Potato Review

44 POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2023 SLUG CONTROL For most potato growers, the simple units designed to be mounted to an ATV will not o er the level of features they require. However, some higher- performing versions of these can do the trick for those that don’t need to cover huge distances or spread wider than 24m. Most of the single disc applicators are best suited to spreading below 24m, but there are some that can do it with the right pellet in favourable conditions, according to Charlotte Foxall, Operations Manager at spreader testing specialist SCS. ose looking to spread at 24m or more are generally best served by a twin-disc spreader or pneumatic set-up, she adds. “With these machines you are not working them at their absolute limit, so you have some security for spreading in adverse conditions.” Stocks Fan Jet Duo A popular set-up seen mounted to many self-propelled sprayers working in spuds is the Fan Jet Duo from Stocks. is consists of two applicators with contra-rotating discs that can spread to widths of up to 36m when using a suitable pellet. Set-up is simple thanks to the fact that the twin hoppers come ready mounted on a frame that spaces them 1.9m apart. is can be bolted to the front of the sprayer cab, hooked on a tractor front linkage, or attached to the central frame of sprayer boom, although the latter isn’t recommended due to the weight of the unit. Buyers get the option of either 65- or 130-litre hoppers to feed the four-vane stainless steel spreading discs, which are driven by large motors that require a 12, 60A power supply. Frames are also available to mount the unit to a UTV, but the reduced height means it can only spread to a maximum of 32m. Fan Jet Duos are available with two types of control set-ups featuring di ering levels of sophistication. e VS-2 is the simpler of the two with manual in-cab controls for the two units. Users alter rates by changing the type of feed roller and the speed at which they turn, with spreading width determined by altering disc speed. is means users need to maintain a set speed to achieve an even and consistent application. However, by adding an optional GPS unit, feed roller speed/application rate is automatically adjusted relative to the speed of travel. Upgrading to the TM (Twin Metering) control system brings in a colour touchscreen display and more smart features. ese include GPS speed-related metering as standard, section and headland control, the ability to apply variable rates, and a job recording function. ose that only need to spread to 24m also have the option of using a single- hopper Fan Jet Plus unit. is o ers similar functions to the Duo model, with the option of an i-CON control system that brings in GPS speed-related metering and the option of applying variable rates. Retail prices for the Fan Jet Duo range from £6,945 for a VS-2 tted with 65-litre hoppers to £9,786 for a TM-controlled model with 130-litre hoppers. e optional central mounting beam adds an additional £1,044 and an UTV tting kit is £828. Techneat Outcast V2 Techneat’s Outcast V2 is another popular option for spud growers, with a central hopper that meters pellets into an airstream feeding a series of satellite spinning discs mounted on the sprayer boom. Each disc spreads to a width of up to 12m, meaning two are tted on a 24m boom, 3 on a 36m and 4 on 48m. Wider spreading widths can also be achieved by tting so-called “compact” discs, which have upper and lower plates to re the pellets with a more precise NSTS slug pellet applicator testing Regardless of how fancy the slug pellet applicator you are using, it will require periodic testing and calibration to keep it working at its best. In fact, it is a legal and farm assurance requirement that you do so. All machines should receive a test by the time they are ve years old and the process should then be carried out every six years thereafter. However, owing to the wear and tear subjected to these machines under heavy use, Charlotte Foxall, Operations Manager at spreader and sprayer testing specialist SCS, says it is wise to have them checked over more regularly. “ ese machines have a lot of wearing parts (agitators, vanes, discs, motors) which will a ect the e ciency of spread,” she said. “We have hundreds of customers that test their pelleters annually, regardless of the requirements, and we have to make adjustments to the machine set up, or advise machine maintenance, in more than 50% of cases.” Tests are available through a number of rms operating under NSTS’s National Slug Pelleter testing scheme, one of which is SCS. e Sta ordshire-based rm covers the whole of the UK, o ering £160 tests for machines that spread up to 24m wide and £180 for those over 24m. ere is also an additional fee of £29 for an NSTS certi cate. Each test includes a thorough MOT of the machine, pellet analysis, tray test and a full report on the ndings. Discounts are available for those with multiple machines. The Stocks Fan Jet Duo is a popular slug pellet applicator option in potatoes and is available with two types of control set-ups featuring di ering levels of sophistication. Photo: Agriphoto