With so much rain about, many natural soil-based pitches and playing surfaces may be prone to flooding and find themselves at field capacity (saturated)
Firstly, I would like to wish everybody working in our industry a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I am confident that we will start to see the see the back of this terrible Covid-19 pandemic now we have started an immense vaccination programme - which by all accounts will hopefully get us back to some sort of normality. Let us hope it proves to be a game changer and we begin to see the country get back on its feet.
As mentioned in last week’s blog, it’s currently a remarkably busy time for many professional groundsmen, especially those working at professional football clubs. The Christmas and New Year is always an extremely busy period for these guys. With so many fixtures in such a short window and quite often the weather can be a major influence on their workload. Movable lightning rigs, pitch covers, under soil management systems all need managing during this busy period, both at the stadium and at training grounds.
Surface flooding
Having read Mark Hunts detailed Weather Blog last week it seems the mild wet weather will continue through the Christmas period, so it looks like we may not have a seasonal white Christmas this year.
With so much rain about, many natural soil-based pitches and playing surfaces may be prone to flooding and find themselves at field capacity (saturated) - that is to say, when all the pore (air) spaces in the soil profile remain filled with water.
Once a pitch becomes saturated, then we are in a situation of the pitch being in a poor state and will be prone to damage.
It is important to understand what soil type you have on your pitch, as the ability of the pitch to drain freely and how long it takes for floodwater or surface water to disperse from your pitch, will be dictated by the type of soil you have.
All grass swards are grown on soil/sand profiles that provide the appropriate environmental structure for plant growth. This growing medium, commonly known as soil, is made up of proportions of soil solids (mineral and organic material) and soil pores (water and air).
These pore spaces can vary in size and are generally classified into two sizes - macro pores (larger than 0.08mm) and micro pores (less than 0.08mm). Macro pores generally allow movement of air and the drainage of water and are large enough to accommodate plant roots and micro-organisms found in the soil. The ability to retain a good balance of macro pores in soil structure is essential for maintaining grass plant health. It is when these macro pores are either reduced in size by compaction or filled with water (saturated) that we see deterioration in pitch playability and resistance to wear.
Having an effective pitch drainage scheme will help. Most modern pitches tend to have primary and secondary drainage systems installed. These systems aid the removal of surface water quickly and tend to keep the pitches playable in periods of wet weather.
However, the effectiveness of any drainage system can be compromised over time when the drain runs become capped; it is important to retain a link between the drains and the playing surface. This will be achieved by regular aeration work and the application of topdressing.
Playing on saturated pitches will bring disastrous results. It is often better to postpone a fixture rather than ruin the playing surface for the rest of the season. Scrummage and line out play are the main causes of damage on rugby pitches during wet weather periods. The severity of the damage will be dependent upon the soil type and the ability of the top 100mm to drain quickly.
It is important that, once the game has finished, remedial work is carried out to repair divots and stand the grass back up. Care should be taken not to further damage the pitch by trying to get machinery on when it is wet and saturated.
Undertaking a regular aeration programme will go a long way to ensuring your pitch is able to cope during wet conditions. There is a wide range of professional aerators for use on winter turf pitches, available as walk-behind, ride-on, trailed or tractor mounted.
Depending on the condition of the soil you should be aerating on a monthly basis, trying to aerate to a depth between 100-200mm.
Once a year you should aim to aerate to a greater depth (200-300mm) using a larger, more powerful aerator. This will help dramatically, especially if you can topdress the pitch immediately afterwards with sand, enabling this material to go down into the aeration holes.
Unfortunately, I see far too many club pitches that become unplayable or prone to damage, mainly due to the lack of basic maintenance being carried out. Regular aeration, particularly on training pitches, will help enormously; there is nothing worse than having to play or train on a wet, soggy pitches.
In the main a well-maintained soil based pitch will perform adequality well throughout the year. Far too often the clubs that have problems are the ones who don’t invest nearly enough money, time or resources in looking after their pitches.
Having a better understanding of the maintenance required for soil based pitches will help. There is plenty of help and relevant resources available either on the internet or by contacting various organisations such as The Grounds Maintenance Association (GMA), Groundsman Training and the relevant sports governing bodies – who all provide a plethora of information pertaining to the care and maintenance of sports pitches.
Tree care
Finally, this week I also want to mention the work of the thousands of tree care professionals and specialist who look after the wellbeing of our trees, woodlands and plantations that make up the fabric of our natural heritage.
A few weeks I wrote about the true value of trees and their importance to our environment
Like most things in life they need care and attention to prolong their life span. We should not underestimate the value these trees bring to society. Over the last few years there has been concerns over the health of our trees due to the recent spate of viruses and diseases that have spread around the world. I have experience at first hand in this country the devastation of Dutch Elm disease that wiped out millions of Elm trees in the 1970s and 80s Another disease, currently causing problems is ash dieback. Its introduction to Europe about 30 years ago has devastated the European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) because our native ash species did not evolve with the fungus and this means it has no natural defence against it.
Last week I caught up with a local tree maintenance contractor who was having to fell a very large 150ft high ash tree that had unfortunately succumbed to the dreaded ash dieback. It was located very close to some local neighbours houses and was being taken down in sections. Having heard the chainsaw in operation and seeing this arborist working high in the tree, I could not resist the opportunity to go and have a closer look and take some photographs.
I soon caught up with the ground crew who were on hand to remove the timber and support the tree surgeon. The work was being done by Holts Tree Care &Tree Surgery, a local contractor from Shifnal. The high climbing tree surgeon was John Banner, specialist tree climber from Albrighton. It was fascinating watching him working, a very accomplished professional who has been climbing for over 18 years.
It is not until you are able to see such operations close at hand, you are able to appreciate the skills and experience required to fell large trees, especially when there are houses and buildings close by.
So my hat goes off to these dedicated people and it just goes to show what a diverse industry we work in.
Our first WEB ONLY story is after an unprecedented year, there is anecdotal evidence of increased mental health issues among those leading club and course businesses.
Our next WEB ONLY story is BIGGA has unveiled its programme of education for January 2021, with members offered access via an entirely-online platform for the first time ever.
The initial approval enables use only on fully enclosed sports turf in the UK, including such football, rugby and cricket stadiums, training facilities, tennis courts and bowls, for example.
Syngenta's new turf fungicide Ascernity has gained approval for use on sports turf surfaces.
The initial approval enables use only on fully enclosed sports turf in the UK, including such football, rugby and cricket stadiums, training facilities, tennis courts and bowls, for example. The move is the first step in submissions for future extended approval for golf and other turf surfaces.
The manufacturer says Ascernity brings an entirely new active for turf disease management, SolatenolTM, in combination with difenconazole - designed to together give the optimum balance of internal and leaf surface protection.
Glenn Kirby
This balanced systemicity of Ascernity ensures the whole plant leaf remains protected for longer and giving sustained disease control in growing conditions, reported Glenn Kirby, Syngenta technical manager for UK and Ireland.
“It is especially well suited to stadium conditions where turf growth continues all year around, particularly with artificial lights and undersoil heating,” he advocated. “The addition of Ascernity is extremely welcome for enclosed situations that create continuously high disease pressure, which seriously challenge existing limited options for managers.”
The approval for Ascernity in the UK specifically states use only on fully enclosed sports turf where access by large herbivorous animals - hares and rabbits - can be excluded. Use areas in the future are expected to be extended when Syngenta is ready with further supporting data.
Glenn believes Ascernity will become a key fungicide option in the programme whenever turf is actively growing, particularly enabling stadium pitch renovations to establish strongly. Its use has proven safe from the two-leaf stage in seedlings and with no adverse effects on any turf.
“Targeting disease earlier prevents damage to the leaf, reduces stress on the plant and effectively breaks the disease cycle - enabling fungicide programmes to maintain playing surface quality and longer lasting results throughout the season.
“The dual action of Ascernity is so effective since it initially stops germinating spores from developing hyphae on the surface. But if disease has penetrated through into the leaf, it can still act to stop further development - before visible damage breaks out.”
Results from over 70 trials throughout Europe have shown effective performance against a full range of key turf diseases, including Microdochium nivale (fusarium patch), anthracnose and dollar spot. Trials have also shown activity on brown patch, red thread, fairy ring, take-all and leaf spot. Activity has been demonstrated with Solatenol use on grey leaf spot.
Ascernity is approved for two applications per season, at a rate of 3.0 l/ha. Applications must be made using LERAP 3-star rated nozzles, along with compliance of a six-metre buffer zone.
Research has shown it can be used to complement Instrata Elite and Medallion TL in a disease control programme for turf quality.
Adam Grantham has joined the company as technical consultant for sports turf.
Agrigem have announced that former Reading FC grounds manager, Adam Grantham has joined them as technical consultant for sports turf.
Adam Grantham
Agrigem’s UK sales manager, Martin Ford said, “We are delighted to have Adam on board. His experience, knowledge and reputation in the industry will be invaluable in further developing our sports turf services to both professional and grassroots clubs in all sports."
Adam, who spent 17 years overseeing the Madejski Stadium as well as the first team and academy training pitches at Hogwood Park, before overseeing the development and management of state-of-the-art Bearwood facility, said, “I am delighted to be joining the Agrigem team at such an exciting time in their continuing success.
“I was looking for a fresh challenge and I can’t wait to get started. My next move had to be right for me long term and Agrigem have a great range of products and a team that are passionate about what they do.”
The Toro Company say their strong fourth-quarter results were driven by continued sales growth in their residential segment and a rebound in their professional segment.
The Toro Company this week reported results for its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year periods ended October 31, 2020.
The company says that Q4 net sales were $841 million, which is up 14.5% year over year.
Whilst full-year net sales for 2020 were $3.38 billion, which is up 7.7% versus last year. The residential segment net sales were up 24.1%.
“Our strong fourth-quarter results were driven by continued sales growth in our residential segment and a rebound in our professional segment,” said Richard M. Olson, chairman and chief executive officer.
“Residential sales were robust across all channels with strong demand for our new product lineup, accentuated by refreshed branding, an extended selling season, and stay-at-home trends. Improved demand for our professional products reflected greater business confidence from our customers and increased home investments. The integration of our Venture Products acquisition added another strong brand with multi-season products, contributing incremental sales in the quarter.
“Our momentum and continued investments position us well for success in the new fiscal year,” continued Olson. “We have a strong portfolio of businesses and deep customer relationships, a dedicated team and channel partners, and innovative products and emerging technologies aligned with customer needs. We will remain sharply focused on business execution as we continue to face uncertainty due to the ongoing pandemic."
FOURTH-QUARTER FISCAL 2020 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Net sales of $841.0 million, up 14.5% from $734.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
Net earnings of $72.2 million, up 88.7% from $38.3 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019; *Adjusted net earnings of $69.2 million, up 33.5% from $51.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
FULL-YEAR FISCAL 2020 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Net sales of $3.38 billion, up 7.7% from $3.14 billion in fiscal 2019.
Net earnings of $329.7 million, up 20.3% from $274.0 million in the prior-year period; *Adjusted net earnings of $327.7 million, up 1.1% from $324.3 million in fiscal 2019.
OUTLOOK
The company is providing full-year fiscal 2021 guidance based on current visibility, although there continues to be considerable uncertainty given the potential effects of COVID-19 on demand levels and timing, its supply chain and the broader global economy.
For fiscal 2021, management expects total net sales growth in the range of 6.0% to 8.0% and *adjusted EPS in the range of $3.35 to $3.45 per diluted share. This estimated adjusted diluted EPS range excludes the benefit of the excess tax deduction for share-based compensation.
Company announces that Frank Alviti will be taking over the areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Mid-Wales with immediate effect.
GreenMech say the strategic re-alignment of their dealer network continues with the announcement that Frank Alviti will be taking over the areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Mid-Wales with immediate effect.
Director Dave Alviti (right) pictured with Peter Bagguley, GreenMech national sales manager
With a client base that spans arb, groundcare and industrial, Frank Alviti will be offering sales and support across the complete GreenMech range from their Ludlow premises.
On their appointment, director Dave Alviti said, “We’ve been running a couple of GreenMech machines on our arb hire fleet for a few years and are pleased to now extend this into a full distribution agreement. Having personally worked as an arborist previously, I have a longstanding relationship with GreenMech and their machines, and so I am delighted to share this knowledge, experience and quality range of woodchippers with our client base over the coming weeks and months.”
Martin Lucas, GreenMech sales director added, “With a fantastic reputation for sales and aftercare, we look forward to working with Dave and the whole Frank Alviti team to raise the GreenMech profile and offer a more localised service across this key territory.”
GreenMech say any existing warranties relating to their chippers sold by previous area dealers Brian Beddoes and Tallis Amos Group Ltd, will continue to be supported by Frank Alviti.
U.S manufacturer Monarch Tractor have introduced what they describe as the world’s first fully electric, driver optional, smart tractor integrated on a single platform.
U.S manufacturer Monarch Tractor have introduced what they describe as the world’s first fully electric, driver optional, smart tractor integrated on a single platform.
The company says the innovation addresses the issues faced by farmers of labour shortages, climate change concerns, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations by combining electrification, automation, machine learning, and data analysis. They also say they have secured several hundred working farms as preliminary customers.
To see some of the key features of the Monarch Tractor in action watch the below video:
Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder & CEO, Monarch Tractor said, "Monarch Tractor is ushering in the digital transformation of farming with unprecedented intelligence, technology and safety features."
The company says the unit has a starting price of $50,000 and can be reserved now. Shipping will commence in autumn 2021.
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Is the news that Leeds Council are considering halving the number of bowling greens they manage evidence of the beginning of a cull of sports facilities, brought about by the current economic climate being driven by the Covid pandemic?
I read in a Yorkshire newspaper that a number of council bowling greens are facing closure.
Is this evidence of the beginning of a cull of sports facilities, brought about by the current economic climate being driven by the Covid pandemic? The report stated that Bowling greens in Wharfedale and Aireborough could close as part of a new cost-cutting drive by Leeds City Council. The authority has apparently announced a consultation into halving the number of public outdoor bowling greens it manages, in order to make annual savings of about £83,000.
The article quotes local councilors, who have condemned the proposed move as misguided and short-sighted. Councillor Sandy Lay (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) says, “Leeds do not understand the value of these facilities.
“They regard them as the preserve of pensioners from leafy suburbs and totally ignore the physical and mental benefits of playing what is in effect a sport.”
I agree with the statement that Leeds Council are perhaps ignoring the real value of what these bowling greens can bring to the community. If they were marketed and supported correctly they could increase membership and become more widely used.
I do, however, understand their predicament, particularly knowing that most council sports facilities are often heavily subsidised and have been for years. With the world changing and council budgets in major decline many councils are offloading public assets to save money and resources.
For many years the state of bowling club memberships has generally been in decline, with many clubs struggling to keep afloat, relying heavily on volunteers to maintain their greens and keep costs to the minimum.
This can be coupled with the fact that many clubs now have fewer than 80 members, who perhaps only pay a token annual membership fee that rarely covers the cost of running the club. Over time will have led to the closure of many fine clubs.
It really is a sad decline. Many local authorities up and down the country have in recent years had to reduce their maintenance commitments to sport facilities and where possible, have leased out the facilities to clubs to take on the responsibilities of maintaining the grounds themselves.
For me, one of the main problems is a lack of support from the sport’s governing body (Bowls England) and the British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA) who for many years where happy to take affiliation fees from the clubs and were not really spending it on promoting the values that these clubs bring to the community - while at the same time, allowing this overall decline of the sport.
Having spoken to a number of bowlers and clubs, they have never been happy with the way their sport has been run. However, I have heard from one prominent bowler, Andy Caines, who set up a website to help promote the sport and talk about the issues it’s facing. In one video he talks about the work of the BCGBA and their proposals for a new membership fee for their 70,000 members.
Based on those figures, this could potentially bring in around £350,000, based on a £5 pound annual membership fee - a substantial amount, that would hopefully help the future of the sport. Both organisations need to listen to their members and find a way to modernise and better promote bowls and introduce it to a new generation of bowlers.
Once you lose site of the importance these facilities and indeed see the closure of greens, replacing a typical bowling green in today’s money would cost in excess of £150,000. Add to that floodlights and clubhouse facilities to make it viable, you could be looking at the best part of £300,000 plus.
A lot of money. Therefore we must try to find ways to retain the clubs we have and make them more viable and sustainable. We need to promote the benefits of the sport, particularly in terms of keeping people active and competitive. We need to introduce the sport to youngsters and invite schools to bring the sport into its sporting curriculum. We also must make the facility a focus of the community, especially if the club has good clubhouse facilities that attract other users, thus building up the income generation potential of the club. This could help ensure the club’s future.
The annual maintenance of the green itself has always been a bone of contention. There is a cost for its upkeep to a given playing standard, and in today’s money if you have to pay a professional greenkeeper or contractor to do the work, it is likely going to cost anything between £8,000-£12,000 depending on the level of input required. However, many clubs are maintaining their greens for much less, relying on volunteers and keeping costs down to around £6,000-£8,000 per green. We then must consider the other costs; rent, electricity and building maintenance. So all in all, there may be an annual cost of around £20,000-plus to run a club.
Therefore, a club with 100 members would have to charge at least £200 annual membership fees to cover the overall annual running costs. For me, the biggest challenge for bowls clubs is how to get members to pay this level of membership and not the measly £50 that most contribute.
The sport of bowls is one of our oldest sports. The oldest known bowling green, in Southampton, dates at least to 1299 - although other greens claim to be older. Henry VIII, himself a bowler, in 1511 banned the sport among the lower classes and levied a fee of 100 pounds on any private bowling green to ensure that only the wealthy could play.
Let us not see this sport decline any further and where possible promote, encourage and look at the benefits that it brings in improving the wellbeing and fitness of our older generation. I also hope that Leeds Council have a rethink on their proposals and try where possible to retain these valuable assets.
Next in our regular series of the TurfPro Files, we hear from, Vic Demain, head groundsman at Durham CCC and Phil Sharples, independent sports turf consultant.
TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale writes:
One of the biggest challenges our industry faces in the coming years will be inspiring the next generation of turf professionals to join our sector. We desperately need to start finding ways to encourage more people to come and work in this diverse, international industry.
To help start this process, I have asked a number of our leading professionals to write a piece about how they came to work in this industry and the opportunities it has given them.
Vic Demain - Head groundsman at Durham CCC
Durham's team. From left: Vic Demain, Simon Harvey, Tom Wilson, Ben Hall & Mark Patterson.
Tell us about yourself?
I'm Vic Demain, current head groundsman at Durham Cricket. I have previously worked at all levels from club volunteer, private estate, school, contractor, premier league club/county outground, county headquarters and international.
Who or what inspired you to take up your career?
I started my working life as a painter and decorator, which I did for some twenty years, before an opportunity came up to become cricket manager at a National Trust venue. There was no one individual who inspired me, but my love of the game of cricket was the driving factor. My qualifications were all in coaching. I do however thank our groundsman at Challow & Childrey CC who taught me that our job was to put on cricket and not to call it off.
Which individuals have inspired you or helped you develop professionally?
I have no qualifications as a groundsman and when I started it was pre-internet times, so if you wanted to learn, you sought out the old boys at clubs and asked their advice. Don Winfield, Long Marston CC taught me all about pride in the job. Richard Bryce, owner of Sports Ground Services Milton Keynes, taught me how to graft for a living. Whilst the whole package came from Simon Harvey, who in 2008 came from New Zealand to assist me in my role at Uxbridge CC for one season. At the time Simon was only twenty years old, but his knowledge, attitude and standards were second to none. In 2019 Simon came over to Durham for a couple of weeks to help with the ICC World Cup and once again we worked seamlessly.
Emirates Riverside ready for a World Cup fixture
What three pieces of machinery or innovations have in your opinion helped drive our industry forward or helped make your job easier?
At Trent Bridge, I was fortunate enough to experience working with a hover cover and in my eyes, they are the bee's knees. Scarification has really moved on in the last few years and a lot of clubs are now hiring in the Koro which is a game changer from some of the kit which I started out with. However, for all that the new kit is great, I still love my old Sisis Lawnman, which is used daily during the summer months.
What concerns do you have for the future of our industry?
Being an older groundsman, I fear that technology is taking over too rapidly. As a kid, I grew up on a farm where there must have been thirty workers. Now that farm, if it were still going, would probably operate with a couple of workers, due to bigger machinery all controlled by GPS. Tractors are being programmed by computers, field markings and cutting done by robots. Mowers are being adjusted by mobile phones. The need for a head groundsman will be replaced by a spotty geek!
How do you think we can entice the next generation of industry professionals to come and work in this industry?
I recently did a survey which showed me that kids don't look out of the school window and dream of being a groundsman. Most people come into the industry by accident or as a result of taking a summer job whilst studying and never leaving. We at Durham had a nightmare a couple of years ago trying to get staff following a couple dropping out. After much time wasting, we encouraged an ex-employee Ben Hall to return and took on Tom Wilson, both of whom have brought a great attitude and with Mark Patterson, who has been here for over twenty years, we now have the strongest team of my tenure.
Simon & Vic scrubbing up a pitch before the England v NZ game
How have the events of 2020 impacted on your job and how would you like to see the government support our industry?
Covid has no doubt had a major impact on many industries across the country, however, I believe that we have been fairly lucky. We haven't seen too many redundancies yet, but of course most people have experienced furlough and had pay cuts. Also, most budgets have been reduced, but I think most people have got through it and will have learnt another life lesson..
I have been in the industry since I was 18 and have 30+ years experience within it. I started in golf, then went to sports turf. Many years doing the job, 10 years lecturing and many more years consulting and advising. Presently I am sub-contracted to the STRI and working as the lead consultant developing a horse racing track in Saudi Arabia. For the past 11 years, I have worked out of the UK, mainly in the Eurasia Region. Currently I am working on a turf project in Saudi Arabia
Who or what inspired you to take up your career?
There really was no one that inspired me. It all came from within. I knew I wanted a job in nature and the outdoors and once I found my first role on a golf course in London, my path was set. I left the golf club 4 years to pursue a full time education in sports turf management to satisfy my thirst for knowledge. Things rapidly progressed from there.
Which individuals have inspired you or helped you develop professionally?
I have met many people along the way that I have learnt from, that is for sure, but, there is no one that inspired me to develop, as I mentioned above, the inspiration came from within and i have always pushed myself to learn and do more. The best way to develop, is to get out there and gain experience Self motivation is a key attribute to everything in life. There is something to learn everyday and also something to pass on to others each day.
What machinery or innovations have in your opinion helped drive our industry forward or helped make your job easier?
One of the best innovations for me must the development of portable volumetric water content devices. They certainly helped take the guess work out of water application and management, allowed for more efficient use of the resource and prevent a number of subsequent issues occurring. Secondly it must be grow lighting. Giving the ability to recover a pitch in minimal time and balance growth and development of the plant that are usually placed in situations not conducive to it.
What concerns do you have for the future of our industry?
I feel the sports turf industry is set to grow even bigger than it is now. Society is rapidly focussing on leisure time and fitness and the desire for watching sports on television continues to grow on a yearly basis. Surfaces are vital for sport as it cannot be played without them. I cannot see the sports turf industry retracting, only growing. The advent of television has created the desire for others to want similar, perfect, safe and visually attractive playing surfaces that can only be developed and maintained with a specific knowledge.
How do you think we can entice the next generation of industry professionals to come and work in this industry?
The target must be toward those people looking for an alternative to office based roles and those with a keen thirst for how things work and grow. I also feel that the true nature of the work grounds managers, ground workers, consultants and advisors is not properly put across to the general public. The role of the grounds manager is still seen as a grass cutter, this could not be further from the truth.
How have the events of 2020 impacted on your job and how would you like to see the government support our industry?
Covid delayed things for me by 5 months. Specifically as no one was sure as to what would happen next and sport was being cancelled. I did not see it as a negative though! It was time to move forward and onto new things and I saw it as a push in the right direction and a time to reflect. Everything in life was put on hold, so we were all in the same boat in this regard.
As governments start to push increasing healthiness of citizens and encouraging exercise and sport, the requirement for playing surfaces will grow. The extra demand put on these will require a specific management planning in order to maintain standards. Extra funding, further research projects and continued development of facilities is something that needs looking into and managing further.
