Collier Turf Care Seminar targets South East

COLLIER TURF CARE SEMINAR TARGETS THE SOUTH-EAST



Welcoming delegates, Collier Turf Care Director, Mark Bowley, explained how the Kings Lynn-based company had over 25 years' experience of supplying products and advice to customers throughout East Anglia, including turf chemicals, fertilisers, grass seed, line marking equipment and top-dressing. To spearhead its further expansion, Craig Brisley has now been appointed as Senior Technical Sales Representative - South East. He is already well known throughout the region.

"Colliers make it a policy to supply products from the leading manufacturers, backed up by an excellent service and technical expertise, they are willing to find solutions to unusual or difficult situations" says Mark Bowley.

Scotts, manufacturers of fertilisers and turf chemicals, are one of Collier's major suppliers. Scotts' Technical Manager, Simon Barnaby, presented seminar delegates with details of the company's Heritage fungicide, which was launched earlier this year. It contains Azoxystrobin, a substance that protects against the major grass diseases and which operates in three ways. It acts in contact, systemic and translaminar modes, meaning that it is absorbed through roots, shoots and leaves.

These qualities, he explained, give rapid and long-lasting benefits, and also mean that any new grass that grows inherits the disease-resistant qualities. "Heritage resists leaching and is stable in the soil. It offers both curative and preventative control, and is low in toxicity, meaning that it is harmless to birds, mammals, bees and earthworms."

Nick Martin, Scotts' Senior Area Sales Manager, updated delegates on the company's latest developments in grass growth regulators. The Shortcut product not only suppresses top growth by up to 50%, but also enhances turf quality. Mowing intervals are extended and labour costs reduced. Moreover, the organic compound redirects the grass growth to lateral stems rather than vertical blades, resulting in a denser and more resilient sward, which can help give protection against annual meadowgrass invasion.

"In addition, the plant's chlorophyll is concentrated in the smaller, more compact leaves, giving an aesthetically pleasing, darker green colouring. Wear resistance is improved, and the shorter grass blades lose less water through evapotranspiration, meaning that less irrigation water is required," said Nick Martin.



Several conference delegates reported their own successes with Shortcut, during a lively question and answer session. Duncan Kelso of Kings Hill Golf Club has used the product for three years, with five applications annually, and said that he was extremely pleased with the improvements in turf quality and that disease resistance has been excellent. Huw Morgan of the Wilderness Golf Club stated that he had successfully used Shortcut on tees, bunker faces and semi-rough areas.

Peter Todd, Golf Courses Manager at The London Golf Club, gave delegates a tour of the complex, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. Recent projects undertaken include the renovation of large fairway bunkers on the 1st and 9th holes of the Club's International course,
and the renovation of a bunker behind the 18th green on the Heritage course.

Collier's Mark Bowley reports that "the seminar was a tremendous success, and we are planning an even larger turf care conference, entitled 'Turf Talk 2', to be held in the near future."


Main Picture (left to right and speaking at the event); Simon Barnaby, Scotts UK Technical Manager, Nick Martin, Scotts UK Senior Area Sales Manager, Craig Brisley, Senior Technical Sales Representative for Collier Turf Care and Mark Bowley, Director, Collier Turf Care.


Press contact at Pan Publicity: Fiona Gebbett 01493 440047
Press contact at Collier Turf Care: Mark Bowley 07702 212655