Techniques for Crop Protection

The agronomist's perspective from MASCHIO GASPARDO

MASCHIO GASPARDO is constantly developing solutions to support farmers in maximizing yields while reducing environmental impact, optimizing natural resource management, and being compliant to regulatory standards.

Crop protection from diseases and pathogens must be balanced with the optimization of phytosanitary product use, considering the possibility of employing alternative products such as mycoparasites and resistance inducers, thus promoting more sustainable agriculture.

In this perspective of sustainable agriculture, direct seeding and minimum tillage are becoming increasingly common, allowing significant energy savings and, consequently, reductions in atmospheric pollution. However, these practices can also lead to increased weed proliferation, making careful use of agrochemicals increasingly essential.

While mechanical weed control can be a valuable ally against weeds, for some types of plants with stolons, rhizomes, tubers, and adventitious roots, this practice may prove inadequate. In certain cases, mechanical weed control may even promote the spread of these unwanted plants.

Finally, the use of sprayers also allows foliar fertilization using specialized nozzles, a practice that can improve the effectiveness and distribution of micro and macro elements, especially in adverse conditions for absorption (pH, temperature, drought, etc.)

Minimize overlapping with SPRAY-IQ

SPRAY IQ represents the ideal alternative for farmers who want to maximize the benefits of ultra-precise nozzle management in irregular plots and overlapping areas, thanks to automatic control of partial width at 50 cm.

The SPRAY-IQ system automatically manages the opening and closing of each nozzle, allowing for full control and precise application at higher driving speeds, minimizing overlaps. The SPRAY-IQ system operates with sections as small as 50 cm, ensuring that the crop always receives the best treatment.

Key benefits:

Potential savings on overlap up to 80% of chemical product in wedge plots;
Reduction of crop damage caused by overdoses;
Minimizing environmental impact for a more sustainable approach.

Save time and money with MASCHIO GASPARDO “VENTO”

The climate determines every activity of the farmer, with wind in particular being able to force a farmer to interrupt or postpone treatments due to drift.

The "VENTO" air sleeve system utilizes an adjustable air wall to channel the sprayed product, allowing for a significant reduction in drift. The result is virtually no dispersion of phytosanitary products and contamination of contiguous areas. Efficient drift control also guarantees a wider working window, along with higher application speeds and fewer stops for refilling. The outcome is increased productivity for the user.

The use of VENTO also ensures better penetration and coverage compared to conventional applications, which is crucial in densely vegetated crops. All this leads to real savings for the farmer, with at least a 50% reduction in water usage and up to 30% on agrochemicals.
The VENTO system is equipped with an independent hydraulic pump that controls a powerful Ø800mm fan adjustable up to a maximum flow rate of 40,000 m³/h and a maximum air speed of 32 m/sec.

Always get the best from your plant protection products with “Re.D”

The Recirculation Dynamics (Re.D) pressure recirculation system offers farmers the peace of mind of starting treatments with the certainty of having the product uniformly present in all boom sections. At the beginning of the spraying operations, the entire circuit is pressurized; this means that even the boom sections are always ready for use across the entire working width. The result is that there are no waiting times at headlands, preventing the formation of untreated areas.

Furthermore, whenever the sections are closed, the mixture circulates continuously thanks to the pressure recirculation system. This feature of the Re.D system helps reduce sedimentation of the mixture in the pipes, minimizing the residual volume of undiluted product inside the sprayer at the end of the job. Not only does this preserve the effectiveness of the application throughout the entire operation, but also at the end, optimizing the overall efficiency of the process and increasing the quality of treatments.

E-PANEL, total control with utmost comfort

MASCHIO GASPARDO E-PANEL, available for ISOTRONIC sprayers, controls the most important functions of the water system through electric valves managed both from the tractor cabin and from the onboard machine with a dedicated monitor.
E-PANEL allows the operator to work with total peace of mind, minimizing the possibility of error.

The functions available to the operator are:

Automatic fill stop;
Proportional control of agitation: depending on the fill level, the intensity of agitation is reduced until completely turned off to prevent foam formation;
Automatic rinsing of the water circuit, both total and partial;
Filter cleaning even with full tank;
Management of working lights;
Interface for SERVICE operations.

Maximum stability and accuracy with DISTANCE CONTROL and DISTANCE
CONTROL PRO

The stability of the boom is a decisive factor in spraying operations, as it ensures correct application of phytosanitary products, reduces stress on the operator, and prolongs the overall life of the sprayer.

DISTANCE CONTROL is a fully automatic control system that adjusts the height and inclination of the boom. Using ultrasonic sensors, it monitors and corrects movements through on/off valves.

DISTANCE CONTROL PRO also allows active and separate control of the wings (variable geometry). This means that they can be tilted both upwards and downwards independently from each other using hydraulic cylinders controlled by proportional valves.

The advantage of these systems is to actively reduce any negative effects on spraying quality caused by uneven terrain and other influences during driving. This allows the boom to better follow the topography of the terrain, even very irregular, while maintaining an optimal distance from the target surface across the entire working width.
Furthermore, the use of DISTANCE CONTROL helps reduce the risk of drift, with direct benefits for the farmer and the environment.