Re: Aquaflex CEO Remarks

[Marty Grogan]

Bruce comments:
Marty Grogan has declared himself as  (Devil's Advocate In Residence) 
SOWACS DAIR, so we will let him stir his pot - this time! - but Marty please
don't push your luck!?! ;>

SOWACS DAIR writes:

>As CEO of the organisation that researched and developed Aquaflex, I 
>have been monitoring the Aquaflex discussion with interest.  I 
>certainly had to bite my tongue 

(right now, my tounge's a bit in my cheek)

>at the "black art" comment and to 
>allay any fears as to the origins of the device I offer the 
>following, ending with a plea to all involved in moisture 
>measurement and irrigation management instrumentation.  

So is it alchemy?  How about some patent refs?

>
>Aquaflex was developed over nearly a decade of research and 
>development, initially by the New Zealand Agricultural Engineering
>Institute, which later became Lincoln Technology.

(surely not Abraham L.)

>Lincoln Technology
>is part of Lincoln Ventures, the R&D arm of Lincoln University.
>

Been there--done that.  Universities produce good, bad and ugly just like
every other organization.  Cite some papers in refereed journals.

>NZAEI/Lincoln Ventures has been involved in irrigation research for 
>30 years.  In that time it has received a number of awards for 
>innovation in irrigation management.  For example, a former NZAEI 
>staff member received the prestigious USIA Crawford Reid Memorial  
>Award for his "significant contributions to the world irrigation 
>industry". Lincoln Ventures also produces IRRICAD, the irrigation 
>design program used in 34 countries around the world.

"Software developers shouldn't develop hardware and versa visa." (MLG, 1998)

>I can therefore assure readers that Aquaflex has a sound technical 
>pedigree. 

Pedigrees notwithstanding--where's the data?

>Its good to see so many devices being explained and their developers 
>questioned - all valuable stuff.  But, we must ensure that we look 
>outwards as well as in.  

(Must we?)  

>As a group we and the industries we serve 
>might benefit most by concentrating on building confidence

The irrigators that I talk to have great confidence in the "muddy boot" and
"balling" methods of moisture measurement.  Others must be proven useful.

>(out in the irrigation community) in soil moisture monitoring as a valuable 
>contribution to good water management genarally and, in the ag 
>sector, increasing profitability for farmers and growers.

Does anyone doubt this?  Yore preachin' to the choir, parson.

>Let's work together to increase the size of the total market, accepting that 
>there will be fighting over what's there at the moment.

Who's fighting?  This is a stive for truth.

>The fact

(yours)

> is 
>that different devices will have greater or lesser value in 
>different circumstances.  

Personally, I believe that a perfect device exists that can be made very
inexpensively--we just haven't discovered it yet.

>Lincoln Ventures researchers and 
>consultants do not hesitate to recommend an alternative to Aquaflex 
>if they believe it better suits the client's requirements.

What are typical criteria?

>What we 
>all have to remember is that a dissatisfied customer may hurt us 
>all. not only the particular manufacturer and supplier involved.

Isn't this attitude a bit condescending?  You are addressing knowledgeable,
literate professionals.  Many have worked in the irrigation business for
decades.  Personally, I'm rather offended.  How about the rest o' youse people?

>
>Peter John
>Chief Executive Officer
>Lincoln Ventures
>Lincoln University
>


M. G.
SOWACS DAIR (Devil's Advocate In Residence)