Agricultural crop sprayers play a significant role in the management and health of crops, with various types available and numerous uses that serve different purposes.

The RDS Spraymaster 200 is an onboard regulation system that can aid the accurate application of preventative treatments.

What is an agricultural crop sprayer?

An agricultural crop sprayer is the equipment used for applying liquid substances to plants or crops.

These substances could be fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides – all of which are important for the maintenance of crop health during the crop growth cycle. The sprayers come in various sizes and types – from hand-held backpack sprayers to trailed sprayers.

Uses of an agricultural sprayer

An agricultural sprayer does not serve just one purpose, instead, it has numerous uses that will benefit the overall health and management of the crops:

Liquid fertiliser application

The sprayer is loaded with liquid fertiliser to efficiently distribute the fertiliser to the crops. The main purpose is to supply the crops with nutrients, and it is extremely effective due to its ability to target specific crops without losing liquid to evaporation or weather conditions such as wind.

Spraying water

A water sprayer is used to spray water on plants and crops with the goal to hydrate them. They are high-pressure sprayers that are used over small areas for irrigation. Likewise, before crops are harvested, they are sprayed with fresh water to clean any chemicals away that may have been left behind.

Spraying herbicides or fungicides

These are mixed with water and sprayed onto crops to prevent any fungi from developing or unwanted vegetation from growing.

Pest control

A crop sprayer is extremely effective in controlling pests, and pesticides are mixed with water and sprayed on the affected areas of crops to eliminate infestation.

Benefits of agricultural sprayer

There are numerous benefits to using agricultural sprayers.

• Increased crop yield from the crops receiving the necessary nutrients and protection against pests and diseases.
• Precise application, with a targeted approach that minimises waste and helps protect the environment.
• Cost, time, and labour savings, as sprayers can cover large areas quickly and are therefore more efficient.
• A reduced environmental impact due to it being a sustainable farming practice. A targeted use of agricultural chemicals minimises the risk of runoff and contamination of nearby water bodies.

Spraymaster 200

The Spraymaster 200 is a user-friendly rate controller system that has been designed for the accurate application of liquid spray products proportional to the forward speed of the vehicle. It is suitable for manual and electrically operated systems.

The system can either work from a flow sensor or from a pressure sensor. It provides information on the:

• application rate
• total and partial area
• forward speed
• total and partial volume applied
• pressure, flow, and tank level

Some of the key features of the Spraymaster 200 include:

• The option for manual or automatic control of sprayer output.
• Choice of flow or DPAE pressure-based control.
• Density setting for liquid fertiliser.
• The optimisation of spray application reduces chemical wastage.
• A fast response time allows accurate application control.
• Retrofitted to most sprayer types.

You can contact the RDS MME team by calling 01249 479356 or sending a message to sales@rdsmme.co.uk.