| Abstract/Contents: | "In recent years, various State Departments of Transportation as well as other rights-of-way owners, such as utilities, pipe line companies and railroads, have been placed in the position of taking a long, hard look at rights-of-way maintenance costs. In most instances they have skyrocketed beyond any reality. In order to reduce costs such as mowings, labor and equipment requirements, these organizations have taken a more intense look at chemicals used for maintenance. Of particular interest has been the control of grass growth, mainly tall fescue as well as the control of broadleaf weeds. Growth regulators have been in existence for some time, but until recent years have not been given much consideration. Costs and proper and accurate application made it unattractive. Growth regulators were primarily available only in liquid form, making it difficult to apply them within the limited time frame and be effective. Inconsistent weather conditions, lower temperatures, windy conditions, rain and even possibly snow made it difficult to apply on the surface to be regulated. Growth regulators must be applied prior to the plant breaking dormancy, seed germination, and development of the seed head. These circumstances lead to the acceptance of the product in a granular form. Granular products can be applied in some of the most difficult weather conditions. They have the ability to self-incorporate in the soil and be effective over long durations. We saw growth regulation for periods in excess of 180 days this past season using granular EPTC at rates of 60 lbs. per acre when applied evenly and accurately with both Gandy Air-Spred® and linear broadcast units. In Virginia, as an example, in order to get the desired control, the product must be applied generally between February 25 and April 5. The grasses, particularly tall fescue, start to break dormancy during this period and the seed head starts developing. Beyond this period, rates must be increased dramatically to obtain any control at all. We also applied various broadleaf granular herbicides in separate units or we injected the chemical on the EPTC granule to control broadleaf. Applying a growth regulator generally allows higher infestation of broadleafs. In all cases, we had excellent control of the broadleafs with this application. We felt the reason we obtained these results was because of early pre-emergence application. We feel the normal late winter and early spring rains or snowfalls, enhanced the control by moving the product into the soil. Run off contamination studies have been made to test the environmental safety of the granular growth inhibitor, and it has been found there was neither contamination of adjacent bodies of water nor harm to fish or wildlife. The Gandy Company in recent years has developed a pneumatic granular chemical applicator which has revolutionized the adaptation and use of granular chemicals for road side and rights-of-way maintenance and application. Originally designed for agriculture, the pneumatic applicator has proven to be very accurate and uniform in applying a wide range of products in granule form. It is known as the Gandy Air-Spred which is readily adapted to truck, trailer and three-point tractor mounting for rough terrain applications. The unit consists of a central hopper or in case of two chemicals to be applied, a split hopper, based on a 60%-40% divider, that holds 1200 lbs or 2000 lbs of granules. A blower and manifold system, two separate bottom units for metering the chemical or chemicals into the mixing chambers, distribution tubes to carry the material, and deflectors at the ends of the tubes to spread the material on the soil surface completes the unit. Each deflector has its own tube, its own mixing chamber, and its own metering orifice in the hopper bottom. One of the biggest stumbling blocks in using granular growth regulators and herbicides has been removed. It is now possible to field mix two or more granular chemicals and possibly even four with the addition of saddle hoppers and apply each at its own recommended rate. In addition, either one can be shut off from the operator's or driver's seat if not needed in a particular area. The rates can be applied as low as 2.5 lbs per acre. This unit can also be used to broadcast many crop, grass & legume seeds when right-of-way renovation is required. Some of the most exciting attributes of this unit are the elimination of water hauling, tank mixing, reduced weight, little or no drift problems, reduction of many safety and environmental hazards and the ability to apply product very accurately in most adverse weather conditions - temperature, rain, snow, etc. Electronic monitors are available to monitor speed, acreage covered, air pressure, chemical level and rotor bar speed. An alarm sounds if any malfunction develops. The monitor will also stop the flow of chemical if the vehicle stops. We foresee an expanding future for the granular chemical market with the introduction of the Gandy Air-Spred, with its accuracy, versatility, and adaptability. Delaware will be applying chemical with the Air-Spreds in 1984. Many other states such as Virginia, New Jersey, and New York have also indicated their intention of using this method." |
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