By good tradition, every year ahead of the new field-work season, BERTHOUD, together with “Astra”, runs training for agronomists, engineers and machine operators. The goal of these events is to raise the level of operation of RAPTOR self-propelled sprayers.
On March 5 in Vinnytsia region (the “Svitanok” agricultural firm) and on March 6 in Cherkasy region (“Zhuravske”), sprayer operators gathered.
The training was led by true professionals – BERTHOUD’s technical inspector in Ukraine, Artem Lynnyk, and technical and spare-parts specialist Oleksandr Prokopenko. They presented high-tech solutions relevant specifically for this period, since these are the days when farmers are actively getting ready for the start of spring field work.
Every training participant got to see for themselves the effectiveness and results of BERTHOUD’s new engineering solutions in chemical crop protection using RAPTOR self-propelled sprayers, and got answers to the questions that interested them.
Participants shared their impressions of the training and BERTHOUD equipment.
Anatoliy Diachenko, machinery-fleet operations engineer at “Uman AGRO” State Enterprise, Uman district, Cherkasy region:
– Our enterprise farms around 7,500 ha. We mainly grow various grain crops – for that we need reliable, productive equipment. In 2013, the question of buying sprayers came up, and we bought two BERTHOUD RAPTOR 4240 self-propelled sprayers. As time has shown, we made the right choice. Besides the self-propelled one, our farm also runs four trailed sprayers from this manufacturer – TRACKER 3200. We pair the trailed machines with MTZ-1025 tractors.
BERTHOUD RAPTOR sprayers are reliable and productive. Average fuel consumption is 0.9 l/ha. The sprayers apply the working solution evenly across the working width and according to the set rate. The sprayers are very simple to set up, convenient to operate and maintain.
The sprayers’ service is handled by “Astra” specialists. Whenever service work is needed, it happens quickly and to a high standard, since one of the company’s service centers is located right near us, in Uman.
I didn’t come to this training alone. From our farm there are also two more BERTHOUD RAPTOR 4240 self-propelled-sprayer operators here, plus two machine operators working with trailed sprayers. Seminars like this are useful, and we’re happy to take part in them as a big team.
And one of our operators will tell you just how convenient these units are to work with.
Vitaliy Kozachenko, BERTHOUD RAPTOR 4240 operator, “Uman AGRO” State Enterprise, Uman district, Cherkasy region:
– I’ve been operating the RAPTOR 4240 self-propelled sprayer for several years now. The machine is very simple, convenient to set up and maintain. Working spray speed is 13–20 km/h. There’s never been a single complaint about the unit’s reliability. We only run scheduled technical service.
I really like the comfortable, panoramic RAPTOR 4240 cab, which has excellent visibility and full sound insulation. I want to note the convenient steering column, air-cushion seat, air conditioning, an air-cleaning system with carbon filters, a sun visor, a radio and so on. The cab fully meets every requirement of European safety standards.
Ruslan Nechyporenko, machine operator at “Mais” agro-industrial complex LLC, Cherkasy district, Cherkasy region:
– Our farm covers around 10,000 ha, with land in Cherkasy and Zolotonosha districts. We mainly grow corn and other grain crops that need several chemical treatments. Previously we used BERTHOUD TRACKER 3200 trailed sprayers with 24 and 28 m booms. To carry out crop chemical protection on time and effectively, we needed a self-propelled sprayer. In 2017 the farm bought a RAPTOR 3240, which has already logged 6,000 ha.
Every condition needed for the operator’s effective work has been created on BERTHOUD RAPTOR 3240 sprayers.
Mykola Shpak, agronomist at “Stepanky” agricultural LLC, Cherkasy district, Cherkasy region:
– Our farm’s land use comes to around 2,000 ha, and given that we run chemical treatment several times, that volume adds up to roughly 6–7 thousand ha over the season. Grain crops dominate our crop rotation. We’ve always used trailed sprayers, mostly domestically made, which didn’t deliver the needed spraying effectiveness. So last year we bought a BERTHOUD RAPTOR 3240 self-propelled boom sprayer. I’ll say right away that we’re happy with this unit’s performance, since how it does chemical treatment can’t be compared with what we had before.
Its maneuverability, ease of maintenance and convenience in setup are striking. My advice to every farmer: if you need a self-propelled sprayer, take a look at the RAPTOR from BERTHOUD.
I’m quite happy with the training’s organization and content, I always attend events like this. During the sessions I learned a lot of interesting things about the sprayer’s design and setup – topics not covered enough in the operating manual. Thanks to the training, I got exhaustive answers to some questions that had seemed complex and unclear.
Volodymyr Ivashchenko, head of “Zhuravske” LLC, Horodyshche district, Cherkasy region:
– Our farm covers roughly 1,500 ha. We mainly grow grain crops that need several chemical treatments during the growing season. We strive to carry out process operations precisely, on time and effectively, so we needed a reliable sprayer. We analyzed a lot of machines, compared them and settled on the BERTHOUD RAPTOR 4240 model with a 32 m boom. That exact working width fits our technology.
Several factors determined our choice in favor of the BERTHOUD RAPTOR 3240. First, BERTHOUD has more than 120 years of experience making sprayers, something the other manufacturers of similar machines can’t boast of. It’s also attractive that the company only produces sprayers, so all the design team’s work is aimed at improving and refining them. Another argument was the reliable cab, which protects against chemical products getting inside. An important factor is the sprayer’s optimal fit of control and actuator systems, with no excess, complex electronics that’s practically never used, but that you still pay for when buying the machine.
By our calculations, among similar machines, this unit has the best price-to-quality ratio.
Running the training was the right decision from BERTHOUD. I want to thank the specialists at the company’s Ukrainian office, who run events like this for free. We sent three of our machine operators to the training. After all, a unit that costs quite a lot should be operated by a trained operator.
In 2017, BERTHOUD self-propelled sprayers treated 1,631,746 ha of Ukraine’s sown area. And now the 2018 season is open! A NEW CHALLENGE lies ahead!
You can learn more about BERTHOUD sprayers here:
