INNOVATIONS
The mower offers many other value-adding features :
Four independent electric drive motors synchronized with two independent steering motors to achieve low-impact traction .
Wide stance and balanced weight distribution allow for low ground pressure and sidehill performance .
The RoloRocker cutting unit design achieves a more stable ride through the field , enabling higher speeds and a better aftercut appearance .
SyncLift position-based lift technology reduces the need for a clean-up pass .
Drive motors are engineered for a 100,000-plus-hour life and low maintenance .
Rain Bird 11000 Series rotors
Rain Bird introduced a new rotor series designed to make irrigating sports fields , stadiums and large commercial turf applications more efficient and cost effective . The 11000
Series provides excellent water distribution uniformity over a full 105-foot radius , making it possible to irrigate an area that ’ s 25 percent larger with 40 percent fewer heads than a traditional rotor solution . The 11000 Series rotors also have an exposed diameter of just 2.7 inches , making it far less likely to affect athletes practicing or competing on the field .
“ A typical sports field irrigated by a standard one-inch rotor solution will require 35 rotors around its perimeter , 15 of them on the field of play ,” said Jeffrey Johnson , Rain Bird ’ s senior product manager for commercial valves and rotors . “ The 11000 Series rotor can irrigate the same field with 22 rotors , only eight of which are on the field of play . That translates to fewer components and less piping for lower costs , faster installation time and less maintenance .”
Born from Rain Bird ’ s golf rotors but optimized for sports fields , the 11000 Series rotor features a 30-345-degree , reversing , part-circle mode and a nonreversing , full-circle mode with an optional opposing nozzle for enhanced close-in watering , all in a single body . The 11000 Series rotors come with nozzles pre-installed and can be adjusted with a standard screwdriver . The highly efficient rotor produces larger water droplets to guarantee maximum efficiency and uniform coverage , while the Seal-A-Matic ( SAM ) check valve prevents wasteful low-head drainage .
The 11000 Series rotor has a 1.5 ” ACME inlet , simplifying installation with swing joints if desired for superior flow and performance . Snap-ring access from the top of the rotor makes maintenance and adjustments faster and easier . Optional features include a sod cup or rubber covers in green for synthetic turf or purple for non-potable water use .
PBI-Gordon Arkon herbicide liquid
PBI-Gordon ’ s Arkon herbicide liquid has been approved for use in most U . S . states ( excluding California and Alaska ). The U . S . EPA previously approved Federal registration for the herbicide . Arkon is labeled for use on established cool- and warm-season turfgrass species across a wide variety of use sites : sports facilities ; residential and commercial lawns ; golf course greens , fairways and roughs ; and sod farms . It will be available for sale nationwide in 2024 and will be included in PBI-Gordon ’ s Green Dividends Early Order Program in fall 2023 .
Utilizing the proprietary active ingredient Pyrimisulfan , Arkon provides dependable post-emergent control of sedges ( yellow , purple , and annual ), kyllinga ( green false green , cockscomb and annual ), dollar weed , chickweed , henbit and many other labeled broadleaf weeds . Additionally , research has shown that the liquid herbicide reduces the number and viability of nutsedge tubers .
36 SportsField Management | September 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com