WEED-IT Quadro brings in stepless nozzle control

Just when you think spraying technology couldn’t get any smarter, WEED-IT has equipped its Quadro spot spraying technology with PWM to ensure constant chemical application rate and accurate spraying, irrespective of speed.

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While PWM isn’t new and has been used by farmers in blanket spray operations, WEED-IT claims it is the first in the world to introduce the technology on a spot spraying system.

Spot spraying technology utilises a series of sensors and cameras to identify weeds on the ground and target sprays the weed, saving farmers heaps in chemical, cost and water cost over time.

“The improvements we’re announcing today mean greater accuracy when cornering and changing speed, so growers have flexibility, control and efficiency,” said WEED-IT Australian managing director, Brendan Williams.

“This is especially important when using residual herbicides as they stay active in the soil for a long time, so they need to be applied at the right rate.”'

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The flow rate to an individual nozzle is controlled by varying the PWM signal going to each solenoid. Constant pressure holds the fluid speed constant, so timing is maintained to correctly hit the weed.

That way, farmers maintain a constant rate no matter how fast or slow they are travelling, or when turning at the headland.

Another advantage of the PWM nozzle control, WEED-IT said, is that it allows precise application at any rate without having to swap or turn nozzle bodies manually, saving time and increasing both sprayer and treatment efficiency.

In addition to PWM, WEED-IT Quadro’s latest software release allows farmers to utilise the system to both spot spray on fallow grounds or execute a blanket in-crop spraying operation.

Another new feature is an audio and visual turn compensation speed warning that activates when an operator is going too quickly for spray rate to be maintained.

In a fast turn or with very wide spray booms, the outer sensors might travel too fast making the flow too low to maintain correct application rate, even if the nozzle is 100 per cent open.

This triggers the warning so the operator can respond by decreasing driving speed to ensure accurate and consistent spraying.

WEED-IT said the new software release - version V4.12 for terminals and version V3.42 for sensors, is standard on new WEED-IT Quadro systems with immediate effect, and can be retrofitted to terminals with version V4.10 and higher and Quadro sensors with software version V3.40 and higher.