Next-generation accuracy with Topcon’s UC7 Plus Boom Control
Precision spraying continues to evolve at pace and Topcon Agriculture has once again shown why it remains a leader in the field with the launch of the UC7 Plus. Built on the proven foundation of the company’s Norac boom height control technology, this latest generation combines engineering strength with intelligent automation to deliver smoother performance, lower input costs and less stress in the cab. For farmers and contractors alike, it’s a development that adds both efficiency and confidence to every spraying job.
At its core, the UC7 Plus is designed to help operators apply product precisely where it is needed, reducing waste, improving crop performance and extending the life of machinery. Compatible with most self-propelled and trailed sprayers, the system introduces a new level of sensing and control. Topcon’s new Dynamic Chassis Sensor known as the DCS-1, monitors the movement of the machine in real time enhancing boom stability and response. Alongside it the latest MS-1 sensors use MAX Sense ultrasonic technology to read ground and crop contours with even greater accuracy, maintaining a consistent distance between nozzle and target across rolling or uneven terrain.
The benefits of such control go far beyond convenience. Precise boom management keeps application rates consistent, prevents drift and ensures the crop receives the full benefit of every pass. As Nick Townsend, Topcon Agriculture’s vice-president and segment leader for smart implements, explains, “The combination of proven legacy solutions with the latest in precision technology serves up an extreme opportunity for lower operating and input costs and lower equipment repair costs.”
He says the UC7 Plus takes what has long been a dependable platform and lifts it into a new era of precision.
“Spraying system advances increasingly provide farmers and service providers with an opportunity to achieve a greater return on investment on their equipment, either through upgrades or new investments. The UC7 Plus directly drives those savings.”
For contractors who spend long hours behind the wheel, the automation also brings a quieter kind of progress—less fatigue and less constant adjustment. Boom control automatically matches the contours of the land, freeing the operator to focus on the overall job rather than watching each wing tip. Townsend points out that the new system helps take pressure off the person in the seat: “These new capabilities also improve sustainability efforts in applying only the needed amount of spray where it is needed—to achieve the best results supporting compliance efforts, cost savings and optimal crop performance.”
That link between efficiency and sustainability is key. Every season brings greater scrutiny of chemical use and nutrient management, and precision spraying is now a central part of responsible farming practice. By ensuring even coverage and reducing overlap, the UC7 Plus allows farmers to meet both regulatory and environmental goals while keeping productivity high. Testing data suggests overall spraying performance can improve by up to thirty per cent when all efficiencies are factored in, from reduced overlap to lower fuel use and fewer mechanical repairs.
The design of the sensors themselves has been given careful attention to withstand real-world use. Constructed with corrosion-resistant glass-fibre nylon housings, protective transducer screens and multi-axis vents, they are built to handle dust, moisture and chemical exposure over long periods. For contractors who expect equipment to work through long seasons and short weather windows, durability is as important as precision.
Just as significant is the flexibility of the system. The UC7 Plus can be installed on most makes and models of sprayers, offering an easy upgrade path for operators who want to step into the latest precision technology without replacing their entire fleet. It supports varying levels of control to suit different crops, terrain and operator preferences, ensuring that the technology fits the job rather than the other way around.
Nick says Topcon’s focus is on making advanced systems accessible to all farms, large and small.
“We believe in accessibility to these technologies and the practical benefits they deliver to farms around the world; this is a simple and powerful example of intelligent technology evolution for the greater good of all farms and systems.”
That belief in practical progress has underpinned Topcon’s development of precision tools across guidance, application and mapping systems for decades, each designed to make technology a seamless part of day-to-day work.
In practice, the UC7 Plus sits comfortably within the broader trend of automation reshaping the paddock. From section control and variable-rate application to full guidance integration, every layer of technology now adds measurable gains in efficiency and sustainability. Yet the best advances are often those that fade quietly into the background—systems like boom height control that work automatically, invisibly and consistently. As Nick notes, the goal is not to replace the operator but to make the job easier, safer and more profitable.
Spraying has always been one of the most demanding tasks in farming, balancing weather, timing and accuracy in equal measure. The UC7 Plus helps simplify that challenge by taking one of the most critical variables—boom height and turning it into a controlled constant. Whether operating on flat ground or contouring country, in cereals or pasture the outcome is the same: uniform coverage, reduced waste and better results.
In an industry where margins are constantly squeezed and environmental expectations rise each season, Topcon’s latest innovation offers something rare, a genuine win on all fronts. Lower costs, lighter workloads, stronger compliance and improved performance make the UC7 Plus a logical step forward for any operator serious about precision. For those who see technology not as a luxury but as an essential tool of the trade, it represents exactly what modern farming needs: smart, accessible control that keeps accuracy high and effort low.