Tag Archive for: One

Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

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Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change: Bromsgrove School has taken a revolutionary step forward in line marking with their new Turf Tank One.

The co-educational day and boarding school was founded in 1553, with the vast one hundred acre site woven into the centre of Bromsgrove. Among it is the Sports Centre, where there are facilities for rugby, football, cricket, hockey, tennis and a vast array of others.

Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

At the beginning of the school term in September, Head Groundsperson Richard Hare and his team have to prepare 15 rugby pitches across three different sites, with three groups of staff taking a week to initially mark out and prepare them.

Introducing the Turf Tank to this process is a game-changer for the Bromsgrove grounds team, and for Richard, they are now working with what he thinks is the future of line marking.

“When I first saw the Turf Tank One at the demo, I was absolutely amazed, and having used it, it’s revolutionary,” Richard begins.

“It just makes the job a hundred times easier, all the lines are dead straight, and there’s no mess, that’s the other big thing, it’s clean, and it is good to use, it’s easy, and for us, it’s been really, really good.

“We’ve marked in five pitches and the training grids which would have taken two members of staff at least three or four days, and we’ve done that in less than a day and to a high standard as well. Every pitch is a different size; there are no two pitches that are the same because of the different age groups playing sport and the way we have to fit the pitches in around the site.

“This makes it into a one-person job who can set it all up, keep an eye on it and do other things as well. And that’s not trying to make people redundant or anything like that, because as everybody will tell you, there’s always lots of things that people can be doing. And because staff can be working on other jobs, it will help us to raise our standards around the site.”

Bromsgrove’s transition into robotic line marking has been seamless with the help of Turf Tank’s Regional Manager for the North, Matt Murray. A comprehensive demo and installation have been key to all staff members being comfortable with the robot and ensuring they get the most from the customisable pitch, grid, logo and number options.

“Matt has been absolutely fantastic from day one,” Richard explains. “We set up a training day, and this is the second full day he’s been here, and he’s on the end of the phone all the time if we need any questions answered.

“When he first visited, he went through all the templates with us and set them up, and it’s superb. It’s the way that we can change as well because, like most schools, we’ll have to change from rugby after Christmas into football, so we have to go through all the pitches again, and change them all to football or training grids or whatever we need at the time. So, it’s unbelievable the changes it’s going to make for us.”

For more information on the Turf Tank One or to have a demonstration contact alex@turftank.co.uk (southern UK) or matt@turftank.co.uk (northern UK).

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300 acres, one gold service

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300 acres, one gold service: With 300 acres of grass to maintain, there was no doubt that Glenbervie Golf Club in Scotland, needed the support of the Reesink Turfcare’s ReeAssure maintenance plan.

Paul Todd, course manager at Glenbervie Golf Club, opted for the scheme to ensure the club’s large fleet of Toro mowers and machines remained in premium condition in order to maintain the pristine standards the club and its members were accustomed to.

300 acres, one gold service

300 acres, one gold service

Paul comments: “Our course can experience some pretty wet weather so our fleet needs to remain in excellent working condition to face the challenges presented by the elements.

“With a site of 300 acres of mature parkland, reliability and quality of cut are key factors. We implement a full PGR programme across all areas of the course and the Multi Pro 5800 sprayer had been vital for allowing us to do this effectively and efficiently.

“Our excellent relationship with Reesink ensures that we minimise down time and maximise the efficiency of the fleet. If we have any problems I know I can expect to see a Reesink representative on the same day. The quality of the scheme is second to none and it doesn’t matter if we need new parts, routine servicing or repairs, it’s taken care of.”

With Gold, Silver and Bronze package options, Reesink Turfcare’s ReeAssure maintenance scheme gives customers ultimate flexibility to select a service level that fits with their budget.

Paul and his team opted for the Gold package over five years ago and they still reap the financial benefits of signing up to the scheme. Paul continues. “I always know where we are in terms of cost and that’s enormously reassuring. Knowing that the package is so comprehensive means I can be confident I won’t be hit with big maintenance bills.”

Working with Rab Wilson at the Reesink Livingston branch in Scotland, Paul feels totally reassured. Together they have built up a good rapport which Paul cites as one of the most important aspects of the scheme: “I know I can count on Rab and his team to respond quickly if we have any problems. It’s a very good one-to-one service and having people you can rely on is vital to us. It’s a really good relationship – I can’t fault it.”

Rab comments: “The plan provides ultimate reassurance to customers such as Paul who maintain a very large fleet all year round. We take the stress out of arranging new parts and electrical components, servicing, breakdown support and machine health checks.

“Labour, parts and consumables are all included, so this comprehensive package of support provides a manageable upkeep programme which we take care of. It leaves customers like Paul with more time to focus on their day jobs and perfecting the golf course which his members value so much.”

Call 01480 226800 or go online at reesinkturfcare.co.uk to find out more about Reesink ReAssure maintenance plans.

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Two counties, two courses – one seed

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Two counties, two courses – one seed: Jason Connaughton, Course Manager at Yeovil Golf Club, says that he could not ask for anything more when it comes to the grass seed, customer service, and advice he receives from Limagrain UK.

Set on the outskirts of the town of Yeovil, this fabulous golf club boasts two excellent courses: the eighteen-hole Old Course and the nine-hole Newton Course. The two courses are divided by the River Yeo, which uniquely separates the two courses into two counties with the Old Course located in Dorset and the Newton Course in Somerset.

Two counties, two courses – one seed

Two counties, two courses – one seed

The experienced Jason Connaughton, who has worked at some top courses in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, is the man responsible for the upkeep of both courses. Now in his fourth year at Yeovil, his work across the 189 acres and 27 holes has been widely recognised, but he admits that due to the club’s location, it is not always plain sailing.

“The Newton Course is built on a flood plain which can cause issues,” he said. “The sixteenth green and seventeenth tee are at that same level, so they flood fairly often. When this occurs, there is a temporary green we use but this also tends to get very wet.

“On this small green we were commonly finding issues with moss and other problems – we also needed a grass seed which would be better for wear tolerance. I was not about to use a bent or a fescue because in the past I have found these too hard to establish on this site.

“Therefore, I spoke to both David Bevan from Agrovista Amenity and Matt Gresty from Limagrain UK – and they both suggested I try MM50.”

Limagrain’s leading MM50 mixture is a 100% ryegrass formula which is perfect for achieving consistency throughout a course. This hard-wearing mix has rapid germination, very fine leaved appearance, high shoot density and is tolerant to very close mowing, along with high disease resistance. All these attributes together produce a fantastic sward that has great colour all year round.

“We put MM50 down and it established so quickly – it was incredible,” said Jason. “There is more work to be done on the temporary green, but we’ve got the right seed now and the coverage is so much better – there is a huge improvement.”

After being impressed with the results he achieved on the temporary green with MM50, it led Jason to evaluate other areas of the course.

“After seeing how good MM50 was, it made me realise that we were not getting much out of the other brand of seed we were using,” continued Jason. “I soon made the decision to exclusively use MM50 for divotting and overseeding on the tees, fairways and aprons – and the results have been fantastic.

“It is such a lovely fine rye – the wear tolerance is fantastic, and the establishment is perfect. It ticks all the boxes for me, and the members have noticed the difference.”

Two counties, two courses – one seed

Two counties, two courses – one seed

In further pleasing the members, Jason revealed that he uses a range of Limagrain UK’s Colour Splash mixtures. The range has a floral arrangement for every requirement – whether it be a golf course, a local authority green space or any other establishment that has an area which needs brightening up.

“We have them spread out in visual areas across the course and the members and visitors absolutely love them,” said Jason. “Not only are they aesthetically pleasing but they are great for the environment and it’s lovely to see so many bees around the place. They are cost effective too – especially when you consider the impact that they have.”

Jason concluded by praising the support he receives from Limagrain UK.

“With Limagrain, it shows that you don’t have to be a big high-end golf course to receive the best support. They listen intently to what we want to achieve, and it means a lot to me when someone invests their time in talking to me and helping. I want to work with people who have our best intentions at heart, and I get exactly this with Limagrain UK.

“I couldn’t ask for more.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/amenity – you can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed and Instagram @mm_seeds

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SpeedwayTotal the one for Weedfree

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SpeedwayTotal the one for Weedfree: Richard Stow, Managing Director of Weedfree, has revealed why the market-leading company has relied on the spray adjuvant Speedway Total for so long.

“We have been using Speedway Total to enhance the uptake and activity of our total herbicide applications for many years and we are very happy with it,” said Richard. “It always gets us good results and we wouldn’t dream of not using it.”

SpeedwayTotal the one for Weedfree

SpeedwayTotal the one for Weedfree

Weedfree has been a market leader for railway, industrial and amenity weed control for over 50 years, providing weed control and vegetation clearance services to the rail industry, local authorities, industry, utilities and power generators.

“You name it – we spray it,” said Richard, and indeed they do. The company employs up to 150 members of staff during its busiest periods with operatives spraying everything from footpaths to rail tracks and everything in between.

It is for this reason that the company needs to have confidence in a product and that is where Speedway Total comes in. However, Richard admits that this was not always the case.

“We didn’t always use Speedway,” he said. “Initially we used a competitor product, but we had lots of problems with it. The chemistry, the active ingredients – it was causing problems with our operators, who were complaining about irritation on their skin and around their eyes. We also found that, in accordance with the label, we were putting a lot of product in the tank.

“It was at this point that we discussed the issue with Ed Carter (Sales & Development Manager for ICL), and he suggested using Speedway Total. We tried it, we liked it and we have stuck with it ever since. It was less product going in the tank, there was not any reduction in efficacy, and it was very cost effective.”

ICL’s Speedway Total is a spray adjuvant that contains a blend of surfactants and spreaders. It is designed to enhance the effect of glyphosate and other total and/ or non-selective herbicide treatments. Speedway Total assists herbicide penetration into the leaf cuticle by dissolving the waxy leaf coating.

The surfactants and spreaders also aid the treatment spreading properties, reduce the risk of wash-off and increase the herbicidal uptake. It can be used speed up the response from total herbicide treatments and also enhance the uptake and control for difficult to control weeds such as rhododendron, bracken, Japanese knotweed, brush wood weeds, nettles and docks, sow thistles and others.

With more and more local authorities re-examining their use of glyphosate herbicides Richard claims that the reduced volume needed with Speedway Total was a huge selling point.

“To be honest, I was dubious to start with because it less than half the amount of volume we were using with the previous product. I was thinking – how could this possibly work! But it does work – incredibly well.

“There is a real appetite to reduce the amount of herbicide that is applied, and with Speedway Total we can reduce it down to about three and a half litres per hectare which is quite a significant reduction. We still get the results that keeps both the local authorities and us happy.

“When we tender, we find that Speedway Total may well give us the competitive edge over someone who might use a different product at a higher rate. We can certainly demonstrate that over the course of a three-year contract we can significantly reduce glyphosate while still eliminating problematic weeds.

“Ultimately, I would say that Speedway Total has helped us to be more efficient and I would highly recommend the product.”

Please contact ICL on +44 1473 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

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Buy two get one free offer extended

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Buy two get one free offer extended: Reesink Turfcare has expanded the buy two get one free offer on Toro’s Flex 35B multi-trajectory block sprinklers to include dual-trajectory sprinklers.

Considering the fluctuating weather conditions so far this spring, this will be music to greenkeepers’ ears; because handling varying temperatures, windy conditions and seasonal weather changes are what Toro’s Flex B Series does best.

Buy two get one free offer extended

Buy two get one free offer extended

Both the Flex 35B multi-trajectory block sprinklers and Flex B dual trajectory sprinklers with universal BSP thread are perfect for a quick irrigation upgrade and for ensuring consistent, efficient and effective irrigation.

Whether your course is exposed and catches the wind, if you have obstacles to avoid or need to reduce your sprinklers’ radius, the Flex B Series benefits from either multi-trajectory or dual trajectory adjustment to help you accomplish what you need. Which you choose from comes down to what level of control and precision you want. Both offer it, just in varying increments.

With the multi trajectory option, precision is in one degree increments from seven to 30 degrees. Dual trajectory meanwhile can be adjusted to a 25 degree setting to provide maximum distance of throw, or a 15 degree setting for improved wind performance and radius reduction.

Both allow you to tackle every obstacle on the course – wind, trees, bunkers, mounds and more.

But that’s not all. The ratcheting riser is an exclusive feature from Toro that allows you to simply pull up the riser and ratchet it to the precise position you want to water which means you can quickly and easily align or adjust watering locations to suit seasonal needs.

Robert Jackson, water division sales manager at Reesink Turfcare, the sole Toro distributor in the UK for irrigation products, says: “Flexibility is vital when it comes to effective irrigation, because in order to get the most out of your irrigation system, you need to be able to adapt to changing conditions fast. The Flex 35B multi-trajectory and dual-trajectory sprinklers have a range of features that allow you to achieve this and that’s what makes the range perfect for golf courses.”

For flexible irrigation in all conditions the Flex 35B multi-trajectory and dual-trajectory sprinklers are the perfect solution. A streamlined body, yet with all the Toro innovation contained within, the buy two get one free offer for either model, is likely to be a head turner, says Reesink, encouraging its customers to enquire while the promotion is on and while stocks last. Call Reesink on 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk for further information.

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Aerate and overseed in one pass with Ventrac

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Aerate and overseed in one pass with Ventrac: Turf compaction and grass damage over the winter months caused by foot or vehicle traffic and other stresses can be an issue and needs to be alleviated to keep the turf healthy. Now with Ventrac’s Aera-vator and integrated Gandy seeder it’s possible to aerate and overseed in one pass.

The Aera-vator is designed to break and loosen the soil beneath the surface without destroying the turf. It creates a hole without bringing a core plug to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately after treatment. The Aera-vator works best in drier ground leaving a core hole while fracturing the sub soil.

Aerate and overseed in one pass with Ventrac

Aerate and overseed in one pass with Ventrac

The National Trust’s Waddesdon Manor, managed by the Rothschild Foundation, purchased a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and Tough Cut deck late last year and recently returned to local dealer RT Machinery to purchase additional attachments including a Turbo Blower, Landscape Rake and Aera-vator with seeder.

Peter Turski is the Horticultural Team Leader at the estate and says,

“The Aera-vator and overseeder attachment for the Ventrac is an excellent piece of equipment. We have some heavy footfall across the estate especially at our annual events such as the Christmas Fair, Colourscape in May, Summer Fest in July and Chilli Fest each September. We are one of the National Trust’s most visited properties with over 460,000 visitors, which means that the more formal grass areas around the ornamental core of the gardens can become very compacted.

“The main benefit of the Aera-vator is that it simplifies the whole operation in one pass significantly reducing the time taken to a fraction of what it used to. No soil plugs are generated, so no collection required, and the over seeding attachment works in synchronicity with the aerating implement by dropping seed directly into the fractured surface of the sward assisting good contact with the soil.”

With a working width of 1.52 metres and a depth of 70 mm, the vibrating heads create six holes every 300 mm (66 holes per square metre) with the hole size regulated by the drive speed. The slower the forward speed of the Ventrac tractor unit, the larger the hole.

With the optional Gandy Seeder, you can save time by reseeding while aerating, increasing the odds of germination for a thicker and healthier sward.

The tines can be replaced individually or by quickly changing the entire mounting heads, giving you the versatility required for efficient operation. The Aera-vator is built with the Ventrac Mount System, allowing for easy attachment changes, and comes with a standard jack stand for easy mounting.

The all-wheel-drive Ventrac 4500 is rated for slopes of up to 30 degrees and is capable of handling various turf conditions allowing aeration in areas previously inaccessible with other aeration tools.

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Associates complete 72 holes in one day

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Associates complete 72 holes in one day: In November, three teams of Troon associates and two member teams completed every single hole of golf in the Troon Abu Dhabi portfolio in one day to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer & Men’s Health. To date, the team have raised AED 10,947 for the chosen charity, Friends of Cancer Patients & Shanab.

The Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FOCP) is a non-profit organization supporting cancer patients since 1999. The FOCP was founded under the directives and patronage of Her Highness Sheika Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi and is highly committed to helping cancer patients and their families get through the long and arduous journey of cancer treatment irrespective of their nationality, gender, age, religion or ethnicity.

Associates complete 72 holes in one day

Associates complete 72 holes in one day

The fifteen golfers completed rounds at the three Abu Dhabi championship venues; Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Yas Links Abu Dhabi. For the final round they played the 9-hole ‘Garden Course’ and took advantage of the floodlights at the at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to finish under darkness.

The Troon associate challengers comprised of Francisco de Lancastre David, Cluster General Manager; Clinton Southorn, Complex Director of Agronomy; Matthew Waters, Group Director of Golf; Danny Jakubowski, Group Director of Instruction; Daniel Wright, Cluster Senior Sales & Marketing Manager; James Durkin, Group Retail Manager; Barry Barnard, ADGC Tournament Coordinator; Daniel Richards, SBGC Tournament Coordinator; and Bradley Hudson, YLAD Golf Shop Associate.

Francisco de Lancastre David commented: “We’re all exceptionally grateful to take part in this charity initiative for the first time at Troon Abu Dhabi. It was a long day but I’m proud of the team supporting each other and raising vital funds for the Friends of Cancer Patients charity. Cancer is certainly something that unfortunately will have affected us all in some capacity so it means a lot to support an incredible charity like FOCP who have committed to going above and beyond to help cancer patients and their support systems.”

To support the team and donate to Friends of Cancer Patients, please click here.

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Hole in one at BTME for Sherriff

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Hole in one at BTME for Sherriff: Sherriff Amenity will be on Stand 164 in the Blue Zone at BTME 2020 and visitors can look forward to new product information, refreshments and will also be able test their golfing skills on the putting green.

Visitors will be able to pick up a copy of the recently launched 2020 product brochure – which features an all-encompassing range of products for turf managers.

Hole in one at BTME for Sherriff

As the industry leading supplier of professional products and specialist advice, Sherriff Amenity has an extensive range of products and solutions which are trusted by turf managers throughout the UK and beyond.

The new 2020 brochure contains in-depth information on the complete range of products which includes granular fertilisers such as the Marathon range and Evolution range; liquid and soluble fertilisers such the E2 Pro range and iNTrench range, wetting agents featuring the highly regarded Aqua-Zorb; herbicides, fungicides, grass seed and much, much more.

The brochure will also contain valuable advice on how to get the best results from the products, including recommended period of use, directions for use and application rates.

Sherriff Amenity’s established team of BASIS qualified Amenity Specialists, will be on hand throughout the event to provide professional technical advice and recommendations based on each customer’s specific requirements.

On the stand, why not also grab a much-needed coffee from the barista team and go for glory on the putting green?

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

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Makita’s Hole-In-One

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Makita’s Hole-In-One: The greenkeepers at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club in Bristol have praised Makita’s fast, powerful and brilliantly handy grass shears.

The club has recently had several new revetted bunkers installed on The Beaufort Course.  These are a common feature on a vast number of courses across the British Isles where the embankment of the bunker is faced with masonry, or other material such as sods, placed on top of each other to create a layered effect that helps to fortify the bunker.  It was advised that a traditional line trimmer could not be used to maintain the edge of the bunkers as in doing so would risk damaging the face of the bunkers.  An alternative needed to be sought and following a demonstration of the Makita 18v LXT Grass Shears, Head Greenkeeper John Keenaghan purchased two of the units to help keep the revetted bunkers in tip-top condition to remain in-keeping with the rest of the beautifully manicured parkland course.

Makita's Hole-In-One

John Keenaghan says:  “These Makita grass shears do a fantastic job and are exactly what we were looking for.  We will be recommending them to fellow greenkeepers that have revetted bunkers.”  The Makita cordless grass shears can be seen in action at the golf club in this video https://youtu.be/arP1DsAa2Jc

The Beaufort Course, designed by Fred Hawtree, was opened in 1971 and subsequent maturing, development and care has achieved a superb course which presents a challenge to all levels of golfer.  Chipping Sodbury Golf Club is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at the foot of the Cotswold Hills and adjacent to the historic, characterful 17th century market town of Chipping Sodbury.

Makita’s latest offering of the 18v grass shears is the DUM604Z.  The shear has a double blade action, a cutting width of 160mm, and a 3-stage cutting height adjustment from 15 – 25mm for really fine work.  With an ergonomically designed soft grip handle and light in weight at just 1.8kg, including the battery, user comfort is guaranteed while low noise emissions will ensure Sunday morning peace and quiet.  This model is available as a body only machine and a compatible hedge trimmer attachment is also available that has a tool-less blade change.

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Biochar Trials Hit Hole In One

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Biochar Trials Hit Hole In One: Okehampton Golf Club, Dartmoor National Park, trials enriched biochar to eliminate fungicide use.

A new turf improver with roots in traditional green keeping is arming Course Managers with a natural alternative to ever restricted fungicides and chemical fertilisers.

Biochar Trials Hit Hole In One

Carbon Gold’s Enriched Biochar Soil Improver is a horticultural form of charcoal blended with optimum levels of fungi, bacteria and trace minerals, and is approved by EU certification bodies for organic growing. It was common practice a century ago to use charcoal to keep greens porous and firm, and to improve the appearance and colour of turf. Now, innovative Greenkeepers are ‘rediscovering’ the benefits of biochar – using it to eliminate fungicides completely, and reduce chemical fertiliser use significantly.

David Chammings, Amenity Specialist for Sherriff Amenity, a division of Agrovista UK, has been the Chairman of Greens at Okehampton Golf Club for the past 3 years. His position and experience allow him to trial innovative techniques on different areas of the course, and he approached Carbon Gold, keen to be the first to trial biochar on golf course greens.

The club, established in 1913, has been through significant changes in the last 5 years, adapting to an ever-evolving industry and stricter demands, such as the revocation of insecticides and the withdrawal of many fungicides under ever tighter EU regulations. In 2016, Stuart Entwhistle joined as Course Manager, and together he and David devised a trial outline to test how Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar would perform on specific areas of the course, in the hope of finding a new solution to old problems.

The Okehampton trials

Locations and issues:

The 5th green – a very sandy newly-extended area of the green, which leaches nutrient heavily.

The 12th green – the ‘disease indicator’ green, placed in the Ockment Valley. It is surrounded by trees and receives very little winter sunlight.

Application:

Enriched Biochar Soil Improver was applied in March 2017. Both greens were 13mm hollow tined to a depth of 100mm. 1kg per m2 of Carbon Gold’s Enriched Biochar Soil Improver was brushed in – in the same way sand is commonly brushed into turf – over an area of 100m2 per green.

Outcomes

20% fertiliser reduction

Okehampton currently fertilise the greens five times a year.

They continued to fertilise the trial areas, at the same rate as the rest of the greens, but found that in the summer the 5th green looked healthier and was holding nutrient a lot more efficiently so decided to miss an application on this area. Three weeks later it was not evident that a feed application had been missed, and the trial area looked as healthy as the rest of the green. There is a definite increase in nutrient holding capacity in the sandy rootzones, and a 20% reduction in fertiliser use overall.

100% fungicide reduction

The fungal disease being treated in the Okehampton Carbon Gold trials is fusarium patch (Microdochium nivale) – common to golf courses across the world. They currently apply fungicide to all of the greens on the course twice a year, sometimes up to four times a year. To treat the whole 7000m2 course costs £700 per application – Okehampton’s annual fungicide bill alone can reach £2800.

No fungicide was required on either of the trial areas for the whole of the year, meaning Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar delivered an impressive 100% reduction in fungicide use.

Water retention & drainage

Water retention and drainage was another factor that David and Stuart were keen to address. Summer 2017 was relatively wet, however the treated greens performed well. The trial areas drain better and faster than before when needed, but also hold on to the moisture in prolonged hotter weather.

The trial greens were more resilient over the course of the year – whatever the seasons threw at them – during the hot dry periods they held onto the moisture better and were visibly healthier. In wetter periods they did not flood, were firmer, dryer and remained playable. This is a great advantage for the club during the wet months – if there is too much rain the course can flood and the greens become un-playable, which leads to closure and loss of revenue. With the use of Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar, this can now be avoided.

Next steps

David is keen to step up his trials to cover two entire greens which they will monitor throughout 2018.  Application of the product would normally take place during the maintenance times of spring and autumn. Due to significantly reduced requirements of fungicides, fertilisers and irrigation, he believes they would soon see a return on investment.

These enlightening trials show an optimum application rate of 1kg/m2, which equates to £1 per m2. As enriched biochar is a one-off application that remains in the soil indefinitely, and has proven to deliver up to 100% reduction in fungicide and 20% reduction in fertiliser inputs, it’s a hole in one for any discerning Course Manager.

David’s has great confidence in his new discovery – he says he would “highly recommend the use of Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar to all Greenkeepers & Groundsmen for the wider benefits of the product.” He even goes so far as to say, “I believe that biochar will be used throughout this industry in the not too distant future.”

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