The new machine was the 10,000th sprayer fitted with an ExactApply Nozzle Control System to be produced by the John Deere Des Moines factory in Iowa, in the United States, and was delivered by Hutcheon & Pearce’s Dubbo dealership last year.
Immediately, Mr Mckay put it to work on ‘Winnabri’ at Warren, where he farms around 5000ha of winter wheat, canola and chickpeas with his wife and parents.
“We’ve been using it on broadleaf weeds in wheat and just the accuracy of the spray job with the ExactApply system is impressive,” Mr McKay said.
“Even with section control on a normal spray you’re over-spraying, but the 616R’s ability to compensate for the different sides of the boom through turns, and the lack of overlap, is really impressive.”
The heart of the ExactApply system is a six-nozzle turret with multiple modes of operation to help maintain target rate and pressure.
Turn compensation mode decreases the spray rate on the inside of a turn while increasing the rate on the outside, ensuring consistent application across the entire width of the boom.
The McKays have run a John Deere fleet since investing in 8 Series tractors in 2005, and now operate five tractors: an 8R310, 8370RT, 8520, 8520T and 6930, and two combine harvesters, an S780 and S660.
They had been talking to Hutcheon & Pearce about replacing their main sprayer and camera sprayer, and investing in one machine for the job.
“We ended up doing the numbers and trialling a demo 616R sprayer at home with a few of the neighbours and my brother from next door,” Mr McKay said.
“We were just working on a mix of summer weeds in a fallow, green on brown, and the combination of ExactApply with the See & Spray Select system that sprays only emerged weeds worked really well.”
See & Spray Select uses advanced camera and nozzle technology to deliver a targeted spray to weeds, applying herbicide only where needed, and combines with ExactApply to reduce potential drift.
“My brother and I both ordered 616R SP sprayers fitted with ExactApply and See & Spray Select,” Mr McKay said.
“I then received a call saying mine was the 10,000th to be produced in the US, so my brother’s is probably model 10,001. We’re pretty happy with the way it’s turned out.”
As well as maintaining a target rate and pressure over a wider range of speeds, the 616R offers a comfortable ride.
“It looked the way I expected but the comfort is awesome,” Mr McKay said.
He was not surprised the 10,000th machine ended up in Australia, given the progressive nature of the nation’s farmers in their approach to technology.
“The current and next generation of Australian farmers are really keen to take up the newest technology that’s available.
“We’re looking to get yield as high as we can and that’s quite expensive, so we need to achieve it as efficiently as possible.
“Machines like this John Deere 616R Self-Propelled Sprayer with ExactApply are going to make that possible. They’re the top level of farm machinery.”
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