Arable businesses are under increasing pressure to boost spraying efficiency, cut input costs, and meet tightening environmental regulations.

One way to do this is to adopt precision spray technology, and this year’s Cereals event is a good place to check out the latest kit.

Here is a preview from three of the manufacturers at the event.

Amazone 

Amazone Pantera 7004 © Amazone

Returning to the arena, Amazone will showcase its self-propelled Pantera 7004 and 4504, the trailed UX Super, the UF 02 mounted sprayers, and the FT 1502 front tank. 

The Pantera 7004 builds on everything growers appreciate about the 4504 to a larger 6,750-litre model.

With boom widths from 21m to 48m and a spray pack that mirrors the UX trailed sprayer range, performance has been optimised across the board, says Amazone’s marketing manager, David Thomson. 

See also: How tech trial is helping Lincs estate improve wheat inputs

Following success on self-propelled and trailed models, the ContourControl boom guidance system is now available on the UF mounted sprayers.

“The addition to the UF range means operators will now benefit from the boom being able to follow uneven topography without impacting precision,” explains David. 

The AmaSelect technology, featuring smart individual nozzle switching, further enhances accuracy with curve compensation for even dose rates across the boom while turning.

Amazone’s CurveControl technology achieves this by calculating each nozzle’s boom speed and automatically changing the nozzles or nozzle combinations to maintain dose rate and droplet size.  

Fendt 

Fendt Rogator sprayer © Fendt

The popular Rogator 600 from Fendt returns to the arena, joined by the new Rogator 645 Gen 2, a compact yet powerful solution tailored for small to medium-sized farms.  

Powered by a 235hp engine and fitted with a 5,000-litre tank, the Rogator 645 Gen 2 offers boom widths from 24-39m, providing flexibility for a wide range of field sizes and cropping systems. 

“Built on Agco’s class-leading independent chassis suspension, the Rogator offers two working heights – 75cm and 120cm under-chassis clearance – providing unrivalled stability and crop clearance throughout the season,” explains Fendt’s Ant Risden.

“Its fixed track width of 1.85-2m can also be upgraded to a hydraulic track adjustment system, stretching from 1.8m to 2.25m for optimal crop row compatibility.”  

The machine comes with a manual five-way nozzle body, with optional two- or four-way electric nozzle bodies for enhanced control.

An integrated NovAtel Smart 7 GPS receiver ensures further precision, while optional upgrades like the OptiSonic boom levelling system – with four or six ultrasonic sensors – maintain optimum boom height for consistent coverage and drift control, even across challenging terrain. 

“Manoeuvrability is another standout feature, thanks to a super-tight 3.14m turning radius – ideal for headland work and tight gateways,” continues Ant.

“With multiple tyre configurations available and road speeds of up to 50km/hour, the Rogator 645 Gen 2 is equally at home on-road and in-field.” 

Supporting its high output potential is a 785-litre/min centrifugal pump and the OptiFlow high-capacity filling station, complete with a 60-litre induction bowl capable of transferring liquids at 220 litres/min or 33kg/min of powders. 

John Deere 

John Deere 340M sprayer © John Deere

John Deere will demonstrate three of its sprayers at this year’s event – the 340M self-propelled model and the R740i and R962i trailed sprayers, offering solutions for farms of all sizes.  

Growers interested in trailed sprayers can see the 24m R740i in action, which features the unique PowrSpray dual-circuit solution system for rapid filling and more hectares sprayed per day. 

For those needing more reach, the 36m R962i features John Deere’s See & Spray technology – capable of spotting green weeds on brown soils – as well as the Individual Nozzle Control (INC) Pro upgrade, which will be on show for the first time at Cereals.  

INC Pro improves application accuracy and reduces chemical usage, saving the operator money.

It takes the stress out of maintaining a constant speed during conventional applications by using pulse width modulation technology to deliver a consistent application rate at constant pressure, producing the same size droplets, whatever the sprayer’s speed, says the company. 

But it’s not just all about big kit. With a maximum boom width of 36m, the 340M is designed for tight spaces, making it ideal for smaller farms and fields.

It is highly manoeuvrable for awkward-shaped fields and narrow access roads, but still accommodates large-diameter tyres for minimum ground pressure.