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  Providing habitat resources for feeding and breeding areas for bumblebees, butterflies, moths and other pollinating insects has been one of the driving forces for the introduction of Operation Pollinator on UK golf courses. There are around 270 different species of bees in the UK, of which 24 are classified as bumblebees. Some of these bumblebees are relatively common and distributed widely across the country; others have become increasingly rare and now survive in small pockets where suitable habitat has been retained. Some species, such as Bombus ruderatus, have been brought back from the edge of extinction by habitat creation, with populations and colony numbers now increasing.However, seven bumblebee species are still listed as in danger, with two species classified as on the verge of extinction. These species have specific Biodiversity Action Plans to aide their recovery.Accurate bumblebee identification is important to know what you have, and to help target habitat creation to…

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 With around 4,000 employees in R&D globally, we continue to search for new and improved ways of raising the quality and yield of crops worldwide.R&D in the UKOur work means we keep developing new products to help protect the world's crops from weeds, insects and diseases.Jealott's Hill Research Centre in the UK is our centre for Crop Protection Discovery, Bioscience, Weed Control Research, Seeds Research, bioperformance enhancement and Product Safety Research. We also have seed breeding research stations at Whittlesford (Cambridgeshire) and Market Stainton (Lincolnshire).Scientists at Jealott's Hill work closely with colleagues in Basel, Stein and Münchwilen (Switzerland), at Research Triangle Park in the USA and at Goa in India. Their work throughout the R&D process ensures that Syngenta products hold a premium in agricultural markets worldwide. To help support this, the company has field stations in all the world's major climatic zones.

 Heat, drought and stressful conditions over the summer can have a significant effect on turf health and vigour. The increasing trend for a cold, slow start to spring and periods of extreme wet or heat can add to challenges.That means, come the autumn, turf could be at even greater risk of disease attack and frost damage during the winter, unless plants can be actively encouraged to build carbohydrate reserves over the autumn.Greenkeepers and turf managers could help to stimulate development of essential plant carbohydrate reserves - which would enable turf to survive harsh winter conditions more effectively - with a Primo Maxx II programme in the autumn.It is also especially important to be diligent with nutritional programmes and irrigation regimes to optimise turf health while growing conditions allow. Primo Maxx should be an integral part of the programme to promote healthy turf.Retaining reservesTrials have shown that Primo Maxx treatments can enhance turf health, vigour and carbohydrate build…

  Anthracnose basal rot is now widespread on sports turf surfaces (above), reports Ruth Mann of STRI. During the winter months, symptoms are seen as individual annual meadow-grass plants becoming yellow. The youngest leaf may turn brick red in colour and a black rot may be present at the base of the stem (below). Anthracnose is caused by Colletotrichum cereale, which can cause two types of disease depending on the weather conditions. During warm summer months foliar blight may develop. This is often mistaken for drought stress. Any areas that appear droughted should be checked for the presence of acervuli and the hair-like structures called setae (below). Irrigation at this time can exacerbate damage, as it helps to spread the spores of the disease and make further infection more likely. Under cool, wet conditions basal rot may develop. It is common for basal rot to develop on areas that were infected with foliar blight during summer months. Basal rot is the most commonly identified form…

ASOOTY TOP TIPS - ANDREW KERR Andrew Kerr has been recognised as the UK's top amenity sprayer operator, in the inaugural Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards.Course Manager at West Malling Golf Club in Kent, Andrew has shared his experiences and Top Tips for best practices to make the spraying process easier, more accurate and, ultimately, safe. Andrew has checked the water volume marks of the sprayer tank are accurate for the amount actually put in the tank - some tank gauges can be inaccurate or difficult to read precisely. The sprayer is always parked on the same level area for filling. Best practice is to fit a flow meter on the water filling hose, to check exactly how much is going into the tank. That's particularly important if the area to be treated often varies, when selectively treating just a few susceptible greens for example - see the Top Tip below for measuring greens area. Andrew's sprayer is regularly serviced to keep it in good condition. Although the machine is several…