Bakersfield, CA (HydroponicSearch.com) Nov. 1, 2005 --- There is plenty of talk about abandoning cotton acreage in the San Joaquin Valley, however, Al Ruozi, President of Interstate Equipment & Mfg. Corp., highly disagree. Mr. Ruozi said, â€œThere is a way to stay in the game and that is by using conservation tillage. This system saves fuel, time, operations, and is good for the environment. The price of diesel fuel and other costs are at an all-time high, so cutting down on tillage trips is the best way to save money."

Mr. Ruozi is granting free demonstrations to Kern County cotton growers, allowing them to evaluate the system on their own land to compare operational costs to conventional methods. Mr. Ruozi said that growers will be plesantly surprised by the results.

Ruozi invented a one-pass tillage machine that digs up cotton stalks by the roots, shreds them and returns the residue to the soil all in one field trip. This system allows growers to plant back in the same bed and eliminate many conventional tillage operations such as multiple diskings, ripping and plowing. His invention is ideal for planting cotton or vegetable crops following cotton. This controlled-traffic farming method establishes a growing area for crops, and traffic lanes for all tractors and implements, thereby eliminating soil compaction where plants grow.

Ruozi also added, "We grow premium cotton here in California. Volumes of government research on conservation tillage systems prove that we can substantially reduce land preparation costs. It is essential that we change our ways of working the soil so that we will be able to compete on the world market.

About Interstate Equipment & Mfg. Corp.
In business for over 57 years, Interstate Equipment & Mfg. Corp. is a family-owned research and development company dedicated to preserving farmland through conservation agriculture.