Quackgrass Spray Rig On An ATV

Quackgrass Spray Rig On An ATV ATV'S ATV'S 6-2-7 "With this set-up, we can spray quackgrass early in the spring before we can get on the ground with larger equipment," explains Kim Gearhart, of Edon, Ohio, about the sprayer outfit his uncle rigged up on a Scrambler all-terrain vehicle. "Since we're on the field 2 or 3 days earlier than we can move with tillage equipment; we can get the quackgrass sprayed and still have plenty of time for Roundup to work before we till it under," Kim points out. He and his uncle use the ATV sprayer to apply Roundup on small patches of quackgrass. Since it can be turned on and off as needed, the Gearharts can selectively spray only where there's quackgrass. "At $60 to $70 a gallon, Roundup is just too expensive to spray over the entire field," Kim notes. A 3-hp. gasoline engine drives a small pump on the sprayer. A used 30-gal. oil drum makes up the herbicide and water reservoir. An 8-ft. boom applies the herbicide. "The entire spray rig can be lifted off and put on a pickup, or stored away in seconds," Kim points out. "We covered a couple hundred acres with this rig last spring. But we only used about 20 acres worth of Roundup since we were able to spray selectively."

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.