Reading our report on the Sulky X50 Econov spreader (profi 01/15, p22), you probably wondered how much GPS control actually boosts application accuracy. So did we. Which called for a spot of field testing
The notion of section control on a fertiliser spreader isn’t easy to get your head round. The potential benefits of tighter application in terms of material saved and plant growth are obvious, but with no nozzles to switch sequentially on running headlands, how can section control happen on a disc spreader? In reality the problem is more to do with terminology than practice, as we’re used to thinking about sections as discrete physical bits of a boom. The principle is the same on Sulky’s X50 Econov, though the sections are not physical. Instead, TeeJet’s Matrix Pro 840 controller splits the spread width into six virtual parts. Then taking cues from GPS data, the Matrix Pro varies both the fertiliser placement point on the discs and the application rate. This effectively switches the virtual sections on and off according to machine position in the field. That’s the principle behind Smart Boom control.
To quantify the system’s effectiveness we worked on three differently shaped fields, all with angled (running) headlands, adjusting rate manually or letting electronics do it.
For more up-to-date farming news click here and subscribe now to profi and save
