Tag Archive for: testing

Organic matter profile testing now available through Turf Rewards

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Organic matter profile testing now available through Turf Rewards: European Turfgrass Laboratories organic matter profile testing has been added to Turf Rewards as a new reward for 2024. This cutting-edge service will provide invaluable insights into soil health and turf performance.

For just 20 points, Turf Rewards members can now claim organic matter profile testing through European Turfgrass Laboratories’ A2LA-Accredited laboratory.

Organic matter profile testing now available through Turf Rewards

Organic matter profile testing now available through Turf Rewards

This new reward permits the analysis of three greens at four different depths, delivering a detailed overview of the organic matter levels within your soil profile.

Optimise turf performance with detailed testing

This information is crucial for the effective management of organic matter, helping to ensure optimal soil health and turf performance.

Measuring the organic matter at 20mm segments in the greens is the only method through which organic matter can be accurately measured and subsequently managed.

These results can be used to determine how often and the best practice to de-thatch your greens.

Sample at different depths

Testing the organic matter at different depths can also help assess the areas in the profile where improvements are required.

Each core is divided into 4 increments: 0-20mm, 20-40mm, 40-60mm and 60-80mm and each increment is tested by Loss-on-Ignition using the ASTM Standard: F1647 (Method A) “Organic Matter Content of Athletic Field Rootzone Mixes”.

The reward is available to claim on both the UK and Ireland Turf Rewards schemes.

For more information visit www.turfrewards.com or www.turfrewards.ie

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GreenMech’s antigen testing policy

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GreenMech’s antigen testing policy: A leading UK manufacturer of woodchippers has implemented a stringent COVID testing policy for its staff, thanks to support from PPE for the UK. 

Headquartered in Alcester, Warwickshire, GreenMech is a family-run manufacturer originally founded in 1993. Developed from British roots, the firm prides itself on designing, building and engineering its entire product range from its UK based manufacturing facility and over the last 27 years, has established itself as the largest chipper manufacturer globally, distributing to over 30 countries worldwide.

GreenMech's antigen testing policy

GreenMech’s antigen testing policy

Despite the initial disruption caused by COVID-19, the British manufacturer has continued to thrive throughout the pandemic, and in order to maintain its production line has implemented stringent social distancing policies to keep staff safe and in work.

Recognising its challenge, regional PPE supplier, PPE for the UK recently donated 120 rapid COVID-19 tests to help the manufacturer implement a new health and Safety policy to test all staff twice per week for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Able to detect the presence of the virus within just 15 minutes, the antigen test issued by PPE for the UK is currently one of the most accurate tests on the market and provides manufacturers like GreenMech with an easy to use, cost effective testing kit that guarantees fast and reliable results.

Aside from preventing any spread of the virus, the implementation of GreenMech’s new testing policy increases staff safety, whilst preventing any potential disruption to its production line.

Jonathan Turner, Managing Director of GreenMech, confirmed: “Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic we have implemented stringent social distancing and safety measures to keep staff safe and in work, ranging from the provision of face masks and hand sanitisers through to changing where and how people do their jobs when on site to prevent close contact.

We were keen to implement our own testing policy and after our Health and Safety representative completed the necessary training, we were delighted to receive a donation of rapid COVID-19 antigen testing kits from PPE for the UK. Aside from being incredibly quick and easy to use, the rapid testing policy provides us with that additional layer of staff safety, which ensures we can maintain our production line safe in the knowledge that everyone on site is COVID-free.”

Mark O’Sullivan, Founder and CEO of PPE for the UK, added: “All British businesses, like manufacturers, have faced the same challenge of how best to keep their staff safe and in work so that operations are not impacted. In addition to social distancing measures, consistent rapid COVID-19 antigen testing is the best way to achieve this as it prevents asymptomatic cases from entering the workplace and unknowingly spreading the virus.

We are delighted to have supported GreenMech in the set-up of their own rapid testing policy and look forward to supporting many more businesses and organisations in implementing this additional layer of staff safety over the coming months, as lockdown restrictions start to ease.”

Since it was founded, PPE for the UK has been on a clear mission to help communities, businesses and organisations with the consistent supply of high-grade, cost-effective PPE equipment.

Available to order in bulk with next day delivery, PPE for the UK has several different rapid COVID-19 antigen tests available from just £3.95 per testing kit and sold in boxes of 20.

For more information, visit:

https://www.ppe4theuk.com

https://greenmech.co.uk

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Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

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Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing: Thomas Turf Services (TTS) has taken its mission to aid the building and maintaining of the best possible quality turf facilities to another level by simplifying the testing of soils.

The new Golf Green Health Indexing service delivers results without disturbing the surface and represents a new tool for turf managers to use.

Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

Thomas Turf Services simplifies soil testing

For the new service, TTS provides greenkeepers, superintendents and field managers with a bespoke sampling kit and easy to understand instructions for the collecting, packaging and sending of the samples.

“Our latest equipment is so sensitive that it only requires small quantities to establish the soil condition and to determine the presence of unwanted organisms or materials. It only takes four easy steps to collect and courier the samples to our laboratory in Texas.  Here we prepare a report within 7-10 working days,” explains Jim Thomas.

Reports can provide full elemental analysis (including pH, P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, & Na), an organic matter profile, saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, air-filled porosity, water-filled porosity and water retention, as well as the bulk density.

“The new approach makes it possible to collect samples without major disturbance to the current soil conditions. The fear that sample extraction will contribute to the vulnerability of the surface, is now something of the past,” Thomas adds.

Golf courses and venue operators can use the service to establish a benchmark or to monitor the grass conditions continuously. “We advise to have the soils tested on an ongoing basis, preferably once a year, to monitor the developments and progress made. When using this diagnostic tool, problems and trends can be caught early which will help with arresting or managing them.”

TTS offers the Golf Green Indexing service to all golf courses and sports venues in the Americas, as well as the Asia-Pacific region. “We have Spanish speaking agronomists employed. This makes it easier to liaise with clients in the Central- and South-American region directly.”

Earlier this year, The R&A, the European counterpart of the U.S. Golf Association, adopted the method to ensure the venues used are maintained optimally and provide first-class surfaces for member and championship golf. The service for The R&A is provided by European Turfgrass Laboratories, based in Scotland. Like TTS, ETL is also part of the Labosport group of companies.

Worldwide only 8 companies are accredited to conduct soil testing services.  The fact that both TTS and ETL are both accredited and part of the Labosport group of companies allows them to continuously benchmark their performance through inter-company knowledge exchange.

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‘Truly testing’ winter at Plymouth

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‘Truly testing’ winter at Plymouth: Plymouth Argyle’s head of grounds Chris Ralph has described the ‘truly testing’ winter that has taken its toll on the Home Park pitch.

February has seen record rainfall levels across the country and Plymouth has not escaped the deluges.

The combination of that very wet weather, plus a busy programme of games in the month, has inevitably had a detrimental effect on the usually immaculate playing surface.

Ralph explained the situation in a post on social media on Saturday morning as groundsmen up and down the country battled to get games played.

Argyle’s League Two game against Bradford City was played in a mudbath at Valley Parade after referee Carl Boyeson carried out two pitch inspections.

Ralph tweeted: “Good luck to everyone today trying to get games on! This winter, and in particular this last month, have been truly testing!

“We’ve gone from a fantastic coverage to very patchy with seven uses in February and pretty much all in wet weather. All good fun!”

Ralph will be relieved there has been some drier weather over the past couple of days.

He and his staff have two games to prepare for this week, with Argyle playing Ian Holloway’s Grimsby Town tomorrow night.

Relegation-threatened Macclesfield Town will then be the visitors to Home Park on Saturday.

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STRI and Surface Performance form testing alliance

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STRI and Surface Performance form testing alliance: STRI Group has struck an alliance with international turf testing house Surface Performance Ltd.

The global sports solutions provider has engaged with Surface Performance to work together providing sports surface design and testing services for artificial sports surfaces.

 

This collaboration is uniquely placed to combine the highest standard of international and regional expertise to improve artificial sports surfaces at all levels of facility to clients across the globe.

STRI and Surface Performance have worked extensively with major sports governing bodies and organisations. STRI delivered pitch consultancy for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Wimbledon Championships and UEFA, while Surface Performance provides accredited testing and certification for FIFA, World Rugby, FA and ITF standards.

The agreement will support the delivery of range of innovative testing products and data-driven services, including STRI’s new sports surface performance tracker – TurfSync.

Celebrating its 90th birthday this year, STRI has reinforced its position as market leader in the sports surface industry. Significant investments have been made, including the development of research facilities in Australia and Qatar and the launch of design and consultancy hubs in China, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

Established in 2012, Surface Performance have grown to be one of the market leaders in synthetic sports facilities testing, with their head office and laboratory located in London, UK.

STRI head of business development, Andrew Brooker, said: “The agreement ensures our respective businesses can provide a well-rounded service to our existing and future clients. We are pleased to be working with Surface Performance to be able to deliver both services to the global sports surface market.”

Surface Performance director, Callum Reid, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for our team to work alongside STRI throughout the UK and globally. With more and more venues now offering both natural turf and synthetic fields, having the two companies working in parallel makes complete commercial sense.”

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