Innholdsfortegnelse for 334 i Farms and Farm Machinery

Case IH has upped the ante in 2016 with a range of upgraded features on its new high-horsepower Steiger Quadtrac tractor range. A full 360 degrees of LED illumination for night work is just one of the upgrades that now comes as standard. The driving forces behind all the new features on the 2016 models are better durability and a desire to help farmers be more productive. “Australian farmers tend to do a lot of paddock work at night,” Case IH high horsepower product manager Pete McCann says. “That’s because sometimes there are not enough daylight hours, or they just keep going until a job is done, or they are making the most of the conditions. “Having every light possible on these tractors will really help productivity.” Other upgrades include…

“I’m sure there are a lot who will go out of business, but it’s a big decision to sell your farm” The trust that existed between dairy farmers and Australia’s dairy processing giants has been shattered by the recent price drop, according to the manager of a dairy farm near Warrnambool in Victoria’s south west. Dairy processor Fonterra Australia reduced its farmgate milk price for the 2015/16 season from $5.60 per kg of milk solids (MS) to $5.00 per kgMS earlier this month, while Murray Goulburn (MG) says it expects to pay between $4.75 and $5 per kilogram, a drop of around 10 per cent and backdated to the start of the season (July 1, 2015). While Fonterra and MG say the price change reflects the reality of the supply…

A new study that explores the attitudes of parents towards their children riding quad bikes and aims to help improve safety is about to get underway. Quad bikes are the leading cause of unintentional death on Australian farms, outranking tractor incidents, and children riding recreationally are particularly at risk of injury, according to Queensland’s accident research body. “On average, 13 Australians are killed on quad bikes every year — one in five of these are children, and 50 per cent are roll-overs causing crush injuries or asphyxiation — yet no laws prohibit the use of quad bikes for children,” PhD scholar Kim Vuong says. “Manufacturer recommendations suggest children under 16 years of age should not ride adult-sized quad bikes and injury statistics provide a grim warning, yet the warnings are…

Agricultural machinery manufacturers PJ Green and Kelly have combined their machines to come up with the Kelly Disc Chain, an all-in-one, low-cost, low-maintenance cultivation and seeding unit that was on display at the recent 2016 Agfest in Tasmania. Originally designed to mulch and incorporate stubble, it is now being used to knock down weeds and cultivate prior to sowing. It ranges in width from 4.0m to 24m, and uses curved discs with varying degrees of aggressiveness to work the ground. Mounting a PJ Green engineering small seeds airseeder kit to the Kelly disc chain means operators can sow canola and other small seed simultaneously during seedbed preparation. The airseeder kit blows small seed directly onto the surface where nature intended. PJ Green is a family owned and operated company established…

JCB has marked a big milestone with the production of the 200,000th Loadall telehandler – a machine found on construction sites, farms and commercial facilities around the world. First manufactured in 1977, fewer than 300 JCB Loadalls were produced in the first year. Today, thousands of units are produced and exported around the world each year. The introduction of telehandlers changed the way things are done across a wide range of industries. On building sites they transformed lifting and loading tasks previously handled by a small team of labourers. On farms they boosted productivity substantially, replacing basic tractor-mounted hydraulic loaders. In the commercial space, telehandlers were able to perform tasks that were beyond the reach of traditional forklifts. It took almost 30 years for JCB to sell the first 100,000…

Two of Monsanto’s cotton biotech traits are commercially available in Australian cotton seed varieties; Bollgard II and Roundup Ready Flex cotton. Cotton varieties incorporating these traits have identical lint and oil quality as conventional cotton lines, however they offer a significant boost to productivity while reducing environmental impacts. These benefits include fewer pesticide applications, easier crop management and increased profitability. Bollgard II cotton provides in-built protection against the larvae of Helicoverpa spp., one of the cotton industry’s most significant insect pests. It is a second generation product, which follows the introduction of INGARD cotton in 1996. When compared to INGARD, Bollgard II contains an additional protein which improves the stability of insect control during the growing season and offers improved benefits for resistance management. Roundup Ready Flex cotton possesses both…

An icy feeling slowly radiated through my body like advancing dread. My hands grew hot and sweaty on the steering wheel as I squirmed in the driver’s seat. I was worried. Was I having some sort of allergic reaction to leather upholstery? Was I losing my nerve in the face of so much American heavy metal? Maybe that curry I had the previous evening was a bit past its use-by date? I wasn’t sure what was going on. One thing I did know was that I felt like I was sitting in a bucket of icy water with my hands on a barbeque. And then it dawned on me. While I’d been fiddling with all the switches and buttons in this vehicle, I inadvertently switched on the seat cooler and…

The S9 Series of transverse rotary combines from Gleaner – a brand from AGCO Corporation – includes two models, the S97 and S98, to meet the needs of growers seeking Class 7 and 8 machines. Modifications to the feeder house, drive electronics and drive mechanics have been developed to help improve grain quality, reduce loss levels and reduce compaction. “Today’s growers must harvest more crop from more acres in an increasingly narrow harvest window which means they need a combine that can adapt to and perform in less than ideal harvest conditions,” Gleaner product manager Shane Jardine says. “We’ve incorporated the latest technology, comfort features and even more engineering advancements to ensure our combines provide operators the ability to handle whatever harvest conditions they face during long days in the…

Farmers in the horticulture and viticulture industries are invited to participate in a series of regional workshops in each state, to be hosted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Attendees can learn about the role of the ACCC, raise any concerns they have regarding purchasing conduct among businesses they sell to, and gain an understanding of how the Competition and Consumer Act (2010) and the Australian Consumer Law can benefit them. All workshops will feature a panel of prominent industry representatives who will discuss some of the major challenges facing the industry today. “Horticulture and viticulture are critical Australian agriculture industries, and we will use these workshops to learn about the various supply chains, and competition and fair-trading issues in these industries,” ACCC deputy chair Dr Michael Schaper…

About 23 per cent of farmers plan to invest in plant and equipment within the next year according to the Commonwealth Bank’s Agri Insights survey, which is the highest rate recorded since the study began in 2014. Infrastructure, plant and equipment, and new technology are the leading investment priorities for Australian farmers, while cotton, beef, sugar and dairy producers are the most likely to be planning to scale up their operations, according to the latest survey. “There is a continuing trend to increase investment not only in farm essentials like infrastructure, but in innovation and updating technology,” Commonwealth Bank regional and agribusiness executive general manager Geoff Wearne says. “It is a very encouraging signal that the Australian agribusiness sector continues to focus on driving efficiencies in their businesses to capitalise…

Silvan Australia has added a new linkage sprayer to its range of spray equipment for pasture, row crop and contractor use. The new sprayers are structured around a heavy-duty hot-dip-galvanised steel frame with Category II and III linkage compliance, and are available with a choice of 1600- or 1900-litre-capacity Polytuff spray tanks. Each version of the sprayer is equipped with a 150-litre water flush tank and a 10-litre-capacity operator hand wash tank. “Silvan has taken account of farmer and contractor feedback to offer litre capacity versions that will service the need for pasture applications, specialist row crop management and spraying contractor needs,” Silvan product manager Gavin Wheatcroft says. “We have designed our new 1600- or 1900-litre Silvan Linkage Sprayers so that all functions can be performed from ground level, without…

The new Crown FC 5200 Series of electric counterbalanced forklifts is designed to lift loads of up to three tonnes in tight aisles and on crowded docks and yards. The forklifts are built around the design pillars of strength, stability and manoeuvrability, the US-headquartered company says. • Strength: The trucks are built with a strong, durable frame and power train to handle demanding loads • Stability: Crown’s Intrinsic Stability System uses integrated sensors and controllers to constantly monitor and control key forklift functions and movements to enhance stability and safety and improve operator confidence • Manoeuvrability: The forklift’s dual drive motors and steering axle geometry allow for a smaller turn radius so operators can handle heavy loads in tight spaces without disturbing surrounding pallets and/or adding extra wear on the…

Changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean and atmosphere indicate El Niño is ending and rainfall-inducing La Niña is on its way, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). The BOM’s latest El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) report shows a 50 per cent likelihood of a La Niña weather pattern forming over Australia later this year. La Niña is often associated with above-average winter-spring rainfall over northern, central and eastern Australia. If this eventuates, it is obviously great news for farmers. “Very warm sea surface temperatures continue across large parts of the Indian Ocean. Likewise, ocean temperatures around Australia remain well above average,” a BOM spokesperson says. “Warmth in these two regions may provide extra moisture for rain systems as they cross Australia during the coming months.” But sea surface temperatures…

John and Jason Denbrok are re-fencing the whole of their Stony Creek property as a step towards converting it into a dairy farm. Time is money, so the faster they can finish the job, the sooner they can start milking cows. I know what they’re going through. Erecting a new stock fence is one of the most rewarding jobs on the farm. The vision of long, straight lines of posts and perfectly tensioned wires provides a sense of satisfaction that only farmers and fencing contractors can fully appreciate. The need for absolute accuracy is paramount – not so much for your own satisfaction, but to cater for that annoying neighbour who will inevitably arrive just as you are packing up to cast a critical eye along the new fence, searching…

“These are the only machines with quick-change blades and the only single-rotor slashers that won’t leave a windrow” The Woods range of slashers is proving to be a best-seller for Sunshine Coast-based dealer TISCA. TISCA started importing Woods equipment into Australia about eight years ago, after being impressed by the quick-change blade pin system, whereby the blades can be changed using hand spanners, and the fact that they don’t leave a windrow. Woods blades are changed via a large access window on the top of the slasher, without the need to get underneath the machine, which is a much safer method of operation according to the company. Blade pins are 38mm on Woods slashers, compared to the standard 19mm bolt in most other machines, increasing durability and safety. TISCA…

Croplands officially released the RoGator RG1300B sprayer in Australia last year, and since then feedback has been good, the company says, with farmers and contractors pleased with the machine’s fuel consumption and performance. Croplands has modified the quality American machine for Australian conditions by incorporating its own spraying systems, which the company says has improved the machine’s spraying precision at a wide range of speeds. “The RG1300B RoGator has been the most successful model RoGator sold since the inception of the RoGator range of sprayers into Australia in 1996,” Croplands self-propelled specialist John Griffiths says. “They are proving to be very trouble free, easy to use, and extremely economical. This is the most productive sprayer Croplands has ever sold.” In rugged terrain, the latest model of RoGator automatically changes to…

A fleet of 60 Toyota forklifts – primarily 1.8-tonne-payload 8FG18 models – is helping one of Australia’s largest fresh produce companies keep up the pace in central markets and its warehouses in all five mainland capitals. Premier Fruits Group (PFG) is a vertically integrated company with a supply chain that spans from farm to retailer, including packing, transport and distribution, warehousing, cold storage, value-adding and marketing. “The gas-powered Toyota 8FG18 is the number one forklift in Australia according to the latest sales statistics and is hugely popular among customers and operators in produce markets,” Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) Melbourne area sales manager Scott Bocksette says. Premier Fruits Group supplements the 8FG18s with Toyota BT powered pallet movers. PFG co-founder and director Joe Petroro says the company has stuck with…

The thorny topic of genetically modified (GM) crops was recently thrust into the global spotlight again. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates said that GM crops are a necessary tool to fight hunger and poverty in Africa. But something Gates did not discuss was the news that the largest and most significant African adopter of GM crops – Burkina Faso – recently began a phase out of Bt cotton. Bt cotton is the most widely grown GM crop by poor farmers in Africa. Why would Burkina Faso, a nation that struggles with hunger and poverty, turn its back on the very tools Gates and others so ardently support? EARLY ADOPTER In 2003, Burkina Faso became one of the first African countries to begin field trials of…

Numero uno. That’s Italian for number one. Why does this have any relevance to a tractor? The Sky Jump V95 is produced by Italian manufacturer Ferrari and imported into Australia by Mirco Brothers. Currently, only one of these new tractors is in Australia and, to be more precise, only one anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a 95hp articulated, 4x4, compact tractor with pneumatic tyres on the front and tracks on the rear. A design feature is its extremely low centre of gravity, creating stability and thus safety for operation on hills and slopes. An extra low roof line and overall width of only 1.35m gives it exceptional access to the narrowest of rows and under foliage canopies Designed specifically for the orchard and vineyard industry, it could be mistaken…

A hard day of travel since 5am meant I was going to be pretty late getting to the test site for this review of the Falc Super Magnum P five-metre power harrow, but luckily New Zealand’s Southland was happy to turn on 16 hours of daylight, so 7pm didn’t seem that late after all. The machine we tested had been pushing on, also. This power harrow hadn’t had a day off since it was purchased, clocking up over 3000 hectares worth of work in spring alone. It was an upgrade from a fixed 3.5m (of another colour) to a 5.0m folding, due to a significantly increased workload as the popularity of fodder beet exploded in New Zealand. Here’s a fun fact: five years ago there were probably less than 500…