Rogators have a long and proven heritage in crop care applications for growers and operators.
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In 1969, Ag-Chem introduced their first self-propelled sprayer, the Ag-Gator, out of the manufacturing facility in Jackson, Minnesota.
In 1993, the first Rogator model, the Rogator 664, was produced in response to the changing farming systems moving towards minimal tillage practices and requirements for new product application technologies.
In 2001, Ag-Chem was acquired by AGCO, who continued to produce Rogators out of the facility in Jackson, machines that have all worn the same coat of yellow – until now.
Alongside the Fendt Tracked Tractor (previously Challenger), the new Rogator wears a Fendt badge and a nature green coat – it is a simple example of an exciting merging of two leading brands in broadacre farming, Fendt and Rogator, into one machine.
Rogator applicators have set numerous industry benchmarks for over 25 years. Innovations such as the industries first cross-drive system with pressure compensation, accurate tip-to-tip plumbing and the groundbreaking liquid logic system introduced on the C series Rogator.
The Liquid Logic system was developed to ensure that the C-series Rogator sprayer could minimise wasted product in as many aspects of the operation as possible.
Enabling automatic product recirculation, constant full-system agitation, product recovery and assisted-rinse functions.
This ensures that the best quality product is always available at the nozzles and allows for automatic boom priming without the need to stream-to-ground during a priming sequence.
The new Fendt Rogator has taken this industry leading feature even further, replacing manual valves with electric valves, meaning the operator can run the functions without leaving the cab.
This Rogator is a step forward from the previous models with a new chassis, a larger engine and horsepower offering, a new Fendt styled cab with excellent visibility for the operator and customer selectable options on the technology available.
The chassis structure is similar to the previous models using the well proven c-channel flex-frame to allow for continual tyre contact with the ground, maximising traction and fuel usage.
The new Fendt Rogator also boast updated four-corner airbag suspension and patented dual leg struts, which allow for a further 40cm of travel and greater stability and ride quality.
The Fendt Rogator can come configured with OptiStop electric control valves wired in at 35 or 36 sections depending on nozzle spacings as a baseline liquid application control system.
As a baseline conventional spray system, which is to say a non-pulsing system, the benefit is the uniformity of the spray pattern.
The booms have diminishing nozzle groupings in the sections towards the boom tips, meaning the number of nozzles per section at the points where overlaps may occur during application are low and minimal over-spray is applied.
For operators looking for greater control, the OptiPulse PWM (pulse width modulation) system allows for individual nozzle control and turn compensation.
The Fendt Rogator now offers another innovative solution called OptiTwin which combines both nozzle control valves through a specially designed T-body that worked as a tiered PWM system.
OptiTwin is a new option for operators who are looking to maximise their speed window while maintaining an efficacy in the application.
OptiTwin is only available with the ProTech+ tech stack, which includes the AGCO/RAVEN RCM-S.
The PWM system controls application up to a set duty-cycle before the OptiStop nozzle is engaged, at which point the duty-cycle for the PWM drops back and can ramp up again to hold the rate at higher speeds.
The benefit is that he OptStop On/Off electric valves don’t pulse, so the spray pattern is perfectly uniform at the set rate for that side of the T-body, with the PWM nozzle side allowing for turn compensation at the same time.
Ensuring that spray operations are as efficient and effective as possible is a key to profitable farming in water limited environments like Australia.
Research has shown that good fallow management throughout the dry season can preserve up-to 70 per cent of water which has carried over or fallen throughout the fallow management period.
The Rogator also boasts one of the most stable boom rides on the market – using a boom-tree mounting system developed by AGCO the boom raises and lowers directly behind the rear wheels rather than moving outwards from the chassis in an arc as it does on a parallelogram mounting design.
The boom itself is mounted to the boom tree using a single pivot point, allowing the boom to hold gravitational balance unaffected by chassis roll in rougher paddocks or chewed out wheel tracks.
It’s a simple design, but its very effective in keeping the boom stable and level.
It also helps keep the operator comfortable during long hours, as the weight of the boom isn’t shifting outwards behind the boom when the auto-height control is working. This keeps the front end and the cab steady.
The boom mounting design is coupled with an advanced automatic height control system Fendt call OptiHeight.
OptiHeight is the white label name for the RAVEN XRT system, which is installed at the factory in Jackson during production.
The system takes a proactive approach to ensuring the boom is where it needs to be, using a gyroscope in the ABM module mounted on the chassis of the sprayer to detect chassis roll.
This information sends a signal to the electromagnetic dampers on the centre rack of the boom, which can stiffen up to hold the wings in place.
The centre rack potentiometer, wing-tilt sensors and boom height sensors mounted under the boom send a signal back to the brains to confirm boom position and make slight adjustments as needed to keep the boom in place.
Using this system combined with the boom mounting design, independently conducted has shown that the Fendt Rogator maintains optimal spray position 95 per cent of the time.
Operators of the new Rogator 900 machines also benefit from proven technology previously available in the earlier Rogator models, such as the AWD SmartDrive system which provides turn-compensated wheel speed and independent traction control of each wheel to assist in tight turns and reduce soil disruption and crop damage.
The Fendt Tractor Management System (TMS) automatically adjusts engine RPM to optimize power output and minimise fuel usage and the optional GatorTrak™ 4-Wheel Steer offers a tight turning radius that dramatically improves field manoeuvrability, crosses fewer rows, and reduces compaction.
Farm business are time-poor and application timing windows are shrinking – getting across the paddocks while holding rate and spray position makes an enormous difference to the bottom line.
It all comes down to a value proposition for owners looking to maximise the efficacy and efficiency of their application.
The cost of product used to manage crops is going up and staying up, so making sure that we can use those products effectively, while minimising waste is vitally important.
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