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Educating Scientists For The Future

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Educating Scientists For The Future: With the rising importance of educating children in scientific subjects and encouraging practical learning, Bayer is helping pupils learn about some of the basic scientific principles that underpin many turf management practices.

From 1 to 5 October, over 100 local primary school children and teachers visited the Bayer Environmental Science headquarters in Cambridge, for practical science lessons from using a microscope and testing honey, to the role of bees and their life cycles, delivered by the ‘Baylab’.

Educating Scientists For The Future

Steve Bishop, Bayer group product manager, explains that the ‘Baylab’ provides an enhanced learning facility, that is normally based in Reading. “The roadshow has been a huge success, with students and teachers alike.

“The wider context for the turf management industry is an increasing pressure from the regulatory authorities. Not only have we lost key management products, but greenkeepers are being challenged to maintain quality playing surfaces.

“Therefore, the industry needs a steady stream of new professionals to continue and build on the research and development that’s required to support turf management for years to come,” he says.

“This is why we’re so passionate about awakening an interest in science among young people from all backgrounds at an early age, to boost their confidence, provide inspiration and aid in development.

“It’s all about capturing the imagination of children today, to make them the scientists of tomorrow.”

Steve explains that he hopes the children and teachers went away with a positive attitude, not only towards science, but to the work that goes into maintaining the environments in which they work, rest and play.

For more information about the Baylab, please visit www.bayer.co.uk/en/baylab/ or the Bayer Environmental Science website www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk.

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New Campey TopDrain For CLS

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New Campey TopDrain For CLS: Leading specialist sports contractors, CLS Sports, a division of Cleveland Land Services, has added an Imants (KORO®) TopDrain 1000 from Campey Turf Care Systems to their fleet to meet increased customer demand.

For 15 years CLS Sports has been at the forefront of sports turf contracting using their expertise and knowledge, in conjunction with the most innovative machines available, to service the sports turf industry.

New Campey TopDrain For CLS

During that time drainage has, and will continue to be, one of the most vital aspects of sports turf maintenance. Keeping surfaces playable throughout the more challenging times of the season is paramount for team or club.

Introducing a secondary drainage system that compliments existing primary drainage is an effective way to prevent fixtures being postponed. Water can drain quicker into the primary lateral drains, making surfaces more suitable for the demands of modern sport and increasingly wetter weather.

The TopDrain 1000 provides a complete one-pass surface drainage system. It is a unique multifunctional machine that trenches, removes spoil, injects sand and re-compacts all in one operation. Designed for sports fields and golf course fairways, the TopDrain 1000 benefits include; material and labour savings, faster processing times and less surface contamination than conventional methods.

For Cleveland Land Services Contracts Director, Stephen Miller, this is the second TopDrain in the fleet so they are already familiar with the advantages it brings, but the benefits of adding a second smaller machine has strengthened the service they offer.

“Top draining is an option that’s been popular for some time and is continuing to grow,” Stephen said. “It’s been specified on a number of schemes this year and it’s something that when we design projects internally we’d recommend because it offers a high-level secondary drainage system.

New Campey TopDrain For CLS

“So, the combined growth in demand and proven results is the reason why we have purchased a second machine. We have plenty of TopDrain work for our current model to do, but also a requirement for the new smaller 1000 model for other projects which were as important but didn’t need the tractor capacity.

“The 1000 model trenches out at 250mm deep and 40mm wide and at one-meter centres, whereas our existing machine works at the same depth and width but at half meter centres.

“Our current TopDrain needs a 135hp tractor whereas the TopDrain 1000 only requires 105hp thereby increasing its versatility on site as the same tractors we use to install the primary drainage systems can be used to install the secondary system.”

For more information, visit: www.campeyturfcare.com

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Whisper Twister Perfect For Coxmoor

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Whisper Twister Perfect For Coxmoor: Coxmoor Golf Club, an accredited England Golf Championship venue, is in its fourth year of a major ten year redevelopment, working closely with architects, Creative Golf Design. The progressive Nottinghamshire club has an innovative programme of bunker and tee improvements to future proof the course which are already elevating its stature. 

Running alongside is a ten year woodlands plan in partnership with The Sherwood Forest Trust and the Forestry Commission.  The goal is to restore the Sutton-in-Ashfield club to its natural heathland habitat with a better understanding of woodland management.  Over 1500 trees have been thinned out making way for the best indigenous species, the focus on selecting trees across a spectrum of life cycle stages. By necessity, Course Manager, Ben Cumberland and his greenkeeping team of seven, adopt very effective solutions for removing leaf debris.

Whisper Twister Perfect For Coxmoor

Central to their operation is a previously under-used John Deere 3730 tractor, which now supports a Wiedenmann Whisper Twister blower on the front and a variety of equipment on the back.

“When I joined Coxmoor, the 3730 tractor was a couple of years old with its three point front linkage kit untouched and no obvious plans to put it to use. With front linkage in place it made sense to attach a blower which could stay on for two to three months at a time,” explained Ben Cumberland.  “James Robson from dealer Henton and Chatell got on the case and brought the Whisper Twister for demo and we kept it.

“It’s fortunate the John Deere has low ground pressure and Galaxy flotation tyres so it can be over the greens for most of the year, leaving no imprint whatsoever. The Whisper Twister balances on a low pressure wheel so together they are perfect for fine turf. When it’s dry, the blower goes round the greens that need it in the morning to tidy them. We drive right up to a bunker, point the nozzle, rotate if required and the leaves are taken out easily. Because the driver’s view is to the front, you see everything; no awkward neck twisting trying to look behind,” continued Ben Cumberland.

Whisper Twister Perfect For Coxmoor

“Only in the depths of winter will we go over the greens and blow leaves by hand. But for other parts of the course when it is damp and the leaves are dormant and bedded into the grass, we will pair the blower with the Wiedenmann Terra Rake.  The scarifying tines on the rake go through the longer grass, teasing the leaves out from the bottom; the leaves are blown out and then we rake them up.

“Having the blower to the front is so versatile; the set up gives scope to do more and more. We will put another machine on the back and tidy as we go, especially with aeration work on the greens, or with the slitter, the sorrel roller, the brush… even down to blowing tees before we spray them with the sprayer attached. We often do two jobs in one. Kill two birds with the one stone if you like.”

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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First SALTEX For Consolidate Turf

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First SALTEX For Consolidate Turf: Exhibiting at Saltex for the first time this year, Consolidate Turf is giving every turf professional the opportunity to come to stand E195/E196 at the NEC in Birmingham and discover an exclusive range of balanced, energy efficient, liquid nutritional products for the perfect turf maintenance programme.

The Chorley based company manufactures bespoke nutritional programmes including core products Consolidate Plus+ and Consolidate Winter Turf Hardener, that provide the maximum benefit for individual customer needs.

First SALTEX For Consolidate Turf

Working closely with groundsmen and greenkeepers across the amenity sector has led to Consolidate Turf products being incorporated in the turf maintenance programmes at the majority of the UK’s and Europe’s most renowned venues including many Premier League facilities as well as Universities and Non-League and National League football teams.

Renowned Head Groundsman Steve Braddock said: “Following the successful trial last winter on one of our pitches I have decided to extend the use of Consolidate Plus and Consolidate Winter Turf Hardener onto our other pitches this winter.”

As well as these core products, the varied catalogue of the Anti-Stress Turf Range, Consolidate Range and the Renovation Seed Pack have enabled users to adjust rates to suit their specific requirements. This has been customary practice in the case of Links manager, Chris Ball, who has used the products to adapt to ever-changing conditions on golf courses.

“I have been involved in the turf industry for over 25 years,” Chris explained. “During this time, I have experienced various management techniques and practices at both Parkland and Links venues.

“I have regularly used the full range of Consolidate Turf products due to their diverse flexibility that subtly adapts and compliments our ever challenging and changing environment.”

By creating tailored programmes for customers any issues their turf is facing can be directly met. At Glamorgan Cricket Club, Head Groundsman, Robin Saxton, wanted to improve plant health and colour and did so through the use of a unique Consolidate programme.

“From the first meeting we have made tremendous progress and as things advanced through meetings we have designed and developed a completely bespoke and unique package for our exact needs,” he said.

“We have had great results with the renovation package. We have managed to integrate the programme on our cricket square and the results have been fantastic.

“Using Consolidate Plus+ on a fortnightly basis has helped us keep a more even colour and growth rate across the square without the peaks and troughs a monthly programme can give you. The addition of extra copper in the mix has kept us disease free even when we have had to cover the square for an extended period of time.”

Producing a range of nutritional products that are the catalyst for turf improvements for groundsmen on every budget is an important factor for Consolidate Turf. They strive to improve pitches for customers such as Chorley Football Club in the National League North with a natural pitch, as much as they do for Fulham Football Club in the Premier League playing on an SIS Grass hybrid pitch. “We are successfully using the full range of Consolidate Turf products on all SIS pitches at both The Cottage and training grounds. Right from the renovation through the season, the bespoke product range is aiding us to achieve optimum pitch performance across the board,” said Grounds Manager David Tatnell.

This has been achieved by listening to customers and refining individual choices that have become integral components in maintenance programmes across the entire spectrum of amateur and professional sport.

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Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

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Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6: Throughout his 26 years of service at Ashley Wood GC in Blandford Forum, head greenkeeper, Mark Sherwood, can count the snow days there on the fingers of both hands.  With high elevation and fast draining chalk soil, extreme weather rarely halts play at the Dorset club. Indeed during winter, Ashley Wood is a magnet for those looking for year round golf.

So in March, when Andy Frost from local Wiedenmann UK dealer,  EG Coles of Shaftesbury and Chas Ayres, Wiedenmann UK Sales Manager, pitched up to install a Terra Spike GXi 6 aerator, everyone was hugely surprised by a 3 inch snowfall.

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

“The snow was gone in no time but it put a stop to the handover run,” recalls Mark Sherwood.  “However, that was the Monday, by the Wednesday we got on so well we were even hollow coring. It was an instant success.”

Ashley Wood’s GXi 6 was specifically chosen to deliver a clean finish to the greens, tees and aprons. Being busy with member and society golf leaves little down time and aeration can’t be allowed to cause disruption.

“We pushed it to see what it could achieve so we double hollow cored some greens,” continued Mark Sherwood.  “First pass, we used a two by one hole pattern.  We then cleared all cores. Next for the second pass, we slowed right down for maximum accuracy. Once we’d sanded the greens our golfers were straight back on without any issues.  Afterwards we got an endorsement I wasn’t expecting.  For the first time ever, several members came up to say they couldn’t believe the great finish the new machine had left, even with twice the number of holes we’d usually create!  Crucially, approval from our members, so we were as pleased as they were…”

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

Mark and his team of four have kept to their planned programme and been out every three to four weeks, varying heave and depth as appropriate.

“Mostly we’ve been out with solids although at the end of August we went back for few single passes with hollow coring tines. We’ve lots of undulation, with several of the greens particularly full of humps and bumps.  The Wiedenmann follows these with no issues at all. The solid three part rear roller is a real benefit. There’s a good weight on it that puts the turf back ‘down’.  Previously we had to keep a very close eye with our last machine where we’d have had a few ripples in the ground where the tines enter and leave the ground but now it’s as smooth as silk.  Once it’s set it’s set.”

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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