Money Saving Farm Equipment Innovations

Innovation lies at the core of the American spirit and the Aberdeen, Idaho, Plant Materials Center (PMC) is no exception.  So radically different than its predecessors, D. Boyd Simonson's WaterJet Stinger and its powerful spray — used to “dig” out holes in the soil for planting tall cuttings — might actually be considered a discovery.  “In the semi-arid West, it’s important that plants installed in a riparian zone have their roots in the deepest water table of the year,” says PMC farm manager and Simonson’s supervisor Brent L. Cornforth. “I’ve found other high-pressure water jets don’t hold-up well to the pressure and pounding of boring holes.” Consisting of a complex array of hoses, valves, and power pumps atop a small platform that moves on small tank-like treads, the WaterJet Stinger is simple to transport and operate and is capable of digging a narrow shaft over six feet into the soil.

“We have found that a three-person WaterJet Stinger team works well with one member of the team running the WaterJet while the other two members haul the cuttings and plant them in the holes,” said Simonson, a biological science technician at the Aberdeen, PMC.  “It gets the job done like nothing else I’ve ever used.”

The spirit of innovation has resulted in the modification of farm equipment that has greatly improved the productivity of the PMC. “Historically, innovation in farming practices is one of the areas where a new invention such as the cotton gin or a modification of existing equipment has resulted in an enormous impact in agricultural output. Such innovations have enabled us to plow, grow, harvest, and distribute agricultural products more quickly to an ever expanding world population and to address environmental needs as well,” said Simonson.  An innovator by nature, Simonson has altered, invented, and modified farm equipment saving of hundreds of man hours at the PMC.  According to Cornforth, if these inventions and modifications were implemented throughout the nation, they could potentially save farmers thousands of dollars in labor costs.  For more information, see the WaterJet Stinger technical note.
Your contact is D. Boyd Simonson, NRCS biological science technician, at 208-397-4133.