Spot spraying is a precision agriculture method gaining popularity for its ability to help farmers save plenty on cost, water and time.
Croplands has been offering its green-on-brown spot spraying system, WEED-IT for a number of years now and claims its new iteration, the WEED-IT Quadro, takes spot spraying efficiency to the next level.
The Quadro sensor offers an updated appearance and blue light source with increased power efficiency. According to Croplands, blue LEDs have proven to be more sensitive to weeds and less sensitive to background noise than the red LED-lighting used in the predecessor model.
A new dual core processor delivering fast communication and high sampling frequency further adds to the accuracy and efficiency of the Quadro, Croplands said.
Croplands Equipment Portfolio Manager, Steve Norton, has been working closely with WEED-IT manufacturers, Rometron, to test and calibrate the Quadro sensor to ensure it suits local conditions.
“Initial testing was undertaken in Australia in January 2018 and since then the Quadro sensor has undergone substantial changes to both the hardware and software,” Norton said.
“In March 2019, a team of three engineers from Rometron spent four weeks in Australia conducting extensive field trials in the Mallee region of South Australia and Queensland.
“These field trials were crucial in validating the functionalities and finer settings of the new sensor to ensure maximum effectiveness in our varied Australian conditions.”
To provide better penetration in stubble and minimise shading of small grasses, WEED-IT sensors are placed at 1m intervals across the boom. Each of the sensors controls four nozzles on 25cm spacings along the boom.
The WEED-IT system uses sensors to detect chlorophyll in the leaves of weeds in fallow fields and triggers targeted herbicide application. According to Croplands, the system helps farmers delay the onset of herbicide resistance, lower their weed seed bank, improve water retention and achieve substantial chemical savings.
Croplands said the Quadro can be built on to any type and brand of ground glider and trailed sprayer, quad, orchard sprayer, toolbar, self-propelled sprayer and even autonomous sprayers with working widths up to 36m.
Watch the video to find out how the WEED-IT Quadro works and how it can help farmers in their operations.