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Vegetation Management Sprayers and
Chemicals
A wide variety of sprayers and chemicals help control
roadside vegetation.
Midwest
Technologies/Spraying Systems Co.
Roadway management system
 Midwest
Technologies’ Roadway Management System, a tool for planning, executing,
and documenting roadside spraying operations, can now run on the compact,
mobile, Legacy 6000 console to help reduce cab clutter. The system includes
several new features to assist with pre-planning of roadside applications,
mapping hazards and do-not-spray zones, viewing application and background
maps, and recording details of each application permanently.
The system can control up to four products —
typically one carrier and up to three injection pumps — and is the most
comprehensive package available for right-of-way spraying applications,
according to the company. Installation assistance and on-site training are
provided by Mid-Tech’s experienced distributor network. Detailed instruction
manuals are provided with every system.
Click 18 on
ROADFAX card
NTech
Industries Inc.
Automatic spot-spray system
 NTech’s
WeedSeeker system has the ability to spot spray weeds and not bare
ground or pavement — reducing chemical usage by 60 to 85%. This results in
reduced costs and reduced chemical exposure to the environment and operating
personnel.
The system works by shining a near-infrared light on
the spray area. An optical sensor reads the reflected light for the presence
of chlorophyll and activates the spray nozzles when a weed is present. By
using multiple sensors and spray nozzles, it is able to limit spray to the
immediate area of the weed, saving herbicide that would be wasted by
ordinary spray rigs. Because the WeedSeeker generates its own light, working
at night or in low light is not a problem.
The system can be mounted on a variety of vehicles
such as dump trucks, pickups, tractors, utility vehicles, ATVs, and street
sweepers.
Click 11 on
ROADFAX card
Wylie
Manufacturing Co.
Herbicide spraying kit
 The
Dust Killer Auto-Skid from
Wylie now has an
optional herbicide spraying kit which mounts to the front truck bumper. It
is equipped with Boom Buster nozzles that can apply herbicides to roadsides.
A programmable control is mounted in the cab for accurate applications. A
hose reel and handgun can be added for spraying inaccessible areas.
Additional options include GPS data logging and a chemical injection system.
Click 14 on
ROADFAX card
Riverdale/Nufarm
Americas Inc.
Industrial herbicides
Riverdale, a
Nufarm Company,
offers two industrial herbicides, Vanquish and Endurance, which can be used
in a vast array of vegetation management settings such as roadsides,
utilities, and rights of way. Both products can be instituted in a tank-mix
program for complete comprehensive weed and brush control.
Vanquish contains 56.8% dicamba and features an
innovative low-volatile formulation that provides effective post-emergent
weed control and brush control. Endurance, a pre-emergent herbicide,
provides season-long weed control with 65% prodiamine formulation. With only
one application, you can expect selective control of a variety of grassy and
broadleaf weeds.
Click 12 on
ROADFAX card
Dultmeier
Sales LLC
Low-profile, self-loading sprayers
 Dultmeier’s
new high-capacity 325- or 475-gallon sprayers are low-profile tanks
in a self-loading design for quick and easy loading and unloading in 8-foot
pickup beds. No forklifts or heavy lifting is required. The sprayers have
rotating front legs and removable rear legs. The Hannay hose reel has 300
feet of 0.50-inch 600 PSI spray hose and an adjustable spray gun. The
sprayer can also be used with deicing chemicals.
Click 13 on
ROADFAX card
Echo Inc.
Backpack-style spray tank
 The
Echo MS-50 sprayer’s heavy-duty construction, powerful spray capabilities,
and large-capacity tank in a backpack-style make it ideal for those
hard-to-get-to areas. The 5.4-gallon tank allows operators to cover larger
areas before refilling. The tank features a heavy-duty piston pump with
20-inch brass wand. Its quality spray piston and adjustable brass nozzle
allow the sprayer to apply chemicals evenly and cleanly up to 15 feet away.
The wide, 6-inch mouth allows for easy filling and cleaning, while a
convenient safety check valve prevents leaks if the sprayer is tipped.
Deluxe, padded straps provide superior operator comfort. A wide range of
sprayer accessories are available.
Click 19 on
ROADFAX card
AllSpray.com
Low-cost spray nozzles
 AllSpray.com,
an e-commerce Web site, features flat spray nozzles for booms used in
roadside vegetation spraying. The nozzles are available in flow rates
ranging from 0.10 to 20 gallons per minute and are suitable for use at
pressures from 5 to 500 pounds per square inch. The nozzles are available in
a series of pipe sizes, capacities, and spray angles. The patterns produced
by the nozzles taper off toward the outside of the spray, permitting the
overlapping of spray patterns while maintaining uniform spray density. The
uniform distribution of drops helps ensure maximum chemical effectiveness.
Click 17 on
ROADFAX card
Dow AgroSciences
Returnable, refillable container system
 Dow’s
Continuum Prescription Control & Container Management System is an herbicide
contract mixing service in which mixed herbicides or straight product is
delivered in returnable, refillable containers. The service reduces the
number of plastic jugs sent to landfills and saves applicators a significant
amount of time and money because herbicides no longer need to be mixed in
the field. The system eliminates mixing, rinsing, storing, and disposing of
empty containers and enhances worker safety because exposure to product is
reduced and there is less potential for spillage. Easy-to-handle containers
mean fewer jugs to deal with; mobile bulk units result in fewer containers
to handle.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District
12’s recent integration of
Dow’s returnable,
refillable herbicide containers resulted in annual savings of more than
$20,000 — 70% of which is operational.
District 12 crews no longer have to triple-rinse
more than 1,000 plastic herbicide containers, which saves about 110 hours a
year. That equates to more than $14,000 that has been pulled from an
unproductive task and reallocated to managing vegetation in areas that
previously couldn’t be reached due to limited funding.
The district saves 15 to 30 minutes per crew every
day due to increased efficiency when mixing products. The closed-loop aspect
of the transferring system also reduces the potential for product spillage
and worker contact.
Additionally, nearly 900 plastic containers are kept
out of landfills on an annual basis, which well complements PennDOT’s
objective of environmental stewardship.
“Reducing the cost to the taxpayer to get the same
work done or getting more accomplished with the budget we’re given is our
biggest benefit, because it allows us to be more fiscally responsible,” says
Michael Maurer, PennDOT District 12 roadside specialist. “Being open to new
methods shows we’re innovative, and that helps us build trust for our
program.”
Click 15 on
ROADFAX card
BASF
Broadleaf weed-control herbicide
 BASF
Professional Vegetation Management has recently introduced Overdrive, a
post-emergent herbicide that provides fast, long-term control of broadleaf
weeds along roadsides and other areas. A unique formulation of diflufenzopyr
and dicamba, Overdrive reduces active ingredient use by half, while
achieving consistent or improved control of target broadleaf weeds. This new
herbicide is particularly well-suited when cost-effective control of tough
nuisance weeds is critical.
Click 20 on
ROADFAX card
Dow AgroSciences
Label update for herbicide
 The
label update for Dow’s
right-of-way maintenance product, Vista, includes a rate increase to 42
fluid ounces per acre and removes the annual broadcast treatment limitation
of only one, allowing crews to make multiple applications of Vista every
year. Research suggests the new label rate increases the ability of managers
mixing Vista with products like Garlon and Tordon herbicides to improve
control, even with applications that occur later in the season.
Click 16 on
ROADFAX card
Reprinted from Better Roads Magazine
September 2004 |
