Leading German spreader manufacturers Smoke, The past few years have been described as challenging not only for equipment manufacturers but for the entire agricultural sector. While Europe is still feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war has also contributed to reduced production capacity, but, as they themselves state Smoke, Stopping is not an option, and new challenges must be turned into new opportunities.
Analysing the past 12-month period, manufacturers have highlighted the most significant agricultural sector issues for the coming year. Firstly, this is the difficult-to-predict and warming climate, leading to uneven rainfall distribution. Secondly, the EU's set goals to reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides and to increase the area of organic farms. Finally, the intensive rise in fertiliser prices, which has already affected farmers and whose end is currently difficult to predict.
Optimised fertiliser use is a universal way to solve several problems at once: it is the basis for cleaner, more sustainable, and more productive farming. According to specialist data, excessive fertiliser use does not provide any added value for your harvest, as beyond a certain amount, the efficiency of the fertiliser does not increase, but merely depletes your budget. Thus, in response to the main current issues, Smoke Further develops and expands its spreader range so that they meet the most important farmer needs, and most importantly – help to save money.
Presented options for even more precise fertilisation – scales with a capacity of up to 2000 l for MDS series spreaders and the new mounted pneumatic spreader Axis Aero 32.1, ensuring high accuracy even when fertilising over a width of 36 m at a speed of 25 km/h. One of the biggest new features was Rauch Depot fertiliser applicator, which injects fertiliser up to 20 cm into the soil. During its testing, 20% less fertiliser was used, and the harvest increased by 6%, which is a truly pleasing result for manufacturers. The latest news of the year was the updated trailed Rauch Aero GT 60.1 model with the latest MultiRate fertiliser application system and simplified Axent 100.1 version Rauch Axent 90.1
Another important direction for the agricultural sector is digitalisation, which raises labour productivity to another level. From now on, all Smoke The spreaders will have a remote documentation option, which will allow for remote feedback on completed work, and the accumulation of a long-term database, to which data can be transferred not only from spreaders but also from tractors, combines or other machinery. The satellite images and other information stored in the database will allow for a detailed analysis of the situation of a specific agricultural plot, and if necessary, for targeted actions to improve it.
