Weed Free - Contract Pesticide Application Services

Peter Todd of The London Golf Club elected new BIGGA Chairman

Organisers and exhibitors at the recent BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition in Harrogate held this past week are breathing a collective sigh of relief as Harrogate Week ends, with many saying that the event had well exceeded their expectations.

BIGGA chief executive John Pemberton said that, in advance, there had been ‘apprehension and concern’ about the impact that the present economic climate would have. In the end, the training and education programme had been better attended and more successful than ever while exhibition attendance figures, although down on last year, would still be around 6,000 for the week.

Leatherjacket Larvae - spotting the first signs of activity in the spring

Spring will soon be around the corner and the grass roots will be growing. What you do not want to happen is for these great new roots and existing grass roots to be eaten by Leatherjacket Larvae - the young of The Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs.

It is not uncommon to find up to 200 larvae per single square metre. Do not underestimate these little larvae creatures, they can strip a golf green or golf tee and fairway in a few days, then the birds and mammals like Foxes and Badgers start having a go - all in all a recipe for disaster especially if you do not spot the early warning signs of an infestation in the turf root zone. Suddenly you find your golf course on the Egon Ronay's Guide to the best 2009 Restaurants.

Controlling grasses amongst Heather on a Golf Course

Anyone who doubts the importance of golf courses in the fight to preserve our natural heritage should consider the plight of one plant.

Heather, home of some of our most vulnerable and endangered species, the Smooth Snake, Slow Worm, Sand Lizard, Wood Lark and Night Jar, in the south, and both the Red and Black Grouse in the north, was, 100 years ago, so prolific on these islands, that we hosted two thirds of the total European resource. Nowadays, according to Bob Taylor, Senior Ecologist to the Sports Turf Research Institute, the plant’s presence has become severely fragmented, especially in the south.

EU Pesticide proposals passed in Strasbourg

MEPs have voted in the European Parliament today on rules to ban dangerous chemicals in pesticides and to make it safer to use them in daily life.

Legislation that will mean stricter rules on the use of pesticides throughout the European Union has been passed today 13 January 2009.

The European Parliament passed the proposals for a Regulation on the Placing on the Market of Plant Protection Products by 577 votes for and 61 votes against.

Crunch day for UK Pesticides - Tuesday 13th January 2009

Turf Industry bodies are continuing to call on amenity horticulture professionals affected by the proposed EU legislation on pesticides to ask their MEPs to reject the proposals at the European Parliament plenary vote which takes place tomorrow - Tuesday 13 January 2009.

Permitted pesticide levels in soft drinks

We hope that you would have read the post concerning the EU Parliament Committee assessing the withdrawal of pesticide active ingredients within the EU.

I love it when a plan comes together. It was reported yesterday in The Daily Mail by Sean Poulter their Consumer Affairs Editor that Fruit juice drinks sold in Britain contain larger amounts of pesticides than products sold elsewhere in the world, according to new research.

EU Pesticides a crucial loss for UK Turf Managers

The Plant Protection Products Regulations currently being discussed by The European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety mean stricter controls on the use of pesticides within the United Kingdom and Europe as a whole.

This will have an impact on everyone who uses pesticide control products as part of their daily life. There has already been a close run battle on amendments to proposed pesticide legislation but all efforts are made ahead of the final vote. If the final vote goes against us, we will see an end to well over 80 active ingredients used in Agriculture, Horticulture and Amenity Horticulture.

Controlling Earthworm Casts with Garlic

Earthworms are great for turf, their casts are not. Controlling Worm Casts is paramount for a Turf Manager whether they are responsible for sports fields or lawns.

Now, a UK Company has developed a liquid ad granule formulation based on 99.9% garlic food grade concentrate that in independant trials showed promise in the eco friendly soluton to worm cast eradication. Phew!