Mathematics for the Green Industry

Get this comprehensive guide to the use of math in the Green Industry.

Designed for both students and practitioners in the Green Industry, this book offers full coverage of the calculations necessary to effectively, safely, and economically manage a Green Industry operation. The authors provide clear explanations of all relevant mathematical principles and cover calculations inherent in all aspects of the Green Industry, from determining area and volume, to the application of fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators, to preparing design and installation cost estimates. Coverage includes computations for:

• Landscape installation and maintenance.
• Greenhouse, nursery, and interior landscape operation.
• Parks and recreation maintenance.
• Turf management, including lawn care, sports turf, and sod production.
• Proper application of fertilizers, pesticides, and plant-growth regulators.
• Proper calibration of application equipment.

Additional features include multiple computations you can work through, appendices with units of measure and equivalents, and a table with conversion factors.

Preface v

About the Authors vii

Part 1 Mathematical Principles 1

Chapter 1 Basic Math Skills 1

Chapter 2 Measurement and Calculations with Measured Values 31

Chapter 3 Geometry 47

Part 2 Green Industry Applications 79

Chapter 4 Calculating the Area of Landscape Features 79

Chapter 5 Fertilizer Calculations 95

Chapter 6 Pesticide and Plant Growth Regulator Calculations 127

Chapter 7 Calibration of Application Equipment 151

Chapter 8 Mathematical Applications for the Turfgrass Industry 169

Chapter 9 Mathematical Applications for the Landscape Industry 191

Chapter 10 Mathematical Applications for the Greenhouse, Nursery, and Interior Landscape Industries 223

Appendix A: Metric System Prefixes 285

Appendix B: Tables of Equivalents 287

Appendix C: Table of Conversion Factors 297

Appendix D: Squaring-Up Gardens and Garden Structures 307

Appendix E: Solutions to Practice Problems 309

Index 395

MICHAEL L. AGNEW, PHD, is Senior Field Technical Manager for Syngenta Professional Products, Greensboro, North Carolina. He is coauthor of Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance, Fourth Edition (Wiley).

NANCY H. AGNEW, PHD, is Student Programs Instructor at Longwood Gardens, Inc., Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. She teaches a course in horticulture mathematics.

NICK E. CHRISTIANS, PHD, is University Professor of Horticulture at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. His previous books include Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance, Fourth Edition, and Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management, Third Edition (Wiley).

ANN MARIE VANDERZANDEN, PHD, is Associate Professor of Horti-culture at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. She is coauthor of Landscape Design: Theory and Application.

A comprehensive guide to the use of math in the Green Industry

Designed for both students and practitioners in the Green Industry, this book offers full coverage of the calculations necessary to effectively, safely, and economically manage a Green Industry operation.

Following clear explanations of all relevant mathematical principles, the authors cover calculations inherent in all aspects of the Green Industry, from determining area and volume, to the application of fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators, to preparing design and installation cost estimates.

Coverage includes computations for:

• Landscape installation and maintenance
• Greenhouse, nursery, and interior landscape operation
• Parks and recreation maintenance
• Turf management, including lawn care, sports turf, and sod production
• Proper application of fertilizers, pesticides, and plant-growth regulators
• Proper calibration of application equipment

Additional features include multiple computations for readers to work through, appendices with units of measure and equivalents, and a table with conversion factors.