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Oct 18, 2024

Farmer-Built Front-Mount Spray Boom Lets User Monitor Performance Closely

Joe Bahe, Iowa, built a UTV boom to spray more accurately and reduce the amount of herbicide needed. When Joe Bahe used a hand wand to spray his Stanley, Iowa, fencerows, he needed 25 gallons of 2,4-D

Joe Bahe, Iowa, built a UTV boom to spray more accurately and reduce the amount of herbicide needed.

When Joe Bahe used a hand wand to spray his Stanley, Iowa, fencerows, he needed 25 gallons of 2,4-D to cover ¾ mile. Using the UTV boom he built, he now covers 2 to 2½ miles with the same amount of product. He says he was surprised at how far he can stretch it.

"The front boom is great because I can see if a tip is plugged and if the booms are actually spraying or not. I can also drive into fences and corners instead of having to back into them," he says. Just two end tips are activated for fencerow application.

Here are two other features.

Bahe figures he spent around $150 on materials and put in about two days of cutting, welding, and painting.

Operation: The northeast Iowa farmer grows seed corn and soybeans near Stanley. His father and brother farm nearby. Bahe also works part time selling grain bins and dryers.

Family: He and wife Lisa have three daughters: Jenna, 10; June, 8; and Julia, 5. Lisa and Joe also sell Dekalb, Asgrow, and Wyffels seeds. "We are really busy most of the time, but it's fun," he says.

Still perfecting: "I've been trying to figure out no-till in 20-inch rows since 2010. I think I'm making progress, though," he says.