The power behind the precision

AMAZONE has created a new Fertiliser Spreader Application Centre to ensure an even better level of service for AMAZONE customers throughout the world. CLAAS Harvest Centre Product Manager – AMAZONE, Craig Hopkins, says the new centre consolidates all of the company’s fertiliser testing, data management and information transfer services associated with fertiliser spreading.

It includes its existing Fertiliser Service, Material Laboratory Testing Service and the test halls at the company’s Hasbergen-Gaste factory. FertiliserService provides recommended settings for thousands of fertilisers and is readily accessible via phone, e-mail, fax and WhatsApp. The Material Laboratory Testing Service is an international database that provides the spreading characteristics for thousands of different fertilisers.

“This testing service is open to all customers, wherever they are in the world,” Craig says. “Simply send in a 5 kg fertiliser sample and AMAZONE will test it, determine the best settings and then add it to the database.” AMAZONE utilises the most up-to-date data processing, simulation and analysis tools to create its spreading charts and setting recommendations.

Their state-of-the-art testing hall can be used to test the impact of challenging environmental conditions, such as wind or undulating terrain, upon lateral and spatial distribution. The test hall can test two spreaders concurrently and is capable of performing up to 100 separate tests each day. The objective is to simulate field conditions inside, determine the best settings and then validate them in the field.

“This testing has enabled us to develop measurement and adjustment technology, such as ArgusTwin,” Craig says. “Many of these testing methods were developed in-house. “Therefore, we can guarantee, not only the effectiveness of our spreaders, but the accuracy, consistency and reliability of our recommended settings.”