Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 394 i Farms and Farm Machinery

These modern tractors deliver straightforward operation and enhanced features with low ownership costs. Designed to suit most farm types, Massey Ferguson’s new 5S series of tractors comprises five models ranging from 105 to 145 horsepower (78 to 108kW). The new MF 5S Series models are: MF 5S.105, MF 5S.115, MF 5S.125, MF 5S.135 and MF 5S.145, with the last three numbers referring to the horsepower of that model. Massey Ferguson parent company Agco has confirmed to Farms & Farm Machinery that the 5S series, launched in the UK late last year, will be available in Australia in future. Each of the models as released in the UK is available with three different specification options: Essential, Efficient or Exclusive. Exclusive models are ‘fully loaded’ including, among other options, 110 litre/min hydraulics…

With its 11,200L tank capacity, 24 to 40 metre booms, self-steering tandem axle and advanced electronic operating systems, the new Amazone UX11201 Super is purpose-engineered for fast, safe and easy precision spraying, the company says. Claas Harvest Centre product specialist – Amazone Joshua Patrick says the new model can be equipped with a range of smart spraying technologies. These can range from conventional valves, for up to 13 part-width sections, to AmaSwitch individual nozzle switching, to the top-of-the-line specification AmaSelect individual nozzle control system, Patrick says. “Regardless of which system is chosen, all of the key operating functions are effortlessly controlled using the TwinTerminal 3.0.” The UX11201 Super can be equipped with passive rear axle steering or a fully-automatic twin-axle steering system – the latter better suited to row crops…

AGI Westfield has launched its X Series of swing away augers in Australia, with new features it says will help maximise reach and reduce swaying once it has been positioned at a bin. The X series augers are available in two models – the X10 with a 25cm tube diameter, available in 19.2m, 22.2m and 25.3m lengths; and the X13 with a 33cm diameter tube; available in lengths of 22.5m, 25.6m and 28.6m. Local distributor Westfield Augers says the series boasts a range of enhancements that will make them easier to use, including external grease zerks, powder coat paint and flighting edges with 10-gauge steel welded to them to help reduce wear. The augers come equipped with a scissor-lift frame with cross members, using commercial strength steel trussing on longer,…

Good farmgate fertiliser prices are “here to stay” for 2021, according to new data produced by Rabobank. In the agri-bank’s semi-annual Global Fertiliser Outlook: Demand Revival report the bank says a plentiful global fertiliser supply and stable currency outlook will be good news for the year ahead. Improved global demand has seen fertiliser prices rise in the first quarter, the report says, but this is expected to tail-off during the second quarter once demand from the northern hemisphere subsides. For Australia – where 70 per cent of fertilisers are imported – this will mean plentiful supply and lower prices, Rabobank agricultural analyst Wes Lefroy says. “For the three main fertiliser products sold domestically, the figures are even higher when it comes to Australia’s reliance on imported product,” he says. “During…

Exhibitors will be amazed to see the transformation of Sydney Dragway. Australia’s infrastructure projects are pushing ahead at a great pace; the latest news on the economy is good and reports are all positive across the earthmoving industry. Australia’s borders have reopened and life is starting to return to normal. Expo management has been busy working with the team at the Sydney Dragway to ensure the 2021 National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo will be the best yet. With the upgrade of the Sydney Dragway, it is rapidly becoming the action epicentre of Sydney, as evidenced by the relocation by both the Speedway and the popular Summernats to this premier site. Exhibitors will be amazed to see the transformation of Sydney Dragway, which includes expansive new areas of hard stand,…

The gross value of Australia’s agricultural production is forecast to rise by $4.2 billion to reach $65 billion in 2020–21, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). In its December quarter 2020 Agricultural Commodities report, the bureau says that the change is due to a predicted total winter crop of 51.5 million tonnes, up 76 per cent on last year, as well as a promising rainfall outlook. ABARES executive director Steve Hatfield-Dodds says that agricultural production is bouncing back from the impacts of drought, which had cast a pall over production in recent years. “We’re expecting a near all-time high winter crop, the best ever in New South Wales, and a more favourable outlook for summer cropping than we have seen in recent years,”…

New Holland’s BigBaler 1290 high density baler has won a prestigious industrial design award, commended by judges for its enhanced operational efficiency. The BigBaler won a Good Design Award in the Industrial Category, awarded by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Judges, comprising design professionals, leading industry specialists and design journalists and critics, commended the new direction taken by New Holland in using effectively advanced design techniques to enhance the efficiency of the baler’s engineered components. Designed at CNH Industrial’s Italian base in Turin, and built at the company’s Centre of Harvesting Excellence in Zedelgem, Belgium, the product design was inspired by crops swaying in paddocks, CNH Industrial design director David Wilkie says. “It incorporates the natural…

Farms & Farm Machinery looks back at some of its most popular reviews from the last decade. This month, six of our best Tillage reviews After just three passes with the Heliodor 9, the first deep ripped peat soil paddock was looking pretty good and ready for the planter. This impressive bit of machinery incorporates modern thinking into the art of soil cultivation while keeping things old-school simple. Even better, it speeds up the cultivation process while saving fuel, and with the price of fuel these days, that’s definitely a good thing. The Lemken Heliodor 9 compact disc harrow is capable of stubble cultivation as well as seedbed preparation; a job that has until recently been taken care of by power take-off (PTO)-driven tillage implements. PUT TO THE TEST We…

The other key advantage about the tine angle is that none of the tines can get out of line. Taege Engineering has been enjoying a period of sales success with its seed drills and for a number of good reasons. They are very hard-wearing, basic, built like the proverbial outhouse and ‘cheap’ given the features included as standard. I am running my keen eye for detail over Taege’s new 6m cultivator. It’s basically taken the best bits from its seed drills, including the heavy-duty ‘S’ tine mounted on the angle, and tweaked a few features in order to create a very effective cultivation machine. KEY DESIGN FEATURES Among a number of key features, the cultivator’s tines have the ability to bite into the soil with no downward force applied. This…

Building on the RTV500, Kubota Australia’s new RTV520 sports a bold new look; improved suspension and increased engine displacement. Kubota Australia product manager for agriculture Mark Basile says the new RTV520 comes with all the much-loved and unique features of the RTV500 along with a host of upgrades. “Our quiet and reliable Kubota petrol engine has always been a strong selling feature on the RTV500,” he says. “The new RTV520 model has a bit of extra grunt; increasing from 15.8 horsepower [11kW] to 17.4hp [13kW]. “The new water-cooled two-cylinder engine is just as quiet as the previous model with very little vibration. Noise at operator’s ears remains at 83dBA. Handy to note for applications such as council or golf course use. “The redesigned hood features a new front grille, and…

The tractor collects and analyses crop data in the field and can work with both current implements and next generation smart implements. AUS tech company has launched the world’s first fully electric smart tractor that doesn’t necessarily need a driver to operate it. Monarch Tractor says its latest development addresses the issues of labour shortages, sustainability and environmental concerns. The new tractor is capable of providing 40 horsepower (30kW) of continuous power and short duration peak power up to 70hp (55kW) and costs US$50,000 (just over A$64,000). With several hundred new customers for the tractor already in the order book, the company says it has combined electrification, automation, machine learning and data analysis to enhance farmers’ existing operations, increase labour productivity and safety, and maximise yields to cut overhead costs…

Sales of tractors and other agricultural equipment in 2020 reached levels not seen since the 1980s, finishing well above the 13,000-unit mark. December delivered sales 27 per cent above the same month in 2019, leading to the 12-month period being up 24 per cent on the previous year. Much has been said about the level of optimism in the agricultural sector with a great harvest now largely completed, supported by the Instant Asset Write Off Scheme, which has now been extended to June 2022. The year saw a continuation of recent trends as demand for bigger horsepower machines increased along with demand for low emissions engines. The used equipment market, supported by the Instant Asset Write Off Scheme, has been strong and finance rates continue to be set at extremely…

It is hard not to imagine your own livery painted across cab doors and trailer curtains. With visits to showrooms and customers off the cards for significant parts of the last year, the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show presents the best opportunity to come together and reconnect with customers, peers and the entire industry. It also allows for these new products, models and innovations to be seen up close. That applies across the full range of trucks, trailers, components, technology, equipment, accessories and even merchandise. On the opening morning of the show, highly anticipated new models will be unveiled to an eager audience. Before the doors open the halls are busy with sales teams putting a final polish on every item and every counter. It is a beautiful thing to see…

The ASABE’s AE50 awards honour the 50 products judged to be the best innovations in engineering and technology for agricultural, food, and biological systems. The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has named its top 50 Ag machinery innovations of 2020 – and 10 of them were related to harvesting. The ASABE’s AE50 awards honour the 50 products judged to be the best innovations in engineering and technology for agricultural, food and biological systems, as judged by a panel of international engineering experts. Agco and Case and New Holland were tied with seven prizes each, while John Deere took out six prizes – of which five were related to harvesting. These included its flagship X9 combine, as well as its CH950 sugar cane harvester, which the company says…

What I like about the Farmet equipment is that the Czech Republic has similar situations to New Zealand where the soil changes quickly from region to region. However, everything is just on a much larger scale over there and this is before you even include the likes of Ukraine and the agricultural giant Russia. Farmet therefore includes working widths of up to 16 metres for its machines; something that almost no other manufacturer of tillage equipment does. The Softer Pro is essentially a speed disc cultivator. It’s an amazingly easy way to break down the more complex machines into tool zones for soil mixing, disturbance, packing, etc. However, the Softer Pro (available in 3.5 to 12 metres) is one of the less complex machines in the Farmet range, with just…

Like most similar machines, the Kuhn Optimer offers a range of rear rollers to suit the intended usage. While the weather has a big part to play in any cropping situation, getting the ground worked up and then planted in a timely and efficient manner also has a significant effect on the outcome. Nigel Timbs knows this all too well. Starting out as a fencing contractor in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region, today he also carries out contract maize grain growing where he crops around 150 hectares of ground every year. With a continual rotation of maize grown on fertile river flats, there is a large amount of stubble and crop residue that needs to be incorporated back into the soil with a disc harrow after harvest, and he…

The Cenius mulch cultivator has the option of attaching inversion, stubble or narrow points to each tine. Amazone’s Cenius 3002 mulch cultivator is a 3m-wide linkage unit weighing in at approximately 1,612kg. Combining cultivation, levelling and stubble mulching all into one pass, this machine is well equipped to be an effective primary cultivator and do a great job preparing a seed bed ready for sowing. A total of 11 tines with three dimensional spring overload protection are mounted along three rows. Each tine is dual spring loaded with 500kg breakout pressure and can release backwards as well as sideways. Inside the tine mount is a poly bumper pad to absorb the shock of a recoiling tine. The Cenius mulch cultivator has the option of attaching inversion, stubble or narrow points…

Crop farmers and contractors in Australia have now got the option of ordering a Fendt combine with a Geringhoff header, following the signing of a partnership deal. As demand for specialist combine harvester headers has increased in recent years, Fendt is now expanding its range to include headers from Geringhoff. To this end, a long-term partnership was recently agreed between the agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO/Fendt and Carl Geringhoff Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, based in Ahlen, Westphalia, Germany. With 140 years’ experience, Geringhoff is known worldwide as a premium manufacturer of draper headers, corn pickers, headers for special crops and folding headers. Geringhoff’s products include draper headers with flexible cutterbars, and with a split frame and reel for the best ground adaptation, and an optional flexible cutterbar for low pickup…

A density-based intelligent spray control system for fruit and nut growers developed by Indiana-based Smart Guided Systems will be sold and serviced in Australia through John Deere dealers under a new global agreement, the company says. Also available through Haeusler’s Equipment and BAPumps, the Smart-Apply system uses light detection ranging (LiDAR) technology in an after-market add-on for conventional air blast sprayers, towed after tractors in horticulture production. The system senses the density of the target plant and the outline of the tree canopy in order to spray the exact amount necessary to cover it. The technology won Smart Guided Systems a Davidson Prize for the most innovative technology from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers last year. John Deere production system manager…

The US-based Consumer Technology Association has awarded the Robotics prize of its CES Innovation Awards to John Deere, for the new technologies contained in its X9 combine harvester range. Designed to recognise programmable or otherwise intelligent machines that can either perform certain tasks or replicate human movement or interactions, the award is one of a series awarded annually, but was the only one awarded to an agricultural manufacturer this year. The X Series combine harvesters are equipped with ActiveVision camera technology to help farmers see inside the grain tank and observe tailings, to allow them to monitor the condition of harvested grain, right down to individual kernels. This technology, fuelled by proprietary algorithms, provides farmers with information to make critical decisions in the moment, and to gather data over time…

Wagin Agricultural Show and Woolorama – Wagin Over two days, the community comes together to showcase the diversity of agricultural life in WA and how ‘ordinary things can be done extraordinarily well’. It is a fantastic day out for the whole family with lots to see and do, including prestigious livestock, art, photography, craft, home industries, fashion, rides and entertainment for all ages, plus a spectacular Rodeo on Saturday night. WHEN: March 5-6, 2021 MORE INFO: www.woolorama.com.au Camden Show – Camden The Camden Show provides huge exposure to exhibitors and contributors, where they are able to promote their goods and services to over 43,000 visitors over the show weekend. The Camden Show is a community event showcasing and promoting excellence in agricultural, horticultural, commercial and industrial resources in the Macarthur…

One of Australia’s largest diesel storage managers is farmers and their on-farm supplies. Those with long memories will recall the 1973 oil crisis, which saw prices rise rapidly from US$3 to nearly $12 a barrel, and with it, long queues at petrol stations. The one long-term benefit of the surge in prices was that it underpinned a huge boost in Australian petroleum exploration and underwrote the ramp-up of production. Australia’s peak production was reached in 2000, when the country was 90 per cent self-sufficient in oil, minus the imports and exports of specialist lines. Since then, it’s been a steady downward run, with local production collapsing to 10 per cent of consumption in June 2020 and with it has come the loss of five of Australia’s eight refineries, including the…

The Massey Ferguson 8 S.265 has been named Tractor of the Year for 2021 in a major European competition, with Valtra and Fendt models also taking out specialised awards. The Valtra G 135 was named best utility tractor in the 2020 Tractor of the Year awards, while the Fendt 211 V Vario was named best specialised tractor. All three marques are subsidiaries of manufacturing giant Agco. Claas took out the award for best sustainable tractor with its Claas Axion 960 Cemos. Based in Europe, the Tractor of the Year awards are decided by a jury of 26 experts that studied the best technologies and solutions proposed by the most important manufacturers on the market. Selecting the Massey Ferguson 8S.265 as Tractor of the Year 2021 came after a long and…

The French-made Novag T-Force Plus champions the zero-soil movement, which aims to protect soil biology and prevent soil erosion and weed problems. Carrfields Machinery is the exclusive distributor for Novag in New Zealand and Australia, and believes low-disturbance notillage is the future for livestock and arable farming globally. I won’t get into the ins and outs of regenerative ag, as there are a lot of opinions on this – and I say, each to their own. I will, however, concede that some elements of the argument do stack up. Building carbon in the soil is important. The three things for me that make sense are: • We over cultivate. A lot of the time we cultivate for the sake of it. If you’re not developing land, growing fine root and…

I was about to learn that maintaining a high forward speed is one of the keys to the success of this machine. A trend in recent years has been to move away from the power harrow to unpowered mounted and trailing tillage equipment, with higher forward speeds and outputs that leave behind a well-cultivated firm seed bed. Recently, I got to check out an operation in New Zealand that has taken the plunge, largely ditching its power harrow in favour of one such machine; a Pöttinger Terradisc 3001 for cultivation. Stuart Deadman’s Totara Park farm milks cows on around 1,300 hectares north of Taupo in the central North Island. It runs an extensive re-grassing program, involving summer and winter cropping, as well as some conversion of forestry land in to…

The new Multidisc XL Vario effectively rips deep down, up to 24cm below ground level. Lely’s Tulip Multidisc XL Vario is breaking new ground in cultivation by incorporating integrated sub-soil tines with hydraulic stone protection into its existing range of multidisc cultivators. Conventional disc ploughs, offset discs and power harrows all share an inherent problem. They all create a pan under the soil that prevents effective drainage and aeration of the soil. This results in waterlogging of crops and pastures and degradation of soil structure. Lely understands the problems that a sub-soil pan can create and that the increasing price of fuel and the extreme cost to farmers and contractors of having machinery in the yard only to be used on brief occasions throughout the year severely eats into their…