Technical
Close up showing the artificial fibres woven into the grass “ Close up of first pass Second pass set to ‘clean up’ mode Contra-rake in action 116 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
The whole procedure is based around effectively loosening and removing the existing sward/herbage and debris from the surface with minimal disruption to the hybrid fibres
with newly developed machinery, minimises the amount of traffic on the pitch by eliminating the need for secondary handling of the material, as all herbage and resultant organic accumulations are removed from the pitch in one process via trailers, offering a clean, quick, efficient process. After initial trials of prototype machines, tweaks and improvements have been made to enhance the quality of the whole process. We have now renovated many hybrid pitches in the UK and Europe using our system and the results speak for themselves. The whole procedure is based around
effectively loosening and removing the existing sward/herbage and debris from the surface, with minimal disruption to the hybrid fibres. Each individual project is assessed prior to the work commencing, as pitches that have not received a thorough renovation in previous seasons will differ in requirements to those renovated on an annual basis. A typical renovation on a well
maintained pitch would involve the following: The pitch may be sprayed off with a suitable weedkiller and given chance to die back where time allows, if this is stipulated by the grounds manager or consultant. However, this is not always necessary and, on occasions, may not be beneficial. The hybrid cylinder makes an initial pass
over the pitch. The machine is designed to dislodge and remove a high percentage of
the existing sward from the surface with minimal disruption to the hybrid fibres, in the same way that the Koro Field Top Maker works. It then elevates the arisings into trailers for removal and disposal. The key point to note, at this stage, is that little or no material is allowed to settle back on the pitch. Whilst this process is on-going it is followed by a Contra-rake, which serves to gently rake and loosen any stubborn material that may be left on the surface. Any material which has not been removed by the hybrid cylinder, particularly along the headlands, will be removed carefully and disposed of accordingly. An evaluation of the pitch is then made
at the end of this part of the process, but normally a second pass is necessary, with the hybrid cylinder set to ‘clean up’ mode. A further pass is done with the Contra- rake; this is normally done to loosen existing rootzone within the synthetic sward which does not need removing. Levels are then corrected and made good using a restoration rake. This is an important part of the process as it helps to separate and stand the fibres up prior to the next operation. Topdressing is then applied at a rate
specified by the grounds manager or consultant. The restoration rake is used throughout the sand spreading process to ensure that the fibres do not get buried. Overseeding is then carried out using an
appropriate seeder, followed by an application of pre-seed fertiliser. This is
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148