New Electric Eye Sprayer Spies Weed, Then Sprays

New Electric Eye Sprayer Spies Weed, Then Sprays SPRAYING New Sprayers 7-2-24 An "electric eye" sprayer specifically designed to apply Poast and Fusilade, the latest new grass herbicides, was unveiled at a recent southern farm show. Poast and Fusilade are extremely expensive "over the top" chemicals, with Fusilade selling in the range of $260 a gal. last year and Poast for over $100. Roger Bowman, president of Bowman Manufacturing, says many farmers feel the chemicals are too expensive to broadcast. "Our new Scan Ray electric eye-operated sprayer automatically detects and spot sprays above-the-crop weeds at a fraction of the cost of broadcast spraying. It allows farmers to use these new chemicals, which are extremely effective on Johnson-grass, volunteer corn and other above-the-row weeds," says Bowman, noting that Poast and Fusilade are contact grass herbicides that, unlike Roundup, will not harm broadleaves. Here's how the Scan Ray works: A constant electric beam travels constantly between arms extending in front of the tractor. The operator adjusts the height of the light rays to just above the crop by shifting the hydraulic lift frame. When a weed breaks the light beam, a solenoid valve is activated. This triggers the spray system which sprays chemical for a pre-selected interval of time, then shuts off automatically. The light beam is about 3 ft. ahead of the nozzles and 20 in. below them, which allows enough.time for the spray pattern to develop. The light beam needs just 1/1000 second to detect weeds, which can be as small as 1/32 of an in. in dia., says Bowman. "It reduces the cost of using over the top chemicals by 90% or more and eliminates the need for extra labor required for manual spot sprayers. You can travel at speeds of 5 mph and faster with the sprayer calibrated to your speed. It sprays for exactly the right amount of time, eliminating chemical waste due to spraying too soon or too long," Bowman told FARM SHOW. "The Scan Ray is designed for spot spraying applications only. Farmers with heavy infestations should use a broadcast sprayer," he advises. The Scan Ray is available in 4, 6, and 8 row units. The 60-row model, which uses three electric eyes, runs around $3,600, including everything except the pump and tank. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bowman Mfg. Co., Rt. 3, Box 705, Newport, Ark. 72112 (ph 501 523-2785).

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