Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 364 i Farms and Farm Machinery

John Deere has unveiled a raft of updates to its 8R and 8RT tractors for the 2019 model year. The new updates will focus on productivity, operator comfort, control, and increased fuel capacity. “For the 2019 model year tractors, we’re making the Premium CommandView III cab with cab suspension standard on all 8RT Series tractors,” says Tiffany Turner, John Deere’s large tractor product marketing manager. “Coupled with the proven AirCushion suspension system, which is well known to improve field ride, the new cab suspension helps ensure operators will experience the most comfortable ride possible in a two-track tractor.” A steering circuit change and recalibrated steering sensitivity are other new additions to the 8R and 8RT tractors. All 8RT Series tractors will get a new steering pump, changes to the loop-override…

Burder Ag Attachments launched the Anderson RBM PRO 2000 at this year’s Henty Machinery Field Days. Anderson’s self-loading wrapped silage bale mover is among the products on offer through Burder, providing what the manufacturer says is a solution to the problem of being able to pick up, carry and unload wrapped bales directly from the field, in a timely and cost effective manner. Burder, a Wangaratta-based agricultural manufacturer and distributor, has recently been appointed the sole distributor of Anderson products in Australia. “The RBM 2000 pro is innovative, reliable, and very easy to use; the machine is simply perfect for both farmers and farm contractors,” Burder CEO Adam Fendyk says. The Anderson RBM PRO 2000 can be used by one person. One operator can load non-stop, and can carry and…

Mahindra’s new 3650 PowerShuttle tractor (PST) is now available here in Australia. A big seller Down Under, the 35 series’ latest addition hopes to carry its reputation of durability and comfort. The new 3650 PST tractor with PowerShuttle features a 50hp tier-four direct-injection engine with hydrostatic steering and a “smooth” power shuttle (wet clutch). Other features of the 3650 PST tractor include a quick hitch and attach designed for easy attachment changing and Cat I and II ball ends that are easily adjusted to the implement size by rotating the ball. The 3650 PST also has a lift capacity of 1,402kg at the ball ends. Mahindra says the side shift gear controls and suspended brake and clutch pedals provide plenty of leg room for the operator. For comfort, the 3650…

Roughly 40 per cent of its population work in agriculture-related jobs and the country is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, behind only India, with 10.5 million metric tonnes exported in 2017-18. But Thailand wants more. The nation has set its sights on becoming the “the hub of agricultural production in south-east Asia” – and is looking around the world to secure international technologies and know-how to help boost efficiency and yield. To help with this, the Thai ministry of agriculture is a strong supporter of AgriTechnica Asia, the Asian offshoot of the Germany’s AgriTechnica trade fair, held for its second year in August. About 300 exhibitors from 29 countries attended the event this year, most showing off technologies for greenhouses, irrigation, harvesting, crop protection and drilling and sowing. With the…

John Deere has unleashed a new beast to the self-propelled forage harvester market in the form of the 9000 Series, with the largest model touching 1,000 horsepower. Following intensive DLG testing in high-yielding maize fields in northern Italy and in Germany, John Deere has finally unwrapped the new 9000 Series of harvesters. During these tests the new John Deere 9800 self-propelled forage harvester demonstrated significant increases in performance and efficiency and has received official DLG certification. The manufacturer has confirmed that the new 9000 Series is destined for markets in the EU28, plus Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Sources within John Deere have confirmed that 15 of these new 9000 Series models have already been sold to customers in Japan and potentially some to China. However, be…

If your answer to any of these questions is no, then dude, you need help. Here’s a disturbing fact: side-by-side (SXS) accidents now outnumber all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents. And here’s another: according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, most ATV injuries involve experienced riders, many of whom have never completed a safety training course. We would have thought that given the safety advantages in a full-size utility vehicle – the roll cage, the car-like controls, the seats belts and so forth – that the accident rate would have dropped, but that’s not what statistics show. Instead, they prove that utility vehicles now outsell ATVs and that more accidents occur in these types of vehicles. There may be several reasons for this disappointing trend, but one already has its face…

In 2016, a paddock of Commander barley near Moree, NSW was assessed as having high-yield potential. Nevertheless, at growth stage 30, areas of crop within the paddock were seen starting to lodge. Applying a growth regulator to the crop was a good option to reduce the lodging, but applying the full rate to the entire crop was considered unwarranted and expensive at $30/hectare. Agronomist Brad Donald, of B&W Rural Moree, estimated that applying a growth regulant to prevent lodging in the high crop biomass areas could potentially increase yields by 0.5 tonnes/ha and, with barley worth $200/t, this would generate an additional $100/ha. Persistent cloud cover at the time prevented the use of satellite normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) imagery. Instead, Donald generated an approximation NDVI map of the paddock…

The Sanford family has been farming their 5,260-hectare grain property on Victoria’s Mallee for four generations. The latest addition to the operation is a new 9,000-litre Hardi Rubicon self-propelled sprayer with the latest “H-Select” nozzle control technology. “We were looking to increase capacity from our 6,200-litre Case Patriot,” Tim Sanford explains. “The Rubicon 9000 had the capacity, but we needed it to have droplet control too. H-Select was brand new when we started looking at the start of the year, but the more we learned the more it looked like the best solution for us.” The Sanford’s property has a mixture of soils and terrain, including some “quite rough” areas, and there is currently a mix of canola, barley, wheat and lentils to spray. So Tim Sanford uses H-Select’s flexible…

John Deere is set to roll out three new precision agriculture products to improve farming beyond 2019. These products include the 4240 universal display, AutoTrac universal 300 guidance solution, and the 18-2 Gen 4 software updates. John Deere says the weather-resistant 4240 universal display joins the Gen 4 family as an “affordable, portable, and durable option for many types of farming operations”. Section control and data sync with John Deere “Operations Centre” can be added to the 4240 display. Replacing the GreenStar 2 1800, the 4240 offers a high-contrast 213mm (8.4-inch) touchscreen enclosed in a weather-resistant, IP65-rated shell for open-station equipment. “The 4240 universal display is perfect for producers who want an economical but robust display for AutoTrac and documentation. It can be used on open-station John Deere tractors and…

Amazone’s latest ZG-TS 10001 trailed spreader, with a working width of up to 54 metres, is now available on the Australian market. CLAAS Harvest Centre product manager for Amazone, Craig Hopkins, says the ZG-TS 10001 spreader delivers a perfect balance between capacity, work rates and precision. “Theoretically, it is possible to spread 40kg/ha over 250 hectares in 90 minutes before reloading,” he says. Other standout features of the ZG-TS 10001 include an operating speed of up to 30km/h, a 10,000-litre hopper, and its “top-of-the-line” ProfisPro weighing technology that auto-regulates application rate. Hopkins adds: “Four weigh cells positioned between the hopper frame and chassis constantly monitor the amount of fertiliser being discharged. This data is used to adjust the metering shutter slides, as well as the intelligent fill-level management system. “By…

If you’re one of those whose ears prick up when they hear the going prices of new Asian tractors – especially the models coming out of China – but then cooler heads prevail, here’s a contender that will linger in the mind a whole lot longer. The major reason being, it’s made by a well-known European brand that has been manufacturing in China for the last six or seven years. So you can expect the chassis and running gear to be well sorted and up to the task. Then there’s the buyer backlash against the ever growing dependence on electronics and computer control. It’s another area where this Agrison 80hp CDF Cabin Tractor appeals, as it completely avoids going down that path. It offers an entirely mechanical (and hydraulic), yet…

Around 57,000 people visited this year’s Henty Machinery Field Days, which took place 18–20 September. With 849 exhibitors across the 105-hectare site, people flocked from all over Australia to inspect the latest developments in agricultural machinery and technology. The Henty Innovation Award 2018 went to Justin Dunn, creator of ‘The Shepard’ automated sheep feeder, which minimises feed wastage in the current drought conditions. The Henty Machine of the Year Award 2018, meanwhile, went to the Schinckel Hayrakes Next F Series V-Rake. The South-Australian designed hay rake impressed judges with its simplicity, ease of operation and features such as self-opening wings to reduce heavy lifting by the operator. The Berrima Engineering Multi-Ted hay tedder won the Greater Hume Shire Award for the best new Australian-designed and built agricultural machine, with company…

Compared to the popular 4x4 dual-cab ute options on offer in Australia, the first thing you notice is the size of the RAM. The days of the petrol V8 ute have come and gone in Australia, something no petrol head saw coming. Or have they? There’s a new kid on the block with a winning combination: a 5.7-litre Hemi V8, 1,930mm tray, 800kg payload, 4.5 tonne towing capacity, and a raucous exhaust note. It’s the new 2018 Ram 1500 and it’s a potential game changer for the dual-cab-obsessed Australian market. We drove the top-spec Ram 1500 Laramie both on and off-road at Bathurst in NSW, with an open mind and no real expectations, having not spent much time in a big American ute. While the Laramie we tested starts at…

While the agriculture industry makes up just 2 per cent of Australia’s workforce, it suffers 21 per cent of workplace fatalities. Agriculture is Australia’s most dangerous industry, making up nearly a quarter of all workplace fatalities. To date, 27 people have died this year. While the agriculture industry makes up just 2 per cent of Australia’s workforce, it suffers 21 per cent of workplace fatalities. Since 2014 alone, 320 people have lost their lives on farms, of which 89 were killed by farm machinery or plant. While quad bike fatalities and injuries have soared in recent years, tractors still remain one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment, accounting for more than 16 per cent of non-intentional farm deaths. In 2017 there were more deaths caused by mobile plant machinery…

Crop and livestock farmer Mark Branson, of Branson Farms in Stockport, South Australia, has added a drone to his precision agriculture toolbox, specifically targeting patches of herbicide-resistant weeds. Branson has chosen to use a DJI Phantom 4 (four-rotor/quadcopter) with its standard high-resolution digital camera to monitor weeds during the crop season. Early in the crop growth Branson is able to assess the weed pressure in a paddock using images that show individual plants that are 3cm in diameter or wider, growing between the crop rows. He can use these images to generate a variable rate technology map so he can target the surviving weeds with more expensive herbicides. Once the canopy closes over, Branson uses the drone to spot weeds that are growing above the crop. Wild oats is of…

Australian-owned agricultural spray equipment manufacturer Croplands has recently launched the WEEDit trailed sprayer range in Western Australia. More than 5,000 WEEDit sensors have been sold in the eastern states since it adopted the technology from Europe in 2013. The WEEDit optical spot spray technology uses near-infrared technology to detect the chlorophyll in living plants. Once detected, an electronic signal is sent to a solenoid and the appropriate nozzle is selected to spray the weed. WEEDit’s auto-calibration ensures optimum performance is maintained, day or night, regardless of soil type and stubbles. Croplands believes its spray systems not only maximise the efficiency of the WEEDit sensors, but withstand the rigours of Australian broadacre conditions. Its optical spot sprayers are now in use by some of Australia’s leading broadacre farmers to improve the…

Hardi Australia has taken the wraps off its new Hellios “light-weight” self-propelled sprayer. The 3,000-litre Hellios has already proven popular with European growers thanks to its design making it “perfect” on soft soils, tight headlands, and difficult slopes. Hardi Australia CEO Bill Franklin says the local business has invested considerable time and expertise to tailor the European concept for local farmers’ requirements. “We are acutely aware that local spraying needs are unique,” he says. “That’s why we build our sprayers here.” The Hellios’ standout feature is its front-mounted aluminium boom, which is offered locally in widths from 24 to 36 metres. Hardi says the arrangement gives operators a panoramic forward view of their job from the machine’s category-four cab. Franklin says Hardi Australia has put substantial work into its aluminium…

AGCO’s Massey Ferguson has uncorked a new vineyard, specialist, and fruit tractor – the MF 3700 Series – on the Australian and New Zealand markets. The company says the MF 3700 Series offers the “best business solution for vineyard, fruit orchard, and hill farmers”. “The MF 3700 Series represents a top-quality, yet straightforward machine, providing high performance, superb fuel efficiency, extreme comfort, and versatility,” AGCO says. The MF 3700 Series tractor features a four-cylinder, stage 3B new-generation engine that ranges between 75 to 105hp. It also has an increased hydraulic flow and the option of a fully-integrated factory-fitted front linkage, power take-off and front loader frame, allowing a wider range of specialist implements to be utilised. AGCO adds that the MF 3700 Series offers extensive updates like the brand-new “wide…

Indian off-highway tyre giant BKT and distributor Tradefaire International have inked a three-year partnership deal with the KFC Big Bash League in Australia. BKT was announced as the new official Off-Highway Tyre Supplier of the Big Bash League at a press conference held at the MCG, with BKT joint managing director Rajiv Poddar, cricket legend Ricky Ponting, Cricket Australia head of Big Bash Leagues Kim McConnie and India’s Acting Consul General in Melbourne Hari Parsad among the attendees. BKT’s partnership with the BBL continues the company’s trend to associate with sporting leagues. The company recently became sponsors of Monster Jam as well as the French League Cup and Italian Lega B soccer competitions. Poddar says BKT’s decision to partner with the BBL was motivated by the group’s passion and enthusiasm…

Royal Launceston Show WHAT: Since 1873, the Royal National Agricultural and Pastoral Society of Tasmania Limited (RNAPS) has held an agricultural show in Launceston. Since 1984, that event has been called The Royal Launceston Show, following the granting of a Royal decree. This year’s Royal Launceston Show will take place Thursday before the second Saturday in October. WHERE: Inveresk, Tasmania WHEN: October 11 MORE INFO: http://www.launcestonshowground.com.au Wandin Silvan Field Days WHAT: Wandin Silvan Field Days’ focus is showcasing horticultural and agricultural producers and their products and services. This enables visitors to have direct contact with the local growers and producers of this region. WHERE: Wandin East, Victoria WHEN: October 12–13 MORE INFO: www.wandinsilvanfielddays.com.au/event Royal Geelong Show WHAT: Founded in 1855, the Royal Geelong Agricultural & Pastoral Society is a not-for-profit…

There’s a lot of one-upmanship in the side-by-side market right now and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The major players are trampling each other to get your attention and that’s always entertaining. Deals are being done. All bets are off as they fight for supremacy in the range of standard features they can offer, the horsepower, the number of accessories, and the number of acronyms they can invent to convince you that your new SXS is only microns short of being an intergalactic spacecraft. When fully optioned, the best modern side-by-sides rival passenger cars in their accessories – if not their ambience. For the 2019 model year, Polaris has upgraded every vehicle in the SXS range, from mere styling and colour changes to real mechanical…

We firmly believe we have an obligation – because we attract so many people – to merge safety and lifestyle. When Johno Hunter was growing up on a farm in New South Wales he was driving tractors from nine years of age. It was tough but fun work for a kid, swinging the tractor round the rows of grapevines, spraying the vineyard, and helping out his dad. Sometimes he’d need to jump off the tractor to move the drip irrigation or open gates, and from that young age Hunter was taught the golden rule by his dad: turn the damn tractor off before you jump down. It wasn’t the only rule he learned. Hunter’s dad didn’t muck around where safety was concerned. You didn’t have a radio or music in…

The main advantages of drones are their relatively low cost to own and operate, and their ability to fly under clouds, and as often as required. Farmers, agricultural consultants and researchers have taken a great interest in drones over the past few years and the field continues to be one of the major growth sectors – fuelling the development and release of drone systems tailored specifically to agricultural applications. The drone itself is simply a platform that offers particular advantages over other overhead imagery and sensing options, such as satellites and manned aircraft. The main advantages of drones are their relatively low cost to own and operate, and their ability to fly under clouds, and as often as required. Before bringing drone technology into farm management, think about the application,…

Reducing sprayer filling time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes is the same as increasing your boom size from 36m to 53m. Accuracy, speed and safety are the terms that best describe the strengths of the QuickDraw by US-company SureFire Ag. Reports of a 30 per cent improvement in sprayer productivity has drawn interest in the QuickDraw automated tendering system. AJS machinery now has distribution rights of the product in Australia. After operating in the US market for some years now, the QuickDraw has developed into a market-leading piece of precision equipment, winning innovation prizes in North America. But now the QuickDraw automated spray tender is turning its focus to improving Australian primary producers’ on-farm spraying efficiency. WHAT DOES THE QUICKDRAW DO? Well in the simplest terms, it’s an automated…

Sales of agricultural equipment dipped in August, a sign that the effects of the drought in the eastern states are beginning to sink in. Tractor sales, particularly in NSW, were greatly affected, down 25 per cent on last month and are now 3 per cent behind on a year to date basis. The picture in Victoria was not much better, down 4 per cent for the month and now in line with last year. In Queensland, the ‘damage’ was contained somewhat, only 1 per cent behind last month and now 2 per cent behind year to date. The picture elsewhere in the country is starkly different. Sales in Western Australia were again strong, up 10 per cent on last month and remaining 10 per cent ahead year to date. Business…