Tag Archive for: Helps

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua

/in , /by

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua: Attraxor® plant growth regulator (PGR) has helped Warren Moss – Head Greenkeeper at Dudsbury Golf Club, to suppress Poa annua and increase the quantity of Bent grass on the greens.

Attraxor®, a new BASF product, was recommended to Warren by David Chammings from Agrovista Amenity, and he was pleased to see an immediate response.

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua

“The Poa had crept in and we estimated it to be at 70 percent in 2019,” said Warren. “Since starting with Attraxor® in May I have been able to suppress the Poa and through a reseeding program the greens are now 70 percent Bent, which is a great turnaround in such a short time period.”

Attraxor® has been shown to effectively regulate growth of managed amenity turf. The active substance, Prohexadione, inhibits the giberrelic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Root growth is also promoted through the use of Attraxor® whilst turf colour and quality are maintained.

“This product is unique because it reduces clippings like other PGRs, but it also suppresses the seed heads of Poa annua,” explained Agrovista Amenity’s David Chammings. “It fitted well with what Warren needed to bring back the Bent in the greens at Dudsbury and we are both really pleased with the results.”

With the course south facing Warren said that extremely high temperatures over the past couple of years made maintenance very difficult. Poa started to creep in and the greens were left with very little Bent grass which was causing uneven surfaces and affecting playability.

On David’s advice, Warren applied Attraxor® at a low dosage of 0.375 kg/ha. The recommended application for Poa annua management is from 0.5 kg/ha to 0.65 kg/ha.

However, Warren needed to be cautious because of the high percentage of Poa on the greens. He started the Attraxor® treatment on 11th May and continued to apply it in 21-day intervals at the same dosage.

Warren chose overcast mornings to apply the product using Greenmaster Vitalnova Stressbuster and 2.5 kg/ha of N to prevent any yellowing.

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua

Attraxor® helps control Poa annua

“Using Attraxor® at 0.375 kg/ha was the right decision for this course and I have supressed the seed head production without yellowing the greens,” he said. “Unlike other PGRs I also noticed that it regulates the growth of the other grass varieties more consistently. I was especially impressed that it lasted the full 21 days.”

By suppressing the Poa, Warren has been able to reduce the amount of fertiliser and water needed on the course. “We were spending too much on fertiliser and using too much water to keep the Poa happy,” continued Warren. “However, this is water that we need elsewhere and so by using Attraxor® we have been able to improve the balance throughout the course.

“This year was the year to get aggressive with the Poa because there has been far less playing time for the members due to lockdown restrictions and I’m really pleased we took the plunge.”

The course was reseeded in August 2020 and Warren is hoping that this will increase the density of Bent to more than 80 percent by May 2021, when it has had chance to establish.

“I carried out the final application of Attraxor® on 12th August before our maintenance week and I plan to use it again from the end of April 2021 to tie in with competitions. It has really helped suppress the Poa and has given us the opportunity to return the greens to largely Bent in such a short time period that I want to keep it and make it part of the annual treatment program,” he concluded.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Huxley helps Gullane Golf Club

/in , /by

Huxley helps Gullane Golf Club: Huxley Golf was delighted to be commissioned by Gullane Golf Club, one of Scotland’s most prestigious and historic member clubs, to install a large all-weather practice tee as part of an exciting new development.

The East Lothian Club’s new world-class short game facility has been called ‘the envy of all the golf clubs in the area’. Sitting across three acres, it allows players to strike off quality links turf from 12 designated areas and features three bunkers and five pin flags, giving them plentiful options to hone their game, from bunker play to bump and runs, and pitches to flop shots. The practice tee was incorporated specifically to lengthen the practice area in order to keep pace with today’s shotlengthening technologies. Designed as a curve to help golfers aim down the middle, it is 126ft (38m) long by 12ft (3m) wide and was created using Huxley’s famous all-weather tee turf.

Huxley helps Gullane Golf Club

Huxley helps Gullane Golf Club

The transformative works were carried out to further enhance and expand the Gullane experience for visiting golfers while satisfying the demand from members for high-end practice facilities, as Adam Fox, Captain of Gullane Golf Club, explains.

“We are committed to providing world-class facilities here at Gullane. In doing so, visitors will enjoy a wonderful experience both on and off our three courses – one that combines the finest traditions of links golf with the very best of modern amenities. Our new facility adds to our offering for members and visitors, but it also enhances our professional tuition service and gives local youngsters in the Club’s blossoming junior ranks the opportunity to work on their game,” he said.

Course Manager Stewart Duff added: “Naturally, we wanted to work with the very best professional partners to create our vision for the future: those that offer the quality craftsmanship and service that we expect. Huxley Golf delivered on all fronts from initial contact to project completion. I can confidently say that Huxley Golf surfaces are second to none in terms of both durability and playability and, of course, they’re a breeze for the greenkeepers to maintain. I would highly recommend them.”

Hugh Fraser oversaw the project for Huxley Golf. He commented: “Gullane’s three championship courses with dramatic coastal views are as delightful as they are challenging. It’s no wonder that golf has been enjoyed here for some 350 years! It has been a privilege for Huxley Golf to work with the team at Gullane to help them look to the future while protecting their historic legacy. I have no doubt that our all-weather surfaces will contribute to the excellent experience that golfers enjoy there and enhance Gullane’s reputation as one of the world’s leading links courses.”

For over half a century, the name Huxley has been synonymous with golf. Endorsed by the UK’s most distinguished golf organisations as well as many legendary golfers and celebrities and their coaching teams, the Hampshire-based company’s premium all-weather golf surfaces are in use all around the world at top-flight courses, resorts, and training academies.

For more information call 01730 829608 or visit www.huxleygolf.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

JCB’s Joe helps NHS

/in , /by

JCB’s Joe helps NHS: JCB and a team of volunteer employees have set up mini production lines to come to the aid of the nation’s NHS heroes in need of personal protective equipment.

Principal Electronics Engineer and father-of-two James Morley – who is normally based at JCB’s World HQ in Rocester – has converted the garage at his Derbyshire home to produce vital supplies.

JCB's Joe helps NHS

JCB’s Joe helps NHS

And inspired by his efforts, JCB has re-opened its Innovation Centre at the World HQ so colleagues and Tooling and Moulding Engineers Joe Mumby, 22, and Joe Bagley, 25, of Ashby de-la-Zouch can also volunteer and have free use of the company’s 3D rapid prototype machines to help produce medical grade visors for NHS staff. The World HQ and JCB’s other UK manufacturing plants fell silent last month as a result of the disruption caused by the Coronavirus and the vast majority of employees furloughed.

For Joe Mumby, of Hilton, Derbyshire, volunteering to produce the vital NHS kit has also taken on a poignant significance as he and his family come to terms with the death of his father’s cousin from Coronavirus in the past few days.

Joe said: “Helping with the production of visors is the least I could do as this is a very testing time for everyone, including my own family. It’s  fantastic that JCB has given us the opportunity to give something back to those who are the front line of the virus in what must be a very scary time for them.”

So far, the volunteer production line set up at JCB has produced 50 visors for distribution to surgeries in the Rocester and Uttoxeter area with the help of material donated by the JCB Academy.
With the visor material now exhausted, Joe and Joe are concentrating their efforts on producing hundreds of head bands required for the visors before despatching them to a Warwickshire company for final assembly.

Meanwhile James Morley, 43, who was the original inspiration for the project, has transformed his rapid prototyping machine in the garage of his home in Belper, near Derby from making toys for children Alice, eight and Joshua, five, to producing NHS kit.

Having made 20 visors, he is now diversifying his domestic production line to make components, which convert snorkelling masks for use with hospital ventilators. He is also rapid prototyping so-called ‘superhero nurse’ headbands which make face masks more comfortable for medical staff to wear as they fit on the back of the head rather than on to the back of ears.

James says he has been touched by the generosity of people during his voluntary work – including the donation of half a kilometre of plastic for his project from one well-wisher.

He said: “While browsing social media on the state of the Covid-19 situation, I was aware that there was a huge shortage of medical grade personal protective equipment for our NHS and other healthcare communities around the UK. It made me dust off my 3D printer and help contribute to the fight against Covid-19 and support our heroic NHS.

“I am glad I can help out and make use of my printer during this national crisis and keep myself active with volunteers during the furlough period. It is amazing what support there is out there and how much people would like to help.”

JCB Chief Innovation Officer Tim Burnhope said: “JCB is delighted to be able to play a role in helping provide the fantastic NHS with protective equipment. The volunteer employees who are part of this amazing effort are also to be commended for stepping up at this time of national crisis.”

3D printers take Computer Aided Design data and build it into a 3D object using very fine layers of melted plastic. The plastic is heated up to around 210°C and then extruded on to a flat metal plate, that is also heated up to around 60°C. Over the next few hours, the printer will finish the object before it is simply peeled off the flat plate and used.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Storm funding helps over 100 clubs

/in , , /by

Storm funding helps over 100 clubs: More than 100 sports clubs and organisations have already received grants from an emergency storm relief fund launched earlier this month.

Set up by Sport England to help those affected by storms Ciara and Dennis, the fund has seen grants of up to £5,000 being awarded across the country.

Many clubs and organisations are still unable to safely access their facilities and the grant scheme remains open, with Sport England promising a “quick decision process and access to cash for places in need”.

According to Sport England’s director of property, Charles Johnston, the funding is being used for decontamination, skip hire, equipment replacement and access repair.

“Floods can have a devastating impact on local sports organisations, causing damage to clubhouses and grounds and denying communities a chance to play sport, often for weeks and months on end,” he said.

“We’ve developed guidance on how clubs can take action to protect themselves from extreme weather conditions, which includes drought as well as flooding, and our flood relief fund is available to help clubs deal with the immediate impact.

“In the longer term, we will work with communities, as we have with Carlisle since they were devastated by the floods of recent years, to make their facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change.”

Playing fields and clubhouses are particularly vulnerable to flooding in England, as many of them are located on flood plains as a result of the cheaper, flatter land.

According to Dr Iain James, a specialist in sports flood recovery and design at TGMS Sports Surface Consultants, “more needs to be done” to cope with extreme weather.

“I have worked with many flooded clubs since 2007 and I see the devastation to sports clubs and their members, many of whom are volunteers,” he said.

“To those clubs affected I would reassure them that there is support there and with the right advice, decision making and funding it is possible to recover and to build resilience to flooding in the future.”

Clubs and organisations affected by flooding can apply for funding help through the portal. For more information, click here.

Click here to read the original article

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Master Green Keeper Helps Oxford GC

/in , /by

Master Green Keeper Helps Oxford GC: Renowned Agronomist Greg Evans has taken the lead a two-year turf maintenance programme that has transformed the historic Oxford Golf Club.

Oxford Golf Club recruited Mr Evans on a consultancy basis to help create and implement a detailed green keeping improvement and maintenance strategy at the 18-hole course. The programme of focused activity has enhanced the greens, tees and approach areas. Mr Evans help devise the bespoke strategy and worked in partnership with Head Green Keeper Doug MacGregor. The Green Keeping team all welcomed the new philosophy and worked together to transform the course.

Master Green Keeper Helps Oxford GC

Mr Evans said: “Oxford Golf Club is a fantastic course and has always been well regarded. Following the implementation of a targeted agronomy plan it now has perfect greens and the rest of the course is of a very high standard.

“The club was really supportive and allowed us to close the competition greens for a tight maintenance window to enable us to really focus on a big agronomy programme. The greens have a good sand profile and so we carried out deep aeration activity and then followed a strict maintenance plan. This included targeted hard watering and tight cutting to produce faster, smoother greens. Within nine months the greens were performing very well, and they are the jewel in the crown of the course.”

The green-keeping team also focused on tees and approaches as part of the wider agronomy plan. Mr Evans added: “As with a lot of older clubs the Oxford Golf Club was built before irrigation systems were introduced and so the course tends to hold water. We hired in a verti-drainer to fully drain the course and changed the fertility programme to add small amounts of nutrients every ten days.”

Head Green Keeper Doug MacGregor said: “The introduced and continuation of the intense agronomy plan has been fantastic for the course, members and staff. It has been an excellent experience for the green keeping team and we can all take great pride in the enhancements we have made to the course.”

Stephen Nicholson, General Manager at Oxford Golf Club, said: “As a club we are committed to continually improving the course and the agronomy plan has formed a key part of our strategy. The club has really reaped the rewards of this intensive activity and our members and visitors alike have commented on the quality of our greens and tees. The Green Keeping team have all embraced the change in philosophy and done a fantastic job.”

Oxford Golf Club is the oldest course in Oxfordshire and features a Harry Colt designed 18-hole course, putting green, practice area and coaching school. It is located on Hilltop Road, Oxford. The club’s head professional is Joe Pepperell, brother of European Tour player Eddie.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.