Chafer sales and marketing manger Rob Starkey said higher fertiliser costs, tighter environmental legislation, more targeted and efficient chemical and fertiliser application, as well as operator safety, had been the key drivers behind the launch of the new range.
The new products include the Microband Air in-furrow Vydate applicator, Air Stream applicator designed to accurately place fertiliser at planting and the Twin Air nematicide applicator.
Microband Air can be mounted onto a range of planters including Grimme, Structural and Standen-Pearson. The new system features a larger 70-litre capacity hopper reducing the number of fills required each day.
“Previous Microband models used gravity to distribute chemical, which limited the positioning options, whereas the new Microband Air uses an electric fan to blow the chemical into the furrow,” Mr Starkey said. “The flexibility of hopper positioning on different planters is therefore made much easier and improves operator safety.
| The Micoband Air has a 70-litre hopper. |
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“Microband Air is now fitted to the back of the planter where it is easily accessible for filling, calibration and maintenance. The hopper lid is fitted with closed transfer couplings minimising operator exposure to chemical. Calibration is quick and easy using the calibration tray, which slides into the bottom of the metering unit.”
Application rate is now controlled electronically from the cab, replacing the mechanical drive system. This improves application accuracy and makes the system compatible with any planter, as well as being extremely simple to fit and maintain.
Air Stream is a new system designed to precisely place solid fertiliser next to the tuber during planting. This can help to reduce fertiliser rates without compromising crop performance. A hydraulically driven metering unit drops fertiliser into an air stream and delivers it to a specially modified opening shoe which places the fertiliser in a band below and to the side of the tuber as it is being planted.
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Stainless steel hoppers up to 2,000-litres are available. |
“Front-mounted hoppers using gravity to place the fertiliser in band in front of the tractor can’t offer the same level of accuracy as the Air Stream as there is a distance of up to 10m between the fertiliser being placed and a tuber being planted,” Mr Starkey said. “Placing fertiliser next to the tuber instead of using tines in front of the planter also avoids pushing soil into the bottom of the row.”
Air Stream offers stainless steel hoppers up to 2,000-litre capacity and can be fitted to all types of 2-6 row planters using especially developed opening bodies for each planter. Individual metering to each outlet using an electronic rate control system means rates of up to 1,500kg/ha are achievable. An automatic headland shutoff facility helps to reduce over application on field boundaries.
Further development of the Air Stream system will allow fertiliser to be band applied to vegetable and salad crops as well as oilseed rape during establishment. It can also be used to expand the hopper size of seed drills by carrying extra seed in the front hopper and transferring it to drill.
Nematicide application for the control of wireworm, and PCN is commonly performed during bed forming. Twin Air is designed to make this process more accurate and safer for the operator.
The new Twin Air features a 300-litre stainless steel hopper, which improves productivity and reduces downtime when applying higher rates of chemical. A series of closed transfer receivers are fitted to the hopper lid to reduce operator chemical exposure and to speed up filling.
“Application accuracy is a key design criteria for all Horstine equipment,” says Mr Starkey. “The Twin Air features a series of positive displacement metering units, which using an air stream, deliver precise quantities of chemical to each one of 16 individually metered outlets across the width of the bed tiller. Any number can be blocked off to suit different cultivators and bedtillers.”
Fishtail spreaders evenly applies chemical straight in front of the tiller guaranteeing instant incorporation.
To further enhance application accuracy product metering is controlled using an electronic rate control system. Twin Air also incorporates the same headland shut-off system as Air Stream. Use of the Twin Air can be extended to apply slug pellets and OSR when mounted to a cultivator.
For more information visit: www.cropsprayers.com.
