Essential Farm Machinery July 2023

Essential Farm

July 2023

TRITON... ADVANCED DIRECT DRILLING

Twin hold roll pin blade removal system and backward leaning air borne upper blade for trash lift and ease of trash flow

Seed depth tail 40mm deep holding the seed at correct depth and placing seed on either side of seed terrace

Next Generation Patented Drilling

Have you ever found grass weeds in the drill row and assumed it was in the seed?

All other tine drills have upward facing chisel tines which hook grass seed up from below the stale seed bed into the top 5cm germination zone. The Triton blade design is vital in making sure the drilling pass does not create its own grass weeds in the clean stale seed bed.

www.tritonseeddrills.com

@tritonuk

Triangular tungsten tiles for reduced draught and soil disturbance

SOIL SURFACE

Downward facing upper blade does not hook grass weed seed up from below stale seed bed and field surface

Drilling at 40mm depth

Downward facing upper blade holds field surface in place minimising soil eruption in the stale seed bed

SOIL SURFACE

SOIL SURFACE

Drilling at 40mm depth

Downward facing upper blade holds field surface in place minimising soil eruption in the stale seed bed

Downward facing upper blade does not hook grass weed seed up from below stale seed bed and field surface

14cm deep lower blade takes blade deep below ground for air drainage and rooting

Buying a blade drill is now an open and shut case. Why? Because only the Triton drill has a slot closer

Triangular tungsten tiles for reduced draught and soil disturbance

Triton UK: 01223 891888

covering East Anglia and the Midlands hold roll pin blade removal system and backward leaning air borne upper blade for trash lift and ease of trash flow

depth tail 40mm deep holding the seed correct depth and placing seed on either seed terrace

14cm deep lower blade takes blade deep below ground for air drainage and rooting

Generation Patented Drilling

ever found grass weeds in the drill assumed it was in the seed?

Abington Farm Park, Great Abington, Cambs CB21 6AX

tine drills have upward facing chisel tines hook grass seed up from below the stale into the top 5cm germination zone. blade design is vital in making sure pass does not create its own grass the clean stale seed bed.

SPOTLIGHT® PLUS

The most reliable stem desiccant on the market

SPOTLIGHT® PLUS

Desiccant

• Approved to use on all ware and seed potato varieties

• For use on all soil types

• Rainfast after 1 hour

• 7 day harvest interval

• No following crop restrictions or cultivation requirements, plant any crop one month after application

‘Major leap’ as robot drills and weeds sugar beet

• 150ha beet planted on farm this spring

• Better results and low carbon footprint

• Promise of more sustainable farming

An advanced autonomous robot has drilled and weeded 150ha of sugar beet in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire – a move described as a major leap in innovative farming technology.

The beet was planted this spring on behalf of farm management company Sentry, which teamed up with agri-tech company Autonomous Agri Solutions, British Sugar and the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO).

The move aims to improve planting efficiency, reduce Sentry’s carbon footprint and lower its environmental impact by re-

ducing its reliance on pesticides. The company said it was a “a ma jor leap” towards sustainability.

‘Sustainable future’

“By partnering with British Sug ar and BBRO and implementing the Robotti, we are taking a ma jor step towards a more sustainable future for agriculture,” said Sentry director John Barrett.

“This technology will not only improve our planting process, but also help to reduce our environmental impact and promote more efficient use of resources.”

The Robotti uses sensors and algorithms to plant sugar beet seeds with unparalleled accu-

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racy. Mr Sentry said it aligned with Sentry’s mantra of optimising inputs, reducing waste and looking after the soil and the surrounding environment.

BBRO to implement the Robotti for a look at how we can make growing sugar beet more sustainable in the future.

“This technology is a significant step towards more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices, and we look forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to the industry.”

Other farming companies have also used the Robotti – including Home Farm Nacton in Suffolk. The machine works in various soil conditions and terrains, making it ideal for large-scale farming. Real-time monitoring adjusts planting parameters on the fly, constantly optimising results.

Andrew Dear, from British Sugar said: “We are proud to partner with Sentry and the

The partnership between Sentry, British Sugar, and BBRO is part of a larger effort to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. The three organisations say they are dedicated to improing the crop quality and yields while reducing environmental impact.

Sentry manages more than 20,000ha of land. The UK’s only employee-owned agricultural and rural advisory business, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023.

Pace installs digital load cell display

Automated packing supplier Pace Mechanical Handling has installed the first of its new digital load cell displays.

Manufactured and programmed by Pace, the digital load cell allows packers to easily set the desired weight of the sack being filled and delivers speed enhancements and accuracy to within the weight of one potato.

The first digital load cell display was installed at a West Sussex potato grower’s packhouse along with Pace’s Orion automatic sack presenter and a CBC sack placer and stitcher line.

“We developed the new digital load cell to take advantage of our new bespoke electronic plc, which allows us to integrate several new features, such as weighing calculations,” says pace director Nick Cesare.

“As the new digital load cell display can work with other control panel devices, monitoring the weigher elevator’s belt speed and run times, we can ensure consistent packing and longevity.

“We have used our years of experience in bagging root crops and studying how they flow through the process to perfect the system.

“We believe combining our new digital weighing display

best available combination of accuracy, speed, reliability and longevity.”

Increase in demand

Midhurst potato grower RD Renwick has used the new digital load

cell display since early May.

“We’ve enjoyed quite an increase in demand for our produce in the last year, so we needed to add a second line to our packing operation,” says James Renwick.

“We have been really impressed with Pace and their

line so far. It is very easy to use, runs quickly and is accurate. It has more than met our expectations.”

The new digital load cell display, which took a year to develop, replaces a third party that had become difficult to source and service due to Brexit.

Fight Against Blight stepped up at Hutton

Funding has been secured for 2023 sea son of Fight Against Blight programme at the James Hutton Institute.

The FAB project helps protect valuable potato crops by alerting growers across the UK to late blight outbreaks via a network of agronomists, growers and industry rep resentatives who submit field samples from suspected late blight outbreaks around the country.

Blight was reported in parts of England due to the cool damp weather experienced in May – although drier weather since saw the risk decline.

The 2023 programme will include both the annual sampling of late blight outbreaks, and the characterisation of pathogen populations. In work led by Dr Alison Lees, fungicide sensitivity testing will be carried out once again for active ingredients.

Pathogen DN will allow rapid in-season feedback on genotypes to scouts through-

out the season which, in combination with an end of season report, will ensure the potato industry is kept informed on the bestpractice for late blight management.

Project leader Dr David Cooke of the James Hutton Institute said: “The continuation of FAB is great news for growers and the sector more widely, and also for the longerterm research effort that supports this area.

“With concerns about resistance to CAA fungicides related to the new genotype EU_43_ A1 on the continent last year, the early detection of any new arrivals to GB crops is going to be crucial to building effective IPM programs for 2023 potato crops.”

In another key development, BlightSpy has been relaunched at Hutton.

The BlightSpy webpage provides crucial data on current and forecast weather conditions that are conducive to late blight. The system maps local blight risk based on Hutton criteria, up to eight days in advance.

It can be accessed at https://blightspy. huttonltd.com

The Pace digital load cell display line was installed at RD Renwick with our Orion Weighers and sack placer, and stitchers gives the

The Steketee EC-Weeder is a true all-rounder among hoes. It is suitable for all crops that are grown in rows. Also with its many tool options, it can be configured individually and location-fairly. Whether corn, sugar beets, sunflowers or beans – the ECWeeder has the right equipment for all needs.

The integration of the brand Steketee within the LEMKEN group enables perfectly concerted techniques of plant care.

OUR DRIVING FORCE: YOUR SUCCESS!

WATER WHEN & HOW YOUR CROPS NEED IT

• Booms for lane widths 10 - 96 metres

• Hosereels from 150 - 750m pipe length

• JCB-engined, silenced pumpsets

• Raindancer remote monitoring & control

STEKETEE HOEING MACHINE EC-WEEDER ONE WEEDER FOR ALL NEEDS.

• Fixtures, fittings, pipework and more...

Online Shop Now Open

l Order via our online shop for next day delivery.

l Comprehensive range of hydraulic adaptors, BSP, JIC, ORFS, DIN 2353 tube fittings and many more available in stock

l Stockist of premium quality Quick Release Couplings and hydraulic Test Point fittings

l Family owned UK manufacturers of premium quality hydraulic adaptors for over 55 years

l In excess of 36,000 components manufactured every day.

l ISO 9001 accredited.

With chemical costs rising and environmental pressures, growers are increasingly choosing alternative methods of weed control.

Our Econet range of inter row hoe’s are available with camera guidance and full auto section control via ISObus.

KRM have a full range of solutions to suit all situations budgets and crop types from cereals to vegetables including sugar beet and maize.

THE CONFOR WOODLAND SHOW IS BACK

JOIN US AT BATH & WEST SHOWGROUND

21-22 SEPTEMBER 2023

BE A PART OF THE SHOW

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Revystar XE now available for sugar beet

Cereal fungicide Revystar XE from BASF is now available – via a label extension – for use in sugar beet.

A welcome new addition to the sugar beet fungicide armoury, the product gives longlasting control of the four key sugar beet diseases in the UK: cercospora, powdery mildew, rust and ramularia.

Both active ingredients, Revysol and Xemium, contribute to disease control. Revysol has good activity on all beet diseases, especially powdery mildew. Xemium improves control of rust, ramularia and cercospora

BASF business development manager Iain Ford said: “The revolution has come to sugar beet. Revystar XE is a first-class new fungicide product for the crop which is stronger on disease control than competitor products.

Cercospora is potentially the most damaging disease of sugar beet. Although as yet it does not occur frequently in the UK, changing weather patterns may make it more of an issue in the near future. It can cause up to 50% yield loss.

New auction representative for Cheffins

Auctioneers Cheffins has expanded its machinery division with the appointment of James Beaton (below) as auction representative.

The Cambridgeshire-based auction firm conducts Europe’s largest monthly sale of tractors and agricultural machinery from its Sutton sale ground, near Ely. Mr Beaton will liaise with farmers and contractors looking to sell surplus stock.

Previously field sales manager at agricultural machinery dealership Oliver Agriculture, Mr Beaton has lots of experience dealing directly with farming customers, machinery manufacturers and distributors.

Cheffins’ dominance of the sec ond-hand sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years. It achieved record-break ing sales in the first quarter of 2023, selling more than £25m of machinery at its monthly auction and on-site sales.

Cheffins chairman Bill King said: “As the monthly machin ery sale continues to grow, we could see the real merit of hav

ing someone ‘on the ground’ who could go and meet clients and help with the consignment process.

“I have no doubts that James will help the machinery division consistently provide a brilliant service for both buyers and sellers from across the UK and further afield.”

Mr Beaton said: “I look forward to being able to meet Cheffins diverse range of clients, from farmers and one man bands to some of the largest machinery dealers in the UK, as well as introducing some new customers to the sale ground at Sutton.

“Coming from a local farming family, I have a good understanding of the farming sector and their machinery needs, as well as the importance of being able to convert redundant surplus kit into cash, quickSales at Cheffins have increased by 40% in value during the past six months, with a strong export market ensuring that prices have continued to rise. Multiple on-site auctions have involved both modern machinery and the vintage sector.

Top-spec sprayer showcased at Cereals

Sprayer manufacturer

Maschio Gaspardo show cased its range of mount ed sprayers at last month’s Ce reals event.

The company had a full lineup of trailed and mounted ma chines at the two-day show. But it was the Tempo Ultra Isotron ic that took centre stage at the Thoresby Estate site in Notting hamshire.

While there are options for more basic levels of specifica tion, the flagship mounted mod el is fully loaded with every fea ture growers and contractors have come to expect from a top line machine.

ISObus controls connect the sprayer directly to the tractor terminal or to a separate com patible control box. Having this on-board technology as standard provides a host of benefits.

It makes it possible to have GPS-managed section control down to individual nozzles, variable rate control and an au tomated boom recirculation sys tem that avoids delays in spray line purging to maintain even coverage when coming into work.

Hydraulic functions

The control computer also manages all the Tempo Ultra’s hydraulic functions.

A single tractor spool-valve supplies oil to the sprayer’s centralised electro-hydraulic valve block which handles everything including boom fold, variable geometry tilt control as well as the pendulum frame’s height.

Optional electronic boom height control has up to four ul-

trasonic sensors providing automatic management of crop-tonozzle clearance and boom tilt. Boom widths from 15m to 30m have a steel lattice construction with aluminium outside sections on larger versions.

Two sizes of tank are available for the Temp Ultra Isotronic rated at 1600-litres and 2000-litres (1820-litres and 2180-litres actual) with an additional 300-litre clean water tank and 30-litre induction hopper.

For additional volume, there is the option of 1100-litre or 1500-litre front tanks, potentially taking total capacity in excess of 3500-litres.

Equipped with independent twin pumps and recirculation systems, these can be set to empty at the same rate as the rear unit to ensure even weight distribution across front and rear axles.

While the standard main spray pump is rated at 199-liltres/min, higher output 249-li-

tres/min and 277-litres/min versions are available, all of which operate at 20bar.

Two options are available for the main sprayer fill/washout control panel – one with manual valves, the other with an electronic terminal that provides control the filling cycle with automatic shutoff when the preset volume is reached.

It also oversees automated rinsing and washout cycles as well as spray mix agitation.

The flagship Tempo Ultra Isotronic model is loaded with features

From single machines through to complete turnkey installations, Haith has unrivalled experience and expertise in designing and installing vegetable handling solutions.

Mark Weatherhead

Nicest selection of MF Combines within the UK

Tractors & Telehandlers

• MF 230 • Low hrs, p/steering.

• MF 240 • p/steering.

• MF 6480 • Dyna 4, v tidy.

• MF 3060 • 4 autotronic, v tidy.

• MF 6120 • v tidy, Dyna shift, 4,700hrs.

• New Holland TOSO & loader -5,900hrs.

• Caterpillar 407 ag telehondler (20091 • tidy.

• Various forks & grapples.

Harvesting

• MF 7278 AL combine (20061 • 24' PF, v tidy.

• MF 7280 AL combine (2012124' PF, v tidy.

• MF 7274 combine (20041 • 22' table, 208hrs.

• MF 30- 14' FF-v tidy.

• MF 40 RS -20' PF-v tidy.

• Vicon RV2160 Round Boler, v tidy.

• Krone 1270 Big Boler (20121, 44,389 boles.

• Krone 1290 HOP Boler-tidy.

• New Holland 940 Square Baler.

• New Holland 980 Big Bale.

• Lely 280 MC combi mower.

• Claas Liner 3100 twin rotor rake 10m.

CYl

• Kv Taarup 4232 3.2 trailed mower.

• New Holland 377 baler.

Other Equipment

• Dowdeswell DP7F, 7f, v tidy.

• KV LOBS Sf & 4f.

• Flat Lift Force • 2 leg HD buster.

• Knight Raven 3 leg combination, vgo.

• Vicon PO-EDW weightcell, vgo.

• Vicon RO-EDW extension hopper.

• Kuhn Axis 30. 1 spreader extension hopper.

• Cousins 6.2m hyd rolls.

• Cousins 1Om hyd rolls with rings.

• Richard Western 121 dump trailer.

• Armstrong & Holmes 14.51 trailer, vtidy.

• Bamford 9' topper.

• Major 1,600g vacuum tanker.

• 80" mounted rotovator.

• 450 & 600 workshop heaters.

• A full range of Nugent trailers.

Excavators

• Yanmar St & 3 buckets

• Case CX, 5 ob, St & 3 buckets

Charity aims to take 200 farm vehicles to Ukraine

• Pick-up trucks donated by farmers

• Volunteers drive 4WDs to Ukraine

• Charity asks for more help

UK farmers who have driven and delivered more than 100 donated fourwheel drive vehicles to Ukraine – are now doubling their efforts to send 100 more.

the vehicles and bringing volunteer drivers back home.

As well as individual and group donations – and offers to drive the trucks to Ukraine – cor-

porate donations have been received. These include a quad bike and 10 generators from Springfield Properties, and four vehicles from Trinity Grain.

Saving lives

Pick-ups for Peace co-founder Vince Gillingham has just returned from delivering the latest cohort of vehicles to Lviv. One consignment included two vans

The TR Bale Handler Range

• Easy Loading and Unloading

• Minimum Damage to Wrapping

• Grab Bales From ANY Angle

• Handles Both Round and Square Bales

• Significantly Reduce Time and Cost

• Patented Over-Arm Design

• Check Valve as Standard

The charity is doubling its original target of sending 100 vehicles, says co-founder Vince Gillingham (left)

continued to be overwhelmed by the generosity of all those who had given time, money, vehicles and urgent supplies for use to transport to the west of the country.

“The pick-ups we’ve delivered have already and continue to save

countless lives as they transport injured troops from the frontline and ferry generators and food to those who need them, including hospitals.

“The vehicles must drive extremely fast over rough ground and under constant bombard-

ment. This is a humanitarian call. Please help.”

Volunteer driver Nicola Alexander, who took part in the most recent trip, said: “I just wanted to help in any way I could. I had been sorting out supplies for the first trip at a local depot wanted to do more.

“I feel so privileged to have taken part. Some of the soldiers we met in Ukraine were farmers like us; that is, until the war began.

“Hearing their stories of huge

loss – of homes, friends, their children’s friends, and seeing the ever-growing burial site in Lviv, with newly-dug graves and their accompanying photos was so, so sad.

“There were miles and miles of vehicles leaving the country and you could see the sadness in the occupants’ faces; it completely took my mind off myself and my own problems and made me think about what’s going on in the world.”

How to get involved:

The Pick-ups For Peace charity is looking for four-wheel drive vehicles to take to Ukraine – but there are other ways of helping.

Donated vehicles can be up to 15 years old. They need a valid MOT certificate and good tyres. The group is also seeking donations of other urgent supplies, including quad bikes and dirt bikes, winter clothes, tarpaulins, spades, screen wash, diesel cans, jump leads, ratchet straps, spare fan belts and generators.

Also needed are tow slings, first aid kits, dry food goods, spare tyres, night vision equipment, spare batteries, old phones and cable ties of all sizes.

For further details, please email pickupsforpeace@memus.com or search for Pick-Ups for Peace at: Crowdfunding to Support Ukraine’s Aid Effort on JustGiving

Cab. New Transmission. A New Outlook. That’s McCormick today. We continue to win awards for our innovative and well thought out tractors. Equally at home in the yard with a loader, or working hard on the road or the field, what’s stopping you trying one?

Slurry handling firm lands smart manufacturing award

Slurry handling machinery experts Storth are among the first recipients of the Made Smarter Awards, which celebrate excellence in manufacturing.

Storth received gold certification from the technology adoption programme – a government-funded and industry-led initiative helping SME manufacturers digitalise, decarbonise and drive growth.

The company used automation and robotics to transform its production process, helping to increase productivity, upskill staff and unlock R&D opportunities, ultimately enabling the business to achieve lights-out manufacturing for the first time.

Export manager Julian Lopez

said: “We are delighted to receive a gold Made Smarter Award. It is the icing on the cake of a chal lenging but rewarding few years, which has kickstarted the digital transformation of our business.

“From the start, Made Smart er has encouraged us to explore the opportunities of digital tech nology and patiently supported us through the beginning of what is a significant cultural change.”

Made Smarter regional direc tor Donna Edwards said: “The Made Smarter adoption programme is a huge success story for UK manufacturing. It has inspired leadership and evoked change in hundreds of businesses through technology and new skills.

“Digital transformation can

Bag Supplies specialise in the supply of net bags and ventilated FIBCs to the agricultural sector. We carry a wide range of stock of monofilament and leno woven nets, in a variety of sizes and colours.

We provide delivery within 48 hours of your order being placed.

Bag Supplies offer a free personalised print and design service, so your packaging can be customised with your company logo and additional product information.

Please contact Bag Supplies for further details.

We’ve got it in the bag!

recognise the hard work, dedication and forward-thinking nature of these businesses and their employees.

“They have embraced digitalisation to become a leading example of UK manufacturing excellence. We are delighted to

The Made Smarter scheme encourages companies to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and create simulations of their plants and processes. Some have adopted 3D-printing, automation, and robotics to solve business challenges.