AmaSelect Row
Accurate band spraying at the press of a button to reduce usage of plant protection agents
With AmaSelect Row, AMAZONE now offers the possibility to switch any machine with an AmaSelect nozzle body remotely control from whole-area application to row-specific band spraying. Row-specific band spraying makes it possible to reduce the usage of plant protection agents by up to 65 %.
This requires special SpotFan 40-03 nozzles with a spraying angle of just 40°. These special nozzles work without overlap and apply 100 % of the plant protection agent across the whole width of the spray cone.
AmaSelect nozzle bodies are normally fitted to the boom at a spacing of 50 cm. Row specific applications in crops with a 50 cm row spacing can very easily be implemented without any further retooling.
As an option, AMAZONE offers an extension kit for the AmaSelect nozzle body which is used to reduce the nozzle spacing on the boom to 25 cm. The extension kit shifts apart two of the 4 nozzle positions of the AmaSelect nozzle body towards the right and the left. This solution has the advantage that, even with a nozzle spacing of 25 cm, treatment of the whole area is still guaranteed. Using the extension kit with a 25 cm nozzle spacing also allows for band applications on crops with 75 cm row spacing. Only the nozzles at the desired spacing are switched on for that purpose.
Each nozzle position in the AmaSelect nozzle body can either be opened individually or in combination with a second nozzle. Switching between the individual nozzle positions or between full-width and band application can easily be achieved by the press of a button on the terminal.
When the nozzle spacing is set to 25 cm, only every third nozzle will be opened for applications in crops with 75 cm row spacing. Only the row spacing, the spraying angle of the nozzle for band spraying, and the application height need to be entered into a separate menu in the ISOBUS machine controller. The selection of the right nozzle and the associated nozzle positions to the band needing to be treated is carried out automatically.
Adhering to the height above target is of particular importance for band spraying. The band gets wider if the distance between the nozzle and the target surface is too large. It becomes narrower if the distance is too small. A combination of the AmaSelect nozzle body with the active ContourControl boom guidance can fully maximise the advantages here.
The possible reduction in plant protection agents for the specified applications depends on the row spacing, and varies between 40 – 50 % (50 cm sugar beet rows) or 50 – 65 % (75 cm in maize & potatoes).