KENNEWICK - Potato industry members got a first look at some new machinery during the first day of the 2014 Washington-Oregon Potato Conference.

The annual conference kicked off Tuesday at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. Dozens of trade show exhibitors set up booths at the convention center to promote their products and services to industry members.

Among the exhibitors was North Dakota-based equipment manufacturer Lockwood, which put its new air-controlled separator in the spotlight. The air-controlled separator is a complete potato handling and cleaning system that removes rocks, dirt, vines and other debris, according to the company's website.

This is the first year the company has brought an ACS unit to a trade show, Lockwood Chief Engineer and Product Manager Michael Nilson said. They brought the ACS-8 to the potato conference, but there is also an ACS-5 model, he said.

The difference between the two models is that the ACS-8 is eight feet wide while the ACS-5 is five feet wide.

The first ACS unit came out about three years ago, but it was just a prototype, he said. They did a lot of testing on the machine over the past couple of years and are now ready to start mass selling them.

He added there are currently a handful of units already in the field, including one in Washington. There are also some being used in fields in Idaho and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Nilson said the company decided to bring the ACS-8 to the potato conference so industry members could get a closer look at the machine. The machine has several benefits for potato growers, he said.

"It takes a lot of the hand labor out of the equation," he said. "A grower who has a lot of pickers could easily cost justify this in two years."

Some growers also choose not to add corn to their crop rotation because they have more debris to pick out of their subsequent potato harvests. However, the Air-Controlled Separator makes it easier for things like roots and stalks to be removed, he said.

Nilson has seen a lot of interest in the ACS-8 at the conference so far.

Both ACS models, as well as other Lockwood machines, are available in the region through dealer Evergreen Implement.

They have locations in Othello, Moses Lake, Coulee City, Ritzville and Pasco, according to the company's website.

The Washington-Oregon Potato Conference continues through Thursday.

Visit www.columbiabasinherald.com and the paper's Facebook page for more photos and video from the event.