On track: New ground sprayer design allows for wide boom, less rutting and improved efficiency

摘要

Randy Chrisman had an "aha" moment during the 2016-17 winter when he came up with the idea for a rubber-tracked sprayer with a wide boom that would be more efficient than traditional steel-wheeled rigs.A Williams, California, rice producer who also runs a custom-application business, Chrisman had Iron Tree Solutions fabricate his dream machine in time for a trial run during the 2017 season. After a few modifications, the rig was launched commercially in 2018."We were struggling with all of the steel wheels getting stuck and couldn't cover the ground we needed to," Chrisman says of his inspiration.The new sprayer — built on two sets of 9-inch rubber tracks with a 105-foot-wide boom — proved so successful he ordered two more built for the 2019 season but with 120-foot booms.