Letter from Lew – January 2022

Over the past 12 months, the headlines for many Australian agricultural commodities have been very positive, with pricing increases and strong yields the focus of many news pieces.

However, as we enter 2022, many farmers are finding themselves under increasing pressure due to dramatic increases in input costs across the board. 

Fuel prices are up 20%, fertiliser prices have risen over 200+%, and pesticides are showing similar price increases.

With input and cost management at the forefront of many Australian farmers’ minds, we’ve decided to highlight a few technology solutions that will allow farmers to potentially reduce their inputs while continuing to maximise their opportunity.

Flow and Application Controllers

The premise behind flow and application controllers is very simple: to automatically apply the right amount of input at the right spot.

Regardless of whether you are planting, seeding, spraying, or spreading, Trimble’s rate and section controllers allow you to control your inputs more precisely. 

With Trimble Control Systems, you can keep an eye on your seeding information and fertiliser delivery in real-time.

The system will also automatically control your variable-rate application and section control with prescriptions and coverage maps.

  • Optimal input application
  • Support fixed rate or variable rate application
  • Reduced input costs
  • Reduced overlap and underlap 

Learn more about Trimble Flow and Application Control systems below.

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WeedSeeker 2 Spot Spray System

Trimble’s most effective weed control solution, the WeedSeeker2® spot spray system senses if a weed is present and signals a spray nozzle to precisely administer an exact amount of chemical on the weed alone.

By not ‘blanket spraying’ your field, WeedSeeker 2 greatly reduces the amount of herbicide necessary, resulting in lower input costs and greater operational savings due to less tank refills.

The benefits of the WeedSeeker2® spot spray system include:

  • Reduced herbicide usage by up to 90%
  • ISOBUS compatible
  • Unbeatable accuracy
  • Weed mapping and section control

Learn more about WeedSeeker 2 spot spraying system below.

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MagGrow

MagGrow is a patented, proprietary technology that significantly reduces the waste associated with conventional pesticide applications, delivering important plant protection products where they matter the most.

Using state-of-the-art technology, MagGrow optimises the droplet sizes of pesticide application to ensure the right amount is applied, significantly reducing drift and run-off.

By accurately determining spray droplet formation, droplet dynamics, and droplet adhesion, MagGrow improves yield productivity and ROI, and reduces wastage of water and chemical inputs.

Easy to install, operate and maintain due to no moving parts, MagGrow can also operate in higher wind conditions than most conventional sprayers.

Benefits of the MagGrow system include:

  • Major savings on pesticide spend
  • Reduced water usage by 25%-50%
  • Can operate in higher winds than conventional sprayers
  • Better efficacy
  • Extended spray windows
  • Increased efficacy and disease control (as MagGrow uses smaller droplets, eliminating drift issues).

Learn more about MagGrow’s state-of-the-art spraying technology below.

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At Vantage, our goal is always to provide farmers with the latest and greatest in precision technology to minimise costs and boost efficiency.

Flow and application controllers, WeedSeeker 2, and MagGrow are just some of the technologies we provide that are designed reduce input costs. With these expenses always on the rise, our aim is to provide you with the right solution to help mitigate these increases and allow you to save on input costs.

Contact your local Vantage office today to learn how we can assist in applying technology to better manage your input costs.

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