AN innovative multispread door control system, developed by WA company Roesner Pty Ltd in conjunction with Marshall Multispread, is turning heads in SA and across the country.
The Marshall Multispread MDC product allows farmers to achieve variable rate spreading through door control that is determined and controlled by a mobile app.
Roesner Pty Ltd technical director Matt Roesner, who presented the technology in Adelaide recently, said the app was integrated with hardware on the spreader and farmers can control fertiliser application rate wirelessly.
The system consists of an electric actuator fitted to the spreader feed door, loadcells to weigh the hopper contents, an electronics module and an app running on a mobile device.
Regular readings from loadcells also provide feedback on the amount of fertiliser dispensed.
Mr Roesner said the cost of the product - under $5000 when other technology can cost up to $20,000 - and its ability to store data on a cloud-based system was what set it apart.
"It's a very simple system to use. It's based on tried and true mechanical systems," he said.
"It basically harvests the data off the app and then puts it in the cloud so the farmer can come back and have an accurate map of where the fertiliser was applied in the field."
There was a limited commercial release of the product this season, with 17 units out in the field across Australia.
"We are getting some really good results," Mr Roesner said.
"The initial feedback has been that the calibration they are able to achieve is much more precise because they've got a good indication of where the fertiliser is being applied."
Mr Roesner said farm managers like the technology because they can see a spreading operation in real time, while owner-operators like that they can track productivity.
Mr Roesner said the product works without a mobile connection, with data sent to the cloud system, which a farmer can access when he re-enters a mobile service area.
The company will aim for a full commercial release of the product in July, which will include the ability to use prescription maps.
Mr Roesner demonstrated the technology at the initial AgTech meetup in Adelaide.
AgTech meetup organiser Oli Madgett said he was "encouraging the development community to think about agriculture" and will hold an event, with a variety of agriculture technology speakers, every month at Majoran on Grenfell Street.
- Details: meetup.com/Adelaide-AgTech-Meetup/
