PBI-Gordon’s Dr. Dale finally shares what the “T” in TZone SE Broadleaf Herbicide means
Editor-in-Chief Seth Jones gets the scoop from Dale Sanson, Ph.D., senior director of formulation development in compliance chemistry, about PBI-Gordon’s TZone SE Broadleaf Herbicide.
Transcript
Seth Jones: Hey, everybody. It’s Seth Jones, editor-in-chief of Golfdom Magazine. I’m out here in Kansas City, Miss. I’m at PBI-Gordon’s formulation lab. Dr. Dale Samson, senior director of formulation development and compliance chemistry, invited me come out to see where he works and where he makes this all magic happen. Dr. Dale, thanks for the invite.
Dale Sansom, Ph.D.: Thank you, Seth.
SJ: So, we’re going to talk about TZone. My first question is a dumb one. Why is it called TZone?
DS: I guess I’ll finally reveal it. In TZone, the “T” stands for triclopyr, the active ingredient in TZone, and that’s what adds so much power to the product, it’s known for controlling those weedy nuisance weeds, pests such as ground ivy, oxalis and others. In fact, if you look at the label, there are over 60 different types of weeds that TZone controls.
SJ: Okay, what is TZone? So it’s an SE, is that right?
DS: Correct. SE is the nomenclature in the formulation world for a cesspool emulsion. What that means is it’s a combination of self inter zone that is suspended as well as the other components that are emulsified, put them together and it’s a TZone SE product.
SJ: Okay, okay, very cool. So, what about the timing for this product? When, ideally, should superintendents put this out to get the best bang for their buck?
DS: Because of the mode of action, the formulation, the weather conditions, it’s probably ideal to apply early spring, typically April, May. That time period.
SJ: Okay. And anything you want to just brag about commute to any tips or tricks that you want to really that you want to really hit home with them?
DS: I would say, aside from the fact that it’s got such power to control those woody pests, the easy tank mix compatibility and the ease at which it goes into the spray tank, it does not need an adjuvant. However, an adjuvant will work and will not antagonize it, but the formulation was designed to have all that wetting spread ability. All that is in there for you, as well as the active ingredients, plays well in the spray tank with other components. As I said earlier, adjuvants, wetting agents, dyes, all of that will work just fine in the spray tank with TZone.
SJ: Okay, well, Doc, thanks for talking to me and let me know what the T stands for.
DS: Absolutely. Now we know.
SJ: All right, everybody. This is Dr. Dale. I’m Seth. Thanks for watching us here on Golfdom TV.
Subscribe to Golfdom
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to Golfdom to receive more articles just like it.
About the Author: Seth Jones
Seth Jones, a 25-year veteran of the golf industry media, is Editor-in-Chief of Golfdom magazine and Athletic Turf. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Jones began working for Golf Course Management in 1999 as an intern. In his professional career he has won numerous awards, including a Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) first place general feature writing award for his profile of World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman and a TOCA first place photography award for his work covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In his career, Jones has accumulated an impressive list of interviews, including such names as George H.W. Bush, Samuel L. Jackson, Lance Armstrong and Charles Barkley. Jones has also done in-depth interviews with such golfing luminaries as Norman, Gary Player, Nick Price and Lorena Ochoa, to name only a few. Jones is a member of both the Golf Writers Association of America and the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association. Jones can be reached at sjones@northcoastmedia.net.
