Improving spraying applications with new nozzle technology

Precision Planting first ventured into the sprayer technology market in North America in 2022. The SymphonyNozzle technology was commercially released in the US in the late fall of 2023. Precision Planting will make it available in Europe as well. The system offers better swath control on any field, with nozzle by nozzle control, and allows farmers to place chemicals more efficiently.

It works even around turns and as the speed of the sprayer operation goes up or slows down. With a better quality of spraying operations growers can save on chemicals and achieve an optimum yield potential.

According to Precision Planting, it can be difficult to get a spraying application just right. SymphonyNozzle control allows farmers to gain independent control of rate and pressure to achieve consistent droplet size on their sprayer.

They can visualize real-time application metrics and maps on the 20|20 monitor of Precision Planting, and hit their programmed target rate and pressure, no matter the operating conditions, while reducing overlap.

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A huge time saver

According to Aaron Herrmann, Research Agronomist at Precision Planting, SymphonyNozzle allows rates to be changed on a nozzle by nozzle basis. Rates will be consistent across the entire boom, even when turning. The individual nozzle control also gives farmers the ability to spray through waterways, because nozzles will shut off individually.

“This is a huge time saver”, Herrmann says. “It is also a stress reliever. We don’t have to trace out our waterways. And with SymphonyNozzle, because the nozzles are compensating for rate, farmers are also faster because they can change speeds from 5 to 20 miles per hour (8 to 32 kms per hour).” According to Precision Planting, maintaining rate pressure can deliver a certain spray quality, no matter what speed the farmer is at.

Savings on spraying

In a trial with a farmer in the US last year, the use of the SymphonyNozzle system resulted in 3% less overlap, compared with the previous spraying method he used. This saved the farmer US $5,610 on his spraying operations in 2023. In this case, the savings on spraying could pay for the SymphonyNozzle system and the 20|20 monitor in 5 years.

Precision Planting has also announced multiple applications of cameras on a sprayer. Product manager Tristan Herrmann at Precision Planting emphasises that farmers spend more time on spraying than on any other applications. And yet, he says, sprayers have been historically underserved by the marketplace.

“We seek to change that”, Tristan Herrmann says. “We have been testing camera technology with a system that is able to identify crops, identify weeds, separate those, and target apply herbicides only where the weeds are.”

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Combining applications

“We have been researching this for a number of years and have been testing the combination of camera technology and SymphonyNozzle, and we look forward to launching this product commercially. It shows great potential, and it is possible to retrofit this on a sprayer that farmers already have in their shed.”

For the last year, Precision Planting has also been researching the ability to combine the broadcast application of some chemicals (fertilizer or herbicides) and a targeted application in one pass. “This can be done all within one sprayer pass, and with a sprayer that farmers already own.”

The company has been developing a vision row camera technology

Further, the company has been developing a vision row camera technology, that is useful in spraying in a post-emergence pass. This will greatly lower operator fatigue and protect the crop that is already established.

A lot of data

Precision Planting is looking into the scouting potential of camera technology on sprayers as well. This can give farmers a better view of their crops, weeds and possible disease across the entire acreage of their farm.

At the centre of all these projects, is a lot of data, Tristan Herrmann says. “Sometimes that data can be overwhelming. We will present that data in the best in-cab control data experience on the 20|20 monitor, paired with the best data experience outside the cab in Panorama. Bringing these two products together to present the right data at the right time and the right place.“

The individual nozzle control also gives farmers the ability to spray through waterways, because nozzles will shut off individually. Video: Precision Planting