It’s the right time for lime spreading
Published in Farm Weekly February 14, 2019
Farmers will be out spreading lime over the next couple of months across WA with AgriSpread doing plenty of the spreading.
Putting lime on reduces soil acidity and improves its capacity to yield and that’s why more and more farmers are doing it.
Once the pH is returned to its optimum, the soil’s potential to support healthy plant growth and higher yields is enhanced.
Like any application to the soil you need precision and the AgriSpread has been a clear favourite among WA farmers and for good reason.
Not only is it the best lime spreader on the market, it’s easy to use and highly accurate.
It can apply a host of soil ameliorants, manures and fertilisers from one kilogram per hectare up to 10,000kg/ha.
More importantly it can spread urea to 36 metres, which has been independently accredited.
Farmers who operate on control traffic systems are routinely using their AgriSpread prescription farming variable rate capability to deliver cost benefits and improved yields.
The Apollo controller manages the variable speed hydraulic floor belt with load cell weight data to ensure the target rate is always achieved, despite the density characteristics of the product.
Goomalling farmer Damien Leeson said the load cells on the AgriSpread have been handy. “It’s enabled us to fine-tune our fertiliser right down to the last couple of kilos in a paddock,” he said.
“So, it’s been a big costsaving there and has taken the guesswork out of it.” In Dynamic mode the AgriSpread provides on-the-go auto calibration, ideal for products with varying bulk densities, such as lime, gypsum and manures.
As the flow, a characteristic of these products, vary so much the Apollo controller continually compares the actual rate to the target rate and regulates the belt speed to compensate.
The AgriSpread is easily connected to an ISOBUS compatible tractor through the Apollo graphic user interface which loads into the tractor VT. The bottom third and the entire back end of the bin is made from stainless steel. As well all of the fixtures, nuts, bolts and hydraulic fittings are made from stainless steel.
“Having looked at a few trailing spreaders the AgriSpread stood out to us because of its construction and simplicity,” said Triple B Farming’s Sam Bussenschutt, Paskeville, South Australia.