Neu-Anspach in the Taunus region is not a typical arable area. The region is characterised by many small fields, hilly terrain and a high share of grassland. At the same time, Frankfurt is only about thirty kilometres away – which puts corresponding recreational and tourist pressure on the rural roads. Right in the middle of this, Christian runs his forage-growing farm: around 150 ha, half of which is arable land and half grassland. In addition, he also runs a contracting business. Today, he mainly looks after horse farms, buys straw in traditional arable regions and processes it into pellets on site.
Christian's contracting business covers almost all work steps, from seeding to harvesting, and to an increasing degree carries out the complete agricultural services for other farms. However, the low mountain range is not a classic arable farming region. Efficiency is a key economic factor for him. ”We can't achieve yield peaks here. This is why we have to keep our labour costs as low as possible.
Christian attaches great importance to working with state-of-the-art technology – not least because he is a contractor. “My customers could theoretically afford to buy second-hand, old technology. They wouldn't need a contractor for that.” The farm has been using GPS, SectionControl and precision application systems for around ten years. This focus does not only increase efficiency but also creates additional flexibility in resource planning.
This predictability plays an important role, especially in plant protection. At weekends, rural roads are often used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Christian therefore tries to schedule sensitive measures such as spraying or fertilising in such a way as to avoid potential conflicts between agricultural operations and leisure activities as far as possible. In addition to precise application, this requires above all efficiency: if conditions are right, the fields have to be cultivated quickly. State-of-the-art technology helps to better bundle operations and, in many cases, shift them to weekdays.
When making his latest investment in plant protection, the fundamental question was: trailed sprayer or mounted sprayer? Given the small-scale structure of the Taunus region, Christian deliberately opted for a mounted sprayer – the HORSCH Leeb CS. Manoeuvrability, small fields and narrow field accesses speak in favour of this system. However, the decisive factor for Christian was the boom control system: “Other brands can also spray, but in my opinion, the art of driving a boom so smoothly behind the tractor when mounted can only be achieved with a Leeb.”
In hilly terrain and on uneven fields, the boom has to adapt quickly without rocking. This is why Christian chose BoomControl Pro. “I notice it especially on the headlands: due to BoomControl, the boom remains fixed like a board. On the headlands, I now drive at speeds that I used to drive on normal tramlines.” This immediately increases efficiency – a decisive advantage when application windows are narrow.
The 25 cm nozzle spacing further increases flexibility of use. Different operational speeds, varying tillage qualities at contract customers and application rates from 200 to 500 l per hectare can be dealt with without the need for retooling. This directly converts time during the season into work rate.
Another advantage for Christian is the reduction in drift. The shorter target area distance results in proper placement which is also evident in a direct field comparison: “You can see it very clearly from a distance when a colleague is working with a different brand on the neighbouring field. You can see the difference in drift with the naked eye. The fact that we are lower is simply fantastic.“
Despite his busy schedule and voluntary work, Christian once again drives the sprayer himself more often. With a twinkle in his eye, he says: “Since I've been driving the Leeb CS, I've been driving the sprayer myself again.” For him, the overall picture is harmonious: a manoeuvrable mounted sprayer that works in the small-scale low mountain range region, combined with high boom stability, flexible application rates, less drift and a noticeable increase in efficiency. This allows plant protection measures to be implemented efficiently – even in the special conditions of a region with high recreational pressure.
