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The Power Of Deep Aeration

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The Power Of Deep Aeration: The concept of one metre deep aeration, to relieve compaction and improve drainage, really needs to be seen in action to appreciate the long-term benefits. A long and very hot summer with little amounts of rain will, without doubt, lead to compaction and drainage problems on the sports pitch, the golf course and bowling green and inevitably in amenity areas and gardens. Terrain Aeration have produced a new video that shows precisely how to alleviate the problem, using the proven Terralift system that has been in operation for over twenty-five years. As soon as the heavy rains come areas of turf compaction and panning become self-evident with large stretches of standing water.

Normal aeration and scarifying are of course essential to promoting a healthy sward but the penetration isn’t deep enough to get to where the real problem lies. Go down a metre with a hollow probe, using a JCB breaker gun to penetrate the hard compaction in the soil, and release compressed air up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). This fractures the soil, creating and opening up the fissures that will allow the water to drain. Repeat the process on a staggered grid pattern at two metre spacings and you ensure each air blast interconnects the underground labyrinth of cracks and fissures.

The Power Of Deep Aeration

As you can see on the Terrain Aeration video, that is how the Terrain Aeration system works but it doesn’t stop there. Dried seaweed is injected on the tail end of the blast and this sticks to the walls of the probe hole and cracks. Over time it expands and contracts with the moisture content and maintains the drainage when the heavier rains fall. Water storing polymers can also be added at this stage as an extra insurance with water retention. The interconnecting system created also allows oxygen and nutrients to get to the roots, while the grass pushes them down to reach the deeper water supply and help promote top growth. The probe holes are back filled with porous Lytag aggregate and finished with the usual top dressing to encourage grass growth over the probe holes. In the case of the golf green, tee or sports pitch play can resume immediately.

Once treated, the area will benefit for many years to come as has been demonstrated by Terrain Aeration over the years for thousands of sports venues, golf courses, parks and amenity areas. The deep penetration process is used to great effect around trees, especially where the ground has become very compacted due to foot traffic. The Terralift system has treated such notable areas as the Royal Parks, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and many National Trust properties. But it is equally beneficial in relieving compaction and creating drainage on formal lawns and even small gardens as well as sports pitches and golf greens. You can see the video at: https://youtu.be/uw9k35PA5kM

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The Value Of Irrigation Technology

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The Value Of Irrigation Technology: When the Madejski Stadium, home to Reading Football Club and London Irish Rugby Club, underwent its first major pitch reconstruction for ten years, contractors, MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, worked closely together during the time-critical close season over a six-week period. The venue became the first to have a dual-use pitch with the added durability of the SISGrass hybrid system turf technology.

After removing around 15 miles of existing pipework, MJ Abbott completely reconstructed the pitch, taking the old one out and starting from the bottom up, reshaped all the sub-base levels, reinstalled the drainage, undersoil heating and rootzone layers. Premier Pitches took responsibility for pitch cultivation and seeding. The company also maintains their involvement by way of annual pitch renovation.

The Value Of Irrigation Technology

During the later stages of construction employing effective irrigation to the grass root zone was critical to enable the final pitch levels to be accurately graded and to allow for successful cultivation and seeding of the new surface. Nathan George, Contracts Manager at MJ Abbott was confident that selecting Rain Bird products for the new pitch’s irrigation requirements was the way forward: “The irrigation cycle is determined by both the weather in general as well as the effects of sun and shade caused by the inherent design of the stadium. We had a high level of confidence in Rain Bird irrigation technology for the project because of the overall quality, performance and versatility of the company’s products,” he says.

Rain Bird’s highly durable 8005 rotors were specified for the central area of the pitch and with their easily adjustable arc from 50° to 330°and 12 to 24.7 metre radius were well suited to the application. Featuring Rain Curtain™ nozzles, the 8005 rotors ensure optimum distribution and close-in watering resulting in superior irrigation uniformity.

Rain Bird’s 950E rotors were selected for the pitch perimeter as they are specifically designed to withstand the rigours of sports field irrigation applications, including hybrid grass. They offer full or part circle and irrigation up to 345° and feature a top adjustable pressure regulator, factory preset at 5.5 bar.

Rain Bird’s Site Control System, used by Adam Grantham Reading Football Club’s Grounds Manager and his team, can be controlled both through a PC and remotely through an iPad. It gives complete control over the irrigation and the flexibility to set up and match the irrigation cycles precisely to the prevailing and predicted weather.  The software provides a quick and easy way to build irrigation schedules and programmes based on set parameters. The system’s many advanced features include an interactive map interface that displays the position and operation of individual rotors, displaying real-time irrigation activity and for close monitoring of the system.

The Value Of Irrigation Technology

Adam Grantham commented: “The Rain Bird system is great and very user friendly, and can be as complex as you would like it to be. I have found it very easy to monitor moisture levels with the sprinkler system coverage being very consistent. The pitch is holding together well and receiving good feedback from the coaching staff and players”. From MJ Abbott’s viewpoint the success of the Madejski project was reflected by the fact that the company has gone on to secure further contracts from Reading FC for new training ground pitches.

Meanwhile when the decision was made to install a new playing surface and irrigation system before the start of the 2017-8 Premier League season at Newcastle United, a fast response and close cooperation between pitch contractors MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches was essential. As part of the project the club had to select a new fully automatic pitch irrigation system.

After removing the existing vegetation and old fibre root zone, MJ Abbott removed the existing lower sand layer to a suitable depth to expose the existing slits within the drainage system that was to be retained. An imported rootzone was laid to re-establish the original pitch levels, followed by cultivation and seeding carried out by Premier Pitches. The new pitch was then stitched with the SISGrass hybrid pitch system. The St James’ Park project was successfully delivered a week ahead of schedule.

For the new irrigation system, MJ Abbott had to take into account the particular conditions created by the configuration of the pitch within the stadium. Nathan George, Contracts Manager, explains:  “ The stadium design means that at certain times of the day, the southern end of the pitch is in full shade with the remainder in full sun. Complete control over individual sprinkler application rates was therefore essential. We knew from experience that Rain Bird offers high quality products for stadia applications in terms of rotors, sprinklers and automatic irrigation control systems so would be an excellent partner for this project.“ Rain Bird 950E valve-in-head sprinklers were selected for the perimeter and the corners of the pitch whilst 8005 pop up rotors were chosen for the central areas.

The Value Of Irrigation Technology

Integral to the new pitch is the SISGrass Hydrobox system which was developed specifically for use with pop-up irrigation systems, including Rain Bird. Nathan explains ” Hydrboxes are installed to all central pitch sprinklers. The box is filled with rootzone and stitched in the same configuration as the main pitch. To access the sprinkler for maintenance purposes, the Hydrobox is simply lifted out, leaving the sprinkler clear of any pitch construction. To reinstate the pitch surface around the head the Hydrobox is lifted back over the sprinkler and replaced into the hole.” The system not only makes maintenance much easier but also allows grass to grow right around the sprinkler head for an optimum playing surface.

Rain Bird’s IQ Cloud Platform, used in conjunction with an ESP-LXD controller fitted with a network communication cartridge, was selected to give the groundstaff a real time fully automatic remote irrigation control system. The installation can be managed remotely by a web enabled computer, tablet or smartphone connected to the internet.

The ESP-LXD controller enables employment of IQ-Cloud’s full suite of remote water management tools. Groundstaff know in real time which zones and irrigation systems are operating and can access information on flow rates and performance. Reports can be automatically created and shared, saving time and providing information on irrigation times, total water usage and other significant data. Automated e-mail alerts and alarms can be set up to help manage potential problems.

The overall result has delighted Eddie Rutherford, Stadium Manager, who says it is probably the best the pitch that the club has had since he has been there. The quick planning required and success of the project was helped by Premier Pitches’ long term experience at St James Park and Director Russell Latham also recognised the experience and expertise of MJ Abbott.  “ We have worked with MJ Abbott on pitch construction projects for over five years now. Their efficient and meticulous way of approaching a project from design and planning to delivery is everything that our key clients want to see.”

For more information, visit: www.rainbird.com

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The Impact Of A Heatwave

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The Impact Of A Heatwave: Ten weeks of drought has posed a major challenge to Irish golf courses. Kevin Markham interviewed two greenkeepers to assess how course conditions have been impacted.

Listening to Met Éireann tell us we haven’t had weather like this since 1976 makes you realise how much we miss hot, dry summers.

Golf courses that were under three feet of snow in March are now burned brown by the long days of sun. If you’ve been on social media, you’ll have seen an unforgettable image of Ballybunion, which looks more like the Sahara than a golf course.

The heatwave may have cooled but the trouble is, 10 weeks passed without significant rainfall and greenkeepers have had their work cut out to maintain their courses.

Here are the views of two head greenkeepers: Paul Coleman (PC), Golf Course Superintendent at Dromoland Castle; and Dave Edmondson (DE), Links Superintendent at The Island.

What are the key challenges facing golf courses in a heatwave?

PC: “The main challenges facing parkland courses are trying to provide good quality playing surfaces in the face of intense and prolonged drought. The golfer’s expectation is still the same no matter the weather and we need to at least offer a product worth the money.

“As the majority of playing areas are comprised of sand for the purpose of better drainage, they obviously dry much faster and consequently wilt. Also, having staff working in this heat is not ideal as there is prolonged exposure to the sun.”

DE: “Dormant turfgrass is not growing or recovering from daily wear and tear, such as traffic patterns. Areas of The Island are also becoming hydrophobic (water repellent) due to lack of precipitation.”

Have you experienced anything like this in your career?

PC: “The last time I can remember a similar prolonged period of hot and dry weather was in the summer of ’95. I was working as a seasonal greenkeeper at Woodstock Golf Club, and there was no irrigation on the course. The only method of applying water was through a bulk tanker which drew from a nearby river.”

DE: “In my six years at The Island, 2013 was similar with prolonged dry conditions. I have also experienced similar low rainfall years in France and Belgium, although these were slightly easier to deal with due to lower traffic.”

How do you tackle these issues?

PC: “Irrigation. We have an automated system on tees and greens but it’s not as simple as just turning them on and forgetting about it. Moisture levels need to be constantly monitored as too much is worse than too little. Some members are amused when they see us out with hoses, knowing we have sprinklers.Without getting technical some areas on the greens become water repellent and will not wet with just water. They need to be treated with wetting agents.

“Unfortunately, it’s a logistics game and we do not have the capacity to water the entire golf course.”

DE: “We are targeting our water onto key areas: greens, tees, greens surrounds, and heavily divot-prone landing zones. As a classic links, based on sand, The Island is prone to drying quickly and we are utilising wetting agents for moisture retention and to avoid water repellancy issues.

We are also using traditional watering methods, i.e. hand-watering on putting surfaces, as much as possible. This allows us to target water onto the high parts of greens (slopes) and leave lower lying areas. This method has allowed us more uniformity of moisture throughout our putting surfaces with an improvement in playing characteristics.

“With all of our watering practices we utilise soil moisture probes daily to determine the needs of specific areas. This is deemed to be good practice, allows us to micromanage our greens and conserves water.

“The club recently purchased a pogo moisture meter that allows us to test moisture content in a given GPS location, sends the information to a cloud network, and creates a map which helps the greenkeeper handwatering for the next day to target dry areas or hotspots.”

How much time is spent dealing with the current challenges?

PC: “We have two guys each watering for approximately 50 hours per week. Mowing has decreased and so we can tackle other jobs we normally wouldn’t be able to get done.”

DE: “As turfgrass is presently mainly dormant, our mowing has reduced drastically so I have three guys hand-watering during the day. One of these will be collecting moisture content data to help us make key decisions regarding the next day’s watering.”

Are the grasses able to cope with these conditions?

PC: “Typically we go by transpiration rates of the grass plant and this can mean approximately 5mm to 10mm of water is required per night (in or around 8,000 to 12,000 litres).”

DE: “Native links grasses are Fescue and Browntop bent, and both species are native to links sites and are extremely drought resistant. They can withstand periods of stress. In many areas these species are predominantly dormant at present but will bounce back once the rain returns. From a sustainability perspective, these grasses require little to no pesticides, and limited fertiliser or water inputs.”

How serious a threat is a prolonged drought to the golf course?

PC: “It is serious as 90% of the course is burned out and in great water deficit. It will take a few weeks of rainfall to recover. No water means dead grass on greens and tees. This can make the course unplayable. There will also be a cost down the road in regressing some turf areas lost.”

DE: “I don’t see it as a major problem as long-term forecasts predict a break in the current weather. If we do get any thinning of turf coming out of the dry weather, we are due to overseed again in August with fescue throughout.”

What can golfers do to help the course and greens staff during these periods?

PC: “Members and guests can help by not driving golf buggies carelessly on fairways and where they don’t need to be. The wheel lines are being burned into the grass.”

DE: “Golfers should understand that greens teams throughout the country are doing there utmost to produce quality products for their members and guests. Patience is required through these challenging periods until we all return to normal weather conditions.”

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Work Of A Non-League Groundsman

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Work Of A Non-League Groundsman: In the no-frills, grass roots world of non-league football, it’s possible the most important man on the pitch is the groundsman.

Sitting on a plastic chair, in muddy boots and paint stained jacket, David Page is every bit the non-league groundsman I was hoping to meet.

“The day begins with a cup of tea,” he says, welcoming me into the cosy former shipping container, which serves as his office and general tea room. “You’ve turned up at the perfect time. Days like this provide a glimpse into real life non-league football.”

My journey to Crown Meadow, the home of Vanarama National League North side Lowestoft Town was old school. No out of town, bland stadium here, but a walk along Seago Street, past rows of terrace housing, eventually arriving at the metal gates. It feels like a proper football ground, steeped in history, rooted in the local community. I vividly remember watching games here, on dark winter nights with friends some twenty-plus years ago. Experiences like those stay forever in the mind.

The club has seen mixed fortunes – fighting bankruptcy, relying on supporters’ donations, then an FA Vase final at Wembley, successive promotions, play-off finals and now reaching the heights of National League North non-league football. By any standards, it’s been one heck of a journey for the Trawlerboys.

Sipping our tea, we stare out at the bleak conditions. Rain pummels the pitch with such force that I doubt today’s important match against one of the league’s biggest teams, Stockport County, will go ahead.

“It’ll be on,” says David. He should know. He’s looked after the pitch for 19 years. He takes off his deep blue baseball cap, which proudly bears the club logo. The previous night was a sleepless one, he says, worrying about the pitch and checking for regular weather updates.

“I never switch off. I can’t – I keep thinking about my pitch and what condition it will be in.” David is a Lowestoft man. He used to work in the fishing industry, spending days and nights out on the North Sea on one of the many trawlers that frequented this stretch of coast. But nineteen years ago, he was approached by the Lowestoft Town chairman to become their groundsman. He joined the ground-keeping course at Ipswich Town, learning from the best in the business, Alan Fergusson, now head groundsman at St Georges Park, home of the England international team.

Sitting in the press box, overlooking the ground, I chat to David. He is focused on the pitch, watching rain sweep across, soaking the already soaked turf. It’s like watching a chess player planning his next move.

“What you see is what you get here,” he says. “We don’t have the luxury of training pitches or elaborate facilities, this pitch sees a lot of action. Four of our sides play and train on the surface.” The first team, reserves, youth and women’s sides all regularly use the surface, making the groundsman’s job all the more difficult. It’s in remarkable condition, considering.

Despite the advancement of technology and pitch care, the job of a non-league groundsman has changed little, and the task of getting the pitch ready for match day is much the same as it always was, although, as David is keen to point out, there is a vast improvement in equipment.

“When I first came up here, the groundsman at the time took me to the shed, handed me the rechargeable drill and pointed to the lawnmower – that was it.” The Trawlerboys’ shed is now home to a host of ground improving aids – large and small rollers, slitter, mowers, rakes and no end of tools to help keep the surface in top condition. A combination of good equipment and superb knowledge means the club did not postpone one game last season, impressive for any club, but especially for a non-league side.

It hasn’t always been like that. David recalls one match day when he arrived to find three-quarters of the pitch under water.

“I could have cried,” he says. We head towards the home team changing room. George the kit man is already laying out the players’ match day kit. Rows of bright blue shirts hang from the hooks, while freshly laundered towels and other essentials are carefully placed at the ready for each player.

David checks the facilities, making sure everything is working. The job of a groundsman at this level is one of caretaker too. The club also has several volunteers who help with painting and maintenance.

On a match day David typically arrives around 6.30am and is normally the last to leave in the evening. He returns early Sunday morning to clean the stands and changing rooms, and see to the pitch if there is a women’s game on. “It’s a good job my wife works in the turnstiles, otherwise we would never see each other,” he says.

As the rain eases off, we head out onto the pitch. Holding his trusty groundsman’s fork, David begins slowly lifting the turf, allowing some of the standing water to disperse. The pitch feels spongy and I imagine it won’t take much for the surface to cut up, but David remains hopeful.

“We have the referee coming around 10am for a pitch inspection – I think we’ll be OK”. Heading back to the office I warm up by the heater while David, the referee and club secretary stroll across the soggy pitch.

“Is it on, mate?” asks a Stockport County fan, one of many who have stayed in town overnight after a six-hour car journey. The game is given the go ahead, preparations for match day continue, and as the rain subsides, the line marker is brought pitch side. It’s a job that can take a good hour and means walking miles over the course of a week. I head for the exit.

The next time I see David is at half time in the match. He’s out there, patting and lifting the turf, nurturing the surface. A last minute goal sees the Trawlerboys grab a score draw. The fans pour out of the exit, smiles on their faces. David is pitch side, staring out onto his beloved turf, pondering his next move.

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Development Of The New RANGER XP 1000

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Development Of The New RANGER XP 1000: Two decades since the introduction of the very first Polaris RANGER®, the historic legacy continues with the launch of the new RANGER XP® 1000.

The RANGER XP® 1000 is the latest addition to our strong utility vehicle line-up, and sets a new industry standard with over one hundred user-inspired improvements. It features class-leading power (82hp) and torque (61lb-ft), industry-leading towing (over 1100kg) and ground clearance (330mm) – which make it is the hardest working, smoothest riding SXS built.

Development Of The New RANGER XP 1000

So what does it take to design the new RANGER XP 1000?

Steve Wilcox, Senior Industrial Designer at Polaris Industries commented on development:“The process of getting a new product ready for production involves research, sketching, clay modeling and then a full-size hard model is created. This is followed by A-side Computer Aided Design (CAD) data for tooling. During the early phases of sketches and clay development, a new model can take between 24-32 months to complete a ground up design, with several team members contributing up to 65 hours per week.”

Steve was the Senior Designer of the RANGER XP® 1000, and responsible for the creation of the 2D exterior styling concept that was chosen to go into production and also overseeing the development of the design in clay, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and production.

“I love the RANGER line-up and I’d say that the new XP® 1000 is my favourite as it’s a product of my own blood, sweat and tears – and it turned out great.”

The Industrial Design department can often have five to six major programs running simultaneously, each having their own designer assigned. Very often, Senior Designers like Steve can often work on more than one project at once.

“Typically I have direct involvement between three and five major programs at any given time and frequently have a few smaller programs sprinkled in as well.”

Customer insight was used for the developments made to the RANGER XP® 1000 with 100 customer inspired updates being incorporated into the product.

Tiger Bracy, Manager of the Industrial Design team, said: “The “Voice of Our Customer” is always present and taken into consideration in the development of our products. We use online studies, dealer research, ride clinics, and focus groups to gather as much feedback as possible. This way we can make sure we’re delivering on what the consumer wants.”

Steve agrees: “Without the consumer, we have no product. As a designer, I am provided with lots of research by the product team but on top of this I always try to collect my own data by having informal and personal interviews with real people and asking very specific questions.”

While customer demand is an important driving force for constant innovation, so is the desire to remain a global powersports leader.

“We update models because our customers demand improvement and they deserve them, but awe also do it so that we stay ahead of our very aggressive competitors. We aim to refine our models with new features, and push the limits of design to maintain our position as industry leaders,” explains Steve.

With so much valuable feedback and data from owners as well as years of experience and knowledge, how does the team decide which improvements and changes are the most important?

“It’s a balancing act between functionality, performance and style,” admits Tiger. “We rank the attributes that are most important to customer’s needs, and we turn them into characteristics that the vehicle must deliver on.”

Steve concurs: “It’s also a case of balancing what is feasible within the scope of the program. We use our own experience and creativity to solve problems and enhance the user experience. Sometimes the consumers don’t realise there are areas to be improved. We’re enthusiasts ourselves and scrutinise the experience – perhaps sometimes more than our users – this is where we have the opportunities to innovate.” 

Both agree that working on a product, and then seeing it being used by customers is an extremely rewarding experience.

“I love seeing the products that we’ve worked on being used by customers. For me, the RANGER DNA is ‘Hardest working, smoothest riding’ and it applies to all the RANGER’s I’ve worked on. I’d say the biggest challenge is always having to prioritise the most important styling features because during the engineering process, compromises will always be made. It’s hard to let some of the key elements go, but you must in order to balance other features. My favourite parts of the latest RANGER are the stance and the styling,” said Steve.

Tiger concludes: “For me, RANGER must have a powerful motor, large cargo capacity, smooth suspension, industry leading towing ability, and a comfortable yet functional interior. All these elements we have built into the RANGER XP® 1000.”

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