Future lies with direct chemical injection
Future lies with direct chemical injection
By Geoff Ashcroft
DIRECT chemical injection could provide spraying contractors with the opportunity to use variable rate applications and spot spraying techniques.
Thats the message contractors heard at a recent business seminar run by the National Association of Agricultural Contractors.
"With more growers looking to use precision farming techniques, the development of direct chemical injection systems should help growers reduce their input costs," explains spraying consultant Dr Andrew Landers.
Advantages
The advantages of direct injection systems include a more appropriate use of pesticides, reduced waste by not having part-loads left in the tank and more precise mixing of chemicals. In addition, Mr Landers says direct injection offers the ability to vary application rates according to specific weed problems and changes in soil type.
"Such advantages are likely to outweigh the extra capital cost of fitting a system to a sprayer, which makes direct chemical injection a specialist job for the spray contractor," he adds.
Currently, there are two American-built systems being imported into the UK, which can be retro-fitted to existing crop sprayers. One is the Raven system imported by Chavtrac, the other is the Mid-Tech injection system from Mid-Tech Europe.
Both the Raven and Mid-Tech systems rely on individual injection systems which meter out precise quantities of chemical only as it is required – it means the sprayers tank only carries clean water and when spraying is finished, theres no surplus chemical to dispose of.
But the key to any direct chemical injection system is being able to carry out site specific applications – a task which still requires accurate field maps of weed infestations.
It is a problem being addressed by Chavtrac, who is developing its Patchwork software for use with Raven GPS equipment.
Likely to be available this spring, Patchwork allows application maps to be created in the farm office, before downloading the information into the Raven sprayer controller, so spray applications can be carried out in specific areas of a field. *
Spraying consultant Dr Andrew Landers (inset) sees direct chemical injection systems as a way to help growers reduce their input costs.