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Magrowtec is a set-and-forget hardware system that can be retro-fitted to any sprayer configuration.
The results of the first-ever field study of the MagrowTec system on Kiwi soil have recently been released.
Bharat Bhana – from Hira Bhana & Co. Ltd in Pukekohe, a pioneer of this technology in New Zealand – has achieved some remarkable results. With improved drift control, the commercial grower has seen a 23% increase in coverage, a 35% reduction in water use, as well as improving spraying productivity by a third.
Often droplets delivered by conventional sprayers are either too small or too large. In the case of the former, they float for longer and can evaporate or drift away from the target.
By contrast, droplets that are too large, hit the plant at a higher speed, so are prone to bounce, shatter, and run-off, reducing retention on the leaf and the chemical’s overall performance.
MagrowTec, a set-and-forget hardware system that can be retro-fitted to any sprayer configuration, uses magnetic assistance to create more optimum-sized spray droplets during spraying. It also has sufficient momentum to overcome drift and get down into the plant canopy but is also small enough to stay on the plant surface upon impact.
Hira Bhana & Co. Ltd ran a side-by-side study with a conventional sprayer and noticed a significant reduction in drift and better coverage shown on the water-reactive paper used in the study.
The company was also able to reduce their water usage from 400 litres per hectare to 260 litres per hectare.
“We are getting less drift, which means there’s more spray going down onto the plant, where it should be,” explains Bharat Bhana, owner of Hira Bhana.
“We also achieved a lower water rate, meaning at the end of the day, we’ve got a lot more work done. It would normally take some two days to spray 200 hectares of onions, which we’ve now cut to a day and a half.
“We’ve also saved some fuel and spray chemical, we’ve got less drift and saved some water, so that must be good for the environment.”
The system is distributed by Vantage New Zealand, and director Jemma Mulvihill says they are thrilled by the results of this field study.
“MagrowTec’ s technology has allowed our client to increase their productivity and profitability, by using the latest innovation and technology to meet the challenges of modern agriculture.”
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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