If it isn’t broken, break it and make it better

The nursery industry is highly diverse in species produced, layout, production systems and operation sizes. Therefore, each nursery has relatively unique herbicide application needs, including equipment requirements. A commonality among all nurseries is that weed control is a constant balancing act between effectiveness, crop safety and cost.

Researchers from the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida, in collaboration with the management team of Cherrylake, an integrated landscape company in Florida, documented the economic implications of an operational transition related to a herbicide application program in shrub production. This transition involved shifting from a granular-based herbicide application program using gravity-flow spreaders to an over-the-top liquid herbicide (OTH) application program with a boom sprayer across 29 acres of containerized shrub production.

As a result of this transition, labor costs dropped by 13% and herbicide costs decreased by 28% for those acres. The herbicide cost savings stem from spray-applied formulations used by Cherrylake, which cost them approximately 67% to 92% less than the comparable granular formulations they were previously using. The labor savings are associated with transitioning from applying granular herbicides with gravity-flow spreaders to a boom sprayer that applies liquid herbicides faster and with fewer workers. The full analysis is available at Velandia et al. (2026).

What is unique about this story is that, to transition from the granular herbicide application to the OTH application, they repurposed a $100,000 air-assisted pesticide boom sprayer that they had stopped using due to performance issues. For approximately $5,000, an in-house team of mechanics and fabricators converted the pesticide sprayer into a boom sprayer, which they dubbed the “Big Boom.” This strategy reflects one of Cherrylake’s founders’ lessons: “If it isn’t broken, break it and make it better.”

The result was not a dramatic financial windfall, but it did deliver modest gains while improving labor efficiency and overall equipment utilization. Switching to the OTH application program allowed Cherrylake to reallocate a pickup truck from carrying granular herbicide to other uses. They were also able to utilize an existing spray tractor to pull the “Big Boom” in between its regular pesticide spray rotations. Furthermore, the new program allowed them to reallocate labor to other activities because they could complete herbicide application tasks in less time.

The Cherylake case offers a great lesson: A creative management team is key to a business’s success. An investment that initially appeared unsuccessful was transformed into one that added value to the business, while also improving labor efficiency and equipment use. Furthermore, this case study suggests that transitioning from a granular herbicide application to OTH application program may create opportunities to reduce herbicide and labor costs while also providing operational benefits. These opportunities will all depend on the species produced, layout, production system, operation size, input costs and other factors.

Labor, Efficiency, Automation, and Production: LEAP Nursery Crops Toward Sustainability is supported by the Specialty Crops Research Initiative Coordinated Agriculture Project award no. 2024-51181-43291

Velandia, M., P. Crosby, C. Marble, Z.A. Turner, L. Chen, A. L. Rihn, T. Gentry, and A. Spivey. 2026. “If It isn’t Broken, Break it and Make it Better”: The Economics of Repurposing a Pesticide Sprayer for Herbicide Application. University of Tennessee Extension Publication, W1394. Read the entire study here: bit.ly/repurpose-herbicide-applications

Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Nursery Management or GIE Media.