Rowan Reed - Service and Support Engineer for LH Agro UK Ltd -
Providing Supported Solutions For Work That Matters
I have been with LH Agro since finishing university working with the full portfolio of Topcon products. This has given me the opportunity to travel all over Great Britain providing supported solutions to customers so that they can get the most from their equipment. In the last three years, I have undertaken a closer relationship with the Norac UC7 boom-levelling product to get the most out of the system for every customer's independent needs.
Little wins add up, and ensuring your chemical is applied at the correct height is one of many little wins that help the bigger picture. Spot Spraying
What is Boom levelling?
Boom levelling is a height control technology which keeps the spray boom at a preset height to achieve the optimal spray pattern in relation to the crop, by automating the control of boom movement functions.
Sensors along the boom measure crop height at all stages of the growth cycle.
Norac UC7 has a hybrid mode which allows it to measure both the distance to the top of the crop and the ground. The advantage of this is to make sure the system doesn’t confuse the crop and the ground, and then make erratic adjustments in patchy conditions.
When it comes to the boom control aspect, the hydraulic functions that would be used for moving the boom manually will be automated. This is where efficiencies and accurate applications are seen. Constant adjustments to the boom will be administered using the height data from the sensors to match the preset height chosen by the operator.
Many companies have done trials over the years looking at boom height and the effect it has on weed control. One example is Agrovista UK Ltd and their Project Lamport Trial site. Showcasing a wide range of techniques for blackgrass control. In their studies boom height plays a major factor in weed control. By adjusting boom height and other parameters they got a control range of 75%-94% control. Showcasing how important boom height can be.
Can Norac UC7 be retrofitted?
From my experience, the Norac UC7 solution that we provide at LH Agro can be retrofitted for the majority of the machines we see in the UK, Furthermore, Norac originally started as a retrofit solution for customers and this philosophy hasn’t changed.
There are very few limiting factors when putting the Norac system onto a machine. The six types of boom levelling that Norac offer give us great flexibility to be able to cover your machine's boom geometry.
How does Norac UC7 work?
Norac UC7 uses ultrasonic sensors which are mounted along the boom of the sprayer. They send out pulses to the ground and activly detect how high the boom is. Different modes offer maximum control at different stages of crop growth.
The system connects to a main ECU which decides which parts of the boom need to be lifted or lowered automatically to maintain a constant height. This is integrated into the sprayer valve block to automacally adjust levels on the go.
All the norac information is disoplayed via ISOBUS meaning no extra screens in the cab. No ISOBUS? No problem, Norac UC7 can come with a small control screen if needed.
Is boom levelling important for Spot Spraying?
Boom levelling is a critical part of the spot-spraying solution. The Smart Striker X is fixed to the sprayer boom at a known height and angle relevant to the ground, it's timings and detections are dependent on the boom being at a consistent height.
If the boom rises up and down dramatically as a weed is detected it could cause miss-timing of sprays and applications.
The Smart Striker X can be programmed on installation to account for variations in height and can spray ahead and past the weed for definite coverage but having a stale boom height to start with only improves things.
In keeping with having the boom at the correct height, making sure the boom is away from the floor and preventing damage is an important factor that can’t be forgotten.
For more information about boom levelling:
01480 496 367