Conference to cover wide field

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 23

Conference to cover wide field

Christchurch will be the venue this week for a fourday conference for chemical applicator contractors. Registrations for about 90 applicators and chemical firms have been received from throughout New Zealand — from Kaitaia in the north down to Bluff. The conference will be the 17th annual event for the chemical applicator section of the New Zealand Contractors’ Federation, and will be the first held in Christchurch. Ashburton was the venue for the conference several years ago. Addresses and panel discussions will cover a wide selection of subjects ranging from the manufacture and distribution of agricultural chemicals and animal remedies to insurance, noxious weeds and finance. Chemical applicators play a vital role in servicing New Zealand’s farming industry. Individual farmers pro-

vide much of the work for chemical applicators who have the equipment to do a wide range of activities requiring the use of chemicals in an efficient manner. This saves individual farmers having to purchase and maintain expensive specialised spraying equipment and allows farmers to proceed with other vital tasks while spraying is being done by a contractor. Most spraying work on farms involves the use of boom spraying units fitted to four-wheel drive vehicles which can cover the ground quickly and accurately. Weed and insect control forms a large part of the work of chemical applicators, such as spraying cereals to ensure a weedfree crop, spraying pasture to kill off thistle infestations, gun-spraying gorse on steep hillsides, spraying lucerne for aphids, and spraying for fungal disease outbreaks including wheat rust. Many contractors operate

mobile sheep showers and tanker units for dipping sheep. Using a contractor to do the dipping means the farmer does not have money tied up in expensive equipment which would only be used once a year. Some contractors also spray cattle but this type of work is declining as easilyapplied chemicals are becoming popular. The venue for the conference will be the White Heron Travelodge. A busy agenda for delegates including several field trips has been arranged by a hardworking organising committee headed by Graham and Jill Hide of Fernside. The conference will get under way this evening when the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, will welcome delegates at a dinner. The opening address will be provided by the Member of Parliament for Rangiora, Mr Derek Quigley. Tuesday morning will be devoted to official business including an address by the chairman, Mr Don McLennan, of Oamaru. In the afternoon a panel

comprising representatives of manufacturers and distributors of spraying vehicles and associated equipment will address the conference. Each representative will be given the opportunity to speak for 10 minutes and then delegates will be allowed to ask questions from the floor. This will be followed by addresses from a representative of North Canterbury Federated Farmers and by the president of the New Zealand Contractor’s Federation, Mr Bill Auld. The evening will be taken up with a country and western night which promises to be a highlight of the social side of the conference. Entertainment will be provided by two bands, Suzanne Prentice and Joan HoreGrennell, and honeymead from the Fernside meadery will be available for refreshments. Representatives from the Pesticides Board, formerly the Agricultural Chemicals Board, will speak to the conference on Wednesday morning. Later, delegates will visit Lincoln College, where • they will tour the

ABOVE: A profile sprayer developed by the New Zealand Agricultural Engineering Institute at Lincoln College for use with the Lincoln canopy system of growing apple trees. Two spray booms moving underneath and on top of the canopy ensure that excellent cover is obtained.

college farms and look at a demonstration in the workshops of the Agricultural Engineering Institute which is based at the college. The party will then visit the Toyota factory and return to the hotel for a panel session comprising agricultural chemical manufacturers and distributors. The evening will be free of official business but tours of the airport control tower or the Royal New Zealand Air Force museum at Wigram have been organised for those interested. Thursday morning will largely be devoted to official business but will include two guest speakers, Mr G. Strickett, national Bresident8 resident of the Institute of loxious Plants Officers, and by Mr Geoff Clement, of Bain Dawes, Ltd, who will talk about public liability insurance. Election of officers and decision for a conference venue for 1985 will wind up the official business, and nominations will be called for the Lincoln College Foundation fellowship. Delegates will attend a formal ball in the evening.

Research officers at the institute are carrying out investigations into spraying equipment and methods, in particular the use of C.D.A. units for broad area spraying. The Hamilton branch of the institute has done a lot of work on developing a C.D.A. sprayer for kiwifruit.