming years.”

Company CEO and founder Martin Sternberg says: “The last two years have been an amazing ride for us, with huge growth in our core markets and expanding into new territories and sectors. Now, and with these new appointments, we are set to make the next move forward. We know our technology is the best in our fields, and we are very excited to be able to bring it to new users.”

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Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

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Planting of a new ‘community woodland’: Leading international exhibition for sports turf professionals helps create wildlife habitat at Harrogate Golf Club with the planting of a new ‘community woodland’

Staff from the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association joined the greenkeepers and members at Harrogate Golf Club recently to plant a ‘community woodland’, comprising more than 200 trees donated by exhibitors at the upcoming BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME).

Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

BTME is due to take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre from 24 to 26 January and is recognised as among the most influential events on the UK golfing calendar, with more than 5,000 golf greenkeepers and turf professionals in attendance.

High on the agenda each year is sustainability and the increasing importance of environmentally friendly practices on golf courses, particularly with the annual Golf Environment Awards taking place in Harrogate concurrent to the trade show.

Overall, British golf courses cover an area roughly equivalent to the whole of Greater Manchester and provide wide-ranging habitats including wetlands, wildflower areas and woodland. Countless forward-thinking golf clubs around the UK are now undertaking activities that boost their environmental credentials and the team at BIGGA, as the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, wanted to do their bit.

When booking their spot at the 2023 exhibition, supporting companies were invited to ‘Plant a Tree for BTME’ and it is hoped that over the years sufficient trees will be planted to create a network of ‘BTME community woodlands’ around the UK, with Harrogate Golf Club the first to participate in the scheme.

BIGGA is extremely grateful to those exhibitors who have participated in the scheme, with Reesink UK purchasing 100 trees, Aquatrols purchasing 50 and The FairWays Foundation purchasing 20. Other contributors included: Advance Grass Solutions; Bernhard and Company; Campey Turf Care Systems; COMPO Expert; East Riding Turfcare; EVEN Products; GreenBest/Velvit; LFP Civil & Environmental Engineering; Redlynch Leisure; Shelton Sportsturf Drainage; and The Double A Trading Company.

James Hutchinson is Membership Services Manager – Ecology & Sustainability at BIGGA and is considered one of the UK’s leading authorities on golf course ecology. James said: “Plant a Tree for BTME is a wonderful scheme and I’m delighted that so many exhibitors purchased saplings, which we have planted at Harrogate Golf Club. This is such a brilliant idea because trees sequestrate carbon in the soil, meaning we are able to offset some of the carbon that is generated at BTME.

“Not only that, but trees create wonderful habitats for the great British wildlife. Golf clubs are often overlooked by the general public, but they provide priceless habitats for countless species, often forming safe zones for wildlife to thrive in urban areas. Harrogate Golf Club is a fantastic example and the addition of these silver birch, downy birch, rowan and cherry trees will create outstanding habitats for years to come.”

Ken Ward is Head Greenkeeper at Harrogate Golf Club and said: “I was thrilled when James asked us if we would like to take part in the Plant a Tree for BTME scheme. We are very much about ecology and sustainability at Harrogate GC and creating new wildlife habitat by planting trees is very much in line with the ethos of the club.

“Harrogate Golf Club is hugely appreciative of BIGGA and all the exhibitors who contributed to this scheme as it is such a worthwhile cause, not only for us but also for our kids, grandchildren and future generations.”

Lauren Frazer, Head of Business Development at BIGGA, said: “We’re committed to making Plant a Tree for BTME a fixture on the BTME calendar and I’m hopeful that next year we’ll be planting even more trees at another brilliant golf club and once again highlighting the vital work golf greenkeepers do to support the wider environment.

“Thank you to all of those who contributed to this wonderful scheme and I’m really looking to seeing all our exhibitors and the attendees at BTME in just a few short weeks.”

For more information about BTME 2023, head to www.btme.org.uk

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