Tuesday 16 December 2014

Understanding The Benefits Of Variable Rate Fertilizer Spreader

By Lucia Weeks


Farming is a difficult task. External factors can affect the quantity and quality of the harvests. While most of these are uncontrollable, there have been methods to maximize its yield. One perfect example is using manures to sustain the nutrients that the plants get from the soil. Luckily, technological progress also brings about agricultural innovations.

One of the latest developments in the field of agriculture is the introduction of variable rate fertilizer spreader. Farmers acknowledge the fact that various plants have varying degrees of needs particularly in the amount of nutrients they require. Thus, it is wrong and impractical to apply the same amount of fertilizers in every plant. Nonetheless, it is too time consuming for the farmers to manually do the application especially in vast farms.

The variable rate fertilization technology aims to cater to this concern. The automated applicator can determine the right amount of fertilizer for each plant. The sensors in the spreader gathers data real-time on top of the spread pattern information initially entered based on the field details. This ensures that the machine can adapt to the changing needs of the plants. The automation also provides quicker coverage for such a wide area.

This innovation is ecologically beneficial because it decreases the possible impact to nature caused by excessive fertilizers. Applying too much chemicals can possibly contaminate ground water because of leaching, affect the soil's properties and diminish its nutrient contents. Such abuse will eventually cause adverse effect on future harvests.

The farmers can also maximize their profits. Since each plant is fertilized with just the right amount, no more fertilizers are wasted. With this, the farmers can cut down up to 40 per cent of the quantity they used before. They can save thousands on unnecessary costs. Also, fewer fertilizers per acre implies less fuel costs.

Another economic benefit is the return of investments. Besides the substantial reduction in expenses, the use of VRF technology takes full advantage of the field conditions. Therefore, farmers can expect improvement in the quality of their crops. Moreover, this could result to a consistent growth pattern in the field, something that remains to be beneficial even after a few years.

A regular automated applicator is composed of a three ton spreader and an optical sensor on both sides. The sensors collect variables to determine the spread pattern and quantity of fertilizers. Such variables can either be temporal, spatial or predictive.

Spatial variables are about the composition of the soil. Some examples include soil's pH value, the presence of pests or diseases and potential crop growth. Predictive variables are composed of the factors that can be foreseen like the weather and yield. Temporal variables are something that are expected to change every now and then, such as growth and seasonal changes.

The variable rate spreader undeniably works to a farmer's advantage. In fact, more citrus growers are using this technology nowadays. When choosing a spreader, remember that not one size fits all. In order to fully optimize its purpose, you can customize the design. The most popular types include row crop spreaders, self-propelled spreader, truck spreaders and many others.




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