Leading crop sprayer badges jostled for position all year as growers decided on what model would best suit their unique farm operation
It appeared as though another battleground was brewing in 2022, just as hard fought as the tractor market as it seemed every grower needed a new sprayer and as a result, the market expanded by over 30% and turned into a segment heading towards $one billion a year in future sales if current momentum continues.
Never far away from an expanding growth market with a range of spraying equipment models not seen here previously, John Deere appeared intent on carving out a big slice of the market with its 400 and 600 Series sprayers shown here and anticipated to be joined later by a new lineup of Hagie self-propelled sprayers shown here.
More is revealed about John Deere 400 and 600 Series sprayers here and Hagie SP Sprayers here.
But as John Deere would have expected this category of farm equipment already has some strong players and sitting at the head of the pack is our very own home-grown pioneer, Goldacres.
It was almost overwhelming to keep up with the advancements made by the Ballarat VIC-based manufacturer as model updates seemed to rule every quarter of the year as their engineers filled their draft boards with improvements growers simply had to have.
The Goldacres philosophy of continued improvement was in play and this move kept the firm up with or ahead of anything the imports could offer.
The Goldacres’ G6 Series 2 crop cruiser seemed to be an example of adding every accuracy update and refinement as it became known to the market.
Goldacres’ produces its own control system, the G-Hub with at its heart a full colour 125mm (5-inch) screen and a 10-button panel to control all fill and clean functions with the push of a button.
In addition, the G-Hub system also manages all the liquid control valves that in turn operate all chemical induction, agitation and cleaning functions.
All the induction systems, including the hopper, were increased in capacities and all fill and flush functions are now controlled with electric valves with the push of a button via the G-Hub display.
As a result, Goldacres’ G6 Series 2 crop cruiser was a self-propelled sprayer in strong demand, see more here.
Not content with making it hard for buyers to go past their Self-propelled line of sprayers, Goldacres’ engineers also got to work with the greatest ever make-over of trialled sprayers to date with key functions in a package that would improve production and save on chemical costs.
It made the choice for growers who hover between Self-propelled or trailed sprayers even harder by releasing a trailing sprayer that can cart 10,000 litres of product.
This latest entry into the sprayer market was part of the all-new Prairie Pro Series 2 range that shared the very latest filling and application technology from the self-propelled Crop Cruiser G6 Series 2 model.
Trailed sprayer operators would be spending far less time in the paddock with a choice of a 36m RivX boom or a tri-folding 48m Tritech V series boom.
Also available in the Prairie Pro Series 2 range with the most up-to-date filling and application technology available are 5000, 6500, and 8500 litres models. See more here.
Now if you thought Goldacres’ engineers would take a well-earned holiday break, think again as they surprised the market with a backflip of sorts by releasing value-packed Prairie Special Series 2 trailed models.
This range was released to satisfy the demand for more affordable models on family-operated farms with a limited growing program where there is not the same level of model outlay required, with more of a focus to keep costs in check.
And while the Prairie Special S2 models are the most affordable, they have not escaped all the updates that go into making an efficient current model sprayer. See more here.
Keeping up with the needs of local growers from their base in Adelaide SA Hardi was also on the march with a way to combat weeds from the air.
With the release of GEOSELECT Hardi combined aerial imagery taken by a drone, then transferred that information to a ground sprayer that was able to target individual weeds, eradicate them and save an enormous amount of herbicide in the process.
GEOSELECT was first demonstrated on a Hardi Rubicon 9000 in early trials shown here, and then later made available on the COMMANDER trailed models with product capacities from 6,500 to 10,000-litres with height-controlled booms extending from 30 to 48.5m, shown here.
Hardi had another major release in 2022 when the Saritor 7000 Mallee Edition was launched as an important milestone in SP spray design and technology. With a 7000-litre product tank and boom choices from 36 to 42.5m this model is all about efficiency, see launch details here.
KUHN also made more growers aware of its special-purpose trailed sprayer models that are designed to move quickly across crops and disperse products with a precision-target approach.
Metris 2 models are at the heart of KUHN’s sprayer range, available in 3200 to 4100-litre capacities, they offer coverage from 18 to 36 metres with current design aluminium bi-fold booms.
While for smaller, multi-crop and grain type operations KUHN’s Lexis models are available in 2400 and 3000-litre capacities. With boom options of 18 to 24 metres in either steel or aluminium bi-folds. See more here.
The first production line autonomous herbicide orchard sprayer without an operator on board is being claimed by Herbicide GUSS.
This weed-seeking autonomous herbicide orchard and vine sprayer springs from a newly formed joint venture between GUSS Automation and John Deere, and both are very enthused about being first with the solutions Herbicide GUSS will provide for growers. See more here.
Tyre makers got into the act
As the market for Crop sprayers expanded in 2022 there were specialist tyre makers anxious to get show the advances they made toward safer and longer-wearing variants
The Mitas agricultural tyres released the HC 1000 tyre line to give growers the option of two Narrow Rim Option (NRO) sizes, the VF 650/65R38 and VF 750/60R46. Both tyres are made to handle high load capacities and fast operating speeds.
The HC 1000 range proved popular with original equipment manufacturers as they shod them to their latest generation of high-load and self-propelled sprayers. See more here.
Then BKT highlighted just how advanced specialist rubber technology for sprayer tyres has evolved by releasing three specialist sprayer tyres, the AGRIMAX RT 955 with 23 different sizes, the AGRIMAX RT 945 with eight sizes and the AGRIMAX RT 855 with a staggering 47 sizes.
In addition to the benefits of operator comfort, BKT tyres make it possible to guarantee high performance in terms of vehicle stability, reduced soil compaction and traction. See more here.
Catch our regular updates throughout 2023 on advances being made in crop spraying.
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