It was all smiles for a photo op with Dennis Kowalchuk, left, from Exceed Grain Marketing in Edmonton, chatting about Agrifac’s new Condor V sprayer with Shaun Leipert, territory manager for application equipment with Tingley’s Harvest Centre, during the recent Agri-Visions show at Lloyd Ex. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The accuracy of the Agrifac Condor V self-propelled sprayer was recently put to the test to create a likeness of the Mona Lisa on a snow-covered field in the Netherlands.
That’s what Shaun Leipert, territory manager for application equipment at Tingley’s Harvest Centre, learned firsthand during a trip to Agrifac’s assembly factory in Holland.
He used that amazing experience as part of his sales pitch at this year’s Agri-Visions event at the Lloyd Ex.
“Over in Holland, they had a day when they had some snow. They filled the machine with beet juice and they painted the Mona Lisa. You could see an overhead version of the Mona Lisa,” said Leipert.
He says what made it work was the Condor V’s PWFM system that provides targeted modulation spraying with nozzles continually coming on and off.
“They took one of these units and had a PWFM unit on it with task map spraying. They were able to paint a perfect Mona Lisa on the ground by spraying back and forth,” he explained.
“Once you’ve mapped out your land you can turn around and do task map spraying and only hit the spots where the weeds are coming up or what that program allows you to hit,” he said.
Another key selling point of the Condor V is its HighTechAir (HTA) technology for drift reduction.
“In the Netherlands, it’s huge and it’s here already,” said Leipert.
HTA is a combination of traditional spraying, air assistance and mixing in the nozzle holders. It creates a constant and easily set droplet size that can be adjusted to changing conditions from the cab.
“It also has a special spraying system to spray vertical crops like asparagus, vertically,” said Leipert.
The sprayer’s VertiPlus system is attached to the Condor J-boom, which is available from 24 to 54 metre widths.
The Condor V is compatible with all GPS systems on the market for precision farming all season long.
“Most of these units will do anywhere between six and eight passes a year on a regular farm,” said Leipert.
Some application purposes include a burn-off, an in-crop, a fungicide or fertilizer treatment or for desiccation.
Leipert has driven the Condor V himself and says it’s operator-friendly with a control system consisting of an armrest with buttons, a touchpad, a numeric keypad and a joystick.
The sprayer also comes with 4-wheel, 2-wheel and crab steering.
Tingley’s goal at Agri-Visions said Leipert was “to let our customers know we’re here to support them and have solutions for them coming into the new season.”
Leipert is Tingley’s only application specialist who sells Agrifac and Agri-Spread farm products.
“Farming is challenging so we’re here to help these customers with these challenges,” he said.
“There’s no pressure to buy. The producer can come and look, and farmers and customers can come and look at the machine,” said Leipert.
“We’re able to tell them what’s new with it and what they do with it and it there is interest in it we can line up demos and go from there.”
Looking back on his trip to Holland Leipert learned the Agrifac assembly factory there employs around 300 people.
“They take care of them really well and feed them every day,” he said.
“Agrifac seems to be a really good company to work for at this point.”
