Cereals 2014 is a great place to see the latest spraying technology put through its paces in the Syngenta Sprays & Sprayers Arena. Andy Collings provides a preview.

Agrifac

Agrifac has addressed the problems of operating sprayers on sloping ground with the design of its latest self-propelled machine, which employs a self-levelling version of its StabiloPlus chassis to help maintain even side-to-side weight loading on the wheels and improve traction.

The Condor MountainMaster-
Plus uses hydraulic rams to remain level on slopes up to a maximum of 20%. Ground clearance from 140cm to 200cm is controlled from the cab.

See also: Read more from this year’s Cereals event

The company is also displaying for the first time its Condor Endurance self-propelled sprayer, with an 8,000-litre tank and boom widths up to 51m. Powered by a 320hp engine on a StabiloPlus chassis, it has a generous stepless track extension of up to 100cm. Tyre size determines the actual track width, which can be as wide as 460cm.

A larger 4,800 litre tank, more powerful engine and Cat IV cab filtration feature on the latest Amazone Pantera.

Amazone

Amazone’s Pantera 4502 self-propelled sprayer will be seen in action for the first time with a new larger 4,800 litre tank (previously 4,000 litres) and more powerful 218hp Deutz engine. An Altek pump and shortened pipework system is claimed to reduce residual spray volume.

The new cab with Category IV pressurised air filtration excludes everything down to aerosol-size particles.

Self-steer is down to the Amapad controller, which also offers parallel tracking and boom section control, and data transfer of field boundaries and variable rate application via a USB stick.

Billericay Farm Services

A new adjustable spray nozzle for variable rate fertiliser application, the Trident, uses three outlets for application rates from 60 litres/min to 300 litres/min when operating at 12kph. The nozzle can also be used to apply a constant 100 litres/ha at speeds between 6kph and 20kph.

Trident nozzles mean operators no longer need to carry a range of different nozzles to cater for different liquid fertiliser rates, application rates can be set from the cab, and the streams created by the new nozzles reduce the chance of crop contact and reduce scorch risk.

Horsch

The new Horsch Leeb range of trailed and self-propelled sprayers offers tank capacities from 6,000 to 8,000 litres and boom widths from 21m to 36m. Features include close nozzle spacing for better crop penetration and hydraulically dampened boom suspension.

Horsch’s new flagship self-propelled sprayer, the PT 330, has the new BoomControl Pro system, which separates the boom from the chassis to prevent the rolling motion of the vehicle being transmitted to the boom.

John Deere

Making its working debut at Sprays and Sprayers is John Deere’s new mid-specification M-Series trailed sprayer range. Designed for use on farms growing up to 750ha of cereals the M700 Series is available with 2400, 3200 or 4000 litre tanks and 30m triple folding booms. The larger M900 Series offer many of the features used by the R900i Series trailed sprayers such as fast filling using the PowrFill chemical inductor, 5200 or 6200 litre tanks, and steel booms from 24m to 40m.

Both the M700i and M900i versions are Isobus ready and through communication with the tractor allow use of items that include the Tank Fill Calculator for the operator to know how many refills will be required for a given area, BoomTrac automatic height and tilt control and FieldDoc data recording software.

Pentair Hypro

Hypro has developed a pneumatic twin-valve nozzle body combining a single outlet and a four-way turret in one unit. The Duo React activates two pneumatic valves so operators can switch between the nozzle set on the turret and the single nozzle or use both at the same time. To change the turret nozzle and create different combinations, the turret is rotated manually.

The new nozzle body can be fitted on a single spray line and, when applying liquid fertiliser the dribble bar can be fitted to the single outlet leaving the four turret nozzles free to be selected and used when pesticide applications are made.

Martin Lishman

Martin Lishman is set to introduce a 350-litre demount sprayer that has been designed for use with UTVs – the company says it is easy to fit and support legs can be specified. Powered from the vehicle’s 12v supply, pesticide is delivered from a 4m (6m optional), three-section boom having individual shut-off nozzles and section control. Features include a 35-litre circuit rinse and a 15-litre clean water tank and electronic spray controls are available.

Landquip

Landquip is set to launch a brand new trailed sprayer. The 6,000-litre Condor is available with aluminium booms, having widths from 36m to 44m and a new chassis design providing for a steering axle which uses twin rams on the drawbar.

Air suspension is standard, as is use of a parallelogram trapezium boom frame, and boom height control can be specified. One of the main features is the GPS auto switching of individual nozzle control. In effect this provides the 36m boom with 72 sections to help improve application accuracy.

Landquip will also be displaying its latest Electrac trailed sprayer.

Kuhn

Kuhn plans to show its new Metris trailed sprayer. Available with 3200 or 4100 litre tank capacities and boom options from 18m to 36m, features include polyester tanks with anti-roll, a centrally placed 450 litre rinsing tank, and Kuhn’s Equilibra boom suspension system. Options include GPS section shutoff, automated rinsing and boom height control for headlands.

Lemken

Designed to complement Lemken’s Sirius tractor-mounted sprayer, the new 1,100-litre Gemini front-mounted tank not only increases acreage performance by more than 50%, but improves tractor stability. The basic model allows the tank to be used for fresh water or liquid fertiliser, and the pesticide version has an agitator fed by liquid circulated by a hydraulically powered pump. The same pump also provides water for the internal cleaning system.

Vicon

Vicon is displaying high-specification versions of its iXtrack trailed sprayers equipped as standard with features normally only available as options. The iXtrack Comfort 2800l has the iXclean Comfort cleaning package and the iXtrack i-Spray 3600l has the iXclean Pro automatic rinsing and cleaning system.

The specification package for the iXtrack i-Spray 3600l also includes aluminium booms – if required – Isomatch Tellus ISO control, boom section control, driving guidance, boom auto height and iXflow recirculation with air nozzle control.

High-specification versions of Vicon’s iXtrack trailed sprayers will be demonstrated at Sprays and Sprayers.

Knight Farm Machinery

Knight Farm Machinery’s tractor-mounted Xtra sprayer has moved up a league – tank capacities now extend to 1,900 litres, so with a front-mounted 1,500-litre tank there can be up to 3,400 litres on board. The new, low-level front-mounted tank can work independently of the rear sprayer and be used for other jobs .

The Xtra has an updated chassis and mast, allowing the booms to fold within the width of the chassis for a transport width of 2.5m or fold down the sides of the sprayer. Boom widths from 12m to 30m are available and options include use of MAXImiser plumbing.

Knight is also showing the latest version of its 2050 self-propelled sprayer, with boom widths from 28m to 40m and tank capacities of 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 litres. Power comes from a 225hp 6.6 litre Perkins Tier 4 final engine. The 40kph hydrostatic transmission has electronic control and there are oil immersed brakes at each wheel.