Applying substances for soil regulation is a crucial step to prepare the soil and ensure the best crop performance. Correcting the soil acidity improves the absorption of nutrients and boosts yield. But, to make sure this process actually works, the spreading process must be uniform.
When the application is not uniform, the result is the input waste, poor area usage, and for many times, loss.
For this reason, choosing a good spreader for soil regulation (trailed or by gravity) and using the proper agricultural technologies makes all the difference in the field.
With the Stara agricultural spreaders, the farmer is provided with high yields, metering precision, and resources that ensure an application adjusted to the needs of every field. Learn more about this content.
How to ensure a uniform application of the agricultural substances for soil regulation: see six practical hints
To ensure a uniform application of the substances for soil regulation, you need to know how to use the pieces of equipment and the on-board technologies. From the calibration to the correct usage of the technology, minor cautions make all the difference in yield and to get the most out of the inputs.
1. Check the conveyor belt and spinner disks before every usage
Worn-out components or not adjusted ones may fully jeopardize the application. Visually check the conveyor belt, spinner disks, and the adjustment vanes. Reduce gaps, clean off build-up residues and, if necessary, replace parts before starting operations.
2. Be cautions to the type and moisture of the substance for soil regulation
Excessive moisture products or irregular granulometry tend to build-up and impair the draining. Use vibrating grille pieces and inner mixers (when equipped) to avoid build-up and ensure constant flow. Adjust the conveyor belt according to the material performance.
3. When changing the product and speed, perform the calibration again.
Use collecting drip pans and check for variations in the application range. Always calibrate again when there is product change or operation speed change.
To make this process easier, Stara provides a spreading application that instructs the operator a step-by-step to make the adjustments faster and higher precise.
4. Adjust the application range according to the type of substance for soil regulation
Granulating fertilizers allow wider ranges (up to 36 meters), while powdered substances for soil regulation demand a more concentrated application (8 to 14 meters when performing broadcast spreading). Adjusting the vanes of the spinner disks correctly makes all the difference.
5. Frequently have the preventive maintenance done
Check hydraulic connections, sensors, wiring harnesses, and actuators. Periodically lubricate and thoroughly clean off the systems after using them. A minor failure could cause over metering or overlap, jeopardizing the crop field yield.
For Bruttus spreaders, which apply by gravity, the correct preventive maintenance ensures a better coefficient of variation and avoids drift losses, making the spreading more uniform and efficient.
6. Use the technology in your favor
Resources such as the twin feedgate, Syncro, Topper 5500, and Telemetry help to the application precise, even in huge areas. These technologies are integrated to different models of Stara fertilizer and substances for soil regulation spreader, the more compacted ones included.
What happens when the application is irregular?
The irregular spreading of substances for soil regulation impairs the production efficiency since the beginning. According to the National Rural Learning Service (SENAR), areas with excess of application are subjected to the saturation of the nutrients, while areas with low nutrients are acid and improper for production.
It directly impacts the development of the plant roots, jeopardizes the absorption of nutrients, and limits the production potential of the crop field.
Additionally, the poor application doesn’t reach the uniformity in the fields, which creates visible stains in the field, makes the further management harder, and requires new corrections, which results in waste loss and reapplications. This issue impacts the operating cost and the harvest results.
Yield impacts and cost per hectare
The correct usage of the spreader of substances for soil regulation is directly connected to the return on the investment in agricultural products. Even high-quality inputs don’t provide result if not applied with uniformity. The agronomist engineer Lucas Henrique Luersen, Stara Product Marketing Analyst, states that:
"Using the spreader for substances of soil regulation provides a correct pH of the soil, ensuring a more nutritious and productive environment for the crop fields. The variable rate technology allows a more precise application, optimizing the usage of inputs and improving the agricultural performance."
A mistake in the adjustment or a mechanical failure may represent thousands of hectares poorly corrected.
It affects yield, impairs the soil, and leads to an efficient usage of the seeds and fertilizers for the following steps. In the end of the harvest, the impacts influence the yield per hectare and the total cost of the production, the losses could have been avoided by the usage of a precise agricultural spreader and on-board technologies.
How can you know whether a spreader for substances for soil regulation is really good?
When choosing a spreader for substances for soil regulation, it’s common to ask what really makes the difference in the field. The answer is in the details that ensure metering precision, yield, and application uniformity.
- Precise metering and wide application range: Stara developed a complete line of agricultural spreaders for different needs, with reliable adjustments and applications 8 kg/ha and 8,750 kg/ha.
- Components that ensure stability and uniformity: self-central-aligned conveyor belts with rollers and spinner disks with adjustable vanes optimize the flow and adjust the range according to the input.
- Resistance to different types of products: stainless steel hoppers, vibrating grille pieces, and inner mixers help to drain the granulating and powdered substances for soil regulation, even under high content of moisture.
Self-propelled spreader remarkable features
Among the Stara highlights, the self-propelled spreaders Hércules 4.0 and Hércules 6.0 combine high operating yield, application precision, and state-of-the-art technologies, such as the active pneumatic suspension, electronic scale, variable rate application, and connectivity systems.
They are perfect for huge areas and intensive operations, with application range up to 36 meters and the full control from the machine cab.
Learn more about the Stara self-propelled spreaders
How to regulate the adjustment for different products?
Granulating products x powdered products
Each type of product demands specific care. Granulating products, such as fertilizers, allow application with broader ranges and demand special attention to the rotation of the spinner disks and application height.
On the other hand, the powdered substances for soil regulation, such as lime, are more sensitive to moisture and need conveyor belts well regulated, adjusted deflectors, and a shorter range of application.
The remarkable features of the Stara spreaders is the adaptation capacity: the models provide specific spinner disks to each type of product, with quick change, easy adjustment, and excellent performance, even under adverse conditions in the field.
Application ranges according to the agricultural spreader
The application range is a decisive factor when choosing the ideal agricultural spreader of substances for soil regulations. It varies according to the model, input type, and the spreading system integrated.
Broadcast spreaders equipped with adjustable spinner disks may reach up to 36 meters with high uniformity, which is excellent for granulating fertilizers.
On the other hand, models with gravity system operate with ranges 6.7 to 11.1 meters, providing better control of the substance for soil regulation application, especially when there is wind or lighter products.
Adapting the spreader for fertilizer and substances for soil regulation to the crop field needs, it’s essential to reduce overlap, avoid failures, and ensure an efficient operation when it comes to time, fuel, and usage of inputs.
Stara spreaders of substances of soil regulation: how to choose the ideal one for the operation?
Stara provides a complete line with six models of agricultural substances for soil regulation spreaders, which meet different types of crops, demanding levels, and operating realities:
- Hércules 4.0 and Hércules 6.0: they are the perfect Stara self-propelled machines for those who are seeking more autonomy, agility and performance in huge areas. They are equipped with electronic engines, active pneumatic suspension, and technologies, such as the integrated scale, Topper 5500, and application at a variable rate, with ranges up to 36 meters.
- Trailed Hércules and Hércules for trucks: they are robust and precise. They are versatile agricultural spreaders that operate both trailed by tractors or installed on a truck (with Roll On/Off System (keeping high load capacity and excellent application range control.
- Bruttus 12000, 18000 and 25000: the spreading system by gravity is ideal for powdered substances for soil regulation with a coefficient of variation below 8%. The capacity of the spreaders is up to 25,000 kg, in addition to the resources, such as variable rate and section shutdown.
- Twister 1500: a compact model for broadcast spreading with twin disks, hydraulic activation, and adjustable range 18 to 36 meters. It can be controlled by a smartphone or Topper and is an excellent cost-benefit ratio for smaller farms or hard-to-reach areas.
- Imperador 3.0: a self-propelled spreader with hybrid system that sprays and spreads fertilizers. It features state-of-the-art on-board technology and is perfect for operations that demand versatility, performance, and precision in different stages of the crop field.
Regardless of the model, the agronomist Luersen reinforces that you need to check the soil conditions and the crop field size when choosing a spreader of substances for soil regulation and fertilizers for your farm.
"Consider the technology when choosing the ideal spreader. Models such as Bruttus that avoid drift and ensure a precise application, are perfect for crop fields with specific needs. Alternately, Hércules 24,000 delivers great autonomy and operation range, being perfect to reach higher yields. Ideal for fertilizer applications, the Hércules 4.0 and Hércules 6.0 feature higher ground clearance, which enables the machines to enter the crop field when the plants are in advanced stages. All of them stand out due to the state-of-the-art technologies, with a variable rate to ensure higher efficient during applications."
Thus, choosing the right equipment allied to the technology, you can directly influence on the application efficiency and crop yield.
Conclusion
Spreading substances for soil regulation with precision is more than a management step: it’s a crucial strategy to increase yield, reduce losses and get the most out of the inputs applied to the field. And this is possible thanks to a reliable spreader of substances for soil regulation, well adjusted, and equipped with technologies that deliver field performance.
Did you like the hints and want to find out the agricultural machine that best suits your crop field?
Stop by a Stara dealer and find the most suitable equipment to boost your crop production.
