Introducing PreFlight™ and PostFlight™ Adjuvants

Truly great products only come around every so often. That's why we're so excited to be the leaders behind our new PreFlight™ and PostFlight™ products. One is a defoaming and odor-masking agent. The other is a tank cleaner and pigment removal product. Let's go over these two products and learn how they can help you in your management programs.

What is PreFlight?

PreFlight adjuvant is used as an anti-foam and odor-masking agent. It can be used to reduce foam buildup before adding other products to the spray tank. Not only that, but it will also knock down foam that's already in the tank during filling.

Because it knocks down and helps prevent foam, it greatly improves the speed of filling the spray tanks.

PreFlight adjuvant is also an odor-masking agent.

Some pesticides have a noticeable odor, but this product gives off a wintergreen aroma that masks the odors from certain pesticides. It makes applying pesticides more comfortable for the applicator and for those who are nearby or enter the application area afterward.

When Should You Use PreFlight Adjuvant?

You'll want to use PreFlight adjuvant anytime there's a chance of foam buildup in the tank, as well as if there's a risk of spilling. It works extremely quickly and can be used by pest management professionals, golf course managers, turf management pros and more.

How to Knock Down Foam

Add a rate of 1 to 4 fluid ounces per 100 gallons to reduce foam buildup when mixing spray solutions. This rate will give you the best results. Add it to a partly water-filled tank beforehand, and agitate it thoroughly before adding any other product to the solution.

If foam has built up in the tank, add PreFlight adjuvant at a rate of 1 to 6 fluid ounces per 100 gallons. Squirt it directly on the foam in 1 fluid ounce per 100 gallon increments. You'll want to continue adding PreFlight adjuvant to the tank until you have achieved the desired control.

How to Mask Odors

The wintergreen scent is noticeable and will mask the odors from pesticides and other products. To mask the odors, add PreFlight adjuvant to the tank at about 1 to 4 fluid ounces per 100 gallons until you have the desired effect.

How Well Does PreFlight Work?

We've put PreFlight adjuvant through field and lab trials to test its performance. In internal lab trials, it showed acceptable performance when compared to other foam prevention and knockdown products. Because it has the added benefit of an odor-masking agent, it eliminates the need for a separate product.

In field trials, WinField reps and their customers found very little to no foaming in the tank while filling. There was also a reduced odor thanks to the wintergreen masking agent. In fact, Larry Lindsey's customer used it in the field, and this is what he had to say:

"Michael used it with his Bracket (acephate) applications spraying trees (top to bottom). As you know, acephate has a very unpleasant odor both with the formulated product and the finished spray. Michael used it at a rate of 1 pint of concentrate with 400 gallons of water plus 3 pounds of 97 percent Bracket. His evaluation was a noticeably lower amount of acephate odor with his finished mix."

When Can You Get PreFlight Adjuvant?

We are replacing Fast Break, Foaminator Dry and any other anti-foam product we have in our inventory. However, it will take some transition time before it's fully integrated into our lineup. You can expect PreFlight adjuvant to be available in early 2021 as of this writing.

So that's PreFlight adjuvant. We hope you're excited to try it for yourself and to see how well it works in your program.

Now let's go over PostFlight tank cleaner and see what it can do for you.

What is PostFlight Tank Cleaner?

PostFlight tank cleaner and stain/pigment remover is made with a proprietary blend of potassium hydroxide, ethoxylated branched C11-14, C13-rich alcohols and solvents.

It's essentially a neutralizer and made to replace all other tank products because of its dual functionality. Because it cleans and removes pigments, there's no need to use two separate products for the job.

You can clean the inside and outside of spray equipment while also removing stains from spray pattern indicator dyes and turf paints.

This means it's ideal for golf course managers who use pigments throughout the turf and want to keep the equipment free and clear of turf paint. It gets rid of the pigment quickly, making the applicator equipment clean after use.

It can be used on materials of all types, from metal equipment to plastic parts and rubber hoses. Just remember not to use it on porous surfaces like granite and soft stone. If your equipment looks unsightly, PostFlight tank cleaner will clean it up easily.

It doesn't just clean the outside; it also cleans the inside.

PostFlight tank cleaner will clean the inside of spray tanks while also deactivating some pesticide residues. Cleaning these residues will help prevent undesirable effects during mixing and applying the products.

Where to Use PostFlight Tank Cleaner

As a tank cleaner, PostFlight works great for cleaning equipment in general. So if you're a pest management professional who needs to deactivate pesticide residues and to keep the inside and outside of the spray tank clean, this is the product for you.

It's the stain- and pigment-removing functionality that makes it ideal for the golf market. Golf courses use a lot of pigments and spray pattern indicator dyes and paints. Using these daily or weekly can cause a lot of staining on the equipment, making it look old and unsightly. PostFlight tank cleaner keeps the equipment clean after every application.

As a neutralizer, it's a must-have product in your arsenal. It will clean the tank, hoses and pumps in and on the equipment, ensuring the residues from previous applications are neutralized.

It's still best practice to triple rinse and also to use PostFlight tank cleaner for the best results.

So to recap, use PostFlight tank cleaner to clean pigments and dyes off equipment, including other objects such as sprinkler heads. Use it to clean the inside and outside of spray tanks and other equipment to remove iron, stains and pigments. It's especially useful for neutralizing residues from previous pesticides.

Tank Cleaning Best Practices

The dilution amount varies depending on your tank size.

For a small tank, which is less than 100 gallons, fill it half full of water, and add 1 ounce of PostFlight tank cleaner for every 3 gallons of water. For large tanks above 100 gallons, add 50 gallons of water to the tank, and then add 1 pint (16 fluid ounces) of PostFlight tank cleaner.

Once the solution is in the tank, turn agitation on with the spray boom/nozzle closed. Allow the solution to circulate throughout the system. If you have a smaller tank without agitation, you'll need to physically agitate the mix.

For the best performance, make sure to wash the entire tank in the solution, including the cover. After the solution has run for at least five minutes, open the spray boom/nozzle to allow the solution to run through the nozzles. Let it run longer if you're using the solution to clean tanks with built-up residues.

If you plan to use PostFlight tank cleaner on small parts such as nozzles and screens, make a solution of 1 ounce per 1 gallon of water.

Pigment Cleaning Best Practices

Using PostFlight tank cleaner for pigment and stain removal couldn't be easier. It's ready to use with no dilution needed. You may want to apply it with a hand spray bottle or similar spray applicator for the best results.

Consider using it with warm water to boost its overall performance. If it's an older stain, you may have to reapply PostFlight tank cleaner until it's removed.

Keep in mind that PostFlight tank cleaner is intended for nonporous surfaces. You should avoid using it on marble, soft stone, granite or similar porous surfaces. If you're concerned about damage to the surface, conduct a small test in an inconspicuous area before applying it to a larger area.

When Will ProFlight Tank Cleaner Be Available?

Like PreFlight adjuvant, both products will be available to our valuable customers sometime in early 2021. The transition from other products to PreFlight adjuvant and PostFlight tank cleaner will take a little time, but we expect it to excel in the pest management and golf course management fields once it hits the market.

We hope you're excited to try these products out in the field when we release them early this year.