1.6 Solutions in the area of fertiliser efficiency and integrated plant protection

Examples from the AMAZONE Group

Fertiliser efficiency

Innovative technology for needs-based, precise, part-area, site-specific fertilisation:

• ZA-TS fertiliser spreaders and ZG-TS bulk fertiliser spreaders with ArgusTwin radar system for automatic optimisation of the lateral distribution
• Cirrus-CC pneumatic seed drill with a twin outlet hopper and conveying system concept for the application of seed and fertiliser
• Precea precision air seeder with FertiSpot for the pin-point fertiliser application

Integrated plant protection

Alternative and reliably effective crop protection methods for erosion-reducing conservation soil tillage:

• Innovative technology for a reduction in the use of chemical plant protection agents - from conventional area treatment and part-area treatment to individual plant treatment
• Increased use of mechanical weed control with Schmotzer hoeing technology
  www.schmotzer-ht.de

Precision Farming for an increase in climate and water protection

Fertilisation and crop protection methods must also meet the requirements of sustainable land management hand in hand with soil tillage and sowing. For example, all measures which improve the economic efficiency of N fertilisation, i.e. reducing the use of fertiliser, also serve to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Effective measures here include e.g. the cultivation of catch crops, the selection of the optimum times for fertilisation and the right fertilisers.

AMAZONE offers innovative fertiliser spreaders and crop protection sprayers for the protection of groundwater and bodies of surface water. These provide greater precision in metering and application and significantly reduce the requisite amount of fertiliser and plant protection agents thanks to electronic control and regulation technologies.

This brings significant increases in efficiency and cost savings for agricultural production, and yield potential can be exploited more effectively at the same time. At the same time, these machines meet environmental requirements to better effect, as only as the amounts of fertiliser and crop protection agents actually required by the plants are applied. As in the case of soil tillage, the following
principle also applies here: As little as possible, as much as necessary.

Furthermore, AMAZONE offers forward speed related application rate regulation systems, in order to provide high-precision metering of fertiliser and plant protection agents. GPS-Switch is another development which provides cost savings and environmental effects when using fertiliser spreaders and crop protection sprayers. This is because the system enables positionally accurate, automatic start and stop of the part-width sections on the headland, at the field boundary or when negotiating obstacles.

Automated side and border spreading systems for fertiliser spreaders as well as electric single nozzle control systems for crop protection sprayers are designed for optimum water protection. These include e.g. the AMAZONE ZA-V fertiliser spreaders in combination with the Limiter border spreading system, which conform to European environmental standard EN 13739 for fertiliser spreaders. AmaSelect Row offers the option of switching from full-area application to row-specific band spraying by remote control. The AmaSelect Spot nozzle switching system enables part-area, site-specific weed treatment on the basis of highly accurate drone photographs.

Another example is the coupling of fertiliser spreaders and sprayers to online sensor technology, which enables part-area, site-specific supply of the fields.

AMAZONE has invested in a state-of-the-art test hall for fertiliser spreaders for research and the further development of fertiliser spreaders. Thanks to innovative test equipment, AMAZONE can therefore offer its customers an even faster and more precise FertiliserService. In this way, AMAZONE provides additional support to ensure that not only the requirements of environmental protection are met during spreading, but also that fertiliser is delivered to the plants as required and with absolute precision.

Further information can be found at www.cost-cutting-concept.com