ALL the latest spraying equipment will be in action at this year’s Ag Innovation Expo.
The Tasmanian Agricultural Productivity Group is once again hosting the Ag Expo, which will return to a themed event and this year will focus on spraying and planting.
The expo will be held on April 20 from 9am to 5pm at the Hagley Farm School.
TAPG has partnered with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association and Fruit Growers Tasmania to host the event this year.
Expo committee member Mark Kable said with huge advancements in spraying technology in recent years, the event will be an opportunity for farmers and industry experts to see a range of machines and equipment in the one location.
“There’s been such a lot of movement in technology in spraying and it’s such an integral part of every farm’s operation we thought we just need to get that back on the agenda again,” he said.
“This area is moving at 100 miles an hour and there’s a lot of interesting self-propelled spray rigs.”
Experienced spraying contractor Richard Murrell from Agri Machinery is part of the organising committee and will play a key role in the event by setting out the demonstration course to test out several different spraying machines and types of equipment.
The aim is to give visitors an opportunity to see first hand how different machines compare in a number of scenarios, including rough ground and situations where the booms need to be moved up and down.
“It will just give people the chance to see how the booms travel over rough ground and in different situations because every machine has good and not so good things about it,” Mr Murrell said.
He said self-propelled machines had become more sought after in recent years.
“There’s a lot of interest in Tassie,” he said.
“Six or seven years ago there were probably 10 machines here and now I think there are 30 or 40 in Tasmania, so the growth in them has been significant. Spraying is one of the most critical things you can do on your farm to make a difference so people are concentrating on that a bit more.”
Demonstrations will include self-propelled machines, tow- behind rigs, helicopters and spray drones which are becoming more common.
Guest speakers will include Don Thorp from South Australia, Dave Farmer from NSW and Richard Sawyer from Victoria. Fruit Growers Tasmania will also host a Grown in Tasmania showcase.
Other topics include cover crops, spatial technology and training.
To find out more or get a free ticket go to http://www.eventbrite. com.au and search for 2023 Ag Innovation Expo.