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Turf and Ornamental Pest ControlTurf and Ornamental Pest Control

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Application Equipment:

• Two basic types of application systems: Liquid (sprayers) Granular

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Misapplication:

• Without proper attention, you may end up with a ……

Misapplication

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Calibrating Homeowner Equipment

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Types of ApplicationTypes of Application

• Foliage sprays (shrubs, trees)• Area coverage (soils or lawns)• Spot sprays• LAWN

Fertilization Weed control Insect/Fungi control

• HORT Fertilization Insect/Disease control Dormant oil treatments

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Area Coverage (soils or lawns)Area Coverage (soils or lawns)

• Application should provide even wetting of entire surface with no areas of intense concentration

• Often recommend to cut application rate in half and cover area twice. at opposite angles - not always good since

application rate and speed not proportional in same direction alternating rows per

application

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Foliage Sprays (shrubs, trees)Foliage Sprays (shrubs, trees)

• Most recommendations advise spraying the foliage with diluted chemical to the point of runoff – glistening of the leaves

• Difficult to do uniformly

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EquipmentEquipment

• Hose-end sprayers• Compressed air sprayers• Knapsack sprayers• Trombone sprayer/ bucket (stirrup)

sprayer• Fogger• Spray bottle

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Application Equipment

Manual Sprayers Compressed air Knapsack

Spray Management Valve

CF Valve

Easy Spray Valve

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Compressed Air SprayersCompressed Air Sprayers

• Pesticides already mixed to their proper spraying dilution

• Tank pressurized with compressed air or carbon dioxide

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Notes:Notes:

• Shake occasionally to keep materials in solution/suspension/emulsion.

• Each sprayer comes with a nozzle that can be adjusted to provide fine spray, coarse spray, and solid stream.

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Pressure Control:Pressure Control:

• Fill tank 2/3 full with spray material so considerable air space if left for initial expansion.

• Repressurize tank frequently.• If pressure gage is used, repressurize

when pressure drops about 10 psi from initial reading.

• Use a ‘spray management valve’.

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Calibration Procedure (trees and shrubs)Calibration Procedure (trees and shrubs)

• Add a known amount of water to the sprayer.

• Spray the water as uniformly as possible to the point of runoff.

• Measure the amount of water left in the sprayer and subtract it from the amount added to the sprayer in the beginning

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Calibration Procedure (lawns and soils)Calibration Procedure (lawns and soils)

• Measure and mark off an area of 1000 sq ft.

• Add a measured amount of water to spray tank, spray area, and then measure the amount of water remaining in the tank.

• The difference between the amount in the tank before and after spraying is the amount used.

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Alternative Calibration Procedure

Steps: Mark off a calibration course of 1000 sq. ft. Accurately measure the time required to spray

the calibration course using a proper technique. Remember only record the amount of time the gun is actually spraying.

Measure the flow rate from the gun. Using the time recorded in step 2, spray into a calibrated container for that same length of time.

Amount in the container represents the application rate per 1000 sq. ft.

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Example:It took 50 seconds for an applicator to spray

the 1000 sq. ft. calibration course. The amount of spray collected from the gun in the 50 seconds was 1.4 gallons.

The application rate for this example is:

1.4 gallons per 1000 sq. ft.or

61 gallons per acre (43.56 x 1.4)

Alternative Calibration Procedure

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Spot SprayersSpot Sprayers

• Fence rows.• Weeds in beds or turf.• Calibrate sprayer same as in Area

Coverage, but estimate area of spots to be covered when figuring amount of water and chemical to add to spray tank.

• Spray to point of run off.

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Hose-end SprayersHose-end Sprayers

• Simple and inexpensive• Use water pressure from garden hose

to distribute the spray.• Chemical added to jar as concentrate.

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Siphon ActionSiphon Action

• Draws the solution in the jar and mixes it at a predetermined rate with the water spraying out of the nozzle.

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Marks on Jar:Marks on Jar:

• Gallon scale on jar indicates total amount of water and pesticide solution in the jar applied.

• Ounces give amount actually in jar while gallons give amount supposed to be sprayed out once mixed with water from hose.

• ie: Jar filled to 10 gal mark (25 oz of solution). When

jar is empty, 25 oz has been applied with 10 gallons of water.

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Calibration:Calibration:

• Measure and mark off an area of 1000 sq ft.• Fill jar with water to a measured level.• Spray marked area uniformly and then check

the amount left in the jar.• Add to the jar the chemical needed to spray

the number of sq ft in your yard or garden area. Then add enough water to the jar to bring the level up to the gallonage mark required to cover the sq ft to be treated.

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Notes:Notes:

• To obtain uniform application cut rate in half and spray area twice; overlapping motion as you walk.

• Always use uniform walking speed during application.

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MEASURE SPEED

Speed(MPH)Distance(ft) x 60

Time(seconds) x 88

(1 MPH = 88 Feet traveled in 60 seconds)

Measure the ground speed in an area similar to the conditions of the area to be sprayed!

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Sprayer AccuracySprayer Accuracy

• Water pressure affects accuracy of sprayer.

• Designed to operate at 40 psi (typical water pressure found in most areas).

• Hose length not to exceed 50 ft and min. dia. of 5/8 inch.

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Example Calibration Problem

• Your yard is 3500 ft2, and you want to apply a pesticide at the rate of 3 oz/1000 ft2 (according to label).

• In calibration you added water to the 6 gallon mark on the jar. After spraying an area of 1000 ft2, equivalent of 4 gal. is left in the jar.

• How much water and chemical should you put in the jar?

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Example of CalibrationExample of Calibration

• Area covered = 1000 ft2

• 6 gal. - 4 gal. = 2 gal.• Yard is 3500 ft2

• From label: 3 oz/1000 ft2

• (3500 x 3)/1000 = 10.5 oz

• The jar is filled to:• ( 3500/1000) x 2 = 7

gal.

50 ft50 ft

20 ft20 ft 3500 ft3500 ft22

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Trombone Sprayer/ Bucket (stirrup) SprayerTrombone Sprayer/ Bucket (stirrup) Sprayer

• Inexpensive, durable, telescoping, plunger-action pumps that provide continuous spray.

• Can reach tops of 25 to 30 foot trees.• Must carry bucket with you.• Bucket sprayer involves a foot support for

the bucket

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FoggerFogger

• Used in small areas to control insects• Oil based insecticide is used along

with a lit propane tank to volatilize the spray and produce smoke or fog.

• Allow fog to dissipate before reentry to area.

• Very likely to drift so extreme care must be taken.

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Spray BottleSpray Bottle

• House plants, small flower beds and gardens, small shrubs

• Spray to point of runoff• Simply add proper amount of

water and pesticide according to label

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Measurement of small land area

• Apply proper amounts of pesticide

• the area must be accurately determined

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Field measurement methods

• Division of the area into simple figures.

• Offsets from straight lines.

• Maples-Turf technique.

• Coordinates.

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Example

• Calculate a irregular shaped turf

127’

32’

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Circle, Rectangle, Triangle

• a1d2/4=706 ft2 or (r2)

• a2 = 20 x 50 = 1000 ft2

• s = (32+20+40)/2 = 46• a3 = [s(s-32)(s-40)(s-20)]1/2

= 317 ft2

• Area = a1+a2+a3 = 2023 ft2

20’40’

d=30’

50’

a1

a2

a3

32’

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Trapezoid area

a

b

h

Area = h * (a+b)/2

(a+b)/2

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Offsets from straight lines

• Trapezoidal rule: divide the figure

into an even nummer, n, of strips.

A dh h

h h hnn

01 2 12

d d d

hn

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Calibrating granular spreaders:

• Improves weed, insect, and disease control.• Lowers incidences of using wrong amounts.• Minimizes potential problems to the

environment.

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Calibration includes:

• Calculating the amount of product needed.• Mixing properly and safely.• Adjusting the equipment to deliver the

desired rate uniformly.• Determining effective swath/overlap.• Checking accuracy during operation.• Detecting and correcting errors.

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Importance of calibration:

• All spreaders should be calibrated with the operator and the product being used.

• Many product suppliers furnish recommended settings and swath width.

• Equipment manufacturers also make setting recommendations.

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Types of application devices:

• Centrifugal, rotary, or broadcast• Drop• Pendulum• Pneumatic

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Factors influencing granular rates:

• Size of metering orifice.• Speed of the agitator or rotor.• Travel speed• Roughness of the application area.• Topography of the application area.• Flowability of the granules.• Quality of the granules/mix.• Temperature and humidity.• Wind

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Checking distribution pattern:

• Open area – bounce and scatter.• Preferred method – use collection

containers on a line perpendicular to the direction of travel.

• Enough boxes to cover 1½ times the anticipated swath width.

• Make several passes over the boxes – in the same direction.

• Empty contents from containers into a tube or bottle.

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Pan Test

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Pattern distributions:

Primary collection

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Determing the swath width using the tube method:

• Compare the tubes.

• Determine the tube that is ½ the amount of the center tube.

• These two tubes determine the boundaries

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Effective swath width:

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Final pattern:

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Pattern distributions:

Swath To Wide

Side Wind

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Header strips and swath overlap:

• Recommended application method: First pass at ½ rate using calibrated swath width Second path on centerline of previous pass

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Improved granular application techniques will include:

• Selecting the right equipment.• Keeping the equipment in good working

condition.• Calibrating the application equipment to:

Prevent streaking of pesticides. Avoid a reduction in control with pesticides. Apply proper amount of product.

• Selecting good quality product.• Avoiding losses in $$$$.

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Thank You!