Hagie self-propelled sprayer upgrades

The 4,500-litre (1,200 gal) Hagie STS12 and its 6,000-litre (1,600 gal) counterpart, the STS16, can be equipped to operate the firm’s Dual Product System with a divided tank, 2 pumps, 2 spray controllers and separate liquid delivery systems. This set-up enables a late-season application of nitrogen fertiliser at the same time as a single pesticide or tank mix combination, a technique that Hagie technicians say is catching on with US corn growers to avoid starving the crop as soil moisture levels drop.

Switching from Cummins to John Deere power on Hagie self-propelled sprayers now includes the 4500-litre (1200gal) Hagie STS12 (pictured) and the 3800-litre (1000gal) STS10. Photo: Hagie

Dropleg assembly

High yielding corn needs about a third of its required N post-tassel, so traditional dressings can leave it short; postponing application until growth stage V8 – typically 4-6 weeks after emergence, when plants are going through a rapid stem elongation phase – supplies the critical nutrient when the plant needs it most. The dual plumbed dropleg assembly does 2 jobs in one pass, applying nutrient at ground level to feed the crop while spraying fungicide and/or insecticide as a foliar treatment.

New larger terminal

All Hagie sprayers are now operated using a larger, fully touch screen terminal that provides most of the vehicle instrumentation and control settings; it is said to run faster for quicker start-ups and have operator selected lighting options.

The STS12 and also the 3,800-litre (1,000 gal) STS10 switch from 300 hp Cummins QSB6.7 to 6.8-litre Deere PowerTech engines tuned for 280 hp and 300 hp outputs, respectively. A high-performance cooling package is claimed to improve fuel efficiency, although any cost savings are offset to some degree by the need for an SCR ammonia injection system to tackle NoX emissions.