Equipment used for applying chemicals to turfgrass must be calibrated periodically to achieve effective pest control and to reduce the potential for excessive pesticide residues remaining on sprayed surfaces. While applying too little pesticide may result in ineffective pest control, too much pesticide wastes money, may damage the turf and increases the potential risk for contaminating ground water and the environment.
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| Fig. 2. Poorly calibrated equipment causes nonuniform spray coverage. |
A survey of 53 private and municipal golf course pesticide applicators in Nebraska revealed that only one of six applicators applied pesticide carrier volumes within the acceptable error margin of + 5 percent. Application errors ranged from 83 percent underapplication to 177 percent overapplication. Thirty-six percent of the applicators overapplied pesticides by more than 5 percent of their intended application rate. These applicators overapplied pesticide by an average of 19 percent. The cost of overapplication for one group using Daconil 2787 ranged from 5 cents per acre to $16 per acre. Faulty pressure gauges and improperly sized hoses and plumbing components were contributing factors to inaccurate tank-mix application rates and non-uniform applications.