Fendt is advocating trailed sprayers as a sensible investment for farmers looking to invest in new technology without committing to a self-propelled machine. “Our new range of Rogator trailed sprayers give farmers the technology, stability and capacity of a self-propelled machine whilst making best use of existing tractor capacity,” says James Wallington, sprayer specialist at Fendt.
Trailed sprayers require a lower initial investment and cost less to service and maintain. “The need to have a self-propelled sprayer to benefit from the latest technology is dissipating,” says Mr Wallington. “The new range of trailed sprayers are all based on the self-propelled Rogator 600 which has been one of the best in the market for years,” he explains. The trailed sprayers are based on the same single beam chassis, and benefit from the same spray pack which includes individual nozzle and electric plumbing control.
The Fendt range features capacities of 4400, 5500, and 6600 litres. Each can be specified with a wide variety of boom sizes, up to 36 metres, with individual nozzle control and Optisonic height control. “The new booms use four ultrasonic sensors that are mounted on each boom rather than the original three or five sensor arrangement. This helps to provide a better average height across the whole boom, especially in challenging crop conditions or over tricky terrain,” says Mr Wallington.
The sensor arrangement and construction of the boom has been designed by Fendt to reduce drift by maintaining a constant height which increases accuracy and the overall efficiency of the sprayer. “The set-up has a wide variety of options which offer the operator solutions to different field characteristics. It gives the operator control to adapt to typical changes in terrain such as heavily rutted tramlines or significant variations in gradient,” explains Mr Wallington.
The trailed sprayers are Isobus compatible which reduces the likelihood of additional costly technology investment. The range of capacities caters for customers across the industry, from the mixed dairy and arable farm right up to the biggest arable units. “These machines will stand the test of time. The individual nozzle control, electric plumbing, new double wishbone suspension set up and stability control are at the forefront of spraying technology now and will still be competitive in five years’ time. If you have a tractor with time available to pull a trailed sprayer, these machines represent a cost-effective way to use high end spraying technology without having to tie money up in a self-propelled machine,” concludes Mr Wallington.