Tag Archive for: Hybrid

Hybrid pitches to be used in County Championship

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Hybrid pitches to be used in County Championship: Hybrid pitches will be used for the first time in the 2024 County Championship season.

Read the full article from The Guardian here

Hybrid pitches to be used in County Championship

Hybrid pitches to be used in County Championship

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John Deere launches hybrid innovations at BTME

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John Deere launches hybrid innovations at BTME: John Deere has launched two battery-powered, walk-behind greens mowers and announced further hybrid innovations to its existing product range.

The 185 E-Cut and 225 E-Cut greens mowers will be shown for the first time in the UK at the British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association’s BTME event in Harrogate from 24-26 January.

John Deere launches hybrid innovations at BTME

John Deere launches hybrid innovations at BTME

The two specialist machines are packed with the same quality components and technology that existing John Deere customers have become familiar with, but are powered by a 58-volt, 3.2kwh lithium battery.

The 185 E-Cut has an 18-inch (457mm) cutting width while the larger 225 E-Cut takes a 22-inch (559mm) cut.

With near-silent operation, the walk-behind machines can cut approximately 50,000 square feet of grass on a single charge, making them 30% more productive than similar models in their class.

John Deere announced the products in America last year and has been putting them through their paces on courses for the past 12 months.

Greenkeepers in the UK and Ireland will be able to order the machines later this year.

Chris Meacock, John Deere’s Division Sales Manager for Golf and Turf, said: “Battery-powered innovations in the golf and professional sports turf markets have been moving forward apace for the past few years.

“With the introduction of our first lithium battery-powered machines, we are able to provide a solution for our customers who are looking for a more favourable environmental profile, have on-site energy generation, or who are seeking significant reductions in the risk of leaks and spills.”

Industry exclusive three-wheeled hybrid mower launched

John Deere is also using BTME to showcase its industry-exclusive three-wheeled fairway mower with brushless electric reel motors.

This is the first time customers can choose a three-wheeled fairway mower fitted with five, brushless electric reel motors. The same hybrid technology has also been applied to the four-wheeled 7700A E-Cut.

This hybrid solution minimises 90% of the risk of hydraulic leaks by eliminating over 150 leak points.

Users can experience fuel savings of up to 30% by operating at reduced throttle when mowing compared to PrecisionCut fairway mowers. Noise levels are also reduced by up to 3dB at reduced throttle.

The alternator, controllers, and motors are designed to allow the machine to perform rigorous verticutting applications.

The 6700A E-Cut and 7700A E-Cut will be available to order this year.

“These two models have been two of our most popular products on golf courses for many years, so it’s an exciting step to be able to further develop our hybrid drive to offer greenkeepers reduced risks and more efficiency,” Mr Meacock said.

John Deere connected technology to be demonstrated

Visitors to the John Deere stand can take part in a demonstration of the company’s OnLink technology, showcasing the state-of-the-art fleet management system for greenkeepers.

Utilising proven satellite technology from John Deere’s agriculture division in tandem with the integration of cloud-based management software and connected machines, OnLink allows users to automatically synchronise any machine and operator working anywhere on the course, managing activity remotely.

For managers, this means tasks can be allocated days in advance, as well as increased accountability from operators. On top of these efficiencies, machinery maintenance schedules are simplified by using OnLink to track working hours remotely.

“At John Deere, we believe the future of golf course maintenance is about connectivity, sustainability, autonomy, and intelligence, while embracing electric,” Mr Meacock said.

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Weedingtech highlight hybrid power

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Weedingtech highlight hybrid power: Weedingtech, the world leaders in non-herbicidal weed control, will be returning to SALTEX with their revolutionary Foamstream product, with visitors to stand E057 able to see the very first hybrid powered unit – the M600H.

The chemical-free solution to vegetation management is already a firm favourite with a number of councils and local authorities around the country, with the new M600H offering further benefits to the operator and wider environment.

Weedingtech highlight hybrid power

Weedingtech highlight hybrid power

With changes to herbicide and environmental legislation and growing public pressure to reduce usage of harmful weedkillers and chemicals in green space management, Foamstream has fast become recognised as the future of non-chemical control. In trials, Foamstream has been proven to be as effective at treating broadleaf weeds – including species that can be difficult to control by conventional methods – as Glyphosate.

Its active ingredient is hot water, which is insulated by a patented foam formulated from 100% natural plant oils and sugars meaning it can be used in any weather and on any surface, including environmentally-sensitive areas and those close to children or animals. The foam maintains kill zone temperatures for six times longer than other heat-based treatments, killing the weed, damaging the root and sterilising seeds and spores to reduce re-growth. This means Foamstream requires fewer treatment cycles than any other alternative solution on the market.

Foamstream is delivered via industry-leading machinery, available in different sizes and with different power options, suitable to mount on a variety of UTV’s or municipal vehicles. The M600H is Weedingtech’s first hybrid unit, combining the economy of Lithium-Ion battery power with the proven efficiency of a diesel-powered boiler. The M600H offers a flow rate of 6 litres per minute and, as the quietest unit in the range, is particularly well suited to jobs in inner-city and rural environments.

In addition to controlling weeds, moss and other unwanted vegetation, the M600H offers further benefit by tackling a host of other urban tasks including sanitisation, gum removal and the cleaning of graffiti.

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Foamstream introduces hybrid at SALTEX

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Foamstream introduces hybrid at SALTEX: Weedingtech is proud to present the Foamstream M600H, their first hybrid unit for herbicide-free weed, moss, and algae control.

Featuring a battery-powered generator, the hybrid combines the efficiency of electric power with industry-leading hyper-efficient boilers. Foamstream is an ecologically safe, simple, patented process that works by killing unwanted vegetation using heat delivered by near-boiling water, insulated by a biodegradable foam made from natural plant oils and sugars.

Foamstream introduces hybrid at SALTEX

Foamstream introduces hybrid at SALTEX

The M600H takes the concept into an extra dimension with the introduction of a battery unit to further reduce noise emissions, making it their quietest machine to date. It delivers a flow rate of 7 litres per minute, which means it is particularly well suited to smaller-scale jobs and harder to reach areas in inner-city and rural environments. Organisations looking to introduce more environmentally friendly alternatives to the use of glyphosate in their weed control operations can combine the benefits of Foamstream application in busy areas with reduced noise at only 55db. This makes it ideal for municipalities, green space contractors, utility companies, educational establishments among others. The M600H is suitable for mounting on a wide range of municipal vehicles, including a large variety of UTVs.

Also on show at Saltex is the Foamstream L12 machine. Operator driven, relying on the operator to run it, it has a rapid start-up time of 30-60 seconds with unlimited trigger time and is very easy to use. Its diesel and petrol dual-fuel source powers its 12 litres per minute flow rate, matching that of the Foamstream M1200 system. The robust design is frame-mounted with four fork-lift points and can be used on a variety of different vehicles. The L12 includes additional functionality for street cleaning and a new rinse-mode feature provides the operator with an option to use the machine with just water and no foam at high or low pressure.

Foamstream is highly efficient which means fewer treatment cycles are required throughout the year, proving it to be more cost-effective, needing less labour. No ongoing operator certification, training or specialist PPE is required. What’s more, the process is safe around people, animals, water, and delicate environments. Foamstream is also multi-functional and while it is used to control vegetation, it can also be used across departments as a cleaning solution for gum removal, power washing, and sanitisation. Foamstream will be found on Stand E072 at Saltex +44 (0) 203 909 0050.

info@weedingtech.com

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Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

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Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found: A team of Swansea University scientists have discovered a rare Japanese knotweed hybrid in south Wales.

Although this could mean further proliferation of knotweed, the Swansea scientists involved believe the discovery could help them develop new ways of managing the spread of this destructive and notoriously difficult to combat plant.

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

The hybrid knotweed, known as Conolly’s knotweed was discovered during a study led by Sophie Hocking, a PhD student funded through the Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS) scheme at Swansea University.  Sophie’s study formed part of intensive research which Swansea University College of Science researchers have conducted over eight years, including the world’s largest Japanese knotweed field trial.  The research has been undertaken in close partnership with Complete Weed Control and Advanced Invasives, a company that has grown from the research.

Sophie said: “We discovered evidence of Conolly’s knotweed during the study, which took place near Cardiff.  Conolly’s knotweed is a hybrid of Japanese knotweed and the common garden plant, Russian Vine. While Conolly’s knotweed is rare in the UK, records of it are increasing across continental Europe.”

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

Sophie said she and the team were surprised to find evidence of the Japanese knotweed hybrid: “Conolly’s knotweed is a bit of a paradox because although it is rare in the wild, it’s the most frequently produced seed found on Japanese knotweed plants in the UK. We didn’t expect to find Japanese knotweed in the seed bank, because plants in the UK come from a single female clone and cannot reproduce successfully without male plants, unless hybridisation with another member of the knotweed family takes place. We actually didn’t expect to find any type of viable invasive knotweed seeds, because it’s extremely unlikely for any to survive wet UK winters.

The fact we did find evidence of Conolly’s knotweed means that hybridisation took place – this could be an important aspect of the Japanese knotweed invasion that we are overlooking.

Japanese knotweed is capable of producing copious amounts of seed when hybridisation occurs. If future climatic conditions become favourable for these seeds to germinate successfully, our Japanese knotweed problem might get worse. A seed bank full of hybrid knotweed could mean a second wave of invasion following treatment of the initial problem.

Finding Conolly’s knotweed in the soil seedbank means that invasive knotweeds may now find an additional means of dispersal.

We are currently looking at the ecology of our Japanese knotweed site to determine whether native plants will regrow after the knotweed has been tackled or whether we need to add new species to restore the habitat. This will help inform a complete best practice for managing invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed, allowing us to move beyond a reactionary approach that has characterised invasive plant management and restoration to date.”

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

The full article is published in Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland News.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s national office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk

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