50 years of Amazone crop protection

It was 1969, which is now 50 years ago, when AMAZONE introduced its first crop protection sprayer. Our objective in those days was, and still is today, to constantly strive to improve the way that crop protection chemicals are applied by being innovative.

In this way, technology can be harnessed to optimally achieve the objective of protecting your crops by keeping it healthy; yet in a cost effective and environmentally-sensitive manner. From the UF mounted and the UG and UX trailed models up to the Pantera self-propelled sprayers, AMAZONE offers, for any farm size and any agricultural contractor, the optimum choice in crop protection sprayers.

Great expert knowledge and accuracy are indispensable in crop protection. Therefore, AMAZONE provides more and more precision: Whether the automatic GPS-Switch headland and part-width section control, 50 cm part-width sections with AmaSwitch electric individual nozzle shut off or AmaSelect individual nozzle control with integrated LED individual nozzle lighting – with the sprayers from AMAZONE, the farmer is always using that state-of-the-art level of precision. The concept of individual nozzle switching gives potentially 85% less overlap than a manually controlled sprayer with 7 part-width sections leading to a saving in crop protection chemicals of around 10%. AmaSelect, the unique Amazone in-house developed individual nozzle control, means that the optimum size and type of nozzle is always automatically selected, keeping the droplet size, and hence the spray quality, right, irrespective of speed and water rate.   

A particularly important new development in order to increase that level of precision is the new active ContourControl boom guidance with SwingStop. With the aid of actively actuated hydraulic rams and electronics, this system compensates for any boom swing in either the horizontal or vertical direction and thus ensures an absolutely smooth boom ride. The 6 ultra-sound sensors, linked to those live electro-hydraulics, give an instantaneous reaction to changing topography, with both negative and positive geometry to enable the boom to ride over the target at the optimum height. The in-built HeightSelect software means that, depending on the nozzle spacing selected when using AmaSelect, the boom automatically drops to the perfect height.

Also UX AmaSpot trailed sprayers, with their intelligent sensor nozzle system for Spot-Spraying are now being successfully used in practice.For detecting the targeted plants, the AmaSpot system features the GreenSense fluorescent sensors. Thanks to its chlorophyll detection ability, it can differentiate between green plants and bare ground. When a GreenSense sensor detects a green plant the relevant nozzle is switched on and off with centimetre precision, even at speeds of 20 km/h or at night. In addition to the GreenSense sensor, the system features a special nozzle technology which can be controlled with the highest precision. In a split second the nozzles can open or close and thus only treat that specific area of weeds with the crop protection agent. This nozzle works according to the pulse width frequency modulation (PWFM) principle. Here, a valve regulates, within the high frequency range of 50 Hz (50 switches per second), the frequency of the closing and opening nozzle. By this high switching speed, the system is able to infinitely vary the spray rate from any individual nozzle from 100 % to 30 % or to switch off each nozzle individually. Due to this PWFM regulation, the spray pressure and thus also the size of droplet is always maintained.

With these innovations the farmer can lower their costs significantly and, at the same time, make an important contribution to sustainable and environment saving farming. With this in mind, the AMAZONE team will also in future develop its sprayer programme further still with a high emphasis on “Precision“, “Efficiency“ and “Operator-friendliness“.

In addition, the takeover of the Schmotzer hoeing machinery range, which is part of the leading technology in this market segment, is an important strategic step for the expansion of AMAZONE’s core competence in plant care. Worldwide, hoeing technology, as a means of mechanical crop protection, is again in the spotlight. In the main, besides the mechanical weed control, there are positive aspects of hoeing with regard to soil structure, root growth and nutrient mobilisation. Also in this sector we will push the technology further in the direction of “more precision”.
AMAZONE – The brand for precision through innovation. Find out more about the 50 years of Amazone sprayers