The Irrigation Association (IA) revealed the winners of the 2018 New Product Contest at the Irrigation Show and Education Conference.
Fifty-eight new products and technologies were entered in five categories. Products were evaluated based on innovation, design quality, increased water and resource-use efficiency, ease of use and product life expectancy, according to the IA. Contest judges were experienced professionals with technical knowledge and industry expertise. The winners were announced Thursday, Dec. 6, during the IA general session.
Great Plains Industries won the landscape irrigation category for its FLOMEC QS200 Insertion Ultrasonic Flowmeter. The QS200 has no moving parts and uses ultrasonic technology to measure flow instead of simply sensing it. It offers LED indication of power and flow activity and retrofits into data industrial PVC tees.
Ecoturf Midwest is the winner of the landscape specialty category for the TreeDiaper 36-inch Advanced Hydration Mat. The TreeDiaper uses absorbent polymers and a unique design to manage and store water more efficiently for new tree, bush and shrub plantings, according to the company. It also works as a weed barrier and frost protection blanket, while targeting the area away from a tree’s trunk to encourage healthy root growth.
Brilliance LED won the landscape lighting category for its WiFi Smart MR-16 and PAR-36 lamps. The WiFi Smart lamps are 100 percent controllable from a smart phone, either individually or grouped into zones. Users are able to change colors, dim and set timers from anywhere in the world.
The final awards acknowledged products for the agriculture industry. The winner of the agriculture irrigation category is the S7 Spinner by Nelson Irrigation. The winner of the agriculture specialty category is the Arable Mark by Arable.
