New technology developed by Amazone is set to change the way farmers spread their fertiliser for every.
Research from Teagasc has shown the importance of correct calibration of fertiliser spreaders with significant cost savings readily achievable for farmers.
Poorly calibrated spreaders will have a negative impact on crop yields as the fertiliser will be spread in an uneven manner that will cause reductions in yield.
Up to now, the calibration of fertiliser spreaders has relied on a collecting tray method which is seen by a lot of farmers as both time consuming and fairly complicated.
However, new technology from Amazone is set to revolutionise the way farmers calibrate their spreaders.
Its EasyCheck technology makes checking the fertiliser distribution pattern extremely simple.
Now, instead of the normal collecting trays, just lightweight rubber collecting mats (40 x 60 cm) are laid out in the tramline at the correct spacing.
Subsequently the EasyCheck App needs to be calibrated by taking a picture of that specific fertiliser on the mat. After spreading over the laid out collecting mats, the number of granules that have been collected on the 16 mats is photographed on the Smartphone.
The App now compares automatically how much fertiliser has been collected on an individual row of mats and puts the result of each mat row in a ratio. On the basis of this evaluation, the accuracy of the spread pattern can be easily checked.
How it works
In cases where an optimum spreading result is not achieved, the App automatically suggests a readjustment of the spreading disc speed or of the delivery system.
Amazone hopes the new technology will be available in Ireland early next year.
Of special advantage is the easy transport of the collecting mats which do not take up much space and so can be easily transported with the spreader or in the tractor.
