FSM Industry News


Headland’s H-Cote Mini™ solves sand- based leaching for AFC Bournemouth


To reduce nutrient leaching on their sand- based surfaces, AFC Bournemouth’s Head of Grounds Ian Lucas has switched to Headland Amenity’s H-Cote Mini™ fertiliser and is delighted with the longevity and improvement in plant health achieved. This new controlled- release formulation is the latest addition to the club’s nutritional programme which, for the first time over the 2018/19 season, was fungicide free. “When I joined AFC Bournemouth two


years ago, I inherited a feeding regime which included a variety of products, so I reviewed everything to see what was working and try to streamline the programme” explains Ian, who heads up a grounds team of seven. “One of the first things I looked at was the conventional fertiliser being applied on the training ground and academy pitches. Due to


these being sand-based, it wasn’t delivering the field longevity we needed, leading to multiple, costly applications per season. I spoke to Headland Amenity’s Sports Turf Specialist Alex Hawkes to try and find something longer-lasting, and he recommended we try H-Cote™.” The new H-Cote™ range fills the gap


between traditional outfield and fine turf products and offers 3 to 4 month longevity due to the inclusion of high levels (70-91%) of controlled-release nitrogen from Poly sulphur coated urea. This provides release character- istics that are gentle and sustained, with mini- mal risk of flushing or excessive growth. “We first applied H-Cote™ in September and so far, we have been impressed with the strong, healthy colour and more consistent growth that definitely seems to last for longer.”


Alex has also worked on fine-tuning some


of the other tried and tested elements of Ian’s programme, including Headland’s 20/20/30 enhanced plant health strategy. “I’ve long known about the effectiveness of the 20/20/30 approach and welcomed the opportunity to introduce it across both our King’s Park training ground and the Vitality Stadium pitch. This winter, Alex suggested incorporating Mantle® manganese/zinc formulation into the mix to further suppress the ability of disease to take hold and this seems to have made a significant difference. We managed to get through what was a difficult period for sports turf weather-wise, without the need to spray any fungicides which not only saves us money but, as a ground team, feels like we’ve made a massive step in the right direction.”


Ipswich Town fuel cleaner air


Ipswich Town F.C. is committed to improving the air quality at its Playford Road Training Centre, and has transitioned all ground machinery from traditional diesel to cleaner-burning, Shell GTL (Gas To Liquid) Fuel. The club plans to monitor the


fuel’s performance in its training centre’s fleet of mowers and tractors and measure its benefits to the environment, grounds staff and local community. If successful, the initial off-road delivery of 2250 litres of may be increased to serve the ground machinery used at Ipswich Town’s historic Portman Road stadium. Ipswich Town Football Club Grounds


Manager, Ben Connell, spoke on the motivation behind the switch to and alternative fuel “We believed that the club – and our neighbours – would benefit from adopting an odourless fuel with lower


34 FSM


felt a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact on the local community – Shell GTL fuel was an ideal solution. “I think the highest praise we


can give Shell GTL Fuel is that we haven’t noticed it at all. It’s been business as usual since we made the switch from diesel: no operational issues, no teething problems – completely seamless.” Shell GTL Fuel has been shown


to reduce Nitrogen Oxide by up to 37% and Particulate Matter emissions by up to 90% – both of


emissions that can reduce noise levels in engines. The grounds staff work with machinery all day and we were conscious of how regular diesel emissions may have been affecting their health and wellbeing. “Furthermore, our Playford Road Training


Centre in Rushmere-St Andrew is surrounded by a number of residential properties and we


which are released from diesel combustion engines and pose a serious and immediate impact to human health in UK towns and cities. Shell GTL Fuel is also free of unwanted


components such as sulphur, metals and aromatics, making it non-toxic and therefore less harmful to the environment.


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