Innovative spraying technology in the Hoeksche Waard

You may have already noticed in the Hoeksche Waard: three new John Deere field sprayers, equipped with BBLeap spraying technology. This technique allows variable release per plant and offers complete control over droplet size, volume and distribution. We spoke to Gerben Melissant from Eendracht Agro and Rik Eijsbertse from Mts Akkerbouwbedrijf Boer to hear how this technology has improved their business operations.

Gerben: "BBLeap fits our ambitions. Good spraying and future-proof technology: from drift classes to working with data and plate-specific work." Rik: "We were ready for a new syringe and wanted to know what techniques were available. That's how we ended up with Kraakman and BBLeap."

Speed ​​and corner correction
So far, spraying with BBLeap has been great. Rik says: "What I like about BBLeap is immediately visible when driving away: the correct dosage, pressure and delivery. The crop is well protected. The onions are also in good condition in the first five meters, and the potatoes are in good condition. risk of phytophthora much less." Gerben adds: "What I like is that I can now take turns without having to cross separately. That saves time and effort, you don't have to switch anything on or off. The output remains the same everywhere."

Better spraying thanks to spray lines
Eendracht Agro works with a nozzle distance of 25 centimeters and an off-center nozzle. This means an odd number of caps. "By opening the caps alternately, I can spray exactly above the beet rows and leave the rest undisturbed." BBLeap offers the option to set up four different such 'spray lines'. Eendracht Agro has also set up a line for the first two sprayings against phytophthora. "We then have two caps open above the potato plant. The cap between the ridges remains closed. Otherwise you spray fungicide on bare soil. Previously common, but with BBLeap it is no longer necessary."

Working with task cards
BBLeap makes it easy to work with task cards. With just a few clicks, the task card is loaded into the syringe. Gerben: "I had been working with drones and task cards for a few years, but did not yet have any tools to actually apply them. Now we can convert all data into task cards and actually use them with BBLeap." Rik shares his experience: "There used to be an orchard on a wheat plot. Every year the wheat was flat there. We tackled that spot by giving a higher dosage. Now the wheat is still standing. On lighter plots we have the lower limit has actually been lowered, so that it does not grow too quickly there."

Site-specific spraying
Rik: "In this first season we are trying out the first precision applications. That has gone well so far. In the future we want to apply aphid control only to the beet plant and work site-specifically." Gerben has already been working on spot spraying, such as potato storage on bare land. He also likes variable applications for haulm killing. "These are sometimes close together, so making maps is difficult. A camera system could be used for this purpose in the future."

High-level precision agriculture
The experiences van Eendracht Agro and Mts Akkerbouwbedrijf Boer show that BBLeap offers solutions for current challenges in agriculture, and is ready for a future in which technology plays a crucial role in sustainable and effective crop protection. The progress made with BBLeap underlines the potential of precision agriculture to meet the growing demands of safe food production and environmental protection.