Arable farmer Ludwig Maas achieved a major breakthrough in his seed potato crop protection by combining a lowered chemical dosage with advanced on-the-row band spraying. Across 82 hectares, this precise application method reduced sprayed area by 54%, safely bringing total input costs down by 65% without compromising crop health.
Farm Facts
Maas Farms
Grower: Ludwig Maas
Location: Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the Netherlands
Main Crop: Seed Potatoes
Total Farm Size: 255 hectares
Case Study Area: 82 hectares
Sprayer & Boom Width: Beyne Python (8000L, 39m boom width)
BBLeap Solution: Excellent Spraying – Row spraying
Application Focus: 1st crop protection spray (Aphids & Phytophthora)
The Challenge: High Input Costs and Blanket Volume Inefficiencies
In seed potato cultivation, the first seasonal spray application targeting aphids and late blight (Phytophthora) is absolutely critical for safeguarding early crop development. Traditionally, growers rely on standard blanket/broadcast spray applications that cover the entire field surface indiscriminately. Ludwig Maas aimed to apply only where a crop was growing, this results in reducing his crop protection spending and minimising chemical load on the environment, while maintaining top-tier protection against pests and diseases.
The Innovation: Ultra-Fine Droplet Control and Pinpoint Band Spraying
The solution was found by combining BBLeap’s advanced precision technology with a highly targeted row-application strategy:
- On-the-Row Band Spraying: Instead of wasting chemistry on bare soil between potato rows, the liquid is directed with millimetric accuracy solely onto the emerging crop rows.
- Flawless Droplet Control: Thanks to high-frequency PWM nozzle pulsing, the system maintains a steady, homogene droplet spectrum and excellent leaf coverage even when running low water volumes (150 L/ha).
- Dosage Optimization: Because the chemical placement on the plant is 100% perfect, the fungicide (Zampro) dosage was safely reduced from the standard broadcast treatment rate of 3.2L/ha down to 2.0L/ha.
Input Reduction & Financial Yield
The field data was gathered across all individual, irregular plots totaling 82 hectares. Due to variations in field geometry (such as headlands and uneven boundaries), the exact area saved per field ranged between 46% and 65%.
On average, 54% of the field surface was successfully skipped. This means that out of the 82 physical hectares, the sprayer was actively spraying on only 37.72 hectares.
| Crop Protection Input | Reference (Broadcast / Standard) | Field Reality (BBLeap Technology) |
|---|---|---|
| Crop Oil (3L/ha) | € 12.00 / ha | € 12.00 / ha |
| Sumicidin (Insecticide - 0.2L/ha) | € 10.00 / ha | € 10.00 / ha |
| Zampro (Fungicide) | € 40.00 / ha (at 3.2L/ha) | € 25.00 / ha (at 2L/ha) |
| Total Cost per Hectare | € 62.00 / ha | € 47.00 / ha |
| Total Input Investment (82ha) | € 5,084.00 | € 1,772.84 * |
Key Results at a Glance:
- Reduced Sprayed Area: Only 37.72 ha treated out of 82 ha (a 54% reduction in applied liquid volume).
- Lower Chemical Dose: Safely scaled back from 3.2L to 2.0L of Zampro per hectare due to flawless crop coverage.
- Financial Impact: A direct cash saving of € 3,311.16 on these fields alone (a total input cost reduction of 65%).
Agronomic Outlook & Future Potential
The remarkable outcomes observed across these 82 hectares provide a solid indicator for future applications and the potential for the 17.5 hectares of ware potatoes. Such a row spray application can be applied up to 3 times in the beginning of the potato growth season. By proving that fine droplets and minimized liquid volumes can be delivered without increasing disease vulnerability, this case serves as an excellent operational blueprint for future seasons. It highlights how BBLeap allows modern growers to hit aggressive environmental sustainability targets while aggressively improving their bottom-line margins.
