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EDITOR'S BLOG

IT'S NOT THE LENGTH THAT MATTERS . . .
. . it's the quality
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

A contentious issue facing many turf professionals is the recommended Height of Cut for their sport.

I hope you all had a happy Easter. For most of us the weather was bright and sunny with temperatures well into double figures. This spell of warm weather has promoted some much-needed grass growth and recovery for all our natural playing surfaces. April sees the start of the golf, bowls and cricket playing seasons with groundstaff and greenkeepers busy preparing their playing surfaces for the onslaught of a hectic fixture list throughout the next six months.

One contentious issue facing many turf professionals for these sports is what is the recommended Height of Cut (HOC) required for their given sport. Over the years we have seen many debates regarding this subject.

There are recommendations of HOC from various sports governing bodies, however, we must remember these are guidelines only. Over the years these HOC have changed dramatically and in essence are often driven by the expertise of the ground’s professionals and the resources and the cutting quality of the machinery they have at hand.

I remember whilst editor of Pitchcare in 2010 we instigated the now famous 2mm debate that was at held during BTME at Harrogate. This all came about from a couple of articles published by Greg Evans in 2009 Sustainability With Agro and Wuthering Heights. Greg was adamant he could manage a golf course with greens being maintained at around 2mm.

The backbone of his regime would be low cutting heights, frequent verticutting, heavy straight sand dressings and lots of aeration. The greens were immediately taken down from 5mm to 3mm and were put on a fortnightly verticut and sand programme.

However, at the time there were many respected greenkeepers who challenged Greg’s methods and were not convinced that his techniques were sustainable and would lead to increased turf disease and turf stress which over time would be detrimental to turf quality.

However, twelve years on there is still a healthy debate on whether low cutting heights are sustainable. This debate of relevant HOC is also a contentious issue in both bowls and cricket. I recently read an interesting thread on a cricket grounds website, where a member was asking for a recommended HOC for preparing a cricket pitch with someone quoting the ECB TS4 document.

On page nine of the document, under the cricket grounds maintenance and wicket preparation section, it states “For the remaining pre-match days during the course of preparation, mow every day or at least every other day between the popping creases and in combination with light scarification/brushing, progressively lowering the cylinder to the desired height of cut (typically between 3-5mm, (1/8 – 3/16 inches) or as low as possible, without scalping and the surface is not scarred or disturbed.”

The debate that followed was a plethora of groundsmen and volunteer grounds staff posting a range of HOC, ranging between 3-12mm, that they had implemented and the reasons why.

No two grounds are the same

Why I want to talk about this is because there are so many variables to why a given single HOC cannot be prescribed when talking about maintaining a natural turf playing surface.

As we say in the industry, no two grounds are the same. There are far too many variables that come into play that essentially effect the performance of a prepared playing surface.

Just for starters there is the location and topography of the site, including the underlying soils and construction of the facility (green, square, pitch etc). Alongside this is all the variables of the maintenance regimes, resources, machinery, equipment and budgets at hand. Weather will also have a major influence on what can be achieved.

Essentially it boils down to the condition and health of the turf and how well it recovers from play.

In cricket, gone are the days of seeing a nearly all white, bleached playing surface. In recent years we have seen a trend to leave more grass on the pitches to help provide a livelier and more challenging wicket for both the batsman and bowler. We now have county cricket groundsmen preparing wickets with HOC between 6-10mm, with the aim of reducing the stress on the grass plant and its ability to recover after matches while still hoping for the required pace and carry expected by the players.

We also have more aides, devices, appropriate machinery and crucially a greater understanding of soil science and plant biology to help us make better informed decisions on what is the correct HOC and maintenance regime to deliver a sustainable natural turf playing for the given sports surfaces we manage.

On test

While on the subject of mowing, last week I took loan of two EGO battery powered rotary mowers and a strimmer for testing. I was sent their LM2135E-SP - (52cm) Kit, with rapid charger and 7.5Ah battery, the LM1702E-SP(42cm) Kit – with standard charger and 4.0Ah battery and finally a strimmer ST1510E and 2.5 Ah battery. I soon got on the case and with a friend, John Breeze, both using the machinery to cut the grass at Childs Ercall Church.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be testing the performance and handling of these machines over several different sites with the view to producing a report for TurfPro – but I must say my first impressions so far have been positive.

NEWS

CLOSING DATE APPROACHING
For training bursary

In our first WEB ONLY story, find out when applications need to be submitted in order to claim for the new training bursary.

WENOVE CASTLE GC OVERCOMES CHALLENGE
Of high wear

In our next WEB ONLY story, head greenkeeper Lucy Sellick cites the small tees and the sustained high levels of play as a major maintenance challenge at her course.

EXPANDED TRADE SHOW OPENS REGISTRATION
New features this year

October event includes expanded demo area hours, its first-ever welcome reception, and new education opportunities.

Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living, and equipment exposition has opened registration for the 2022 tradeshow, to be held October 18th-21st in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Kris Kiser, president of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute which owns and manages the show, said, “Equip Exposition is the experience of the year for the outdoor living, landscape, and power equipment industry. It’s the industry’s proving ground.

"Equip Exposition is one trade show where you can test before you invest in new products, innovations and ideas for your business.”

The show say they have expanded its education offerings for attendees, including a series of landscape contractor workshops from Landscape Management magazine.

“We hear from our attendees that they want products and education that will help them grow their business, and that’s what they’ll find in Louisville this October. You can talk to the minds behind the products and technology - then walk outside to the 20-plus-acre Demo Yard to try it out. Add the education sessions, entertainment, and networking, and Louisville is where you’ll find the future of the business,” said Kris.

New this year, Equip Exposition will kick off Tuesday evening, with a welcome reception for all attendees at Louisville Slugger Field. The Expo will open earlier Wednesday - at 9 a.m. for dealers and 12 noon for contractors - as well as feature a TurfMutt Foundation 5K, sponsored by Ariens, at the Louisville Downtown riverfront and across the Ohio River pedestrian bridge, and close Friday with a networking breakfast and keynote.

All registrants receive free admission to:

Welcome Reception at Louisville Slugger Field, sponsored by Husqvarna and Louisville Tourism
Opening Keynote with David Feherty, sponsored by John Deere and Equip
Concert Series with Trace Adkins and the Crashers, sponsored by STIHL on the Belgard Stage
Influencer LIVE, sponsored by Kohler Engines
Closing Keynote and Breakfast with National Geographic’s Joel Sartore

EVA MAYR-STIHL
STIHL GB pays tribute

Eva Mayr-Stihl, a businesswoman, philanthropist and dedicated entrepreneur passed away on the 9th April 2022.

Eva Mayr-Stihl

Mayr-Stihl was instrumental in the success of STIHL and spent 33 years guiding the family-owned business as a member of its senior management team.

In a statement STIHL GB said throughout her many years of service on the Advisory Board and the Supervisory Board, she kept close watch over the strategic direction of the company. Mayr-Stihl joined her father’s company in 1960, and with her educational background in business administration and linguistics, she took on responsibility for advertising and market research at the family-owned enterprise.

Her expertise and drive to assume a leading role at the company quickly bore fruit when she and her three siblings were made limited partners in 1961. Two years later, her father gave her the power to represent the firm and enter into transactions on its behalf. After her father’s death in 1973, Mayr-Stihl became Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Management, placing her in charge of finance and controlling starting in 1975.

With a keen sense of responsibility toward society and a sustainable world, the second mainstay in Mayr-Stihl’s life was her work as a philanthropist. In 1986, she and her husband Robert Mayr established the Andreas Stihl Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that would be renamed the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in 2004.

The foundation was set up to finance projects in the fields of animal welfare, education, science, research, the arts, and culture. Today, the institution supports a variety of programs, including an endowed professorship for forest genetics at the University of Freiburg and a research group on recyclable material cycles.

On 11th November 2009, Mayr-Stihl received the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Social Market Economy Award at St. Paul’s church in Frankfurt am Main. In 2011, she received the 1st Class Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and became the first woman to receive the key to the city of Waiblingen. In 2019, Mayr-Stihl was named an Honorary Senator of the University of Freiburg.

STIHL GB say the people of STIHL and their families are deeply saddened by the death of Mayr-Stihl.

HUSQVARNA INVESTS IN NANOBUBBLES
Disruptive technology

Husqvarna Group has invested $7.5M of venture capital into company looking to make improvements in sustainable food production.

Husqvarna Group's has invested $7.5M of venture capital into Moleaer, a company involved in advancing a concept known as 'nanobubble technology'.

Moleaer designs and manufactures industrial scale nanobubble systems that aim to deliver improvements in sustainable food production, chemical free water treatment and the recovery of natural resources.

Henric Andersson, president and CEO of Husqvarna Group said, “To always remain at the forefront, we are selectively investing in disruptive technologies and products that can further strengthen the Husqvarna Group. Moleaer is a very good fit and we truly look forward to being a part of their journey, with the ambition to create new sustainable nanobubble solutions together."

Moleaer is the seventh investment for Husqvarna Group's venture capital fund. By investing in Moleaer, Husqvarna Group’s Gardena Division say they will be able to explore nanobubble technology’s potential in addressing water scarcity.

Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer added, “This investment allows us to expand our presence further in Europe and accelerate the development of more products and innovations that help industries protect the environment and utilise water more efficiently.”

EVENTS VENUE INVESTS IN KUBOTA
With help of local dealer

Packed programme of events requires investment in machinery options.

With 200 acres of grass to care for and a packed programme of events ranging from Truckfest to the International Antiques Fair and the Festival of Motorcycling, East of England Arena and Events Centre says they need reliable, productive machinery.

After a round of demonstrations aimed at updating their fleet, the grounds team say they have chosen a Kubota M5112 tractor, RTV-X1110 utility vehicle and ZD1211 zero turn mower, supplied by dealer Irelands Farm Machinery.

The main tasks for the tractor are mowing the large expanses of grass used for exhibition space and parking, plus general haulage, head of maintenance Dean Wyers explains.

“We have also purchased a 4.6m Spearhead Multicut mower from Irelands, and the combination gives us the output we need to keep the extensive grass areas tidy.

Dean continued, “We had a front mower before but were interested in a zero turn to work around the many lamp posts, stand pipes and electricity boxes on the site. The ZD1211 is a huge improvement, so much quicker, but with a very good quality cut."

To get around the huge site and move tools and materials, the 24hp RTV-X 1110 has, according to Dean, proved a great choice.“It’s very good to drive and comfortable due to its all-round suspension - I’ve already clocked up some miles in it, and it’s proving economical on fuel."

An onsite workshop means that most of the machinery maintenance is kept in-house, and Mr Wyers praises the ease of service access on all three machines, while Irelands are close at hand for back-up and parts should they be needed.

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