Weed Seed Water Filters Cancel The title field is required!

1. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   5/5/2012 8:05 AM

   I'm involved in a situation where Digitaria seed is being drawn from an open water source and pumped onto the golf course (bermudagrass) causing crabgrass to proliferate.
   
   In a similar situation years ago I remember there being a type of filter that could separate out the seeds.
   
   Does anyone know of such a system?

   
   
   
   
2. Donald Johnson

   

   0 posts
   
   5/7/2012 9:05 AM

   There is a golf course in Cairo, Egypt that uses a very large media type filter system for this same propose. The past supt stated that it worked and could notice a different when the filter was not in operation. I looked into getting one and it was very expensive. Yardney offers these type of filters along with other companies. The problem is you need to be able to filter down to like 10 microns for weed seeds, and I was told that this was not possible with screen type filters.
   
   Don Johnson, CGCS
   CuisinArt Golf Club
   Anguilla, B.W.I.

   
   
   
   
3. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   5/7/2012 10:05 AM

   Donald, thanks for your reply. Does the size of the mesh required depend on the size of the seed? For example, I'm trying to reduce Digitaria seed, which according to the authorities is 2-3 mm long. I understand that 250 microns is a standard filter size, wouldn't that stop the crabgrass seed?

   
   
   
   
4. Wallace Jeffrey V

   
   5/7/2012 12:05 PM

   Stephen Okula, CGCS said: Donald, thanks for your reply. Does the size of the mesh required depend on the size of the seed? For example, I'm trying to reduce Digitaria seed, which according to the authorities is 2-3 mm long. I understand that 250 microns is a standard filter size, wouldn't that stop the crabgrass seed?

   
   
   Hi Steve,
   
   Yes, a 250 micron would capture a 2 mm seed, as 250 microns equates to 0.25 millimeters. My good friend Don suggested a 10 micron filter. Don....that will filter out red blood cells! Did you mean a #10 mesh, which would capture anything above 2 mm? A human hair is around 70(?) microns in diameter, give or take a lot of microns.
   
   Amiad in-line filters come to mind, only because I've used them quite often, but you'll have to contact them on mesh sizes. And remember, if you're getting below 150 microns, you're dealing with some substantial, almost infeasible, pressure losses at normal golf irrigation liters/second volumes.

   
   
   
   
5. Donald Johnson

   

   0 posts
   
   5/9/2012 12:05 PM

   Hi Jeff,
   
   I just wanted to see if you were paying attention
   
   Actually I did not a mistake it is 10 micron. I know it does not make sense but the study given to me said the weeds seeds are 25-30 microns, and they recommend to filter down to 10 micron, which seems a bit much I know, but I was told that this was the system that was installed at the other course. We never installed it when I was there because the cost was too high.
   
   
   Steve,
   
   We had a 200 micron screen on our system and I was told that it would not capture poa seeds, which was the problem seed in Cairo. Of course the argument comes also if the seeds are in the water for a long time, at what point do they begin to rot and and are not viable anymore.
   
   Don

   
   
   
   
6. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   5/9/2012 1:05 PM

   Or, the seeds in the water begin to swell and sprout, making it easier for the mesh to stop them?