A brand of sprayers popular on the Continent is now available to UK farmers and growers.

Unveiled for the first time earlier this year at the Cereals event, Caruelle sprayers are being imported by Glamorgan-based Equipment Supply Services – ESS.

In France the firm claims to be market leader in trailed units and occupies the number two spot overall, second to sister company Berthoud.

But do we really need another sprayer brand in the UK? ESS managing director Sean Reilly believes so.

“Agriculture is currently undergoing a massive transition which requires growers to become more environmentally aware, especially to comply with assurance and subsidy schemes.

“It is no longer acceptable practice to use old, uncalibrated kit for pesticide and fertiliser applications.

Caruelle sprayers are top-spec products that will help farmers to ensure they meet the tough new requirements.”

He also makes the point that larger farms are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the expense of dedicated self-propelled sprayers and are looking at the alternatives.

“A high specification trailed unit can offer the same levels of sophistication as a self-propelled machine and can match the output at a fraction of the cost.

“But the real benefit is in versatility – drop the sprayer off and in minutes you can be off drilling with the same tractor.”

ESS will be pushing a number of features as selling points for the forthcoming season.

Agitation through recirculation and a smooth tank finish are said limit residue “hang-up”, reducing pesticide levels in tank washings.

An anti-foam, non-return filling valve helps to boost the range’s environmental credentials by reducing the risk of back pressure leakage.

Caruelle sprayers are equipped with pendulum suspended boom carriages, which – through a rubber damper mechanism – is said to transfer lateral movements from one wing to another, counteracting “boom-whip” and limiting yaw.

Three different control systems are available:

“Selec’Van” gives on-the-move rate control and maintains a constant dose regardless of forward speed.

LEDs guide the operator to open and shut the correct valves for filling, spraying and washing out.

“Selector” provides three motorised valves to simplify filling operations.

“Selector Plus” allows all sprayer functions to be set and adjusted electronically via a control panel on the side of the unit and another up in the cab.

fwmachinery@rbi.co.uk