Banded spraying of row crops is gradually winning its place in practical use. This method proves its worth, first and foremost, in growing sugar beet and potatoes. Many practitioners have closely observed this technology and actively discussed it.
Using modern systems based on the RTK signal makes it possible to lay tramlines more precisely and ensure their exact repeatability, especially in flat regions. As before, this remains the biggest challenge for banded spraying with a conventional sprayer.
Our goal — is to reduce the operator’s workload during banded spraying.
During the winter period, we’re optimizing technical solutions based on cameras and GPS systems. These solutions control the automatic steering system and keep the nozzles precisely positioned over the crop row. We’re currently testing the precision of the camera-based control system, especially under difficult conditions, including on slopes or at sharp row turns. This is part of our joint OptiKult project.
Deviations in seeder passes, turns, or slight boom oscillations create somewhat narrower treatment bands than the nozzle’s spray pattern
Experience
Experience with banded spraying in recent years has shown that this system shouldn’t be viewed in isolation. It’s more of an additional solution that lets you save on crop-protection products and costs. We understand it this way: if you decide to treat sugar beet using the banded method, that shouldn’t become a dogma, and it doesn’t mean all crops from now on will be treated using the banded approach. In years like this one, banded herbicide spraying, on the contrary, is much more interesting when combined with full-coverage treatment. Rain during and after seeding is not the optimal weather for successful, effective early beet inter-row cultivation. What’s more, in many regions conditions were wet and cool.
Under such weather, good effectiveness could be provided by an initial full-coverage herbicide application. The second and third treatments were carried out using the banded method. To finish off the weed-control measures after these treatments, it was enough to run an inter-row cultivator between the rows. Even this strategy makes it possible to substantially cut crop-protection costs. Combining full-coverage treatment with the banded method delivered clean sugar beet fields in last year’s trials, run by various institutions. Mechanical inter-row cultivation as a final step before row closure delivers a positive effect.
Herbicide application using banded spraying with a HORSCH Leeb 12 TD on sugar beet with 45 cm row spacing
Row-crop spraying ↔ Banded spraying
Various reasons, including legal ones, have made it necessary to more precisely distinguish classic banded spraying from row-crop spraying.
Row-crop spraying is banded spraying carried out with the new function of row-crop implements, with a distance to the target surface of no more than 25 cm.
Banded spraying means treating crops in bands with a distance to the target surface of more than 25 cm.
In place of a conclusion
No tillage technology of the various convincing methods — full-coverage, banded, and in future, spot treatment combined with mechanical weed control — should be viewed and applied as dogma. In growing row crops, they can serve as a tool to reduce herbicide use. The main challenge going forward is to successfully choose the right cultivation technology and optimally incorporate it into a herbicide treatment strategy.
Project partners:
Source: terraHORSCH magazine, issue 26-2023
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ABA “Astra” Agro-Building Alliance is one of the largest suppliers and service operators of agricultural machinery in Ukraine. The company’s core activities are the sale of new and used agricultural machinery, warranty service, and the sale of spare parts.
“Astra” offers its clients a wide range of machinery for practically every type of agricultural work: Fendt, Valtra, Manitou, Berthoud and Horsch, Framest, Bogballe, Valley, Trimble, Oros. The company supplies customers with the widest range of genuine spare parts to support all models of agricultural machinery from world-renowned manufacturers. Servicing agricultural machinery holds a key place in the company’s operations, covering nearly the entire territory of Ukraine and ensuring a fast response to farmers’ requests.
“Astra” has been operating on Ukraine’s agricultural market for 25 years, providing agricultural producers with quality machinery, innovative agricultural technologies, and a consistently high level of service.
