Slurry and digestate, Avadex, slug pellets, fertiliser and crop spraying. RTK guidance on every pass, ISOBUS connectivity on the equipment that benefits from it and accurate monitoring ensures both the application itself and the operator records are completed to a high standard.
Application is the heading that dominates the farming calendar in some cases, seeing crops from pre-emergence right through to harvest. Slurry or digestate on a field when further nutrition requires it, fertiliser timed to crop demands, pellets in the event of slug pressure and chemical control of weed and/or disease pressure via the crop sprayer; each one of these has a window, and missing the window can be costly. We have built the application fleet around hitting the windows.
The five categories below cover the application work we run across Essex. The page is organised by category, with the specific equipment we run on each. If you would rather skip to the relevant section, the links below jump straight to it.
Slurry application is one of the operations where the right setup makes the most difference. Output is so important but so is efficient use of what you’re applying, particularly products with higher nutritional values. Tanker work suits some fields, conditions and farms depending on size, soil type and locality of fields to storage respectively. Umbilical work suits others where the distance between field and storage is reachable, the land isn’t too stony and keeping weight down in the field is important. We run both systems and with multiple working widths on the umbilical side.
Umbilical applications with a dribble bar are best for nearly always higher output, lower weight in the field, retaining dirt in the field and keeping field access points from so much compaction. Working widths available from 12 to 24 metres — get in touch to discuss any width in between.
710mm tyres for reduced ground pressure compared with conventional tanker setups. The trailing shoe places slurry at the base of the canopy rather than spraying it across the leaves, which improves utilisation and reduces emissions.
Avadex is a pre-emergence granular herbicide commonly used on autumn cereals for black-grass control. The application window is narrow, the granule placement matters, and the equipment needs to apply evenly across the working width. We use the same UTV-towed unit we use for broadcasting.
UTV-towed keeps the working weight low, which is useful at the time of year Avadex typically goes on. Pre-emergence application immediately after drilling, ahead of crop emergence.
Note · This is the same Techneat Multicast 400 unit listed under Broadcasting on the Establishment page. One piece of equipment, two configurations: grass and environmental mixes on Establishment, granular herbicide here.
Slug pressure varies by field, by season, and by what is going in the ground. We run three different slug pellet application options to match the scale of the job: a tractor-mounted unit at 24m for wide field passes, a UTV-towed unit at 12m for lighter or smaller jobs, and a variable-width UTV-mounted unit for the small or awkward areas where a 12m or 24m pass would be too much.
Tractor-mounted with a 24m consistent pattern, this is the kit for getting pellets out whilst also having another implement on the back of the tractor to improve efficiency.
Same UTV-towed unit used for broadcasting and Avadex, configured for slug pellets. Keeps ground pressure low, it is more accurate, and good levels of output.
UTV-mounted rather than UTV-towed, which makes it more nimble in tight spaces. The variable width means it can adapt to the job rather than committing to a single fixed pass.
Bagged fertiliser application is one of the highest-leverage operations on an arable rotation: get the placement and the rate right and the crop responds; get either wrong and the cost shows up in yield. We run a mounted Amazone ZA-V at working widths from 24m up to 36m, depending on the product, the field and the wind.
24m-36m V-Set 3 Spreading discs with auto shut-off, variable rate, limiter and ISOBUS control. A fantastic spreader with very high output.
Crop spraying is the operation where bad guidance and poor application show up most visibly: stripes in the canopy, gaps in coverage, double-dosed strips. We run a trailed Amazone UX3200 at 24m with RTK guidance, which takes that variation off the table and leaves the result the spray plan intended.
3,500 litre capacity with a 24m boom that has auto-shut off to reduce pesticide usage. RTK guidance and steering axle follows well. Coverage is consistent across the field and across the season. No stripes in the canopy, no double-dosed strips.
RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is a highly accurate satellite positioning signal that is fundamental for keeping operations as accurate as can be for our customers and ourselves. We use RTK for nearly all our establishment operations (except for ploughing), all our application operations and for harvesting our combinable crops. Input prices continue to inflate whilst output will always remain as important as it ever has been. Whether it is planting a seed, applying nutrition or harvesting a crop, precision is fundamental to efficient use of products, time and money and RTK gives us the best chance to deliver accuracies within a few centimetres! RTK is our standard, not an upgrade.
Get in touch with the field, the product, the rough timing, and any access notes. Application windows are tight, so the earlier the conversation, the better.
We arrive with the right kit set up for the job, RTK calibrated, ISOBUS configured if relevant. Operator-led, with you in the loop on progress.
Invoice with the hectares worked, the product applied, and the equipment used. Annual or seasonal contracts available where the relationship makes sense.
Tell us what needs applying, when the window is, and where. We will tell you whether we can fit it in and the kit we would put on it.
Photos of the field, voice notes, quick scheduling questions. Often the fastest way in.
Chat on WhatsAppSpeak to the contracting team directly.
0330 1335288Longer enquiries, multiple fields, prescription maps or product specs.
office@fjbosworth.com
