AMAZONE takes SmartSprayer to the field

Following an initial announcement in early 2020, European farm machinery manufacturer, AMAZONE, is now ready to send its SmartSprayer equipped UX 5201 trailed sprayer on field trials.

The technology was developed in collaboration with Bosch and BASF Digital Farming and is capable of spot-spraying individual plants with pinpoint accuracy at working speeds of up to 12km/h and all light conditions, AMAZONE said.

It works well with AMAZONE’s ContourControl active boom guidance and SwingStop active vibration damping systems for even better accuracy and efficiency, the company added.

The SmartSprayer system utilises image recognition tech and infrared sensors by Bosch to detect the presence of weeds in the field. It sends data to BASF’s xarvio agronomic decision-making platform which then determines the correct treatment for the weed.

From there, the platform instructs relevant nozzles along the sprayer boom to apply herbicide directly on the weed.

CLAAS Harvest Centre Product Specialist for AMAZONE, Joshua Patrick, said the SmartSprayer system features Bosch infrared sensors mounted every metre along the 36m boom.

“Bosch’s image recognition system detects any weeds, even at a very early growth stage, in milliseconds,” he said.

“The sensors detect chlorophyll, which is the ‘signature’ of green plants.

“Each sensor monitors a 100cm wide band divided into four sectors.”

BASF’s xarvio agronomic decision-making platform then considers a number of parameters, including crop, weed spectrum and weather conditions, to determine the appropriate treatment, nozzle and application rate.

Pulse width frequency modulation (PWFM) valves then activate selected Agrotop Spot Fan nozzles, which are mounted at 25cm intervals, to spray the herbicide exactly at the desired position.

“These valves can be opened or closed – or the application rate adjusted from 30 to 100 per cent – in two milliseconds whilst maintaining the desired spray pressure and droplet size,” Patrick said.

The system also features specially-developed LED lighting technology that help it function in low light conditions.

Full-area application from an additional tank is also possible on the same pass with a twin line system, Patrick added.

The benefit of the spot spraying system, Patrick said, is the chemical, water and cost savings involved.

“Spot spraying can slash input costs by up to 90 percent compared to full-field treatment, depending on the weed pressure and field conditions,” he said.

“This technology ensures that the right herbicide is applied to the right place and at the right application rate.

“It can also significantly reduce spraying costs by reducing the number of refills required and thus increasing in the number of hectares that can be treated each day.”

Patrick said her expects the AMAZONE SmartSprayer technology to become commercially available in Australia and New Zealand in the coming years.

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