Sprayer Investment Earns Rewards At Beversbrook

Adam Witchell, Head Groundsman at the state-of-the-art 96 acre site for two years, commented, “Previous spraying was limited to weed control sub-contracted out to a local company. Not only was this expensive but it also meant that we had no control as to what was being sprayed. Gaining control of spraying ourselves means we can now monitor and record the development of the turf structure of the pitches”.

Mr Witchell first came across the Martin Lishman range of Compact Sprayers at SALTEX. “The main attraction of the sprayer was the quality of the engine and the option to upgrade to the professional specification version which was more suited to our requirements”.

Key features of the 250 litre Demount Sprayer include a Honda GX160 4.8HP engine coupled to an AR70 PTO pump; 3-section balanced valve block with pressure regulation, agitation and isolator for each boom section and circuit rinse and eye wash tanks. Beversbrook Sports Facility upgraded to a 6 metre heavy duty boom with stainless steel spray lines for durability and a hand lance for basic spot spraying. When the sprayer is not in use, the chassis can easily be lifted out of the Kubota RTV bed and stored away.

“Due to the location of the site we are pretty exposed to the elements. I decided to add the 6 metre mini bout marker kit as an optional extra to assist with the control of spraying. The combination of the air inclusion nozzles and height adjustable boom also helps to reduce spray drift and significantly improves the accuracy of spraying in difficult conditions”, commented Mr Witchell.

During the spring and autumn seasons, Mr Witchell applies a granular fertilizer to the 16 pitches and 2 outfields. During the summer months, a variety of turf tonics are applied. “Every six weeks, nitrogen is applied at a rate of 7.5Kg to 4 litres of seaweed mixed with 200 litres of water”. Iron, wetting agents and a liquid organic feed are also applied to the pitches.

The 250 litre Demount Sprayer has given Mr Witchell the flexibility he was looking for. “With the recent dry summer and lack of alternative irrigation equipment on site, I have been able to use the sprayer on a daily basis, if required, to water the pitches. The tank size is perfect for our requirements. It is one of my favourite pieces of kit. I would strongly recommend it to others”.