NORTH Queensland sugar producer, MSF Sugar, has recently added two high capacity, self-propelled Miller Nitro sprayers to its fleet.
The new Nitro’s will also improve application and weed control, add versatility and safety as well as environmental benefits - important when the farm is adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
MSF Sugar’s General Manager of Agriculture, Trevor Crook said the investment would pay off.
“It has resulted in big improvements, including cost savings, yield increases, a safer workplace for our employees and improved environmental performance,’’ he said.
The integrated grower, processor, marketer and exporter of raw sugar grows cane over about 9500ha in three locations, including 4000 ha around Maryborough, 2800ha on the North Tropical Coast and 2700ha on the Atherton Tablelands.
Spraying was previously carried out by several smaller sprayer units at varying degrees of efficiency.
“We knew we had to upgrade our systems, but had limited ability to achieve the outcomes we wanted if we had to upgrade many smaller units,” Mr Crook said.
“Going with Miller Nitro SP sprayers allows us to upgrade to the best and latest technology and facilities for safety compliance and efficiency on just one machine.’’
MSF Sugar initially used a contractor with a Nitro sprayer back in 2008 and purchased its own a few years later for the expanding Maryborough properties. Last year it acquired another two Miller Nitro 5240 sprayers, for its South Johnstone and Tableland operations.
“They are high capacity SP spray rigs with 4500-litre tanks. We also went with the auto grease option for easy maintenance. In a few minutes, the whole machine is greased,’’ Mr Crook said.
“Our farms are quite scattered and we need to move quickly and efficiently between farms.
“We need high clearance and at 1.8 metres, the Miller Nitros are one of the highest clearance machines available,” he said.
Having a front mounted boom has also proven a bonus. “It has made a huge difference for our cane operations. Our operators have much better visibility of the 27 m boom and potential obstacles.
“We have a lot of short rows on some farms, but with the large boom on the front it doesn’t take long to get out of corners. We can do the spraying a lot faster and with more precision.
“Timing of operations is critical with spraying and weed control. You need to be able to take advantage of the optimum window for application. We are now getting better weed control and weed management,’’ Mr Crook said.
The Miller Nitro 5240 sprayers are powered by the 176 kW/ 240 hp, Cummins QSB 6.7L turbo diesel, Tier III engines and can be configured with any GPS guidance and product control system.
The Nitros are fitted with FarmscanAg guidance and Raven spray controllers to ensure accurate applications and boom section control and minimise offsite loss of herbicide, a key consideration for the company’s environmental performance.
The machines carry out knockdown and pre-emergent spraying, and droppers are attached to the boom for direct spraying between the cane.
“Our farming system is based on 2.0 m controlled traffic and the Miller Nitros fit perfectly into this system. We have dual row cane on 2.0 m beds and we can operate at 4.0 m with the narrow tyres, straddling two beds. It’s a stable base at 4.0 m. We can then pull it into 3.0 m for the headlands and crossings, as well as travelling on the roads,’ Mr Crook said.’
“They are a complete weed management tool that is also suited to other inter-row operations using implements mounted off the front, instead of the boom.
“This could be part of a contingency plan for those wet seasons when we need to complete operations after the cane is out of hand of conventional tractors.’’
The 50:50 weight distribution with the machines and Miller’s four-wheel, independent Hydra-Link suspension, including full suspension travel and automatic hydraulic levelling for each leg, delivers a stable, smooth ride for the boom and operators and minimises soil compaction.
Miller’s SprayView cab features a high-back adjustable, air ride seat and the multi-function joystick, armrest command centre and Miller Systems Monitor all at the operator’s fingertips.
“There is no comparison with our old boomsprays. Our operators are very happy,’’ Mr Crook said.
“Having the one machine (type) has meant we can get our spraying systems and facilities set up for optimum efficiency and safety.
“We can invest a lot more training into less people and develop a highly professional operation that our people can be proud of and where our operators can take pride in their job.
“Above all, our farm hygiene and management standard has improved, leading to lower unit cost of production,’’ he said.