3/25/2024 - By Dr. Jeff Atkinson

Golf Course Superintendents and Lawn Care Operators are certain to have at least one thing in common, their largest single expense is labor. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, total compensation for all hourly workers increased by 4.1% over 12 months, ending in December 2023. Some might say that 4.1% is a low estimate for an industry often competing with non-green industry jobs that offer more comfortable working conditions and are less physically demanding.

If the cost of labor is rising and the availability of quality labor is decreasing, something must be done. Product selection and application provide opportunities to minimize wasted labor hours while enhancing the quality of the final product. So, what are a few examples of how product selection can enhance labor efficiency?

Reconsider Fertilizer Blend Ingredients for Labor Efficiency

Everyone wants to get what they pay for. But what if I told you that a 50-pound bag of fertilizer does not always contain 50 pounds of fertilizer? For example, let’s say a bag of fertilizer claims to have a 10-0-0 analysis: 10% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus, 0% potassium, and for example’s sake, no micronutrients. The nitrogen source urea is 46% nitrogen. If urea is used to supply nitrogen in the 10-0-0 blend, then 10.9 pounds of a 50-pound bag of this hypothetical fertilizer bag is urea, and the rest is filler. A material that supplies no nutrient content or value to a fertilizer blend.

A real-world example is described in Figure 1. The data summarizes a 5-round, granular-only, lawn care program. The blends were each formulated with a similar set of ingredients: a slow-release nitrogen source, raw urea, muriate of potash, lime, sparged pesticides, and filler. When the amount of each ingredient was added together across the entire program it was determined that 40% of the total volume of applied material was filler. Considering it takes the most valuable resource of an operation, labor, to apply the 40% of wasted product, it becomes clear that a cheap bag of fertilizer blended with a significant component of filler has very real, hidden, costs.

This doesn’t have to be the case. Fertilizer blends can be formulated to minimize filler, ensuring the value of the fertilizer blend and the associated application labor expense is maximized.

Sparging Decreases Applications and Improves Labor Efficiency

Spray tank mixing is a common strategy used to apply multiple liquid-applied products in a single application to maximize labor efficiency. Fertilizer sparging is a technique that attaches a thin coating of material to the exterior of a fertilizer substrate. Common sparging agents include the preemergence herbicides Barricade®, Dimension®, Echelon®, and StayGuard®, and the insecticides Acelepryn®, Talstar®, and Merit®.

Similar to tank mixing, fertilizer sparging facilitates the application of two or more agronomic inputs with a single application. Harrell’s One Shot combination products allow for the application of fertility, Dimension® preemergence herbicide, and Acelepryn® insecticide all in a single application.

An exceptional example of an efficient fertilizer blend provides adequate controlled release nitrogen to last through a growing season, supplements other deficient macronutrients, provides season-long preemergence crabgrass control, and season-long grub control all in a single application. Application of this type of formulation optimizes the labor efficiency of granular applications.

Controlled Feeding, Consistent Growth, Improved Labor Efficiency

Can a POLYON fertilizer blend be formulated to last 8 weeks? Yes.

Can a POLYON fertilizer blend be formulated to last 6 months? Yes.

A unique characteristic of POLYON is the degree of control over nutrient release longevity which is achieved by adjusting the POLYON coating thickness during the manufacturing process. Materials designed to release nutrients over a long period will have a thicker coating relative to those designed to release nutrients over a short period. A turfgrass manager can achieve a target growth response over a specific period by considering POLYON application rate, coating thickness, and application timing – a task any Harrell’s Territory Manager is willing to help with.

POLYON consistently releasing a small dose of nutrients over time results in healthier plants that are more able to withstand both biotic and abiotic stressors. As a result, POLYON-treated turf maintains optimal color over an extended period. One way to look at the efficiency of labor inputs is the days of greening provided by the input. When considered in this way, the value of long-term feeding and greening response following a POLYON application becomes clear.

Lower Environmental Losses While Improving Labor Efficiency

A quick Google of “fertilizer” and “environment” is a clear indication of the impact inefficient fertilizer application can have on our environment and the land we steward. According to the EPA, one pound of nitrous oxide (N₂O) lost to the atmosphere has an equivalent greenhouse effect to 265 pounds of carbon dioxide (IPCC 2013). Nitrogen volatilization, leaching, and denitrification can each be minimized by product selection and proper application.

Peer-reviewed research is available on the subject of fertilizer, environmental impacts, and potential mitigation solutions. Braun and Bremer (2018) investigated the influence of irrigation amount and nitrogen fertilizer form on nitrous oxide emissions across 24 months. In the study, the researchers evaluated ‘low’ and ‘medium’ irrigation, or replacement of 33% or 66% reference evapotranspiration, respectively, and compared N₂O emissions amongst plots that received no fertility, or 2 lb N/1000 sq. ft./year with either urea or polymer coated urea. Results from the study indicate reducing irrigation can mitigate N₂O loss by 6% while utilizing a polymer-coated urea such as POLYON can reduce environmental N₂O loss by up to 20%.

A second study compared N₂O emissions amongst a variety of slow-release, controlled-release, and enhanced-efficiency fertilizer technologies (Gillette et al., 2016). Included in the study were methylene urea, stabilized urea, and polymer-coated urea. Polymer-coated urea, such as POLYON, emitted 70 and 75% less N₂O than stabilized urea and methylene urea, respectively, under golf course fairway conditions. Other examples could be referenced concerning reducing losses through leaching or volatilization, each of which supports the use of POLYON for minimizing environmental losses of applied nutrition.

When considered through the lens of program efficiency, environmental losses may be a significant invisible cost. Nitrogen, or other nutrients, lost to the environment provide zero agronomic benefit while increasing the environmental and financial cost of maintaining healthy turf.

Reach Out to Your Harrell’s Representative

POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer has proven itself as a valuable technology over the years, but likely never as valuable as it is today. If you are interested in enhancing the efficiency of your fertilizer program to maximize personnel and material resources, I encourage you to catch up with your Harrell's Territory Manager. Their knowledge and expertise are only a phone call away.

Products mentioned and their trademarking companies:

Barricade® - Syngenta
Dimension® - Corteva
Echelon® - FMC
StayGuard® - Nufarm
Acelepryn® - Syngenta
Talstar® - FMC
Merit® - Bayer