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ICL Schools Seminar Returns in Style

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ICL Schools Seminar Returns in Style: The ICL Independent Schools Seminar recently returned in full force after a two-year absence due to the pandemic.

Held at the all-new Sports Turf Academy within Leicester City FC’s world-class training facility, approximately 50 turf professionals from the Independent Schools sector attended the event to network and enhance their education.

ICL Schools Seminar Returns in Style

ICL Schools Seminar Returns in Style

With the last seminar taking place in 2019, many attendees saw it as a valuable opportunity to catch-up on trends and topics within the ever-changing world of turf management.

“You’ve got to stay up to date,” said Gary Austin, Deputy Head Groundsman at Radley College. “In the short amount of time between the seminars, things have moved on so quickly and less products have become available. If you don’t attend events like this and keep yourself aware, then you will get left behind.”

ICL’s Dr Richard Collins was the first to take to the stage and proceeded to provide an overview and update on the many research projects being conducted by ICL. Richard explained the importance of research and trials; detailed the types of research being carried out by ICL including internal studies and those in partnership with leading universities; and he also offered an insight into specific projects such as SMX – a soluble seaweed concentrate, and a variety of wetting agents.

Turf in the metaverse was up next as Syngenta’s Daniel Lightfoot addressed the exciting potential of digital agronomy. In his presentation, Daniel explained how digital activity will underpin the future of turf management, encouraging less chemical applications and more accurate biological ones. Attendees then saw how Syngenta’s Pest Management app is helping to provide turf professionals with essential product and application information.

A short coffee break allowed delegates to reflect on the morning seminars before ICL’s Henry Bechelet outlined strategies for effective renovations. Step-by-step Henry went through the stages of a successful renovation process by covering everything from seed

choice to early establishment and proven fertilisers to the use of supported technologies.

Lunch signalled the halfway point and, in turn, provided the fuel for attendees to share their opinions in a panel debate led by Adam King, Head of Grounds at Radley College. It presented an opportunity to discuss the biggest issues that the Independent Schools sector cares most about. Conversations focussed on staffing levels, recruitment, pay grades, how to get more people into the industry and whether industry organisations should be doing more for the sector. The refreshing debate could have continued long into the evening as attendees shared their own experiences and collaboratively explored potential solutions.

Host for the day and Head of Sports Turf and Grounds, John Ledwidge, then provided a fascinating insight into the recently launched Sports Turf Academy. John explained how the Academy aims to inspire the next generation of sports turf students by offering an elite training environment, with access to the latest technology and expertise.

The day concluded with a memorable behind the scenes tour of the club’s state-of-the-art training facility and the consensus was that the attendees were pleased to see the return of the seminar.

“I’m taking so much away with me,” said Chris Moody, Head of Grounds at Ratcliffe College. “Firstly, it has shown me just how much research goes into each and every ICL product. I found the digital technology presentation fascinating; it was a real eye-opener and I’ll be downloading the app as soon as I can, especially as it is free at a time when we’re all trying to keep within our budgets. Overall, days like this are very much needed – we all have time pressures, but we still need to take the time to attend something informative which brings together people of the same ilk.”

Michael Hood, Head Groundsman at Leicester Grammar School, agreed: “It has been great catching up and meeting people from other schools to share advice,” he said.

“We’ve all got the same problems, but we don’t get the chance to talk about it very often so today has been very beneficial.”

It was the first ICL seminar Ipswich School has attended, and Head Groundsman Martin Cull wasn’t disappointed: “We came today not really knowing what to expect but it has been amazing. Seeing all the research gives you even more trust in the products. Talking to other like-minded people and finding out how they deal with certain issues has also been very useful.”

“We haven’t got a huge budget, so the timing of product application is essential,” added Martin’s colleague Ollie Jones. “Therefore, the biggest thing I’ll be taking away with me from today is knowing exactly when to use products. It has been a real privilege to attend – the facilities here are breath-taking.”

The event certainly struck a chord with Aaron Winfield, Assistant Groundsman at Harrow School: “Listening to John Ledwidge and finding out how he is trying to develop the industry through the Sports Turf Academy was incredible. There is a clear hole in the industry which he is trying to fill. I also enjoyed participating in the panel debate because people are leaving the industry, which is hard to see when you love it. Today we have established that we need to educate more people from outside the industry as to just how great this job is.

“This event has been brilliant, and we need more days like this because it has allowed us to come together and help us nurture the future of the industry. I’d like to say a big thank you to Emma Kilby (founder of the seminar) and everyone else at ICL.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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

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It’s more than products with ICL

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It’s more than products with ICL: Warren Scott, Grounds Manager at Liverpool Football Club, has revealed why he chooses to work so closely with ICL.

Warren has been working for Liverpool FC for an incredible twenty-three years. He joined as an apprentice, worked his way up and now oversees the twenty-five members of grounds staff across four of the club’s sites including the legendary Anfield Stadium.

It’s more than products with ICL

It’s more than products with ICL

Warren admits to avoiding the limelight but his whole philosophy to grounds management is somewhat pioneering. His innovative methods could well be the blueprint for years to come according to Phil Collinson, North West Key Accounts Manager for ICL.

“I like coming in here because I always learn something new,” said Phil. “What Warren is trying to do is absolutely ground-breaking and in years’ to come his work should be influencing the whole industry.”

It goes without saying that Warren selects his turf maintenance products very carefully.

“I decided to test a range of ICL fertilisers against others we have previously used,” he said. “We collected data from our soil probes, took leaf tissue and soil samples and we found that a lot of the ICL products stood out in terms of longevity, performance, and also price.”

After Warren’s trials, he began speaking to Phil, and it became evident to him that ICL offers a whole lot more than just products.

“Phil started to go through how I work as a groundsman, how I look at growing grass, how I like to maintain the football pitches here – he wanted to learn about what I do and what I want, rather than just sell me products.

“I also wanted to work with a company that could help me to prove certain things I believe in,” he continued. “Personally, I think that as an industry we overuse fertilisers and so I was therefore surprised that a fertiliser company was willing to share their research and work with me on this – especially as I want to use less. For the past year that is what we have been doing together.”

Phil commented on this approach: “It is great to work closely with Warren on this. At ICL we only ever recommend applying exactly what is needed – we are very efficient with what we do. Fortunately, I work for a company that allows this technical approach, rather than being solely sales led. It is essential to have knowledge of what the customer is trying to do, otherwise you can’t have that relationship or help provide the correct solutions.”

Warren uses a wide range of ICL and Syngenta products across all the club’s sites and he offered a snapshot into how two of the products have performed.

“I think if you can keep the rootzone moisture even throughout the profile, then you will get a more uniformed growth pattern – and this is why we use Qualibra wetting agent.

We generally apply this product every three weeks and have had very good results.

“I also like the mix of Qualibra used with Vitalnova Links (a biostimulant formulation). This mix really impressed me last year and we saw better germination on the pitches where this was applied.”

Aside from the products, Warren was also quick to praise ICL’s commitment to education.

“A big factor in choosing to work with ICL is that you can get great education along with the products that we use,” he said. “I would never put a product down without knowing exactly what the product is, but many skilled grounds persons, not always by choice, don’t know this. Quite often they don’t get the chance or the time to do this kind of research. In this respect ICL frequently hold seminars and education days – they give people the opportunity to learn why they are applying certain products.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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

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ICL integral to rebuild at Wychwood

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ICL integral to rebuild at Wychwood: Ashley Oakes, Course Manager at Wychwood Golf Club, has explained how an integrated turf management programme from ICL helped him to rebuild the course after an extreme summer drought.

In the summer of 2018 golf clubs faced an unprecedented two-plus months of extremely hot and dry weather. Many courses were left brown, damaged, and susceptible to disease – Wychwood Golf Course, in Weston, Crewe, was no exception.

ICL integral to rebuild at Wychwood

ICL integral to rebuild at Wychwood

“We had so many weeks without any rain, and it is safe to say we got fried,” said Ashley.

“We lost a substantial amount of grass, and it gave us a chance to reassess everything. It was time to hit the default button and restart.”

It was at this point that Ashley got in touch with ICL and he admitted to being instantly impressed by the company’s ‘work ethic and policies.’

Phil Collinson, Technical Area Sales Manager for ICL, visited Ashley shortly after the drought and it wasn’t long before a plan was devised.

“I listened to the challenges that Ashley faced and then put together a bespoke plan to solve those issues,” said Phil. “We identified the correct products and together we sat down to look at all the trial data behind them. When the stakes are so high, Course Managers haven’t got time to gamble. That was certainly the case at Wychwood.”

Ashley claims that it would be difficult to highlight every product in the integrated turf management programme but provided an overview on how some of them have made a difference.

As a wetting agent, he relies on ICL’s H2Pro TriSmart, which he aims to apply at a rate of 10 L/ha once a month from March onwards. It is formulated with three water management surfactant technologies to provide great water penetration, even water spread through the rootzone and to improve the water holding capacity of sandy rootzones.

“We’ve got USGA sand-based greens here and we needed something that would deal with that level of construction,” he said. “TriSmart gives us that consistency throughout the rootzone, it gets rid of that dry patch, and it gives us the required effect for what we want both visually and for the grass. It has also meant that we have irrigated less.

“With such big undulating greens, to get consistency across such large areas I think speaks volumes for the TriSmart technology.”

Once Ashley knew there was a wetting agent in place that would perform, his next focus was to ensure there was a product in the programme that would help to negate any stresses. For this reason, Phil recommended Vitalnova Links – a unique formulation consisting of Vitalnova Blade and Vitalnova SMX.

“We brought Vitalnova Links in to improve the heavily stressed situation on the greens and it helped them to recover,” said Ashley. “We needed the plant to be healthier but not receive the kick that a conventional fertiliser would do. Instead, it helps to reduce stress on the plant and get that health in a natural way. It has worked so well, and we even incorporate this product into our Primo Maxx II growth regulator programme on the greens.”

In terms of a granular fertiliser, Ashley knew exactly what he was looking for during the cooler months of the year.

“I wanted health, vitality, and presentation through the whole year including winter, and this is why we use Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator 4-0-8,” he said.

“Using this product has improved turf quality and performance through the challenging autumn months and helps to drive that recovery growth before we switch to liquids in the summer.

“One thing I have noticed is that in challenging conditions, ICL’s granular fertilisers still work whereas other brands will scorch and cause discolouration. You will never get that with an ICL product.

“Modern greenkeeping puts us in a position where we need to rely on quality products and that is why we continue to use ICL.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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

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Liam Rowlands joins ICL

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Liam Rowlands joins ICL: ICL has appointed Liam Rowlands as a Technical Area Sales Manager, covering South West England and South Wales.

Liam arrives with good knowledge of the industry after working as a greenkeeper for a period of twelve years. Upon leaving school he started his career at Abergele Golf Club, North Wales, under the stewardship of Darren Anderson. He then went onto work at several distinguished clubs including Chester Golf Club, The Grove, and Golfpark de Turfvaert, in the Netherlands. Before joining ICL he progressed to the position of a Deputy Head Greenkeeper.

Liam Rowlands joins ICL

Liam Rowlands joins ICL

“During my twelve years in greenkeeping, I have been fortunate to experience golf courses of many shapes and sizes all with varying levels of expectation,” said Liam. “I feel this gives me a good ability to understand the customers varying needs”. “I’m sure that my experience paired with my education in technical areas will enable me to provide excellent service for both turf managers and distributor partners alike.”

Liam also studied a BSc in Sports Turf Science and Management at Myerscough College where he achieved an impressive 2.1. As part of his degree, Liam conducted a highly regarded dissertation which focussed on the effects of ICL’s Vitalnova SMX on root growth and development on perennial ryegrasses.

“I feel honoured to be representing ICL,” he said. “The company gave me the opportunity to study its SMX product for my thesis when I was at Myerscough College and Andy Owen (International Technical Manager at ICL) was extremely influential throughout the process. It now feels as though my career has come full circle. I am incredibly passionate about ICL products and have seen first-hand how they perform. I hope to take this passion into my role and the regions in which I am operating.”

Outside of work, when Liam is not playing golf, he can be found following Bristol City FC and he also enjoys hiking and camping.

Commenting on Liam’s appointment, Ed Carter, National Sales and Development Manager for ICL, said: “Liam is great addition to the ICL team. He has great knowledge of

our products as well as the right experience and passion for the role. I’m sure he will contribute superbly to driving growth and supporting ICL customers in South West England and South Wales.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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.

ICL products key to new pitch construction

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ICL products key to new pitch construction: A range of ICL products have helped Lincoln City FC’s new Fibresand pitch get off to the best possible start.

At the start of the 2021/22 season, Lincoln City had its pitch at the LNER stadium completely rebuilt. The huge project included a new gravel carpet, drainage system, multiple sand layers and the amelioration of Fibresand for added stability.

ICL products key to new pitch construction

ICL products key to new pitch construction

To do the new construction justice it was vital that the pitch received the correct products, and it was at this point that Head Groundsman Craig Housley liaised with Craig Lalley, Technical Area Sales Manager for ICL.

“A new Fibresand construction can take a bit of time to settle,” said Craig Lalley. “Therefore, when putting the programme together with Craig, we wanted to really concentrate on achieving good rooting to aid playability and recovery.”

Within a six-week window before the start of the season, Craig focused on three products in the form of Sierrablen Plus with Pearl Turf Starter, H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent, and Vitalnova Links biostimulant.

The first product applied was Sierrablen Plus with Pearl Turf Starter and was incorporated into the growing medium. “The organic acids that are produced by the rooting utilises the phosphorus and the magnesium from the Pearl technology which really aids early establishment and good strong rooting,” said Craig Lalley.

Through independent trials, data has revealed significantly increased rooting when Sierrablen Plus with Pearl is used as part of a seedbed preparation and during turf-laying. Furthermore, there was a 2.5 x increase in rooting when compared to another existing high-performing product.

To complement the grass seed and the Sierrablen Plus with Pearl Turf Starter, Craig then turned to TriSmart wetting agent. Containing three water management technologies consisting of surfactant and polymer blends, TriSmart is renowned for providing great water penetration, an even water spread through the rootzone and can improve the water holding capacity of sandy rootzones.

Craig Housley said: “Moisture management was key when the seeding first took place to aid moisture around the leaf which can help with seed germination. We needed that seed to be established as fast as possible.”

Craig confirmed that the two products had an instant impact: “I had never heard of the Pearl technology, but Craig Lalley told me that it would be ideal for a new construction and that it would really help with the germination of new seed. We decided to give it a go and I have never known grass to come through so quickly, uniformed, and strong – the sward health was exceptional.”

Four weeks after seeding, Sierrablen Plus with Turf Starter and H2Pro TriSmart were applied, Craig recommended ICL’s Vitalnova Links biostimulant which is a new unique formulation consisting of the popular Vitalnova Blade and Vitalnova SMX.

ICL products key to new pitch construction

ICL products key to new pitch construction

Vitalnova Links was tank mixed with TriSmart, and Craig Lalley explained why this was applied monthly: “It is a great soil drench spray. Vitalnova Links aids microbial stimulation, reduces biotic stresses and further develops the rooting; while TriSmart continues to manage the moisture and ensures that the pitch doesn’t dry out in warmer temperatures.

“Ultimately, we had quite a small window to utilise these products and ensure that the pitch was at an excellent standard in time for the start of the season. I believe we successfully achieved that.”

Craig Housley, who is continuing to adhere to an ICL integrated turf management programme, believes that the products have massively benefited the newly constructed pitch.

“Everyone knows that it takes a while for a new Fibresand pitch to really grip itself together, but I have been really surprised at just how good the pitch has been in its first year,” he said.

“We’ve also managed to maintain excellent grass coverage. In terms of playability, the pitch has benefitted the players and the style of football the manager wants to play. He has fast players that turn very quickly and to have the pitch underneath them with that kind of stability has really made a difference.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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.