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SprayingProcedures
PARTS MANUALS AVAILABLE ONLINEAT smithco.com
SPRAYINGINTRODUCTION
Thissection is intendedto offer practical guidelinesfor the distributionof liquid chemicalsover an area of
turfgrass such as golf courses, park land, school grounds and lawns. SMITHCO makes no representation as to
the suitability of any technique or product for any particular situation. This section is suitable for self-propelled
sprayvehicles orsprayersmounted ontovehicles.
Boom Spraying is the most effective, accurate and efficient method of applying chemicals to large turf areas. It
may be done by means of:
• Adedicated sprayvehicle
• Asprayermounted upon a utility vehicle
Sprayers are typically equipped with wide spray booms. Generally these booms are between 15 feet (4.5 m)
and 20 feet (6 m) in width. They are divided into three sections, with hinges that permit the long outer sections
to automatically move out of the way and reset if an obstacle such as a tree or fence is in you path.
To minimize the chance for missed areas or double application use a device to mark the outside boundaries of
eachspray swath. Foammarkers and dyemarkersare advisable.
TURFMANAGEMENT
Turfmanagement chemicalsare madeforfour generalpurposes:
1. Fungicides: Preventor cure funguson turfgrass. Theyare madein2 generaltypes:
• Systemic - Chemicals enter the plant system and protect or cure it of, fungus.
• Contact - Kills fungus with which it comes into contact.
2. Insecticides: Eliminate damaging insects and worms (such as grubs, beetles, ants, etc.)
3. Herbicides: Controland eliminateundesirable weeds andgrass fromturf areasand non-turf areassuch
as bunkers, trails, fences, etc.
4. Nutrients & Fertilizer: Promotegrowth, beauty and color inturfgrass.
Some materials have to be applied so that they get into the soil below the plant leaves, This is called "soil appli-
cation". In order to do this, they are best applied with a large volume of water. They are often then watered-in
using the irrigation system. This type of chemical material includes systemic chemicals and chemicals de-
signed to destroy pests which live in the thatch and the soil.
Other materials must be applied to reach a problem that is present on the plant leaves. This is called “Foliar
Application”and requiresa lower volumeof water.Instead ofirrigation water, these materialsare furtheractivated
by dry air and sunshine. They include contact fungicide and many herbicides.
The user of sprayers and chemicals must follow the directions provided with the spray material. It is the only
wayto insure safe andeffective results. Itprovides information on howmuch chemical andhowmuch water isto
be applied to the area to be sprayed.
Though there are many types and sizes of nozzles, two specific types have proven most successful in turfgrass
management.
• The first type is target-directed. It sprays material in a direct line downwards to the target turfgrass.
These are flat fan nozzles, commonly referred to as TeeJet nozzles.They are available in a wide variety
ofsizes for anyrequired discharge volume rate.They are thebest for manycontact or foliarapplied
pesticides. They are spaced either 10" (25 cm) or 20" (51 cm) apart and overlap one another by about 1/3.
• Thesecond type usefulin turf managementare broadcast type nozzles. Theyare commonly referredto
asraindrop or floodjetnozzles. They spraya hollow-cone shapedpattern of muchlarger dropletswhichfall
quickly to the turf under their own weight. They are best for systemic pesticides or any material requiring a
largevolume of waterfor soil application. Thelarger droplets arenot as subjectto drift fromwind and are a
safer, more environmentallyfriendly choice inmany situations.