New PWM developments set pulses racing at Cereals

Cereals is an important event in the show calendar, it’s an opportunity for us to get together with customers, share information and plan ahead. During Cereals 24 we decided to hold a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) event for invited customers and members of the agricultural press.

Invitees were treated to an overview from Brian Finstrom of Capstan AG, our Pulse Width Modulation partner. Brian discussed the latest developments to Pinpoint III PWM; of particular interest to the audience was the new ‘CAP MOD’.

‘CAP MOD’ is an expansion of Pinpoint III that allows you to use a tablet or laptop to interface with Pinpoint III either in tandem with, or in a limited capacity, in place of a typical field computer. ‘CAPMOD’ allows individual nozzle variable rate control and higher resolution mapping. It merges Pinpoint II and Pinpoint III in a way which makes the systems more flexible.

As much as we wanted to share the exciting new developments in the pipeline, this event provided a chance for us to listen to the thoughts and ideas of customers from within the Team Bateman PWM community. Here’s what some customers had to say…

Wayne Rose of Guiting Manor Farms operates an RB35 fitted with Pinpoint III PWM: “We have used variable rate with nitrogen, but went away from it as we felt at 32 metres we were robbing Peter to pay Paul. However, individual nitrogen might appeal to us again, if the crop needs it we’ll be able to deliver it. Listening to what Bateman are doing with Pinpoint III is quite exciting.”

For Nigel Barnes of Clayhill Farming Ltd, choosing Pinpoint III was a big decision for the business, but one that has proved invaluable: “It’s value in terms of section control and applying exactly the right amount of chemical through each nozzle, irrespective of where it is on the boom and what corner you might be going around is incredible.

“Pinpoint III is really valuable when you’re applying liquid fertiliser, you’re putting the exact amount of fertiliser to every square inch of the field. There’s an additional value in terms of being able to spray in less than ideal conditions. You can change the pressure that you’re spraying at, which reduces drift, especially if you are working next to an environmental strip or perhaps a person’s garden. Dropping the pressure still maintains your speed and accuracy.

“I think precision farming is here to stay. When we get green on green plant recognition and individual nozzle control, that’s something we’re going to have to use in the future to minimise our use of pesticides. When you’re applying fertiliser, variable rate across a boom is the ultimate in precision.”

West Sussex contractor Danny Sole of Marden Contracting uses Pinpoint III on an RB35. Danny is very impressed with how Pinpoint III performs across challenging terrains:

“We encounter a lot of obstacles such as electric poles and such like, Pinpoint III allows us to spray up to and around them, without compromising pressure. On the steel hills there can be a variation in forward speed but PWM gives you a greater range of nozzle sizes so does not affect our performance or efficiency.

“It can drop the duty cycle range, the time it spends shutting on and off. When you’re travelling up a steep hill and the forward speed slows, the duty cycle will drop even though we are still spraying at 3 bar. Conversely, when you’re travelling downhill it will maintain your pre-set 3 bar but have the ability to drive faster if required, without affecting the pressure or droplet size.

“I was very interested in what Brian had to say. We’ve used variable rate previously, I think it’s something we’ll use again in the future. Individual nozzle shut off will give you much more flexibility within the system.”

Bentfield Bury Farms run an RB35 with a 4,000 litre capacity. Simon Carter thinks PWM has made the business more efficient: “We’re currently running Pinpoint II; I hope to have Pinpoint III on our next machine. PWM gives us more spraying days, makes us faster, improves the quality of our spraying through droplet sizes, which covers the leaf really well.”

Danny Hawkes, also of Bentfield Bury Farms added: “Pinpoint II is great on the individual screen, you can see all the information clearly. I’m quite excited to see what using 2 nozzle rates at once will be like in the future. Individual nozzle rate will help us with our no spray zones in certain fields as we move forwards.

“I really like the Pinpoint II PWM system, it brings everything we need to the farm. The fact that we can use a flat fan in all conditions is excellent. When applying fertiliser, which is new to us, it’s been very handy having the PWM. We’ve been able to keep the stream nice and steady. Pinpoint II PWM is a really good product.”

Brian Finstrom was delighted with the response to the event and welcomed the opportunity to speak with customers: “This event provided the opportunity to show our appreciation to the Bateman customers who use Pinpoint II and Pinpoint III. They are a great community, happy to participate in giving real-time feedback on how the system is performing and helping each other in bringing PWM into the UK market for us.

“We’re advancing current product development of Pinpoint III with expansions to the platform. Individual variable nozzle rate is of real value in the UK and Ireland, particularly as more fertiliser is applied through the sprayer. We’re also working closely with other companies to ensure performance with the spot-spray camera technology that is being introduced into the market.”

Summing up, Jason Bateman added: “I’m very pleased with how well this event was received. It was typical of how we like to work, a group of enthusiasts gathered in a field with a common objective – how to make spraying more efficient and more cost-effective.

“From the feedback we received during this event and throughout the show, the work we’re doing with our customers is making a real difference to their results.”

For more information on PWM, or to speak to our team call: 01769 580439.