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Unsticking the `Sticky' Photo by Andy Atkinson The Agri-Cat, developed by Tucker Sno-Cat, takes a test run through an orchard at Foothill and Vilas roads. New machine helps Bear Creek Corp. conquer orchard clay By DAVID PRESZLER It's a Rogue Valley orchardists' version of quicksand, the heavy clay farmers have long called the "Big Sticky." For decades, pear growers have tangled with the clay, pulling piece after piece of equipment from the mud -- and ripping the surface soil in the process. So when Bear Creek Orchards bought 512 acres of prime Sticky where Foothill and East Vilas roads meet, officials knew the mud would be a problem. "We knew it was going to be a tough site," says Ron Henri, head of the orchards division. "Just about everything bogs down in it. And if you get something powerful enough, it destroys the surface." Not anymore. To fight the Sticky situation, the pear-growing giant teamed with a neighbor who knows a thing or two about not getting stuck: Jim Tucker, owner of Tucker Sno-Cat. At Bear Creek's request, Tucker developed and built a modified Sno-Cat to surf the mud with a sprayer in tow. The Agri-Cat, as Tucker named the prototype, is completing its second spraying this week, covering 140 acres of trees at the orchard. Current score: Agri-Cat 2, Sticky 0. "It's a lot better," says Rodolfo Luyano, who's been driving equipment for Bear Creek since 1988 and ran a traditional tractor through the same orchard last year. "Last year, I was stuck five, six times a day -- sometimes halfway up the cab." Tucker showcased the 130-horsepower Agri-Cat at a trade show last month. California almond and rice growers and a cranberry farmer from Vermont also have expressed interest, he said. The partnership represents the kind of creative solution that Bear Creek strives for, Henri says. Scott Cully, who oversees the Foothill orchard, came up with the idea of going to Tucker. "This has never been done," says Cully. "He is committed to making it work for Bear Creek. It's really been a nice partnership." For Tucker, the challenge wasn't so much making a machine that wouldn't get stuck as it was making it the right size. While his crew can usually pump out about two Sno-Cats a week, the Agri-Cat took five months to develop. Though the Agri-Cat is built on a traditional Sno-Cat frame, Tucker shortened the cab by about eight inches and made it about 20 inches narrower so it would pass through orchard rows without striking branches and damaging fruit. The Agri-Cat also had to be agile enough to make tight turns while towing a spray tanker, so he attached it with a three-point hitch to work with the four-track Agri-Cat's steering system. Because growers can be forced to spray on tight schedules (especially during the spring), Tucker outfitted the Agri-Cat with lights, heating and air conditioning so it can run night and day. All spraying controls are inside the cab. Neither company will say just how much it cost to develop the Agri-Cat. Tucker did say it was considerably more than the $70,000 that he is selling them for. Despite the expense, Cully says it's more cost-effective than you might think. It takes another machine, like a Caterpillar, to pull a stuck tractor out of the mud, not to mention someone to operate it, he points out. And the tractor driver isn't getting his job done while he's waiting to get pulled out. There's also the damage that traditional tractors do to the soil, especially if they get stuck. Standing at the Foothill orchard, Cully points to huge ruts left by previous tractors that rip up cover crops and compact soil. "When you look at the soil and what we go through, this option is so cheap," he says. "This is the cheapest option. It's amazing it wasn't done earlier." Not that other equipment dealers haven't tried over the years. As the late Lyle Kinney, a former Bear Creek orchard executive, recorded in his memoirs, when dealers came to town with some hot new tractor, farmers would lead them to the Sticky and watch the fancy rigs get stuck. "I suspect Lyle would have been a huge supporter of this new application of a proven technology," Henri says. The biggest benefits may be to the soil. Although the Agri-Cat weighs about 8,000 pounds, it puts only 1.4 pounds per square inch of pressure on the ground. "You create more compaction when you walk on it than that machine does," says Tucker. Not compacting the soil, especially heavy clay, is crucial to growing good comice trees. "Those two things don't mix: Clay and compaction mean you are giving your plant a brick to grow through," Cully says, "but that's the way the Sticky's been farmed." The spray tanker weighs an estimated 5,000 pounds and now runs on a standard rubber track made by another company. Tucker plans to put one of his tracks on it to reduce the compaction it creates. And the Agri-Cat itself isn't through evolving. In addition to making the spray tanker roll more lightly, Tucker wants to decrease the width from eight to seven feet, making it that much more maneuverable. He's also toying with the idea of mounting a mower on the front -- enabling growers to spray and mow at the same time. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA