Fertigation and chemigation have been part of the irrigation business for years. However, rising interest in more precise application of inputs has more farmers looking at these systems. During Agritechnica, the giant Germany-based farm show, ITC was showing off something new for its Dostec AC fertigation dosing systems — a new smartphone app.

The Spain-based firm markets dosing pumps around the world and claims 20% of its business comes from the United States. The Dostec AC dosing pump is the newest in the company's line and has been on the market for a couple years. And now the latest Dostec AC pump can be controlled remotely.

The key is that the pump has to be outfitted with communication gear to link it to the internet, an option available through the company. The app itself, which is free, can be linked to individual pumps, and through that system a producer can control all pumps in an operation.

There’s no need to drive from pivot to pivot to start up the fertigation pump — and precision control is part of the software in the Dostec AC system. The app controls start and stop times, and can monitor flow as well. It’s a precision way to manage the pumps and offers the added value of remote control.

The pumps, which can be used in a variety of industries, are built to be remotely controlled. The smartphone app brings control-room level functionality into the palm of your hand.

The Dostec AC pump is a diaphragm and piston dosing pump that offers accurate automatic regulation. The system offers a range of options for user flexibility, too. There are several operating modes including analogue control, proportional pulse control, batch dosing control, Modbus supervisory control and manual flow control.

This is a full-function dosing pump designed for accurate dispensing of inputs into your irrigation system. The system can provide irrigation control for pH, electro-conductivity regulation and proportional dosing. The app helps control the whole system.

More on the app
Called the CloudManager, the app allows you to monitor real-time parameters including flow rate, motor speed, pulse and sensor inputs and more.

The Dostec AC system can operate based on special dosing profiles as well, including low flow for a flow range between 1% and 100% of the nominal flow rate; slow suction to increase efficiency when dosing viscous liquids; and low pulsation, which reduces the pulsation in the discharged flow.

This is a key feature, as you can run several pumps from a single app and see how each is performing. Setup is simple using a series of dropdown menus for the pump you’re controlling. The Dostec AC is the pump linked to this app.

Learn more at fertic.com.