EnviroTech Journal

Spider mites are a real threat to orchards, vineyards and many other crop fields. An integrated approach to managing mite populations is crucial, and proper dust control is a critical component. However, conventional dust control products, such as those used on industrial sites, are not conducive to plant health. Lignosulfonate, a byproduct of wood-pulp processing, is a popular choice for agricultural dust control, but has limitations, not the least of which are product consistency and erratic availability. EnviroTech Services, Inc. manufactures a dust control product that provides superior, consistent and enduring dust control without exposing fields to the undesirable components of conventional dust control products.

The least expensive dust control solutions, magnesium or calcium chloride treatments, are undesirable in agriculture and other alternative dust control products can poison the living soil necessary for healthy plant life. When evaluating the best options, the field of available products narrows rapidly.

The concept of product development is pretty simple. How do we either improve on an existing product or create something superior that is a replacement product? Less simple, however, is the process of testing, documenting, and verifying the improvements sought. This can be particularly tricky for consumers who can find themselves comparing performance claims between products they may not fully understand. Add to that the consideration for managing costs associated with switching to a new product as well as ensuring apple to apple cost comparisons, and the introduction of new products can feel more burdensome than exciting.

Staying ahead of Mother Nature is not exactly a game, but your organization can have a winning winter season if you take note of the following five must-have's for your operation. 

For those entities that use magnesium chloride as their deicing agent of choice, the timing of mag-chloride application is critical. For instance, magnesium chloride must not be applied before the early stages of a storm. The key is – the road surface has to be wet for the magnesium chloride to work effectively. Instead of applying the product pre-emptively, spend the time before the expected storm mobilizing so that the magnesium chloride can be applied as soon as the storm strikes and the roads are wet.

A big winter is expected throughout the United States and we at EnviroTech Services want you to get the most out of the products you need. Our goal is to provide superior snow melts that will get more out of your man-hours and save on your equipment wear and tear.

If you are in charge of the deicing program for a university or hospital, you already know how important it is to keep busy walkways safely free of ice and snow. Hurrying students with arms full of books may not see a patch of ice in time to avoid it. Likewise, people on their way into a hospital probably have other things on their minds than watching out or slippery surfaces.

The unchanging drought situation in the Southern half of California has brought back the nightmare of dust-bowl conditions. At a recent presentation by the Association of California Water Agencies, climatologist Michael Anderson described the current situation in dire terms, saying, “You’re looking at numbers on par with what was the Dust Bowl.” California farmers have seen loses of more that $1.5 billion dollars due to lack of water, according to the L.A. Times.

Winter 2015: It’s supposed to be one for the books. The cause? A Super El Nino is expected, similar to the one last seen in the winter of 1997. This weather pattern means more moisture pulled up out of the Pacific Ocean and across the United States. Throw in the typical cold air flowing down from Canada, and you have the makings for a lot of snow and ice.

The winter of 2014-2015 was particularly harsh in the Northern and Midwestern United States. New York, Michigan, and Minnesota were among the hardest-hit, experiencing winters that ranked in their respective top 10 worst. The shortage of salt and the inevitable hike in price created dangerous conditions for motorists in the entire affected area. Having already experienced the difficulty of dealing with an aggressive winter and a low salt supply, the question begs answering: Will we see a salt shortage again in 2015?

Regardless of how much ice and snow this winter brings, your operation has to stay moving all season long. While deicing is of utmost importance to keep things rolling, many shy away from liquid deicers and anti-icers because the chemicals are too harsh on the metal equipment.