Ohio State University Extension Bulletin

Calibrating Turfgrass Chemical Application Equipment

Bulletin 817-00


Types of Equipment and Their Use

Low-pressure boom sprayers, hand cans, backpack sprayers, hand gun nozzles and dry spreaders are the most common types of equipment used for applying chemicals on turfgrass and home lawns. The following table lists typical usage sites for this equipment, along with major advantages and drawbacks.

Common Turf Application Equipment

Equipment

Dry or Liquid

Use Comments
Low-pressure
Boom Sprayer
(Fig. A)
L Large areas
Golf courses
Commercial sites
Can cover larger areas in a short time. Usually mounted on a small tractor. The pressure should not exceed 60psi. Requires frequent cleaning and servicing. Requires an external power source or tractor power.
Backpack/Hand Can
(Fig. B)
L Spot treatment Durable, portable, easy to use. Difficult to keep the pressure up. Difficult to control a uniform application rate.
Hand Gun
(Fig. C)
L Small lawns and
larger turf areas
Covers large areas quickly. Very little maintenance needed. Requires own motor or external power source. Application uniformity is highly dependent on walking pace and arm motion of the operator.
Spreaders
(Fig. D)
D Lawns and
turf areas
Can cover larger area more quickly with rotary than drop spreader.

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