Top ten new products at this year's World Ag Expo
The Top-10 New Products at this year's World Ag Expo featured an impressive array of cutting-edge, costsaving and resourcemanaging innovations that may change agriculture forever.
Winners of the Top10 New Products competition were awarded Tuesday at the expo, held at the International Agri-center in Tulare. Contest judges were made up of farmers, ranchers and industry professionals.
The winners included:
Wide Trellis Prepruner (Andros Engineering Corporation) – cuts and stripes excess canes from table grape vineyards grown on a wide “Y” trellis.
The Cyclone (Automated Ag Systems) – a vacuum machine designed to aid in the efficiency of harvest, alleviate worker fatigue and reduce bruising during harvest.
Calf-tel Plastic Floor (Calf-tel) – this structural, plastic foam provides flexible cushioning under the calves' weight for added comfort under hoof and while laying down.
ETP Tire Sealant Pumping System (Eco Transportation Products) – developed to pump Monster Seal Tire Sealant into a truck tire in one minute.
RBMPRO 2000 Selfloading Wrapped Silage Bale Mover (Groupe Anderson, Inc). – the perfect solution for picking up, carrying and unloading round wrapped silage bales. It is fully automatic and features an innovative plastic care free loading arm.
KEITH Walkbox Unloader (KEITH Manufacturing) – the horizontal unloader is a moving floor system installed on a truck chassis that “walks” material out the back of the truck body, with no tipping.
Immunity Female Genomic Test with Elevate (Semex) – This genomic test of immune response determines the capability of females to respond to disease challenges.
Low Pro Cab 532 (SBM) – a fully welded uni-body ROPS Certified Orchard Cab designed to endure the toughest walnut, almond and other trees. With driver comfort and safety in mind, it keeps the driver safe from branches and other hazards, as well as chemicals.
Wireless Irrigation Valve Controller with Volumetric Feedback (Vinduino) – provides long-range wireless technologies that help farm communities manage irrigation better under changing climate conditions.
Wiggins Ag ebull (XL Lifts - a Wiggins Lift dealer) – the industry's first commercialized large capacity lithium electric forklift for the ag industry.
Automated Ag Systems, based in Moses Lake, Washington, is no stranger to the World Ag Expo or the Top-10 New Products competition. The company also won the award in 2017 for its Melon Wrangler and in 2014 for its Bandit Xpress.
Joseph Oliphant, assembly manager with Automated Ag Systems, said the Cyclone essentially eliminates the need for a picking bag.
He said workers typically stand on a ladder when picking fruit off trees, fill up their bag and then go to a bin to dump the fruit out.
The Cyclone, however, takes the fruit straight from the worker's hand by suction, conveys it through padded tubes and gently drops it into the bin with minimal bruising.
As the bin fills, an electronic eye slowly lowers the bin, allowing the bin to fill without damaging fruit in the process.
Oliphant said the machine could work for any round fruit that grows on a trellis system, like oranges, apples, pomegranates and stone fruit.
In the long run, Oliphant said the machine will be safer and easier on the bodies of workers, and more efficient for the farmer to get their product to storage or the market.
“We've got a few more adjustments to make on it, but for the most part, this is what it's going to be,” he said.
While none of this year's winners were local, one of last year's winners was still on full display at the expo: Kingsburg-based Crinklaw Farm Services' Global Unmanned Spray System, aka GUSS.
The autonomous sprayer can spray around 5,000 acres in peak season and only one operator is needed to run multiple machines at one time.
Gary Thompson, marketing director, said in the time since last year's expo, Crinklaw began spraying commercially with four GUSS machines and were able to spray just over 20,000 acres with them.
He said time was also spent fine-tuning the software and working bugs out over the last year.
Looking towards the future, Thompson said Crinklaw will be moving into a new building in Kingsburg in March and is ready to continue services there.
“Now at this point, we're starting production and we're going to start sales,” Thompson said about GUSS. “That's what 2019 is all about.”