syngenta - LJN Blog Posts - Landscape Juice Network2024-03-28T08:18:45Zhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/syngentaAdvancing Golf Course Management: Over 50 Greenkeepers Gather at Burnham and Berrow for Educational Dayhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/advancing-golf-course-management-over-50-greenkeepers-gather-at-b2024-03-12T10:35:42.000Z2024-03-12T10:35:42.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>An educational event, organised by ICL and Syngenta, brought together over 50 greenkeepers from seven different counties for a day filled with insightful presentations and valuable networking opportunities at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club in Somerset.</p><p>Liam Rowlands, the ICL Technical Area Sales Manager in the southwest and the driving force behind the event, emphasised the event's core objective: to educate greenkeepers, facilitate knowledge sharing, and promote professional growth within the turf industry.</p><p>The event featured presentations by Liam, Henry Bechelet, ICL Technical Manager, and Sean Loakes, Technical Manager for Syngenta.</p><p>Henry shared his extensive expertise in agronomy, focusing on strategies to improve sward species progression in golf greens through ‘The Disturbance Theory’, alongside the importance of water management techniques.</p><p>Sean addressed the challenges of controlling Dollar spot, particularly prevalent in the southwest, and discussed disease management strategies and programmes. He highlighted the importance of understanding regional challenges and tailoring solutions through ongoing trials and development.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12399568300,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12399568300,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="550" alt="12399568300?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a>Attendees, such as Liam Pigden, Deputy Course Manager at Burnham and Berrow, and Richard Ponsford, Course Manager at Clevedon Golf Club, echoed the sentiment that education is the cornerstone of professional development in turf management. Liam noted, "The water management presentation was very interesting, and it was great to see the data and the trials rather than us just putting products on the course and assuming they are going to work. Education is key."</p><p>Richard added, "I’ve come away with more ideas on how to deal with Dollar Spot, and I’ll be looking at a couple of greens a bit differently in terms of moisture management. No matter what line of work you are in, education is useful because the day you stand still is the day you get left behind. It’s been a fascinating event."</p><p>Eddie Cambell, Head Greenkeeper at Ogbourne Downs Golf Club, found the event an excellent opportunity to stay abreast of industry advancements and connect with fellow greenkeepers facing similar challenges. The discussions on water management and the prevalence of Dollar Spot were particularly beneficial, offering insights into proactive strategies for turf maintenance.</p><p>This insightful education day exemplifies a commitment to advancing turf management practices through knowledge sharing, networking, and ongoing research. By providing a forum for industry professionals to exchange ideas and stay informed, events like these play a vital role in shaping the future of turf management, ensuring that the industry continues to evolve and adapt to meet emerging challenges.</p><p>A review of the day ca be viewed by visiting: <a href="https://youtu.be/_uGEP_m7CRU?si=qgw47n767Ybqn0b6">https://youtu.be/_uGEP_m7CRU?si=qgw47n767Ybqn0b6</a></p><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a href="http://www.icl-sf.ie">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p></div>Collaborative approach to supporting women’s golfhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/collaborative-approach-to-supporting-women-s2020-08-27T11:57:07.000Z2020-08-27T11:57:07.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>THREE leading names within the amenity turf care sector have joined forces to show a commitment to supporting women’s golf, by sponsoring the club that is hosting this year’s Women’s Amateur Championship.</p>
<p>Agrovista Amenity, ICL and Syngenta have provided the greenkeeping team at West Lancashire Golf Club with new Helly Hansen workwear for use during the championship, which is taking place this week (August 25-29).</p>
<p>Although being played behind closed doors this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the tournament attracts an impressive line-up of talent. The winner will then gain entry to the AIG Women’s Open, US Women’s Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship.</p>
<p>With live scoring, news and video feeds being more important than ever, the greenkeepers at West Lancashire will not only play an important part, but also look the part with their new workwear.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7635490482,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7635490482,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7635490482?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="550" /></a>Head of Commercial for Agrovista Amenity, Dan Hughes, said: “Course Manager, Stuart Hogg has been a committed user of Syngenta and ICL technologies, building an excellent relationship with ICL’s Phil Collinson and our Amenity Specialist, Gary Potter.”</p>
<p>“As an organisation, Agrovista is keen to support customers where possible, and in a challenging year it was great to work with three keen partners to support women’s golf and provide the greenkeeping team with first class workwear, something they have appreciated given the week’s weather.”</p>
<p>Stuart attributes a programme which includes Syngenta’s Qualibra and ICL’s H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent for helping to maintain excellent water management of greens, fairways and surrounds. </p>
<p>Prior to the tournament, the club used a combination of Greenmaster Pro-Lite and Sierraform GT granular fertilisers as inputs into the greens to maximise tournament presentation.</p>
<p>“The technical support from Gary Potter and Phil Collinson has been extremely helpful with the tournament preparation,” said Stuart.</p>
<p>“I and all the team are very grateful for the gesture of workwear which befits hosting such a high-profile tournament at The West Lancashire Golf Club.”</p></div>ICL Ultimate Offers for 2020https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/icl-ultimate-offers-for-20202020-03-24T12:54:44.000Z2020-03-24T12:54:44.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>ICL and Syngenta have announced their updated Ultimate Offers for 2020.</p><p>Ultimate Offers are a range of popular tank-mixes from ICL that contain various combinations of nutrition combined with Syngenta’s plant growth regulator Primo Maxx II.</p><p>They provide turf managers with great products through a range of extremely cost-effective packages, helping make significant savings with the added bonus of earning up to 15 Turf Rewards points depending on which Ultimate Offer you choose.</p><p>For 2020 Ultimate Offer WSF/18 and Ultimate Offer WSF/36 have been updated to include Primo Maxx II in the newly launched 20 litre pack size.</p><p><strong>Ultimate Offer NK – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li><li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid NK</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer High N – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li><li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid High N</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}4212985051,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}4212985051,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="550" alt="4212985051?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>Ultimate Offer S & S – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li><li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid Spring & Summer</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer CalMag – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li><li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid CalMag</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer WSF/18 – earns 10 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 20L Primo Maxx II</li><li>18 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer WSF/36 – earns 15 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>2 x 20L Primo Maxx II</li><li>36 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N</li><li>1 x Syngenta Art of Application Kit</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer Iron – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 10L Primo Maxx II</li><li>1 x 200L Sportsmaster Liquid Fe</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p><strong>Ultimate Offer SeaMax – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p><ul><li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li><li>8 x 1kg Sportsmaster WSF SeaMax</li><li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li><li>ICL Application Booklet</li></ul><p>The offers are available exclusively through ICL distributors.</p><p>For further information, please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a></p></div>Primo and Ryder get SUPERSIZEDhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/primo-and-ryder-get-supersized2020-03-19T11:35:24.000Z2020-03-19T11:35:24.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p><strong><em>Bigger pack, better value, better turf</em></strong></p><p>ICL has announced that Syngenta’s Primo Maxx II growth regulator and Ryder turf pigment are now available in larger sized packs. </p><p>With immediate effect, turf managers now have the option of purchasing Primo Maxx II in 20-litre drums and Ryder in 5-litre bottles. Both are significant increases on the former sized containers and are set to provide better turf at better value.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}4156154528,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}4156154528,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="550" alt="4156154528?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>The new pack sizes mean that Primo Maxx II is now available in 5 litre, 10 litre and 20 litre packs whilst Ryder is available in 1 litre and 5 litre bottles.</p><p>Primo Maxx II is the number one choice for industry professionals who want to create stronger, healthier turf and a better playing surface. The growth regulator works by obstructing the grass plant’s production of gibberellic acid, which is accountable for vertical growth. Where Primo Maxx II excels and other growth regulators fall short, Primo Maxx II creates the obstruction late in the growth cycle, which serves to stop cell elongation and keep shoots and stems short.</p><p>Launched just last year, Ryder has gained rave reviews from users with many praising its ability to instantly enhance the colour and visual appearance of turf. The innovative technology behind Ryder also protects leaves from the harmful effects of excessive sunlight and instead manages light more effectively. Furthermore, the intensity of colour produced by Ryder can be selected through adjustments to application rate, frequency and integrated turf management programmes.</p><p>If you are interested in the larger sized packs, please speak to your ICL area sales manager or distributor representative for more details.</p><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a href="http://www.icl-sf.ie">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p></div>New Turf Rewards for 2020https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/new-turf-rewards-for-20202020-02-06T17:33:08.000Z2020-02-06T17:33:08.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>ICL and Syngenta are pleased to announce some exciting updates to the Turf Rewards loyalty scheme for 2020.</p><p>Turf Rewards provides the opportunity for customers to earn points from purchases that can then be exchanged against a fantastic selection of agronomic or turf related items and learning opportunities.</p><p>With an extensive range of items already on offer, new rewards for 2020 include:</p><ul><li>£350 F R Jones voucher- F R Jones specialise in horticultural and arboricultural equipment, supplies and service. They are stockists of leading landscaping and forestry brands including Stihl and Husqvarna.</li><li>£150 Sports Metals voucher – Sports Metals are home of the extracut-brush, and provide a bespoke range of products specifically designed to help your turf management.</li><li>Turfgrass Management book - Written by A J Turgeon and J E Kaminski, this book has been designed as a basic text for beginning students of turfgrass science and management.</li></ul><p>New qualifying products for 2020 includes the Sportsmaster fertilizer range and new pack sizes of Ryder turf pigment (5 litre) and Primo Maxx II growth regulator (20 litre). Making it even easier to build your points balance.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3850779209,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3850779209,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="550" alt="3850779209?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>Customers simply log their purchases of qualifying ICL and Syngenta products from any authorised distributor on the Turf Rewards website and points are automatically added to their account.</p><p>Turf Rewards continues to grow year-on-year and an increasing number of greenkeepers and turf managers are signing up to the loyalty scheme.</p><p>Greig Easton, Head Greenkeeper at Hayling Golf Club in Hampshire, recently praised the initiative after claiming a Davis Weather Station, a TDR 350 Moisture Meter, £900 in Machine Mart Vouchers, a Prism Gauge and Macroscope, a DJI Mavic Air Drone and a SS-2 Drop Spreader.</p><p>“The Turf Rewards scheme has been greatly beneficial to the team and myself at Hayling,” he said. “It has allowed us to purchase a range of tools which make our work more efficient and professional. The Weather Station and Moisture Meter have made recording data and improving our irrigation efficiency far easier. Hand and power tools purchased with the Machine Mart Vouchers have allowed us to gain all the necessary equipment we needed for machinery maintenance and fabrication. The drone has proved a great addition for planning and recording course improvement projects and for producing professional looking presentations for our membership.”</p><p>Trevor Wilkin, Grounds Manager at Blackburn Rovers FC, has recently claimed an SR-2000 Spreader and the Team Scout Sprayer, and claims that the loyalty scheme has helped his budget go that much further.</p><p>“Being able to claim both the Team ScoutSprayer and SR-2000 Spreader through Turf Rewards has been great for us as a club as they have allowed me to apply the products I use perfectly at the same time as saving my budget - meaning it goes further. The sprayer has meant I no longer need to use heavy machinery to apply liquid products which allows me flexibility on timing of applications.”</p><p>If you would to find out more about Turf Rewards visit <a href="http://www.turfrewards.com">www.turfrewards.com</a> or contact the Turf Rewards team directly by emailing <a href="mailto:info@turfrewards.com">info@turfrewards.com</a></p><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a href="http://www.icl-sf.ie">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p></div>Qualibra is ‘perfect’ for Royal Cinque Portshttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/qualibra-is-perfect-for-royal-cinque-ports2018-06-07T16:50:15.000Z2018-06-07T16:50:15.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>James Bledge, Course Manager at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal, Kent, says he has successfully treated Dry Patch with monthly applications of Qualibra wetting agent.</p><p>Formed in 1892, Royal Cinque Ports is a Championship Links course situated on the narrow stretch of coastline between Deal and Sandwich Bay in Kent. The 18 hole course offers a stiff challenge to golfers of all abilities and in particular the last seven holes are reputed to be amongst the toughest in golf.</p><p>With the course being so close to the coast, one would think that James and his team would spend most of the time trying to get water off the course, but situated in the driest corner of England, and with the aid of an artificial sea wall, Royal Cinque Ports has no such problems.</p><p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/34401521?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/34401521?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="450"/></a>However, the course has repeatedly suffered from Dry Patch even with previous wetting agent programmes and as a result, last year James trialled Syngenta’s Qualibra – which is distributed by ICL.</p><p>“I’ve used a number of wetting agents before but I’ve always had a problem with Dry Patch, we are situated on sand with only around 3” of topsoil so infiltration rates are pretty high. We also lose a lot of moisture – Sometimes up to 10% Volume water content in a day. Therefore, I decided to look at Qualibra and trialled it last year to see how it performed. I’m a big believer in doing a full year’s trial with products, especially a wetting agent, because I think you are wasting your time if you do anything less than that. You need to see it consistently throughout every month to see how it is performing and also just give it a chance. - not just apply it on a turf nursery in June and see how it performs in one month.</p><p>“Because I haven’t had much luck with wetting agents in the past, I was thinking that if it didn’t work out then we would just try something else next year. However, at the end of the year I remember telling Darren Hatcher (ICL Technical Area Sales Manager for the South, London and the Channel Islands) that it was perfect.”</p><p>James applied Qualibra to his greens, tees, approaches and fairways at 20 L/ha in March and continued with monthly applications until October. His goal was to optimise the use of water resources and move surface water down to maintain, firm, fast conditions, as well as improving the playing surface quality for members.</p><p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/34401486?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/34401486?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="450"/></a>“We wanted the greens to play firm and fast and Qualibra has been a big part of that,” he says. “I also wanted to avoid the unsightly burnt off crests and lush valleys on the fairways and if you irrigate them the water just runs off the top. However, Qualibra reduces the surface tension and goes in from the very top. In June they were the perfect colour, consistently that transition between green and brown.</p><p>“I’ve got a guy who has been working here for 40 years and every morning he comes in at 3.30am and hand waters all of the greens before the golfers come out. He absolutely loves Qualibra and he says that throughout his time here it is by far the best wetting agent we have ever used. I really value his opinion as he’s seen it all so we discuss at length what products would make his life easier when it comes to moisture control, on a links course it’s one of the most important factors to success and that’s why we don’t sacrifice on quality.</p><p>“We are also definitely using less water now and we didn’t have any Dry Patch last year - which was the first time in years. To me that was a huge success because it was one of the driest years on record.”</p><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.ie">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p></div>Rody Kilbride named Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Yearhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/rody-kilbride-named-irish-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year2018-04-16T12:34:36.000Z2018-04-16T12:34:36.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>The winner of the Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2018, sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, has been announced as Rody Kilbride from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo.</p><p>For a number of years, ICL and Syngenta have been proud sponsors of the Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award - which is part of the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board's (KWETB) Greenkeeping Training Course.</p><p>Colman Warde, ICL Country Manager for Ireland presented Rody with his trophy and a gift voucher at Naas Golf Club, Co Kildare said: “As a company we are very proud to continue our sponsorship of this award. The training course is a fantastic opportunity which helps prepare the students for a promising future in this industry. It was great to present the award to Rody, who is a good example of enthusiastic, young greenkeepers. It’s good to see so many students interested in this course because they are the future of the industry.”</p><p>“Aisling does a tremendous job arranging the course and it’s great to see the likes of David Behan from Naas Golf Club, David Callanan from Beech Park Golf Club, Mark Kirwan from the Heritage Golf Club and Tom Carew from Craddockstown put so much time and effort into helping train these students” commented Colman.</p><p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14358550?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14358550?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="450"/></a>For the duration of the 48 week course Rody was placed at Beech Park Golf Club under the watchful eye of Course Superintendent David Callanan. With the student course now complete Rody has successfully gained a full-time greenkeepers job at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Course in Co Limerick, with the newly redeveloped course, designed by Tom Fazio, due to open in April 2018.</p><p>Now in its twelfth year, the course continues to go from strength to strength, which is testament to the hard work and meticulous planning carried out by Aisling Mahon, course co-ordinator who’s commitment to nurturing the future of greenkeeping has ensured the success of the course. Aisling is delighted to have seen the course open a number of doors for aspiring greenkeepers, including full time employment, further education and oversees internships at prestigious golf courses such as Bay Hill and Pebble Beach in Ohio, USA.</p><p>Last year’s winner, Tiernan Crawford, impressed Naas Golf Club so much throughout the duration of the course that he was offered a full time greenkeeping position. He has been working in this role for the past year and is now moving to Beech Park Golf Club – a position which commences in just a couple of weeks. He intends on furthering his education and will be studying Sportsturf Science Level 6 in September 2019.</p><p>William Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2016 award, has been busy working and continuing his studies as well as becoming a first-time father. He is working full-time at Portarlington Golf Club and has just recently graduated from Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Dublin where he studied Sportsturf Science. William has also volunteered at a number of tournaments and is working hard to progress within the industry.</p><p>To make any enquiries about the Greenkeeping Training Course please email <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:greenkeepingcourse@gmail.com">greenkeepingcourse@gmail.com</a></p><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.ie">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p></div>Sherriff Amenity host first ever myTurfClubhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/sherriff-amenity-host-first-ever-myturfclub2018-04-11T14:39:52.000Z2018-04-11T14:39:52.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Sherriff Amenity recently hosted the very first myTurfClub event at Syngenta UK’s Jealott's Hill Research Centre in Bracknell – and by all accounts it was a huge success.</p><p>myTurfClub is a new initiative from Sherriff Amenity which has an ultimate goal of helping to improve the UK turf amenity sector stewardship of pesticide and products. The event proved a great opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals, share and gain knowledge, learn best practices and ultimately enhance their education. Every delegate also gained 6 BIGGA CPD points by attending.</p><p>Following an introduction by Sherriff Amenity’s Joseph Dormer; Dan Lightfoot, UK and Ireland business manager for Syngenta, proceeded to provide a fascinating industry update and a great insight into fungicide planning.</p><p>Next up was Rod Burke, Syngenta’s portfolio development manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, who offered some extremely helpful tips in his presentation entitled “Pigments – a first look”</p><p>Prior to lunch, Joseph provided a virtual tour through the online mySherriffAmenity platform. Sherriff Amenity has always been a big advocate of education within the turf and amenity industry and many have benefited from using mySherriffAcademy which is a feature of this platform. mySherriffAcademy is ideal for learning more about the amenity business as users can participate in courses to enhance knowledge on a wide range of topics such as disease and the correct products to use.</p><p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14336643?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/14336643?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="450"/></a>Lunchtime offered all attendees a great chance to network before they embarked on a tour of Syngenta’s impressive, state of the art facilities. Jealott’s Hill is a key site in Syngenta’s global research and development network and key activities include research into discovery of new active ingredients, new formulation technologies, product safety, technical support of products and seeds research.</p><p>To conclude the event, Joe Kinder (Sherriff Amenity Technical Manager) advised on tank-mixes before Johnny Beck (Sherriff Amenity Amenity Specialist) delivered a captivating insight into trial work as well as revealing key results.</p><p>Sam Evans, Head Greenkeeper at Fulwell Golf Club in Middlesex, was in attendance and believes that an event like this is essential to the future of the industry. “I came along today because I wanted to develop my spray-tech knowledge and have a look around the impressive Syngenta site. There are some really exciting products coming out and it is good to know that companies like Sherriff Amenity and Syngenta are looking to the future and are passionate about developing products. Events like these are vital for head greenkeepers and course managers; it’s all about enhancing your knowledge and planning for disease prevention because it is so critical in our industry.”</p><p>Ben Mills-Reed, Assistant Greenkeeper at Rustington Golf Centre in Sussex, is currently working his way through the mySherriffAcademy modules and felt that by attending the seminar, he gained a greater knowledge of the products he is using on a regular basis.</p><p> “I attended the event to find out more about the products we use, why we use them and how they are made. It has been really informative. I’m doing the mySherriffAcademy modules at the moment and I’m piecing all the bits together so today has been a big help.”</p><p>Commenting on the successful day, event organiser Joseph Dormer said: “We put this event together specifically because there is a need to become more pro-active in our industry. We need to be able to predict what is going to happen and have a plan in place because we are slowly losing all of the fire-fighting products.</p><p>“This event is all about giving something back and to not just host an event where everyone is sat there staring at a presentation on a screen. We wanted to create an event which is all about getting the delegates to be a bit more interactive and ultimately try to ensure that everyone leaves here with something - from the assistants all the way up to the course managers.</p><p>“I’m absolutely delighted with the turn out today, considering the pressure everyone is under at the moment with the weather. Plus a lot of people are trying to get greens renovations done and get their courses up to scratch for spring.</p><p>“I’d like to say a big thank you to Syngenta for hosting the event. I’m planning on partnering up with all of our key suppliers so there will be a number of different subject matters in this myTurfClub series. I’m sure this will be the first of many great events.”</p><p>For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sherriffamenity.com">www.sherriffamenity.com</a></p></div>New Additions to ICL and Syngenta’s Ultimate Offershttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/new-additions-to-icl-syngenta-s-ultimate-offers2018-02-21T15:12:53.000Z2018-02-21T15:12:53.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>ICL & Syngenta have updated and strengthened their popular Ultimate Offers by announcing the addition of two new packages for 2018. Ultimate Offers are a range of tank-mixes that contain various combinations of nutrition combined with the plant growth regulator Primo Maxx II. They provide turf managers with great products through a range of extremely cost-effective packages, helping make significant savings with the added bonus of earning up to 15 Turf Rewards points depending on which Ultimate Offer you choose.</p>
<p>The launch of the two new Ultimate Offers underlines both ICL and Syngenta’s position of offering the best plant nutrition and plant growth regulator. The new “Ultimate Offer Iron” provides excellent growth regulation, turf density and turf colour for use on both fine turf and outfield applications whilst “Ultimate Offer SeaMax” provides growth regulation, stress tolerance and improved rooting for golf greens and football pitch applications. In addition, both packages also include Syngenta XC nozzles to ensure the optimum product application is achieved.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314817417?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314817417?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" /></a>These new combinations add more choice and versatility to the range whilst delivering big savings compared to purchasing the individual products separately.</p>
<p><strong>Ultimate Offer NK – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid NK</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ultimate Offer High N – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid High N</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ultimate Offer S & S – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid Spring & Summer</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ultimate Offer WSF/18 – earns 10 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>2 x 10L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>18 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ultimate Offer WSF/36 – earns 15 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>4 x 10L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>36 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N</li>
<li>1 x Syngenta Art of Application Kit</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>NEW</strong> <strong>Ultimate Offer Iron – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1 x 10L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>1 x 200L Sportsmaster Liquid Fe</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>NEW</strong> <strong>Ultimate Offer SeaMax – earns 5 Turf Rewards points</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1 x 5L Primo Maxx II</li>
<li>8 x 1kg Sportsmaster WSF SeaMax</li>
<li>13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles</li>
<li>ICL Application Booklet</li>
</ul>
<p>The offers are available exclusively through ICL distributors.</p>
<p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk" rel="nofollow">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a href="http://www.icl-sf.ie" rel="nofollow">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p>
</div>Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year 2017https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/amenity-sprayer-operator-of-the-year-20172017-12-11T10:08:37.000Z2017-12-11T10:08:37.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p align="center"><b><i>Overall winner to be announced at BTME in January</i></b></p><p>The overall winner of the Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards, sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, and supported by BASIS, is set to be announced at BTME 2018, Harrogate.</p><p>The awards, in their third year, seek to recognise and reward the industry’s best sprayer operators. Its aim is to improve overall standards by identifying the best practice of individuals to enhance results – and sharing their experiences across the industry.</p><p>Over the past year, sprayer operators from all over the UK have been entering one of three categories and the winners were announced at the recent Amenity Forum conference, held at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent.</p><p>The category winners were:</p><p><b>Sports turf: Using a knapsack/boom sprayer:</b> <b><i>Chris Phillips - Complete Weed Control</i></b></p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314801814?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314801814?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-left"/></a>Chris joined Complete Weed Control, South Wales in 2001 as an operator and soon became proficient in the skill of street pavements herbicide application before excelling in the fine turf side of the business. Since acquiring the CWC franchise in south and central Wales, his business has gone from strength to strength and in particular his work on golf courses has been widely praised.</p><p>Chris feels extremely proud to have won this category and believes it is a major achievement in his highly successful career so far.</p><p><b>Landscape & Industrial: Using a knapsack sprayer:</b> <b><i>Nathan Hume - SH Goss Ltd</i></b></p><p>Nathan, Contracts Manager and Ecologist for SH Gross Ltd, primarily specialises in the prevention of invasive non-native plants and also operates in a wide variety of sites including airports, railways, cemeteries, rivers, forests, nature reserves, construction sites and golf courses.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314797373?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314797373?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-right"/></a>“It was an honour to receive the award. Myself and the company have always followed best practice so awards like this are a nice justification that we are doing things right,” he said.</p><p><b>Landscape & Industrial: Using a vehicle sprayer:</b> <b><i>Lee Harrison – Complete Weed Control</i></b></p><p>Lee joined Complete Weed Control South Wales five years ago and is regarded as a very intelligent operator, who is highly motivated and anxious to do a good job every day. He is extremely knowledgeable with all aspects of pesticide applications and especially when it comes to calibration. His precision is said to be ‘legendary’ within the company. </p><p>The three category winners have now been invited by ICL and Syngenta to attend the BTME Welcome Reception where the overall winner will be announced. Not only will the winner receive the Amenity Forum Shield but they will also have a number of fantastic prizes to choose from which include.</p><ol><li>Flights, accommodation and entry to GCSAA 2018 San Antonio, Texas – or</li><li>Flights, accommodation and entry to GIE Expo 2018 Louisville, Kentucky – or</li><li>ICL / Syngenta products to the value of £2,000</li></ol><p>Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk/">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.ie/">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland. </p></div>New line-up of Turf Rewards for 2017https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/new-line-up-of-turf-rewards-for-20172017-01-26T09:40:14.000Z2017-01-26T09:40:14.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Turf Rewards users throughout the UK and Ireland will be spoilt for choice this year after ICL and Syngenta announced that a number of new qualifying products and reward items have been added to the loyalty scheme’s portfolio.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314772092?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314772092?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-left"/></a>The popular scheme for golf, sport and amenity turf managers provides the chance to earn points from purchases and convert them into a range of valuable agronomic or educational items.</p><p>There is an extensive range of items on offer including workplace and agronomic tools plus work wear and educational vouchers, these can provide a great way to enhance education, improve operations and boost team morale.</p><p>2017 sees an even wider variety of products available with the addition of new rewards including:</p><p><b>NDVI Meter (55 points)</b></p><p>The Trimble GreenSeeker handheld NDVI meter is an easy-to-use measurement device that can be used to assess the health or vigour of turf in order to make better nutrient management decisions.</p><p><b>£250 Machine Mart Voucher (35 points)</b></p><p>Vouchers to spend at Machine Mart - the No.1 specialist tools and equipment online superstore.</p><p><b>Team Scout Pedestrian Sprayer (100 points)</b></p><p>The Team Scout is an efficient and reliable pedestrian sprayer. Supplied as standard with an adjustable pressure control system ensuring constant, accurate liquid application and three pneumatic wheels to increase maneuverability.</p><p><b>Clegg Hammer (Sports Pitch) (250 points)</b></p><p>The 2.25 Kg Clegg Hammer for Football, Cricket, Equestrian and Rugby Surfaces(Model Type CIST/883), is designed and manufactured by SD Instrumentation Ltd. The unit provides a simple and straightforward means of measuring the hardness condition of sports surfaces.</p><p><b>Clegg Hammer (Golf) (225 points)</b></p><p>The CIST/883 Golf Course Firmness Tester provides an easy means of measuring the variations in strength on golf fairways and helps determine the uniformity of a specific area.</p><p><b>Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station (70 points)</b></p><p>An expandable, professional weather station with a wide range of options and sensors. All Vantage Pro2 stations include a console and a versatile integrated sensor suite that can be customised by adding consoles or special-purpose options. The anemometer can be mounted separately, up to 40' (12 m), from the rain collector.</p><p>2017 sees the addition of new qualifying products:</p><ul><li>Heritage 500g fungicide.</li><li>Any product in the Vitalnova range of liquid and soluble fertilisers.</li><li>The Pro Sprayer Package which consists of 4 x 5L pHixer (a specialist water conditioner), 4 x 5L Sp0tless (a highly formulated cleaning agent for the thorough decontamination and cleaning of spraying equipment), 12 x 1L Colour Pro (an advanced spray pattern indicator to assist spraying and minimize spray drift) and a set of Syngenta 04 nozzles. </li></ul><p>If you would to find out more about Turf Rewards visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.turfrewards.com/">www.turfrewards.com</a></p><p>For further information, please contact ICL on 01473 237100. Visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk/">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.ie/">www.icl-sf.ie</a> if you are in Ireland.</p><p>For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf</p></div>ICL Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Year Announcedhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/icl-irish-student-greenkeeper-of-the-year-announced2016-03-15T15:45:20.000Z2016-03-15T15:45:20.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>The winner of the ICL & Syngenta sponsored Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Year award has been announced as William Fitzpatrick.</p><p>Reinforcing their commitment to education within the turf care sector, both ICL and Syngenta are delighted to sponsor the Irish Student Greenkeeper of the Year award. The award is part of the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board’s (KWETB) Greenkeeping Training Course run at Naas Golf Club in Kerdiffstown, County Kildare. For a period of 48 weeks participants incorporate theory training while gaining valuable hands on practical greenkeeping experience at a number of golf courses.</p><p>The theory aspect of the course covers eight Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) modules including Establishing Turfgrass, Horticultural Science, Plant Identification Care and Maintenance, Safe Horticultural Practice and Establishing Trees and Shrubs. The course, which has been running for ten years, leads to a FETAC Level 4 Certification in Horticulture specialising in greenkeeping.</p><p>It provides a fantastic opportunity for aspiring greenkeepers and opens the door to a number of options such as employment, further education or even an internship in Ohio, USA, where students have the chance to work at golf courses like Bay Hill and Pebble Beach.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314755334?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314755334?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-left"/></a>Each year one of the participants is selected as the student of the year, which recognises the individual who has performed the best - both academically and practically. This year saw William Fitzpatrick, from Laois; pick up the award after he demonstrated great practical skills as well as receiving a distinction in all eight modules.</p><p>While on the course William proved to be a very diligent student who also picked up practical experience by working at Dunmurry Springs Golf Club. He was a model student always willing to go the extra mile and is now looking forward to starting his new job at Portarlington Golf Club in Laoise. William, who has recently become a father for the first time, plans to continue with his studies in Sportsturf Science and someday hopes to fulfil his aspirations to be a Course Superintendent.</p><p>The presentation took place at Naas Golf Club, where William was presented with his award by Colman Warde, ICL’s Country Manager for Ireland.</p><p>Commenting on the award and ICL’s continuous support for education, Colman said: “ICL is committed to investing in the future of greenkeeping in the UK and Ireland and we see these young greenkeepers as the future – they’re highly important to us.</p><p>“This is a fantastic, well-run course and it is just one of the events that we are strongly supporting as well as Turf Science Live and other educational events across the country.”<br/>Course coordinator, Aisling Mahon from Naas Golf Club, was also upbeat about the club’s partnership with ICL.</p><p>“We are delighted to have our Greenkeeping Student of the Year event sponsored by such an innovated and inspirational company. Over the past 12 months our students have attended other ICL educational events which help to build their knowledge and allow them to keep up-to-date with the industry standards.</p><p>“We are extremely proud of the Greenkeeping course we run at Naas Golf Club as we believe it helps to produce the turf professionals of the future.”</p><p>For further information, please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.ie</p><p>For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf</p></div>New Turf Rewards for 2016https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/new-turf-rewards-for-20162016-02-24T13:46:51.000Z2016-02-24T13:46:51.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Turf Rewards from ICL and Syngenta is a loyalty scheme for golf, sport and amenity turf managers and provides the chance to earn points from purchases and convert them into a range of valuable agronomic or educational items. Not only does it benefit the turf manager but it is also of advantage to the rest of their team, the turf, and the organisation they work for. It is also a fantastic way to maximise budgets with every purchase</p><p>There is an extensive range of items on offer including workplace tools, iPads, clothing and work wear, and educational vouchers that provide a great way to enhance education, improve operations and boost team morale.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314736868?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314736868?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-left"/></a>2016 sees an even wider variety of products available with the addition of three new rewards. Those who use the popular scheme will now have the chance to earn enough points to be able to view their turf from a whole new angle with the newly added DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone. This flying quadcopter, which possesses a built-in camera can capture 2.7K-resolution video, and is a great way to keep an eye on every inch of your facility.</p><p>Turf professionals will also get the chance to be able to get their hands on the GoPro HERO 4 Camcorder. Known as the ultimate action camcorder, the GoPro HERO 4 features improved sound, greater video quality and easier controls. Capable of shooting 4k Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 footage, everything you record around your facility will be true-to-life, with sharper detail, razor sharp resolution, incredibly lifelike colours and high fidelity audio. It’s a great opportunity to show everyone what you do.</p><p>Both these state-of-the-art products are not only of benefit to turf professionals in terms of the recording of operations, aerial photography and course mapping but these different perspectives of venue layout can also be of advantage to the users of the facility. These products can be used to create fantastic and insightful promotions for Turf Rewards user’s respective sites. </p><p>The Greenstester is the third new reward for 2016, it is sure to be an in-demand product in 2016. This new tool is used for objectively assessing the reliability of putting surfaces. It is an R&A approved device for improving the test performance of ‘The Holing Out Test’ by delivering a rolling ball onto the green from a constant angle, through a specially curved plane, which ensures no ball bounce.</p><p>If you would to find out more about Turf Rewards visit www.turfrewards.com</p><p>For further information, please contact ICL on 01473 237100. Visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.icl-sf.co.uk/">www.icl-sf.co.uk</a> or www.icl-sf.ie</p><p>For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf</p></div>Successful Education at Turf Science Live Irelandhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/successful-education-at-turf-science-live-ireland2015-10-14T12:10:26.000Z2015-10-14T12:10:26.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Over 120 groundsmen, superintendents, turf managers, agronomists and golf club managers attended the latest Turf Science Live event, which was held at Naas Golf Club in Ireland. The one day event allowed delegates to view live demonstrations of some of the latest developments in turf agronomy and turf maintenance machinery.</p><p>Organised by Everris, part of the ICL Group, with Syngenta, Campey Turfcare and Lely Toro Ireland, delegates were split into seven groups to view each of the different 30 minute work stations, which gave the opportunity to engage in active discussion and debate on the merits and potential for different techniques.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314743047?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314743047?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Station one was presented by Lely Toro Ireland and focussed on their new hybrid greens mower and sprayer. Station two saw Campey Turfcare showcasing their innovative Air2G2 aeration machine and Koro Field Top Maker. Station three was jointly presented by Everris and Syngenta showcasing tee renovation trial work undertaken at Naas Golf Club. The second half of the presentation was on Rescue – a selective herbicide for the control of Ryegrass in fine turf swards.</p><p>Station four saw delegates learn more about Primo Maxx growth regulator and the benefits of using it on fairways and other sportsturf surfaces along with new controlled release fertilizer technologies which have been trialled at Naas Golf Club to highlight cost-effective nutrition of granular applications at the golf course.</p><p>Station five was presented by Syngenta and their latest technology on fungicides which saw delegates learn more about Instrata – a broad-spectrum foliar fungicide that was launched in Ireland earlier this year.</p><p>Syngenta talked about water management at Station six and discussed the merits of using Qualibra wetting agent, which combines a unique and dynamic penetrant to move moisture, with a powerful polymer to hold moisture.</p><p>Finally, station seven saw Everris introduce their new turf data management app and how to use it to input data from moisture readings, stimp meter readings and Parry Meter readings to make the most of management and performance of sports surfaces.</p><p>Colman Warde, Country Manager Ireland for Everris, said: “Turf Science Live Ireland proved to be a highly informative and practical format to showcase some of the industry’s latest innovations. We’ve been delighted with the results and feedback we received from the people who visited us. We’ve had over 120 people attend - it’s been a great success.”</p><p>Stuart Wilson, Pitch Manager at Croke Park Stadium, added: “The day has been very informative and the format has been fantastic. The way the stations have been set out and also the wide range of topics covered has been very useful for not just golf course superintendents but also stadium managers.</p></div>Groundsmen Get Focussed at Pitch Focus Eventhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/groundsmen-get-focussed-at-pitch-focus-event2015-06-26T12:46:35.000Z2015-06-26T12:46:35.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds played host to the recent Pitch Focus event - an interactive event that showcased the latest research, development and technological innovations in turf agronomy.</p><p>Organised by Everris and Syngenta, the educational event was attended by over 50 grounds managers, head groundsmen, contractors and distributors; giving them the opportunity to engage in active discussion and debate on the merits and potential for different techniques.</p><p>Andy Cole, head of agronomy services at STRI was a key note speaker giving the audience an insight into the science behind the surfaces used at the world’s leading tournaments including the most recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil and also the problems that could face Russia when they host the event in 2018.</p><p>Next was Andy Owen, International Technical Manager for Everris giving an in depth look at the benefits of SeaMax, the premium soluable seaweed that is designed for enhanced foliar and root nutrient uptake and improved plant health. He demonstrated that a seaweed extract is a complicated product, and explained that the range of these products available for turf use vary tremendously in their composition and their effect on turf. It is important to understand these differences when selecting a seaweed product for use. Everris is undertaking a range innovative research to help inform the end user, and demonstrate the unique capabilities of the SeaMax product.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314722108?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314722108?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Marcela Munoz, Turf Technical Manager at Syngenta, gave an eye-opening 3-D microscopy presentation of how sports turf diseases can damage turf health and pitch quality – even before symptoms are visible to the eye. “A better understanding of pathogen activity and how they attack plants, will enable improved selection and timing of effective control options,” she advised. Everyone was then invited to look at turf diseases under the microscope, using their mobile phones with a free Syngenta Turf Microscope to identify pathogens and take pictures, with the best photo taken on the day winning a prize.</p><p>Henry Bechelet, Technical Sales Manager at Everris, then talked about controlled release fertilisers and the research and development that go into the next generation of products before going outside onto the pitch where Owen Mullen from Intelligent Turf demonstrated the innovative sensors fitted to a mower to capture turf quality data, which when combined with hardness and moisture date provides a powerful tool for turf management. Potentially, the information collected can be viewed in real time through a series of maps, graphs and charts on a range of devices.</p><p>Syngenta Business Manager, Daniel Lightfoot, reported how new Qualibra wetting agent technology could positively enhance turf health and pitch management. Using hydrophobic sand increasingly found in sports surface construction, he demonstrated how scientifically engineered dual-action formulation could improve surface conditions, along with the beneficial retention of soil moisture in the root zone to promote root mass and optimise uptake of nutrients and water. “The potential benefits of an effective wetting agent programme could make a positive difference for turf health and surface performance,” he added.</p><p>Finally Brian McDermott, Leeds Rhino’s Head Coach gave a team talk ahead of the evening’s game.</p><p>After dinner, delegates joined the full house to enjoy the league leaders play out a tightly contested game against local rivals Castleford Tigers.</p><p>Commenting on the success of Pitch Focus, Richard Walton, Everris Business Manager for the UK & Ireland, said: "The feedback we have received from groundsmen attending the day has been extremely positive, and we are looking forward to putting more educational events like this in the future."</p><p>Ryan Golding, Head Groundsman at Leeds Rhinos commented: “The day has been very enjoyable and we’ve been able to get a great insight into what goes on in terms of research and development of products that we use on our pitches. It’s also been fantastic to meet up with so many other groundsmen to share experiences."</p><p>For further information, please contact Everris on 01473 237100 or visit www.everris.co.uk</p><p>For more news and insightful views, you can follow Everris on Twitter @Everris_Turf</p></div>