A new app from Amazone promises to make spreading fertiliser more simple and accurate, saving farmers time and money.
Combining the functionality of previous tools, including FertiliserService, EasyCheck and EasyMix Claas Harvest Centre general manager of product Tim Needham said the MySpreader app has become a one-stop-shop, taking the guesswork out of determining the best settings for a spreader.
"It's as simple as opening the app and selecting your fertiliser to determine the recommended settings as starting point," he said.
"Then you set up the EasyCheck test kit, do a test run and take some photos of the test mats to check the lateral spreading pattern.
"The app then refines the settings and even better, automatically adjust the machine for you."
Mr Needham said anyone who has ever callibrated a spreader will recognise the time saving the app offers.
"Not to mention the economic benefits of improving crop yields or reducing fertiliser wastage," he said.
Mr Needham said Amazone had been providing its fertiliser advisory service, which provides the recommended spreader settings for thousands of different fertilisers used throughout the world, for almost 30 years.
"Even back then, it was recognised that it was impossible for farmers to find the perfect adjustment for each fertiliser, given the wide variety of fertilisers available," he said.
"Even the same types of fertiliser or those with identical names can have different properties.
"The success of this service can largely be attributed to the active participation of fertiliser manufacturers, distributors, farmers and contractors who send in thousands of samples every year, which allows us to keep the database up-to-date."
Mr Needham said the free app was suitable for both iOS and Android operating systems.
