TROUBLESHOOTERS OF THE YEAR, A G A I N ! Model 521 LOCATES: Wire Path Solenoid Valves Indicates Depth Battery Operated No AC Needed Model 2003 LOCATES: Ground Faults Bad Splices Nicks and Breaks Battery Operated One Man Operation Models 77A and 200B IDENTIFIES: Wires Within a Group Proves Continuity Tone Isolated from DC Voltages Operates on 9V Battery Models 508 and 501 LOCATORS: 508: Locates wire and depth on shallow and short ranges. 501: Locates wire and depth for long ranges. Will locate active lines. Call or write for FREE catalog and Troubleshooting Guide Over 15 years experience in the irrigation industry PROGRESSIVE ELECTRONICS INC f 1ST 1 (PLACE; 325 South El Dorado Mesa, Arizona 85202 • (602) 966-2931 1-800-528-8224 Circle 104 on Postage Free Card
Transcript
TROUBLESHOOTERS OF THE YEAR, AGAIN!Model 521
LOCATES: Wire PathSolenoid ValvesIndicates Depth
Battery OperatedNo AC Needed
Model 2003LOCATES: Ground Faults
Bad SplicesNicks and Breaks
Battery OperatedOne Man Operation
Models 77Aand 200B
IDENTIFIES: Wires Within a GroupProves Continuity
Tone Isolated fromDC Voltages
Operates on 9V Battery
Models 508and 501
LOCATORS: 508: Locates wire anddepth on shallow andshort ranges.
501: Locates wire anddepth for long ranges.Will locate activelines.
Call or write for FREE catalogand Troubleshooting Guide
Over 15 years experience inthe irrigation industry
PROGRESSIVEELECTRONICS INC
f 1ST 1(PLACE;
325 South El Dorado Mesa, Arizona 85202 • (602) 966-2931 1-800-528-8224Circle 104 on Postage Free Card
Irrigation System Repairscontinued from page 30resistance readings at different places,depending on the distance from valves.Without going into all the details, let me justsay that the greater the distance from thevalve, the greater the resistance will be."
For hydraulics, 90 percent of callbacksare for remote-control valves. And I wouldsay that 50 to 75 percent of those RCV call-backs are due to contamination in the valve."This can be prevented by usingcontamination-proof valves. They have beenaround for more than 25 years . . . eventhough they have only become fashiona-ble in the last four or five years."
Derryberry then confided, "We are so con-cerned in our industry about running outof pressure, that we overlook the ramifica-tions of excess pressure. Yet it will consume
more excess water if it's not controlled thanmost people realize!
"That's the reason why so many manufac-turers, recognizing this fact, have recentlybegun to provide pressure-regulating RCVs.I feel that their additional cost generally paysback within one or two years," Derryberrydeclared.
In discussing flow, he observed, "Thereis a trend to low-precipitation sprinklers, withshorter radiuses and spaced closer together.Low-precipitation heads do an excellent jobof compensating for site conditions, soil,slope, and sun exposure.
"However, another cardinal sin which wetoo often commit in this industry is not con-sidering the poor devil who must managethis system for the next 30 years," Derryberrywarned.
"When the Little League lights go out at
Swing joints and waterproof electrical connections assure proper operation of sprinkler heads.
32 sportsTURF
ten o'clock at night, and the joggers startusing the park at five o'clock in the morn-ing, we have only seven hours in which toget the entire site watered. And if these low-precipitation heads don't truly give us con-siderable reduction in flow, then we can-not increase the size of the valve sectionsufficiently. Consequently our total run timemay still exceed the seven hours allotted."
Moving on to the subject of controllers,he observed, "Solid-state controllers are get-ting quite foolproof. And, as a result, there'snot much maintenance to be done there.Keep them clean and keep the bugs out ofthem, as I said before—and put them in theshade if possible. Heat deteriorates solid-state circuitry quickly."
Derryberry has mixed feelings about sen-sors. "Most sensors are relatively new, andrelatively unproven," Derryberry noted."When they are proven, then we will havethe most important tool that the irrigationindustry has seen in many, many years."
The reason, he explained, is simple:"Regardless of how many multi-thousand-dollar computerized control systems,weather stations, and peripheral equipmentwe might want to throw at our turf, that turfcould care less how we get the water to it—so long as we can provide a soil structurewhich is 50 percent solids, 25 percent oxy-gen, and 25 percent water.
"When we can avoid feast-or-faminewatering schedules, our turf will thrive. Andthat's all that a moisture sensor has to do,"Derryberry concluded.
John Skidgell, marketing manager for golfat The Toro Company Irrigation Division inRiverside, CA, has been with the companyfor 26 years. He began his discussion byfocusing on inspection. "Take a look at yourpump stations, controllers, and sprinklerheads at least twice a month, at the veryoutside. You never know when you're goingto spring a leak in a pump house, or somecontrol valve is not working properly, or astrainer may be clogged up and getting falsereadings.
"So inspect the pump station for leaks.In most irrigation systems, the pump is theheart of the whole system, and it needs tobe well taken care of.
"Make sure the contacts are not burned.These are the starters for the pumps. Ifthey're arcing, they cause burn spots, andthe pump doesn't operate properly if thereis a high degree of heat. You need to havea good inspection of the pump station twicea month—the pump panels, regulatingvalves, and low-level sensors especially.There are a great many things in the pumpstations that always need to be checked."
Skidgell continued, "On the electrical end,you should make sure that all the connec-tions are made up properly and nobody hasloosened any wires from the controllers andforgotten to replace them. Also look for cor-rosion. If controllers are in very wet areas,corrosion can cause problems in not mak-ing good connections. Therefore you're notgetting the power you need to make thingswork. You should also look for any kind of
debris that might be getting into the con-troller unit."
It's difficult to tell whether a hydraulic sys-tem is functioning well unless you go througha total irrigation cycle, Skidgell cautioned.Only then can you see how everythingworks, and that the sprinklers have the cor-rect pressures for proper operation.
In regard to pressure, he added, "Thesesystems are all designed to operate in a cer-tain manner. If someone should decide tochange that program and load one side ofthe system with all the sprinklers he wantsto run, he may overload it from a hydraulicstandpoint, and cause heavy friction losseson the line from the high velocities. This inturn would reduce the pressure, and thesprinklers would not function properly."
He pointed out, "The question of flow isalso included in that last statement. If some-one has a six-inch line and tries to flow 800gallons through it, he loses a lot of pres-sure and he's in trouble!
"The best way to check out both con-trollers and sprinklers is to go to eachindividual satellite controller and step itthrough each station. That way you can tellwhether or not the controller is actually turn-ing the sprinklers on properly. And then youcan watch each sprinkler to make sure it'srotating correctly," Skidgell explained.
If someone has a rain sensor on his sys-tem, he should keep it clean and make sureit does indeed trip and cause the properalarm to go off. Debris can keep the sen-sor from tripping properly, and when it doesring it won't shut the system down.
Turning to valves and sprinklers, headvised, "Check the system for low sprin-klers that cause improper coverage becausethey're too low to perform in the manner theyshould. These sprinklers are on swing joints.If you happen to have the sprinklers in rela-tively soft soil, and if you're running overthem constantly with tractors, this slowlypounds them down into the ground. So theywind up being an inch or two too low. Thisblocks the spray coming from them, andthat in turn destroys the pattern of thesprinklers."
Skidgell concluded his remarks by stress-ing the importance of checking the entiresprinkler system on a periodic preventive-maintenance basis. "The irrigation systemis a maintenance tool that must be kept ingood condition to do the job it was assignedto do," he emphasized.
David Ferron, field product applicationengineer for Rain Bird's golf division in Glen-dora, CA, is always on the move, going outon product problems and fixing them.However, he found time recently at his officein Seattle, WA, to review some of the high-lights of irrigation system repairs for us.
"For general troubleshooting," he said,"here is how to detect problems: First, iso-late the problem. Then look for informationleading to the source of the problem. Findthe point where good information ends andbad information begins. The industry callsthis the Good In-Bad Out Method of
continued on page 34
TechnicallySpeakingHere's why Pepco PVC
slip x compression adapters are better.Competitor's V2" Comp. adapter
Fits In
PVCFitting
V2" Comp. adapter slips intoV2" PVC socket
Pepco's 1/2"Comp. adapter
Fits In
Pepco 440A
W Comp. adapter cements intoV2" PVC socket
Fits Over
PVCPipe
Pepco 440SA1/2"Comp. adapter cements over
1/2"PVC pipe cements into %" socket
Fits Together
440A and 440SAcement together
Pepco PVC tees are like our adapters.
444ST
_
444ST
3/4" P V CCoupling
444ST
V2" PVCPipe
440A
Fit in Fit Over Fit Together
A full line of PVC Compressiondrip fittings, %" through 1".
Ask your distributor or call for samples and our new 1988 Price Catalog.
E X T R U D E D PRODUCTS, INC.
4055 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 104 • Fresno, CA 93722Call Toll-Free Nationwide 1 (800) 247-8138
Circle 105 on Postage Free Card May, 1988 33
Irrigation System Repairscontinued from page 33
troubleshooting and repair, or GIBO."Ferron explained how to recognize that
point "where good information ends and badinformation begins." His advice: "Maintaina thorough knowledge of the irrigation equip-ment at your park or golf course. Read repairmanuals put out by the manufacturers toassist in your repairs. And attend schoolsor seminars to stay up-to-date on any newdevelopments."
In other words, it takes instinct based onsound training and thorough information.When you add experience in the field toinformation and training, you can tell atexactly what point the system goes wrongand the trouble s igna ls- the "badinformation"—begin.
Once in possession of the proper data,Ferron discourages delay. He urges, "Repairthe problem quickly and effectively. Do notlet it go unrepaired for a very long time. Ifyou do, the problem can only get worse;it may very well escalate."
To avoid such problems in the first placeif possible, Ferron agrees with our otherexperts on the necessity for periodic inspec-tion and maintenance. Specifically, headvised, "Inspect your complete irrigationsystem each spring and make the neces-sary repairs at that time."
He recommended these specific thingsbe done during spring inspection: "Turn eachvalve on and inspect the rotors on the heads.Inspect each controller for any winterdamage. Clean the insects from the motors,gears, or printed circuit boards."
In regard to that last item, Ferron warned,"When handling a printed circuit board, besure the power is off." He also advised usinga spray-type contact cleaner to clean thecontroller.
"Repair any wire problems immediately,"he stressed. "Do not let power leak toground, because this may cause the con-
troller to overheat and develop into otherproblems."
In closing, he repeated the need forpreventive maintenance: "Keep to a regu-lar schedule to avoid repair. Spring and fallis the best time to do the system inspec-tion. If you have not done all repairs immedi-ately as I have recommended, or if newproblems should arise after spring inspec-tion, then summer is the time to repair theirrigation system and keep it operable. Don'tput it off any longer than that."
Tom Lockwood, vice-president of salesand marketing for Valcon Automatic Irriga-tion Company, headquartered in El Monte,CA, advised that the controller can be usefulin handling some problems. Some con-trollers are specifically designed to detectsuch irrigation system problems as electricalfaults, downstream pressure losses, andexcess moisture. Aside from this, he madethe following inspection-and-repair recom-mendations:
To detect electrical problems, check thecircuit-breaker lights; the station outputs;the voltage at the valve; and the solenoidcoil (for continuity).
In regard to hydraulics, check the remote-control valves for full opening; check forclosed gate valves and for plugged sprin-kler heads; and be sure to check the back-flow device. The same procedures applyfor pressure and flow inspection.
On the controls, check the 115 VACsource and the low-voltage output. Checkto see if the controller is keeping the cor-rect time of day or is in the backup program.Also check the ground.
On the remote-control valves, check formanual operation; flow control; voltage atvalve; and the solenoid coil.
In discussing what is most likely to needregular maintenance to avoid potentialproblems, Lockwood briefly covered the fol-lowing system components, the likelytroublemakers for each, and some recom-
Pump life can be extended by proper staging and regular care.
34 sportsTURF
mended preventatives:Electrical—provide good grounding at the
controls and good waterproof connections;hydraulics—backflow device; flow—backflowdevice and gate valves; controls—checkcontrol cabinet for moistureproof integrity;check grounding; check for insect or rodentencroachment; valves—check waterproofelectrical connections; check for leaks atfittings and around diaphragms.
"Do not let powerleak to ground
because this maycause the controller
to overheat anddevelop into other
problems."Lockwood recommended the following
maintenance "musts": Check controls ona monthly basis. Check remote-controlvalves on an every-other-month basis.
He added a tip on how to achieve elec-trical savings: "The most costly item in anylandscape, as far as electrical consumption,are the booster pumps. Use controls thatwill selectively utilize the pumps only whenthey are absolutely needed. Use offlow/pressure sensors on the pump stationis very necessary."
Lockwood concluded with a useful list ofrecommendations for saving irrigation waterin today's water-conscious environment,based on his experience in building, main-taining and repairing irrigation systems:
Use anti-drain valves on all heads thatare lower in elevation than the remote-controlvalve.
Program controls so that only enoughwater is applied at any one time withoutrunoff. Try to water during a time of day whenwind or evaporation is minimal.
Use rain sensors to shut off irrigation con-trols when sufficient rain has fallen and usesoil-moisture sensors whenever possible.On slopes, design the irrigation system sothat the top, middle and toe of the slopecan be irrigated on separate valves.
Use controls that can be programmed forindividual stations, so that shade and sunareas can be valved separately. Choose con-trols that have easy-to-use water-budgetingfeatures, so water reduction can be easilyperformed.
Each in his own way, on the basis of hisown hard-won experience, these irrigationexperts have shared their knowledge withus—not only on how to repair irrigation sys-tems, but how to make them work betterin a time of growing water shortages. If selec-tively applied to your own situation, thesetips can be true lifesavers—not only for yoursystem, but for your prize turf as well. $
CONTROL THE CONTROLLERUP TO A MILE AWAY.
CUT TIME AND COSTS OF INSTALLATIONAND MAINTENANCE.
The RainMaster Remote Control lets you find irrigationproblems immediately: without wasting time running tothe controller — back to the field — and back to the con-troller again. Now, with The Remote coded FM transmit-ter, one serviceman alone can operate the controller,station-by-station, using random access or forward orreverse sequencing. Fingertip control saves hours onwalkthrough inspections.
The Remote is compatible with all other makes of solidstate or electro-mechanical controllers. The receiver unitplugs into the built-in jack on all RainMaster controllers.
For a demonstration of how much time The Remote cansave you, contact RainMaster. We've spent a lot of timefiguring out how to save you a lot of time.
4565-8D Industrial St., Simi Valley, CA 93063 (805) 527-4498Circle 108 on
One person troubleshoots the systemon the spot.
Works with all controllers:RainMaster or othermanufacturers' units.
RAINMASTERT.M
Postage Free Card
CONGRESS STUDIESGROUNDWATER ACT
One of the most comprehensive bills ongroundwater protection was introduced inApril by Senator David Durenberger of Min-nesota. The Ground Water Protection Act(S. 2091) has been termed the equivalentof the Clean Water Act which addresses sur-face water protection. Durenberger's bill setsa national policy for groundwater protec-tion and specifies enforcement measuresto be taken by the states with the guidanceof the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency.
If the Act passes and is signed into lawit would require state and local governmentsto protect groundwater by monitoring all pos-sible sources of contamination. Thesesources would include septic tanks, cess-pools, certain landfills, storage tanks, cer-tain injection wells and application of fer-tilizers and pesticides. States will have upto eight years to establish contaminationcontrol methods for each type of source.Contamination through irrigation will be onesource for which control programs wouldbe developed.
The bill requires states to identify well-head protection areas for public water sup-plies. It will provide grants to local ground-water management districts for the purposesof managing aquifers and will allot fundsfor testing and treatment of contaminationat private wells. Five parts per billion has
been temporarily set as the maximum allow-able amount of contaminant in groundwater.
The full impact of the Act on pesticideand fertilizer applicators and to sports facil-ities irrigating from wells is undeterminedat this time.
SAWGRASS TO HOST GOLFSUMMIT '88
David Hueber, president of the NationalGolf Foundation (NGF), hopes that execu-tives from major golf suppliers, associationsand the media can develop a strategic planof action for the golf industry this comingNovember during Golf Summit '88. The Mar-riott at Sawgrass Resort in Ponte Vedra,FL, will host the meeting.
The NGF organized the first Golf Sum-mit held in Rye, NY, in 1986. More than 250industry representatives attending the meet-ing agreed that the demand for golf in theU.S. was greater than the rate of new golfcourse construction. The meeting concludedwith a statement that a long-range plan ofaction, involving all industry forces, wasneeded. Hueber's goal is for industryrepresentatives to work out and indicate sup-port for such a plan at Golf Summit '88. NGFis utilizing McKinsey & Company, a plan-ning consultant firm, to draft a preliminaryplan this spring to circulate to golf organi-zations prior to the Summit.
Hueber says at the current rate of growth,the golf industry may fall short of demandby 4,000 courses by the year 2000.
DEERE TO ADD SEED TOPRODUCT LINE
John Deere golf and turf distributors willbegin marketing a line of commercial turf-grass seed beginning this fall based upona production and marketing agreement withTurf Seed, Inc., of Hubbard, OR. "The seedline will be introduced over the next two tothree years starting this fall," explained BobTracinski, public relations manager forDeere's Consumer Products Division. "Onlyour 55 turf and golf distributors will carrythe seed." The company's industrial, agricul-tural and retail dealers will not be involvedin the seed program, at least in thebeginning.
Tom Stanley, Turf Seed's sales and mar-keting manager, said unique blends and var-ieties of perennial ryegrass, Kentuckybluegrass and turf-type tall fescue have beenselected and are being grown for Deere."The first seed will be available this fall incommercial 50 pound bags," he stated. Anew variety of creeping bentgrass is alsounder development.
Deere created a separate group of turfand golf distributors two years ago and hassince introduced a broad line of specializedcommercial turf maintenance equipment.
What do you getwhen you order a
full-course aerator?
ANSWER: The Ryan GA™ 30 Aerator. It's theonly aerator that delivers green-quality aeration toyour entire course. From tee to green, fence to fence.You get the versatility of variable core spacing, thespeed of a riding machine, and Ryan's quality pre-cision coring action. For all the facts, return thereader service card in this publication today.
RYANB U I L T T O L A S T
6233Ryan, OMC-Lincoln, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501Toll Free: 1-800-228-4444
IRAMS SOILMOISTURE ANALYZERINSTRUMENT FOR REFLECTOMETRY ANALYSIS OFMOISTURE IN SOILSFor measurement and direct readout ofin-situ soilmoisture content in seconds.
A valuable tool for the irrigation manager of field crops, turfgrass andnurseries; soil and water research and extension services.• Lightweight ( 10.8 lbs), compact (11" x 7" x 5.5") and environmentally
sealed• Rechargeable battery pack allows up to 1000 tests per charge• Internal storage of up to 254 test results for transfer to a printer
or computer via RS232C serial interface• Variable depth of measurement by interchange of probe sets• No licensing, special training, or site calibration is requiredThe new IRAMS. . . Advanced technology, simply applied, to save youtime and money in soil moisture testing. Call or write now for a free
demonstration or brochure.
CPIM
a company committed toQuality ami Reliability
2830 Howe RoadMartinez, California 94553(415) 228-9770Telex 17-1289 CPN-UD
36 SpOrtsTURF Circle 128 on Postage Free Card Circle 127 on Postage Free Card
PAT PARK SURVIVES FIRST FLOOD
The PAT team for Del Amo Park was (I. to r.) Don Morgan, Jim Eagleand Dr. Bill Daniel.
Just days after the Prescription Athletic Turf System (PAT)had been completed at Del Amo Park, Carson, CA, nature gaveit a test. A downpour sent salt water pouring over the banks ofa drainage canal adjacent to the four-acre park, flooding the fieldsbelow.
Within hours, the flood water had been pumped off the fieldsand much of the salt in the foot-deep, sand root zone had beenflushed out with fresh water. By the second day, the fields wereonce again occupied with hundreds of soccer and baseball players.
Until this spring, flooding and salt-water intrusion made it impos-sible to maintain healthy turf in the busy city park a few milesfrom the Pacific Ocean. In 1983, Tuto Iglisous, park maintenancesupervisor, contacted Dr. William Daniel, coinventor of the PATSystem, to see if it could be practical for an entire park. Daniel'scompany, Turfgrass Services Inc., had never installed a PATsystem of that size before, but Daniel and regional licensee DonMorgan put together a plan for the park. After four years of try-ing, Park Director Howard Holeman gained approval for the systemand work got underway last fall.
The job was supervised by Texas licensee Jim Eagle and wascompleted in February. Del Amo Park was the first PAT systemto use submersible pumps in a sealed concrete tank. The newsuction system can remove 1,400 gallons of water from the sealedroot zone each minute if necessary.
The park has both both subsurface and surface irrigation sys-tems. Moisture sensors located in specific locations around thepark automatically turn on or shut down both irrigation systems.The final touch was washed Santa Ana bermudagrass sod.
While the lined subgrade slopes toward the pump system, thefields are perfectly flat. Carson residents now boast of Del AmoPark instead of making excuses for the salt-stressed turf. Power,water, telephone and irrigation components in the soil will bespared the corrosive effects of salt.
Del Amo Park officials are pleased to know that a copy of theirpump system is being installed at Soldiers Field in Chicago, IL.For once, a park is setting an example for a professional stadium,instead of the other way around.
Park rough graded prior to installation of drainage, subirrigation andsand.
Whatever sort ofgrounds you manageprofessionally, ORTHO'sDIQUAT Herbicide H/Acan help you keep themclean and trim. With itsfast-acting formula,DIQUAT gives rapidburn-down, usuallywithin 24-48 hours, ofa wide variety of annualgrasses and broadleafweeds. DIQUAT has aproven track record forgetting rid of unwantedgrasses and weeds, evenunder less-than-idealweather conditions. Anon-selective contactherbicide, DIQUAT willburn back or controlnearly anything greento which it is applied.
To help DIQUATwork at its best, useORTHO X-77 Spreader(non-ionic). X-77 makesspray droplets spreadquickly and evenly tocoat waxy leaf sur-faces for opt imumperformance.
The people ofFarmington prove asmall city can host
a national event justas well as a big city.'
Both the field and stands were built by volunteers to attract the Connie Mack World Series to Farmington.
Amateaior Dr<
BaseballrinaCard
For a week each August, many of thiscountry's finest baseball players fromthe ages of 16 to 18, and scouts
from more than 50 major and minor leaguebaseball teams, gather in remote Farming-ton, NM. The oil and gas community, tuckedinto the northwest corner of the state, is con-sumed by the sport of baseball — amateurbaseball that is. Since 1963, when city volun-teers built Orval Ricketts Park specificallyfor the Connie Mack World Series, the eventhas drawn more than 70,000 baseball fanseach year to the stadium.
That's not bad for a city with only 33,000residents. The closest large city is Albuquer-que, a three hour drive away. It takes fanseight hours to reach Farmington from Denveror Phoenix, the next closest cities. "TheWorld Series is the biggest thing that hap-pens in this city every year," says ParkSuperintendent Jeffrey Bowman. Thatmakes Ricketts Park the most importantfacility he maintains during the year. That
38 sportsTURF
importance shows. The park is the winnerof the Baseball Diamond of the Year Awardin the park, municipal and school category.
From the beginning, Ricketts Park hasbeen a community project. Every foot ofpipe, every yard of concrete, every bench,press box, Scoreboard, concession stands,fences, land, bases and the Kentuckybluegrass seed were donated by commu-nity businesses and organizations. Duringthe World Series, families provide room andboard for the visiting teams as local hotelsswell with scouts and Connie Mack teamsupporters from Puerto Rico to Seattle. Thecity has continuously supported the volun-teers and managed the facility since itscreation.
As the host city, at least one Farming-ton team gets to play in the World Seriesevery year. Beginning at the age of seven,Farmington youngsters start playing baseballin hopes of one day competing against eightof the best teams in the country and pos-
sibly being discovered by a major leaguescout. Parents, city businesses and com-munity organizations do all they can topreserve the baseball tradition of the city.It's no surprise that it consistently has someof the best out of 9,000 teams in the Ameri-can Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC)each year.
"The people of Farmington prove that asmall city can host a national event just aswell as a big city," says Joe Cooper, execu-tive director of the AABC, headquarteredin equally small Marshall, Ml. "A reporterfrom Sports Illustrated once said that he waslooking for Geronimo to come out of the hillsas he drove into Farmington." A large Indianreservation happens to be located on theoutskirts of the city. In fact, Albert Eaton,whose primary job is to keep Ricketts Parkin top condition, is an American indian.
The annual average rainfall for the moun-tainous region located 5,300 feet above sealevel is only seven inches. "All of our precipi-
tation comes from winter snowstorms andlate summer thunderstorms," explains Bow-man. The rest of our water is taken fromthree rivers that are fed by the snowmeltin the mountains. We have plenty of water,the problem is the rains come during August,right in the middle of the Connie Mack WorldSeries."
The turnout in Farmington is greater thanfor any of AABC's six other league cham-pionships. In addition to the Connie Mackevent, each year AABC sponsors the StanMusial World Series in Battle Creek, Ml; theMickey Mantle World Series in Waterbury,CT; the Sandy Koufax World Series in SanJuan, PR; the Pee Wee Reese World Ser-ies in Forest Park, GA; the Willie Mays WorldSeries in Hapeville, CA; and an experimentalleague series in Fayette, GA.
"The difference is the people in the Far-mington Connie Mack League who makesure the event runs like clockwork," saidCooper. "They have made it successful withthings like foster parent programs to feedand house the kids, helping pay some ofthe travel expenses for the other teams withgate receipts and fund raisers, and the qual-ity of Ricketts Park. There is so much sup-port for the World Series in Farmington thatthey had to add a second deck on the out-field fence to carry all the advertising."
While volunteers do much of the leg workfor the event, maintenance of the 8,500-seatRicketts Park is the responsibility of theDepartment of Parks, Recreational and Cul-tural Affairs. "Ricketts is like a second jobfor us in the department," says Bowman.And it was a big reason why he left Penn-sylvania in 1982 to take the job as parksupertendent.
Bowman's involvement with sports startedwhen he was a high school student in York,PA. He took a summer job with the city'spark department. One thing led to anotherand he ended up working on MemorialStadium, the home field for the Triple A YorkPirates. He was hooked. For the next fouryears, he worked at the stadium while heattended Delaware Valley College of Scienceand Agriculture in nearby Doylestown. Hisgoal was to be a major league ground-skeeper so he pursued and obtained adegree in agronomy.
His first job out of college was on the crewat Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwine,PA. When the assistant superintendent ofparks job opened up in York, Bowmanreturned to his hometown and was soonpromoted to superintendent. The stadiumsatisfied his thirst for baseball. The Piratesinstalled one of the first AstroTurf infieldsin York before deciding to install one atThree Rivers Stadium. But, then the Piratesclosed their franchise in York. Bowmanstarted looking for ways to keep up hisassociation with both baseball and parks.
The opportunity came in 1982, when BobHudson, the city's director of Parks andRecreation, was looking for a park superin-tendent with baseball background. "Therewas no doubt about Farmington's interestin baseball," Bowman says. "It also had acity golf course, 14 other softball and base-ball fields and 900 acres of parks andmunicipal grounds. But, the best part wasI didn't have to hide the fact that my maininterest was baseball."
You don't just walk into a strange com-munity and start changing things. You haveto prove yourself first. "Knowing how to deal
with coaches and parents is a big part ofmanaging fields in a park system," Bow-man points out. "You also have to work withthe members of the department who havebeen doing things a particular way. Whenpeople have been nice enough to give theball park fertilizer and supplies, you usethem."
The first thing Bowman did was teach thegrounds crew how to make sharp edges onthe base paths and to set up the mound,batter's box and bull pens to professionalstandards. He surveyed and aligned thebases, made new patterns for chalking thebatter's box, and asked that string bestretched down the base lines before mark-ing the field. "Little things add up to makea big difference," Bowman points out. Hehas since added a clay stabilizer to the basepath dirt that makes the sandy soil pack bet-ter and hold more moisture.
The second thing he did was put togethera schedule for all cultural practices. "Mowing,fertilizing and irrigation were all assignedto certain crewmembers for certain timeseach week," Bowman adds. A special ballfield crew for the entire park system wascreated and put under the watchful eye ofJim Henry. The condition of all the fieldsis now checked each day by the presentforeman Jay Wilson.
Since Ricketts Park is busy from Janu-ary through September with more than 132games and nearly 200 hours of practices,there is little time to make major repairs."Our biggest problem at first was just keep-ing the turf properly fertilized and irrigated,"said Bowman. "We have to irrigate the sandysoil heavily. That causes the fertilizer to leach
continued on page 40
"A reporter oncesaid that he was
looking for Geronito come out of t
hills as he drove iFarmington.'
A second deck had to be added to the outfield fence at Orville Ricketts Park because of the demand for advertising.
May, 1988 39
Crew at Orville Ricketts Park during World Series Week.
City Provescontinued from page 39
out quickly. Quick-release nitrogen lastedonly a few weeks before it was gone. Wealso had an old quick coupler irrigation sys-tem that needed constant attention."
To correct the problem, Bowman and hisnew assistant Jim Henry, a turf graduateof New Mexico State University, decidedto switch to a 34:6:4 sulfur-coated ureaapplied monthly beginning in March. They
also started spraying the field every monthwith a solution of chelated iron withmicronutrients. As the root structure of thebluegrass improved it was more tolerant ofdrought stress caused by the sandy soil.
Still, it became clear that the manualquick-coupler system and the labor itrequired had to be updated. Once again,the community responded and donated themoney for an automatic Toro system with1800 Series pop-up heads in the infield and
Super 600 heads for the outfield. "Now wehad a handle on water and we could irrigateat night when the field was not in use," Bow-man recalls. "Disease isn't really a problemhere, except in August, since it is so drymost of the year."
The bluegrass started to respond. Thenext step was to remove a thatch layer thathad built up over the years and to getimproved bluegrass varieties into the turfthat were more drought tolerant, more dis-ease resistant for August, and a darkershade of green. For that, Bowman neededan aeroblade seeder/thatcher. The commu-nity came through with a Jacobsen seeder.The seeder was put to use that fall on boththe stadium, the park fields and the golfcourse.
The other piece of equipment that Bow-man and Henry fixed up and put to use wasa drum-type aerator. New tines and a com-plete overhaul gave the old unit the abilityto once again relieve compacted soil. Bow-man also saw it as a way to keep thatchunder control and to provide even penetra-tion of water and nutrients into the soil.
To put a pattern into the turf, the outfieldis mowed twice each week with a triplex reelmower followed by a riding rotary mowerwith a vacuum system. The infield is mowedwith a walk-behind rotary mower that col-lects the clippings. "The teams like the fieldmowed as short as possible," says Bowman.
continued on page 42
IS YOUR FIELD A"WINNER"?
NEWSTRIPE can supply the products to make your sportssurfaces the most attractive in your conference. Our linemarkers and stencils are being used by major universities,school districts and soccer clubs for field maintenance.
Check these possibilities:• Football • Basketball• Soccer • Playgrounds• LaCrosse • Shuffleboard• Baseball
NGWSTftUKJS.P.O. Box 440881
Aurora, CO 80044CALL
1-800-624-6706For Details
One bad Fall §Could change!
a Child's!whole Life {
Young athletes need your help Q .Let's look at reality many, maybe even moss, ol ff\
our sports and playground surfaces are in " *deplorable condition Many of these are unsafe and BHHeven treacherous. We still tolerate this even though ( ^
we have the lines! agronomic knowledge. « • •turfgrasses and equipment at our disposal. Add this •to our collective enthusiasm for physical activity... ^ 3
watching and participating and we have a •"•jpowerful force to construct quality fields, maintain ^JJ
them, and/or correct existing sports field turf Y&problems We believe that lack ol vital information »3P
and blurred focus of intentions have slowed ^ ™progress. NSTC will take all ol this talent, «
information and material, focus, then project the *essence into an active force for sports and JC
playground safety | ^
Who do we need to get involved1 Support fromorganizations, institutions and associations isessential, but individual efforts from parents,
teachers and coaches is mandatory We needinput emotional, testimonial, technical, statistical
and physical Then we need lunds to fuel themechanism We need you
We need community liaison, people who will grabthe ball on a local level and run with it We needpeople in the right places who can implement a
plan to tackle a problem, devise game plans in thecommunity and make them work. We need people
of conscience who realize that falling is a part ofphysical activity and that getting up and shaking it
off is a right, and pain and injury are not acceptableWe need you
You can help by joining today!Become associated in some category with
NSTC and with affiliated organizations.
Give financial aid to NSTC to assurecontinuity of Safer Sports Turf operations.
Help implement plans on a local/communitylevel.
Talk to others .ge t them involved.
Join today.
An educational research, charitable,non-profit, tax-exempt organization
An extension of the Musser InternationalTurtgrass Foundation collaborating with theUnited States Department of Agriculture
Membership Application
• Sponsor $500+
• Corporate $500
• National Corporation $250
• Local Commercial $100
• Donor (not a member) . . . Any Amount
• Contributor (Receives Mailings) . . . . $25
to any amount
I (We) wish to support NSTC in the above
category (check appropriate box)
Please return this membership application andyour check to National Sporti Turf Council
