Three Inputs in a Single Pass to Serve You for Success
As growers continue to hone in on fertilizer application precision with VRT, we are constantly looking for ways to better serve customers in this manner. While it’s common to variable-rate macronutrients like phosphate and potash, some growers also like to work in micronutrients with VRT, or even seed cover crops at a flat rate. With traditional methods, three products can be applied at once but only two of them would be applied at a variable rate. Another option would be making an additional pass to variable rate the third product or seed the cover crop. To solve this issue and maximize the trip across the field, we added a three-bin spreader to our fleet this fall.
The 8400 TerraGator with a New Leader L4000 MicroBin allows us to variable-rate three products independently. Cover crops can also be applied at a flat rate while phosphate and potash are variable-rated. The front two bins, used for potash and phosphate, each hold 7 tons. The third bin offers a 1-ton capacity for cover crop seed or a micronutrient of choice.
We are excited to have this three-bin spreader in our fleet. Before, if a customer wanted to apply a micronutrient in the same pass as MAP and potash, we would tie that third product to one of the macronutrients, impacting rate accuracy. Now, we can properly address phosphate, potash, and micronutrient levels. The spreader is also an economical method for cover crop seeding.
– Mark Stutsman, COO
While we are currently sharing this machine across our agronomy territory, it is predominantly running in the K&B Ag Supply region. As demand increases, we will look at adding dedicated machines to the Hills and Wellman locations. With this three-bin spreader, we are thrilled to maximize efficiency, while cutting down on passes across customers’ fields and better serving their VRT fertilizer needs.