ARTIFICIAL RESEARCH Ongoing investigation required by TurfPro Editor, Steve Gibbs
As part of a recently published Action Plan on injuries in the rugby world, a section of the report called for more data to be collected on the impact that artificial surfaces have on player safety.
I would suspect it's fair to assume that most people reading this Briefing would say they are advocates of natural turf.
When faced with a choice of a well maintained real grass surface or an artificial one, I don't think it would be too much of a leap of faith to also assume that would be the preferred choice of the majority of players, fans and managers too - across a whole range of sports.
But the reality is of course, artificial surfaces play an important role in today's sporting facilities. They allow venues to play host to multi-use surfaces, they open themselves up to constant community use, and for smaller clubs for whom postponements of fixtures due to weather can have crippling financial consequences, they provide a continued revenue stream.
The proliferation of artificial surfaces in the future therefore, would only seem to be on an upward trajectory.
With this being the case, it's more important than ever that thorough, ongoing research is carried out to monitor the safety of these surfaces for users.
It was interesting therefore, to recently read that the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Premiership Rugby (PRL) and the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) have developed a new action plan to mitigate injury risk in the English professional game, following a study of the data in the 2016/17 Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project (PRISP) report.
This report covered areas such as looking at the laws of the game or looking at concussion risk in the tackle to make sure everything that could be was being done to lower the risk of players getting hurt.
One interesting area of the report for our sector, specifically considered 'Artificial grass pitch risk in the elite game'.
The report explained that the RFU, PRL and RPA first commissioned a study to investigate the impact of artificial playing surfaces during the 2012/13 season, when the first artificial surface for match play was installed in the English Premiership. Today, three English Premiership teams play their home fixtures on artificial playing surfaces - Saracens at Allianz Park, Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park and Worcester Warriors at Kingston Park.
The 2014-15 report provided a summary of the key findings from that study, showing no clear differences in the incidence severity or overall injury burden of time loss injuries between artificial or natural turf surfaces.
However, the figures for the 2016-17 season show a significantly higher incidence and burden of injury when playing on artificial turf. As the report points out, "This is the first season where the incidence and burden of injury on artificial turf is higher than on natural grass."
It is important to stress though that the report does state, "the mean incidence, severity and burden of injury for the four years investigated shows no clear differences between the two surface types and therefore more data must be collected to establish if this 2016-17 increase is more meaningful than season to season variation."
This seems to be the key - ongoing research. If it's inevitable that artificial surfaces are to become more common, it's only fair on the players using them, that they know everything has been done to make them as safe as possible.
Analysis and investigation across all sporting disciplines that are relying on artificial surfaces ever more heavily, must be up to date, thorough and extensive.
Lord's is set to be the first UK cricket ground host a first-class game on a hybrid pitch
Lord’s is set to become the first ground to host a professional county cricket match on a hybrid pitch. The MCC has announced that a partially plastic pitch will be laid at the end edge of the square nearest the Grandstand and is scheduled to be used for a match between the MCC and MCC Young Cricketers on 2 May.
The new pitch could then be used by Middlesex for a limited overs match later in the season.
The inclusion of plastic yarn will mean that the pitch should not deteriorate as quickly as an all-grass surface, enabling several Twenty20 or 50-over games to be played on the one pitch. The cost of a pitch has been estimated at £6000, with a life of around 10 years before it has to be replaced.
As things stand, a hybrid pitch cannot be used for Test Matches or First-Class games because they do not wear over the course of a game as detailed by the ECB, but the hybrid surfaces could be used for bowlers run-ups at either end of the pitch.
Lord’s is not the first ground to install a hybrid pitch. Warwickshire put one down last year at Edgbaston, but primarily for practice as it cannot be used for first-team games because it is too close to the boundary.
The pressure is on however to move to hybrid pitches sited in the central area of the square (the so-called television pitches) ahead of the launch of the ECB’s new city-based Twenty20 tournament in 2020.
Complete new pitch installation scheduled for November, ahead of Wembley hosting seven matches of Euro 2020, including the semi-finals and final
The pitch at Wembley will be removed and completely replaced during next winter for the first time since 2010 in readiness for the 2020 European Championships, according to a report in The Times on 7 April
The present Desso pitch was installed in June 2010 with an estimated life expectancy of ten years. Although selected areas of the pitch are relaid regularly throughout the season, the work planned for winter months involve the installation of a completely new hybrid pitch as Wembley is due to host seven matches of Euro 2020, including two semi-finals and the final.
With the stadium due to host Ed Sheeren and Taylor Swift concerts this summer, the pitch installation is scheduled to take place over two weeks in November after a EUFA Nations League group game against Croatia.
The first match to be played on the new surface is likely to be the 2019 League Cup Final
Nominations are now open for the Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year 2018, with prizes on offer including trips to industry events in California or Kentucky.
Nominations are now open for the Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year 2018.
Now in their fourth year, the awards were established by the Amenity Forum and seek to recognise the high levels of professionalism and standards in the sector.
Dr Ruth Mann, Head of research at STRI with the winner of the 2017 Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year, Nathan Hume at BTME in January
There are different categories for entries and the overall winner will have a choice of three fantastic prizes, including a trip to a US turf or amenity show, or £2000 worth of products. Sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, and supported by BASIS, the Awards were established to further promote high standards of operation standards by sharing and disseminating the best practice employed by these individuals.
A record number of entries were received for the 2017 Awards with the overall winner announced as Nathan Hume, Contracts Manager and Ecologist for national grounds maintenance experts, SH Goss Ltd. Nathan received his award at BTME in January 2018, following the announcement of the three principal category winners at the Amenity Forum Annual Conference in October 2017. Nathan chose a trip to the USA as his prize and will fly to Louisville, Kentucky in October, to visit the Green Industry & Equipment Expo.
He said, “Just taking part in the awards was a great experience. As with all operations, it’s important to review and appraise what we do and how we can continually improve. The recognition of the awards is good for our company and for our customers to appreciate the effort that goes in to achieving a great result. As well as the awesome chance to visit the US.”
Talking about the Awards, Amenity Forum’s independent Chairman, Professor John Moverley said: “Past winners have demonstrated the high level of competence and attention to detail among sprayer operators. They have showed the skills necessary to get the best possible results from every application, and how to achieve it safely with due care for the environment."
Organisations and companies are encouraged to nominate candidates in addition to self-nomination.
Entries and nominations are invited from sprayer operators in three categories:
Sports turf - Using a knapsack/boom sprayer
Landscape and Industrial - Using a vehicle sprayer
Landscape and Industrial - Using a knapsack sprayer
Each category winner will receive a trophy and the overall winner across the three categories will win the prestigious accolade of National Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year along with the choice of three prizes:
Flights, accommodation and entry to GCSAA 2019 San Diego, California
Flights, accommodation and entry to GIE Expo 2019 Louisville, Kentucky
ICL/Syngenta products to the value of £2,000
To enter or nominate, download the application form or enter online via the Amenity Forum website
Entries and nominations need to be made by 30 June 2018. After submitting an application form, successful entrants will be invited to answer a short questionnaire. Selected category finalists are judged on best practice and innovative ideas to improve and enhance spraying operations.
Category finalists are invited to the Amenity Forum Conference in October, with the overall winner announced at the BIGGA BTME event next January.
£5000 reward offered by RVW Pugh Ltd, who have fallen victim to thieves stealing specialist Fendt equipment from tractors worth in excess of £20,000.
Mid-wales dealership RVW Pugh Ltd fell victims to thieves once again shortly before the Easter break.
The machinery dealers have been the victim of not just one theft in the last year but a couple from their depot in Mid-Wales as well as their one in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.
The most recent occurrence saw specialist Fendt equipment being taken out of tractors, worth in excess of £20,000.
Pughs say that with specialist machinery becoming higher in value it is looked upon as an attractive target to thieves who maybe sending these products overseas.
Robert Pugh, Managing Director, said, "Machinery dealers are fighting to stay afloat in a volatile industry and with acts such as these it puts more and more pressure on them. Dealers need to stick together and combat these individuals to make sure that we can all safeguard the future of these businesses.
"All Fendt dealers in the UK have been informed about these instances and it will not be tolerated."
Robert Pugh is offering a £5,000 reward for the recovery of goods or arrest of the individuals involved. He is encouraging the industry to please share their story and spread the word.
Company called in to relieve compaction of soil at Hyde Park using its Airforce Terralift and SuperScamper machines.
Terrain Aeration has provided services to relieve compaction of soil at Hyde Park.
The company used its Airforce Terralift and SuperScamper machines. The latter works in conjunction with a towed compressor is therefore a lighter machine producing less weight on the turf surface. The primary areas to be treated were north of the Bandstand, an area of 10,200 m2 with sycamores and elms, and the ash tree circle north of Serpentine Road, an area of 892 m2.
Before work started it was necessary to radar scan for underground services and mark out the areas to be treated. The Terralift hammers a hollow probe one metre into the soil, releasing a blast of compressed air to fracture the compaction and injecting dried seaweed which will expand and contract with the moisture content in the ground. The probe is inserted in spacings of two metres on a grid pattern, to ensure the underground fracturing overlaps. The resulting holes are top-filled with Lytag, lightweight aggregate to provide a long-term aeration and ventilation shaft which will encourage air and water into the root zone. The result is a healthier soil structure, the compaction is relieved and a stronger root growth is promoted.
This particularly applied in Hyde Park in the areas around the trees.Terrain Aeration have also treated the area around the Horse Chestnut group in Kensington Gardens to the east of Broadwalk and in Regents Park, the area beneath the canopies of the first and second line of trees between Chester Road and Ready Money Fountain. An area of two thousand five hundred square metres beneath canopies of Norway maples at the southern end of Marylebone Green has also had the Terralift treatment.
“We have used Terrain Aeration’s services for a number of years now,” says Ian Roger, Royal Parks’ Arboricultural Manager, “and their programme of decompaction of the soil beneath some of our most stressed trees will have long-term benefits, extending their viable lifespan, and ensuring their continued contribution to the amenity of the park and the environment.”
Malcolm Edwards, Head Groundsman of Aston University Recreation Centre in Great Barr, Birmingham has chosen to make a capital investment in a Trilo C15.
Aston University Recreation Centre in Great Barr, Birmingham, used to use a contractor for any scarification work - until Head Groundsman, Malcolm Edwards, did his sums.
He found that by making a capital investment in a machine he could save money in the long run; and he chose a Trilo C15 to prove it. Now they have one machine to mow, scarify and collect all in one pass as they wish.
L-R: Jon Proffitt of Trilo with Head Groundsman, Malcolm Edwards
Malcolm has been at the university for 39 years and is supported by only one other groundsman to maintain the 50-acre campus.
“We’ve used a contractor for the ground works for the previous years but after a trip to Saltex we found we could buy a unit for the amount we’d spent on external labour. This was a major reason for the purchase, but more than that the build quality, working speed and versatility of the Trilo C15 was far superior to anything else we looked at.”
“Jon Proffitt of Trilo brought the machine in and left it with us for a few days to try out, which we did alongside some other models. The C15 was the easiest to use, especially adjusting the depth of scarification which is a piece of cake. The size of it also suited our tractor and the requirements of our site making transport and manoeuvring around the site simple.
"We’ve had it out over the autumn scarifying the cricket squares, outfields and our other playing surfaces including football and rugby pitches. With the work it’s done already, compared to the what we would have had to pay, the C15 has almost already paid for itself! The versatility of what it can do is fantastic, but with the added bonus that we can get the work done whenever we want to and not just when the contractor can fit us in.”
Honda is building a new Mean Mower in a bid to reclaim the title as the world's fastest lawnmower.
Honda is fine-tuning the Mean Mower mk2 in a bid to reclaim the title of world's fastest lawnmower.
Stunt driver Jess Hawkins will drive the new Mean Mower
In 2013, Honda built the original Mean Mower which was based on a production HF2620 model. That featured a 1000-cc, 109-horsepower V-twin that came from a Honda Firestorm bike.
The new Mean Mower, which is being produced in association with Top Gear magazine still has a 1000-cc engine, but it's now a four-cylinder model taken from a current CBR1000RR Fireblade.
This means the new Mean Mower boasts 189 horsepower - which should ensure it reaches 134 mph. You can read all about it on the Top Gear website
Honda have released a teaser video to build excitement:
This time stunt driver Jess Hawkins will drive the machine, which has been built by Honda's British Touring Car Championship team.
The mower is likely to weigh just 200 kilograms. To keep all four wheels on the ground during takeoff, the engine has been fitted at the front and the team has fitted traction control and other aids to stop the mower doing wheelies.
Honda's lawnmower department has ensured the authenticity of the mower, fitting a genuine, off-the-shelf front cowl and grass catcher box.
Honda has not yet set a date for the world record attempt.
Country Machinery Ltd will now be supplying the complete range of Etesia pedestrian and ride-on mowers along with the Attila range of brushcutters.
Etesia UK has announced the appointment of Country Machinery Ltd, based in Driffield, East Yorkshire as its newest dealer.
Country Machinery, a family run business providing sales, services repairs and parts for all grounds care machinery, has enjoyed rapid growth since its establishment in 2012.
Managing director, Karl Terry said, “Initially I started working for a local dealer and then I came out of the trade for a short period before setting up by myself. I started with a single garage, then went to a triple garage and as of September last year I took the plunge and rented a purpose-built retail unit. Also, last year Thomas Sissions, an agricultural engineer who has worked with Claas, McCormick, Case and New Holland, came in as my business partner.
“We’ve got dealerships with some great brands and the recent Etesia partnership is a sign of how far we have come. Everything is just going in the right direction.”
Karl, having been in the grounds care industry for the majority of his working history, says that Etesia is a brand he has been keen on adding to his portfolio for a long time and that a visit to SALTEX last year proved to be the ideal opportunity.
“We met Etesia at SALTEX and I approached Andrew Roberts (northern area sales manager) on the stand and explained that I was keen on adding the Etesia products to our portfolio. Everything just moved on from there.
With immediate effect Country Garden Machinery will now be supplying the complete range of Etesia pedestrian and ride-on mowers along with the Attila range of brushcutters and Karl believes that they will be a big hit with his customer base.
“When we first started we were only working in a 15 mile radius but now we are covering a 50 mile radius from base. Word of mouth is spreading in a big way and as well as domestic customers we are mainly covering the high end market where people are making a living from using machines like these.
"Every model in the Etesia range is ideal for the commercial market and I am confident that the machines will be hugely popular with existing and new potential customers.”
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Roundup ProVantage is formulated to set new and improved standards in weed control.
Roundup ProVantage, the glyphosate herbicide from market leader Monsanto, is formulated to set new and improved standards in weed control.
Building on Monsanto’s expertise in herbicide developments - the company first introduced the tried and tested Roundup in 1974 - Roundup ProVantage is more concentrated at 480g glyphosate per litre. The optimised blend of surfactants as well as the high loading makes Roundup ProVantage Monsanto’s most advanced amenity glyphosate on the market.
This offers significant benefits for specifiers and operators alike. With more active ingredient in each pack, less packaging is needed for the same reliable weed control, creating less packaging waste.
Practical advantages include easier transport and handling of products, offering extra convenience; while for large contracting operations reduced need for space in the chemical store is a further benefit.
Roundup ProVantage offers superior performance too - with improved rainfastness and speed of uptake. Rainfast in one hour for annuals and four hours for perennials, this reduces the risk of run off and ensures the maximum amount of glyphosate reaches the roots for the optimum effectiveness.
Improved reliability in hot and dry or cool and dry conditions helps make the most of weather windows and benefits contractors with a busy programme. Roundup ProVantage can also be used in hard water areas, with no need for additional water conditioners.
The low drift formulation reduces the risk of bystander exposure and of damage to neighbouring planting. It also cuts the risk of direct contamination of surface water.
Roundup ProVantage can be used with confidence in public spaces as it has been classified as non-hazardous by COSHH and is approved for use in aquatic areas.
Continuing the legacy of more than 40 years’ investment in product development, the new Roundup ProVantage formulation recognises the need for consistent, high level product performance whilst meeting the increased demands of environmental stewardship and the practical use of glyphosate in modern amenity situations.
