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Pompey’s Fox In The Box

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Pompey’s Fox In The Box: It appears Portsmouth may have unearthed a new fox in the box, but it’s not a new striker that has arrived at Fratton Park.

Not that they need much help in that department as things stand anyway!

Nor is it the breakthrough of one of their academy youngsters, who’ll set the world alight with his youthful exuberance and a disregard for reputations, leaving even the most experienced of defenders running scared.

Unfortunately, it’s the discovery of a danger of a different kind that will have the club’s groundsman feeling nervous. Fratton Park has always had problems with foxes.

And it appears the latest batch of unwanted residents at PO4 have taken their residency to a new level.

As Pompey prepare to play host to Wycombe on Saturday, the ground staff at Fratton Park arrived at work on Thursday to discover some interesting chunks had been taken out of the playing surface.

That will leave the groundsman ‘holed up’ all day in a race against time to repair the damage ahead of the visit of the Chairboys.

And he’ll have to come up with a cunning plan so that he’s not outfoxed in the future!

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MLR Launch The ORN

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MLR Launch The ORN: MLR, the international sports supplementary lighting business, has launched a new lighting rig designed specifically for golf courses – the first of its kind within the sports turf industry.

The ‘Orn’ will be unveiled at STRI’s Research Day on Wednesday 19th September in Bingley, West Yorkshire.

MLR Launch The ORN

MLR has provided mobile lighting solutions to sports arenas since 1998 and has now utilised innovative technologies to develop the ‘Orn’ rig to provide mobile lighting solutions for problematic greens and fairways.

Working with its global distributor, Bernhard and Company, the ‘Orn’ joins MLR’s range of supplementary lighting rigs that service a multitude of sports stadiums.

The Orn is compact and easy to move around the course to spot treat problem areas. It can be disassembled in less than 30 minutes, so it’s easy to store when not in use.

MLR general manager, Hermann Sather, said: “MLR is proud to launch the world’s first supplementary lighting rig designed specifically for golf. There’s a great deal of pressure on greenkeepers to produce quality surfaces all year round, and the Orn can be a crucial weapon in that battle.

“This is our first venture into the golf market, but it won’t be our last. Expect more exciting developments in the near future!”

Steve Nixon, Director for Bernhard and Company, said: “This is an exciting time for Bernhard Company. By combining our strong experience and knowledge of the golf market with MLR technical expertise, we are bringing a unique product that will revolutionise the way turf professionals manage difficult growth areas around their golf course.”

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Wildflower Project Makes The Grade

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Wildflower Project Makes The Grade: Brunel House in Bristol has recently undergone an ecologically friendly landscaping project, with urban biodiversity at the forefront of the project.

Formally offices and now a new Unite Students property, Brunel House in Bristol will house 246 students who will enjoy a landscape that offers an urban habitat for insects, bats, swifts and other wildlife.

Wildflower Project Makes The Grade

Key to the central landscaping design of this new development is the incorporation of a wildflower meadow, supplied by Wildflower Turf Ltd at the request of construction specialists the RG Group.

Following the RG Group’s winning submission at the 2017 CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, award sponsors Wildflower Turf Ltd were contacted by Sustainability Consultant Colorado Goldwyn with a view of utilising the RG Group’s prize to enhance the Brunel House project.

As well as donating 200m² of Wildflower Turf Landscape Turf, the Hampshire-based wildflower experts also assisted the project with specialist consultancy, recommended and supplied additional turf to meet the project’s requirements, and provided Accredited Partner training to the project team.

Colorado Goldwyn of EQ Consultancy said, “The combination of Wildflower Turf Landscape Turf and Species Rich Lawn Turf has pulled the landscaping scheme together beautifully and allowed for a flow of biodiversity throughout the differing levels of the landscape design.”

The wildflower-led landscaping initiative has focussed on assisting rare invertebrates such as the rare Carrot Mining Bee and Small Blue Butterfly. Additionally, and in collaboration with the RSPB, a number of other recommended ecological initiatives were also defined and adopted as part of the landscaping design.

Wildflower Project Makes The Grade

As well as providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape for the incoming student population, local wildlife habitats have been protected, with the project on track to receive an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.

James Hewetson-Brown, Managing Director at Wildflower Turf Ltd said “The ecological prosperity that a wildflower meadow can bring cannot be understated, and urban biodiversity projects such as this stretch widely to encompass both social and health benefits.”

Hewetson-Brown continued, “It is anticipated that the local student population will benefit, not only from the beautifully landscaped areas that will promote wellbeing and social interaction, but by gaining a sense of responsibility as they become interested in, and involved with, the protection of local wildlife.”

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Only The Best Nematodes In Leading Products

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Only The Best Nematodes In Leading Products: BASF is the UK’s largest producer of beneficial nematodes, and it goes to great lengths to ensure that its product is of the highest quality available on the market. It’s vital that the quality is as high as possible because low quality nematodes will either die before use or will be ineffective in hunting down prey.

Nematodes are micro-organisms that occur naturally in the soil, where they hunt down and attack pests. Each nematode species has its own specific prey, meaning that they will harm their prey, and only their prey. They are already present within the soil, but more often than not, this is at such low levels that they are ineffective at controlling major pest infestations. In order to see the benefit, you must boost the numbers of live nematodes present in the soil; this is where BASF comes in!

Only The Best Nematodes In Leading Products

BASF ensures a consistently high quality by growing them through an extremely high-tech and specialised procedure. The facilities designed by BASF are reminiscent of a cutting edge distillery or brewery, filled with stainless steel stills and white lab coats. There are endless factors considered with each stage of the process being carefully monitored by experts in the field, and the most advanced equipment specifically designed for the job is used; but whilst the growing process is technical and scientific, the application process for the gardener could not be easier!

Due to the fact out BASF’s nematodes are delivered straight to the customer’s door, as a fresh, live product, it is able to guarantee product consistency, concentration (of 90-95% pure nematodes) and the unique formulations which provide the most optimum stability and product performance for which it has established a market leading reputation. BASF is the only nematode grower to offer this type of service.

Nemasys and Nemaslug are the most effective biological product ranges that meet all environmental standards, and this continues to drive growth year on year, with the products being compatible with organic gardening and creating no resistance issues.

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GKB At “The Most Beautiful Ground”

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GKB At “The Most Beautiful Ground”: Cricket Manager and former head groundsman for the Wormsley estate, Simon Tremlin heads the team responsible for maintaining the Wormsley Cricket Pitch in Buckinghamshire, which is often referred to as ‘the most beautiful ground in Britain’.

When Mick Jagger introduced Sir Paul Getty to cricket, the millionaire philanthropist formed such an affection for the sport he had a replica of The Oval built on the grounds of his estate. The pitch was completed in 1992 and the first match played there was attended by Her Majesty The Queen Mother, the then Prime Minister John Major, Sir Michael Caine and cricket legends Denis Compton and Brian Johnston. What is now known as ‘Sir Paul Getty’s Ground’, Wormsley has in recent years played host to England Women’s test matches against Australia and India.

GKB At "The Most Beautiful Ground"

With such a reputation to live up to he’s naturally very selective about the machinery he uses and a requirement for a scarifier and seeder led him to official GKB dealers RT Machinery near Aylesbury.

“We do a lot of contracting work as well as looking after Wormsley,” says Simon “and it’s important to know the machines we use are sturdy enough to meet our needs. Last year we did forty- two cricket squares as well as rugby and football pitches.” RT Machinery arranged with GKB Machines’ Tom Shinkins for demonstrations of GKB’s VStrong and Combiseeder at Wormsley. “We wanted a scarifier that collects as well and the VStrong showed us it’s ideal for that, leaving a tidy finish and saving time, especially in damp conditions.” Simon adds.

The VStrong follows in the tradition of GKB’s Combinator and employs generically developed 3mm carbide scarifying blades attached to the rotor using their Quick-Lock system. An operating depth of 5cm is easily attained without missing any areas. The operating speed of up to 12km/h is a real benefit for the professional contractor, with fast removal of thatch and weed with the ability to collect at the same time.

The GKB Combiseeder can be used for overseeding and initial seeding and features two spiked rollers that open up the soil for the seed to then be spread accurately across the full width, in and around the holes. Creating over 1500 holes per m² the Combiseeder provides accurate seed application at various rates to suit different seed mixes, with drag brushes to incorporate seed and topdressing for minimal surface disruption.

“We’ve gone with the GKB machines for the way they perform and they are robust enough to withstand the punishment of contracting work,” says Simon, “and we have plenty of that ahead as well as maintaining Sir Paul Getty’s Ground.” GKB machines can be seen at work in an open day at RT Machinery, Nether Winchendon near Aylesbury on the 5th September 2018 and local demonstrations can be arranged.

For more information, visit: www.gkbmachines.com

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