The Right Paint and PGR Give You More, For Less

I’ve talked to plenty of field managers who burn through paint like there’s no tomorrow. The combination of the right paint and plant growth regulator (PGR), though, can cut down on your paint and labor use.

First, the Paint

My go-to is Primeline Concentrate. Exclusive to ATS, our concentrated athletic striping paint packs a lot of coverage into a small container. At half the size (a 2.64-gallon jug vs. a 5-gallon pail) and half the weight, it delivers superior linear coverage. When you mark a field for the first time, you’ll dilute it 3:1. Once the lines are down and you go to remark, it’s a 7:1 dilution rate. I did some math, and that 2.64-gallon jug at the 7:1 ratio is the equivalent of 18 gallons of paint. That is definitely “getting more with less!”

If you are a field manager looking to ditch your heavy, old, gas-powered sprayer with its heavy five-gallon buckets, check out Linemark’s iGO Midi. It is a stable, lightweight, electric, low-pressure sprayer that won’t break the bank or your back. Pair the iGo Midi with Impact or Impact XP ready-to-use, no dilution paint to produce strikingly vivid, white lines. A 1.32-gallon jug of Impact paint will paint one to two soccer fields based on nozzle selection and spraying speed. For field managers using robotic line markers, Impact RP paint flows beautifully through those machines.

Then, the PGR

Once you’ve done your initial marking, I recommend mixing in ArmorTech PGR 113 when you go to remark. It’s a foliar PGR that stunts vertical growth and is approved for use with athletic marking paint.

How does it work? Field managers have to overmark because, as the grass grows and the field gets mowed, the painted parts of the leaf blades get cut off, leading to faded paint lines. When you mix a PGR into your paint, you slow down the top growth of the painted turf. So, instead of clipping off, say, half of the painted leaf blade every time you mow, you’re only cutting off a quarter. That helps the painted blades stay visible longer, resulting in longer-lasting paint lines.

How often should it be used? I’d recommend mixing in PGR 113 with your paint once a month, so instead of having to paint once a week, you can reduce that frequency to once every two or three weeks. This is huge for labor savings, and on the flip side, you don’t have to buy as much paint!

Primeline Concentrate, Impact RP, and PGR 113 will save you time and money this coming season. Connect with your ATS rep today and “Get More With Less!”