2011: New Products
Simple tool saves water, cuts flood irrigation costs
A new water-activated flag saves money, water and effort by eliminating the guesswork in determining when flood irrigation water has advanced to a pre-determined point in a block, check, ditch furrow, row or open field.
Mounted at the end of a 5-foot long Fiberglas pole, which is bent over in an inverted U-shape, the Ag Flag springs up when irrigation water dissolves a strip of paper that secures the flag end of the pole to a stake in the ground. Once released and standing upright, the bright orange flag can be seen up to a mile away in daylight. At night, a reflective strip makes it visible with a strong flashlight or vehicle headlights, says Mike Hansen, Atwater, Calif., who developed the water location indicator that is made by his company, Flag-R-Mon Flag Products.
"Ag Flag is designed to be very farmer friendly," he says. "It's an incredibly simple way to signal when your flood irrigation water reaches the pre-determined location in your field or crop and that it's time to change or shut off the water. This inexpensive, reusable water management tool has no moving parts, needs no batteries and requires no programming — you can use it in field crops, row crops, orchards and vineyards."
Flood irrigators use various methods of determining when water has reached the shut-off location, such as a fence post, a floating piece of wood, activity of birds attracted to the water and walking out into the field. Often, these practices are imprecise and can result in crop losses due to over- or under-irrigating the plants, Hansen says.
"Ag Flag can help improve crop yields and quality and conserve water while reducing pumping costs. Also, because the flag is visible from a distance, you can be aware of the location of your irrigation water while you're working elsewhere on your farm."
The Ag Flag kit includes the 3/16-inch diameter pole, the nylon flag, highintensity reflective tape, a heavy-duty plastic stake with a tethered steel spike, and depending on the size package purchased, 12 to 24 patented paper release strips. The heavy fishing line connecting the stake and spike is designed to prevent leaving a steel spike in the field. Also, it shows the correct distance from the stake for attaching the flag to the ground to maintain proper tension on the pole so the paper strip will release properly when wetted by the floodwater.
The first step in setting up the Ag Flag, Hansen says, is to drive the yellow stake into the ground at your water shut-off location. Next, place the pole into the hole in the stake, bend the pole over and attach it to the ground using the paper release strip and the tethered spike. Within less than a minute after making contact with the water, the paper strip dissolves and the flag springs up into place.
A specially designed strip allows the Ag Flag to be used in heavy dew conditions without releasing until contacted by floodwater. Hansen recommends placing at least one Ag Flag per check or row.
The price of one Ag Flag kit, which can last several seasons and contains 24 paper release strips, is about $20 — which represents a cost of less than 85 cents per irrigation, Hansen says. "The water, labor and time it saves can pay for Ag Flag in just a few irrigations."
Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the International Agri-Center and Farm Press when reprinting this item.
AG Flag |
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| COMPANY: | AG Flag |
| CONTACT: | Mike Hansen |
| ADDRESS: | 166 E Broadway, Atwater, CA 95301 |
| WEBSITE: | www.Ag-Flag.com |
| E-MAIL: | Info@Ag-Flag.com |
| PHONE: | 800-320-4625 |
| BOOTH SPACE: | 2434 |
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