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Applying chemicals to arable or grassland crops has many variables — differing chemical formats and target volumes, and forward speeds that vary with undulating terrain.
The latest innovation from John Deere — its ExactApply spray nozzle — is said to increase flexibility and improve accuracy.
It has six nozzles mounted on a rotating turret, working with two electronically operated liquid control valves. The system can manually switch between two nozzles and independently adjust spray pressure and flow rates.
Flow rate is controlled by pulse wave modulation that enables a much wider range of spraying speeds and application rates, with speed from 10 to 30km/h at a constant pressure, or application rates of 100 to 300 litres/ha at constant forward speeds.
Interestingly, the system can also adjust flow and pressure to create a droplet size that is resistant to drift, which will prove useful in sensitive areas or changing weather.
Greater accuracy is achieved by adjusting flow rates to individual nozzles across the boom; this means greater flow is delivered to the end of the boom that is travelling faster on the outside of a curve, while a reduced flow is delivered to nozzles at the inside of the radius.
For long working days during ideal conditions, each nozzle is equipped with LED lighting for night-time spraying and a blockage detection system that advises operators of any interruption of liquid flows.
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