Spray operators can improve crop coverage by 20%, which could allow them to cut pesticide rates, with magnetically treated fluid that gives better droplet sizes.

The MagGrow system can be attached to most sprayers and reduces spray drift dramatically by 70%, thereby avoiding pesticide waste and bringing environmental benefits.

Brian Gorham, head of sales support at the Dublin-based MagGrow agritech group, said the magnetic spraying technology gives a “better droplet profile”, which is less liable to drift.

“The system dramatically reduces drift and in side-by-side sprayer demonstrations shows a clear visible improvement,” he said during Cereals LIVE 2020.

See also; Cereals 2020: New fungicide lifts wheat yields by 0.5t/ha in trial

Magnetically treated

Conventional sprayers can produce droplets that are too large, which bounce off crops, and also small droplets that can drift away, while the magnetically treated fluid produces a better range of droplet sizes

The system has been tested using fluorescent dyes and water-sensitive card to show its better coverage of crops, ranging between 15-30%, with an average benefit of 20%.

This can allow growers to cut pesticide and water rates, saving money for the same overall effect, or achieve better coverage and enhanced efficacy for spray treatments.

The group has customers in 15 countries, with about 30 systems operating in the Netherlands, where drift reduction is very important in the country’s intensive arable farming. In the UK, Essex farmer Tristan Squier is using the system.

The low-maintenance system consists of a number of magnets placed near the manifold of the spray tank, and also inside the booms of the sprayer. There is no electrical need for the system.

It is distributed in the UK by Trimble and can cost between £20,000 and £50,000 depending on the size of the sprayer and its booms.

MagGrow was set up by brothers Gary and David Wickham, and business consultant David Moore in 2013.