What does the future hold for sustainable weed management? Attendees at the Kersten Integrated Weed Management Conference in Birmingham heard fresh views from experts across the industry, as IGFH’s Bradley Tennant led a panel debate on best practice, innovation, compliance, and the challenges ahead.
Brad of International Greenkeepers For Hire recently hosted a panel discussion at the Kersten Integrated Weed Management Conference, held on June 5 at the historic Highbury Hall in Birmingham. This thought-provoking session tackled some of the biggest questions facing the amenity and sports turf sectors today.
The panel featured well-respected voices from across the industry. Professor John Moverley, OBE FRAgS of JMM Solutions, formerly of the Amenity Forum, brought decades of expertise on policy and practice. Nick Mole of Pesticide Action Network UK gave a strong environmental perspective, while Sean Faulkner of Kersten UK shed light on the latest mechanical solutions for weed control. Together, they fielded questions from an audience of grounds managers, contractors, council representatives, and other professionals in the turf industry.
During this interactive session, Brad guided the debate towards the topics the audience cared most about, including practical alternatives to chemical treatments, machinery developments, LANTRA’s new qualification in Integrated Weed Management, and the evolving regulatory environment.
The discussion made clear that integrated weed management is now a mainstream issue for anyone responsible for sports turf or green spaces. It also reinforced the importance of up-to-date training and new best-practice guidance like that released by Parks for London.
The real value came from the honest exchange of ideas. Events like these show how open discussion can help our sector move towards more sustainable and practical long-term solutions. It also gave attendees a rare chance to national experts without the filter of formal presentations.
Beyond the panel discussion, the conference also featured live machinery demonstrations and CPD opportunities that demonstrated how modern equipment and operator skill can reduce the need for chemical usage. There were also plenty of networking opportunities to be had throughout the day.
For anyone working in greenkeeping or grounds maintenance, Kersten delivered a clear message: integrated weed management is the future. And thanks to events like this, the sector is better prepared to face that future with knowledge and confidence.
Visit the Kersten UK website to see all upcoming events and exhibitions.