THE RESEARCH PLAYBOOK
Figure 5 . An inexperienced applicator making a pass using manual mode ( left ) and GNSS + autosteer ( right ) on soccer fields at Veterans Park .
MISSES , OVERLAPS AND OVERSPRAY ON SOCCER FIELDS The results for percent target area missed on soccer fields were consistent across locations , so data were combined for treatment analysis . The manual inexperienced operator had the highest percentage of missed target area ( 2.8 %), which was higher than all other treatments . There were no differences in missed areas among experienced operators across any level of sprayer technology . Additionally , there was no difference in missed areas between GNSS and GNSS + autosteer , regardless of operator experience .
Similarly , the results for percent target area overlapped were consistent across locations , so data were pooled for analysis . The manual inexperienced operator had the highest overlap ( 6.4 %), significantly more than the manual experienced operator ( 4.3 %). The manual experienced operator ’ s overlap was similar to that of the GNSS inexperienced operator ( 3.6 %), and both operator types showed similar results within the GNSS and GNSS + autosteer technologies . Overlap decreased as sprayer technology advanced , with both operator types achieving less than 1 % overlap using GNSS + autosteer ( Figure 4 ).
The results for percent target area oversprayed differed slightly between locations , so data are presented separately . At Veterans Park , operator experience did not affect overspray with the GNSS sprayer , with both experienced and inexperienced operators having similar overspray rates ( 6.2 % and 6.5 %, respectively ). However , the addition of autosteer reduced overspray to 2.3 % for experienced operators and 3.8 % for inexperienced operators , resulting in total water savings of 3.7 % and 2.5 %, respectively .
At Southwood Athletic Park , overspray results were similar between operators within each sprayer technology level , though the inexperienced operator consistently had slightly higher overspray . For experienced operators , overspray decreased from 11.1 % with manual to 8.3 % with GNSS , but there was no further reduction with GNSS + autosteer ( 6.2 %). For inexperienced operators , overspray dropped from 12.1 % with manual to 10.2 % with GNSS and further to 7.0 % with GNSS + autosteer .
Overall , both operator types saw a reduction in overspray as sprayer technology advanced . Moving from manual to GNSS technology reduced overspray by 2.8 % for experienced operators and 1.9 % for inexperienced operators . Upgrading from GNSS to GNSS + autosteer reduced overspray by 2.1 % for experienced operators and 3.2 % for inexperienced operators . Switching from manual to GNSS + autosteer technology resulted in total water savings of 4.4 % for experienced operators and 4.6 % for inexperienced operators .
RECOMMENDATION FOR SPORTS FIELD MANAGERS Inexperienced operators using manual spray mode had the highest rates of misses and overlaps , except for overlaps on Southwood Athletic Park ’ s baseball fields . GNSS and autosteer technologies significantly reduced these errors across all locations and field types ( Figure 5 ). Standard deviations of misses and overlaps decreased with advanced technologies , especially when comparing inexperienced manual mode to GNSS + autosteer , indicating more consistent applications . Additionally , advanced technology reduced overspray and the total volume applied . Investing in GNSS-equipped sprayers with autosteer minimizes reliance on experienced operators , reduces errors and enhances consistency . This study used factory settings , so further improvements might be possible by adjusting overlap parameters .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to extend their gratitude to the Texas Turfgrass , Research , Education and Extension Endowment for providing funding for this study . They also want to express their thanks to GLK Turf Solutions and Traqnology for providing the Above Par Tech sprayer and real-time kinematic correction service , respectively , for use in the study . Additionally , appreciation goes to Stephan Richardson , parks operations manager of the City of College Station ; Curtis Richmond , Southwood Park supervisor ; Keith Fails , Veterans Park supervisor ; and Ken Rost and Cam Schafer from Frost , Inc . for their support of this project . SFM sportsfieldmanagementonline . com November 2024 | SportsField Management
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