Grainswest - Tech 2026

Tech 2026 Grains West 40 FEATURE A dual function mode applies a low base rate across the entire field while it delivers a higher dose to the weeds it detects. Albert Bosscha, product manager, said the dual function mode is particularly well suited to the Prairie pre- seed window. The system can also be retrofitted to most sprayer brands. While pulse-width modulation had become the industry standard for sprayer nozzle control, according to Jens-Matthis Frehe, Amazone product marketing manager for crop protection technology, the company was determined to improve the system. The result is AmaXact, a pulse-width frequency modulation system. It addresses two problems common in broadacre, high speed operations: spray pattern gaps created when a valve closes between pulses, and accelerated valve wear from constant cycling. At lower speeds, AmaXact reduces the pulse cycle to extend service life. At higher speeds, it increases frequency to narrow coverage gaps. The system also allows operators to set a pressure range rather than a fixed point. This gives the machine flexibility to maintain droplet size across variable conditions. Technologies with a simple, clear function are embraced faster than complex systems, said Simons. “If it’s easy to implement and easy to understand why you do it, the adoption rate will go up quicker.” PRECISE FERTILIZATION Amazone’s innovations extend beyond sprayers to fertilizer spreaders. The company introduced two technologies that earned silver medals in Agritechnica’s innovation category. These are designed to take the guesswork out of fertilizer application. AutoSpread builds on the company’s existing ArgusTwin radar sensor system, which monitors the direction of throw with sensors that measure the deceleration rate of granules once they leave the disc. Knowing both direction and flight distance in real time allows the machine to continuously validate and correct its spread pattern without operator input. “When you say, ‘I want to do 200 pounds to the acre at 120 feet,’ you are going to get 200 pounds to the acre at 120 feet,” said Isaac Wall, territory sales manager for Canada. EasyMatch addresses a related task: spreader setting selection for the product in the bin. Shipping and handling changes fertilizer granules physically, altering their size, density and ballistic properties, which means the product in the bin may spread differently than the settings on the bag suggest, explained Wall. To address this, Amazone offers a product database built on tens of thousands of tested products. Its EasyMatch app can analyze a smartphone photo of a fertilizer sample against its database so the spreader can be set accordingly. French manufacturer SKY Agriculture takes a similar approach to fertilizer spreader calibration but without a product database. Whereas EasyMatch cross-references the product with its database, SKY’s FertiEye system photographs fertilizer granules, analyzes their physical characteristics and sends the optimal spreader settings to the machine via WiFi. The smartphone solution was developed as a response to rising input costs and growing pressure to reduce fertilizer use, said SKY sales manager Fabien Desportes. FertiEye won a silver Agritechnica medal for innovation. Simons sees these fertilizer technologies as a logical entry point into precision agriculture. Applying the right product at the right rate is a foundation for the use of additional data layers, he said. SEED AND FERTILIZE IN ONE PASS Each pass across a field requires fuel and man hours all while it creates compaction. German manufacturer Lemken addresses this issue with two new machines that bridge fertilizer placement and seeding technology. Developed in South Africa, Lemken’s Equalizer row crop planter integrates With precision seeding technology, Lemken’s Equalizer row crop planter places up to three products in the seed zone. Fewer passes minimizes soil compaction.