Tag Archive for: spraying

Spraying precision from Toro’s GeoLink

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Spraying precision from Toro’s GeoLink: Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club in Suffolk is the latest club, and first club in East Anglia, to invest in the most advanced spraying system on the market – Toro’s GeoLink with Multi Pro 5800 sprayer.

Course Manager Martin Turna was looking for a spraying solution that would allow him and his team to apply the correct nutrients in the correct locations to improve turf health, benefit the environment and make savings.

Spraying precision from Toro’s GeoLink

Spraying precision from Toro’s GeoLink

Using GeoLink technology for its mapping capabilities, the Multi Pro 5800 from Reesink Turfcare will give Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club better control and accuracy in its spraying technique and reduce the amount of product it uses.

GeoLink will take care of accuracy, shutting off individual nozzles to prevent over spraying, essentially eliminating the risk of misalignment issues with conventional sprayers. Going forward the club will be able to track the amount and areas of product coverage, volume, pressures, speed of sprayer during and after the application.

At this nine-hole inland links course, the grass is fine fescue and the soil is free draining and sandy. We apply a monthly wetting agent to all playing surfaces to manage soil moisture and occasionally spray selective herbicides to control the weeds to produce the great turf on which to play.

Martin says: “We don’t use many chemicals, but we need wetting agents to maintain the moisture as it’s an extremely dry course. Now, there will be no over-spraying or overlap and as we will only be spraying the areas that need it, not wasting chemicals on non-targeted areas.”

Derek Kuziw, whose role on the Green Committee is to liaise with Martin and help assess the equipment needs of the club and channel the budget into the appropriate areas, says they had recognised there was a way for technology to improve the club’s spraying processes.

“We were using a tractor-mounted sprayer which didn’t give accurate control of application. The individual nozzle control of the Multi Pro means there’s less spray outside of the defined areas and the operator is no longer forced to turn on and off boom sections when spraying. The sprayer, or should I say, the technology takes over.”

The sprayer arrives in the middle of the club’s five-year development programme to turn the fairways into fast running golf. Working with The R&A, the improved spraying techniques, along with using lightweight Toro fairway mowers to help with compaction, will help improve the overall condition of the turf.

Martin says: “Over or under spraying is not good for turf health. More precise application is going to reduce the stress on the turf and improve its quality. We looked at lots of options, but Toro was technically the best answer and met our requirements exactly. Lee Rowbotham from Reesink came with his team to provide training and show us the full capabilities of the sprayer and the technology. We didn’t look anywhere else from there.

“This purchase is an investment. We’ll be spraying across the course from the greens, fairways, approaches, and from now on we will only mix up the exact amount of product we need for those areas. There will be no educated guesswork since we will know the exact areas to spray, so the savings could potentially be significant. We’ll even know how much is needed for the last partial tank to finish up.”

Find out how choosing Toro technology could benefit your course by calling UK distributor Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Spraying simplicity best for Huntercombe

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Spraying simplicity best for Huntercombe: Grant Stewart, course manager at Huntercombe Golf Club, knew that as soon as a new sprayer was required at the Oxfordshire course, there was only one way to go and that was to hit repeat on his last order of a Toro Multi Pro 1750.

Grant says: “I need a sprayer to be reliable in its ease of use. I appreciate the technological capabilities and all the extras it can have, but ultimately what works for us is a simple but efficient sprayer.”

Spraying simplicity best for Huntercombe

Spraying simplicity best for Huntercombe

Grant’s requirements are perfectly matched in the Multi Pro 1750 from Reesink Turfcare. This sprayer has been designed with all the technology required for spraying accuracy and precision but wrapped up in an uncomplicated easy to use system.

“We’ve had our last sprayer for seven years and it’s never failed us. I couldn’t have a better template to go from than that,” he says. “We mark out the edge of the spray pattern and spray, it’s as simple as that. It’s easy to maintain and there’s no spray lag. The system, the features and benefits it offers and the price point combine to make it the ideal sprayer for an 18-hole course like ours.”

Grant explains how he’s using his sprayer on the course that recently won the prestigious Syngenta Operation Pollinator Award at the Golf Environment Awards: “In the 1980s golf courses had a bad reputation for heavy use of pesticides and chemicals. Now, that’s changed. Spraying is essential to keep the course in top playing condition, but we use nature to solve problems in turf management too.

“With the technology and accuracy in the Multi Pro we can be exact with the areas we spray – everything is controlled and there’s no wastage or spraying of unnecessary areas. We use our sprayer for wetting agents, biostimulants and fertilising in a low regime.”

The Multi Pro 1750 is designed to deliver accurate application rates from start to finish. Its six-diaphragm pump is an industry exclusive, producing ample pressure and up to twice the flow of two-diaphragm pumps for aggressive mixing and thorough agitation. When the pump is engaged, it’s always on so there’s virtually no spray lag – as Grant noticed and appreciates. It also delivers a full spray pattern immediately, so it’s possible to back up to a bunker and spray accurately as soon as it starts.

In addition to exceptional spray accuracy, the Multi Pro 1750 provides 99 percent spray-out, which means almost no products are wasted, which again is better for the environment.

For further information contact Reesink Turfcare, the sole Toro distributor for golf and sports fields equipment in the UK, on 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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JMG Amenity wins top spraying award

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JMG Amenity wins top spraying award: Jason Garlick of JMG Amenity has won the prestigious overall title of Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOY). The Award was presented by TV personality Naga Munchetty and Amenity Forum Chairman, Professor John Moverley, at a BTME ceremony in Harrogate last week (22 March).  

The Leicestershire-based JMG Amenity provides turf care and weed solutions across the east midlands and had previously won the ASOY category for sports turf application.

JMG Amenity wins top spraying award

JMG Amenity wins top spraying award

“Winning Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of all the team involved,” said Jason.

“Protecting the environment, our operators, customers and the public is the highest priority for our business,” he emphasised. “That is why we place strong emphasis on maintaining the highest possible standards and use only the most up to date equipment.

“It ensures minimal impact on the environment and assures the desired high levels of customer satisfaction.”

Quality is paramount at JMG Amenity. All personnel are fully trained and qualified in the correct handling and application of chemicals with all the equipment used.

The business offers agronomy and application services for public and private sector, including golf and all sports venues, leisure facilities, local government, utilities, schools, universities, industrial areas, forestry and other areas requiring vegetation management.

Winners of the ASOY category for Landscape & Industrial applications and overall runners-up in the industry-leading awards were Bournemouth-based Southern Horticulture, with the prize accepted by director, Tony Robinson.

The business specialises provides integrated solutions to invasive weed control and grounds maintenance for a wide range of customers. Protecting the ecology of landscapes during a treatment programme is an important element, advocates Tony.

“In most instances we can actually positively enhance the ecological value of a landscape, whilst still fully completing the original control objectives of customers.

“Winning an ASOY award for the second consecutive year highlights our continual commitment to operating in a safe and sustainable way, for the business, the environment and our customers,” he added.

Sothern Horticulture is also an approved instructor and assessor for LANTRA training for land-based industries.

The Amenity Sprayer of the Year awards are organised by the Amenity Forum, sponsored by ICL and Syngenta and supported by BASIS.

It recognises and rewards top sprayer operators across the amenity industry. It aims to raise standards, by identifying the best practice of individuals to enhance results – and share their experiences across the industry.

The ASOY awards now reflect the importance of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to any issue involving turf and landscape maintenance. “Knowing when not to spray is in many ways as important as the techniques to actually make an application,” advised Syngenta Technical Manager, Sean Loakes.

“The skills of sprayer operators to make efficient, effective and above all safe applications is essential for the future sustainability of the amenity and turf care industry. ASOY awards are a welcome way to recognise and reward the leading individuals and to learn from their experience.”

ICL Landscape & Industrial Manager, Barry Browne, added: “We are delighted to support such an important cross-sector industry initiative with a continued commitment to raise standards and improve results.

“Importantly it has identified and recognised the range of spray application techniques and the differing skills involved across the amenity sector. It will provide a unique and vitally important resource for all involved in spray application.”

Entries for ASOY 2022 will open soon. Look out on the Amenity Forum website for more details and entry form for your chance to win.

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Spring spraying tips

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Spring spraying tips: With Spring soon upon us, now is the time that equipment is being prepared for the busy period ahead.

Along with the usual maintenance and service schedules, you will probably already have in place, I want to focus your mind on sprayers to help ensure they are in top condition before use, and which in turn will help reduce downtime during the season and keep you within the law.

Spring spraying tips

Spring spraying tips

The Sustainable Use Directive (SUD) is a legal requirement and must be met by everyone using and applying professional pesticides. This includes completing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan, operator training and qualifications and the testing of all pesticide application equipment. I am sure you are aware of the requirements but the SUD, which came to force in 2012, brought in mandatory testing from 2016 of all machines over 5 years old.

When the Directive was introduced, sprayers over 3 metres wide had to have a re-test every 5 years. From November this year they must be tested at least every 3 years. It is important to remember this move to more frequent testing to ensure you do not get caught out. Along with boom sprayers there is the need for boat mounted equipment, weed wipers and seed treating equipment, as well as other types, to be tested by the relevant dates – see the decision tree to check when your equipment needs testing.

Equipment that does not require a National Sprayer Testing Scheme (NSTS) test are knapsack, handheld and pedestrian sprayers. The minimum obligation here is that they are inspected on a regular basis, repairs are made as necessary and that a record should be kept of the checks carried out – a checklist is available from the NSTS website. Having said this, several knapsack sprayers are NSTS tested, especially where they are used in areas with high public access.

The National Action Plan (NAP) is currently under its 5-year review and it has widely been expressed there is a need to show far more determination within the new document. Because the plan covers all areas of pesticide use, we do not know what changes will be made but I believe IPM will feature heavily, with protecting the environment and watercourses at the forefront. Protecting British waterways is becoming increasingly important and with regular monitoring of water quality already being carried out we need to ensure that pesticides are applied safely and accurately to help avoid any exceedances, which in turn will help ensure that we retain the pesticides currently available.

We always advocate best practice and would always recommend annual testing of sprayers. We have an operator check sheet available on the NSTS website to download and use, both during the spraying season and in preparation for an NSTS test. Included in the 50 checks carried out on each machine is the condition of hoses, leaks and drips and the accuracy of gauges and nozzles, to name a few. Over application must be avoided; not only does it risk crop damage to the area being sprayed but it is expensive. With some tank mixes costing in the region of £1,000 each, if nozzles are worn by 10% the maths are easy to see.

The NSTS test, which is carried out by qualified examiners, not only gives peace of mind that you are operating your sprayer within the law but also that safe and accurate applications are being made, potentially saving you money from over application, and reducing downtime on the few ideal spray days available.

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