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The MENA Turf Show to Launch in Dubai

The MENA Turf Show to Launch in Dubai: The turf industry is set to converge in the Middle East as The MENA TURF SHOW launches on 17th April 2026 at the prestigious Park Hyatt Dubai. Supported by VIYA GOLF, and as the region’s first dedicated event for golf, sports turf, and landscaping innovation, the show will provide a vital platform for professionals to connect, discover new technologies, and share expertise. 

From golf course superintendents to sports venue managers and golf course architects, THE MENA TURF SHOW promises insights and solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the Middle East’s climate. Attendees can look forward to expert-led sessions covering topics such as sustainable turf practices, sports field construction and maintenance, R&D agronomy insights and golf industry future trends.

The MENA Turf Show to Launch in Dubai

The MENA Turf Show to Launch in Dubai

“The Middle East is investing heavily in world-class golf courses, sports facilities, and green spaces,” said Nick Brown, Export Sales Manager at Campey Turf Care Systems. “The MENA TURF SHOW will serve as a vital hub for innovation and collaboration, helping industry leaders shape the future of turf management across the region.”

“Sustainability and innovation are key to managing turf in extreme climates,” said Babiker Khateeb – Commercial Director Polyclean Turf Division UAE. “The MENA TURF SHOW is the perfect platform to bring education that can transform how we care for sports surfaces and landscapes in this unique environment.”

THE MENA TURF SHOW has been made possible by the sponsorship of Campey Turf Care Systems and Polyclean Turf Division UAE, whose support underscores the importance of bringing cutting-edge turf solutions to the region.

Held at the scenic Park Hyatt Dubai at Dubai Creek Golf & Yachet Club, the event will blend cutting-edge technology with practical insights for maintaining high-quality turf and landscapes in extreme conditions. Further details on registration will be announced soon.

For updates,

• visit www.themenaturfshow.com or follow:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MiddleEastNorthAfricaTurfShow
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/themenaturfshow
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-mena-turf-show
• X (Twitter): www.twitter.com/themenaturfshow

Connect. Discover. Grow. See you at The MENA Turf Show in Dubai on 17 April 2026.

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MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch

MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch: For Adam Rowlands, owner of Turf Doctor Specialists Ltd, maintaining high-quality cricket surfaces is about using the right tools for the job – and when it comes to seed, MM50 from MM Seed is his go-to solution.

Based in West London, Turf Doctor Specialists Ltd has been operating for over a decade as a limited company, but Adam brings with him more than 30 years of hands-on experience in the industry. As specialists in the maintenance and renovation of natural turf, the company works across a wide range of sports surfaces, from football and rugby pitches to bowls and tennis courts – but cricket remains one of their key focus areas.

MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch

MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch

 

Adam began using MM50 four years ago after switching from another seed that wasn’t quite delivering the results he needed. It was through working with Agrovista Amenity that MM50 was recommended, and since then, he’s never looked back.

“It was originally recommended to me by Agrovista Amenity, and I gave it a go,” says Adam. “I found it to be a much more robust, hard-wearing option compared to the bent and fescues I’d used in the past – and the results speak for themselves.”

MM50 is now used by Turf Doctor Specialists Ltd across six cricket squares and two bowling greens during the renovation window from early September to mid-October. Adam also applies it to six grass tennis courts, where durability and rapid recovery are equally important.

What sets MM50 apart, in Adam’s view, is its performance under pressure. Cricket squares face intense wear and tear during the season, and MM50’s dense, fine-leaved ryegrass blend stands up to the challenge.

“The colour is good, germination is reliable, and the recovery is solid,” he explains. “It handles the demands of a busy cricket season really well. In my opinion, it’s the perfect seed for cricket.”

MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch

MM50 Delivers the Perfect Pitch

MM50 is specially designed for end-of-season renovations and mid-season repairs on cricket squares. Its blend of Chloe, Alison, Singapore and Etienna perennial ryegrass cultivars offers exceptional shoot density, tolerance to close mowing, and fast recovery which is important when pitches are used through the season. MM 50 is also treated with HEADSTART® GOLD, a seaweed-based seed treatment which helps ensure rapid and even germination, helping grounds professionals like Adam get the best possible results even in challenging conditions.

“It just works,” says Adam. “And I have to give credit to Chris Turpie from Agrovista Amenity – his customer service is unbelievable. I don’t think you can get better support than that.”

For professionals looking for a proven, hard-wearing, and dependable seed for cricket square renovation and repair, MM50 continues to deliver outstanding results – season after season.

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on X: @MM_Seed.

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Come and see the amazing slope capabilities of Ventrac

Come and see the amazing slope capabilities of Ventrac: At Grounds Fest 2025 Price Turfcare, Ventrac distributor for the UK & Ireland will be demonstrating, live, the amazing 30 degree slope capabilities of the Ventrac 4520 compact tractor. Their specifically designed exhibition vehicle has multiple slopes so you can see for yourself what the Ventrac can do.

According to Price Turfcare’s Rupert Price, since Ventrac’s introduction into the UK, hundreds of customers have adopted it to solve labour intensive vegetation management on steep slopes. Additionally some are rethinking turf area maintenance by replacing mower only machinery with this multi season workhorse. Once adopted, the Ventrac 4520 can then complete other grounds maintenance tasks that would usually necessitate the purchase of hire of specialist machines. Tasks such as gravel and hard surface pathway maintenance, stump grinding, trenching, seeding and materials handling to name but a few.

Come and see the amazing slope capabilities of Ventrac

Come and see the amazing slope capabilities of Ventrac

Price Turfcare encourage you to visit them on stand RB50 to see our live demonstrations

www.priceturfcare.com

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BIGGA announces the FTMI Class of 2025

BIGGA announces the FTMI Class of 2025: The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Jacobsen announce the delegates of the FTMI 2025 Future Turf Managers Initiative, a training programme to help talented greenkeeper candidates progress towards head greenkeeper and course manager roles.

FTMI is a hybrid programme of online and in-person education and mentoring. The 2025/2026 schedule begins with face-to-face training at Jacobsen HQ in Ipswich this September, followed by further sessions online during October, November and December. The course concludes with two and a half days of learning at BTME in Harrogate in January 2026.

BIGGA announces the FTMI Class of 2025

BIGGA announces the FTMI Class of 2025

The initiative is designed to give the participants an insight into management skills that they will need as they progress through the ranks in their careers. Topics covered include presentation skills, communication, time management, interview skills, CV writing, stress awareness, budgeting and leadership.

The FTMI Class of 2025 includes the following greenkeepers:

Callum Atkinson – first assistant greenkeeper, The Wilmslow Golf Club

Tod Bannerman – senior greenkeeper, Taymouth Castle Golf Club

Patrick Brown – senior greenkeeper and spray technician, Fulwell Golf Club

George Edwards – deputy head greenkeeper, Walton Heath Golf Club

Alistair Hogg – senior greenkeeper, A&M Fife Golf Club

Alex Hudson – assistant greenkeeper, Sharpley Golf Club

Chris Keeler – deputy course manager, Prestbury Golf Club

Ronan Latham – senior greenkeeper, JCB Golf & Country Club

Toby Long – first assistant greenkeeper, Broadstone Golf Club

Carl Moore – deputy head greenkeeper, Kings Norton Golf Club

William Moore – assistant course manager, Kilworth Springs Golf Club

Euan Polson – first assistant greenkeeper, Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

Phillip Shields – first assistant greenkeeper, The Blackwood Golf Club

Greg Smith – first assistant greenkeeper, The Berkshire Golf Club

John Thornton – irrigation technician, Copt Heath Golf Club

Delegates are assigned to mentor groups throughout the programme. The mentors for this year are all previous FTMI graduates and are course managers Leigh Powell (Windlesham), James Parker (Machrihanish Dunes) and Ben Williams (Royal Cinque Ports).

BIGGA CEO, Jim Croxton, said: “It’s always a thrill to learn of the successful delegates for the Future Turf Managers Initiative as the developmental opportunities they receive and the chance to become an FTMI graduate can turbo-charge careers. I look forward keenly to seeing how the Class of 2025 develop and to meeting them all at Jacobsen HQ in September.

We remain hugely grateful to Textron for supporting this amazing initiative for BIGGA members”.

Nicole Burn, Brand Marketing Director at Jacobsen, said: “We’re proud to support the Future Turf Managers Initiative in partnership with BIGGA. Investing in the development of future leaders in turf management is essential to the growth and sustainability of our industry, and we’re honoured to play a role in that journey”.

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Doing more than a fraction of the job

Doing more than a fraction of the job: Aerators play the central role in creating a balanced water management programme and Otterbine’s Fractional Series is now even more efficient and easy to use.

Otterbine’s Fractional Series offers the most productive, cost-effective way of ensuring the water quality of small and mid-sized ponds regardless of the weather. And when the weather conditions are already, and look set to continue being, the warmest in 70 years, it’s important not to fall foul to doing nothing – reparative maintenance is not the cheap or easy option.

Doing more than a fraction of the job

Doing more than a fraction of the job

Robert Jackson, Division Manager for Reesink Hydro-Scapes, UK distributor for Otterbine aerators, says: “So far this year, the conditions are perfect for creating water problems in ponds and lakes. The weather is warm enough and consistent enough to cause significant problems.”

Why is aeration needed?

The sun exacerbates thermal stratification, water stagnation and oxygen depletion – creating the perfect environment for algae and anaerobic bacteria. This proliferation may endanger the pond ecosystem while also leading to unpleasant smells and aesthetics that put off visitors and increase maintenance costs.

Whether you’re managing ponds in a holiday park, a golf course or a private estate, a proactive approach to water quality is the most effective way to minimise the need for reparative maintenance in the long run.

That’s where the Fractional comes in

The Otterbine Fractional Series delivers the perfect solution for ponds less than three quarters of an acre in size. With the ability to transfer 1kg (2.2 lbs) of oxygen per horsepower per hour and pump 115m³ of water per hour, they will significantly improve water circulation and oxygenation.

Using aeration, it is possible to prevent high-maintenance conditions like algal bloom and thermal stratification and ensure a thriving ecosystem.

Boasting a cost-effective design and the highest performance rate in the class, Otterbine’s Fractional Series comes complete with a manufacturer certified control panel to protect the unit, and the ability to switch between five interchangeable spray pattern configurations.

But the Fractional Series isn’t just about utility: it also provides four visually striking configuration options – plus a horizontal circulator – with different heights, diameters and patterns that can elevate the aesthetics of any pond. And for an even greater visual impact, LED and RGBW colour-changing lights can be added to create a kaleidoscopic effect that will make your water features stand out, day or night.

Rob concludes: “Offering a cost-effective alternative to large-scale aerators, the Fractional Series aerators are quick to install, easy to maintain and designed for long-term durability. They are also backed by our national network of contractors, dealers and installers, providing expert support and guidance whenever needed.”

For protecting ponds, creating scenic water features, or safeguarding the biodiversity of the site, the Otterbine Fractional Series is the smart, simple solution for cleaner, healthier water. Want to learn more? Call 01480 226800 to speak with an expert or visit reesink-hydroscapes.co.uk.

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

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