December 15, 2023
IMPROVED TRAILER: The Ag Spray tank trailers have a spread axle or triaxle and 2,610- or 3,610-gallon drainable tank. Ladders make accessibility faster and easier. Plumbing is customized to meet application needs. The trailer is available in 40- or 42-foot lengths. Custom lengths are available. Price varies with options. For more information, visit agspray.com.
EASY INSTALLATION: The symphony sprayer nozzle by Precision Planting is a pulse-width modulation system that is easy to install and simple to service on your existing self-propelled or pull-type sprayer. It can be controlled through the Gen 3 20|20 monitor in the cab. It reduces overapplication with swath control and over- or underapplication on turns. The custom design does not require special tools for diagnostics or service. Visit precisionplanting.com.
CUSTOMIZE TRAILER: The Burkholder Ag custom spray tenders have many options available, including a swing arm, pit stop system, and banjo fittings and valves. Burkholder Ag will make these customized on a 44-foot step deck trailer with passenger-side drop. The pricing is according to what the customer wants included and is subject to change. Call 573-248-7413.
LESS SOIL DISTURBANCE: The Crustbuster deep banding high-speed nutrient applicator works with minimum soil disturbance, on two rows at a time. Individual units are hydraulically raised and lowered and have heavy-duty, ductile-cast construction. The 24-inch diameter coulter blades have a 3-degree angle cut for minimal soil movement. There are tubes for up to three-product capability per coulter. Closer wheel options include spiked, rubber or 20-point crumblers. The spring-loaded floating inner scrapers and an outer rolling scraper provide excellent blade cleaning. Visit crustbuster.com.
FAST PUMP: Banjo Liquid Fertilizer Products introduces the M350. It is a self-priming centrifugal pump capable of 500 gallons per minute using 4-inch plumbing. It can be powered by a Vanguard or Honda gas engine or by hydraulic or electric motors. Patented tandem wet seal design produces less wear, prevents seal breakage from high-pressure clean-out and withstands more than one hour of dry run. Visit banjocorp.com or call 765-362-7367.
MAINTAIN CLEARANCE: With 80 inches of clearance, the Horsch Leeb 6300VL sprayer boasts the highest clearance on the market. Even with the 120-foot boom option, the proprietary boom control can maintain the boom at 10 inches off the canopy, or at the desired target height for spraying. Elbows on the boom allow it to flex with the contour. Units fall in the $750,000 to $800,000 range. Visit horsch.com or call 701-532-1000.
ACCURATE TARGET: Wilger’s new narrow angle spray tips make it easy to adopt spot spraying into your operation. The DX series spray tips are available in 20-, 40- and 60-degree angles. They help farmers save product and money while also ensuring more accurate coverage. Price per tip is about $20. Visit wilger.net, call 877-968-7695 or email [email protected].
UPGRADE TECH: If you’re riveted by “green-on-green” spraying systems such as John Deere’s See & Spray Ultimate, but aren’t ready to trade, Yancy Wright, Deere marketing upgrades manager, offers an alternative. It’s See & Spray Premium, which provides similar technology, but on select existing John Deere sprayers. A series of 36 cameras across a 120-foot spray boom detects weeds and initiates spot spraying. It works with John Deere 400, 600 and R-series sprayers, model year 2018 or newer. Pictured is a 612R, 2022 model-year used sprayer, equipped with See & Spray Premium. Visit deere.com.
BRAZILIAN CONNECTION: A Brazilian company wanting to make inroads into the U.S. market displayed an all-aluminum spray boom. They have products available in their standard design for spray booms up to 200 feet in length. Spokespersons say their strength is lightness and durability of their aluminum spray booms. Their Brazilian website is jenc.com.br. In the U.S., call 319-774-3445 or visit anaagtech.com.
IMPROVE FUNGICIDE COVERAGE: NutraBoss, Blue Earth, Minn., introduces Bug Boss, an attachment for its Y-drop-type sprayer system designed to improve coverage by spraying the midsection of plants. The “bugs” designers set out to control are disease organisms that cause foliar leaf diseases. Nozzles are arranged in the Bug Boss setup to get improved coverage both on top and bottom of leaves. Bug Boss lists at $500 per row. Call 507-525-3614 or visit nutra-boss.com.
ASSESS SPRAY COVERAGE: Are you getting the coverage you expect and need with conventional spraying? A startup company, AgZen, Somerville, Mass., developed a way to find out. Their technology bolts onto the spray boom and measures current coverage. If it’s not up to par, their system helps determine how to improve spray coverage on leaves, reportedly resulting in savings of 30% or more in chemical costs. Videos on the company website illustrate how the system can lead to improved leaf coverage. Possible equipment rental will be considered for 2024. Visit agzen.com.
ENHANCED COVERAGE: What if you’re not getting spray coverage on leaves that you want, and tweaks to conventional nozzles don’t help? AgZen, a startup based in Somerville, Mass., is developing what it calls an “enhanced spray nozzle.” Spokespersons say it can increase coverage and chemical savings in situations where conventional nozzles can’t go far enough. The nozzle allows adjuvant to be inserted at the tip, resulting in a “stickier” formulation to adhere to leaf surfaces. Visit agzen.com.
TRACKS FOR SPRAYERS: Mattracks, Karlstad, Minn., introduces the HT 400 and HT 500 series tracks for high-clearance sprayers. The HT 400 version handles 40,000 gross sprayer weight, making it a good choice for most 1,200-gallon or smaller sprayers. With longer tread and increased carrying capacity, the HT 500 supports sprayers with 1,400- and 1,600-gallon tanks. The HT series features improved internal tread design and suspension components minimizing vibration. List price for a set of four HT 400 tracks is $180,000, and list price for the HT 500 set of four is $200,000. Call 218-683-9800 or visit mattracks.com.
600-GALLON CAPACITY: Lakestate Mfg., Jasper, S.D., offers saddle tanks with no saddles. The new 600-gallon option is side-mounted and has a rinse tank that can be attached for easy clean-out. Another option is a top tank atop the larger one for extra product storage or for a split application. Black markers allow you to easily check the amount of product remaining. Call Lakestate Mfg. at 507-215-0640 or visit lakestatemfg.com.
WIPE OUT WEEDS: There is still room for the weed wiper in today’s battle against pesky weeds. Grassworks’ rotating Weed Wiper is available in tractor-mounted or pull-type configurations. Large weed plants exert more pressure to extract more herbicide from the roller. Reverse rotation of the roller allows better contact and better coverage on hard-stemmed plants. Cost of the weed wiper ranges from $5,000 to $30,000. Contact Grassworks, Canton, Minn., at 479-790-1091.
WIND SPEED METER: Spectrum Technologies Inc. introduces the WatchDog Ultrasonic Portable Wind Sensor. This compact tool uses four transducers to measure and record wind speed and direction, creating a permanent spray record. The precise record log includes the time, date, and the latitude and longitude of the location. It connects with Bluetooth to a smartphone. Using the free WatchDog Wind app, applicators can take quick measurements at boom height and email themselves the records. Learn more at specmeters.com.
FIELD-READY LIQUID TRAILER: Duo Lift enters the tender trailer market with its heavy-duty Step Deck Semi Liquid Tender Trailer. Choose from a 42-foot tandem axle or 49-foot triple axle semitrailer for liquid storage. The step deck in the front allows for multiple tank configuration. The Duo Lift can haul up to 6,000 gallons of product to support a sprayer. Visit duolift.com or contact Duo Lift, Columbus, Neb., at 800-243-2583.
FIELD-READY LIQUID TRAILER: Duo Lift enters the tender trailer market with its heavy-duty Step Deck Semi Liquid Tender Trailer. Choose from a 42-foot tandem axle or 49-foot triple axle semitrailer for liquid storage. The step deck in the front allows for multiple tank configuration. The Duo Lift can haul up to 6,000 gallons of product to support a sprayer. Visit duolift.com or contact Duo Lift, Columbus, Neb., at 800-243-2583.
Don’t think you will ever be able to access See ’N Spray technology that picks out and sprays only weeds in crops? A new sprayer isn’t in the cards? Well, now you can buy this technology to retrofit onto newer-model, existing John Deere self-propelled sprayers.
It’s just one of the new technologies that fit into the spraying accessory category. But it is an important one. Expect other companies to follow the retrofit strategy, so that more growers will be able to access revolutionary technology without having to invest in a new sprayer.
The See ‘N Spray retrofit from John Deere is one of 17 new products in this category. Spraying weeds is one of the primary jobs on the farm that everyone must address. So, companies respond with a whole range of products to make that process simpler, safer and more efficient.
Be sure to check out each one, using the contact information provided to follow up and learn more details about the products that interest you the most.
Here is a look at just a few products in the lineup:
JENC spray boom. This is a new player in the U.S. market, bringing its technology and product offerings to North America from Brazil. The product it exhibited in this first foray into the new market was an aluminum spray boom, available in varying lengths. Compare this boom to other spray boom products already on the market.
Bug Boss from Nutraboss. Don’t let the name fool you — it’s not just a product to expedite spraying of insects. In fact, spokespersons say its real advantage likely lies in helping growers get better coverage of corn leaves in the middle of the plant for fungicide applications. This specific placement of spray nozzles at a midrange height is designed to provide coverage even on the underside of corn leaves.
Mattracks. This ingenious company built a self-propelled sprayer look-alike out of PVC pipe to attract attention to its booth at the Farm Progress Show. With Halloween approaching when the show was held, it was a scary-looking, attention-getting sculpture of sort. Those who have tried Mattracks tracks for self-propelled sprayers already know that the product is sound. They would visit to check out this new entry without a tantalizing sculpture to catch their attention.
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