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The boom-mounted WEED-IT sensors are claimed to reduce chemical costs by up to 90%, without the need for cameras or images to process.
The Dutch selfpropelled sprayer manufacturer Agrifac already has an impressive product portfolio.
This includes the DynamicDosePlus, a targeted-high accuracy application system working on 25 x 25cm areas. It is delivered from prescription maps and the industry leading AiCPlus – a machine-mounted, artificial-intelligence driven optical spraying with green on brown and green on green capability.
To further strengthen its position in precision application, Agrifac is expanding its offering with the addition of WEED-IT spot spraying technology – from fellow Dutch company Rometron for the Condor and Condor Endurance field sprayers.
WEED-IT originated at the German Wageningen University & Research in 1997, before being launched by Rometron in 1999.
It is claimed to reduce chemical costs by up to 90%, without the need for cameras or images to process.
Instead, living plant chlorophyll emits a small portion of near infrared light as a reaction to the light emitted by the boom-mounted WEED-IT sensors.
Referred to as fluorescence, the sensors distinguish growing weeds from dead plant matter and soil.
This highly effective method of spot spraying, usually applied outside the growing season, has been widely proven in Australia, the United States and Canada.
Claimed to detect all weeds at all speeds, the technology also works in the dark.
In practice, the technology can be built onto all trailed and selfpropelled sprayers with working widths up to at least 36m.
“WEED-IT is a worldwide, commonly used spot spray system to control weeds in a very efficient way,” says Rens Albers, product manager at Agrifac.
“The option to combine WEED-IT with our Agrifac field sprayers makes the entire crop protection on your farm even more efficient.”
Richard Sheppy, managing director of Agrifac Australia, says the addition of WEED-IT to the Agrifac portfolio is the first OEM offering on self propelled sprayers within Australia.
“We see this as another tool available to our customers as they strive to reduce chemical usage and drive sustainability in their businesses.”
Global tyre manufacturer Michelin has extended its agricultural trailer tyre range, with the introduction of its new WorkxBib series, designed for tipping trailers, slurry tankers and manure spreaders.
Following the record-breaking success of its hydrogen-powered Hydromax, JCB is ramping up its investment in the business, key to the first major change at the executive level of the business, with George Bamford stepping up to the post of joint chairman, alongside his father Lord Bamford.
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Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
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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