Amazone gets smarter with new booms and sensors for fertiliser spreading
In addition to the many developments within its range of ploughs and cultivation equipment, Amazone also recently announced further updates to the rest of its product portfolio.
The effect of wind on the spreading of fertiliser has always been a troublesome issue when trying to achieve an even distribution pattern, and the problem has only escalated as spreading widths increase.
Amazone has been looking at this problem for a while, and it has now launched a wind speed sensor than can compensate for drifts caused by winds of up to 33km/h.
A high-frequency wind sensor, mounted on a retractable pole, records both the wind speed and the wind direction, and passes this information to the control unit.
The control unit adds into the data the forward direction and speed of the tractor to calculate a new setting for the delivery system and the spreading disc speed, which are then automatically adjusted to compensate for the wind’s effect.
Gearing up for precision spot spraying
The SmartSprayer technology, being developed alongside Bosch and BASF, has been trialled this season, with results that indicate a 90% reduction in herbicide use is possible.
This is obviously worth pursuing, so, to complement the research findings, a high-tech sprayer boom has been developed, which has camera and lighting modules already integrated into its structure.
Amazone claims that with this new boom, precise spot application is now possible thanks to its contour guidance system and the vibration damping mechanism.
These two features, along with the individually switched pulse valves and spot fan nozzles, placed at 25cm intervals, ensures targeted application and optimum saving of chemical at working speeds of up to 12km/h.
Two new sprayers from Amazone
In addition to the spot spraying boom, the company has announced two new trailed sprayers, one of 8,000L capacity and the other 9,000L.
Known as the UX 7601 Super and UX 8601 Super trailed sprayers, they are designed to be compact and have a low centre of gravity, which helps both the stability in the field and on the road, especially at the higher road speeds now reached by tractors.
New hydraulically driven pumps are fitted and there is the option of a steering axle on these single axle machines.
Hydraulic tramline adjustment
The Precea range of precision air drills gets a new option in the form of the ability to alter row width to create tramlines, rather than simply turn singling units off.
This maintains the seed rate over the whole field, although the rows either side of the tramline are set closer together.
However, the increased access to light in this location is likely to compensate for the reduced lateral plant spacing.
The singling units can automatically be displaced to suit whichever tramline width is being used, as well as take into account tyre size and track width.
Writer: Justin Roberts
