Frank de Schutter, Westerhalm
“Welcome to our arable farm, my name is Frank de Schutter. My grandfather moved here in 1970 and since then, together with my father, they grew the farm into the business it is today. I was born and raised here and 5 years ago, I took the business over. Our cropping mainly consists of seed potatoes, sugar beets, grain and fiber hemp. In cooperation with a neighbouring farmer, we also grow onions. The total farm size is 250 hectares.”
High savings, maximum yield
“We received our Agrifac Condor V crop sprayer last July. I wanted to have a sprayer that could be used on wide working track widths, so at 325 centimeters, we can have four rows of potatoes under the machine. The main benefit is that it gives us 3 percent more area to work with. A main benefit of this sprayer is that there are so many functions on it. You can spray on the row, you can spray in between the rows, plus with the pulsating nozzles, you can consistently spray with the same pressure and the same amount of water, regardless of the travelling speed. “
“During the first year I have already noticed that, because of this three percent additional working area, we are achieving 50,000 euros more turnover. We have also already saved 15,000 euros in resources and input costs.
We spray the potatoes very early, from 10 percent emergence. Before, it was a real waste, because you actually spray 90 percent of the area for nothing. Now with band spraying, we can spray directly on the row. By doing this, you save 60 percent resources.”
Ultimate precision and cleaning
“The best thing about this machine is that with a very fine droplet, you can apply in the right place with the airflow function. This is because the AIRFLOWPLUS technology enables you to make a kind of windshield for transporting the droplet down into the canopy.
The cleaning system also works very well because you can choose to clean the entire sprayer at the push of one button. Alternatively, you can clean only the boom itself and if, for example, we have finished spraying potatoes and we must spray another crop the next day, you can clean the entire machine. That process only takes matter of five minutes.”
Simple controls, powerful results
“I am very excited by this machine. It provides us with combination of everything. With the BandSpraying, it allows you to spray on the row and between the row, plus with the airflow and drift reduction solutions, it allows you to spray with a fine droplet. This makes your crop protection very effective, and again, allows you to reduce resources. The balance of the sprayer is very good and the wide track gives you a lot more tillable surface area.
It is a very complex machine, but I can teach it to my four-year-old son with ease. It is very simple. “
iunie
Szczepan Malihowski
The aim of this part of my short trip through Germany and Poland is a visit the next morning to the state owned company Pomorska Mazurska Hodowla Ziemniaka on the outskirts of the northern town of Słupsk.
Kim Graham
Kim Graham, Operations Manager of Geeraning Pastoral in Bonnie Rock WA, a cropping operation passionately owned by John and Joan with son Darren and his family.
Tim Rethus, Rethus Broadacre
"We’re getting 80% more done per hour with this unit than before!"