IOG SCOTSTURF 2007 IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST IN THE SCOTLAND GROUNDS CARE STAKES

With hundreds of money-saving products on show – including ‘first time on view in Scotland’ launches – plus an informative seminar series, non-stop equipment demonstrations and award presentations for football and cricket groundsmen as well as product innovation, there was something for every open space professional at this year’s IOG Scotsturf exhibition.

An increase in visitor numbers compared to last year’s 2,215 attendees witnessed a comprehensive display of products designed to make life easier – and more profitable - for everyone involved in grounds care and greenkeeping, in addition to the sports, amenity, arboricultural, landscaping and play sectors, for example.

From artificial and safety surfaces, to turf and grass seeds through to wildflowers, and from hand tools to heavyweight mowers, tractors and aerators, as well as water management and weed control, IOG Scotsturf exhibitors among them displayed everything needed for effective and efficient open space management.

While the Pro-V pedestrian mower from Simon Tullett Machinery was one product making its world debut at Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Hall that attracted much attention, the show’s Innovative & New Product Awards also recognised a number of the exciting developments on view from the 100 plus exhibitors:

• Omex Horticulture’s Ferromex moss killer concentrate won the Chemical & Fertiliser award;
• Groundscare Products’ Turf Teq bed edger/trencher was voted best Small/Medium Machinery;
• The Deltrax remote mower from Alpha Plus won the Large Machinery category; and
• CED’s gravel stabilisation system was awarded best Consumable & Sundry.

The award winners were justifiably pleased: “As a relatively new company looking for dealers in Scotland, with our two IOG Scotsturf awards (product and stand) we have certainly received a positive reception here,” commented Turf Teq. And Omex Horticulture said the show “has been absolutely superb with a wide and diverse range of visitors”.

Alphas Plus commented that “everyone is interested” in its new IPU range, while CED said its SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) friendly system “had been very well received”.

In addition to a hall packed with cost-effective products, the specially-designated demonstration area also drew interested visitors, with ongoing equipment presentations by Access Platform Sales, Alpha Plus, Harrod UK, Midland Power, New Holland, Parts Depot UK and Techneat.

Education continues as an integral and essential feature of IOG Scotsturf, and the complementary seminar programme was well supported with visitors gaining invaluable up-to-date information on pesticide legislation via the presentations by The Amenity Forum (the latest EU rulings) and CSC (Crop protection and management).

The presentations on Hand Arm Vibration and Noise at Work Regulations by HSE Solutions and the Health & Safety Executive were also keenly attended, as was the STRI’s overview of the latest scientific techniques for effective sports turf maintenance and management (Where art meets science) and Harrod UK’s Essential goalpost safety session.

Geoff Webb, chief executive of the Institute of Groundsmanship, presented the IOG Scottish Groundsman of the Year Award to Jim Dawson of Falkirk, who pipped Livingston’s Colin Fraser, Forfar’s Martin Gray and Arbroath’s Peter Clark.

The coveted award – sponsored by Rigby Taylor - is open to the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League Divisions 1,2 and 3, and is judged on criteria that includes such factors as available resources, presentation and housekeeping standards, technical knowledge and scope of operations.

Also, Scottish Cricket presented its Groundsman of the Year Award for the first time at IOG Scotsturf, and the amateur award went to David Christie of Fruechie while Aberdeen’s Ken McCurdie collected the professional award. Both categories were sponsored by Rigby Taylor and supported by Sports Turf Services.

The award ceremonies were completed by the presentation of IOG bursaries (from show funds) to land-based colleges; Elmwood, Laneside, Oatbridge and Scottish Agricultural.

With visitors exclaiming, for example, that “it’s been a great day – we wanted an update on machinery and fertilisers and got everything we needed (Scoonie Golf Course) and “it’s been a good visit – we found the pesticides seminars particularly useful” (Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, Edinburgh, and the team from St Andrews), the stage is already being prepared to make next year’s IOG Scotsturf – 5-6 November) similarly impressive for exhibitors and visitors alike.