Time-saving effluent-spreading invention ready for production
Jeff Riordan with the Ezi 018
Jeff Riordan reckons that most dairy farmers would rate shifting the effluent irrigator as one of the least popular jobs on the farm. Now he and another local dairy farmer have invented a new device to make it much easier.
The Ezi 018 attaches to a farm bike and its cleverly designed curved shape, towball and swivelling hose attachments make shifting all the elements of the effluent system much more simple.
“The Ezi 018 makes the shifting job about twice as fast,” said Jeff. “That means farmers will shift the irrigator more often, with the result that less effluent per hectare will get put on the ground. It’s easy to drag the pipes down the paddock in the direction the irrigator’s moving and that cuts down wear and tear on the irrigator’s nylon bushes as well.”
Jeff explained that the Ezi 018’s designer, who preferred to remain anonymous, had become frustrated with the amount of effluent ponding that occurred on his farm, partly due to the fact that shifting the irrigator was such an unpopular job.
“The inventor approached me and we did a few prototypes,” said Jeff. “We developed it a bit, got a patent and then trialled it on our own farms. Then Fonterra endorsed it and bought a couple of units for their Manawatu farms. They’ve been using them there for about six weeks and they love them.”
Spreading effluent with irrigators has been common farming practice for about 40 years and there are about 7000 systems operating nationwide. “The Ezi 018 makes the process easier and more sustainable,” said Jeff. “Farmers need to come to the realisation that effluent is not a problem, it’s a resource. It’s part of the nutrient budgeting that farmers must do. Because the Ezi 018 makes it easy to speed up the irrigator, the effluent is applied in a way that makes the plants more likely to take it up. That reduces nutrient leaching and cuts down the risk of discharge into waterways. More efficient use of the effluent resource means less bought-in fertiliser too.”
Jeff said that engineering companies in Motueka and Palmerston North are “geared up and ready to go,” and the new company also has a website – www.ezirrigation.co.nz.
“Anyone interested can see the Ezi 018 working there,” said Jeff. ““We’ve got an introductory special too and the details are on the website.”
The Ezi 018 will be shown in the innovation section of the National Field Days next June. In the meantime Jeff is hoping that farmers talking to other farmers will help to spread the.....word.
Neil Wilson
