Farming in the vast landscapes of Western Australia
Farming in the vast landscapes of Western Australia requires a constant balancing act between covering large areas efficiently and applying the precise care each crop demands. Ashley Bone, a second-generation farmer on Tarramurra Farm, manages approximately 5,500 hectares 3.5 hours north of Perth, where he and his family grow wheat, canola, and lupins, and a tiny percentage of sheep in the livestock. With his father and two other employees, Ashley tackles the daily challenges of modern farming, including maintaining productivity amid unpredictable weather and resource limitations. In 2021, in pursuit of more precise and effective crop management, Ashley adopted a sprayer with the BBLeap spraying system.
“I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into when I first bought BBLeap, but now, a couple of years down the track, I know this was a great choice!” – Ashley Bone
Farm Facts: Tarramurra Farm
Location: Three Springs, WA, Australia
Owner: Ashley Bone
BBLeap user since: 2021
Crops: Wheat, canola, and lupins
Hectares: 5,500
Functionalities: Leapbox + camera system
Sprayer: Retrofit Case Patriot
The challenge of balancing speed and precision
For Ashley, one of the biggest challenges in spraying is ensuring the job is done correctly—using the right chemical at the right time. “There’s always a balance between wanting to go faster, cover more hectares, and complete tasks quickly, and doing the job properly—making sure the timing, speed, and weather conditions are just right. It’s always a balancing act between those two priorities,” he explains.
“The BBLeap system ensures consistent droplet size regardless of speed or application rate—something other systems struggle to maintain.” – Ashley Bone
How BBLeap Transformed Spraying Practices
Before integrating BBLeap, Ashley’s crop spraying methods required frequent manual adjustments to maintain a balance between speed, pressure, and droplet size. These adjustments often proved challenging.
“The BBLeap system gives an even spray job. Like the droplet size, it’s exactly what you put into the system with just one tap on the screen. So if you say you want a coarse or medium droplet size, it will stick to that and keep it where you want it, regardless of the speed or application rate. Compared to other systems where, as your speed goes up, the pressure goes up and hence your droplet size changes,” Ashley explains.
According to Ashley, the BBLeap system is accurate and the speed range is good, using his sprayer at speeds from 5 to 30 km/h based on workload. “The good side of BBLeap is that we use one set of nozzles for different speeds as well as different application rates,” Ashley added. This helps Ashley ensure the job is always done right, at the right time.
“Maintenance-wise we just really haven’t had problems with the BBLeap, whereas we did with other sprayers – especially on replacing solenoids. The BBLeap system’s been really good to us.” – Ashley Bone
Lower maintenance costs and increased reliability
Another major advantage Ashley has noticed with BBLeap is the reduction in maintenance costs and operational downtime. Spraying systems he previously used often required part replacements—particularly solenoids—adding both expense and complexity to his maintenance routine. With BBLeap, however, Ashley has experienced a significant drop in maintenance needs. “I haven’t had to replace one on the BBLeap, we just really haven’t had too many problems with it, whereas you do with the other sprayers. Maintenance-wise, the BBLeap system’s been really good,” he shares.
A wise investment for long-term precision
Ashley Bone’s experience with BBLeap underscores the value of precision in modern agriculture, showing how advanced systems like BBLeap can empower farmers to manage resources wisely. “You just set your pressure and your droplet size and no matter what you’re doing, it’s staying on that,” Ashley explained, “I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into when I first bought it, but now, a couple of years down the track, I’ve had no issues with it. In the end, it turned out to be a great choice.”
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Customer Experience
Rick Carpenter: “The smooth ride of the Calibre boom, combined with BBLeap’s advanced nozzle control, creates a system that excels in both accuracy and consistency – critical factors for effective and efficient crop management.”
Customer Experience
Ben Hewson: “I really like the turn compensation. With lots of small paddocks, it ensures even application where we used to over- or under-apply around tight turns.”
Customer Experience
Lee Smith: “In a 150-hectare paddock, I was spraying about 14 hectares less with BBLeap compared to a sprayer without the system. That’s a lot of saving chemicals!”