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Dosatron Gives Back: Texas A & M University

April 12th, 2010

Dosatron has always been committed to advancing the future of horticulture; for years, we’ve contributed equipment, funds, and expertise to university horticulture departments, so that the young students who are the future of the industry will have all the resources and education they need when it becomes their turn to lead horticulture innovations in the coming decades.

Texas A & M University’s horticulture program has long been one of our favorite programs to support because of the great work they do. In fact, our own Lela Kelly sits on the advisory panel for the Ellison Chair of International Floriculture at Texas A & M.

Recently, we donated one of our award-winning D14MZ2 – 14 GPM injectors to Dr. Terri Starman’s class at Texas A & M. The students were so grateful that they sent us this photo of them with the Dosatron:

TexAM_Students

It’s so great to see the faces of the actual people who benefit from our charitable contributions. Thanks, Dr. Starman and your students – enjoy your Dosatron!

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Lela’s Tales from the Road: Griffin Road Show

March 26th, 2010

lelaThis week I’m in Maine, where I had the opportunity to participate in a road show with one of our best horticulture partners, Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supply. The presentation focused on water and fertigation issues, with growers bringing in water for Griffin professionals to test, while I and my co-panelists spoke about how our respective products could address their needs.

Lela at Griffin Road Show Lela Presentation

Turnout was wonderful; we had 63 participants in attendance representing 42 companies. The topic of my discussion was Dosatron calibration and maintenance. After our presentations, my co-panelists and I answered questions in an open forum. During the Q&A, one grower mentioned his 20-year-old Dosatron… that still works!

When people ask me, “How do you stay on the road so much? Don’t you get tired?” I think about events like these, and how valuable it is for me to spend face-to-face time with the people who are in the field every day, depending on their Dosatrons to grow and protect their crops. A little road-fatigue is a small price to pay for participating in events like these.

I’d like to thank Griffin for putting on such a successful event, and for giving me yet another all-important opportunity to speak to growers personally.

Until my next Tale from the Road,

Lela

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Dr. Armitage Is a Dancing Star!

March 23rd, 2010

Check out Dosatron friend Dr. Allan Armitage shakin’ his groove thing for charity on Dancing With the Athens Stars. Great job, Dr. Armitage!

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Catch Dosatron and Geremia Greenhouse on GGTV

March 5th, 2010

In case you missed it, Dosatron recently hosted a spot on GGTV’s Supply Channel with Geremia Greenhouse’s head grower Paul Barnes. In the video, Paul explains how Geremia’s uses Dosatron injectors to direct-inject Zerotol, growth regulators, and other chemicals to keep their crops beautiful and healthy. Check it out:

Dosatron and Geremia on GGTV

Thanks so much to Paul for taking the time to talk to us. Did you know that Dosatrons can be used to direct-inject Zerotol? What unusual chemicals do you direct-inject? Tell us about in the comments!

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Lela’s Tales from the Road: Washington, DC

February 15th, 2010

Well, 2010 has gotten off to quite the start – I hit the ground running at the MANTS show during the first week in January, and I’ve been criss-crossing the country pretty much non-stop since. It’s hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A few weeks back, I was back in Washington, DC for another maintenance seminar. This time, I was speaking to a group of growers at a small greenhouse.

As always, it was a delight to meet the growers, listen to their stories, and get their feedback. Here’s what Rachel Aiken, one of the growers we spoke to, had to say about Dosatron:

We’ve been using Dosatron injectors exclusively for the past 12 years. They work really well, and they’re a breeze to work with. And now with the new 14 GPM model, they’re simpler to use and maintain than ever.

Lorien Bristow (left) and Rachel Aiken (right) were two of the growers at our recent maintenance seminar in Washington, DC

Lorien Bristow (left) and Rachel Aiken (right) were two of the growers at our recent maintenance seminar in Washington, DC

The growers all seemed pretty excited that we came out to explain the injectors to them in-depth, and we were excited to be there, too. Fortunately, we got out before all the snow came! Hope all my DC readers are staying safe and warm right now.

Don’t forget, we do maintenance seminars all over the country, and we sometimes invite folks to our Technical Service Center in Clearwater, FL for private sessions. If you’re interested, give us a call at 800-523-8499 to schedule a seminar for your group.

Until my next Tale from the Road,

Lela

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Greenhouse Grower Talks Fertilizer Injection

January 15th, 2010

If you haven’t seen it, Greenhouse Grower ran an amazing article on fertilizer injection this month (click here to see the online version). In the article, Peter Konjoian discusses how greenhouses can use their fertilizer injector set-ups in optimum ways, and features some great installations from several different greenhouses, including our longtime-friends at Geremia’s Greenhouse. Best of all, our own Lela Kelly served as technical advisor on the article, and was instrumental in helping Peter choose these best-of-the-best installations to discuss.

If you’re looking for innovative ways to install your Dosatron, this article will give you lots of ideas. Check it out, and then come back here to discuss your installation and usage insights and questions in the comments.

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Dosatron Participates in “Campaign Dress the Troops”

January 13th, 2010
Early last month, Dosatron was contacted by Sergeant First Class Oscar Angel for help with “Campaign Dress the Troops,” a program aimed at providing soldiers on active tours of duty in Qatar with civilian clothes to wear during their Rest and Relaxation leaves.

When SFC Angel contacted us, he explained that soldiers are not permitted to bring much when reporting for active duty, and thus were dependant on “clothing banks” to provide civilian clothes to wear during the approximately 17 days of R&R they are granted in the middle of their tours. According to SFC Angel, the clothing bank at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar is in particular need, and he asked for our help in gathering items to replenish their supplies.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Dosatron employees gathered dozens of items to donate for the troops, from warm sweaters to bags and accessories. By the time SFC Angel arrived to pick up the donations, we had filled several bags and a very large box with items for our troops.

Dosatron Vice President of Sales and Marketing Pam Temko presents SFC Angel with Dosatron’s donations to “Campaign Dress the Troops.”
Dosatron Vice President of Sales and Marketing Pam Temko presents SFC Angel with Dosatron’s donations to “Campaign Dress the Troops.”

Everyone at Dosatron is proud and excited to think of our items going to Qatar to help the troops. If you wish to be involved in “Campaign Dress the Troops,” contact SFC Angel at 813-828-2706 for information.

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Dosatron Teams With Sonny’s

January 6th, 2010

In case you missed it, Dosatron and Sonny’s Enterprises made an exciting announcement yesterday: we will be partnering to offer car wash operators a 10% discount on all car wash injectors and parts purchased from Sonny’s now through February 28th.

Here’s the full story from Sonny’s:

SONNY’S Enterprises Joins with Dosatron® International to Offer Limited Time Discount

Tamarac, Florida – January 1, 2010 –  SONNY’S, the largest manufacturer of conveyorized car wash equipment, parts, and supplies in the world, has joined forces with Dosatron® International, an industry leader in water-powered, proportional chemical injectors, to offer car wash operators a ten percent discount on all Dosatron chemical dispensers and replacement parts from January 4th through February 28th, 2010.

Dosatron chemical dispensers are ideal for presoak chemicals, engine and tire cleaners, bug and tar removers, waxes, drying agents, and foaming brush cleaners. The water-powered proportional chemical injectors allow car washes to save money on chemicals, energy, and water consumption while delivering the highest quality results for your customers.

“When we first decided to do a dispenser discount for our customers, we knew we’d need to partner with a great company, ” said Barbara Piccirilli, President of Sonny’s Parts Division. “We’ve had a great relationship with Dosatron over the years and have found them to be a consistent, reliable product. They are an ideal partner to make our first promotion of 2010 a success.”

“Since we entered the vehicle wash market 17 years ago, Dosatron has been working to find improved solutions for the unique needs of car wash owners and their customers,” said Dosatron VP of Sales and Marketing Pam Temko. “Teaming with a leader such as Sonny’s to offer customers this unique opportunity is important to us in achieving our goal of being a one-stop chemical management solution for vehicle washes.”

Sonny’s will be sending their customers information on this limited time discount via print, email, and magazine advertisements. Customers can take advantage of these savings by visiting www.Sonnysdirect.com or calling 800-327-8723.

About SONNY’S Enterprises
SONNY’S The Car Wash Factory is the largest manufacturer of conveyorized car wash equipment, parts and supplies in the world. With full tunnel systems in each of the 50 United States, and equipment in countries worldwide, SONNY’S equipment delivers millions of clean, dry, shiny cars each year, around the globe. The company founder, Sonny Fazio, built his first full-serve car wash in 1949. Today, SONNY’S is a recognized industry leader, awarded as such by the International Car Wash Association. Further building upon the company’s commitment to make car washing easy for its clients, SONNY’S is the parent to four distinct divisions; Auto Pilot Car Wash Control Systems, CarWash College, BayWash In-Bay Automatic Car Wash Systems, and SONNY’S Parts Division, responsible for distributing over 14,000 car wash parts to more than 12,000 car wash businesses in the world.

About Dosatron International
Dosatron International, Inc. is an industry leader in water-powered, proportional chemical injectors. Dosatron products are manufactured according to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 standards by Dosatron International S.A.S., part of United Technologies Corporation, U.S.A.

We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Sonny’s on this special promotion. For more information, or to place your order, call Sonny’s at 800-327-8723, or visit their website at www.Sonnysdirect.com.

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The Importance of a Well-Mixed Stock Tank

December 23rd, 2009

lelaBy Lela Kelly

Recently, I paid a visit to a grower who told me that he was concerned that his Dosatron did not seem to be injecting enough fertilizer. When he showed me his stock tank, the problem became clear immediately: the grower was using a lower quality fertilizer which had not dissolved completely, leaving chunks at the bottom of the stock tank.

I run across this sort of thing from time to time. Growers, trying to save a little here and there, use this less expensive fertilizer. What they don’t consider is that this fertilizer will cost them in more ways than just the price of purchase:

  • A lower quality fertilizer that does not dissolve well will not inject properly, which means you may need to use more of it to obtain your desired results. If you spend less per bag, but use more bags total, you may actually be spending more on your fertilizer.
  • If your fertilizer leaves chunks of un-dissolved matter in the stock tank, there’s a  chance that those chunks will end up drawn into the Dosatron, where they will act as debris and possibly impair the check valve or score the inside of your injector. If this happens, you may end up facing additional costs for replacement parts or repairs.
  • If you mix your stock tank with a poorly-dissolved fertilizer, even if it does not affect your fertilizer budget or your Dosatron, it may be that your plants aren’t getting the full amount that they need, which could lead to damaged or stunted crops.

This is why it is so important to keep the big picture in mind when deciding on which products to use. We recommend high quality fertilizers with good solubility. Using an agitator pump may also help keep your stock tank mix consistent.

On a related note, I was contacted by grower recently who believed his Dosatron was over-injecting. He was injecting acid, and his pH readings seemed to indicate that the output blend contained too much acid.

Since acid is heavier than water, it needs constant agitation to keep it properly mixed with the water in your stock tank. The method I see growers use most commonly is the highly-scientific “stir it with a stick” technique. This will not work for additives that are heavier than water, and an in-tank agitator will probably yield much better results.

Your chemical manufacturer can answer any questions you have about solubility and the correct method to keep your stock tank homogenous. And if you have any questions about your Dosatron injector, we’re always here for you at 800-523-8499, or drop us a line in the comments.

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Lela’s Tales from the Road: Cornell University

December 17th, 2009

lelaWell, 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.

 DSC03217s

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.

DSC03245s    DSC03225s

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

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