06/09/06 ATV safety & Biodiesel success

ATV Safety and Biodiesel success. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids is addressing the subject of farm youth and All-Terrain Vehicle safety. Education Director Sherry Bergus says it's a big issue. BERGUS: We know that the number of ATV's being ridden has increased. The size of ATV's are increased. And we also know that the injuries that are attributed to ATV's have increased. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids has prepared and released a new ATV educational packet  called "Ride Smart." Bergus says it contains lessons for young people about ATV safety. BERGUS: A lot of them are lessons that help kids understand why it's important to wear protective equipment such as helmets. It also helps them understand that it's important to take a training class where they can be certified to ride an ATV. It helps them to understand what happens if you have another person on an ATV and what happens to the center of gravity which could casue the ATV to flip over. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids is a non profit organization working to promote farm safety for young people. More information on their new ATV educational material is available on their website. Ag engineers at the North Central Research Extension Center in Minot, North Dakota continue to report good results from burning canola biodiesel in an 80-horsepower farm tractor. Research specialist Gary Willoughby says they've been burning 100 percent biodiesel all season - and performance has been good. WILLOUGHBY: We've tried idling it, a lot of starting, stopping cycles, wide open throttle, pulling cultivator trying to really lug the engine to see whether it would build up more heat in the engine and stuff like that and I haven't been able to see any differences. Willoughby says it appears there has been no negative impact on the engine from burning the canola biodiesel. WILLOUGHBY: We had it in for a recent dynamometer test and the tractor is rated for 75 horse and it came back right at 75 horse so we are really encouraged by that. We've done two oil analysis on the tractor and they've both come back with no adverse numbers. Willoughby emphasizes that his observations are just that - observations - and are not a replicated scientific study WILLOUGHBY: We've got about 250 hours on the tractor right now burning the 100 percent canola oil. After 5 to 600 hours I'd like to open up the engine and see what the injectors look like and the valves and try to put some more measurable results to this. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.