The green thumb on wheels

Powerful yet gentle, it makes its circuits on a field near Hildburghausen in Thuringia: the new all-rounder in the fleet of the Raiffeisen-Warengenossenschaft Hildburghausen. That it is now in service here is due above all to the persistence of the managing director, Eberhard Tanzberger. About three years ago he and colleagues from the new federal states personally presented themselves at the Mercedes‑Benz plant in Wörth to find a technical solution that his clients had set out as a requirement.

The goal: a powerful vehicle for fertilizer application that, in Tanzberger’s experience, is better suited than the "self-propelled machine" previously in use. Raiffeisen had already had good experience with a Unimog U 500 in its fleet. In addition, Eberhard Tanzberger wanted a vehicle that, when operating with spreading widths of 18 metres, destroys as little crop as possible — both when running straight and when manoeuvring.

Last August, after an intensive coordination phase, the fertiliser expert finally took delivery of his Unimog U 530. The extras integrated into the vehicle are pioneering for his sector: a steered rear axle for gentle turning in the field and the latest generation tyre pressure control system. There is also a new arrangement of the radiators that doesn't struggle even in extremely dusty conditions, and an interface for the data management of his high‑tech fertiliser applicator.

Tanzberger looks proudly at his new green addition to the fleet. "The technology available to us brings completely new impetus to the fertilising business — and that would excite many colleagues," the fertiliser expert concluded. Equally important for the fleet manager is the fact that he can keep his new Unimog busy all year round. While a self‑propelled vehicle is only suitable for field work, the Unimog is used in the winter months as a capable winter service vehicle. Eberhard Tanzberger: "Here in the Thuringian Forest, as a typical low‑mountain region, we sometimes get a lot of snow. That's why we're kept very busy clearing and gritting even during the core winter months, when field work is at a standstill."

The advantages of the agricultural Unimog are clear. The steered rear axle prevents the unnecessary running over of valuable plants when changing into the next 18-metre tramline: "We had customers who told us they wouldn't hire us anymore if we didn't get this field damage under control," explains Eberhard Tanzberger. Thanks to the steered rear axle, damage to the crop is now almost zero. The rear tyres pull into the tramline at a wide angle without destroying plants — an invaluable advantage.

That is also confirmed by Bernd Kambach, Eberhard Tanzberger's regular driver on the U 530: "Since we've been using this rear axle, I can steer without crushing plants. And overall the steering behaviour is now much more comfortable and precise. I no longer need so much room to swing out in order to get straight into the tramline."

The tyre pressure control system is also extremely gentle on the ground. On soft terrain the driver simply lets air out of the tyres, which on the one hand increases traction and on the other prevents the tyres from sinking into the sensitive ground. The new arrangement of the radiators was of great importance for this type of operation: "Especially during dusty fertiliser spreading operations the radiator behind the cab was often quickly clogged," said Tanzberger.

But his particular pride is also the digital interface for his fertiliser attachment: "This has brought us a huge step closer to our goal of cloud-based fertiliser management." For years Eberhard Tanzberger has been working with AgriCon GmbH in Jahna on sensor-based nitrogen fertilisation and base fertilisation. Through plant analyses with the N-Tester and the N-Sensor in nitrogen fertilisation and GPS-supported soil sampling in base fertilisation and their evaluation, fertiliser application is precisely tailored to the needs of the plants.

"With the Unimog we are now almost fully digital," the agricultural specialist says with pleasure. In future it will be possible to programme the Unimog by software before use so that on every section of the area to be fertilised it applies exactly as much fertiliser as the soil needs for optimal quality. This saves the contracting farmers a great deal of money through reduced fertiliser use — and as a positive side effect the groundwater is considerably less burdened.

The Unimog brings two further advantages that mark it out as a fertiliser vehicle. Eberhard Tanzberger: "On an average day of spreading fertiliser the vehicle has to be reloaded six to eight times. For that it has to travel on the road. And there the Unimog is not only much faster than a self‑propelled machine, but also uses less fuel.

"And what's more," the astute entrepreneur adds with a smile, "winter service comes in as an additional source of income." Bernd Kambach is also extremely satisfied with the new addition to the fleet: "Above all, the tyre pressure control system is a real gain, especially when I'm moving between the fields. For winter service I particularly like that the Unimog can be converted so quickly."

So the "green thumb on wheels" not only injects momentum into crop protection, but is on the road in Thuringia almost every day in winter. And although high‑tech fertilising is a profitable business, near year‑round utilisation — four months of which are spent on winter service — is an argument that inevitably makes the agricultural Unimog the true frontrunner of the fleet.