AGRI-chemicals can be a substantial investment.
And the more land you farm, the more you need to spend to maximise productivity.
So being able to apply chemicals with precision and accuracy is vital for protecting profits, as well as your crop.
Where farmers used to rely on a good eye and awareness of local cues and markers, these days it makes more sense to take advantage of the available electronics and GPS technology.
And the key to linking your farm boomsprayer with your tractor and a network of positioning satellites floating 20,000 kilometres above your head is an ISOBUS connection.
In 2008 a small group of international equipment manufacturers set up the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) to develop the ISOBUS standard and ensure its ongoing effectiveness.
The idea was to help farmers take advantage of new technology by providing a universal connection between tractors and implements from different manufacturers.
(If you've ever turned up in a foreign country with appliances that only plug into Aussie power points, you'll instantly recognise the potential problem).
The AEF now includes more than 100 manufacturers, including HARDI International.
ISOBUS is either standard or optional on a range of HARDI boomsprayers, from self-propelled to linkage systems.
One of the most popular is the NAVIGATOR family of trailed boomsprayers with its 3000 litre, 4000L, 5000L or 6000L main tank options and boom choices from 18 metres to 36.5m.
"NAVIGATOR is designed as a high quality, high capacity sprayer that's very user-friendly," HARDI's product manager Steven Lancaster said.
"The ISOBUS connection fits right in with this concept."
ISOBUS gives NAVIGATOR automatic compatibility with an existing tractor and its on-board systems.
There is no need to invest in any special terminal, displays or controls.
More importantly, it means farmers don't have to learn the functions and layout of another operating system.
They can simply use NAVIGATOR via the tractor platform they are already familiar with.
"It also saves a lot of tedious sprayer set-up and calibration work,with no risk of running into installation or interface problems," Mr Lancaster said.
"It's a plug-and-spray solution."
If the farm tractor doesn't have a guidance system, HARDI has ISOBUS controllers to suit the NAVIGATOR.
Known as the HC8600 and HC9600, the systems have been specially developed for agricultural use and provide perfect integration with NAVIGATOR's spray functions.
The HC8600 has a 210 millimetre colour touch-screen display while the HC9600 has a larger 302.5mm screen.
Both can provide access to a full range of ISOBUS and spraying functions from the main run-screen, including guidance mapping, auto-steer and auto-section control, plus information on application rate, tank contents, boom height, spraying speed and more.
Location and application data is captured for every spray job.
Mr Lancaster said with ISOBUS-compatibility and plenty of options, HARDI NAVIGATOR was an ideal trailed boomsprayer for Australian farms.
"The main tank and boom coverage choices mean you can optimise the sprayer to your paddock sizes and productivity needs," he said.
"And the simplicity of ISOBUS connection makes it easy to access the precise steering and application controls that modern farming demands."
