Posted: April 9, 2009

Equipment Technologies' Apache AS 715 sprayer.

Equipment Technologies claims its self-propelled sprayers deliver 50 percent better fuel efficiency than hydrostatic sprayers in its class

Better fuel efficiency means better profitability. That's the message Indiana-based Equipment Technologies banks on with its Apache self-propelled sprayers.

Equipment Technologies claims Apache sprayers get 50 percent better fuel efficiency than hydrostatic sprayers of the same size and weight. The core reason for this, says Charlie May, marketing manager with Equipment Technologies, lies in the Apache's mechanically-driven transmission, which the company says makes more efficient use of engine power. As a result, says May, producers can get more done with less fuel.

"If you are spraying between 500 and 1,100 acres on a single tank of fuel, which is double or sometimes even triple what you can spray on one tank of gas with our competitors' models, you're talking about the ability to get more done, which means you have time for other things, not to mention extra money," says May. "You can cover two to three times the amount of ground in the same week that you could with our competitors' machines."

More horsepower, less fuel

Equipment Technologies launched its Apache line of sprayers in 1997. The latest entry in the Apache model line is the AS 715, which May says delivers 15 percent more horsepower and 32 percent more torque than the company's previous model, the AS 710. Despite the horsepower increase, May says the new model sports a six percent increase in fuel efficiency over the previous model, a benefit he chalks up to the flexibility of the mechanically-driven transmission.

The company also emphasizes the Apache's ability to tackle hilly terrain. "Our patented hydraulic suspension will comfortably take you where others won't: manoeuvring up hills, through wet fields, over ruts, bumps and ridges. It also includes an anti-sway feature designed to keep the axle and frame parallel to each other when making sharp turns, in the process keeping booms level," says May.

"Combined with the all-gear, mechanical drive, the Apache uses a torque-converted transmission that allows you to take off in any gear range and multiply engine torque up to two times when needed for hilly terrain. The limited slip differential helps put that torque to the ground."

More information available on Apache sprayers is available at www.apachesprayer.com.

Posted: April 9, 2009

Putting invaders in their place: Showcasing integrated weed management strategies" is the theme of the upcoming annual general meeting (AGM) of the Alberta Invasive Plants Council (AIPC), to be held at the Red Deer Lodge in Red Deer, Alberta April 29, 2009.

Invasive species are on the public radar much more these days. Often, the "wildflower" landscapes seen in travel and recreation ads in fact include infestations of invasive plants brought to Canada simply because they are beautiful.

AIPC members include government, academics, non-government organizations and others dedicated to helping Albertans see their role in controlling invasive plant species. The group targets urban community leaders, government land managers, private landowners, outdoor and recreational enthusiasts, students, naturalists, conservationists and other concerned citizens.

Topics to be covered at this year's AGM include:

• The theory and practice of weed biocontrol – Dr. Brian Van Hezewijk, visiting scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station, Lethbridge.
• Methods of control for restricted weeds: spotted knapweed – Monique Veitch, natural resource technician, CFB/ASU Wainwright.
• Invasive plants: New approaches to educating the public – Lisa Guest, supervisor of parks, Town of Canmore.
• City of Calgary invasive plant program – Simon Wilkins, IPM coordinator, City of Calgary.

Registration information is available on the AIPC Web site at www.invasiveplants.ab.ca by hitting "News and Events" and following the links.

Posted: April 9, 2009

Viterra has added a new Group 1 herbicide to its company-branded line-up of crop protection products. Foothills is a grass herbicide for use in the Prairie provinces as well as the Peace River, Okanagan and Creston Flats regions of B.C.

Featuring the active ingredient clodinafop-propargyl, Foothills is intended for use in spring wheat and durum that provides control of wild oats, green and yellow foxtail, barnyardgrass, Persian darnel, as well as volunteer oats and canaryseed. According to a company news release, Foothills has more than 28 tank mix options for broad spectrum control in a single pass.

More information on Foothills and other Viterra crop protection products is available here.

Posted: April 9, 2009

Certified agricultural professionals, including custom pesticide applicators, will now be able to more easily work in provinces across the country under a new interprovincial trade agreement.

According to a news release from the Province of Manitoba and reported by such news services as Farm Business Communications, Chapter 7 of the national Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) on labour mobility came into effect April 1. Under the chapter, a person certified as qualified to practice an occupation in any Canadian jurisdiction will be recognized and able to practice their occupation in any other Canadian jurisdiction unless a province requires a specific exception from the rule in order to ensure achievement of a legitimate objective such as protecting health and safety.

Each province will continue to be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the requirements that are in place through provincial legislation for regulated occupations.

"Improved labour mobility within Canada will create a more stable, attractive climate for business investment," said Manitoba's Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Andrew Swan in the release. "Addressing issues related to skills shortages in many regions of the country will create more opportunities to fill gaps in the labour force, placing Canada in a positive position to enhance our competitiveness in an expanding global economy."