Goldacres TriTech 48m boom now with Weedetect option
Mid-west farmer Kyle Carson took delivery of his Goldacres G6 Crop Cruiser Series 2 with a 48m boom, and Bilberry Weedetect camera technology. Built-in Ballarat Victoria, the G6 Crop Cruiser Series 2 was purchased through Agwest Machinery Geraldton. The G6 Crop Cruiser Series 2 raises the bar in terms of operator comfort and usability. Developed in-house by Goldacres, the G-Hub system comprises a 12″ full-color touch display, and a 5″ external display. Providing the ability to control and monitor all critical machine functions and packages it all into an easy-to-use system.
This machine is kitted out with a number of unique features taking their broadacre spraying program to a new level. The design for the 48m TriTech V Series boom offers a number of efficiencies, operating in 3 working spray widths, 48, 36, and 20 meters. Outer wings feature a unique hydraulic break back and break forward function to help fight the forces of yaw while also providing security in the chance of a boom collision. Inner wings feature forward and rearward hydraulic dampening in conjunction with full yaw control. Boom construction comprises of mild steel inner wings with aluminium used for the middle, outer and breakaway sections. This provides strength and durability where needed and weight savings as required.
This G6 Crop Cruiser Series 2 has Billberry Weedetect cameras positioned every three meters and detects weeds via algorithms learnt at spraying speeds of up to 20km/hour. The cameras are constantly looking 4 meters ahead, detecting weed shapes (not chlorophyll) which enables the system to detect weeds in crop. A real game-changer for using substantially less chemical all year round.
As the Weedetect system relies on accurate information, the height of the boom is paramount to its performance. The cameras work most accurately at 1.5 meters from the target, so the XRT auto height controller with 5 sensors fitted will ensure optimum weed detection performance. The height sensors are radar-based and enable a large height measurement range. They can detect both ground and crop canopy and are less affected by spray drift, dust and mud. The system uses sensors to monitor the sprayer chassis rate of roll, the boom centre position relative to the chassis as well as boom wing tilt angle. These sensors allow the computer to predict how the boom will react well before the radar sensors even see the change in boom height. The end result is a more stable boom in uneven terrain.
Mechanical Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) capability for when conditions are at their worst, the option of 4WD brings out the best in the G6. Power is transferred from the transmission to the front and rear axle via a transfer case. When in normal spraying conditions the power is split between the front and rear axle via an internal differential (all-wheel drive mode). When the going gets tough the operator can lock the centre differential to provide a 50-50 power split to ensure optimum traction (4WD mode).
The optional Hawkeye nozzle control system provides exceptional performance with turn compensation, constant pressure and droplet size with a varying range of speeds. PWM technology uses a small electrically operated solenoid mounted to the nozzle body to control the flow rate delivered to each nozzle. The system rapidly pulses the nozzle on and off at rates of 10hz (10 times per second) whilst also adjusting the amount of time the nozzle is opened and closed. The spray line is set to maintain a constant liquid pressure, whilst the computer adjusts the duty cycle to vary the application rate.
Watch Kyle’s testimonial below