The Great Turfstradamus will make a prediction: This upcoming year, you will hear more about GPS Spray application than any other "new" technology/products introduced at the GIS. Ok, this is probably not going too far out on a limb. I might even have just a little bit of insider trading information, but the end is near! I have heard many times, " They can do it in the Ag market, why can't we?" Now some of that discussion was during the demise of the centrifugal pump and depending on who you spoke to, it could be operator error by running the pump dry or the witches brew in your tank. One of my favorite lines from a technician, on the failure of a centrifugal pump years ago was, "Farmers are spraying paraquat through those pumps and they are not having the seals leak!". But I digress, we can talk pumps another time.
As of today, we have the Smithco Star Command System (*disclaimer-unit I sell) and the Nu-Tec product. I have been on the Smithco unit and am really impressed with the technology.
I did speak with the people from Nu Tec at last years GIS and have heard some positive feedback from some of the sales guys who had customers get units set up. The newest introduction is a company called Turflux out of Pittsburg. We got the chance to get a presentation at the Penn State Turfgrass Conference, a few weeks back, and will be working with them. I cannot give an overview that would do it justice, but I am a believer in what they are preaching.
I do think that 2 of the other major sprayer manufacturers will have something at the GIS in this product line. I know of one prototype here in the Mid-Atlantic (might be green) and from prior to my exodus, there was talk of something on the near horizon on the GPS sprayer front in red.
With the talk of savings from 15% to 40%, depending on whose literature you are reading, the introduction of a GPS sprayer into your fleet may be closer than you ever thought.
I have seen the future and it is coming to a sprayer near you!
http://turflux.com/
http://www.smithco.com/new-smithco-star-command-system/
http://nutecsoil.com/
WJC
AKA-The Great Turfstradamus