Tag Archive for: advantage

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC: Located in the stunning Snowdonia National Park, Aberdovey Golf Club in Aberdyfi, Wales, stands as a testament to the beauty and challenges of links golf. Overseeing this picturesque yet demanding course is Course Manager Nigel Green, whose dedication to excellence has been furthered by innovative solutions from Agrovista Amenity, particularly BASF’s Attraxor plant growth regulator.

Aberdovey Golf Club spans over 6,500 yards and has earned a reputation for testing even the most skilled golfers. However, it isn’t just the golfers who have their work cut out according to Nigel. “It is challenging conditions for both golfers and greenkeepers alike,” he says.

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC

Nigel has been working at the club for an impressive 38 years and he highlights how standards at the club have improved. “The course has benefited over the years because the industry has progressed in terms of technology, machinery and products.”

One of the products central to Nigel’s success is Attraxor, a plant growth regulator developed by BASF. Containing prohexadione calcium, this innovative solution offers precise control over turf growth while promoting root development and enhancing turf quality. What sets Attraxor apart is its fast-acting formulation, providing almost instant results and flexibility in application timing, even in cooler conditions.

Nigel’s journey with Attraxor began with a conversation with Chris Knowles from Agrovista Amenity. Intrigued by its potential to reduce seed heads in addition to plant growth plant growth regulation, Nigel decided to give Attraxor a try. The results were nothing short of remarkable. Nigel observed a significant reduction in seed heads, particularly on the greens, prompting him to expand its usage across the course.

Starting cautiously, Nigel trialled Attraxor on the main putting green before gradually increasing the application rate to 600 grams per hectare. He applies Attraxor every three weeks from January to August, sometimes extending into September due to its effectiveness. Moreover, recent independent trials commissioned by Agrovista also confirm benefits of winter application.

Nigel’s meticulous approach also involves tank-mixing Attraxor with Aquatrols’ Premium N, ensuring optimal performance and consistent results.

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC

The Attraxor Advantage at Aberdovey GC

In addition to Attraxor, Nigel highlights the efficacy of BASF’s Maxtima fungicide. Trialling Maxtima early on as a trial before it was launched, Nigel found it to be incredibly effective against Dollar Spot, minimising the need for additional treatments and showcasing outstanding results.

Nigel underlines the invaluable support and expertise provided by Agrovista Amenity and Chris Knowles. “The technical advice and support I receive from Agrovista Amenity and Chris Knowles is very good. If you have any questions or are not too sure about something, you can always get an answer from them. It is a very good relationship.”

As greenkeeping continues to evolve, Nigel emphasises the importance of working with knowledgeable partners like Agrovista Amenity. With impending challenges and restrictions on chemical usage, Nigel believes that innovative solutions and strategic partnerships will be essential for maintaining the standards of courses like Aberdovey.

Through strategic partnerships with companies like Agrovista Amenity and the adoption of cutting-edge products like Attraxor and Maxtima, Nigel has elevated the standards of course maintenance while navigating the evolving landscape of greenkeeping.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Pellenc has the advantage at Hutchesons’

Pellenc has the advantage at Hutchesons’: Iain Ellis, Head Groundsman at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, has highlighted the many benefits of using a range of Pellenc battery-powered equipment.

Hutchesons’ Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in the south-side of Glasgow. Founded in 1641, the school has a long-held record of academic achievement and offers pupils a wide choice of extra-curricular activities at its primary and secondary schools.

Pellenc has the advantage at Hutchesons’

Pellenc has the advantage at Hutchesons’

Many of these activities and clubs are focussed on sustainability – a topic which the school cares deeply about.

Sustainability isn’t just limited to the pupils, as Iain revealed.

“Hutchesons’ is a very eco-friendly school, and we all have a part to play,” he said. “I have wanted to go down the battery-powered route for a long time now.”

Approximately six months ago, Ian got the go ahead from the school to purchase a range of innovative Pellenc battery-powered equipment. Organised and supplied by Allan Wright of Agrovista Amenity, Ian purchased an Airion blower, an Excelion strimmer, a Helion compact hedge-cutter as well as the Helion telescopic model, and the Rasion pedestrian mower.

“I was instantly impressed as to just how quiet the equipment was,” said Iain. “In this respect it is brilliant because we simply couldn’t use our old two-stroke machinery when classes or exams were in progress. Furthermore, the Pellenc equipment offers far more protection to operators.”

Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and enough power to enable professional users to work for a full day on a single charge, it’s no wonder more and more professional users like Ian are turning to Pellenc. It is an attractive alternative to those who have, for several years, been relying on fuel-based machinery.

Iain was quick to point out the advantages.

“The Rasion lawnmower has surpassed itself completely – especially on the huge banks we have at the school. We used to have a big mower which was a real struggle and didn’t do much good especially with the oil tipping back and forward. The Rasion is so light, and it turns on a sixpence. We no longer have to tip the mower and walk round with it to turn. I also like that there are four settings for cutting and four speed settings too.  I can’t praise this mower enough.

“Then there is the Airion blower which offers us far more control than our old two-stroke blower. We have many stone areas on site and with the low power setting we can easily blow grass off without moving the stones. This wasn’t possible with the two-stroke blower.

“We also like how light the equipment is,” continued Iain. “There are five sites we tend to, and we need to constantly move machinery from one site to another. Our old petrol machinery was so heavy compared to the Pellenc equipment. We are no longer having to transport fuel so that is good from a health and safety point of view. Plus, we are saving a lot of money on fuel – especially with prices going up all the time.

“The batteries don’t cost much to charge and the life on them is really good – we’ve never ran out of battery life.

“Overall, I can’t speak highly enough about the Pellenc equipment – it has made a huge difference to the work we do across all the sites. The other bonus is the warranty and I’m looking at purchasing more Pellenc tools this year.”

As Iain says, Pellenc UK offers an industry leading four-year commercial warranty for all batteries and a three-year warranty for all tools.

Pellenc is distributed exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Green-tech takes advantage of Rain Bird academy

Green-tech takes advantage of Rain Bird academy: Green-tech is the UK’s largest landscape supplier and key members of the company’s team have participated in a Rain Bird Academy training programme for irrigation professionals. The course was held at Green-tech’s headquarters in Arkendale near Harrogate in Spring 2022 and led by Eric Hendrickx, Rain Bird’s Contractor and Public Agency Specialist for Benelux and UK.

In 2021 Green-tech joined forces with its parent company Origin Amenity and Rain Bird to provide its customers with access to the world’s leading irrigation product portfolio for the landscape sector. As part of the on-going relationship between the organisations, the two day training programme covered Concepts and Techniques For Designing A State of the Art Irrigation System and The Selection and Adjustment of Irrigation Equipment.

Green-tech takes advantage of Rain Bird academy

Green-tech takes advantage of Rain Bird academy

With the emphasis on both theoretical and practical training, the course was tailored to Green-tech’s requirements and covered many topics including irrigation system design, sprinkler selection and installation, calculation of flow rates and watering schedules, maintenance of nozzles and the creation of irrigation programs to suit the characteristics of a landscaping project.
Richard Wexham, Green-tech’s Specification Manager, comments: “ We feel it is important to keep abreast of the latest technology in irrigation and offer our customer base the best solutions available. We found the Rain Bird A1 and A2 training courses informative and useful, packed with practical advice. Green-tech is delighted to be able to offer this world leading irrigation product portfolioto the landscape sector.”

Rain Bird Academy’s training programmes are designed for irrigation professionals with all levels of experience and there are over 40 courses or workshops available. They are all taught by certified trainers and undergo regular updates to ensure classes contain the most current and relevant information. Contact: Peter Longman, Rain Bird Europe, plongman@rainbird.eu

www.rainbird.eu

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Waterscapes takes advantage of Rain Bird irrigation training

Waterscapes takes advantage of Rain Bird: Waterscapes Limited, the UK’s leading water feature and irrigation specialist, has been the recipient of the first in a series of irrigation training events hosted by Rain Bird in the UK.

Sponsored by UK distributor Landscape Watering Services (LWS), it took place in Slough during Autumn 2021 and covered Rain Bird’s IQ4 Central Irrigation Control system and IVM smart valve irrigation technology. Some 14  Irrigation Installation Engineers and members of the contracts management team from Waterscapes attended the event.

Waterscapes takes advantage of Rain Bird irrigation training

Waterscapes takes advantage of Rain Bird irrigation training

The hands-on training covered the technical capabilities and applications of IQ4 and IVM products which offer users maximum irrigation efficiency through advanced real time water management and diagnostics capabilities. “As a company we continually invest in training at all levels. This ensures that Waterscapes can give clients the best advice and service for their water feature and irrigation projects, saving them money and conserving water throughout the lifetime of an installation,” says Waterscapes’ Managing Director Paul Jeffery.

Waterscapes undertakes new and regeneration projects across many sectors, from business parks and public spaces to commercial spaces, roof gardens and residential schemes. In London alone, the company has completed installations within many prominent developments including Sky Garden, Crossrail, The Kings Cross Estate, Kew Gardens and RHS Wisley. Clients cover many disciplines from commercial property development & construction to architectural practices, landscape contractors and homeowners.

“We recognise the importance of being fully up to date and informed with the latest Rain Bird irrigation technology as it forms an important element of all our irrigation projects, ” concludes Paul.

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INFINICUT® gives Warrington Wolves the advantage

INFINICUT® gives Warrington Wolves the advantage: When Niall Hazlehurst joined Warrington Wolves as Head of Grounds in February 2021, a quick trip into the equipment shed flagged the urgent need for an update to the club’s mower fleet.

Recognising the number of elite sporting venues using mowers from INFINICUT®, Niall put forward a case that if the club wanted to be the best, they needed to invest in the best equipment! Convinced by both the superior cut quality and environmental credentials, the club purchased two 34” INFINICUT® FX mowers, along with an SM34 Rotary, earlier this year.

INFINICUT® gives Warrington Wolves the advantage

INFINICUT® gives Warrington Wolves the advantage

“Having used INFINICUT® mowers in the past, it was fantastic to be able to explain just how many benefits they could bring to the quality of the pitch and the environment as a whole” explains Niall. “Like a lot of clubs, we’re looking at ways of being greener so the fact we can reduce emissions and cost by switching to battery power was a big plus. However, the mowers also need to deliver on the agronomic front. The number of adjustable parameters on the INFINICUT’s and the millimetre precision you get when setting the height of cut has taken our pitch presentation from nil to the best it’s ever been!”

Two 34” fixed head units are the primary mowers for pre-match cut but, in addition, the club decided to invest in the SM34 Rotary mower – delivered by dealers Turner Groundcare in August. The SM34 follows the same design philosophy as the rest of the INFINICUT® range, offering best in class performance with an emphasis on a modern, clean power source. It takes its mode of traction from the INFINICUT® reel mower, renowned for its durability, paired with a deck designed to facilitate optimal airflow.

“Now that we’re out of season, we’re using our SM34 in rotation with the 34” FX units to help to stand the plant up and thicken the sward. In season, it is used for the clean-up cut and thanks to the phenomenal suction, it doesn’t miss anything!” Niall continues, “In addition, if the weather is really poor on prep day and we’re at all concerned about dropping clippings, we will use the Rotary as this gives us an excellent quality of cut and finish. Having that versatility at our disposal is fantastic.”

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