Know How / Spraying and spreading Advice and tips How to fit Avadex applicators to drills and Cambridge rollsGrowers planning to fit a granular applicator to their drill or Cambridge rolls need to make sure they are set up with a high-volume fan and wide-bore pipework to ensure… SPRAYERSHow to retrofit old sprayers with automatic section controlFew people who have had a sprayer with auto-section control would consider going back to manual boom switching. Not only do these systems improve spraying accuracy and reduce overspray, but… SLURRY TANKERSAdvice on setting up the perfect umbilical slurry systemSpreading slurry through an umbilical system can be vastly more efficient than running tankers, but it’s not always a practical proposition for every farm, particularly those with outlying ground a… SPRAYERSNozzle expert gives tips on more accurate spray applicationArable production across the prairies of western Canada might appear to have little in common with that of the UK, but they share one problem: how to increase sprayer productivity… See all Case studies SPRAYING AND SPREADINGHow a Berkshire contractor geared up for drone sprayingIf you’ve had a go with a small consumer-type drone, it’s easy to understand why enthusiasts like Bracknell-based Steve Frost get hooked. They are relatively cheap, can capture great visuals… 4X4SContractor transforms Hilux trucks into lightweight sprayersThe 1980s can keep its big hair and shoulder pads, but the 4x4-based, low-ground-pressure sprayer could be a trend worth reviving. One Lincolnshire contractor certainly thinks so. Only this time… SLURRY TANKERSCornish contractor diversifies with slurry bag hire serviceSurrounded by dairy farms and an abundance of their main by-product, Cornwall-based contractors Josh and Helen Collins have recently branched out into slurry bag rental. Each with a 350cu m… SPRAYING AND SPREADINGMilitary trucks converted into spray bowser and fert flatbedDrilling, spraying and fertiliser spreading across the 3,850ha farmed by the Bone family in Hertfordshire may not be run with military precision – though it is a pretty slick operation… See all Community WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2023: Mick Thompson's custom pumping trailerMick Thompson takes third place in the complex category of the 2023 Farmers Weekly Inventions Competition with his slurry-pumping trailer. Mr Thompson of Lancashire outfit Thompson Brothers built a remote-controlled… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2023: Self-propelled pump and tankThe runner-up of the complex category of the 2023 Farmers Weekly Inventions Competition is Alistair Craig with his lorry slurry pumping trailer. Remote umbilical slurry pumping trailers and nurse tanks… WORKSHOP SKILLSFW Inventions Comp 2022: DJ's starter fert applicatorDJ's starter fert applicator is the winner of the intermediate category in our Farmers Weekly Inventions Competition 2022. Derek Howard, known as DJ, of Alton-based contractor Scribeland, built a starter… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2020: Fertiliser bogie slashes power useOwen Wilks’ Fertable fertiliser bogie placed third in the intermediate category of the Farmers Weekly inventions competition. One of this year’s most experienced entrants is 80-year-old Owen Wilks, who has… See all Insights SPRAYERSSoilEssentials' Skai spot-sprayer cuts chemical useAware of the dearth of options for tackling pernicious grassland weeds without clobbering clover, Charlie Murray went in search of a solution. The core of his Clyde Agriculture business, which… SPRAYERSAussies offer spot-spraying system for autonomous tractorsA new AutoFill docking system for SwarmFarm Robotics’ autonomous pivot-steer tractor units means they can top up their spray tanks without human intervention. Once the liquid level falls below a… MUCKSPREADERSReliability and residuals key to Bunning spreader investmentA brace of Bunning spreaders run by Robert Hamilton Contracting are proving their worth year on year as they return faultless performance and require no support from the dealer. The… SPRAYERSSpot spraying option coming to John Deere's trailed R-seriesJohn Deere is finally ready to roll out its spot spraying system in Europe, five years after its $305m (£250m) acquisition of Californian start-up Blue River. The See & Spray… See all News MUCKSPREADERSBigger 20t Xcel 2050 muckspreader joins Hi-Spec rangeHi-Spec has added a second Xcel rear discharge muckspreader to its range, and it offers significantly more carrying capacity than before. The new 2050 is good for 20t of material,… UMBILICALKME develops all-in-one slurry pump and compressorSlurry contractors keen to shave a few minutes off their umbilical set-up time might be tempted by the combined pump and compressor assembly developed by County Kerry-based KME Agri. The… SLURRY TANKERSKumm-Technik KTS artic slurry tanker offers 32cu m capacityA new high-volume articulated tanker has landed in the UK, allowing large quantities of slurry or digestate to be transported to the field. The KTS 32 Light from German maker… SPRAYING AND SPREADINGMastek Combi rig combines slurry pump and compressorFarmers and contractors running tractors without a front linkage or pto can now carry a pump and compressor as a single unit thanks to Mastek’s self-contained Combi Pump Set. Rather… See all Test and reviews SPRAYERSFirst impressions: McConnel's bigger and heavier AgribuggyAt what point is a small, lightweight self-propelled sprayer no longer small or lightweight? The McConnel Agribuggy has defined this relatively niche segment since its inception in the early 1980s… SPRAYERSChampion operator rates Chafer and Bateman self-propelledsBuyers of the biggest self-propelled sprayers are being seduced by a seemingly ever-growing list of optional extras that promise to improve accuracy, spray efficacy and ease of use. The pinnacle… SPRAYERSNorfolk grower rates UK's first Mazzotti 4080 sprayerSince John Deere snapped up Mazzotti in 2017 it has been busy administering a series of green injections to the Italian maker’s range of self-propelled sprayers. The Deerification has been… SPRAYERSDriver's view: Rob Hadley rates Grim self-propelled sprayerNever one to shy away from a lesser-known brand, Warwickshire mixed farmer Rob Hadley has taken a punt on the first Italian-built Grim self-propelled sprayer to be brought into the… See all Video CULTIVATION AND DRILLINGVideo: Horsch reveal drilling innovations and tillage tweaksGerman implement maker Horsch is experiencing strong UK sales from its tillage and crop protection machines. However, with the uncertainty surrounding glyphosate regulation and Brexit, the company thinks that exploring… CROP MANAGEMENTVideo: How nozzle choice affects spray quality and efficacySelecting the appropriate sprayer nozzle for pre-emergence weed control is an important step in cutting spray drift and maximising the efficacy of the chemicals being applied. There are four key… Video: Cereals sprayers in actionManufacturers flocked from far and wide to demonstrate their latest machines in the Sprays and Sprayers arena at this year’s Cereals event. From the smallest mounted units to the largest… MACHINERY3 Cereals videos: Top tractors, cultivation kit and sprayersMachinery makers from across the globe flocked to Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire this week (10-15 June) for the annual Cereals 2015 event. We captured a few highlights from the tractor manufacturers, cultivation… See all
