Free booklets from Bayer
Free booklet on use of herbicides for line marking sports pitches
By Editor
A free booklet covering all the legal aspects, health and safety and application guidelines for using herbicides to improve line marking on sports pitches, has been published by Bayer Environmental Science.
Groundsmen need to keep sports pitches clearly line-marked throughout the playing season, but the use of line paint alone is often insufficient to maintain lines to the required standard. The use of a herbicide prior to line-painting will kill the grass and give a cleaner, longer-lasting line.
It is recommended that the herbicide is applied and allowed to take effect before the line-marking material is applied. It may be tempting to save time by applying a tank mix of the herbicide and line paint. This is not recommended for two reasons. First, the herbicide may be rendered inactive by the line paint, which is often particulate in nature; second, and inversely, the herbicide may remain active in the mixture for longer than when appliedalone, thus giving a more permanent 'burn' on the ground.
It is important to note that, when applying any herbicide all conditions of approval must be obeyed. The herbicide used for line-marking preparation must be approved for use via knapsack or other hand-held equipment. Operatives must carry spraying certificates and spray equipment must be properly calibrated. As for any practice involving the use of chemicals, a thorough COSHH assessment must be carried out.
A herbicide approved for line-marking preparation is glufosinate-ammonium. Residual herbicides are not recommended for this purpose.
'Finale' from Bayer Environmental Science contains 120 g/L glufosinate-ammonium. Finale is recommended for use through a wide range of line marking machines (including the Dimple Marker and other line marking machinery from Pressure Jet Markers).
More information on Finale and regulations on line marking can be obtained at the Bayer Environmental Science Website: www.bayer-escience.co.uk. or by requesting the free-of-charge booklet - fax Bayer Environmental Science on 01992 784276.
Spearhead the attack on autumn weeds
The autumn months are an optimum time for growth of both turf and weeds. Active growth means the fast uptake of herbicides, such as Spearhead from Bayer Environmental Science, followed by efficient kill of weeds.
Autumn applications offer advantages in helping to relieve the spring workload:
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Perennial weeds: During the autumn, perennial weeds such as daises are channelling their resources into the perennating organs, e.g. daisy bulbs. This enables them to survive the winter and be prepared for new growth the following spring. A selective herbicide applied in the autumn will be translocated directly to these plant parts, resulting in a complete kill.
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Annual weeds: Annual weeds have evolved to germinate, grow, flower and set seed whenever conditions are right - for many species, peaking in September. An autumn application of a selective herbicide will see off the final flush of germination of annuals.
CDA Vanquish Biactive ensures a clean sweep on Bayer stand
With budget constraints constantly putting pressure on service delivery, the answer for Best Practice in Local Authority's street weed control could well be CDA Vanquish Biactive, applied via the Easy-Spray KSU fitted to a compact sweeper.
The Schmidt Swingo sweeper is fitted with a side-mounted Easy-Spray unit that uses an automatically calibrated system to provide a very low risk of environmental hazard, by limiting drift and chemical over-dosing. This highly cost effective approach means that litter, leaves and waste are cleared from the surface and weed growth treated in a single pass.
The driver/operator has no contact with the herbicide; the status of the spraying operation is communicated directly into the cab. Dosage is controlled automatically and the spray arm is fitted at the lowest possible level to ensure accuracy.
For total safety, the herbicide applied - CDA VANQUISH BIACTIVE® from Bayer is the only clean-label CDA Glyphosate available under new CHIP 3 legislation, making it the first choice for COSHH. CDA Vanquish Biactive is alone in having a non-hazard label and has been approved as non-irritant, meaning that it can be used without hesitation in areas open to the public and their pets. Its white colouration also offers a high degree of visibility of sprayed areas.
The unique biactive formulation ensures that the active ingredient is translocated effectively throughout the whole plant, leading to more reliable control of target weeds.
Chipco Green is only contact turf fungicide with Knapsack approval
Chipco Green, from Bayer environmental Science, is the only contact fungicide on the market that, unlike any Chlorothalonil based brands, has approval for application via Knapsack sprayers. As part of its ongoing commitment to the Voluntary Initiative (VI), Bayer Environmental Science has invested heavily in ensuring the product satisfies the stringent requirements for Knapsack application approval.
Using products via Knapsacks without the appropriate approval, as would be the case with Chlorothalonil, does not conform to label recommendations and therefore would not conform to Best Practice standards as set out under VI. Knapsack calibration is covered on Bayer Environmental Science's unique 'Sprayer Calibration Procedures and Calculator' CD, which is available free of charge by faxing 01992 784276 or emailing john.hall1@bayercropscience.com.
The calibration product is also available on line via the company's website www.bayer-escience.co.uk. The CD provides comprehensive information on product volume required, actual water volume achieved and the number of tanks needed to treat the target area. Variations including walking speed, swath width and knapsack tank size can be input.
Knapsack application is ideal for smaller areas and for those where the use of wheeled machinery is restricted or kept to a minimum, such as on golf greens. A contact fungicide, Chipco Green has curative and preventative action against a range of turf diseases, with the added benefit of being extremely rainfast. It is the only contact turf fungicide with label approval for the curative control of fusarium.
Chipco Green is recommended for use as a partner for Mildothane Turf Liquid for all year-round disease control. By using both these fungicides, you are combining two actives, with two modes of action in a strategy to avoid possible fungicide resistance.
For further information please contact John Hall on e-mail (as above) or phone 01992 784261