Clocking up over 15,000km of road to apply up to 12,000 acres of liquid fertiliser primarily to grassland each year, fertiliser supplier Tom Butler and contractor Eoghan Byrne designed their own purpose-built machine.
After seeing successful trials of acidified urea-based liquid fertiliser many years ago in the Netherlands, Templetuohy-based Agrochemical supplier Tom Butler started out his own venture as a liquid fertiliser blender and supplier in 2008.
He set up a production unit under franchise of the Dutch-based company N-xt Fertiliser.
He initially began supplying and applying the product for a handful of local farmers using a trailed 2,000l Chafer 18m sprayer.
Last year, new TeeJet GPS guidance equipment with automatic section control capability was fitted.
This was a learning curve for Tom, who explains that he soon learnt a flow-based system wasn’t suitable for the acid-based fertiliser, with the flow metre only fit to last for six months. Instead, a pressure-based system was the route to go.
With demand increasing year on year, Tom felt a self-propelled machine with a larger capacity would be the next step.
In total, the sprayer build cost amounted to €34,000 plus VAT.
Self-propelled
In 2012, a used 3,000l self-propelled Chafer sprayer with 24m booms was acquired.
The same year, local contractor Eoghan Byrne came on board with Tom to drive the machine.
Although described as a good machine for general spraying duties, the duo soon came to realise that this wasn’t the machine for their specific task.
Its hydrostatic drive meant the big hills of the surrounding areas posed a huge challenge.
When forward speed dropped past 20% of its set target, the rate controller could only drop the pressure by so much before it would shut off the sprayer.
Eoghan estimates the upgrade to full section control is saving an estimated 10% in fertiliser.
The fact the machine wasn’t built for huge volumes of road work didn’t help, while the nature of the product also meant the sprayer’s cast iron pump rarely lasted beyond two months, with the bearings regularly needing replacement.
Further growth of the business meant a tractor was also being tied up drawing large volumes of liquid fertiliser to the sprayer, which had a limited capacity for the growing task in hand.
Purpose-built
The previous years’ learnings soon brought Tom and Eoghan to the conclusion that they needed to design a machine that could be used as a transport vehicle, and field application machine.
They started into the project eight years ago. 
Typical forward speed with the sprayer is 10km/h with an output anywhere up to 30/acres an hour.
The duo decided on a 6,000l tank, doubling the existing carrying capacity at that time. This would give them the scope to cover 100 acres of grassland with one tank based on a typical application rate.
The tank was sourced from Enduromaxx in England, while 20m booms were purchased off a secondhand Gem trailed sprayer in Northern Ireland.
S&M Trailers near Templemore was tasked with building the sprung chassis and carrying out the major structural works. Douglas Kidd from Wextec plumbed all the machine electrics and controls.
The sprayer was shod on four 550-45 R22.5 flotation tyres.
A PTO-driven independent hydraulic system with its own oil supply was initially fitted to the sprayer to power the pump.
Several years ago, the pump packed in so they decided to fit a hydraulically driven Pacer pump.
Originally mounted on the sprung drawbar, the constant movement was causing the mountings to crack.
It was then decided to mount the pump on the chassis, a good move considering it has never given any trouble since. The pump has an inlet filter and outlet filtration system, meaning a blockage of any kind is rarely an issue.
Tom says: “I have used and seen many sprayer pumps in action. I’m a big fan of the Pacer pumps – they are all I would use anymore. It’s a high-volume low pressure and durable pump, ideal for liquid fertiliser. 
Eoghan estimates that the sprayer has a hydraulic requirement somewhere in the region of 90-100 litres/min.
“The fact the components are plastic and stainless steel means its low maintenance. We generally spray on the product at 1.5 bar pressure, and never past 2 bar.
“Once you cross 2.5 bar with the acid-based liquid fertiliser, the pressure begins to affect the integrity of the fertiliser.”
Box iron was neatly fitted in front of the streambars for protection.
Eoghan estimates the sprayer has a hydraulic requirement somewhere in the region of 90-100l/min. It requires the use of four spools – one single-acting and free-flow to run the pump, another to control the boom up and down, another to fold the boom in and out and the final to level the boom.
Nozzles
Originally using seven-hole raindrop liquid fertiliser nozzles, the duo soon moved on to streambar technology.
They found that the liquid fertiliser nozzles required too much swapping on and off to meet the desired application rates from farm to farm.
Originally using liquid fertiliser nozzles, and later seven-hole raindrop nozzles, the duo since moved on to streambar technology.
Instead, Eoghan explains the streambars offer six different application rate settings and the entire 20m working width can be adjusted in three minutes.
In addition, they found the streambars to be easier to work with at various heights in comparison to the seven-hole raindrop nozzles, which had to work at half a metre above the crop.
Technology
Although now eight years old, the sprayer runs on the very latest technology. It was originally equipped with an RDS Delta 4 rate controller and manual section control (five 4m sections).
Last year, new TeeJet GPS guidance equipment with automatic section control capability was fitted. Not compatible with the existing rate controller, the system was upgraded.
The terminal displays information such as such as the volume of product spread, the current application rate, the area covered and the tank volume.
Running on automatic section shut-off, manual section shut-off is also possible.
The Fendt 516 tasked with pulling the sprayer is fitted with a John Deere Greenstar ATU autosteer.
Tom’s sprayer is pulled using Eoghan’s Fendt 516. The tractor is fitted with a John Deere Greenstar ATU (Auto Track Universal) autosteer kit.
Running on SF1 free satellite, this kit is capable of applying product down to 20cm accuracy.
When it comes to application in grassland, the fertiliser is applied at a height of approximately 2ft to 3ft above the ground. Eoghan estimates the upgrade to full section control is saving up to 10% in fertiliser.
Typical forward speed with the sprayer is 10km/h at 1,100 to 1,200rpm. In good-sized fields, Eoghan says that he can knock out anywhere up to 30 acres an hour.
A PTO-driven independent hydraulic system was replaced with a hydraulically driven Paser pump.
Tom says he supplies in the region of 60 farmers with the N-xt acidified urea-based liquid fertiliser, covering up to 12,000 acres within a 30-mile radius on an annual basis. Fully loaded, the sprayer weighs in at 11t.
In total, the sprayer build cost came to €34,000 plus VAT. However, Tom estimates that with the current cost of materials and equipment, a new build today would be closer to €40,000 plus VAT.
What would you change if you were building a new sprayer for liquid fertiliser?
Tom says: “If I was building a similar machine again, I’d go for a split tank design. The current sprayer is that well balanced that the drawbar sits level when it’s taken off the tractor. When working on hilly ground with, let’s say, half a tank, gravity pushes the liquid to the rear of the tank, meaning there’s little to no weight on the tractor’s rear wheels. I’d probably increase overall capacity to 8,000l, with a 2,000l tank mounted at the front of the sprayer for front loading to help with traction.
“Other than that, I’d also be opting for a rear steering axle.
The sprayer was shod on four 550-45 R22.5 flotation tyres.
“I don’t think any wider than 20m booms would be any more beneficial for grassland, especially for working in smaller paddocks.”
N-xt Fertilizer
N-xt Fertilizer is a Dutch based company which formulates and produces complex liquid fertiliser.
An acidified urea-based fertiliser rather than the traditional salt-based product, it is soil applied using a sprayer, with the range commonly known as base fertilisers (applied to the base of the plant).
"We generally spray on the product at 1.5 bar pressure, and never past 2 bar. Once you cross 2.5 bar with the acid based liquid fertiliser, the pressure begins to affect the integrity of the fertiliser”, explained Tom.
Tom runs the Irish franchise through his production unit in Templetuohy, Co Tipperary. The fertiliser ingredients are bound together via hydrogen and or ionic bonding in a special process.
Similar to granular fertiliser, various mixes can be formulated including the following core ingredients: nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K) sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), boron (B) and zinc (Zn).
Tom says approximately 85% of the materials are Irish-sourced, while in the region of 90% of whats formulated in the production unit in Tipperary is applied using the machine featured.
For 2022, Eoghan will be offering a one pass service sowing grass, cereals and maize with starter liquid fertiliser applied through a front-mounted tank, piped back to the coulters on the seed drill. 
Eoghan Byrne.
Clocking up over 15,000km of road to apply up to 12,000 acres of liquid fertiliser primarily to grassland each year, fertiliser supplier Tom Butler and contractor Eoghan Byrne designed their own purpose-built machine.
After seeing successful trials of acidified urea-based liquid fertiliser many years ago in the Netherlands, Templetuohy-based Agrochemical supplier Tom Butler started out his own venture as a liquid fertiliser blender and supplier in 2008.
He set up a production unit under franchise of the Dutch-based company N-xt Fertiliser.
He initially began supplying and applying the product for a handful of local farmers using a trailed 2,000l Chafer 18m sprayer.
Last year, new TeeJet GPS guidance equipment with automatic section control capability was fitted.
This was a learning curve for Tom, who explains that he soon learnt a flow-based system wasn’t suitable for the acid-based fertiliser, with the flow metre only fit to last for six months. Instead, a pressure-based system was the route to go.
With demand increasing year on year, Tom felt a self-propelled machine with a larger capacity would be the next step.
In total, the sprayer build cost amounted to €34,000 plus VAT.
Self-propelled
In 2012, a used 3,000l self-propelled Chafer sprayer with 24m booms was acquired.
The same year, local contractor Eoghan Byrne came on board with Tom to drive the machine.
Although described as a good machine for general spraying duties, the duo soon came to realise that this wasn’t the machine for their specific task.
Its hydrostatic drive meant the big hills of the surrounding areas posed a huge challenge.
When forward speed dropped past 20% of its set target, the rate controller could only drop the pressure by so much before it would shut off the sprayer.
Eoghan estimates the upgrade to full section control is saving an estimated 10% in fertiliser.
The fact the machine wasn’t built for huge volumes of road work didn’t help, while the nature of the product also meant the sprayer’s cast iron pump rarely lasted beyond two months, with the bearings regularly needing replacement.
Further growth of the business meant a tractor was also being tied up drawing large volumes of liquid fertiliser to the sprayer, which had a limited capacity for the growing task in hand.
Purpose-built
The previous years’ learnings soon brought Tom and Eoghan to the conclusion that they needed to design a machine that could be used as a transport vehicle, and field application machine.
They started into the project eight years ago.
Typical forward speed with the sprayer is 10km/h with an output anywhere up to 30/acres an hour.
The duo decided on a 6,000l tank, doubling the existing carrying capacity at that time. This would give them the scope to cover 100 acres of grassland with one tank based on a typical application rate.
The tank was sourced from Enduromaxx in England, while 20m booms were purchased off a secondhand Gem trailed sprayer in Northern Ireland.
S&M Trailers near Templemore was tasked with building the sprung chassis and carrying out the major structural works. Douglas Kidd from Wextec plumbed all the machine electrics and controls.
The sprayer was shod on four 550-45 R22.5 flotation tyres.
A PTO-driven independent hydraulic system with its own oil supply was initially fitted to the sprayer to power the pump.
Several years ago, the pump packed in so they decided to fit a hydraulically driven Pacer pump.
Originally mounted on the sprung drawbar, the constant movement was causing the mountings to crack.
It was then decided to mount the pump on the chassis, a good move considering it has never given any trouble since. The pump has an inlet filter and outlet filtration system, meaning a blockage of any kind is rarely an issue.
Tom says: “I have used and seen many sprayer pumps in action. I’m a big fan of the Pacer pumps – they are all I would use anymore. It’s a high-volume low pressure and durable pump, ideal for liquid fertiliser.
Eoghan estimates that the sprayer has a hydraulic requirement somewhere in the region of 90-100 litres/min.
“The fact the components are plastic and stainless steel means its low maintenance. We generally spray on the product at 1.5 bar pressure, and never past 2 bar.
“Once you cross 2.5 bar with the acid-based liquid fertiliser, the pressure begins to affect the integrity of the fertiliser.”
Box iron was neatly fitted in front of the streambars for protection.
Eoghan estimates the sprayer has a hydraulic requirement somewhere in the region of 90-100l/min. It requires the use of four spools – one single-acting and free-flow to run the pump, another to control the boom up and down, another to fold the boom in and out and the final to level the boom.
Nozzles
Originally using seven-hole raindrop liquid fertiliser nozzles, the duo soon moved on to streambar technology.
They found that the liquid fertiliser nozzles required too much swapping on and off to meet the desired application rates from farm to farm.
Originally using liquid fertiliser nozzles, and later seven-hole raindrop nozzles, the duo since moved on to streambar technology.
Instead, Eoghan explains the streambars offer six different application rate settings and the entire 20m working width can be adjusted in three minutes.
In addition, they found the streambars to be easier to work with at various heights in comparison to the seven-hole raindrop nozzles, which had to work at half a metre above the crop.
Technology
Although now eight years old, the sprayer runs on the very latest technology. It was originally equipped with an RDS Delta 4 rate controller and manual section control (five 4m sections).
Last year, new TeeJet GPS guidance equipment with automatic section control capability was fitted. Not compatible with the existing rate controller, the system was upgraded.
The terminal displays information such as such as the volume of product spread, the current application rate, the area covered and the tank volume.
Running on automatic section shut-off, manual section shut-off is also possible.
The Fendt 516 tasked with pulling the sprayer is fitted with a John Deere Greenstar ATU autosteer.
Tom’s sprayer is pulled using Eoghan’s Fendt 516. The tractor is fitted with a John Deere Greenstar ATU (Auto Track Universal) autosteer kit.
Running on SF1 free satellite, this kit is capable of applying product down to 20cm accuracy.
When it comes to application in grassland, the fertiliser is applied at a height of approximately 2ft to 3ft above the ground. Eoghan estimates the upgrade to full section control is saving up to 10% in fertiliser.
Typical forward speed with the sprayer is 10km/h at 1,100 to 1,200rpm. In good-sized fields, Eoghan says that he can knock out anywhere up to 30 acres an hour.
A PTO-driven independent hydraulic system was replaced with a hydraulically driven Paser pump.
Tom says he supplies in the region of 60 farmers with the N-xt acidified urea-based liquid fertiliser, covering up to 12,000 acres within a 30-mile radius on an annual basis. Fully loaded, the sprayer weighs in at 11t.
In total, the sprayer build cost came to €34,000 plus VAT. However, Tom estimates that with the current cost of materials and equipment, a new build today would be closer to €40,000 plus VAT.
What would you change if you were building a new sprayer for liquid fertiliser?
Tom says: “If I was building a similar machine again, I’d go for a split tank design. The current sprayer is that well balanced that the drawbar sits level when it’s taken off the tractor. When working on hilly ground with, let’s say, half a tank, gravity pushes the liquid to the rear of the tank, meaning there’s little to no weight on the tractor’s rear wheels. I’d probably increase overall capacity to 8,000l, with a 2,000l tank mounted at the front of the sprayer for front loading to help with traction.
“Other than that, I’d also be opting for a rear steering axle.
The sprayer was shod on four 550-45 R22.5 flotation tyres.
“I don’t think any wider than 20m booms would be any more beneficial for grassland, especially for working in smaller paddocks.”
N-xt Fertilizer
N-xt Fertilizer is a Dutch based company which formulates and produces complex liquid fertiliser.
An acidified urea-based fertiliser rather than the traditional salt-based product, it is soil applied using a sprayer, with the range commonly known as base fertilisers (applied to the base of the plant).
"We generally spray on the product at 1.5 bar pressure, and never past 2 bar. Once you cross 2.5 bar with the acid based liquid fertiliser, the pressure begins to affect the integrity of the fertiliser”, explained Tom.
Tom runs the Irish franchise through his production unit in Templetuohy, Co Tipperary. The fertiliser ingredients are bound together via hydrogen and or ionic bonding in a special process.
Similar to granular fertiliser, various mixes can be formulated including the following core ingredients: nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K) sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), boron (B) and zinc (Zn).
Tom says approximately 85% of the materials are Irish-sourced, while in the region of 90% of whats formulated in the production unit in Tipperary is applied using the machine featured.
For 2022, Eoghan will be offering a one pass service sowing grass, cereals and maize with starter liquid fertiliser applied through a front-mounted tank, piped back to the coulters on the seed drill.
Eoghan Byrne.
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