Selective Eye Sprayer Spies Weed, Then Sprays

Selective Eye Sprayer Spies Weed,Then Sprays SPRAYING New Sprayers 8-3-28 A new "selective eye" electronic sprayer, developed by BJR Enterprise Co., Levelland, Tex., consists of upside-down U-shaped row units that have infrared electric eyes spaced 14 in. apart to spot weeds. When a weed breaks the beam of light, a solenoid that's activated in less than a millisecond sprays a burst of chemical onto the weed. The new HEC electronic sprayer is ideal for new expensive herbicides, such as Poast and Fusilade, that are extremely effective against above-the-crop weeds such as johnsongrass and volunteer corn. The company says the sprayer is also effective with Roundup because it sprays so quickly there's little crop damage from splashing. "You can travel at speeds from 2 to 8 mph with this sprayer and always do a good job. The electronic controls are so quick that even at 8 mph. there's little overspray. "It far outshines rope wick applicators. There's no drip and no evaporation, and it coats the weed better," says Jones. "Some farmers tell us it costs them about $3.00 an acre to operate a rope wick even if there aren't any weeds because of evaporation and dripping. Our sprayer costs less than $1.00 an acre on an average weedy field." The electronic row units are designed to mount on a hydraulic tool-bar in front of a tractor. When spraying above the rows, each unit is centered above a row and held just above the crop. There is a manual override for each row unit so that the operator can zap weeds below the level of the crop in the row. For spraying weeds between rows, the operator simply runs the units next to the ground down the centers of the rows and they'll spray everything they come across. Jones notes that the spray units can also be mounted on the rear of the tractor, or fixed to a row crop cultivator to nail weeds above the crop while the cultivator gets the weeds between rows. "It's so stingy on spray that, when spraying weeds above the crop, a 25 gal. tank will keep a 12 row sprayer going for 4¢ hrs. The spray mechanism is so quick that it saves 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of spraying by hand because of chemical waste," says Jones. Since each row can be operated either manually or automatically, selected units can be turned off so you can operate in tight areas or on end rows. There's a 14-in. gap between the electric eyes on each unit. Everything is powered by 12-V battery power. The solenoid is the only moving part. Any chemical can be used in the sprayer. The HEC sells for $500 a row, which includes the row units, and all wiring and controls. The farmer supplies the toolbar and tanks. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, BJR Enterprise Co., Rt. 5, Box 381, Levelland, Tex. 79336 (ph 806 894-2875, or 806 894-5992).

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