Agrifac Condor Endurance smashes two world records in one go
The 48m self-propelled sprayer was put to the test at a farm in WA…and broke all records by end of dayAgrifac Australia has successfully set the world record for most area sprayed in 24 hours, as well as most area sprayed within one hour, earlier this year.
On March 2, 2017, Agrifac Australia general manager, Mark Slater, completed 2637ha of non-stop summer spraying in 24 hours with a 48m Condor Endurance self-propelled sprayer, successfully smashing the previous world record of 1032ha.
Another world record was also achieved when Slater managed to cover an area of 150ha within one hour.
The sprayer Slater used was equipped with Agrifac's HighTechAirPlus(HTA) technology which allows operators to change spray droplet sizes easily without having to switch nozzles.
The record-breaking attempts were made with help from Slater's brother, Ben, who helped map the field boundaries; the Mason family who lent their farm in Perenjori (WA) for the world record attempt; and local Justice of the Peace, Jim Gilmour, who adjudicated the records.
At 12pm on March 1, Gilmour dropped his arm to start the clock. By 12am on March 2 (after 12 hours), Slater had done 1392ha, already surpassing the previous record set in 24 hours.
Slater says the record was even more special considering the fields were not all flat and smooth, and were irregularly shaped at some places.
"We had a bit of everything - trees, power poles, tight corners, gradual slopes and some bumps too," Slater says.
"We wanted to make it as real as possible. In total there were 15 fields with a 10-minute drive between the two blocks.
"I did drive into the wrong field in the middle of the night which cost us a little time."
The Mason family helped run a 'nurse truck' to keep the sprayer running. After 30 hours of no sleep for the team, the clock stopped at 12pm on March 2.
The final stats are:
Machine used: 48m Agrifac Condor Endurance with HTA technology
Total area covered: 2636.9ha (15 fields)
Average spraying rate: 110ha/h
Best hour average: 150.7ha
Total amount sprayed: 27,875 gallons
Number of fills: 13 and a bit
Average spraying speed: 15.5 miles/h
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