Like most turf professionals, we all like to support and watch the major sporting events – and this weekend’s Ryder Cup is one such event I particularly relish watching.

It was of course extra special yesterday considering that Europe managed to hold off a valiant final-day comeback from a rejuvenated Team USA to regain the trophy with a 17.5-10.5 triumph after a tense, dramatic and historic afternoon at Le Golf National.

Sunday morning, one greenkeeping team on one hole

As a grounds professional The Ryder Cup is up there with the best in terms of challenging the skills of our sportsurf industry in delivering and producing the highest quality turf playing surface. It’s up there with the likes of the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and Wimbledon.

As we all know, these large sporting events take years of planning and the level of input by grounds professionals is staggering. The general public and the thousands of fans who turn up and watch these events rarely have an inkling of what goes on to stage these events.

In the case of the Ryder Cup, the support for the Le Golf International has been enormous with plenty of major sponsors coming on board along with an array of manufacturers, product and service providers supplying a range of machinery and products to help maintain the course throughout a challenging summer.

Greenkeepers' facility

The course manager of Le Golf National, Alejandro Reyes, and his team of greenkeepers have no doubt been very busy preparing the course for this major event. Three years ago they oversaw the installation of some major fairway drainage soon followed up with some secondary drainage slits to ensure they could cope with any amount of rainfall during a major event. It was then a case of improving the aesthetics and performance of the playing surfaces using the most advanced agronomy maintenance regimes. The below video gives you an insight to the work Alejandro Reyes and his team have been doing to prepare the course for the Ryder Cup.

I understand only too well the amount of work required during a tournament, having myself been on a tournament greenkeeping team when I was privileged to work at the London Club on a European Open event in 2008. The greenkeeping team are effectively carrying out a complete maintenance regime of the course in a few hours pre and post-match play.

They can only ever achieve this level of support by the fact they themselves have support from key industry companies. Ransomes Jacobsen have whole heartily supported the golf course ever since it took on the role of supplying all their machinery. Over £2m of Ransomes Jacobsen turf equipment was used to maintain the course.

A team of about 190 volunteers from across the world was tasked with the job of getting up before dawn to keep the course shipshape, armed with a fleet of Ransomes Jacobsen mowers. As well as the 42 pieces of our equipment that the course already owns and uses every day, the company loaned a further 60 pieces of equipment during the tournament.

Other companies supplying tournament support were both Bernhards and Syngenta. Le Golf National had a full Bernhard sharpening system set up working almost non-stop in the background during the event.

Working with their distributor Macdis in France, they supported the mechanics team in the 4 weeks in the run up to the event. Gary Woodward and Paul Wilcox supported Brice and his team and the volunteers for the whole of September.

They have been working closely with Brice Rué and Alejandro Reyes at Le Golf National for the last year to make sure they had the right set up for the Ryder Cup, providing support for the Paris Legends in September 2017 and the Open de France in June 2018 as a dress rehearsal.

The full set up for the Ryder Cup was:

• 1 Express Dual 5000
• 1 Anglemaster 3000MC
• 1 Express Dual 3000MC
• 1 Anglemaster 4000DXi
• 1 Rotamaster

Bernhard set-up for the Ryder Cup

Steven Nixon said: “It is a privilege for any company to be involved in such an event as the Ryder Cup. Bernhard Company are very proud to have worked with Alejandro’s team over the years. Brice Rué and his team at Le Golf National were already working with a strong sharpening regime providing excellent presentation and we are extremely happy and proud to have supported them through this winning event.”

As for Syngenta, Daniel Lightfoot MG, Syngenta UK Turf Business Manager, was on the LGN greenkeeping team in September, utilising his skills developed as former course manager at Bearwood Lakes, along with experience of tournament preparation across the UK and US.

Daniel was working at Le Golf National for the full week before and throughout the Tournament, alongside Syngenta Nordics Business Manager, Lars Tveter - also a former course manager and previous president of the Norwegian greenkeepers’ association. They were among over 160 volunteer greenkeepers working alongside the existing Team at Le Golf National. The greenkeepers’ facility at the course was bedecked in the multinational flags representing those that were helping out. Although it’s an incredibly busy and arduous schedule to get the course prepared and nurtured through the matches, Alejandro Reyes had laid on a full education programme for all the greenkeepers to learn about the practices he’s used- as well as the downtime to talk about and discuss greenkeeping skills.

Daniel Lightfoot and Lars Tveter at the end of the weekend - job well done!

Early starts, long days and late night finishes - fuelled by cans of Red Bull and Mars bars - but still incredible satisfaction from working with such a great team and forging some long-lasting friendships, added Daniel.

Syngenta say they were very pleased to be involved in the event and were very happy to see the benefits the course gained from using some of their key growth regulator products, including Primo Maxx II. Syngenta fungicide, Ascernity, now registered and launched in France and their Ryder Pigment.

Rolawn, the turf grower and topsoil supplier, have forecast that turf prices in the UK are set to increase over the coming months.

The impact of challenging growing conditions starting with the cold wet winter, followed by the ‘Beast from the East' in spring, moving on to a record breaking hot dry summer has increased production costs in an unprecedented manner.

As widely reported many crops have been under tremendous pressure with yields sharply reduced combined with significantly higher costs, which can only result in significant upward pressure on price. Added to this, increases in fuel prices compared to last year means that the cost of turf production, harvesting and delivery have increased significantly.

As a result, a double-digit percentage increase in the price of turf is predicted. 

Paul Dawson, Rolawn's Managing Director says "At Rolawn our customers understand that we invest heavily in being able to continuously supply high quality turf, year-round. The more extreme nature of weather patterns we have experienced in the UK, particularly over the last 8 months, reaffirms our approach in developing an evolved Medallion turf, harvested younger and thinner, put through our patented Profresh® system to extend shelf life, creating a highly adaptable rapid rooting product that results in a healthier lawn.

"However, like many growers of outdoor crops, we have been hit with major cost increases across the business, and these need to be reflected in the market"

Glyphosate has been in the news again recently, and as groundcare professionals look to their 2019 weed control programmes, Roundup technical development manager Barrie Hunt gives an update on legal and best practice information to help plan ahead.

What is the legislative situation with glyphosate at the moment?

Glyphosate was formally re-Approved on 12th December 2017 by the European Commission.

How long has glyphosate been approved for and what does that mean for Roundup products?

Glyphosate, as an active substance, has been approved for a period of 5 years. The second stage of the process is the reauthorisation of the individual glyphosate products and this is currently ongoing. Both Roundup ProVantage and ProActive have been submitted for reauthorisation and we expect that process to be completed by the end of the year. In the meantime, both products continue to be fully available.

Are they stocked by the same range of distributors?

Yes, there have been no changes to distribution agreements and you can still order Roundup products from your usual merchants.

Are there any new restrictions on using glyphosate products?
The major change to product availability affected glyphosate products containing POE-t, also known as ethoxylated tallow amine, which is a surfactant to help wet the leaves. Since the end of June 2018 products containing POE-t are no longer authorised for use or storage. No Monsanto amenity glyphosate products contain POE-t.

We are not aware of any changes of use or label restrictions and in our product re-authorisation applications we have applied for the full range of existing uses.

One of my local authority clients has expressed concern about using glyphosate in public open spaces such as parks. How can I put their mind at rest?

Roundup has been used successfully and safely for more than 40 years. Roundup ProVantage and ProActive act on the target’s enzyme system, which is unique to plants and not found in humans, animals, fish or insects. Roundup products have been widely used for over 40 years and their safety has been assessed by Pesticides Regulatory Agencies from all over the world, including the World Health Organisation.

As part of the recent re-Approval process, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency both assessed glyphosate in detail and concluded that it can be used safely and does not cause cancer.

People, pets and wildlife need not be kept out of treated areas, although it is best not to walk in areas where the spray is still wet as transfer to other vegetation may lead to unwanted damage to other foliage. Once the spray is dry this cannot occur.

A leaflet explaining how Roundup works is available to distribute to clients and to the public - contact the helpline on 01954 717575 for copies.

Is there anything I can do as a contractor to help ensure that glyphosate remains available for use in the future?

Always use chemical products in accordance with the label recommendations and all applicable pesticide legislation, and in conditions where the active ingredients can work most effectively to avoid the risk of resistance.

Although there are no known cases of glyphosate resistance in the UK, it is a very real threat, and amenity professionals should have a Resistance Management Strategy in place.

This includes using the correct dose rate of a reputable, approved glyphosate product, treating at the correct weed growth stage with correctly calibrated equipment and in good conditions; using other active ingredients and non-chemical methods of weed control as part of an Integrated Weed Management Plan.

The IOG has announced that Neil Stubley, head of courts and horticulture at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) has been appointed to the IOG Board as an independent director.

Commenting on Neil’s appointment, IOG CEO Geoff Webb said, “It’s an honour to welcome Neil to the IOG Board of Directors. Neil is respected throughout the industry and will bring new perspective and fresh thinking to the Board. The link with the AELTC also follows the past relationship established with Eddie Seward MBE who was a past president and patron of the IOG."

Neil says he’s looking forward to contributing to the Board. “The invitation to join the IOG Board of Directors is a fantastic opportunity for me to better understand the challenges that face our industry from a different angle and I found my first Board Meeting very informative.”

The IOG also said in statement that they would like to thank the hard work and dedication given by retiring Board members: Dr Kate Entwistle, from The Turf & Disease Centre; Dougie Robertson, West Ham grounds manager; and Mike Lewis, member of the IOG Midland Branch and bowling green maintenance expert.

Ipswich Golf Club has signed a fourth five-year exclusive supplier agreement with turf equipment manufacturer, Ransomes Jacobsen - with local dealer, Bartram Mowers supplying the machinery.

L-R: Rob Hayward, export sales manager at Ransomes Jacobsen; Andre Andrade, international sales director at Ransomes Jacobsen; Graham Brumpton, course manager at Ipswich Golf Club, Will Carr, golf sales manager at Ransomes Jacobsen, Kevin Lovelock, director of golf at Ipswich Golf Club.

Commenting at the official signing of the agreement, Ipswich Golf Club’s Course Manager Graham Brumpton said, “We have had a relationship with Ransomes Jacobsen and Bartrams for more than 20 years now. The Ransomes Jacobsen manufacturing facility and the Bartrams depot are just a mile from our course, so that is very convenient. Having said that, the service and the quality of machinery that we receive is truly second to none, which is why we continue to keep our longstanding partnership in place.”

Kevin Lovelock, Director of Golf at Ipswich Golf Club said, “I am delighted to continue the close relationship with Ransomes Jacobsen. As a club we are very fortunate to have one of the world’s leading golf course machinery brands in Ipswich and it makes perfect sense for the two of us to work together.”

Ipswich Golf Club have since made a few purchases under the agreement including a Jacobsen LF570 fairway mower, a Turfco WideSpin 1550 topdresser and a Turfco Torrent 2 blower.

“Before signing the agreement and making these purchases, we also looked at other brands and products,” Brumpton continued. “We had demonstrations of different fairway mowers, but the Jacobsen LF570 came out on top. It was a unanimous decision amongst all nine of my staff, that the Jacobsen mower had a far superior quality of cut, and they found the machine the easiest and most comfortable to operate.

“At Ipswich Golf Club we are part of the Natural England Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. The aim of this is to bring the course back to heathland vegetation, as there is a huge decline in heathland areas and golf courses in the UK. We are now seven years into the scheme, and the results are superb. We work closely with STRI, and we are proud of our reputation for environmental sustainability.

“Our relationship with Ransomes Jacobsen is enhanced by our shared values of sustainability."

Coventry Hearsall Golf Club is one of the first clubs to benefit from Reesink Turfcare’s fixed term finance for irrigation.

Course manager Jonathan Oldknow says he is ‘delighted’ with the new Toro Lynx system including sprinklers for the tees, greens and approaches, which replaced a 40-year-old irrigation system struggling with constant leaks and breakages. In fact, Jonathan attributes the club’s ever-increasing reputation to the success of the ‘Total Solutions’ package it now boasts with its Toro irrigation system and fleet of machinery.

Coventry Hearsall’s course chairman Brett Mander, left, and Reesink’s Robert Jackson

Jonathan said, “A new irrigation system is no light investment, but in this competitive industry we recognised the need for modern technology to stay at the top of our game. Miles ahead of anything we’ve ever had before, choosing the Toro Lynx system was a big statement from us saying ‘this is where we want to be heading.’”

Buying irrigation on finance takes away two of the biggest headaches Reesink Turfcare finds exist for those embarking on an irrigation installation: installation is sooner and there is less upfront capital outlay.

Brett Mander, Coventry Hearsall’s course chairman, explains further how the club arrived at the decision to go with Toro: “We launched a full tender evaluation, starting with a number of suppliers before whittling them down to three.

“UK distributor of Toro Reesink Turfcare won us over with its presentation, which gave us confidence that its package and aftercare support would best suit the needs of the club. Out of all the suppliers, Reesink offered the most flexible solution over a period of time that matches our investment and growth strategy at Coventry Hearsall.”

Gone are the days of fixing leaks, and with peace of mind that the club has water on demand: “The main beauty of the system is the accuracy it affords us,” says Jonathan. “We take moisture metre readings to identify where water is needed and adjust individual sprinkler heads accordingly, targeting areas with reassuring success.

“We are one step ahead with our new Toro system rather than on the back-foot with our previous one. As opposed to fighting fires just to keep the grass alive we are now able to focus on keeping the plant in optimum health, and will be able to do so for as long as I’m a greenkeeper, and then some.”

Brett concludes: “Our Toro ‘Total Solutions’ package has been instrumental in helping us to maintain and elevate our reputation as a premier golf club in the Midlands. Word is out about the quality of our greens and our membership is now full with a waiting list; put simply, the package has been successful in making us successful.”

Originally designed by Old Tom Morris, Ladybank Golf Club is a rare thing in Fife, enjoying as it does a reputation as one of the finest inland layouts in Scotland and providing a classic heathland test to lovers of golf away from the sea.

Recently ranked #2 in Great Britain's Top 100 Courses under £100 by National Club Golfer magazine, Ladybank is established on the Fife Open Championship Qualifying Trail, and has hosted final qualifying on seven occasions since 1978 for the Open Championship played at St Andrews. It was also a qualifying venue in July for this year’s Senior Open Championship on the Old Course.

Course manager Colin Powrie and head greenkeeper David Gray of Ladybank Golf Club (left & right) with John Deere dealer Double A golf specialist John Bateson

Managing secretary Gordon Simpson joined the club over two years ago and carried out a comprehensive assessment of the whole club and course set-up. He knew the course and its quality from playing regularly in qualifying tournaments as a PGA professional, and immediately recognised that the combination of an ageing machinery fleet and increasing repair bills meant a replacement policy needed to be implemented.

Gordon therefore asked the six-strong greenkeeping team led by course manager Colin Powrie and head greenkeeper David Gray to put together a wish list of new machinery from scratch, that would help them to maintain the golf course to the required high standard. As a result, the club has made its first ever John Deere fleet purchase, with equipment supplied by John Deere dealer Double A of Cupar in Fife.

The new machines include a 7500A fairway mower with TechControl display and smaller QA5 cutting units, a 4049R compact tractor, a Pro Gator utility vehicle equipped with an HD200 low-profile amenity turf sprayer and two 220SL walk-behind greens mowers.

“We conducted the usual tender process and gave the different manufacturers a list of the priority kit we required to replace the older machines,” says Gordon. “Double A and the dealership’s golf specialist John Bateson were superb throughout the process, both in supplying demonstration machines throughout 2017 and in their overall level of service, support and advice to help us develop the golf course in the way we wished.

“The process was admittedly a lengthy one but the ongoing feedback we had from the membership was invaluable to me in the decision-making process, particularly with regard to the high levels of presentation and finish right across the course. This ultimately showed us that the quality of cut from the John Deere machines was far superior and sharper looking.”

“We have quite undulating fairways, so the smaller QA5 cutting units on the fairway mower suit our terrain very well by getting easily into the dips and hollows,” adds Colin Powrie. “The new hand mowers are used on the 1st and 18th tees and the collars, so these are now nicely striped up for better presentation.”

Gordon Simpson admits John Deere would not have been his original number one choice, having never done a deal with the company before in his previous roles. However, he is now happy to state that everything the club experienced over the 20-month process of choosing a new supplier proved that he wanted to partner with John Deere as a brand and Double A as a local business.

“With the volume of kit that had to be replaced, it was always the case that the club would need to spread the investment over several years to make it more manageable,” says Gordon. “With all the work they put into the tender, John Deere and Double A simply stood out a mile, and we knew this was the manufacturer and dealer we wanted to partner with.

“We were looking for a long-term relationship with our supplier, which is why it took us so long to make the decision, but we certainly feel that we’ve picked the right route for us and our ambitions for the club.”

Keith Smith from Birmingham has won the 2018 Creative Lawns competition organised by Allett Mowers. Keith, a member of the greenkeeping team at Edgbaston Golf Club has finished in the top 3 for the past two years running and has been working hard each year to win the competition.

273 hrs of hard work went into his winning design with Keith using two 1940’s push mowers to create the pattern and is meticulously mowed to a height of 5mm for two hours every day in summer. Keith is so protective of his lawn he does not let any of his family members on it.

Despite the hot, dry summer in the UK, there was a strong number of entries including from as far away as the US, Poland and Holland Entries are judged on creativity and must be cut with a lawn mower. All entries received were put to a panel of Allett experts who judged the most creative designs.

Keith wins an Allett Liberty 43 battery powered cylinder mower with a complete set of cartridges and two cartridge stands.

Toro has announced the recent appointment of Orange Plant as an authorised dealer.

Orange Plant provide specialist plant hire machinery to customers across the UK. With an extended knowledge and expertise in the tree care industry, Toro say they saw a great opportunity to join forces.

Dingo

The company is now an official dealer for all Toro Siteworks Systems equipment, and is currently stocking machines such as Toro STX Stump Grinders and the Toro Dingo® TX 1000 with arborist attachments.

EMEA Sales Manager for Toro, Federico Fernandez-Ayala, commented, “As a trusted provider in the industry, Toro strives to work with dealers who are committed to delivering a high-level of service to customers that matches our brand ethos. Orange Plant are a fine example of this and with the largest selection of arboricultural hire machinery in the UK, we saw great potential in the partnership.

"As masters of their trade, we see Orange Plant one of our routes to the tree care industry in the UK. And as our relationship develops, we will look to stock a wider range of the SWS equipment through Orange Plant, to suit an extended customer base.”

Orange Plant currently offer the Toro SWS products from six locations including: Glasgow, Newcastle, Wetherby, Bromborough, Cannock and Peterborough.

SALTEX event organisers have revealed exciting details about this year’s all-encompassing education programme – Learning LIVE. The CPD-accredited seminars are free to attend and registration is now open for all sessions that are due to take place in four purpose-built seminar theatres on the SALTEX show floor in Halls 6, 7 and 8 at The NEC, Birmingham on 31 October – 01 November.

Last year’s Learning LIVE programme was the biggest one yet and featured more than 100 industry experts who took to the stage to address a variety of topical issues and highlight best practice case studies within the turf care industry – and feedback gathered from seminar delegates has helped organisers to create an even better line up of speakers and learning opportunities to suit the needs of all SALTEX visitors at this year’s event.

Day one will feature an interesting panel debate featuring Professor Colin Fleming (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute), Neil Stubley (AELTC), Tony Bell (Middlesbrough FC) and Andy Gray (Southampton FC), who will discuss a chemical-free alternative to clean up your soil. Adam Witchell (Forest Green Rovers FC) and Roy Rigby (Manchester City FC) will be among those highlighting emerging trends in groundsmanship and a panel of professional groundsmen including Anthony Facey (Colchester Utd FC), Dave Mitchell (Carlisle Utd FC) and Stuart Vause (Castleford Tigers) will be discussing groundsmanship on a budget and sharing valuable money-saving tips.

Elsewhere on day one HR consultant Frank Newberry and Scott Tingley (Watford FC) will be on hand to provide career development tips and reveal how to secure the top jobs, while delegates will get the chance to ask questions to a panel of pest and disease experts in a session run by the Amenity Forum. There will also be plenty of technical advice on offer within Dr Ruth Mann’s (STRI) presentation on how technological advances are helping to improve turf grass quality on playing surfaces.

On day two, Phil Garrod (Advance Grass Solutions) will be sharing new ideas that have had successful outcomes in preparing pristine turf for multi sports on a single site and Ted Mitchell and Corin Palmer from the RFU will explain how the RFU and Premiership Rugby are raising the standards of groundsmanship. Andy McKay (Sussex CCC), Gary Barwell (Warwickshire CCC) and Chris Wood (ECB) will also explain how to prepare a cricket wicket to world-class standards.

In addition, phosphite for cool-season turf grass management; sports pitch renovations; the benefits of topdressing and education in the sports turf industry will be addressed by expert speakers including Andy Spetch (British Sugar Topsoil) and Dr Stewart Brown (University Centre Myerscough).

To book the seminars you wish to attend please visit https://www.iogsaltex.com/learning-live/
Go to www.iogsaltex.com to register for FREE

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The STRI recently hosted their popular STRI Research Open Days at their UK research trial grounds in Bingley. The events brought together several leading companies who have been carrying out some (R&D) projects for the sports turf industry. The companies attending and supporting this year’s event were Aquatrols, Bayer, Bernhard and Company Limited, Headland Amenity, ICL, MLR, Sherriff Amenity and Syngenta.

Over 250 delegates comprised of industry practitioners, managers, advisors and contractors attended the two-day event. This year there were seven separate demo areas to see.

STATION A - ICL & SYNGENTA

The use of mobile light rigs is now an integral part of sports turf management. Many facilities use supplementary light to maintain sward density and surface quality. The technology can reduce the impact of shade regions within stadia, along with assisting in overseeding and recovery of worn areas during the season. Alongside supplementary lighting, the use of tailored nutritional inputs and plant growth regulation can better prepare resilient turf and high quality playing surfaces.

This STRI trial, a partnership between Syngenta and ICL, will be run through autumn 2018. Its aim is to better understand turf activity in response to product application in shady conditions, and how supplementary lighting influences growth characteristics.

The trial area was a professional blend of 100% perennial ryegrass cultivars, growing on a sand-dominated rootzone at Bingley in Yorkshire. The trial uses a semi-permanent shade structure to reduce natural light to the whole trial, of which half has been supported with supplementary high pressure sodium light and half remains without supplementary lighting. The whole trial has received good background nutrition for establishment, based on controlled release fertilisers from ICL.

Applications of Primo Maxx II have been made at two rates and at two frequencies, to determine an optimum rate / frequency application. The existing nutritional programme has been supplemented with seaweed applications (WSF Seamax) and carbohydrate applications (Vitalnova Blade), at two rates and two frequencies to determine an optimum rate / frequency of application. All treatments will be compared for responses with light and without light.

Andy Owen, ICL EAME Technical Manager and Glenn Kirby Syngenta UK Turf Technical Manager were on hand to explain the trial, as with any research trial, it all about collecting data, this involved measuring many parameters, air temperatures, soil temperature, light intensity, grass growth, colour, density soil moisture, chlorophyll intake and depth of rooting.

Early indications of the testing completed to date shows that the combination of applying Primo Maxx with other bio stimulant products are very effective under lighting rigs, even in the early stages of the trial you could clearly see a difference between the various plots.

STATION B - AQUATROLS

Understanding the microbiology and biochemistry of the soil is an important part of understanding how plants grow. The microbiology of the soil deals with the microscopic living system within the soil. The biochemistry of the soil deals with both the products and by products of the living system within the soil.

Biochemical compounds produced by micro-organisms and by plant roots are the tools by which biochemical signals are created and transmitted. They are the tools that microbes need to function in the soil, and determine their ability to process nutrients (including the nutrients in fertilisers), stimulate root growth and perform other functions critical to plant health and nutrition.

Using AquaVita technology, the biochemical process within the soil can be directly stimulated to promote a healthier soil structure, enhance water utilisation, improve root development, and facilitate increased nutrient availability and enhanced nutrient uptake by turf grass. Aquatrols has incorporated this cutting-edge technology within the formulations of developmental products.

The aim of the 2018 trials is to determine the effects of the AquaVita-containing trial formulations from Aquatrols, on existing amenity turf managed as two types of golf green construction and on a football pitch situation. The trials were set up to complement the bentgrass and ryegrass pot trials which started in early spring 2018. Monthly applications of all formulations have been made throughout the growing season.

Paul Lowe from Aquatrols was keen to show us the results of the trial to date with significant improvement to colour and vigour has seen in the pot trials

STATION C - BAYER CROPSCIENCE

Dr Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, explained that the new research will build on results from last season’s set of trials, that showed preventative options outshone curatives and would be the best. best programme to tackle microdochium patch.

“This year’s research aim is to reinforce these findings and see how we can improve on current disease management programmes, with alternative and new products, as well as different application rates and timings,” Colin said.

“A variety of different fungicides were put to the test, including Exteris®,Stressgard® and Dedicate®, alongside a number of plant health promoting products, from two of our main distributors, Headland Amenity and Rigby Taylor.

“The results to date clearly showed the benefits of using preventative regimes where the best methods of reducing the outbreak of disease with even the most bullet proof curative programme was significantly out performed by preventative options.”

STATION D - STRI

This station enabled delegates to have a better understanding of recent improvements being made in the conservation and management of wildlife species in our environments.
Understanding what species are present within the area of the golf course, football grounds or bowling green and how to help them thrive is going to be vital for keeping up with environmental legislation and attracting the new generation of environmentally aware members.

This combined with having a better knowledge of treatments of water now available will also improve the sustainability of this precious resource.

Therefore, it is a legal requirement for golf clubs to have a water collection and cleansing system in place and clubs throughout the UK are seeking a cost-effective solution.

Reedbed systems offer a simple, robust and prudential means of wastewater treatment for both industrial and domestic effluents. They fit sympathetically within local landscapes and add ecological value by providing habitats for wildlife.

They work by cleansing the water through a variety of processes including absorption, adsorption, microbial metabolism, sedimentation and filtration. The systems can also act as a closed loop, returning the cleansed water to be used again during washdown.

We were then shown one of the latest innovations an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a process in which micro-organisms break down grass, leafy material and food waste in the absence of oxygen, into biogas (a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane) and digestate (a nitrogenrich fertiliser).

The biogas can be used directly in engines for Combined Heat and Power (CHP), burned to produce heat, or can be cleaned and used in the same way as natural gas or as a vehicle fuel. The digestate can be utilised as a sustainably sourced fertiliser, allowing the club to make economic savings on their energy, waste and chemical consumption all with one piece of equipment. However, these new systems are not cheap to install, but over time may pay for themselves in the long term.

STATION E - MLR & BERNHARD AND CO

On show was the first dedicated designed MLR / Bernhard lighting rig for golf.

These days more and more golf clubs have been looking into acquiring lighting rigs to deal with problematic areas. These can be caused by shade issues from trees which may not be viable to remove, or from high traffic areas such as green walk-offs. In addition, some courses may have issues with rapid re-establishment of high use tee areas. The use of supplementary lighting can solve all of these problems if managed correctly.

However, all current supplementary lighting rigs are made for use in stadia which have flat and even surfaces with easy access to and from the pitch, as well as being larger and hard to manoeuvre around small spaces. Therefore, current lighting rig technology is not appropriate for use on most golf greens.

In the stadia grow light industry MLR has been a well-known brand for almost two decades. Recently MLR has made Bernhard & Company their new global distributor and STRI their agronomic partners. The shared knowledge of these three companies combined and strong input from the golf industry has resulted in a new type of lighting rig, customised to meet the demands and challenges for the greenkeepers around the world.

The net result is the lighting rig we see today, a very portable system, that can be powered by a small generator and easily moveable and stable in windy conditions, the intensity of the lighting can be adjusted to meet different requirements, a well thought out product that will no doubt be of interest to the golfing industry.

STATION F - SHERRIFF AMENITY

Sherriff Amenity has a clear vision of continuing to provide new products, ideas and solutions for their customers. Ongoing trials at the STRI enables Sherriff to deliver innovations such as their preventative disease control strategies and integrated turf management programmes.

This recent trial has seen the effect of surface amendment on golf green turf using Enriched Biochar Turf Improver from Carbon Gold. The trial plots also examine the supplementary effects of GoGreen Energy and Goemar Turf seaweed biostimulants when used in combination with Biochar.

The name ‘Biochar’ is derived from ‘biomass’ (bio) and ‘charcoal’ (char) and its main focus is to enhance soil productivity. Biochar is produced using untreated waste woody biomass through pyrolysis, a process that heats biomass in reduced or absent oxygen conditions. This practice has been applied over many centuries.

As a soil amendment its very porous nature means it has the potential to offer many key benefits such as fungi and rhizosphere bacteria, but will also have the potential to support those found growing on Biochar. Carbohydrates are compounds produced during photosynthesis that provide energy for plant growth and structural components, such as cellulose. This trial utilises naturally derived products with the objective of improving the physical nature of the soil whilst supporting microbial populations in the pursuit of optimum turf health and performance.

Effectively its structure allows it to improve aeration and enhance the availability of water and soluble nutrients. A microscopic honeycomb-like structure also provides the perfect habitat for beneficial soil micro-organisms (such as mycorrhizal fungi and actinomycetes bacteria) to flourish, encouraging increased root growth and plant vitality.

The trails have indicated many benefits of applying this product to enhance turf quality with several key benefits being concluded:- improved root growth, increases nutrient retention, improves vitality and appearance of turf, facilitates establishment of microbial populations.

STATION G - HEADLAND AMENITY

Mark Hunt, Mark De’ath and Andy Russell gave an interesting talk on the results of their ongoing trials at STRI on the control of diseases using an integrated approach using both cultural and applications of nutrients/ bio stimulants and preventative control fungicides.

A strategy to manage Fusarium should not be based on fungicide alone as the severity and impact of this disease is also affected by the health of the grass plant, its level of nutrition, cultural practices and the presence of plant leaf moisture (Dew and Guttation Fluid). In addition, legislation has resulted in fewer and fewer choices in fungicide active ingredients and in particular contact fungicide chemistry, so it makes sense to look at a holistic approach to autumn disease management.

Headland Amenity has pioneered a multi-layered, straightforward and above all, cost-effective approach to Microdochium nivale management using targeted applications of preventative fungicide in combination with plant elicitors and hardeners. This approach is based on successful end-user feedback, backed up by independent data from trials conducted at STRI since 2007.

Headland Amenity’s strategy relies on a two-tiered approach to autumn disease management. Firstly, a preventative fungicide program is put in place. The aim is to prevent a high population from establishing during October and November because end-user experience and STRI trials have confirmed that if a high population establishes then, it is very difficult to control for the remainder of the winter. As we typically nowadays experience mild spells of weather in December, January and February.

The second tier of the approach is based on non-fungicidal product technologies, namely plant protectants, elicitors and biostimulants.

Plant protectants: Formulated to ‘modify’ the surface leaf environment and thereby make it more difficult for pathogenic fungi to colonise and enter the grass plant. Headland products in this category, trialled at the STRI, include Seamac® ProTurf Fe, Liquid Turf Hardener, the high potassium liquid fertiliser - Protec® K and our recently introduced new product, Mantle.

Plant elicitors: Formulated to trigger the natural defence mechanism of the plant, (SAR – Systemic Acquired Resistance) and thereby encourage the plant to grow better in the presence of a pathogen. Headland products, trialled at STRI, in this category include TeMag™ Elite featuring the Harpin protein.

Biostimulants: Lastly, to stimulate the plant to grow away from the disease and thereby enhance recovery, Headland use a unique phosphite formulation called Turfite®. Recent research has identified a plant physiological process linked to the application of phosphite which could enhance the ability of a plant to grow under the effects of abiotic and biotic stress.

The above approach is combined in the successful 20-20-30 tankmix of Turfite®, Liquid Turf Hardener and Seamac® ProTurf Fe.

It would seem from there results that this effective strategy is working and able to reduce the risk of disease during the autumn months when weather and ground conditions enhance the potential of diseases attacks.

All in all, a very busy day for all the delegates. I personally think these days are very important as they give the end users a chance to see the latest sports turf research and innovations from leading companies who are at the forefront of bringing out new products and methods of managing our diverse turf requirements.

For me it is also about the chance for delegates to meet up with likeminded professionals and share common issues and keep updated on the latest research and practices being used to manage sport turf. There were a wide range of delegates representing all of our national sports, with several premiership, championship and Scottish football groundsmen, horse racing, schools, universities and golf clubs.

I would like to personally thank the STRI for their invitation to the event and to all the companies that continue to support our ever challenging sports turf industry.