New spray tech hits the RightSpot
Ag Leader claims its new product is able to control up to 144 nozzles individually for consistent and accurate sprayingPrecision agriculture specialist, Ag Leader, has announced the launch of its new RightSpot nozzle control product that sits in the company's DirectCommand portfolio of precision planting, spreading and spraying technology.
According to Ag Leader, RightSpot has been designed to offer more consistent and accurate spraying coverage over a range of operating speeds and can be retrofitted to a wide range of self-propelled and trailed sprayers.
“Spraying is extremely time-sensitive and time-intensive,” says Ag Leader Asia Pacific Sales Manager, Doug Amos.
“Producers often spend more time spraying than any other job associated with broadacre or row cropping.
“With increasing input costs and tightening environmental regulations, producers need to be looking at ways of increasing the efficacy, accuracy and productivity of their spraying operations.
“Adding nozzle-by-nozzle control to their existing sprayer can deliver immediate agronomic and financial benefits by minimising under- or over-application and the potential for spray drift.”
RightSpot utilises pulse width modulation (PWM) technology to maintain a consistent, user-defined boom pressure and application rate, regardless of operating speed.
“A traditional sprayer regulates the application rate by increasing or decreasing boom pressure as the ground speed of the sprayer changes,” Amos says.
“This means any reduction in speed, such as when travelling over rough conditions or around obstacles, will produce a larger droplet size, resulting in reduced coverage and efficacy.
“Conversely, any increase in speed will result in a smaller droplet size increasing the risk of chemical drift onto adjacent crops.
“With RightSpot, flow rate and pressure are controlled independently.”
What this means to operators is they can speed up or slow down without sacrificing droplet size or coverage, Amos adds.
“RightSpot shuts off each nozzle automatically, allowing the operator to follow the most efficient path of travel rather than tracing around obstacles.
“The automatic turn compensation adjusts the application rate on the inner and outer portions of the boom to ensure a consistent rate is applied right across the boom during turning.”
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RightSpot can be retrofitted to any make or size of sprayer, according to Ag Leader.
“We believe this technology will appeal to large-scale farmers or contractors who are looking to improve the efficiency of their existing spray unit without having to purchase a new sprayer,” Amos says.
“RightSpot is the cost-effective way to upgrade a late-model self-propelled or trailed sprayer into a state-of-the-art precision sprayer that would otherwise cost hundreds of thousands of dollars new.”
RightSpot is controlled using Ag Leader’s universal InCommand 1200 terminal, which also controls the company’s steering and guidance systems; precision planting and spreading solutions and decision support systems.
“Like all Ag Leader products, RightSpot is designed to make the grower’s job easier with a simple, easy-to use, year-round interface that enables them to achieve precise application control while increasing productivity,” Amos says.
RightSpot will be available via the Ag Leader dealer network throughout Australia from spring 2022 onwards.
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