A worn nozzle gives no warning
Between two sprayer inspections, your machine drifts in silence. Worn nozzles deliver more than their nominal rate; a tired pressure gauge shows a pressure that is no longer the real one; a partially blocked section under-doses half the boom. The result: you think you are applying the calculated dose, and you are applying something else — over-dosing that costs you product and compliance, or under-dosing that costs you treatment efficacy.
Traditional sprayer flow checking — bucket calibration, nozzle by nozzle — gives a snapshot at a given moment. It says nothing about what happens during the treatment, when the pressure varies with engine speed, forward speed and the state of the circuit. That is where dose deviations happen — and that is where you need to measure.
Market solutions, honestly compared
| Solution | Purchase price | Subscription | Cost over 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual bucket calibration + the sprayer’s own gauge | a few tens of euros | — | hours every season, no measurement during treatment |
| DPAE regulation / retrofitted manufacturer console | several thousand euros | — | heavy investment, only for compatible machines |
| FURGO pre-assembled Débitdouille | 220 € | 0 € | 220 € |
What this table does not say: the Débitdouille is open source. The hardware, the assembly and the way it works are all documented; you can repair it, modify it, or even build it yourself.
What the Débitdouille actually does
- It measures in real time the circuit pressure and the flow rate of the left and right sections of the boom, using two SIKA flow meters and a pressure sensor.
- It knows your forward speed via GPS: combined with the flow rate, it lets you check continuously that the volume per hectare applied matches the intended dose.
- It displays everything on your smartphone, via the Mobilab mobile app, which you check from the cab during the treatment. A left/right imbalance or a drifting pressure shows up immediately, not at the next sprayer inspection.
- It keeps a record of your passes: the data you visualise also supports the traceability of your treatments.
- The kit arrives ready to install at 220 € excl. VAT: assembled electronics unit, GPS sensor, pressure sensor, two flow meters, wiring and connectors, mobile app. We take care of the installation on your sprayer, the calibration of the sensors and support for first use.
A tool born in the field, not in a design office
The Débitdouille comes from a low-tech initiative led by the Mobilab AgroTIC and the Hérault chamber of agriculture, as part of the Occitanum project. It was designed with farmers, to answer a simple question: how can you know, without changing sprayers or fitting a console costing several thousand euros, that the dose applied is the right one?
The Hérault chamber of agriculture also runs a self-build training course: you assemble your own kit and understand every component. FURGO sells the pre-assembled version for those who want the result without the soldering iron — the build tutorial remains public either way.
Where to start
- Check that your boom is suitable for fitting: two sections (left/right) and an accessible tapping point for the pressure sensor are enough.
- Order the pre-assembled Débitdouille — we plan the installation and calibration on your machine together.
- On the first treatment, note your reference values (pressure, flow per section at your working speed): those are what will reveal future drift.
Does your sprayer have a particular configuration (more than two sections, vineyard, orchard)? Describe it to us — we reply with a priced proposal, not a sales appointment.
