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LH Agro introduced its 75 Command Box at Agromek. The Command Box can command up to seven boom sections using pulse width modulation to open and close valves a bit at a time, rather than just turning them on and off, says Poul Halling, sales manager.
LH Agro also introduced a seed monitor that is more accurate than most models on the market, according to the company.
“Seed sensors work by noting the shadow cast by a seed as it passes through the sensor,” Halling explains. “But if a large volume of seed is moving through the sensor, shadows from individual seeds can throw off the count.”
The LH 500 S-CAN seed counter includes a microprocessor and four light sources. By turning each light source on and off in sequence, the microprocessor can filter out shadows for other seeds, Halling explains.
LH Agro's products are available in the United States under the Mid-Tech brand name. Both companies are subsidiaries of Spraying Systems Inc. The Command Box and the seed counter are Danish designs that should be available in the United States in 2005.
In its quest for the “perfect sprayer,” Hardi International has refashioned its Commander line. It is one of the spraying technology innovations introduced to the world at the Agromek farm equipment show in Denmark last January.
The new Hardi line features the Commander 3200 and Commander 4400 sprayers, with six patent-pending innovations and updates throughout.
Safety features include hydraulic or pneumatic brakes, a valve to stop water pressure from exceeding 15 bars in the filtration unit, articulated steering for turning at higher speeds, and an anti-spill lid on the chemical filter.
“The lid is hinged so that it lies flat and becomes a mixing table when opened,” explains Mikkel Nilars, product manager. “Any chemical that spills during mixing then runs into the tank when the lid is closed.”
The steering system allows the trailer to pivot in the center for safer turning at high speeds, and brakes are available for countries that require them. The brakes do not hang below the axle, but are built into the axle for high clearance.
The sprayers apply chemicals precisely through such features as a new controller and filters designed to mix chemicals quickly and thoroughly. Incoming water and chemicals go through a suction filter that can be removed with the pump in operation, and outgoing water and chemicals go through a self-cleaning filter that uses a cyclone effect to mix products.
“This is a completely new filtration system,” Nilars says. “When you're dealing with such small volumes of active ingredient per acre, filtration is extremely important.”
Hardi designed the sprayers with the user in mind. A safety valve holds water pressure below 15 bars but doesn't shut the system down completely. “Other sprayers shut down completely so that the whole system has to drain before you can start again,” Nilars says.
Hardi has a strong share of the pull-behind trailer market in the United States. It is best known for its air-shear technology, which uses pressurized air to blow chemicals down into crop canopies.
Kyndestoft, a Danish sprayer manufacturer, introduced a calibration plate that allows seven different application rates without stopping for recalibration.
The plate is made up of three individual metal plates, stacked one on one like a sandwich. Between each metal plate is a synthetic one with channels cut into it. By adjusting which channels go to which outlets, the plate allows seven different doses, according to Albert Hedegaard, president of Kyndestoft.
Kyndestoft is expanding its North American presence. The company specializes in air-assist sprayers similar to Hardi's air-shear technology and has sold close to 100 such sprayers in Canada and the United States, Hedegaard says.
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