This is the latest in lightweight, battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that give growers a bird’s eye view of their fields. It fills a gap between manned aerial inspections and traditional fieldwork. Visible, NIR and NDVI aerial data can produce prescription maps to aid growers in determining crop stress levels, drought indicators, temperature effects, water fertilizer variation and more. GeoBlu Services UAVs represent a platform from which growers can determine the suitability of croplands and detect diseases and other stress-related conditions. Specific spectral data gives information in order to rapidly survey the land below. The data is immediately actionable, offering growers information on overall vegetative health, where and when to plant their valuable crop, and irrigation and water management. For more information, visit www.geobluservices.com.
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Advanced Reconnaissance Corporation AgVu
Advanced Reconnaissance Corp. (ARC) provides airborne crop analysis imagery from an advanced type of sensor, called a "hyperspectral sensor."
ARC uses similar technology for defense applications, making ARC's sensor the most advanced sensor system available today. An aircraft with the hyperspectral sensor flies over a farmer's field collecting more than 50 times the information conventional imaging sensors collect. This massive collection of data is automatically converted into a false-color map, called AgVu, where every color on the image corresponds to a stress in the vegetation that the grower decides how to manage.
Knowing where the crops are undergoing stress is key to allowing the grower to know when and where some action needs to be taken. In this case, the grower had already treated a two-spotted spider mite infestation in the two areas to the left, but AgVu showed a third area, unknown to the grower, at the bottom where treatment needed to be applied immediately.
This is a new double-barreled implement: It combines the soil-mulching features of a rototiller with the weed-killing effectiveness of flame. Growers of high-density vegetable crops now literally have a hot, new alternative to conventional cultivation tools and herbicides for weed control. A rotor in the front tills the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, said owner Bob Sutton. A second rotor then makes what Sutton terms “a curtain of soil” that is exposed to super-heated burners that kill any weed seed in the top 2 to 3 inches. Sutton says the machine is not for everybody as it’s certainly not cheap, but growers who have high weeding bills can easily make it pay off. Also, it’s a great option for organic growers or really any grower who wants a near-perfect 80-inch bed that’s practically weed-free with no herbicide application. For more information, visit www.suttonag.com.
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JackRabbit JackRunner Operator Platform
Constantly straining to look over their shoulder while harvesting tree nuts takes a heavy toll on equipment operators, who can now have reduced fatigue thanks to the new JackRunner operator platform featuring a 180-degree swivel seat.
The newly designed cab not only offers more comfort and improved visibility, the 180-degree platform allows the operator to change the direction of travel in seconds. With row speeds of up to 30 mph and almost instantaneous changes in direction, the JackRunner can reduce harvest time by more than 25%.
In addition, the ergonomic joystick powers both forward and reverse travel, as well as auger and bin dumping. Fingertip controls at the steering wheel include a parking brake and low lock switch for convenience and safety. Standard features include an air-conditioned, shock-proofed, acoustically insulated cab with high-visibility instrumentation and 3/8" tinted Lexan windows.
For a small vehicle, the RTVX900 has
a strong heartbeat, a 21.6-horsepower, three-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine. In addition, the Variable Hydro Transmission features more usable torque, steady acceleration, and power train durability than a rubber-belted transmission.
This new platform/harvest assist machine is designed for mainly tree fruit. The machine is outfitted with a scissors-style lift that can raise and lower two platforms, one on the front and one on the back. The three-wheeled unit picks bins off the ground and hoists them up to where the fruit is being picked. When the bins are full, they are lowered back down to the orchard floor.
The Bandit Xpress is self-propelled, utilizing a Honda 25-horsepower engine, and doesn’t even require a driver as it has auto-steer capability. The unit is towable, making it easy to move from one block to the next.
Up to four workers can harvest and maintain fruit trees much more productively than with conventional systems. At the same time, it’s also a lot safer for workers, as they are harnessed in to prevent falling.
In addition to increased productivity, the Bandit Xpress also has a full lighting system so people can work at night. This allows the grower to speed up harvest times by a wide margin, and the workers appreciate it because they can work when it’s cooler.
A tree shaker painted pink is certainly a shock, so it’s only appropriate that it was dreamed up by the president and chief executive officer of Orchard Machinery Corporation, which manufactures the "Shockwave" tree shaker. "I’ve been wanting to do this for a number of years," says CEO Don Mayo.
The unit is a tribute to his wife, Brenda, as well as to a relative of a customer who also passed away from breast cancer. It’s only fitting that the shaker was produced for the 2014 crop as Brenda passed away 30 years ago, says Mayo. His daughter Sarah is 36, the same age as Brenda was when she passed away.
"My daughter, Sarah, is just thrilled," he says. "When you go through an experience like that you never forget anything about it."
Mayo, who says OMC built the world’s first tree shaker 55 years ago, notes it was only natural for him to use a
tree shaker for such a tribute.
"That’s what I do," he says, "I own OMC and [Shockwave] is the flagship product."
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Northwest Tillers Blueberry Machine
Northwest Tillers manufactures a new heavy-duty tiller that ranges from 4 feet to 6 feet. The tiller is made from 1/2-inch plate steel and will incorporate the sticks and mulch between the blueberry berms. This leaves the ground in-between the berms flat with no leaves, limbs or twigs for better water penetration. which will last for a long time. When harvest time comes, growers will have a clean field for harvesting your blueberries.
This blueberry machine allows growers to:
Level and float with adjustable down-pressure pan – filling holes and firming the orchard floor with an adjustable roller.
Speed up harvest and create better drying conditions with a clean orchard floor.
Enrich bush health by promoting microbial action in the soil.
The Toro Company was originally founded in 1914 and is about to achieve a rare milestone — celebrating 100 years in business, the company announced at a press conference at World Ag Expo.
"Though Toro's official 100th anniversary is July 10, 2014, we will be celebrating our centennial all year long because this is an opportunity to look back on Toro's notable achievements, recognize the ingenuity and dedication of our employees, and thank our business partners and customers for their loyalty and trust," said Mike Drazan.
Toro's remarkable longevity is due, said Drazan, to a few critical factors:
The character of their people and channel partners.
Their commitment to develop caring relationships
with customers.
Building market leadership through innovation.
The quality of their products.
"These factors form the foundation of our continued success and are why we are here today," he said. "And, as a result, Toro's employees have earned more than 1,500 patents over the years, and dealers and retailers in more than 90 countries around the world."
Drazan then announced three new products.
First, Toro's new Thinwall dripline is an extremely durable and highly plug-resistant dripline ideal for subsurface applications and semipermanent crops. Second, its new pressure-compensating Micro Sprinkler 7 PC provides uniform flows and diameters, and offers a wider throw than previous models. Third, Toro is dramatically extending the product range available for its popular Aqua-Traxx PC, pressure-compensated drip tape.
Fruit and vegetable growers were like kids in a candy store at the 47th annual World Ag Expo, where a slate of new products were introduced.
More than 50 countries was represented at this year’s Expo, which boasted 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space on 260 acres of show grounds. With 1,500 exhibitors and 100,000 attendees, World Ag Expo is the world’s largest annual agricultural exposition.
“This has been another great show for us,” said Jerry Sinift, World Ag Expo’s CEO. “This is the place where serious buyers and sellers come to do business, and we’ve heard lots of success stories again this year.”
This year’s highlights included the new World Ag Expo Arena with daily exhibitor showcases facilitated by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. The Arena, which featured the latest products and technologies from World Ag Expo’s exhibitors, was a popular attraction for attendees.
Have a Plan For Climate Change? Why Fruit Growers Need To Act Now
Two governors were in attendance at this year’s Expo. California Governor Jerry Brown made a brief visit after commenting on the drought at a breakfast hosted by the Agricultural Council of California. South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard spent the show’s final day visiting with attendees at the South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s exhibit space after touring the showgrounds and visiting with media and volunteers.
You wouldn’t have known it was February in Tulare, CA, as sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s helped attract big crowds. New products included everything from aerial drones, which allow growers to get a bird’s eye view that allows them to spot problems in their orchards and fields, to a new utility vehicle, ideal for getting to the site of such problems in a hurry. You can get a look at some of these new products on the next few pages.
015World Ag Expo Recap: New Equipment For Your Orchard And Field
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David Eddy is the editor of Meister Media Worldwide's American Fruit Grower®magazine. See all author stories here.