California Inventor Receives Award for Outstanding Contributions to Conservation in Agriculture
The University of California's Conservation Tillage Workgroup recently recognized Al Ruozi, a Bakersfield inventor, for more than fifty years of research and innovation in reduced tillage farming systems.
Bakersfield, CA (PRWEB) March 8, 2005 -- Born in 1917, Al Ruozi grew up on a
small cotton and alfalfa farm in southeast Bakersfield. "As a young boy I
learned that you have to walk the furrow to find out what the soil is like. I
thought there must be a better way to work the land." World events temporarily
interrupted his quest to find that better way. At the beginning of World War II,
Ruozi went to work as a welder for Henry J. Kaiser Shipbuilding in Richmond,
California. He soon became a lead-man and then a welding instructor for the
state. His students built both Liberty and Victory ships for the War Production
Board. He entered the U. S. Army in 1945 and was one of the first occupation
troops in Japan following the surrender. After the war Ruozi formed Interstate
Equipment & Mfg. Co., in Bakersfield, and began to develop a cotton stalk
and root shredder that later evolved into a one-pass tillage machine for cotton
production.
Growing vegetables on land that had previously produced
cotton presented a problem because the root and stubble left in the field would
not decay rapidly. The debris left in the soil would mark the developing
vegetable crop and downgrade its quality. In the 1950s, implements on the market
did a fine job of shredding residue above the ground but no machine could
successfully remove and shred both cotton stalks and roots. Ruozi designed his
first implement to help cotton growers who planted potatoes after cotton. He
envisioned a unique machine that would dig and pull the cotton plants out by the
roots, shred them, till the bed and return the mulch to the soil all in one
field operation. Local cotton farmers expressed great interest in his machine
because it was difficult to grow top-grade vegetables with the cotton stubble
still in the field from the previous crop. Ruozi patented his invention and
continued to improve its performance each year. He added an optional rebedding
attachment so the machine could now perform all fall tillage operations in one
trip over the field, allowing farmers to plant their next crop back in the same
beds. Ruozi renamed his original implement the "Cotton
Shredder-Bedder."
U. S. Dept. of Agriculture tests achieved dramatic
results with the use of Ruozi’s machine. They reported a decrease of 80% in land
preparation costs and as much as a 20% increase in cotton yield. More recent
tests conducted by the University of California's Westside Field Station in Five
Points, show substantial savings for farmers who adopt conservation tillage. In
addition, this energy-saving system helps to build-up the topsoil by
concentrating vital organic matter in the growing area. With improved soil tilth
there is less potential for wind and water erosion. Since the Cotton
Shredder-Bedder shreds cotton roots as well as stalks, it destroys the habitat
of pink bollworm and other cotton pests. Field sanitation is an important
cultural practice in keeping destructive insects and diseases under control.
Ruozi has met and overcome many challenges in his life because of his
vision and persistence. He states that, “In the 21st century cotton producers
must strive to become more efficient in order to be strong competitors in the
world market. Cutting production costs through the adoption of conservation
tillage is not only good for the farmer but also good for the soil, water and
air resources." Ruozi’s Cotton Shredder-Bedder provides the latest technology
with a system that is friendly to the environment and sustainable for future
generations.
For additional information contact:
Marilyn
Robolino
Interstate Equipment & Mfg. Corp.
P.O. Box
70296
Bakersfield, CA 93387-0296
phone 661-322-6659
fax
661-322-7448
http://www.cottonshredderbedder.com
In business for
over 56 years, Interstate Equipment & Mfg. Corp. is a family-owned research
and development company dedicated to preserving farmland through conservation
agriculture.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb215556.htm