It then becomes clear to me that certain key aspects are extremely important in order to put together a winning team. For us as AB-Inbev's model farm, it is extremely important to have a sustainable winning team. To achieve this goal, we had to upgrade certain aspects.
One of our biggest shortfalls have been the way in which we apply fertiliser. Fertiliser makes up the largest single input cost on the farm and although we were aware of this, we continued with a spreader without any section control. As part of our game plan, we had to start looking intensively at precision equipment, which led us to our first purchase: an Amazone ZA-TS 3200 Super Profis Hydro spreader.
With its 128 sections, I'm sure that I won’t waste any fertiliser by double placement, and I won’t skip a single spot on my entire land.
Thanks to border spreading technology, I no longer let my neighbour’s grain on the other side of the fence show off the excess fertiliser. Our tactic for cost saving is simple: if you do not plant there you do not spread there. With the push of a button, I can spread up to the end of my field with virtually no fertiliser landing over the fence.
For the first few years we saved costs and spread with the machine without any additions to it and it worked perfectly for us. I was convinced that there could not be anything better than what we were spreading with, but the Amazone team is constantly working on new things to make the job easier and more effective for us as farmers. And let me tell you something, the Caledon area where we farm does not have the most level agricultural land, adding to our challenge.
Together with the Falcon team, we conducted tests in 2020 with the ArgusTwin system and immediately acquired the ‘bomb squad’. Those 14 radar eyes make sure there is constant monitoring of the fertiliser, throughout the day. This helps to level the fields more, while the radars make sure that the spreading pattern remains the same.
After adding that to our spreader we had the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of spreaders on the farm, but there is one more thing the fairest Cape is also known for: wind! But Amazone also had an answer for this challenge: WindControl aka ‘waterboy’ that can be mounted on the ZA-TS! It can eliminate wind speeds up to 10 m/sec, in other words 36 km/h. This enables us to spread most of the days, regardless of the wind. Before, we had to throw in the towel because of the wind, and for that we paid dearly in terms of proceeds.
The ISOBUS system of the Amazone spreader fits on my JD tractor 100%, without any problems, and everything worked 100%. I was also able to set up a profile for my operator so that we only display the functions we use on our farm on the screen. There are a few things on this spreader that make it very efficient for me as a farmer as well as for my operator.
Firstly, the spreader comes standard with two ladders along the side so that the bulk bags on both sides can easily be opened to fill the spreader. Secondly, wheels that pop out when you step on them from the side and thirdly, the spreader can be conveniently unhooked and pushed around - with a full load if necessary. They also fold out of the way just as easily for when you are spreading.
Then of course my favourite, the very cleverly designed canvas that rolls up hydraulically so that the whole spreader hopper is open for filling up and again closes very neatly for those short bouts of rain that passes by sometimes.
With all this said and done, we now definitely have a winning team on the farm. Our fertiliser savings are significantly more and so is the efficiency, thanks to the right tools like the Amazone ZA-TS 3200 Super Profis Hydro with ArgusTwin and WindControl. Happy farming.
Written by Hennie le Roux (SABBF) and Wessel Vosloo (Falcon Agricultural Equipment).
Amazone ZA-TS strooier: Spaar só met kunsmis
Met die prys van kunsmis op almal se lippe, krap ek kop oor hoë insetkostes. Ek vereenvoudig dié uitdaging vir myself deur dit te vergelyk met die spel van rugby. Dit word dan vir my duidelik dat sekere sleutelfasette uiters belangrik is ten einde ʼn wenspan saam te stel. Vir ons as AB-Inbev se modelplaas is dit uiters belangrik om ʼn volhoubare wenspan te hê. Om dié doel te bereik moes ons sekere fasette opgradeer.
Een van die mees kritieke plekke waar ons tekort geskied het, is die manier hoe ons kunsmis toedien. Kunsmis maak die grootse enkele insetkoste uit van die boerdery en hoewel ons hiervan bewus was, het ons voortgegaan met ʼn strooier sonder seksiebeheer. As deel van ons spelplan moes ons intensief begin kyk na presisietoerusting, wat ons gelei het na ons eerste aankoop: ʼn ZA-TS 3200 Profis Hydro strooier.
Met sy 128-seksies is ek seker daarvan dat ek nie kunsmis mors deur dubbel te plaas nie, en daar word nie ʼn enkele plek op my land oorgeslaan nie.
Met ‘’border spreading’’ laat ek nie meer my buurman se graan aan die anderkant van die draad so pronk van die oortollige kunsmis nie. Ons taktiek vir koste besparing; as jy nie daar plant nie strooi jy nie daar nie. Met die druk van ʼn knoppie kan ek tot en met die einde van my land strooi met feitlik geen kunsmis wat oor die draad val nie.
Vir die eerste paar jaar het ons kostes bespaar en gestrooi met die masjien sonder enige byvoegings en dit het vir ons perfek gewerk. Ek was oortuig daarvan dat daar nie iets beter kon wees as waarmee ons gestrooi het nie, maar die span van Amazone is heeltyd besig met nuwe dinge om die werk vir ons as boere beter te maak. En laat ek julle ʼn ding vertel, die Caledon-area het nie van die gelykste landbougrond nie.
Ons het in 2020 toetse saam met die Falcon-span gedoen met die ArgusTwin-sisteem en dadelik die “bomb squad” aangeskaf. Daardie 14 radar-oë maak seker dat daar konstante monitering van die kunsmis is, dwarsdeur die dag. Dit help om die lande meer gelyk te maak, terwyl die radars seker maak dat die strooipatroon steeds dieselfde bly.
Na die toevoeging tot ons strooier het ons die “Rolls-Royce” van strooiers op die plaas gehad, maar daar is nog ʼn ding waarvoor die Kaap bekend is: wind! Maar ook hiervoor het Amazone ʼn antwoord gehad: WindControl aka “waterboy” wat op die ZA-TS gemonteer kan word! Dit kan windspoed tot en met 10 m/sek uitskakel, met ander woorde 36 km/h. Dit laat ons toe om nou meeste van die dae voluit te kan strooi. Ons moes voorheen baie dae die handdoek ingooi as gevolg van die wind, en het daarvoor ingeboet met opbrengs.
Die ISOBUS-sisteem van die Amazone-strooier het 100% op my JD-trekker gepas, sonder enige probleme, en alles het 100% gewerk. Ek kon ook vir my operateur ʼn profiel opstel sodat ons net die funksies wat ons op ons plaas gebruik, op die skerm vertoon. Daar is ʼn paar dinge op dié strooier wat dit vir my as boer en vir my operateur baie gemaklik maak.
Eerstens, die strooier kom standaard met twee lere langs die kant sodat die massasakke van beide kante maklik oop gemaak kan word om die strooier vol te maak. Tweedens, wiele wat uit wip as jy van die kant af op hul trap en derdens die strooier kan gerieflik afgehaak en rond gestoot word – sommer met ʼn vol vrag as dit nodig is. Hulle vou ook weer net so maklik uit die pad uit vir wanneer jy besig is om te strooi.
Dan natuurlik my gunsteling, die baie slim ontwerpte seiltjie wat hidroulies oprol sodat die hele strooier oop is vir volmaak en weer baie netjies toemaak vir daardie lawwe reën-buitjie wat verby kom.
Met alles gesê en doen het ons nou beslis ʼn wenspan op die plaas. Ons besparings in kunsmis is aansienlik meer en die effektiwiteit ook, danksy die regte gereedskap soos die Amazone ZA-TS 3200 met ArgusTwin en WindControl. Lekker boer.
Geskryf deur: Hennie le Roux (SABBF) en Wessel Vosloo (Falcon Agricultural Equipment).