Greens Maintenance
	How the Advisory scheme works The principal aim of the scheme is to offer practical assistance to the club whose green needs attention, in the quickest and simplest manner possible. This is achieved by a system of regional co-ordinators and county representatives who by reason of their work, experience and constant involvement in green maintenance work, provide a fund of local knowledge. This loan scheme relates to any item associated with the bowling green, such as lawn mowers, scarifiers, turf irons, automatic sprinkler systems, ditches, banks etc. Applications in the first instance should be sent to your Regional Co-ordinator details in the EBA YearBook. The maximum amount of the loan is £2500 for any one item, but a Club could have more than one loan if it is purchasing more than one item. Loans must be repaid by monthly instalments over either 12 or 24 months and are free of interest but there is a small documentation fee towards the EBA's administration costs; for example a loan of £2500 for 12 months will bear a documentation fee of £80 and a loan of £2500 for 24 months will bear a documentation fee of £188. If your club requires help, please contact your county representative, and you will immediately be in touch with a sympathetic and knowledgeable ear. Greens Loans Applications in the first instance should be made to the relevant Regional Co-ordinator listed below. For further details please refer to the EBA Official Year Book. National Administrator Arnold Goad 14 Scowcroft Drive Bishops Itchington Southam Warwick CV47 2YP Tel: 01926 612280
	For Clubs Does your green suffer from Moss - Pearl Wort - Compaction - Dry Spots - Thatch - Is it running slow - are you simply wanting advice on a new green - or do you have other questions on green work that need answering?
	The English Bowling Association runs a Greens Maintenance Advisory Scheme, which provides FREE practical advice and assistance to clubs. The advice that you will receive will be given by qualified Greenkeepers the majority of whom are members of the Institute of Greenkeepers who are organised through Regional Co-ordinators and County Representatives. Should more complex problems occur further advice would be sought from outside agencies like the Sports Turf Research Institute.
	If your Club needs help or advice please contact your County Representative or Regional Co-ordinator whose details can be found in the EBA YearBook.
	Local seminars are run in conjunction with other commercial concerns. Details can be obtained from your County representative.
	The following pages deal with maintenance programmes and how to recognise deceases etc.
	Should you require further information and are unable to contact your County Representative or the Regional Co-ordinator you should contact the National Administrator - Doug Partridge.
	Application of Chemicals to Bowling Greens and their Surrounds
	In my experience as both GMAS Regional Co-ordinator, County Advisor and professional greenkeeper one area of greens maintenance guaranteed to provoke argument is that of pesticide/fungicide/herbicide application. There is also the need for the personnel involved in this to hold relevant certificates of competence issued by the National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC). A surprisingly high number of clubs seem oblivious to the fact that there is any legislation in place regarding the use of chemicals on the bowling green. Others, remain adamant that it applies only to professionals (i.e. persons actually employed and paid a wage for doing the work), not to volunteer greenkeepers usually recruited from the membership of the club. Some argue that the whole matter is a complex "grey area" and so choose to ignore it.
	As things stand at the moment it would seem to be that none of the above arguments are valid and it is a virtual certainty that any future legislation will be even more stringent. In arguing against the need for certification clubs seem to be unaware of the fact that the bowling greens are classified as 'amenity areas' or 'non agricultural grassland'. This takes in ALL sports and recreational turf and as such is governed by various regulations relating to the use of chemicals on the land along with various Health and Safety and environmental legislation.
	A factor that also tends to be overlooked is that very few clubs actually own their green (the land being sprayed). Most are owned by the local Council and are leased often without strict specifications pertaining to the maintenance of the playing surface and in particular to the use of chemicals. Persons working on leased land can, in legislative terms, be construed as providing a commercial service and as such are required when carrying out chemical application to hold relevant certification and, contrary to popular belief, there are no exemptions granted on account of age.
	Apart from the obvious need to be properly qualified it is surely desirable to know how to handle, apply and store chemicals correctly, so that neither the operative, users of the green, the playing surface or the environment comes to any harm. There are many regulations in force relating to the disposal of empty containers and to the safe storage of chemicals in properly designated areas, and it is the responsibility of each club to be aware of what is involved. Operatives should know what protective clothing to wear, how to check equipment used for spraying, how to handle, calibrate and mix chemicals accurately, how to cope with a spillage etc. With many products now being withdrawn from sale at a rapidly increasing rate, mainly as a result of the E.U. banning certain substances, it is also a matter of great importance to know which chemicals are no longer licensed for use and to be aware of 'cut off' dates by which any stock in hand must be used. Great care must be taken to avoid polluting water courses, including drains, with either concentrated or diluted chemicals, as with their 'high-tech' equipment Water Boards can easily identify the source of the contamination resulting, in a hefty fine for the offender.
	It is all too easy to dismiss the subject of chemical application by saying that it has been carried out at your green by club members for years without any problems so why all the focus now.
	Things can and do go wrong and times change. We should all be willing to review our practices, particularly when safety and the protection of the environment is involved.
	To find out more about training courses relating to pesticide applications contact your Greens Maintenance Advisory Scheme County Advisor, whose details will appear in the handbook of your nearest College of Agriculture. The EBA may assist towards the payment of course fees.
	Make sure YOUR club is safe not sorry.
	Graham V Mould GMAS South West Region Co-ordinator
	With grateful thanks to D S Cunningham, RHS Dip, Cert Arb(RFS) BASIS, Kingston Maurward College (Dorchester) for the guidance given.