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Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

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Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair: Machinery distributor Reesink UK is bringing a selection of revolutionary Toro machinery to The Game Fair for the first time.

One thing Reesink knows for sure is that landowners need machinery they can rely on to make their workload easier and more efficient.

Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

That’s why Reesink is bringing a choice of versatile, convenient machinery including the Workman UTX utility vehicles and a powerful, multi-purpose Groundsmaster 3300 mower, all from Toro.

David Timms, Reesink’s National Accounts Manager, says: “Decent machinery that is formulated to handle those heavy-duty tasks effectively, can help landowners to keep on top of estate maintenance with ease, while cutting costs.

“It is important to have the right equipment for the job, and just as quality is a consideration when choosing a car, it’s equally as important when it comes to the machinery used to sustain and upkeep grounds. It’s with good reason that Toro is widely known for their quality when it comes to machinery.”

The Toro Workman UTX 4×4 utility vehicle – available in both two and four seat options – is built to tackle all terrains and with 25 percent more cargo capacity than that of others in its class and a towing capacity of up to 2000lbs, it delivers the ultimate productivity.

It guarantees the right speed and power for the job in hand, meaning customers can choose between lower RPMs for lower fuel consumption and sound near the house, or higher RPMs for more power to transport a heavier load up any inclines.

The Toro Groundsmaster 3300 and its innovative flail attachment delivers year-round productivity and multiple cutting options. It copes easily with longer, coarser, dry or wet grass, and when paired with the fine-cut flail attachment option, cuts two ways. It’s this sort of innovation from Toro that guarantees the kind of productivity customers today demand.

Toro is a firm favourite with National Trust properties, private schools, colleges and universities and sports venues, but that doesn’t price it out of the market for today’s homeowner. Come and see at The Game Fair on 26–28 July on stand FBJ.

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BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

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BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne: After emerging from one of the wettest winters on record, many turf managers across the sporting spectrum are now catching-up with both the mechanical maintenance and nutritional needs of their playing surfaces.

To cope with this intensive intervention and/or periods of plant stress, Suståne’s BOLSTER® Liquid Biostimulant has proven to be one of the most effective growth supplements on the market – its balanced blend of ingredients minimising the impact of poor-quality soils, adverse temperatures, parasitic nematodes and drought.

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

BOLSTER® your turf against stress with Suståne

Formulated with 5% Iron Chelate, 4% Humic Acid and 2% Seaweed Extract, BOLSTER® increases plant vigour in sub-optimal conditions by reducing the effect of stress factors. In extensive research and field trials conducted by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, BOLSTER® was found to significantly increase root mass and depth, accelerate chlorophyll production, improve moisture retention and reduce wilting. In addition, it boosted the plants natural tolerance to certain diseases and plant parasitic nematodes such as Root Knot and Lance nematode infected turfgrass, through the trial period conducted in Virginia.

BOLSTER® is suitable for applications on the golf course, winter sports pitches and other intensively managed turf areas and can be an effective partner to overseeding operations, with significant improvements to seedling and turf establishment noted as a result. It also contributes to optimised growth in low light conditions.

One club to discover the benefits of BOLSTER® Liquid are Brighton and Hove Golf Club, who explain that the biostimulant has become a staple in their greenkeeping arsenal. “We’ve used Suståne’s BOLSTER® Liquid here for the last seven years” explains Course Manager Jason Sarna. “It’s a great product for seeing us through high pressure periods, protecting the plant from abiotic stress caused by cultural practices, heat and drought stress and through the winter months when daylight hours are reduced.”

“We use the BOLSTER® Liquid as part of our root drench application mixed with either wetting agent or aminos, for increased soil and plant health. Since implementing BOLSTER® as part of our nutritional programme, we have noticed a definite increase in plant health and rooting, and the colour response after application is a fantastic added bonus!”

BOLSTER® is best applied monthly at a rate of 9.46L per Ha in 300-800L water depending on the application target area. It can be applied flexibly as part of a foliar spray mixed with PGR, or in a root drench spray mixed with a chosen wetting agent.

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Enhance and perfect your turf management strategy with Attraxor

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Enhance and perfect your turf management strategy with Attraxor: Finding optimal solutions to manage and maintain amenity turf remains a consistent challenge among greenkeepers, with a growing number of professionals recognising the benefits of introducing plant growth regulators (PGRs), like Attraxor®, into their ongoing strategy. Here, we hear from several of the UK’s top greenkeepers about how Attraxor® has helped them manage and maintain their turf.

The leading PGR in the turf management toolkit, Attraxor® works by restricting the production of gibberellic acid – the plant hormone responsible for cell elongation. By reducing the level of hormone in the leaf, Attraxor® then redirects the energy within the sward to enhance the root and lateral growth, while upholding consistent turf quality and colour.

Enhance and perfect your turf management strategy with Attraxor

Enhance and perfect your turf management strategy with Attraxor

PGRs, like Attraxor®, are instrumental in enabling groundkeepers to optimise their often-limited resources efficiently.

Darren McLaughlan, golf courses manager at Trump Turnberry, Ayrshire, agrees and confirms he has seen enhanced turf quality, reduced time spent and costs in maintenance – as well as improved playability.

Darren said: “We recorded growth suppression of average 33 per cent as measured by clip rate, so it’s clear that the use of Attraxor® plus natural environmental factors have significantly reduced top growth. The active prohexadione calcium shrinks the Poa seedhead leading to far more consistent ball roll, improved smoothness, and a slight increase in green speed!

“Playability metrics such as green speed and bobble test rating increased dramatically after one application. Our members have also commented on the difference in the greens and the improvement in their play since we began using Attraxor®.”

Attraxor® also limits the spread of Poa annua and reduces seedhead production by up to 38%. By using an innovative formulation for fast leaf absorption, it provides almost instant results as it is activated once diluted in water at low pH.

John Quinn, Golf Course Manager at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, has been using Attraxor® for three seasons and continues to see excellent benefits and Poa annua reduction from the PGR.

John said “I use Attraxor® every 21 days on our greens and it has lowered the mowing maintenance of the greens and complemented our existing efforts of upkeep.

“During periods of high growth, we alternate days mowing and rolling to reduce plant stress. Attraxor® gives me better control of growth rates. Throughout the 21-day period, a more uniform sward is possible each week. I’ve found that the Poa annua seedhead suppression qualities are superior to Trinexapac-ethyl products.”

Attraxor® increases the density of the turf by redirecting growth horizontally. It encourages the thickening of the plant cell walls and epidermis, therefore creating a stronger, more resilient, and consistent sward, while suppressing Poa annua seedhead production.

To find out more about Attraxor®, visit https://www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Overview/Growth-Regulator/Attraxor.html#section-benefits or to explore BASF’s wider turf products, visit https://www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Product-innovation/Turf/

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The Future of Sports Turf Higher Education Needs Your Opinion

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The Future of Sports Turf Higher Education Needs Your Opinion: There is a proposed new Level 5 Sports Turf Technical Manager Apprenticeship on the horizon with the option of including a Sports Turf Foundation Degree.  What are your thoughts on this?

In October 2023, a new Level 3 Advanced Sports Turf Technician Apprenticeship was made available (for details please see Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education (IFATE) website).  This new progression route builds on the Level 2 Sports Turf Operatives or Level 2 Greenkeeping and/or supports those seeking to develop their supervisory skills, knowledge and behaviours in sports turf.

The Future of Sports Turf Higher Education Needs Your Opinion

The Future of Sports Turf Higher Education Needs Your Opinion

Based on the role and duties of a sports turf manager, IFATE have now recognised that a continued progression route to a higher level 5 apprenticeship qualification in sports turf may be needed.

To ascertain the taught knowledge, skills and behaviours for a level 5 sports turf manager, a new survey is now available to canvas industry opinion.   If you have a vested interest in sports turf, sports turf operatives (groundstaff/groundskeepers) and general management of sports turf (e.g. any sport that uses a predominantly natural grass surface), then please complete the survey

Survey: https://forms.office.com/e/iYyA7Y3L06

Further to this, the survey is seeking opinion for utilising an existing level 5 university sports turf qualification as an educational programme towards achieving a level 5 Sports Turf Technical Manager apprenticeship.  Specifically, utilising a ‘Foundation Degree in Sports Turf Management’.

Why a Foundation Degree?  The newly developed recommended ‘Duties’ of a level 5 Sports Turf Technical Manager indicated a role that is based on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).  The Foundation Degree in Sports Turf is a longstanding STEM-based higher education sports turf qualification.  The existence of the FD is potentially readymade to meet this need.  Over 200 sports turf professionals have completed the FD since 2013 and just over 50 have progressed further and graduated with a Bachelor of Science with honours (BSc. Hons).  It appears to be a successful qualification for technical sports turf professionals, however there may be barriers preventing more individuals from achieving this qualification, namely university tuition fees.

Why Apprenticeships? Completion of a formal apprenticeship is a recognised qualification that confirms that an individual has completed at least a year of training and education and has sat an independently assessed and regulated examination, known as an End-Point Assessment.  Arguably, the UK Government values Apprenticeships and generates funding to incentivise and meet the costs of this training for employers.

If the turf industry is of the opinion that the Foundation Degree in Sports Turf Management has a valuable part of Level 5 Apprenticeship for Sports Turf, then there is a good case to include this qualification.

How much will it cost?  In summary, a Level 5 apprentice’s employer could access about a 95-100% reduction in the fees.  An apprentice would have no fee.  An employer would need to facilitate an average of six hours a week for an apprentice’s off-the-job training.

Please complete the survey if you would like to contribute on the future of sports turf education and training for higher level apprenticeships

Survey: https://forms.office.com/e/iYyA7Y3L06

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Power up your tools

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Power up your tools: Leading power tool manufacturer Makita has launched a new redemption promotion for its XGT Power Source Kit range. Running from the 1st October until the 31st December 2023, end users can claim a free 40VMax XGT 2.5Ah battery when they purchase a selected XGT Power Source Kit.

Makita Power Source Kits are an ideal way for end users to start or expand a cordless system of XGT 40VMax tools. There are six qualifying Power Source Kits available in total as part of Makita’s latest promotion: Four kits with two batteries (2.5Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, and 8.0Ah options) and fast charger, and two kits with four batteries (5.0Ah and 8.0Ah options) and a twin-port fast charger. All are supplied in a robust Makpac carry case.

Power up your tools

Power up your tools

Purchasing a Makita Power Source Kit enables you to select your preferred battery options, and then select your XGT tools from a wide range of body only models as a cost-effective option. The Power Source Kit and body only products enables customers to build their own kit of XGT products specific to their job requirements.

With a high number of XGT models also available in Makpac cases, you can simply connect the Makpac tool cases to your Power Source Kits for improved storage and safe transport.

Makita’s latest promotion allows end users to claim a free BL4025 2.5Ah XGT Battery (retail value of over £100) with qualifying XGT Power Source Kits. This Li-ion battery is a powerful general use battery with an LED charge level indicator for use with Makita’s range of 40VMax and 80VMax XGT tools. The heavy-duty battery can be charged in just 28 minutes with a rapid charger, for optimum performance and productivity on site.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK, said: “Our XGT range is designed to help our customers work faster, more efficiently and safely with cordless technology that offers optimum power, high performance and exceptional run time. Batteries can be easily changed between tools, depending on the task and with our latest promotion, we’re helping end users enhance their cordless experience with a free battery.”

Makita’s latest redemption will run until the 31st December 2023. Customers who purchase any qualifying XGT Power Source Kit from an authorised dealer between 01.10.23 and 31.12.23 must register their purchase online via the redemption promotion website within 28 days of purchase to claim their free product (see website for full Terms & Conditions and qualifying criteria). Customers will receive their free 2.5Ah (BL4025) 40VMax XGT Battery on successful application.

For more information about Makita’s redemption promotion, visit: www.makitauk.com/redemptions

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