The Accu-Spread® logo provides professional contractors and natural resource managers with peace of mind; knowing farmers that the correct rate of fertilizer is being applied exactly where they want it in the landscape.

Uneven application means some areas of the paddock receive insufficient fertiliser and yield may be reduced in these parts of the field, while other areas receive more than the crop requires which both reduces profit in these parts of the paddock and significantly increases the risk of off-site environmental damage. Independent analysis of uneven urea spreading has revealed it can easily result in $25 - $40/ha reduction in wheat return for southern Australia.

Accu-Spread® is a programme that involves the independent testing and accreditation of fertiliser spreading equipment for accuracy and evenness of spreading.

It contributes significantly to quality assurance, productivity improvement, environment sustainability and management of risk. When a machine is Accu-Spread® accredited, the operator will know the capacity of the machine to apply a number of nominated products to an industry standard of accuracy.

Regular Accu-Spread testing is a key component of a spreader operator being able to provide quality assurance to clients. Untested machines may be spreading unevenly, leading to striping in topdressed crops, to costly liability claims and therefore unprofessional and unreliable service.

The primary benefits of having an Accu-Spread tested machine are to:

• Optimize returns from fertiliser investments through even application
• minimise environmental damage through over application of nutrients
• ensure the appropriate amount of fertiliser is evenly applied
• provide operators with information about the performance of their machines
• provide farmer customers with confidence that spreader operators are accurately applying the right amount of fertiliser in the right place
• improve efficiency for spreader operators
• improve operating standards in the industry
• provide operators with a risk management tool in the form of an independent test of the performance of their machine.

Farmers and fertiliser spreading contractors are encouraged to have their machines accredited under the AFSA Accu-Spread program, so that they know the spread pattern of their machines. If they don't have this information they will not know whether they are spreading the right amount of fertiliser in the right place.

An improved understanding of the performance of the spreading machine will enable modifications to optimise performance, reducing operating costs and improving the productivity outcome for the farmer.