Tabula & SAM Machinery partner to expand spreader connectivity

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, October 19, 2026. New direct connection between Tabula and SAM Machinery will give farmers, growers and contractors another way to connect their spreading operations, including support for variable rate application.

Tabula and New Zealand agricultural machinery manufacturer SAM Machinery are partnering to give customers more ways to connect SAM spreaders with the technology they already use in the cab.

The new integration will create a direct, hard-wired CAN connection between Tabula and SAM’s e-Spreader technology, adding to SAM’s existing ISOBUS and Bluetooth connectivity options.

For customers using Tabula, the connection will allow information to move directly between the Tabula system and compatible SAM spreaders, bringing the machinery into the same connected workflow used to plan, complete and record work in the field.

One practical benefit will be variable rate spreading. Prescription maps in Tabula can define different application rates across a property, with the SAM e-Spreader automatically adjusting the application rate as the spreader moves between those areas.

This allows a variable rate plan to be put into practice without the operator having to manually change application rates throughout the job, while maintaining an accurate digital record of the work completed through Tabula’s automatic proof of application capability.

Michael Whittaker, CEO and Executive Chairman at Tabula, says the integration is another step towards connecting the machinery farmers and contractors already use with the wider information behind their operations.

“Farmers shouldn’t have to manage their machinery and their farm information as separate things. By connecting Tabula directly with SAM’s e-Spreader technology, information can move from the plan to the machine and back into the farm record.

“Variable rate application is one example of what that connection makes possible. More broadly, it’s about making the machinery in the field another connected part of the operation.”

SAM’s e-Spreader technology uses computer-controlled rate management and integrated load cells to accurately manage application rates. The operator can set and control spreading from within the tractor cab, with the system maintaining the required application rate as forward speed changes.

Toby Stone, Owner at SAM Machinery, says giving customers greater choice in how they connect their machinery is central to the partnership.

“We want our customers to be able to connect their SAM spreader to the technology they use, whatever that may be. We have a gateway for ISOBUS tractor systems, a Bluetooth gateway, and now a direct, hard-wired CAN connection with Tabula.

“Variable rate spreading is one practical benefit. The wider aim is to give customers more ways to connect, while keeping things straightforward for the operator. For us, that’s the ‘Smart’ in Strong, Smart and Simple.”

The integration will be available across SAM’s e-Spreader enabled tow-behind range, including its Orchard Spreader, extending the capability to horticultural applications as well as on-farm fertiliser spreading.

For Tabula, the partnership forms part of a wider focus on connecting with the machinery and systems customers already use. By connecting the plan, the machinery and the resulting application record, information can move through the operation without needing to be manually transferred between systems.

About SAM Machinery

For 80 years, SAM Machinery, a New Zealand agricultural machinery manufacturer, has been producing trailed and three-point linkage spreaders, orchard spreaders, trailers and feed wagons for farmers, growers and contractors. Guided by Strong, Smart and Simple, SAM builds practical machinery with technology that makes the operator’s job easier. Its e-Spreader technology combines computer-controlled application rates and integrated load cells, with connection options that help customers work with the technology they already use in the cab.

About Tabula

For 20 years, Tabula has been developing technology to help agricultural businesses know where work is happening, complete it accurately and keep the records to back it up.

Formerly known as TracMap, Tabula today connects job management, mapping, GPS guidance, tracking, field data and proof of application to give agricultural businesses one connected view across their operation.