Product showcase

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

WEED & PEST CONTROL, SPRAYING EQUIPMENT & GRASS SEED

AGROVISTA AMENITY Long-lasting action

Valdor Flex residual herbicide is now available from Agrovista Amenity.

The product was introduced in the UK last year and provides residual control for hard-tomanage weeds. It’s active on a range of surfaces including open soil, gravel and industrial areas.

It contains two synergistic active ingredients, diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, which help to minimise the risk of resistance through two complementary modes of action.

Valdor Flex keeps the soil weed-free for up to four months with just one single application, providing cleaner surfaces for longer and helping to target herbicide use more effectively.

Valdor Flex can be used standalone prior to germination or before weed emergence. If weeds are present, it can be mixed with glyphosate or a fatty acid, which helps to provide the initial knockdown.

Manufactured by Bayer, it uses the latest generation of wettable granule to ensure the product remains stable in water for at least 24 hours, meaning any remaining solution in the tank can be used the following day.

Valdor Flex should be applied from February through to June, a single application is required per season, and it is available in 10g sachets or 500g bottles. The 10g sachets can be mixed in a knapsack sprayer with 6-10 litres of water, providing the operator with surface coverage of up to 200m 2 . For those looking to treat a larger area, the 500g bottle can be mixed with 300- 500 litres of water and applied with a tractormounted sprayer to achieve coverage of 1ha.

www.agrovista.co.uk

ICL LockStar looks to Ireland

ICL has announced that LockStar – a residual, pre-emergent herbicide for vegetation management – is now available in Ireland.

Developed for use on natural surfaces not intended to bear vegetation and permeable surfaces overlying soil, LockStar controls a broad spectrum of weeds and has a long-lasting formula. The formula contains diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium. When applied before germination, LockStar creates a dual barrier at the soil surface ensuring that soil is kept weed-free for up to four months. To control weeds that are already present, LockStar should be tank-mixed with glyphosate or a fatty acid.

LockStar, available in a 500g tub, uses the latest generation of water dispersible granules, which means the product quickly dissolves in water and remains stable in the spray tank for at least 24 hours. Compared to conventional weed management programmes, LockStar keeps surfaces clean and weed-free for longer, as well as reducing the number of applications required.

REESINK TURFCARE Staying in control

Toro’s range of turf sprayers combines extensive customer input with advanced sprayer technology.

The Multi Pro 5800-D has a powerful 36.5hp Kubota engine to give the power to perform in the most demanding conditions; an oversized pump – an industry exclusive – to satisfy the highest spray rates; and a 300-gallon tank ready for the long haul. If you opt for the large optional rinse tank kit, 30 gallons of fresh water can be carried, meaning three cycles worth of water will be on hand at one time.

Continual tank content agitation means chemicals are always applied evenly, while the optional Pro Control feature enables precise calibration responding instantly to the operator’s desired flow rate, so spray application stays consistent pass after pass.

And if you’re looking for something smaller, the Multi Pro 1750 is one of the most advanced 175-gallon dedicated vehicle sprayers on the market. Every element from the intuitive control, industry-leading mixing and hill-assist traction is engineered to enhance vehicle performance and the precision and control of the spray system.

Completing the range is the bed-mounted Multi Pro WM advanced spray system for Toro’s Workman HDX utility vehicle. It leverages the spray system capability of the Multi Pro 5800, but with a 300-gallon tank.

To advertise in the classified section of Grounds Management Please contact FRED COMBE 0203 859 7100 fred.combe@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE IN GROUNDS MANAGEMENT CONTACT FRED COMBE:

fred.combe@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk 0203 859 7100

RIGBY TAYLOR Simple solution

Herbicide choice is important. Not all herbicides control all weeds and grasses, and if you are wanting to control all vegetation in an area, then the use of Mascot Hi-Aktiv is a good choice, assuming you hold a spray qualification.

For those who do not hold a spray certificate, the alterative would be a product holding a different form of registration, such as Barclay Gallup home and garden. These broadspectrum herbicides both work by moving through the leaves and roots of plants inhibiting energy production at a cellular level. The active ingredient, glyphosate, only has an effect on plant cells, therefore they are classified as non-hazardous. However, all products should be applied following good practice guidelines and the Amenity Forum 10 Golden Rules (https:// amenityforum.co.uk/guidance/).

To ensure products work effectively, operators must apply products correctly. This

SCH Quick coverage

The versatile 4MPS threepoint linkage sprayer from SCH features a 70-litre

capacity tank.

The sprayer comes with an integral 12v diaphragm pump powered from the tractor battery, with a flow rate up to seven litres per minute. The 2,440mm (96in) spraying width allows for vast areas to be covered in minimal time, and is supplied boom and hand lance.

The lance is ideal for spot application of weed killers to nettles and docks. The hand lance and boom are easily changed over by means of quick release couplings. All SCH mounted sprayers are supplied with a with a four-nozzle spray

five-litre fresh water washing bottle to dilute any spillages when mixing chemicals, should they occur.

The 70-litre sprayer can be made with alternative hitch types, included mounting on an ATV or attaching to the 48in grass care system, which allows users to care for grass in every possible way, all in one cost-saving machine. includes selecting the correct rate and, if using a power sprayer, always calibrating the sprayer being used.

The other option is to use a knapsack, which is for smaller areas and ideal for spot treating. Rigby Taylor supplies the RT Evolution sprayer, either manual or electric, together with a sprayer nozzle package to make the correct application of product very simple. A pressure regulator is included which will only allow spray through the nozzle at 1 bar; pressure is the biggest variable when using a knapsack. Also included is a range of nozzles, which are all matched to the pressure regulator, so the concentration of the chemical in the tank does not have to be changed – no matter which nozzle you are using. Three anvil nozzles are supplied which have swath width of 50cm, 1m and 2m. The full cone nozzle is for use around objects.

www.rigbytaylor.com/chemicals/knapsacks/

AGRIGEM Grassroots gains

Agrigem has been continuing its “Putting the Grass into Grassroots” campaign by working with grassroots football club volunteers and their contractors to provide effective and economical solutions to their pest and weed problems during this unprecedented period.

BASIS advisors are on hand to provide expert technical advice to qualified volunteers as well as contractors, and with the wet winter and dry spring, this has proven to be invaluable.

Advisors have seen an influx of leatherjackets and disease issues such as Red Thread last autumn are already being replaced by Dry Patch, in which case Agrigem recommends wetting agent Abzorb as both a preventative and curative.

Granular and soluble feeding through the Nutrigrow and Nutrigem ranges provides superior stress relief and plant health when teams return and help reduce the need for preventative weed and pest control.

HEADLAND AMENITY Catch-all collection

Headland Amenity has a collection of selective herbicides which offers the safe, efficient and targeted control of invasive, broad-leaved and difficult-tomanage weed species – all without detriment to the health of the surrounding plants.

Firstly, Cabadex is highly effective at combating some difficult weed species that many other formulations may leave unchecked, including Yellow Suckling Clover and Common Daisy. The product can be used on young turf as early as second leaf stage.

Also suitable for use on newly sown turf when applied at a lower rate is Enstar, a three-way selective herbicide for the control of a wide range of weeds. Along with Quickfire, an economical turf herbicide which features two tried and tested active ingredients (Mecoprop-P and Dicamba) for broad spectrum weed control, Enstar can be safely used through knapsack equipment.

Another effective triple-active selective herbicide is Columbus. Rainfast in just two hours, its microemulsion formulation enhances herbicide activity to make it effective on weeds from across the control spectrum.

Completing the line-up is Blaster Pro foliar applied herbicide, which provides control for a wide range of difficult perennial weeds such as brambles, nettles, docks and thistles.

www.headlandamenity.com

LIMAGRAIN Top grass for Glassboys

Stourbridge FC groundsman Ian Pilkington says the club’s ground has benefited hugely from using Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed.

Ian is a dedicated volunteer groundsman and director for the club – also known as the Glassboys. He claims that he has seen a remarkable development in the pitch ever since he started using Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed 10 years ago after it was recommended to him by Agrovista Amenity.

Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed is a 100% ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, strong aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart Gold.

“We use MM60 for our renovation at the start of May. We share the ground with a cricket club so as soon as we finish the football season there is change over to cricket. Therefore, we need

something which is very quick in establishment and we’ve found that the MM60 is ideal for that – it gives us great coverage.”

“I also tend to overseed in autumn – so I will use the seed on areas which need a bit of a boost.”

MM60 also includes Limagrain’s ryegrass cultivar Annecy which has outstanding disease resistance particularly against Leaf Spot.“We never suffer from any disease here and I’ve found that the seed provides great recovery – even in bad weather conditions,” says Ian. “Ultimately, we have consistently good results year in year out.”

www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

ICL New developments

ICL has revealed some enhancements to its leading range of ProSelect seed.

Proselect Turfgrass seed blends have been developed for use on golf courses, sports fields and turf/sod production. Varieties in the range are developed through extensive breeding by ICL and its international partners.

The ProSelect mixtures have recently been tweaked to further enhance performance and turf managers can now look forward to a new and improved range which contains highly ranked STRI cultivars. ProSelect 1 Premium Pitch, for instance, now features three of the top ranked cultivars in the form of Eurodiamond, Eurocordus and Eurosport, and independent trials have revealed outstanding levels of purity and germination.

Furthermore, Torsion TRT, the turf repairing tiller perennial ryegrass or Riptide, the UK’s No.1 ranked creeping bent, are just some of the outstanding developments from the ICL turf grass portfolio and will feature in the ProSelect range.

DLF The perfect combination

The track at Ffos Las Racecourse in Carmarthenshire stages flat meetings throughout the summer months and National Hunt meetings for the rest of the year. Estate manager and clerk of the course, Dai Jones, uses a combination of Masterline PM79 and Johnson’s J Nitro 4Turf to deliver hard-wearing, quickrecovery surfaces for the venue’s year-round calendar of racing.

The venue is exposed to strong southwesterly sea winds which, combined with years of heavy rainfall, creates challenging ground and growing conditions. “DLF worked in close counsel with the contractors throughout the construction process,” explains Dai. “DLF recommended the ProMaster 79 mixture from Masterline which was used to get the course ready for opening in 2009 and has continued to work well for us ever since.

“With over 65 inches of rain falling here last year, I sat down with our local DLF regional technical manager Ian Barnett to look at some alternative mixtures that would help to give additional strength to some of the hardest hit areas. We opted for ProNitro coated J Nitro 4Turf from Johnsons Sports Seed.” 4Turf tetraploid rye ensures exceptional disease resistance and rapid germination even at soil temperatures as low as 3oC. Its deep-rooted quality makes it ideal for the high wear requirements associated with equestrian use.

The J Nitro 4Turf gives Dai and the team a mixture for divot repair and overseeding that delivers reliable results for racing throughout the challenging winter months. “We used this on the take-off and landing sides of the fences, the hurdles and the bends through the winter months and found it established well even in the cold and wet. The root growth is tremendous giving us great hardiness and wear tolerance.”

RIGBY TAYLOR It’s all about the blend

With so many perennial ryegrass sports blends available, the fundamental expectation for all will be fast establishment and good wear tolerance. However, it really is worth looking a bit deeper than just the headline cultivars and particularly how the blend is put together as this can make a big difference to playing quality.

The percentage of each cultivar within the blend should always be well balanced. For example, including a top-rated cultivar at only 10% provides little benefit in a 100% ryegrass blend. This is particularly important if much of the seed in the bag comprises a high imbalance of any single cultivar and/or poor wear tolerant cultivars.

Rigby Taylor’s R14 is not only a balanced, top performing blend for wear tolerance but also top rated for recovery; strengthened with the inclusion of new cultivar Cameron which has the highest score for recovery in Turfgrass Seed 2020.

R14 Wear and Recovery Scores

25% Europitch 25% EuroCordus

25% Eurosport 25% Cameron

Mean score

Turfgrass Seed 2020

www.rigbytaylor.com

Wear

8 .0

7 .8

7.7

7 .6

7.8 Recovery

7 .5

7 .5

7.7

7 .8

7.6

GERMINAL To the rescue

After two hot summers had left the lawns at High House in Essex looking worse for wear, advice from Germinal’s Sandy Pentecost has helped to restore them.

The south-facing 14-acre site is maintained under contract by Thurrock Council. Two hot and dry summers in 2018 and 2019 had left the lawns in need of significant renovation. Sandy says: “It was clear that there was a lot of dead grass which simply wasn’t going to recover. I recommended over-seeding with a suitable seed mixture and designed a bespoke fertiliser plan to give the new seed the best chance of establishing and survival.”

The lawns were overseeded in autumn 2019 with Germinal’s A30 Rapid Sports mixture: a combination of 35% Calico perennial ryegrass, 35% Carnac perennial ryegrass and 30% Zurich creeping perennial ryegrass which provide improved wear tolerance, rapid recovery and excellent green aesthetics.

Sandy advised Liz Wood from Thurrock Council to overseed the site in autumn, rather than the usual spring timing, to give it a better chance of becoming established before summer.

“The new seed established amazingly quickly,” says Liz. “The lawns have been totally transformed.”