The Kverneland Exacta TL keeps ahead of the cows

23/02/2022

With fert applied at "just the right time”, keeping good grass ahead of the cows has just become a whole lot easier for Hamish Wyllie. He attributes this to his new Kverneland ExactaTL fertiliser spreader.

"Previously, we were dependent on fert trucks coming in at specific intervals to spread our fertiliser. With the Kverneland Exacta spreader, we have been able to put fert on at precisely the right time to suit our cows and us.

Having spent seven years contracting in the Oxford area, Hamish joined his family partnership on their newly converted dairy farm, North Eyre Holdings, in 2019.

He explained, "In 2012, Mum and Dad, Alan and Nicci Wyllie, and my Uncle, Geoff Pearce, joined forces. They decided to convert their beef and cropping farms to dairy. We now milk 650 cows and carry 170-200 R1 and R2 replacements on a total of 275ha, including a 65ha cropping and winter grazing block.

We prefer to do most of the work on the farm ourselves, and the KV Exacta has enabled us to become more self-reliant. Of course, the fert truck still provides a tremendous service and plays a part in our management. But for time-sensitive fertiliser products, the KV Exacta is proving ideal for getting it on exactly when we want to. The spreader is proving to be a great buy."

Hamish and the family chose the Kverneland spreader considering the price, the cost-saving possibilities through more efficient use of the fertiliser applied, and hassle-free record keeping.

Hamish got so much more than he expected.

With no hills to worry about, Hamish hadn't really noticed the Exacta's renowned auto-correction feature. Still, the speed-related spreading feature with auto-calibration has been working to his advantage, preventing over or under-dosing and resulting in better yields and significant cost savings.

It works by correlating the weigh-cell and speed information to constantly calculate the required rate, depending on the forward speed. An electronic actuator is continuously adjusting the size of the aperture that releases the fertiliser. The faster the speed, the bigger the aperture, and vice versa.

When combined with GPS mapping, it automatically switches off at the headlands and switches off one of the side sections when working at the edges of the paddock. It virtually eliminates any unnecessary overlapping and fertiliser wastage.

"From the moment I hitch up, I can be spreading in the paddock within 20 minutes. A single plugin and everything works through the ISOBUS. I've got a double vision GPS screen in the cab, and with the extensions on the hopper, I can carry close to two tonnes of fertiliser at a time leading to better efficiency.

Setting up is straightforward; the shaker-box provided, coupled with the Kverneland app, identifies rates for spreading for every type of fert you can think of. After the initial set up the auto calibration takes over.

We've noticed good cost savings with the sectional control shutting off parts of the spreader. We've seen the results in the grass as there is no doubling and absolutely no striping. We seem to get really even coverage and reckon we've had a gain of 11% in grass growth in front of the cows. The efficiency of spreading at the right time means we are using less fert to get 11% more growth!

Maintenance is great. There are eight grease points, and it takes five minutes to grease them. Everything is sealed. The hopper is powder-coated, so very easy to clean after use.”

With government regulations and the acceptance that continuous recording and accounting is the way it's going to go, Hamish was particularly interested in making this aspect of farming as straightforward as possible, both at the recording and reporting stages.

"We use a Top Con GPS unit, and all of the data is recorded digitally and onto the farm map. It's super easy to forward details to Environment Canterbury and maintain our records with minimal hassle."

Hamish concluded, "I'm stoked with the Kverneland ExactaTL. It's so easy to use that you don't consider exactly what it's doing. Every aspect of the machine is user friendly. Jimmy and Power Farming, Canterbury, have been straightforward to deal with and available to help get us going.

The KV Exacta has made a massive difference to our flexibility on the farm, and being able to use it when the conditions are right has enabled us to keep good grass ahead of the cows as well as saving on fertiliser.”

The Kverneland Exacta TL may improve efficiency and production on your farm. For details call your nearest Power Farming branch, or contact Power Farming through their website: powerfarming.co.nz

Written by Ali Leigh