Friday, 17 March 2023 08:25

Improved coverage and less water use

Written by  Mark Daniel
Magrowtec is a set-and-forget hardware system that can be retro-fitted to any sprayer configuration. 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.”

www.magrowtec.com

More like this

Featured

'One more push' to eliminate FE

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.

Winston Peters questions Fonterra divestment plan

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter