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Chemical care: five tips for pre-emergent herbicides

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weedingPre-emergent herbicides are the foundation of any weed management program. They aim to prevent weeds from getting established, rather than attempting to control them after they’ve taken over.

“In general, pre-emergents inhibit root development,” says Peter Landschoot, Ph.D., professor of turfgrass science at Penn State University. “They’re designed to stay on the surface of the soil where weeds are germinating. Typically, the effects last up to a few months, depending on environmental factors.”

In recent years, new products have been changing the playing field. “One advancement has been the introduction of chemicals that have longer residual control,” says Brian Ethridge, business leader for lawn care services with Waynes in Birmingham, Alabama. For example, products for warm season turf such as Specticle (indaziflam) offer residual control up to eight months. Other improvements include the introduction of selective products such as Tenacity (mesotrione), which can be used when reseeding.

While new products can be expensive, they often have lower use rates so application cost per acre is less. In addition, a longer control period may have other benefits such as reducing the amount of post-emergent you need or protecting your client base. “If you’ve got weeds in the turf in spring when there’s a lot of marketing done by your competitors, your customers may shop for a new company,” says Ethridge.

No matter what product you choose, follow these rules for the best results:

1. Time it right.

You must start applications so that the last customer is done before weeds begin to sprout. “It’s better to get these chemicals down early rather than too late,” says Landschoot. In general, crabgrass seeds, which are the most potentially invasive and most expensive to control, germinate when the soil is about 50 to 55 degrees at a two-inch soil depth. Check regional soil temperatures through local soil labs for guidance, and pay attention to this year’s results so you can live and learn.

2. Apply chemicals correctly.

Most experts agree that there’s not a huge difference in how effective each product is. Choosing among them is a matter of availability, cost, and formulation. “A product that’s labeled by a quality company will work if applied correctly and at the right rate,” says Fred Kapp, educational director of the Green Industry Web portal. “What causes most failures is applicator error.” Incorrect application rates, missed areas, and even a technician who walks too fast when spraying impact effectiveness. Hands-on classes are helpful, especially when your crew has not worked with the products and equipment since the previous year. Required protective equipment should also be reviewed.

3. Calibrate your equipment.

There’s no such thing as being too careful when it comes to adjusting your equipment. “We do a bucket check several times a week because flow is the biggest potential error when spraying,” says Ethridge. It’s essential to determine and periodically re-test the flow rate of your pump and nozzle combination, nozzle angle, and application rate. Watch the Green Industry Web portal instructional video on calibrating a spray system

4. Know your products.

Always read the label. “Your product sales rep can also help offer insight into even the smallest details,” says Bryan Scroggins, Residex territory manager for Alabama. For example, some chemicals you’re spraying need a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. If you mix them with city water, which could have a pH of 7 or 8, that may reduce effectiveness, says Scroggins. In this case, using an inexpensive pH buffer in your tank could protect the chemicals from degrading. Don’t forget to keep the MSDS for each chemical and a spill kit on your trucks.

5. Stay informed.

Every state has different licensing and continuing education requirements. “In most places, you cannot spray even a few weeds in a planting bed without a current license,” says Kapp. Find links to your state’s licensing agency at www.npic.orst.edu. State lawn associations, turf trade shows, and extension outreach organizations at local universities can also help keep you informed about best practices, new products and changing laws.

By Arricca Elin SanSone


Report shows pesticides may have larger effect on ecosystems

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Photo: Reuters/Heinz-Peter Baden.

Photo: Reuters/Heinz-Peter Baden.

A scientific report out of Europe has found that neonicotinoids, a group of pesticides believed to contribute to the mass death of honeybees and widely used in the United States, could be more damaging to ecosystems that previously thought. Neonicotinoids have been banned in the EU since 2013, and the European Academies Science Advisory Council report now says there is evidence that their use “has severe effects on a range of organisms that provide ecosystem services like pollination and natural pest control, as well as on biodiversity.”

There is significant disagreement as to the extent to which neonicotinoids play a role in colony collapse disorder, a drastic decline of honeybee populations worldwide. Last year, President Obama established a national Pollinator Health Task Force, and the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the issue and recently announced it was unlikely to approve new uses for neonicotinoids “until new bee data have been submitted and pollinator risk assessments are complete.”

Global sales of the neonicotinoids, so named because of their chemical similarity to nicotine, are in the billions of dollars.

Pollinator project receives funding to focus on rights-of-ways in eight states

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Integrated vegetation management practices allow for natural germination of milkweed and other plants that benefit pollinators. There are 12 million acres of utility rights-of-way in the United States. Photo: Bayer CropScience.

Integrated vegetation management practices allow for natural germination of milkweed and other plants that benefit pollinators. There are 12 million acres of utility rights-of-way in the United States. Photo: Bayer CropScience.

A new partnership between Bayer CropScience (Bayer) and Integrated Vegetation Management Partners (IVM Partners) is aimed at improving pollinator and wildlife habitats on public rights-of-way across eight states. Bayer has invested more than $100,000 in the project, which includes the implementation of integrated vegetation management practices such as reducing or eliminating mowing, applying selective herbicides to encourage low-growing vegetation, controlling invasive and undesirable plant species, protecting watersheds, optimizing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, reducing carbon footprint, and reducing overall costs.

The non-profit IVM Partners serves as a liaison for industry, agency and conservation and will work with Bayer on case study sites managed by utility or transportation rights-of-way in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

“With funding from Bayer, we will be able to expand integrated vegetation management research on diverse ecosystems across the country that correspond to migration routes of birds and Monarchs and increase and improve habitats for pollinators, birds and other wildlife,” Rick Johnstone, president and founder of IVM Partners, said in a press release. “These sites can be used to educate utilities, agencies and the public on how we can partner using IVM best practices to control invasive plants, reduce erosion and sedimentation of waterways, and lower the risk of wildfires.”

University sues landscaper

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Photo: The University of Findlay.

Photo: The University of Findlay.

A university in Northwestern Ohio is suing a landscaping company in order to collect $25,000 in damages from the company’s insurance company, which has refused to cover all of the school’s costs for replacing lawn that was incorrectly treated with herbicide last year.

The University of Findlay, located about 40 miles south of Toledo, told the Courier that USA Lawn and Landscaping responded quickly after the majority of the university’s grass was killed when it was accidentally sprayed with the wrong herbicide. According to the university, the company paid a “very large sum of money” to the university to replace the almost 54 acres of grass.

The goal of the suit filed by the university is to obtain money from Celina Mutual Insurance, who sold USA Lawn & Landscaping an insurance policy that included an endorsement for “pesticide or herbicide applicator coverage” that it has refused to pay.

FMC offers Dismiss rebates as BioSafe Systems courts landscapers

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DismissGroupingTurf professionals shopping for a sedge-control product may want to check out a new rebate offer from FMC, maker of Dismiss brand herbicides. From now through August 15, the company is offering instant rebates on Dismiss South, Dismiss CA and both sizes of Dismiss.

The discounts breakdown like this: $12.50 on each half-gallon jug of Dismiss Turf Herbicide; $10 on each pint of Dismiss South Herbicide; $5 on each 6-ounce jug of Dismiss CA Turf Herbicide; and $5 on each 6-ounce jug of Dismiss Turf Herbicide.

FMC says Dismiss herbicide controls yellow nutsedge and green kyllinga in warm and cool-season turf. Dismiss South herbicide combats purple nutsedge, yellow nutsedge and green kyllinga in warm-season turf. And finally, registered for use in California and Arizona, Dismiss CA Turf Herbicide is formulated to control sedges such as yellow nutsedge, purple nutsedge and green kyllinga, while significantly reducing new sedge populations.

Product Shot-ZeroTol 2.0Meanwhile, BioSafe Systems is working to ensure landscapers outside the golf-course management field are aware of its products’ suitability for all kinds of landscape applications. ZeroTol 2.0, a broad-spectrum bactericide and fungicide used at many golf courses, “is a great solution for landscape professionals to use on each and every plant or grass,” says Jeff Kline of BioSafe Systems.

HOLDit, a drift retardant, is compatible with ZeroTol 2.0, Kline says, and its polymer formulation locks in the active ingredient, enabling HOLDit to keep BioSafe products working longer.

FMC touts higher application efficiency of new herbicide formulation

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solitare-product-shotFMC has introduced a new water-soluble liquid herbicide formulation, Solitare WSL, which the company says increases application efficiency while controlling more than 40 weeds. The new Solitare formulation contains a surfactant for faster plant penetration and does not settle out or separate when mixed with water.

Designed to combat crabgrass, sedges and broadleaf weeds in a single application, FMC says Solitare eliminates the need to tank mix with other herbicides.

“Solitare WSL adds efficiency to ride-on sprayer applications, providing increased flexibility and outstanding weed performance,” says Jay Young, herbicide brand manager for FMC. The company says results are visible only a few days after applying the herbicide, which is a formulation of sulfentrazone and quinclorac. It may be used on seeded, sodded or sprigged turfgrasses that are well established.

 

Proper pesticide storage maintains effectiveness, ensures safety

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Storing pesticides properly is imperative to ensure safety, but did you know proper storage also helps maintain the effectiveness of the product? Extending the shelf life of pesticides through recommended storage methods can save your landscaping business image_quarter-widthmoney while helping protect the health and safety of children, animals and the environment.

Here are some tips on the proper storage of pesticides from Pennsylvania State University Extension:

Store pesticides in locked cabinets.

It’s best to store chemicals in metal cabinets; but, no matter what the cabinet is made of, keep it locked. Chemicals should be stored at least 5 feet off the ground so children will not get into them. Do not store chemicals where flooding or water damage is possible. Spills could get into the ground water, surface water or a well.

Store pesticides in original containers with lids tightly closed.

Make sure the pesticide label is attached to or accompanies the product. If the pesticide label is damaged, provide as much information about the product as possible on a piece of paper kept nearby for reference. Important information includes trade name, active ingredient, signal word, Environmental Protection Agency registration number and directions for use.

Do not store pesticides in food or drink containers.

They may be confused for the packaged item.

Do not store pesticides near food, potable water, animal feed, medical supplies, protective clothing, seed, fertilizers or gasoline.

This will prevent contamination from vapors, dusts or spills and reduce the likelihood of accidental human, animal or environmental exposure.

Keep pesticides in cool, dry, well-lit areas.

The storage area should prevent temperature extremes as very high or low temperatures can cause pesticide deterioration. Proper lighting helps ensure the correct pesticide for the task is chosen. In addition, any leaks or spills can be seen and cleaned up immediately.

Store dry pesticides over liquid ones.

If leaking occurs, it will prevent the liquid pesticides from contaminating the dry ones.

Never store pesticides in application equipment. Carefully calculate and measure the amount of pesticide required for the application. After applying, if excess mixture remains in application equipment, such as sprayers and spreaders, it should be applied according to label directions to your property.

Keep emergency numbers handy.

Keep emergency numbers near your storage area and/or the phone, including the National Poison Center Number: 1-800-222-1222.

Reduce storage needs by buying only enough pesticides for the upcoming year. Mark the purchase date on the container and use older pesticides first. Take annual inventories to make sure outdated pesticides are no longer used.

Above all … READ THE LABEL.

Follow the storage directions on the label for more specific or special requirements to prevent degradation, contamination and accidental exposure.

Profile Products heralds quick results at erosion-control job

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SpreadRite owner Hunter Bruce walks the rutted site before work begins. Photo: Profile Products

At left, a closeup of the erosion problem; at right, Hunter Bruce, owner of SpreadRite, walks the rutted site before work begins.
Photo: Profile Products

Six years after a planned residential development near Tallassee, Alabama, stalled – slipping into foreclosure before the first house was built – major erosion at the site attracted the attention of state environmental officials. Eventually, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management compelled the owner of the 2.7-acre tract to take action to prevent the site from washing away.

Profile Products says the extraordinary success of the remediation job, which it’s now using as a case study on its website, is owing to one of its new topsoil alternatives, ProGanics

By April 17, the site had been stabilized, with vegetation beginning to take hold. Photo: Profile Products

By April 17, only a month after work began, the site had been stabilized, with vegetation beginning to take hold.
Photo: Profile Products

Biotic Soil Media. “The decision (to use the product) not only eliminated the need for nearly 100 truckloads of dirt, slashing material costs by 40 percent and application time from five days to one,” a Profile spokeswoman says, “but also turned the site into a field of green in just a few weeks.”

Profile Products claims patent-pending ProGanics is “the world’s most advanced engineered soil media,” accelerating the development of depleted soils and substrates that exhibit low organic matter, low nutrient levels and limited biological activity.

The Birmingham-based firm hired to remediate the Alabama site, SpreadRite, began work March 19 of this year by grading the deep gullies that had formed on the property. The company applied ProGanics on March 25 and by April 17 the site was stabilized and vegetation had begun to appear. “It’s almost crazy to say that after one month, we achieved 100-percent stabilization,” says SpreadRite owner Hunter Bruce. “There’s no way this site would be growing the way it is without ProGanics.”

Other products from Profile also were used to complete the job. Slopes were covered with ProMatrix EFM. Flatter areas were covered with wheat straw mulch and anchored in place with Profile Tornado Tack ST-1000. While landscaping professionals may not have heard of ProGanics as yet, they’re probably familiar with Profile Products’ Turface porous ceramic soil conditioners, which are designed for use in planting beds, containers and for turf maintenance.

Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Profile Products touts its commitment to research and development in boasting that its products’ technology improves virtually all growing media.


Manage landscapes to prevent damage from Japanese beetles

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Japanese beetles begin to make their appearance at this time of year. Landscapers should be on the lookout for the voracious feeders, which are known to go after more than 320 plant species, including roses, birch, linden, grapes, raspberries, Norway maples, beans, apples, plum, crabapples, elms, beech, asparagus and rhubarb.

Photo: www.pestkill.org

Photo: www.pestkill.org

The beetles, typically about a half-inch long with shiny metallic-green bodies, coppery brown wings and white hairs along their sides and backs, were first introduced to the United States in New Jersey, but their geographic range has expanded to include Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.

Vijai Pandian, horticultural educator for the Brown County, University of Wisconsin Extension, writes in the Green Bay Press Gazette that the following steps can be taken to manage Japanese beetles:

  • Protect small plants such as roses, vegetables, strawberries and raspberries with a floating row cover from afternoon until late evening hours.
  • For small beetle populations, handpick and drown in soapy water.
  • Spray small woody ornamentals, perennials and annuals with synthetic insecticides that contain carbaryl, imidacloprid, permethrin, bifenthrin or malathion. (Read product labels for instructions and bee-toxicity warnings). Mature trees and shrubs do not need to be sprayed, as they have a higher tolerance to the damage caused by the adult beetles.
  • Spray organic products such as neem oil and spinosad on fruits and vegetables during afternoon hours, when beetle activity is at its peak.
  • Don’t use Japanese beetle traps, as they will attract more beetles to your landscape, resulting in more damage.
  • Refrain from irrigating turf during the beetle’s active season (June through late August or September), as this will help prevent the female beetle from laying her eggs there.
  • Apply a preventive grub insecticide (with an active ingredient of imidacloprid, halofen0zide, clothianidin or thiamethoxam) to lawns before the end of July to prevent eggs from hatching.
  • Use a curative insecticide product (carbaryl, clothianidin or trichlorfon) by mid-August to control young grubs in turf.

American to head Bayer unit developing products for landscapers

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Dr. Jacqueline Applegate, a longtime executive with Bayer, has been named head of the corporation’s Environmental Science unit, the non-agricultural business operations division of Bayer CropScience. The Environmental Science unit includes a wide range of weed- and pest-control products marketed to professional landscaping companies as well as consumers.

Dr. Jacqueline Applegate took over the position as head of the Environmental Science business unit of Bayer on July 1.

Dr. Jacqueline Applegate took over the position as head of the Environmental Science business unit of Bayer on July 1.

Applegate, who will be based at the unit’s headquarter in Lyon, France, succeeds Dr. Gunnar Riemann, who has decided to leave the company to pursue other career opportunities. In her new role, Applegate will also become a member of the Bayer CropScience Executive Committee.

“We are absolutely delighted to have an executive with Jackie’s experience and talents lead Environmental Science at a time of exciting change and opportunity,” said Bayer CropScience CEO Liam Condon. “I also want to recognize and thank Dr. Riemann for his very valuable contributions and wish him all the best for the future.”

During her 23-year-career at Bayer, Applegate, 49, has held several management positions with Environmental Science, most notably as president of its North America business from 2010 to 2012. An American national, she first joined Environmental Science as head of global portfolio management located in Lyon in 2005 and became president of Bayer Advanced Consumer Lawn & Garden USA in 2007.

“I am delighted to return to Environmental Science and take on global responsibility for a business that helps foster healthy environments in which we all live, work and play,” Dr. Applegate says in a news release from Bayer.

She began her career with Bayer in 1992 in Kansas City, Missouri, as process development chemist in product supply. In addition to her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Iowa State University, Applegate holds an MBA from Rockhurst University, Executive Fellows Program.

Workshop offers chemical-free ways to control invasives

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Goatscaping Company co-owner Elaine Philbrick will be on hand to discuss her cost-effective alternative to machines. Photo: gogreengoat.com

Goatscaping Company co-owner Elaine Philbrick will be on hand to discuss her cost-effective alternative to machines.
Photo: gogreengoat.com

The Ecological Landscape Alliance will play host to a workshop on chemical-free strategies for invasive plant control on July 29 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts. The cost is $30 for ELA members and $40 for non-members.

Several different speakers will discuss their experience with non-chemical removal of invasive plants. Ellen Snyder, Mike Bald and Gerry Hawkes will relate how they used only mechanical methods to restore the Oyster River Forest.

Michael DeRosa will explain the costs and benefits of a closed-loop system. He believes that aftercare and restoration of native plant life is crucial for eradication of an invasive species. He harvests invasive plant life as fodder for local zoos.

Jess Toro, co-owner of Native Habitat Restoration, has been battling invasive species for many years and will highlight what does and doesn’t work when trying different mechanical, organic and biological options.

Malin Ely Clyde, a project manager for Stewardship Network: New England, will talk about how to work with volunteers and maximize their potential.

Michael Talbot will explain the challenges of trying to remove invasive plant species by mechanical means alone and how to determine when it is necessary to employ chemical methods.

The co-owner of the Goatscaping Company, Elaine Philbrick, will discuss a cost-effective alternative to machines: goats. As they are able to graze in difficult to reach areas and enjoy eating a wide variety of invasive species such as Japanese Honeysuckle, Oriental Bittersweet, and Japanese Knotweed, goats offer certain advantages for removing unwanted plant species.

The speakers will take questions after their presentations. For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit the sponsor’s website.

Impatiens struggling back from systemic disease

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Clusters of impatiens can be breathtaking, as they are here. For now, though, experts recommend planting them in pots, not in the ground. Photo: FloridaFriendlyPlants.com

Clusters of impatiens can be breathtaking, as they are here. For now, though, experts recommend planting them in pots, not in the ground.
Photo: FloridaFriendlyPlants.com

The beloved bedding impatiens are slowly making a comeback from the downy mildew that hit them hard four years ago. At the time, the colorful flowers were effectively eliminated as an option for landscapers looking for shade-loving, springtime plants.

Home Depot and other nurseries have begun to stock the plant, but customers are warned they are taking a risk. The disease, which originated in the United Kingdom in 2003, causes the impatiens to lose their leaves and die.

“The world is still not ‘safe’ for impatiens, but it is probably safer than it was in 2012,” said Margery Daughtrey, a plant pathologist at Cornell’s Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Riverhead, New York. “Last year, the disease was reported all across the state, but it was usually noted late summer or fall rather than earlier – lower profile, but not gone.”

While the downy mildew is not completely gone, purchasers of impatiens can minimize the risk by providing plenty of sunlight, avoiding a monoculture and not watering at night.

Clustered impatiens are more likely to transmit the disease, so experts recommend placing them in pots rather than the ground. This is because the disease still lingers in the soil for an unknown amount of years.

“We just don’t know how long,” Daughtrey said. “We’re studying that now at Cornell.”

Some nurseries, on the other hand, are still not taking any chances. They offer alternative plants such as begonias, coleus and caladium.  Others, like Gedney Farms, have chosen to offer disease-resistant versions of the impatiens, such as New Guinea impatiens, Sunpatiens and a new variety called Bounce.

“They don’t want to sell plants that will die and make their customers unhappy and their customers’ customers unhappy,” Daughtrey said.

For those who decide to take a chance with the impatiens, Lohud.com suggests keeping them under a cover, watering them early in the day and forgoing any use of fungicides. Fungicides aren’t effective against the systemic disease affecting impatiens.

Bayer CropScience names marketing chief for turf, ornamentals

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The Environmental Science division of Bayer CropScience has named Glenn Rougier as head of marketing for the North American turf and ornamentals (T&O) business. In his new role, Rougier is responsible for driving innovation, portfolio development, communications and customer programs.

Glenn Rougier

Glenn Rougier

“Glenn brings a wealth of unique insights and experiences,” said Mark Schneid, chief marketing officer of Bayer Environmental Science. “His diverse strategic background and history with Bayer will help us continue our journey to provide best-in-class customer relationship management and insight-driven innovation.”

Rougier has worked within the Bayer family of businesses for 12 years, assuming a number of roles in strategy and operations. Most recently, he served as director of strategic marketing for the Bayer Healthcare Radiology business, where he led a global brand team.

“I joined the turf & ornamentals business, because I believe in the Bayer brand and its commitment to its customers,” Rougier said.  “The T&O business has a strong portfolio of solutions and is backed by a passionate team of employees committed to its customers’ successes. I look forward to helping my team leverage customer insights and research and development capabilities to bring to market industry-leading solutions that help maintain a healthy environment where we live, work and play.”

Rougier holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Man claims to be sprayed with pesticides, sues landscaping company

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A landscaping maintenance worker sprays pesticide on shrubbery.

A landscaping maintenance worker sprays pesticide on shrubbery.

A landscaping company from Rockville, Maryland, is being sued for $55,000 by an Oregon man who says he was sprayed with pesticides by one of the company’s workers while sitting at an outdoor café on July 18, 2013.

According to The Oregonian, Dennis Delano filed the suit in Multnomah County Circuit Court last week. Delano claims he was sprayed with a toxic, unknown mix of bug and weed killers by a worker who was wearing a backpack sprayer to treat ornamental landscaping outside Starbucks.

The company who hired the worker, is The Brickman Group, who provides landscape maintenance services for more than 10,000 clients, throughout the United States.

The lawsuit claims that the worker wasn’t licensed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, nor did the company’s Vancouver location have a commercial pesticide operator’s license to spray in the area.

According to the suit, Delano suffered “severe coughing, insomnia, labored breathing, and exhaustion.” He is seeking $15,000 in medical bills, plus $40,000 for pain, discomfort and interference with his abilities to carry out the normal activities of life, as well an undetermined amount in lost earning capacity. Delano is not suing Starbucks.

Network of soil-testing laboratories is now Waypoint Analytical

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WPA_CMYKThe largest U.S. agricultural and environmental soil testing network, Laboratory Management Partners, is changing its name to Waypoint Analytical.

The new name represents a destination point, the company says, and a desire to be unique in the independent laboratory industry. Because the company is the parent corporation of numerous laboratories, several of which have operated under their own brands, a decision was made to bring them all under the Waypoint Analytical name.

Now united under a single brand, Waypoint Analytical expects to expand its network with five to nine more laboratories, whether through development of new operations or via acquisition.

“We are excited to announce our new name and bring all of our laboratories together as Waypoint Analytical,” the company’s president and CEO, Scott McKee, says in a news release on the change. “Our new name is representative of both the progression and destination of the company and speaks to our ongoing advancements in laboratory management and proprietary technology to serve the needs of our customers worldwide.”

Founded in 1971, the company has grown 12 percent per year on average from 2004 to 2014, according to its news release. Waypoint Analytical is one of the top 50 environmental laboratory groups in the United States and specializes in laboratory management software and patented laboratory instrumentation for the agricultural and environmental industries.

The company offers soil, plant and water testing and some locations provide full-service environmental compliance testing.


Ecolawn Applicator introduces new top dressers, spreader

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Ecolawn Applicator is introducing three new products for landscaping professionals. Since 1994, when landscaper Daniel Cote decided to design a self-propelled top dresser and compost spreader – the product that became the Eco 100 – Ecolawn equipment has become a common sight on landscaping jobs throughout the United States.

The popularity of the company’s Eco 100, which has long been the No. 1 seller among U.S. landscape contractors, has spread steadily during the past 20 years: It’s now sold in 25 countries around the world.

Here’s a brief look at Ecolawn Applicator’s latest spreaders and top dressers, which the company hopes will become just as common on jobsites as its flagship Eco 100:

  • Eco 50 Compost Spreader (tow-behind broadcaster)

The new Eco 50 Compost Spreader, with two-behind-wheel drive, is a unique broadcast spreader, the company says, and its controls and levers are simple and easy to access and operate. The newly designed hopper eliminates material bridging with smooth, steep sides. Its live conveyor system and agitator maintain steady material flow for consistent and even spreading. Ecolawn Applicator’s original, single-spinner broadcast system is 100-percent wheel driven and “handles compost beautifully,” the company boasts, adding that the model is light and economically priced.

The Eco 50 Compost Spreader hasa spreading width of 3-18 feet. Photo: Ecolawn

The Eco 50 Compost Spreader hasa spreading width of 3-18 feet.
Photo: Ecolawn

Features

Tow-behind broadcaster

Large single-spinner spreading mechanism

100-percent wheel driven

Polythene hopper, 11.5-cubic-foot capacity

Controls: feed flap, live bottom/agitator

Application Rates

Spreading width: 3-18 feet

Application thickness: 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch

  • Eco 75 Top Dresser (a Walker Mower attachment)

Ecolawn Applicator’s new top dresser, zero-turn attachment for Walker Mowers is like no other broadcast spreader, according to the manufacturer. The Eco 75’s controls and levers are integrated with the Walker Mower for comfort, control and accessibility. The newly designed hopper eliminates material bridging with smooth, steep sides and, like the Eco 50, its live conveyor system and agitator maintain steady material flow for consistent, even spreading.  Ecolawn’s popular dual-reverse spinner broadcast system is power takeoff (PTO) driven, so the application thickness is tied to the operator’s ground speed – a feature that is unique to the Eco 75. (Walker Mowers are built by Walker Manufacturing of Fort Collins, Colorado.)

The Eco 75 Top Dresser has a spreading width of 4-14 feet. Photo: Ecolawn

The Eco 75 Top Dresser has a spreading width of 4-14 feet.
Photo: Ecolawn

Features

Zero-turn attachment design

Even 180-degree spread with dual reverse spinner mechanism

PTO powered

Polythene hopper, 11.5 cubic-foot-capacity

Controls: feed trap, live bottom/agitator

Application Rates

Spreading width: 4-14 feet

Application thickness: 11.5 cubic feet in one spot to very fine

Products

Screened compost, pulverized soils, most pelletized products, calcite clay, crumb rubber, lime, all grades of sand and unlimited blends of all of these products.

  • Eco 250 Top Dresser

Ecolawn Applicator, based in Derby Line, Vermont, introduces a new generation of top dressers with the Eco 250. A walk-behind, self-propelled broadcast spreader, the Eco 250’s controls and levers are ergonomically designed. Like other Ecolawn products, the Eco 250 has a newly designed hopper to eliminate material bridging thanks to its smooth, steep sides. And again, the live conveyor system and agitator maintain steady material flow for even spreading.

The Eco 250 Top Dresser is lightweight, highly maneuverable and handles wide open lawns and turf areas quickly and with ease, Ecolawn promises.

The Eco 250 Top Dresser is a walk-behind, self-propelled broadcast spreader. Photo: Ecolawn

The Eco 250 Top Dresser is a walk-behind, self-propelled broadcast spreader.
Photo: Ecolawn

Features

Four-wheel design

Broadcast spreader

Even 180-degree spread with dual-reverse spinner mechanism

Powered by a 5.5-horsepower Honda GX 160 engine

Polythene hopper, 11.5-cubic-foot capacity

Controls: feed trap, throttle, live bottom/agitator and propulsion

Walk-behind self-propelled

Bio-insecticide targets thrips, whiteflies in greenhouses

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Thrips leave visible signs of damage on plants and can also spread diseases such as the tomato spotted wilt virus and necrotic spot virus.

Thrips leave visible signs of damage on plants and can also spread diseases such as the tomato spotted wilt virus and necrotic spot virus.

Vestaron, a developer of insect-control products derived from naturally occurring peptides, recently introduced Spear-T, a bio-insecticide for the control of thrips and whiteflies in ornamentals and vegetables in greenhouses.

Field trials of Spear-T produced results equivalent or superior to conventional chemicals, according to Vestaron. The product is designed to be non-toxic to humans and other mammals, birds, fish, honeybees and other beneficial insects, the company says.

Vestaron says Spear-T has received registrations from both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

According to a company spokesperson, Vestaron’s technology is a valuable resource for growers, especially in light of increasing consumer demand for crops and ornamentals grown without the use of traditional insecticides that are toxic to non-targeted organisms.

Bayer offers guidance on turf disease, weeds, insects

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Bayer Turf Solutions GuideLandscape professionals have a new, free resource at their disposal, as Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has released the “Bayer Turf Solutions Guide.” The guide is specifically designed to answer the toughest problems affecting lawn-care professionals.

The publication provides concise information on the identification, biology and key cultural and chemical controls for the most common diseases, weeds and insects affecting warm- and cool-season, as well as transition zone, turfgrass.

“Tools like the Bayer Turf Solutions Guide are a critical part of the Bayer commitment to support the lawn and landscape industry and to continue to offer the best and most up-to-date turfgrass management strategies available,” said Peter Farno, Bayer Lawn & Landscape business manager. “Lawn and landscape professionals face countless challenges on a daily basis. This guide was specifically designed with the intent to help mitigate those challenges.”

Comprised of two sections, the Bayer Turf Solutions Guide offers in-depth pest solutions as well as product information sheets. The “In-Depth Solutions” section outlines the identification and biology of important diseases, weeds and insect pests, as well as key cultural and chemical controls within a recommended Bayer treatment program to help manage them.

The “Product Information Sheets” outline what disease pathogens, weeds and insects can be controlled and provide various tips to maximize performance of Bayer fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.

The Bayer Turf Solutions Guide is available in print as well as in a user-friendly e-binder, which can be accessed at the following address: www.backedbybayer.com/lawn-and-landscape-management/bayer-lawn-solutions-guide. Bayer reminds its customers to always read and follow label instructions.

Product promises to improve soil, conserve water

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James Loar

James Loar

With an additional round of financing in hand, agricultural technology company Cool Planet has hired an executive to oversee further development and marketing of “CoolTerra,” a soil amendment that saves water and fertilizer, as well as sequestering carbon, according to a news release from the Colorado-based company.

As Cool Planet’s newest manager, James Loar will lead the company’s biocarbon business. Current investors, including Northbridge Venture Partners and Yung’s Enterprise, a Hong Kong firm, provided the new round of financing.

According to its news release, Cool Planet is “commercializing a technology to create green fuels and biocarbon in ways that can change the world for good.”

Loar brings more than 25 years of experience in the crop inputs sector to Cool Planet. He worked most recently with Wilbur-Ellis, the nation’s fourth-largest agricultural retailer, where he served as vice president of operations for its $2.1 billion agriculture division.

“Jim is a well-known, respected leader in the agriculture industry and brings decades of experience to Cool Planet as we continue to commercialize our biocarbon business,” said Cool Planet CEO Howard Janzen.

The company’s “CoolTerra” product promotes crop growth and soil health – thus reducing the need for fertilizer – in addition to conserving water, according to Cool Planet. The “transformational” technology will be used in a number of industries, the company says, including landscaping.

Accidental use of weed killer damages football field

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St. Edward Central Catholic High School is searching for a location to play football after its field was damaged by weed killer. Photo: wgntv.com

St. Edward Central Catholic High School is searching for a location to play football after its field was damaged by weed killer.
Photo: wgntv.com

A high school football team is now having to decide where to relocate their Friday football game after their field was damaged from the accidental use of weed killer instead of fertilizer.

“The company we have for maintaining our field mistakenly put down a weed killer instead of fertilizer and a portion of the grass on the field is dead,” athletic director P.J. White told The Chicago Tribune.

St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin, Illinois, has yet to decide where it will play its Friday night game against Immaculate Conception High School of Elmhurst, Illinois. Immaculate Conception’s artificial turf field at Plunkett Park is currently being considered.

“The safety of our athletes will be the No. 1 thing we consider when we determine whether this game or any others are moved,” White said. “Right now the field is in no worse condition than many fields are later on in the season.”

From end zone to end zone, about two-thirds of Greg True field is damaged.  The mistake occurred before the Sept. 4 home game, but St. Edward played without any issues.

“It was an honest mistake made in the mixing of chemicals for the field and they feel terrible about it,” White said. “Someone grabbed the wrong bottle when they were mixing chemicals.”

Other schools have also volunteered the use of their fields.

The company responsible has currently been putting a top dressing on the field in an attempt to get spur some kind of growth.

“If there’s any kind of blessing or anything like that, it’s that we have needed resurfacing of the playing field for a time,” White said. “After this season would be an ideal time to look at that.”

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