CropLife IRON on the Road: Amazone Wins Showstopper Award at 2026 MAGIE
September 1, 2026 
Amazone’s ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread unit — the 2026 Showstopper Award winner — made its U.S. market debut at the 2026 MAGIE show. From left: CropLife IRON’s Eric Sfiligoj, Amazone’s Marc Heater, and Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association’s Jenny Webb.
At the annual Midwest Ag Industries Exposition (MAGIE), standing out from the crowd of products on display is always a challenge. However, one company, Amazone North America, has managed to make an impact for two years in a row now. During the 2025 MAGIE show, the German-based equipment manufacturer was honored with the MAGIE Image Award. This is awarded to the company with the best booth display on the show grounds. Now, in 2026, Amazone has followed up on this recognition by winning the annual ShowStopper Award, given to the product voted “best in show” by attendees.
Amazone’s ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread unit made its U.S. market debut at the 2026 MAGIE show. Furthermore, the new fertilizer spreading model made enough of an impression upon show goers that it was named the 2026 ShowStopper Award winner.
“This is quite an honor,” said Marc Heater, Head of Product and Marketing for the company while accepting the stop sign-shaped trophy on August 26. “Amazone has only been active in the U.S. market for three years now, so getting recognition from the visitors at MAGIE in 2025 and 2026 for our efforts feels truly special.”
Product Details
The Amazone ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread is a fully autonomous, self-adjusting spreader.
According to Heater, the Amazone ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread is designed to deliver the next level of optimized automated spreading. In field use, the unit combines advanced precision application technologies with intelligent automation to help users improve nutrient placement, maximize efficiency, reduce inputs, and support increasingly data-driven farming operations.
The Amazone ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread is the industry’s first fully autonomous, self-adjusting spreader, said Heater. The model utilizes rear-mounted radar sensors that actively monitor the spread pattern in conjunction with two additional sensors that monitor the throw distance. The information from these combined systems can then calibrate settings on the spreader to achieve precision and fertilizer placement.
The Amazone ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread unit, shown with the 2026 CropLife IRON ShowStopper Award trophy sitting in the foreground.
“Applicators are increasingly seeking technologies that enable more accurate input application, reduce waste and improve return on every acre,” he said. “The ZA-TS 01 represents the latest evolution in precision spreading, bringing together automation, intelligent control systems and connectivity in a single platform designed for today’s advanced farming operations. As U.S. agriculture continues to adopt precision application systems and autonomous technologies, the ZA-TS 01 demonstrates how intelligent equipment can help producers achieve greater productivity while improving operational sustainability.”
At present, Amazone is planning to introduce the ZA-TS 01 AutoSpread in a full market launch during the 2027 growing season.
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