Are your nozzles limiting your speed over ground? Do you need to keep swapping nozzles or rotating nozzle bodies between different applications?
If so, multi-line spray control could provide the answer. Different flow requirements and operating speeds can be managed directly through the in-cab controller, helping improve the flexibility, safety and productivity of spraying applications.
What Is a Multi-Line Spraying System?
A multi-line sprayer uses multiple nozzle lines, with each successive line fitted with a larger nozzle than the previous line.
The system provides two control options:
- Manual line selection: The operator can select a particular nozzle line when its flow characteristics and application rate match the job requirements.
- Automatic line selection: The control system automatically selects the line, or combination of lines, that best matches the nozzle characteristics required for the target application rate and operating speed.
Each nozzle operates within a defined flow and pressure range. When a single nozzle line needs to deliver substantially more liquid, the required pressure can move beyond its preferred operating range.
Multi-line spraying provides additional flow capacity while helping each nozzle operate within a suitable pressure range.
How Automatic Line Switching Works
As the sprayer speeds up and covers more area per hour, flow must also increase to maintain the desired application rate. Each nozzle has a defined flow capacity. When that capacity is exceeded, the system can no longer maintain the required application rate using that nozzle line alone.
A multi-line system can identify when a nozzle line is approaching this point and automatically switch to another line fitted with higher-flow nozzles. Once the capacity of individual lines has been exceeded, the system can activate a combination of lines. This continues until all available lines are operating simultaneously to provide the maximum achievable flow capacity.
Benefits of the Multiline Spray System
The ability to travel faster can provide a valuable time-saving benefit. Farmers and spray operators can cover more hectares within the same working period, helping complete larger areas before conditions change.
Multi-line control can also provide:
- Improved spray coverage by helping maintain more consistent droplet size and keeping nozzles within their optimum flow range.
- Greater efficiency by reducing the need to stop and manually swap nozzles or rotate nozzle bodies between applications.
- Improved operator safety by reducing the amount of manual interaction required with spray nozzles and equipment.
These benefits can prove particularly valuable during limited spraying windows. Operators must still select a suitable speed based on the chemical label, nozzle setup, spray quality, boom stability, field conditions and weather.
Maintaining Section Control Across All Lines
Multi-line spraying complements automatic section control by managing section valves across all nozzle lines. When the sprayer reaches an area that has already been covered, the system automatically switches off the relevant sections, irrespective of which nozzle lines are active.
As a result, farmers can take advantage of the additional capacity provided by multi-line control while maintaining accurate application around headlands, boundaries and irregularly shaped areas. Accurate section management also helps reduce overlap, double application and unnecessary chemical use.
Control Software Makes Multi-Line Spraying Practical
Multi-line spraying depends on software that coordinates application rate, operating speed, nozzle-line selection and section control.
By selecting the appropriate individual line, or activating multiple lines when additional flow is required, the control system gives farmers greater flexibility across changing spraying conditions.
Learn more about SmartAG Systems’ ISOBUS spray solutions, 7000 Series Spray Controller and Jackal Spray Controller to explore flexible options for rate control, section management and modern spraying applications.