Month: June 2014

Micron Group, precision spraying specialists, have announced their plans for this year’s Fruit Focus event. For the first time at the show, the manufacturer will use its stand 340 to showcase its Enviro range of ground following sprayers for weed control in fruit and vines. Visitors to the stand will also be able to see the Turbofan and AU8000 sprayers for foliar treatments, as well as the Micron Tank System 100L.

The Enviro range of shielded sprayers on display will be mounted on ground following carriages. This new feature enables the shield to follow the contours of the ground subsequently minimising spray drift on uneven terrain and ensuring a better distribution of spray liquid. Now available in a choice of HiFlo (hydraulic pressure nozzle) or CDA (Controlled Droplet Application) spray systems, Enviro sprayers feature a freely rotating shield and a breakaway arm which gently deflects and rolls the shield around the base of the trees or vines, thus reducing the risk of mechanical damage and ensuring excellent spray results right up to the plant.

As well as the Enviro range for herbicide applications, the company will be showcasing its sprayers for foliar treatments. Visitors looking for a vehicle-mounted solution will be able to find out more about the Turbofan – an air-assisted CDA spray head for fungicide and insecticide applications. Highly suitable for use in soft and top fruit where good crop penetration is desired, Turbofan features a hydraulically-driven rotary atomiser and a built-in axial fan which produces a powerful yet directed air stream to convey spray to the target.
In addition, Micron Group will be exhibiting the Micron AU8000 mistblower for spraying crops in orchards, polytunnels and glasshouses. Its rotary atomiser technology delivers excellent coverage at Low Volume and Ultra Low Volume application rates. The AU8000 offers adjustable droplet size and good penetration of plant canopy for optimum results.

IMAGE: Micron’s 100 litre tank system with available Enviro shield options on ground following carriages.

Micron Group, manufacturers of low volume precision sprayers, are proud to be a partner in Arysta LifeScience’s “Applique Bien” programme in West Africa. The programme has been set up to promote best practice in pesticide application in order to improve application techniques and increase operator safety.

First of its kind, this innovative programme aims to provide small scale farmers in Africa with free training and advice on protective equipment, sprayer use, product labels and safety. Having been successfully launched in Brazil, the project is being rolled out in West Africa; initially in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in cotton and cocoa. The project officers are hoping to extend the programme to neighbouring countries and other crops including vegetables, rice and maize in order to train a larger number of producers who work with pesticides.

To deliver the project, Arysta LifeScience employ a purpose-built mobile training unit which travels to African villages to educate local farmers on pesticide application and operator protection through practical and interactive training sessions. So far Micron Group have supported the programme with a number of country visits where staff delivered a presentation on the correct calibration, use and maintenance of Micron’s low volume sprayers Handy and Ulva+, followed by practical demonstrations of the equipment.

Micron’s CDA (Controlled Droplet Application) range offer users many advantages over knapsack sprayers. Unlike conventional pressure nozzle sprayers, Handy and Ulva+ produce only the optimum size of spray droplets for the particular application. This is achieved by specifically designed rotary atomisers which break up the spray liquid evenly. As a result, considerably less water is required which means less time and effort is spent fetching water and spraying a given area. The control over droplet size ensures efficient use of chemical and provides improved operator safety due to the sprayers’ targeted application. Both Handy and Ulva+ offer a high work rate and are able to treat the same area 4 to 5 times faster than a knapsack sprayer. Their battery powered design eliminates pumping, subsequently reducing operator fatigue.

So far the program has received excellent feedback from farmers many of whom said they had never received such training on pesticide application before. It is hoped that not only the Applique Bien programme will instil better practice in pesticide use but it will also contribute towards improved productivity and help secure farmers’ income in Africa. The objectives of this first agricultural campaign are to undertake 100 days of training in each country and to train around 2000 producers in total. 

At the recent Cereals event, Micron Group – manufacturer of specialist spraying equipment – presented its latest Varidome model which has been specifically designed for treating weeds in vegetables and other narrowly planted crops.

The Varidome S3 band sprayer on display was fitted with the new narrow design Varidome 100 HiFlo shields which are capable of spraying inter-rows from 100mm to 450mm wide. The sprayer was also equipped with a second spray line for applying a different product directly over the row. Varidome has a modular design which means the sprayer can be specifically tailored to users’ needs and crop. The carriage spacing and spray width can be easily adjusted on each individual spray head. Furthermore, Varidome machines aimed at vegetables can be fitted with the narrow Varidome 100 HiFlo shields for spraying between the rows of crop and the wider reach Varidome 170 HiFlo shields positioned in between the beds. Circular shields with breakaway arms are also available for mounting onto the Varidome toolbar for situations where a slight sideways movement of the shield is required – for example, herbicide application in between raised beds or within tall crops like in-fern asparagus. 

IMAGE: Micron Varidome for Vegetables.jpg