Should turf professionals be concerned about the rise of the robots?

With my other hat on as the editor of TurfPro's sister title, Service Dealer, a publication aimed specifically at specialist dealers of outdoor powered machinery, I pondered last week, is this the year of the robot?

Robotic mowers have of course been around for a very long time now and waves of publicity have come and gone. However, it does seem like this year there may well have been a sea-change in mass appeal and acceptance.

The profile of robotic mowers has certainly risen recently. The domestic technology is advancing rapidly with recent major developments including smartphone apps, voice controls and even machines which don't require a guidance wire. And most significantly for turf professionals, with their move into the commercial sector, we've seen robots starting to be used in very public spaces, utilised in teams and controlled by very sophisticated monitoring software systems.

And just last week there was more evidence of automated technology entering the professional turf care sector. On display ahead of the Champions League final in Kiev, Nissan unveiled an autonomous robot which can draw football pitches wherever there is space.

Called Pitch-R, the robot is inspired by Nissan's ProPILOT driver assistance technology which is available on two of the company’s 100% electric new cars. The system is a part of what they are calling ‘Intelligent Mobility’ - the company's vision for changing how cars are driven and powered.

The Pitch-R robot features a four-camera vision system, GPS location tracking and collision avoidance systems. It can draw white lines on grass, tarmac or gravel with eco-friendly dissolvable paint.

The robot is powered by a rechargeable battery pack. Once activated, it moves autonomously to analyse its surroundings in real time and scan to find a suitable space. It can function on uneven surfaces and can navigate around obstacles.

The company’s promotion says the system can create fields for five-a-side, seven-a-side or 11-a-side teams. The whole process can take less than 20 minutes.

Nissan say they created Pitch-R to “excite and engage with grassroots fans”. They claim it’s the first in a series of advanced prototypes being developed using their Intelligent Mobility technologies. They say that further developments will be revealed during next season's UEFA Champions League competition.

Quite the claims there from Nissan. But are they promises which should give turf professionals pause for thought over the security of their jobs?

A recent report by the Boston Consulting Group forecast that by 2025 up to a quarter of horticultural jobs would be taken over by smart software or robots. Whilst Future Advocacy, a think-tank that looks at 21st century policy changes, said that 10 million workers in all sectors were at risk of being replaced by automation.

Quite the doom and gloom predictions. But do those fears really apply to the turf professional sector?

The manufacturers of commercial robotic mowers say there shouldn't be worries over job losses. These new advanced technologies should just be looked upon as another tool in the arsenal of the skilled turf professional. If there is a robot, trundling away, getting on with the time-consuming job of cutting the grass in a park, this then frees up the highly skilled worker to put their expertise to work somewhere more requiring of their attention and abilities.

Which is a compelling argument. I do think though, it's entirely legitimate that talk of robots undertaking increasing numbers of turf care jobs, traditionally carried out by humans, would make workers a little wary for their role. We all know how employers are obsessed with efficiencies and profit margins.

However, in this instance I am inclined to agree with the manufacturers. Because groundsmanship and greenkeeping are such highly skilled and highly unique professions, the human element can never be marginalised by robotics. This is one of those industries where automation will continue to assist, rather than replace.

Although to be fair, I expect that's what Miles Dyson thought when he invented Skynet!

British made Allett Mowers are the choice of the majority of the FIFA World Cup football venues in Russia. Allett is supplying a total of over one hundred and eighty-five units of mowers and accessories across eight stadiums and thirteen official training grounds.

The story of winning the business for the venues even made a filmed piece for the BBC, featuring md Austin Jarrett speaking on why the Russians selected their products

Allett at Kaliningrad stadium

The process of taking Britain to Russia and winning the mower business for the World Cup venues started about two years ago when Allett’s Export Sales Manager, Dave Allett, made a series of presentations at two seminars and demonstration days. Allett’s Russian distributor Unisaw followed this up by investing in demonstration machinery and carried out more demonstrations at the stadiums and training grounds. Unisaw are a particularly strong dealer and it was the combination of Allett products and Unisaw’s supply and support that resulted in success.

“I recently participated at a wonderfully well-run and attended seminar in Moscow, all organised by Unisaw,” says Dave, “and took the opportunity to present Alexander Markin, the CEO of Unisaw Group, with two awards, one for outstanding sales achievement - Russia was our biggest single export market last year - and the second for service excellence.”

Dave attributes this great British success story to the products being chosen for their ease of use and high performance, which makes them ideal for sports turf surfaces, coupled with the exceptional sales efforts of Unisaw. "We offer a comprehensive solution: high-quality equipment for the care of football fields and constant service support, and our partnership with Allett is a very important part of this. Our company has all the necessary skills and takes great responsibility. We are ready and willing to share this with the stadiums, both before and after the games. Our specialists will work very hard on a special schedule, travelling to the facilities to assist at any time," says Alexander Markin, CEO of Unisaw Group.

The main mowers supplied to the stadiums and training grounds are the Allett C34, together with cartridge accessories, the Regal 36, Buffalo 34 and RM34 models.

Most of the eight Russian stadiums such as Kaliningrad, Rostov-on-don, Ekaterinburg and Saransk, to name but a few, ordered three Allett C34’s and two Regals each. Sochi Fisht stadium has four Allett C34’s, two Allett Buffalos and four Allett RM34 mowers. The Unisaw supplied training fields took thirty C34’s and fourteen RM34’s between them.

FIFA World Cup 2018 Stadiums Supplied by Allett Mowers:

• Rostov-on-don
• Kaliningrad
• Saransk
• Ekaterinburg
• Samara
• Volgograd
• Sochi Fisht

With the withdrawal of Rescue from the market next month, Syngenta Business Manager, Daniel Lightfoot, has explained why there is no replacement on the horizon - and why the company believes greenkeepers should take the last opportunity to get on top of coarse grass weed control.

Daniel said, "The current formulation of Rescue is being withdrawn, as part of the EU Regulatory review process - and will not be available again in the future. Any reformulation that may be possible to manufacture a replacement product approved for amenity use is a long and extremely complicated process - both chemically and legislatively. Even if this were to be deemed feasible by Syngenta R&D chemists, the timescale would be in the region of four to five years, at the earliest.

"Whilst Rescue has proven extremely effective in its designed purpose, of removing coarse grasses from fine turf surfaces and rough, it has been an almost uniquely UK product and any new development, if it were to happen, could only be viewed as a long-term possibility.

"The reality is that UK courses have until the end of June this year to buy any Rescue and one year to use stocks, which would typically enable two to three hits on invasive coarse grasses - this year and next."

A pilot had a very lucky escape when he crash landed his light aircraft on a golf course on the Isle Of Wight yesterday.

The BBC reported that the fire service said the plane came down at Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club at about 13:00 on Sunday 3rd June as it was coming in to land at Shanklin Airport.

The NPAS Tweeted a picture of the crashed plane

The pilot, who did not want to be named, said he started experiencing engine trouble and rapidly descended.

He managed to navigate the plane between trees and crash-landed on the eighth tee of the course.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS), which was first on the scene, tweeted: "One very lucky pilot with minor injuries."

The BBC report quotes the pilot as saying, "I knew it was coming down and I had to figure how to bring it down.

"I couldn't even see the fairway as I navigated between the trees."

Justin Harden, of Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, told the BBC, "The pilot did incredibly well to put it down where he did.

"It's fortunate there were no golfers around and it is a very positive outcome from what could've been a difficult incident."

With groundwork well underway for this years summer of football in Russia, over 80 pitches (including stadia and training facilities) are in the final stages of preparation. Contrary to previous events, the chief groundsman and sub-contractors at each facility are responsible for their own maintenance programmes, with many turning to Rink Topdressers to perfect their playing surfaces.

Rink 1010 in use at Kaliningrad Stadium

Head Groundsman Vitaly Belonenko at Kaliningrad Stadium has regularly been using the Rink 1010. The stadium, which was built specifically for the Russia 2018 World Cup, is based on the design and concept of the Allianz Arena in Munich and, amongst other matches, is due to stage a crucial group game between England and Belgium.

The Rink 1010 offers a spreading width of up to 1.5m, at a thickness of up to 10mm. the combination of its light weight build and floatation tyres mean ground pressure is minimised.

Regular topdressings are taking place at the stadium to firm up the surface, including 10 tonnes spread the week before the inauguration of the stadium in April. It is being used in combination with a Redexim Verti-Drain 7215 aerator to work the sand down deeper into the soil profile.

PGA Catalunya Resort, near Girona in Spain, has signed its first ever five-year preferred equipment supplier agreement with John Deere to provide a fleet of 10 new Gator utility vehicles, as part of its three-year investment plan.

A John Deere 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough mower at work at PGA Catalunya Resort

The European Tour Destination has already been using John Deere 2500E hybrid electric triplex greens mowers, 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough mowers, 2030A ProGator utility vehicles equipped with HD200 low-profile amenity turf sprayers and TX Turf Gators. The new five-year deal, supported by John Deere Financial and including PowerGard maintenance cover, sees the addition of two more ProGator vehicles and three rough mowers to the fleet, as well as two compact tractors, supplied by local dealer Ramon Font of Vernis & Taberner Equips, SL.

“Being home to Spain’s No. 1 course since 2011, expectations on how our courses play, look and feel are high, so the machinery we need must produce a consistent, first-class finish - and in John Deere’s equipment we have well-engineered and reliable machinery, which our mechanics appreciate,” says Alfredo Alvarez, Stadium Course Manager at PGA Catalunya Resort. “The greens staff really like the mowers’ quality of cut and the precision that can be achieved using the programmable TechControl display.”

Alvarez works alongside Tour Course Manager Roger Casadevall and Head Greenkeeper Aleix Masferrer, heading up a team of 21 greenkeepers and two mechanics who dutifully maintain the two championship courses to the highest standard.

“Following the recent Continental European course listing by www.top100golfcourses.com, we discovered the judging panel had specifically commented on the ‘immaculate conditioning’ of the Stadium Course – and thanks to John Deere’s superior turfcare machinery, we will uphold our course conditioning standards to the highest level,” says David Bataller, PGA Catalunya Resort’s Director of Golf Operations.

Balmers GM Ltd. has joined the GKB Machines’ network of groundcare dealers.

L-R: Balmers’ Sales Manager, Darren Barker, Tom Shinkins, GKB Machines’ Operations Manager and Jan Willem Kraaijveld, GKB Machines’ Director

One of the largest new and used groundcare businesses of its kind in the North of England, Balmers has been in business in Burnley for over thirty years, providing sales, spares, service and hire and covering a Lancashire down to North Manchester and across to West Yorkshire. Balmers were in talks with GKB’s Tom Shinkins in mid 2017 which led to initial demonstrations to customers of a GKB Sandfiller and Top Dresser. The result was Balmers becoming a GKB dealer.

“We like the quality build of the machines, no frills performance and they do what it says on the tin,” says Balmers’ Andrew Meeks. “We like the way the Sandfiller combines in one operation scarifying, removal and sand filling.”

Balmers enjoys a customer base of local councils and national contractors serving golf, football and cricket clubs. They say the partnering with GKB adds a new strength with the availability of the company’s range of natural and synthetic sports turf solutions.

One of the coldest Aprils in 20 years slowed sales of the Toro Company's lawnmowers for residential users in North America and Europe.

Yet sales to the professional segment, Toro's largest and less weather-dependent sector, experienced an 8 percent rise, balanced across the segment's more diverse markets.

"Our residential segment was not immune to the challenges experienced industrywide, caused by a slow start to spring in North America and Europe," said the company's CEO Richard Olson in a statement. "We are, however, encouraged by the weather patterns in May, and we are hopeful that they will continue for the balance of our peak turf season."

Sales for the quarter were $875.3 million, up less than 1 percent and shy of Wall Street estimates.

Net income for the quarter ended May 4 rose 9 percent to $131.3 million, or $1.21 a share. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.20, which beat expectations.

The company said residential sales were $212.2 million, down 17.8 percent compared with the second quarter last year, while sales in the professional segment grew 8.1 percent to $660.4 million.

Olson said on the company's earnings call that residential customers are less likely to buy a lawnmower when there is snow on the ground in April.

The professional segment, which is less affected by weather, saw strong sales growth of zero-turn mowers to the U.S landscape contractor market and sales of rotary mowers and large reel units to golf and turf care markets.

The company maintained its sales guidance for the remainder of the year but slightly lowered earnings guidance. Toro still expects revenue for fiscal year 2018 to grow about 4% but now expects adjusted net earnings per share to be about $2.66 to $2.71 for the year. In Toro's first-quarter earnings release, the company said it expected earnings per share in the range of $2.67 to $2.73 for the year.

In a field near Bristol, users of Google Earth have spotted a not very friendly message mowed into a field - *warning: rude word below!*

Bristol Live have reported that the offending message can be seen from the sky in a  village called Nettleton, which is ten miles east, as the crow flies, from the north eastern edge of Bristol at Siston and Emerson’s Green.

Apparently the topography in the surrounding area means that the message isn't visible from the ground. This has led locals to speculate that as the message is intended to be read from above, it could have been mowed in anger by a farmer who is fed up with hot-air balloon rides constantly flying over his land. That part of the countryside on the Wiltshire-South Gloucestershire border is said to be in the usual flight path for longer balloon rides out of Bristol.

So here comes the monstrous mowing . . .

Turn back now if easily offended . . .

Last warning . . .

Oooh, how rude!