Weeder guidance system upgrade boosts accuracy and work rates
The updated vision guidance system offers greater accuracy – weeding along rows in cereal crops.
The Robocrop 4-quick touch system from British manufacturer Garford Farm Machinery replaces a text-only display with a touchscreen and symbols for quicker and easier access to sub-menus.
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Garford explains that the Gigabit Ethernet cameras deliver considerably higher data rates plus the ability to work in a greater range of light conditions.
The guidance system recognises the location of plants by imaging and sends data to a control system that regulates hoeing tools for chemical-free weed control.
Garford’s standard Robocrop implement hoes between the rows of line-sown crops – typically salads and vegetables. It has “A” blades mounted on sub-frames that side-shift to keep the blades between the crop rows.
The increased guidance accuracy delivered by the new cameras enables the implement to be used in grain crops sown at 125mm, as well as larger row spacings, says the company.
Wider working widths
The added processing power allows machines to be built with up to six precision-guided sections.
In addition to the 12m tractor-mounted models of the current range, Garford is now building heavy-duty Eliminator trailed hoes up to 24m wide with spot workrates of up to 20ha an hour and the capability to work in cereal crops on heavy land.
The new vision guidance package will also bring benefits to the Robocrop InRow eRotor, an implement for precision-sown salad, vegetable and other crops that uses electrically actuated rotating hoes to remove weeds from between plants.
Garford says the larger dynamic range, together with custom colour features, will enable the machine to work in a greater range of operating conditions.
