Amenity sprayer proving its value
Greenkeeper training ”Clinic” run by I.A.M., Ireland 22-11-2004
Anthony Facchin, Amenity Product Manager of HARDI INTERNATIONAL A/S tells of the growing number of HARDI Defender shielded boom owners. Being a pioneer is never easy. You can be a strong believer in new methods but when you then have to convince a committee to obtain the necessary finance, the pioneer is often stopped. This was not so with the popular east coast Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club in county Meath, Ireland. The near 100-year-old links club near Dublin is a formidable challenge to the capabilities of all golfers.
It has also been a formidable challenge for Greenkeepers Stephen Hoey and Colin Sweeney to spray. With the conventional boom sprayer and the constant breeze, good spray results were often difficult to obtain. Spraying at least twice a year for daisy control seemed only to stun them, says Stephen Hoey as they were back again after 4 to 6 weeks. Four years ago, the club invested in a HARDI Manx amenity sprayer with a 4.5 metre HARDI Defender shielded boom. The increased efficacy, better working conditions for the operator and reduction in pesticide costs put the sprayer in the “fantastic sprayer” class according to the greenkeepers.
Shaughnessy, Sweeney and Hoey We found the kill on the daisies was far better and we have now reduced our daisy spraying to one spray at the beginning of the year with a spot spray follow-up in the autumn, says Stephen Hoey. In pesticide savings alone this is about €1000 per year being a 35% saving.
As a bonus, the coverage with liquid fertilisers is much better with the Defender boom. The closing comment from the greenkeepers was that unfortunately so much pesticide has been wasted whilst using the conventional booms at Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club.
The HARDI Defender booms are also available in a 6 metre sprayer version along with a 1 metre self-contained or hose fed version for smaller areas.