New app for happy spreading

AMAZONE’s new MySpreader app is an all-in-one package that combines the company’s proven FertiliserService, EasyCheck and EasyMix apps for perfect spreader adjustment.

CLAAS Harvest Centre Product Manager – AMAZONE, Steve Gorman, says the app takes the guesswork out of determining the best settings for your spreader.

“It’s as simple as opening the app and selecting your fertiliser to determine the recommended settings as starting point,” he says. “Then you set up the EasyCheck test kit, do a test run and take some photos of the test mats to check the lateral spreading pattern. The app then refines the settings and even better, automatically adjust the machine for you. Anyone who has calibrated a spreader will recognise that this app can you save hours or time, not to mention the economic benefits of improving crop yields or reducing fertiliser wastage.”

The free app is suitable for iOS and Android operating systems.

AMAZONE has been providing its fertiliser advisory service, which provides the recommended spreader settings for thousands of different fertilisers used throughout the world, for almost 30 years.

“Even back then, it was recognised that it was impossible for farmers to find the perfect adjustment for each fertiliser, given the wide variety of fertilisers available,” Steve says. “Even the same types of fertiliser or those with identical names can have different properties. The success of this service can largely be attributed to the active participation of fertiliser manufacturers, distributors, farmers and contractors who send in thousands of samples every year, which allows us to keep the database up-to-date.”

In 2011, the service became an app. Four years later, AMAZONE released its award-winning EasyCheck testing kit, which enables operators to quickly test the lateral spreading pattern of applied fertiliser.

Lightweight plastic mats are placed in the paddock field at defined intervals. The operator then conducts a test run and photographs the test mats using a smartphone. An app calculates the degree of coverage and recommends the machine settings for optimal spreading.

AMAZONE claims EasyCheck is significantly easier, cheaper and more accurate than conventional testing systems.

The third part of the MySpreader app is a function is called EasyMix, which transfers the recommended settings to ISOBUS-compatible spreaders via Bluetooth.

The spreader then sets itself automatically, saving time and avoiding potential errors.

The app also allows operators to develop their own fertiliser database, in which they can recall fertiliser properties, spreading results and spreader settings at any time.