Well, 2009 is drawing to a close, and I’m getting ready to take a short break from traveling so I can recharge before it all begins again in 2010. One of my last stops of the year was the Cornell Research Lab in Riverhead, New York, where they allowed me the pleasure of hosting two maintenance seminars this past weekend.
We had excellent attendance, and as always, it was wonderful to meet the growers in person and discuss their fertilizer injector questions. My training centered on the importance of maintenance, as well as proper injector calibration. Many growers do not realize it, but these topics are closely related, as regular injector calibration is the key to knowing when it is time to perform maintenance on your equipment. Without calibration, it’s almost impossible to tell if an older injector is still dispensing the proper amount of fertilizer. If you calibrate regularly, you’ll know at once if your injector’s seals need to be replaced or if they’re still performing well. In addition to these topics, I also covered pesticide applications and safe handling practices.
I was assisted by Charles Germano from Green Island, who is Dosatron certified in maintenance and repairs.
Many growers called Green Island to tell them the seminar was very helpful and they were happy they attended. That’s what makes all the traveling worthwhile for me.
Stay tuned, because I’ll be back on the road in January, visiting growers and conducting seminars. You’ll also be able to catch me at MANTS in Baltimore on January 6 – 8 (booth #2952). And of course, there will be more Tales from the Road.
Thank you all for reading. Happy holidays, and all the best for 2010.
Lela
Tags: Lela's Tales from the Road, Maintenance, Technical Tips