Tag Archive for: Risk

BIGGA postpones BTME to March 2022

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BIGGA postpones BTME to March 2022: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has made the decision to postpone its major exhibition and trade show, the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), which was due to take place in January 2022.

Taking into consideration the uncertainty regarding the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the National Board of Management of the association convened on the evening of Thursday 16 December and made the unanimous decision to delay the exhibition and associated education programme, Continue to Learn, which are held at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire.

The new dates for BTME 2022 will be Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 March 2022, with Continue to Learn taking place from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 March 2022.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton will take to Facebook Live at 2pm on Friday 17 December to provide further clarification regarding the decision and to answer any questions relating to the postponement. Head to the BIGGA Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/golfgreenkeepers to get involved.

Jim said: “The uncertainty regarding the Omicron wave of coronavirus has led us to engage in consultation with key stakeholders and consider contingency courses of action for our flagship event, BTME. We know all sides of the industry are keen for the show to take place and after due consideration of all options the BIGGA National Board of Management, working closely with BIGGA’s team of staff, has taken the decision to postpone BTME until March 2022.

“It is heartening to see the success of the booster vaccination programme, but we are committed to running a safe show for all attendees and with all the information available to us, we do not believe this would be possible in January 2022.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and has involved an incredible amount of logistical organisation to make a postponement possible. I am grateful to all of the key stakeholders that make BTME possible for their rapid responses to our decision, which has enabled us to confirm the postponement as early as today.

“Our thanks go to those who have supported BIGGA in this decision and we are excited to be hosting the full BTME and Continue to Learn experience in March 2022.”

Attendees who have signed up for the show will automatically be registered for the new dates. Continue to Learn bookings will also be carried over and BIGGA will be in contact with everyone who has booked a place on the education programme in the coming days to discuss arrangements further.

BIGGA acknowledges that this postponement will present challenges to many exhibitors and visitors to BTME and the team is committed to assisting all those who need support to transfer their commitments.

The BIGGA National Board of Management is the elected body of BIGGA members from across the country whose voluntary role is to provide strategic direction and ratify key decisions on behalf of the association. They are supported by a network of volunteers at all levels of BIGGA and the core BIGGA staff team.

Anyone who requires further information or assistance as to the postponement of BTME is encouraged to contact BIGGA via the following channels:

Website: www.btme.org.uk

 

Don’t risk your investment this winter

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Don’t risk your investment this winter: One of the best things you can do for your mower this winter is to gift it the best possible replacement parts. And when it comes to a Toro mower, Toro Genuine Parts are the best there is.

It’s more than likely that two deciding factors for choosing Toro machinery are the superior quality of cut and good return on investment and to risk that by choosing cheaper, spurious parts is a false economy, according to Reesink Turfcare.

Don't risk your investment this winter

Don’t risk your investment this winter

Michael Hampton, parts manager at the company, explains: “The considerations that go into deciding which brand to get your machinery from should also influence the decision you make when it comes to which parts you choose. Things like performance, quality of cut, longevity, return on investment, all stand up for parts too.

“Choosing parts that aren’t Toro Genuine Parts, especially when it’s for a Toro mower, can wreak havoc with the machine’s performance and can even risk damaging the cutting units, costing more in the long-term.

“Taking a cylinder mower as an example, the scissor-like shearing action that gives the fine finish it is famed for requires the bedknife and cylinder blades to be sharp, matched and in close relationship with each other. The fit you get with a brand that isn’t specifically designed for the intricacies of the mower will never be exact and that’s where the problems can start. The fact is well-maintained kit with the right parts tends to be trouble-free with far less down-time.”

With cutting in the winter months going down to three times a week, now is a good time to strip back the machines and take an in-depth look at the cutting unit. Keeping on top of general maintenance of tines, filters and belts, ensures machines are in the best possible condition for the hard ground conditions of winter and going into the demands of spring. It can be tempting to cut corners when it comes to servicing and that can be expensive.

For those clubs without a workshop manager or team with the know-how or time to take this sort of job on, Reesink’s dealers and service centres, which are located across the country, can step in. The benefits of a genuine service include second-to-none local support, comprehensive stock reserve, 24-hour delivery service and trans-Atlantic freight service. This represents the kind of reassurance Reesink wants to give turfcare professionals: minimum downtime, maximum productivity and more customer service.

Winter machinery maintenance is a key part of the greenkeeping calendar and the quality of the replacement parts are vital to the machine’s performance in the toughest season of the year. Toro Genuine Parts guarantee the highest possible standards and the best possible backup so, when it comes to which parts to pick, choose the best: choose Toro Genuine Parts.

To stock up on Toro parts or for winter machinery maintenance advice, customers can get in touch with their local Toro Genuine Parts dealer or service centre or contact Reesink via reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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

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Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress

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Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress: After a summer of prolonged dry weather, grass plants have experienced extreme droughts, and greenkeepers are reminded to act now before disease onset this autumn.

Dr Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, explains that stressed turf is more likely to be affected by diseases such as Anthracnose, foliar blight and Anthracnose basal rot.

Anthracnose Risk After Summer Stress

“Grass swards are struggling to recover following this summer’s extreme weather conditions, making them more susceptible to disease. If weather conditions are cool and damp going forward you’ll be more likely to see disease outbreaks,” he says.

“Anthracnose is known as a low nitrogen disease so it’s essential to monitor plant nutrition regularly to keep your grass plant in the best condition. You can do this by looking at grass clippings when mowing greens or taking soil or tissue samples and applying correct nutrients if required.

“However, if conducive weather conditions prevail, I’d advise greenkeepers to treat turf preventatively to stop disease from establishing, using a dual action fungicide such as Dedicate (tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin).

“As well as helping to reduce the impact of scarring, treating turf preventatively will minimise the effect of Anthracnose, in turn leaving you with a healthier grass plant that’s able to withstand other disease stresses like Microdochium Patch,” says Colin.

Following the loss of iprodione, Colin recommends that greenkeepers use an integrated approach to combat disease. This should include both cultural and biological controls as well as fungicides if required.

For further information about preventative fungicides please visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk or contact the Turf Solutions Team on 00800 1214 9451, at turfsolutions@bayer.com

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