A MILLER Nitro sprayer is helping a Kennedy Valley, Qld, sugar cane farmer address environmental concerns on the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef and improve productivity.
Megadeen Farming began in 1994 by David and Manjit Singh also involves their sons, Randeep and Hardeep, and grows 800 hectares of sugarcane and 200ha of bananas in the Kennedy Valley. The cane is grown on mounds on 1.8-metre single rows, with GPS guidance.
Recently the need to replace an aged linkage sprayer led to the family’s purchase of a Miller Nitro 5240 self-propelled sprayer, which features a 27 m boom and 4500 litre tank.
The machine has the potential to increase on-farm efficiencies, but also help the Singhs reduce their environmental impact – a key concern considering their location and involvement in the Australian Government Reef Programme
“Previously we were using a high clearance tractor with a three point linkage sprayer and 1100L tank, but we were having to rely more on residual chemicals to give control of weeds,” Hardeep Singh said.
“As the Nitro gives us excellent crop clearance (1.83m), we are able to concentrate more on using knockdown chemicals instead of residuals, as they are better off for the environment and also the pocket.
“This can be achieved by delaying spray applications late as possible, as the clearance and boom width allows us to cover lots of country in a short time frame,” he said.
The Miller Nitro 5240 is powered by the 202 kW, Cummins QSB 6.7L turbo diesel, Tier III compliant engine and can be configured with any GPS guidance and product control system. The Singhs use Trimble Field IQ and guidance for application and boom section control.
Mr Singh said the Trimble Field IQ system allowed them to use automatic section control over 15 sections (15 rows), which eliminated overlap and enabled boundary control.
“It means you can actually concentrate on where the boom is rather than flicking nozzles on [and] also means we’re not wasting chemical, especially around the grassed headlands.”
They are also considering adopting WeedSeeker spot spraying technology in the future.
They also having a height-adjustable trail leg system built to attach to the boom fitted with nine nozzle bodies to spray the cane inter-row at ground level.
“The trail legs will spray nine rows when the cane is at the younger age. Later, when the crop cannot be accessed with conventional tractors, the overhead spray system on the Nitro will allow us to spray 15 rows at once, which will further increase our efficiencies,” Mr Singh said.
“It means we can get out there as soon as we need to and get stuck into some serious spraying. Especially if there’s some weather around, time is a factor.
“The Nitro was a big investment upfront, but I’m confident that in around eight years it will have paid for itself through the increased efficiencies and yield gains.”
The Miller has 50:50 weight distribution and four-wheel, independent Hydra-Link suspension, including full suspension travel and automatic hydraulic levelling, ensuring a stable, smooth ride for the boom and operators and helping to minimise soil compaction.
“I’m pretty impressed with the cab. It’s very comfortable and quiet and the added visibility with the front-mounted boom is a huge advantage,” Mr Singh said.
“You can actually see the crop and keep an eye on the boom the whole time. We’ve got some tight headlands here, but the design of the Nitro means it handles those with ease,” he said.
