Posted: May 5, 2009

Company claims new unit is fast in the field, fast on the road, and minimizes water fill-ups

Tired of stopping work in the field to fill the sprayer tank up with water? Sprayer manufacturers Marflex believe they may have the solution for you.

Marflex is a Minnesota-based manufacturer of custom sprayers that in recent years has grown a market for sprayers mounted on truck chassis. Starting out with pick-up sprayers, its truck sprayers have grown to include larger truck frames. Its latest sprayer is built on an International 7400 series 2.5 ton truck frame that the customer supplies.

Jay Mercil, manager/sales representative with Marflex, says speed, capacity and durability are the biggest selling points of the new unit. Available with 1,450 and 2,000 gallon stainless steel tanks, he says the sprayer can cut time in the field and spare producers a number of time-consuming fill-ups. Its ability to travel at road speed also cuts time for producers driving from field to field.

"It's a one-person operation – you don't have to have a support person bring you water in the field," says Mercil. "Running at 18 mph with the 120 ft boom, you can cover 271 acres per hour. We have a lot of customers saying they've never been out of the field as fast as they have with our sprayer because they can average 1,200 or more acres a day."

The International truck chassis also offers a number of advantages, says Mercil, who notes their strength, simplicity, durability and ability to handle large loads. "The user-friendly thing is that the booms are located right behind the cab, offering good visibility."

An optional plastic skid plate can be installed below the truck chassis and the axles to help prevent crop damage for spraying later in the growing season.

The sprayer's booms, which are available in sizes ranging from 90 to 120 ft, have been designed to flex and compensate for field conditions. From the cab, the operator controls hydraulic tip lift and vertical cylinders which allow the driver to clear obstacles in the field. The units also include a Raven 440 controller with Sky Track radar and an optional Trimble Ag Leader guidance system.

More information available is available on the Marflex Web site at www.marflexsprayers.com.

Posted: May 5, 2009

Prairie provincial agriculture departments offer producers annual grasshopper forecasts based on information collected the previous year. Here's where to get details on the 2009 grasshopper forecasts for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Alberta. According to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, the potential risk of economically significant grasshopper populations in 2009 has decreased throughout most of Alberta including part of the Peace region. The Alberta grasshopper forecast map for 2009 shows low populations of grasshoppers throughout much of central and southern Alberta. However, there are areas of southern and eastern Alberta and the Peace region with elevated risk.

Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture has identified areas of high populations that could result in economic infestations. The 2009 Grasshopper Forecast Map indicates light to severe areas of risk in the southwest. Areas of light to severe risk have also been identified in the Lipton and Southey area. Most of the southeast shows very light to moderate risk.

Manitoba. Although about three-quarters of the surveyed area still rated as light or very light risk, overall the grasshopper numbers have increased for the second year in a row, according to Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. The 247 counts done in August 2008 included 23 in the moderate risk category, 13 in the severe risk category and three in the very severe category.

Posted: May 5, 2009

Viterra's lineup of company-branded crop protection options just keep coming. The company has added two new Group 1 herbicides with its launch of Shadow RTM and Marengo.

Shadow RTM provides post-emergence control of tough grassy weeds in several broadleaf crops, including field peas, flax, canola, lentils and soybeans. It protects against an array of common weeds such as wild oats, green and yellow foxtail, Persian darnel, barnyardgrass, and volunteer barley, oats, wheat and canaryseed.

Marengo provides post-emergence control of annual grasses in all varieties of spring wheat, winter wheat, two and six-row barley, and spring and winter rye. It protects crops against wild and volunteer oats, green and yellow foxtail, barnyardgrass and Persian darnel.

Viterra announced the launch of another company-branded Group 1 herbicide, Foothills, earlier in April. The month also saw the launch of a Group 2 herbicide from Viterra called Pulse Star.

More information is available on the Viterra Web site.