Rigby Taylor launched new products at SALTEX

By Alistair December 5, 2018 05:40 Updated

Rigby Taylor reinforced its lead in amenity supplies at SALTEX with the launch of a host of products, including two cost-saving new line markers that utilise GPS technology, an innovative grass seed mixture that produces unrivalled rates of carbon sequestration and an exciting development in spot weed control using electricity.

Indeed, the new autonomous TinyLineMarker (TLM) proved so popular that two companies ordered TLM units at the show.

TLM has been developed for hands-free initial and over-marking – and it is fast, simple to operate and light and easy to transport. Combining the latest GPS technology with Rigby Taylor’s award-winning Impact ready-to-use paint, TLM takes the input of pitch line dimensions and multiple pitches via an App and re-positions them to best fit the site. Once stored, the lines are never lost.

Initial marking of a standard size football pitch takes less than 20 minutes, including all perimeter lines, penalty boxes, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot – all with just one touch on the tablet control without the operator having physical contact with the machine. Even pitches with fixed post sockets can be marked.

TLM operators have virtually no contact with the ready-to-use Impact paint either, as a flow tube is simply inserted into the paint container and the machine is ready to produce bright white lines that last longer than other paints. TLM is able to mark football pitches (any length/width), and rugby union and league pitches, as well as multi-lane athletic tracks, tennis, lacrosse and American football pitches.

Lakeside Grounds Maintenance was the first UK company to purchase a TLM and commenting at SALTEX, the company’s directors Dave and Gareth Fowler-Simons said: “We are very impressed with what the robot can do and believe it provides us with an excellent range of pitch marking options that will save us time and money and therefore make us more cost-effective – which in turn will enable us to pass on savings to our customers and help attract new business.”

Also on show for the first time was the Armaline GPS ride-on line marking system for multiple, high-speed pitch-precision line marking. Designed for connection to and controlled by a customised John Deere Gator 855D XUV utility vehicle with auto-powered steering, the unit delivers precise initial and over-marking of lines for a wide range of sports pitches.

The set-up is quick and easy with the iPAD Pro App. From pre-loaded line marking plans, the GPS steering provides the most accurate way to initial and over-mark multiple surfaces with Impact paint. Programmes are available for football, rugby union and league, athletics running tracks and more. With variable speed that is operator-controlled, line marking can be undertaken at 10km per hour or more, for example.

Supplied as part of the package, the Gator has a road homologation kit and can be deployed as a conventional utility vehicle for a wide range of grounds maintenance tasks.

SALTEX was also the launch pad for Rigby Taylor and its seed-breeding partner Top Green to follow up on their successful development and introduction of tetraploid grass seed technology with a range of Carbon4Grass (C4G) mixtures that exhibit unmatched rates of carbon sequestration.

The launch follows a study that revealed significant differences between grass species and cultivars in their capacity to store and sequester (lock-up) carbon within the leaves, roots and soil profile. The differences in the proficiency of individual cultivars to sequester carbon proved significant and, as result, led to the creation of the new mixtures.

Rigby Taylor’s C4G mixtures combine increased levels of carbon sequestration potential with desirable amenity characteristics for a range of sports and landscape situations. For example, low maintenance, slower growing cultivars with higher carbon ‘scores’ have been identified to help reduce the impact of tasks such as mowing, which contributes to the carbon footprint.

The Rigby Taylor Low Maintenance and Sportsfield Renovation mixtures both demonstrate the potential to sequester significantly more carbon in comparison with other comparative low-maintenance landscape mixes.

A notable innovation for C4G is the use of the fast-establishing and hard-wearing tetraploid perennial ryegrass, which extends the growing season through cold temperature growth (able to germinate, grow and photosynthesise in conditions from just 40C), thus maintaining active grass cover for longer to potentially ‘capture’ more carbon.

Tetraploids also have increased tolerance to disease and drought in comparison with diploids. And their potential is further enhanced with the Germin-8T seed treatment, which contains Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma atroviride for symbiotic plant health. Together these attributes enable the sowing of C4G mixtures virtually all year round.

Rigby Taylor’s weed control expertise also took a new turn at the exhibition with the showcasing of the RootWave Pro system for the spot control of weeds using electricity to ‘boil’ the weeds inside out from the root upwards. Generating heat directly within the weed ensures than no energy is wasted and that treatment of the complete plant, including the roots, is controlled.

Using electricity to boil the water in the plant cells means that the heat is generated internally and is therefore much more energy-efficient than using hot water, steam or foam.

The RootWave Pro system includes control unit, transfer/earth cables plus lance and electrodes, and its is powered from a standard 8.75kva generator. A single tank of fuel can run the system for a day.

In addition to seeing and discussing Rigby Taylor’s comprehensive product range, visitors to the show were also able to learn more about the company’s ongoing trading partnership with IDVerde and its support of the introduction of Mixto hybrid grass surfaces, which claim three times more playing time than natural grass.