GrowNotes

Spray application manual

Module 19: Shielded sprayers

19.7 Practical considerations

Published 24 January 2025 | Last updated 20 January 2025

As crop row spacing becomes narrower, and the crop canopy increases in size, the use of shielded sprayers in the inter-row space becomes more challenging. To apply products as an even band below the shield, the shield must be able to maintain its position relative to the plant row.

Factors that will influence the ability of the machine to maintain the position of the shield can include:

  • accuracy and repeatability of the guidance system and auto-steer functions;

  • matching the widths of the wheel centres for all implements;

  • the traffic system used on-farm and the condition of wheel tracks;

  • the use of efficient crop separators; and

  • the use of self-aligning tool bars (relative to the crop row).

Find out more

For more information on these topics, refer go to Module 12: GPS systems and Module 22: Integration of the sprayer with other farm equipment

Self aligning tool bars

The use of shielded sprayers in narrow crop row widths may require the ability to adjust the tool bar in relation to the crop row, particularly as the crop increases in size. There are toolbars, such as Robocrop®,which uses sensors to detect the crop row, and can adjust the position of the tool bar to keep implements in position in relation to the crop row.

Garford Robocrop InRow Weeder

6 January 2025

5 row Robocrop InRow Weeder from Garford Farm Machinery

Integrating target-selectable sprayers under shields

There are currently shielded sprayers that have integrated a WeedSeeker® system under the shields, for selectively targeting weeds in the inter-row.

The choice of target-selectable systems is limited by the required height of the sensor above the target. The WeedSeeker® sensors can operate at about 0.65 metres above the target, and have been fitted to commercially available shielded sprayers.

A Crop Stalker™ shielded sprayer, capable of being fitted with WeedSeeker® units under the shield

Figure 1 To accommodate WeedSeeker® units a shield needs to be relatively tall to allow the sensors to operate effectively. Photo: Southern Precision (4.1 MB JPG)
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