Essential Farm Machinery - March 2024

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

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

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

Next Generation Patented Drilling Blades

Triton launched its unique deep soil engagement direct drill in 2018 to give plough based yields from direct drilling. 6 years later we are consistently achieving higher yields from the Triton than from ploughed trials on our own land. The Triton is the only all weather seed drill on the market that gives the flexibility to grow maximum profit autumn sown crops whilst reducing blackgrass from late drilling... several manufacturers are now also claiming all weather capability... if these are false claims then the farmer’s new approach will be thwarted.

Downward

Triangular tungsten tiles for reduced draught and soil disturbance

Triangular tungsten tiles for reduced

www.tritonseeddrills.com

SOIL SURFACE

Drilling

SOIL SURFACE

Drilling at 40mm

Downward facing upper blade holds field surface in place minimising soil eruption

Downward facing upper blade

Buying a blade drill is now an open and shut case. Why?

Because only the Triton drill has a slot closer

Progressive succession plan secures future for dealer

• New team for Lincolnshire business

• Auction ahead of management change

• Hire fl eet tractors off ered for dispersal

Agricultural machinery auctioneers Cheffins conducted a live on-site auction last month on behalf of Lincolnshire dealer Ireland’s Farm Machinery.

It followed an effective succession plan to safeguard the future of the well-respected agricultural dealership under the guidance of a new management team. The move included the dispersal of tractors, telehandlers and other machinery from the hire fleet.

The sale included 20 modern John Deere and Kubota tractors in excellent condition and up to 250hp. Alongside these machines were four JCB telehandlers; 16 grain and root crop trailers; implements including

mowers, cultivation equipment and fertiliser spreaders.

Founders Jonathan and Fiona Ireland will now step back from day-to-day management of the dealership next month. An experienced young team will take over the reins – all of them familiar with the business and with the enthusiasm required to take it forward.

Trusted team

Jonathan Ireland says the decision to retire has been made easier as the existing team wants to be part of Irelands for years to come. They have become experienced in many aspects and, most importantly, “they have our trust.”

He added: “We are both ex-

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Essential Farm Machinery is published monthly for farmers and growers in the eastern counties and the Midlands. It is mailed with Anglia Farmer and Midland Farmer magazines and is also available at selected farm machinery and supplies outlets.

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tremely happy with the decision. Most of the new management team have been with us for several years and have taken responsibility from an early age at the sharp end of the business.

“Following this decision, and after much deliberation, we have decided to restructure the hire side of the business, streamlining and selling some of our current stock of tractors, forklifts and implements, along with machines that we had planned to replace and update later this year.”

The hire business will still operate, and the reorganisation of the fleet would be beneficial for the new team, said Mr Ireland.

Respected dealership

Established in 1994, Irelands Farm Machinery has grown into

a respected dealership, selling major machinery brands such as Kubota, Bunning, Stewart, Kverneland and Spearhead. It has effectively expanded over the years to three depots at Carrington, Sutterton and Market Rasen.

Oliver Godfrey, director, and head of machinery at Cheffins, said the company should be praised on its progressive management to secure a bright future for the three depots.

“This is great example of where a clear and well executed succession plan has allowed a successful business to continue supporting its customer base with an experienced new team. An auction is an effective way for the business to streamline stock and offer the new team a fresh start.”

Some 20 John Deere and Kubota tractors went under the hammer

‘Intelligent’ sprayer system reduces chemical costs

• Applications up to 95% lower • Quicker and cost-eff ective too • Fully automated system spray

Anew spraying system can drastically reduce postemergence herbicide applications, say the companies behind the machine.

Aimed at farm contractors and growers of onions, leeks and carrots, the spot-spraying Weed Wizard is the result of a threeyear collaboration between British manufacturers Techneat Engineering and Tillett and Hague Technology.

Jet nozzles

The Weed Wizard is a tractor driven, front-mounted, threebed, intelligent spraying system with a high resolution 6m

hydraulic folding boom. It uses narrow jet nozzles every 100mm across the width of the boom and a camera system to identify weeds before spraying them.

Farmers and contractors can reduce post-emergence herbicide use by over 95%, while minimising their agrochemical inputs, says Techneat managing director Tom Neat. It’s also quicker and more cost-effective than employing a team to hand rogue a crop.

Each camera is mounted directly above the crop row giving the machine the best possible overhead view as each crop pass is made. At a working speed of 5kph, each nozzle reacts multi-

ple times in a matter of milli-seconds ensuring that no targeted weed is missed during each pass.

The Weed Wizard is available with a 250l or 650l tank.

“The boom is set just 50cm above ground level, making the machine far less susceptible to drift in windier conditions when combined with the use of extremely low drift, flat fan nozzles,” says Mr Neat.

Accurate applications

The machine doesn’t use infrared technology – so unlike some competitors it can operate in daylight without needing a hood to maintain dark conditions. This means there is no damage to the crop during operation, adds Mr Neat.

“A side-shift system also supports the accuracy of the Weed Wizard by ensuring that the

The

Main

sprayer boom maintains a stable position over the crop at all times, even if the tractor cannot, due to uneven ground.

“The new system offers a number of different pre-settings, enabling the operator to set the minimum weed size for control before operation and vary the amount of chemical that is applied to each target weed to minimise overspray.

“The operator can also adjust the machine’s field of vision to reflect a one-bed, twobed or three-bed growing system. At earlier growth stages of the crop, the use of a non-selective herbicide, such as glyphosate, can also be applied at low pressure and with no spray zones.”

The spot sprayer software system used by the Weed Wizard was designed by Tillett and Hague Technology. The intelligence and reliability of any technological system is key to its success, says director and cofounder Nick Tillett.

The software monitors the forward speed of the tractor

and assesses the visual data from each camera using computer algorithms to identify which plants are weeds based on a combination of factors including the plant’s position relative to crop rows, size, shape and colour.

“Although the system was originally designed for targeting volunteer potatoes, it has since been developed to recognise all types of broadleaf weeds. Once a weed has been identified on screen, the algorithm then decides which nozzles should be switched on and for how long.”

The right amount of herbicide is then delivered to each targeted weed.

On the software licensing, there are no annual or renewal fees to pay and any upgrades are sent to the user without cost. An annual service is required to ensure nozzles and filters are free from blockages to maintain performance.

The Weed Wizard is National Sprayer Testing Scheme compliant and priced at £85,000.

Knight sprayer system scoops innovation award

• Saves money and also chemicals

• Good for crops and environment

• Instantly purges clean water line

An efficiency boosting sprayer system has won top prize in this year’s LAMMA Innovation Awards.

Knight Farm Machinery was presented with the LAMMA Founders’ Trophy for its Maximizer Pro system, which is now used across its range of mounted, trailed and self-propelled sprayers.

The Maximizer Pro enables the sprayer’s low volume plumbing to be primed before spraying for full circulation, automatic agitation and instant nozzle response/switching. The system means purging the clean water line is similarly instant.

The trophy is presented to the overall winner of the Innovation Awards, chosen from all five categories – arable, livestock, future farming, digital and environment. Judges award gold, silver and bronze awards in each category with a further panel deciding the overall winner.

Knight Farm Machinery sales and marketing consultant Paul Harrison accepted the award at a post-show reception on the first

day of the LAMMA event in January – after winning the individual award in the arable category.

“We are delighted to win for a number of reasons,” he said. “First, we weren’t expecting it as there was strong competition among entrants, and part of the reason for participating was to support the industry through these important awards.

“A great deal of credit needs to go to Brian Knight, our managing director, who was pivotal in creating the Maximizer Pro.

He knows we can still do more to save chemicals for our customers in a way that benefits both their finances and the environment.”

The livestock award – presented by Fram Farmers chief executive Andrew Knowles –was won by Spread-a-Bale for its Side Throw option. “We were impressed by the left/right spreading ability, its minimal use of dust suppressant, and efficient energy usage,” he said.

Worthy winner

The future farming category was won by Polaris for its Ranger Kinetic – a model with a battery-powered 80-mile range. It was presented by Steve Constable, president of the Institution

of Agricultural Engineers, who described it as a “very worthy winner”.

The digital winner was Krone for its SmartBale app, which makes it easier for farmers to locate their bales – and then sort them more effectively and efficiently according to moisture content, reducing spoilage when stored.

The environment category was won by Kverneland for its Pudama – a precision spot applicator which enables farmers to use less fertiliser while maintaining yields, helping them to optimise returns and benefit the environment.

Chris Rothery, who chaired the judging, praised the mix of strong entries. “I encourage all exhibitors to enter the awards next year – it is free and takes no more than about 20 minutes. Even if you don’t win it puts your products in front of more people so is very worthwhile.”

McConnel unveils all-new Agribuggy sprayer

Machinery maker McConnel has launched an all-new Agribuggy – featuring a 3000-litre spray tank for enhanced performance, durability and output.

tures 10 LED work lights, electrically ad justable mirrors, an air-suspended highback seat and a floating control console.

Redesigned from the ground up, the Agribuggy V300 also boasts a new cab, a Cummins engine, heavy-duty drivetrain and a 50kph variable transmission – ensuring perfect speed control for optimal spraying output.

McConnel says the unloaded weight of just 6,400kg means the machine remains the market-leading light-footed sprayer, allowing growers to spray crops in challenging conditions and tough terrain, enabling safe and productive working earlier and later in the year.

Designed for all-day comfort, the all-new

Powered by a high-performance Cummins 3.8L 148HP turbocharged diesel engine, the power plant delivers 600Nm of torque at low er revs. Utilising an intelligent engine brak ing system, the new power plant provides responsive power and performance both on the road and in the field.

The V300 comes equipped with a 3,000-li tre sprayer demount that has been internal ly baffled for extra strength and to prevent surges. A new electronic sight gauge with LED display for tank contents and remote PTO control has been added for greater con venience and accuracy.

The new machine has an unloaded weight of 6,400kg, says McConnel

Paul Harrison (centre) with the Knight Farm Machinery team

Nicest selection of MF Combines within the UK

Gives

Tractors & Telehandlers

• 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 TD80 & loader, 5,900hrs

• Caterpillar 407 ag telehandler (2009) - tidy

• Various forks & grapples

Harvesting

• MF 7278 AL combine (2006)24ʼ PF, v tidy

• MF 7274 combine (2004) - 22ʼ table, 208hrs

• MF 30 - 14ʼ FF - v tidy

• MF 40 RS - 20ʼ PF - v tidy

• Vicon RV2160 Round Baler, v tidy

• Krone 1290 HDP Baler, tidy

• New Holland 980 Big Bale

• Claas Liner 3100 twin rotor rake 10m

• Kv Taarup 4232 3.2 trailed mower

• New Holland 377 Baler

Other Equipment

• Dowdeswell DP7F, 7f, v tidy

• KV LD85 5f & 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

• Richard Western 12t dump trailer

• Armstrong & Holmes 14.5t trailer, v tidy

• Bomford 9ʼ topper

• Major 1,600g vacuum tanker

• 80” mounted rotovator

• 450 & 600 workshop heaters

• A full range of Nugent trailers

Excavators

• Yanmar 8t & 3 buckets

• Case CX5, 5t & 3 buckets

NH TD80-4 C/W LOADER 5,980HRS

MF 6120, V TIDY, DYNA SHIFT, 4,700HRS

MF 7278 AL (06) 24’ PF, V TIDY MF 7274 COMBINE, APPROX 2,000HRS

YANMAR 8 TON DIGGER C/W DITCH CLEANING BUCKET

NUGENT TIPPING TRAILER

CATERPILLAR TH336C TELEHANDLER

CASE CX50 DIGGER

Tartan tractor scrums down for Doddie fundraiser

Atartan tractor to honour Scottish rugby legend and motor neuron disease campaigner Doddie Weir has rolled off the production line at Staffordshire’s JCB factory.

Wrapped in Doddie’s own design tartan livery, the Fastrac 4220 iCON was welcomed off the Cheadle production line by son Angus Weir, ready to report for fundraising duty with the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

Scottish and British and Irish Lions international Doddie died of MND, aged 52, in 2022. The charity he founded has so far raised more than £11m find a cure for the disease. The tartan tractor will be be making star appearances at agricultural shows this summer.

The Doddie iCON Fastrac is the brainchild of Doddie’s schoolfriend and director of crop services in the Scottish Borders, Douglas Stephen. He operates a number of Fastrac tractors, and approached JCB dealer Scot Agri to build a special edition machine in support of the foundation.

Angus Weir said: “It has been fantastic to be here to unveil the new Doddie tartan tractor. Dad would have absolutely loved it and I’m sure it will turn a lot of heads, raise a lot of smiles, and help continue his fundraising legacy.”

For Douglas Stephen it was an emotional day. He added: “Our Doddie was born into a farming family, was part of the farming community and loved tractors.

He was also always accustomed to wearing big, bright, garish tartan suits, so this is right up his street.

“What JCB has done is beyond all expectations and they have really pulled out all the stops. Doddie was a great friend who is sorely missed and this will help us to keep his memory and MND legacy alive.”

Foundation spokesman Paul Thompson said: “When the tractor was unveiled, it was a real lump in the throat moment. Doddie was a farmer and loved his tractors, so we know that this collaboration would have meant a lot to him.”

To make a donation, please visit https://justgiving.com/ page/doddietheicon

Doddie Weir’s son Angus welcomes the tartan tractor off the JCB production line at the company’s factory in Staffordshire

THE BAUER SEPARATOR CONVERTS SLURRY INTO A

FERTILIZER.

Hi-tech system to monitor lamb growth

Sheep producers will be able to improve their flock’s efficiency thanks to an automated system to monitor lamb growth and predict finish dates.

Funding worth over £430,000 from Defra and Innovate UK has been made to David Ritchie Agricultural to help develop an autoweigher that will gather extensive datasets to build in-depth pictures of individual and flock growth rates.

The system will inform feeding, grazing and breeding management decisions, says Charlie Bowyer of the Agri-EPI agritech centre. “It will help farmers to measure and monitor lamb performance, one of their most essential tasks, but one which currently has various limitations.

labour savings.”

“The auto-weigher will cut across those constraints and improve all round welfare by reducing the number of gathers and subsequent stress on the lambs which can stifle growth rates. The system will also make substantial

The three-year project will initially evaluate three designs: a walk over weigher, a monitor with creep to incentivise throughput and platforms in a field for lambs to jump on. Each will be accompanied by a data-handling app.

“For farmers feeding creep, the project will also develop a me-

tered feed lamb weigher allowing a user adjustable amount of feed to be fed to individual lambs,” says Charlie Brown, of David Ritchie Agricultural.

Restriction on intake

“This prevents the dominant animals from getting more than their share of feed and provides

a restriction on intake of feeds which can prevent ill-health from over-feeding.”

The platforms will be researched on three of Agri-EPI Centre’s innovation farms and one of Ritchie’s trial farms with lamb weight continually recorded from four weeks of age through to finishing to achieve a real time average for the flock.

Ritchie will construct initial prototypes for each design of weigher and commission them on farm for validation while individual lamb weights will be transmitted over mobile phone networks to an online cloud database, processed and displayed on a web-based user platform.

National Sheep Association project manager Nicola Noble said: “This technology development should reduce costs, save time, potentially improve health and welfare, and improve levels of data recording and its accuracy, alongside increasing productivity and efficiency.”

Claydon Drills takes top award for excellence

• Good for business and environment

• Worthy recipient of ecological award

• Farming very much ‘part of solution’

ASuffolk-based agricultural engineering company has received a prestigious award for designing seed drills that establish commercially and environmentally sustainable crops.

Claydon Drills received the 2023 Peewit Award for Excellence in Ecological Farming from Suffolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). Company founder Jeff Claydon received the award at a special event to celebrate exceptional approaches to sustainable farming.

Suffolk FWAG chief executive Anna Beames said the organisation was keen to recognise the efforts of people to reduce the farming industry’s environmental impact – and innovative responses to mitigating climate change.

“At a time when so much discussion is taking place about the environmental issues which are impacting the world it is very

The annual Suffolk FWAG awards recognise agricultural systems which seek to restore, protect and create high levels of natural capital to deliver envi ronmental benefits while profitably producing healthy, nutritional food.

Mr Claydon developed the Opti-Till System in 2001 to reduce crop production costs without adversely impacting output – helping to secure the economic future of the family’s farm at Wickhambrook, Suffolk

Rising demand

A strip drill system, it enables farm businesses to operate more efficiently, profitably, and sustainably, helping to improve soil health and structure. The OptiTill is effective in a range of conditions – and capable of exploiting narrow weather windows.

This allows all agricultural seeds which can be air-sown –including herbs, grasses, cere-

volves Jeff’s sons Oliver (operations director) and Spencer (commercial director). The business designs, tests and manufactures all its products from scratch, employing local staff and sources materials from UK suppliers where possible.

A European leader in direct seeding technology, Claydon Evolution and Hybrid drills, straw harrows, TerraStar light cultivators and TerraBlade interrow hoes are all manufactured at the company’s factory which employs over 70 staff.

Soils are our greatest asset “

Demand for Claydon products has grown ten-fold since 2010. With many markets still at an

Sustainable solution

Making the award, Ms Beames said: “Our theme for 2023 was ‘sustainable farm solutions’ and Claydon Drills is an extraordinary example of that. We were delighted to round off our series of farm walks last year with a visit to the Claydons’ arable farm.”

The farm has been in the Claydon family for nearly 100 years, with Jeff and his brother Frank farming there for more than 50 of those years; during that time the business has grown from 100ha to 250ha, plus 90ha which is contract farmed and some contracting.

ly, the company expects sales to

Ms Beames said: “Soils are the farming industry’s greatest asset, yet many have been degraded to a point where now they merely provide a growing medium which depends on high levels of artificial inputs to maintain productivity.

“During our visit to the Claydon farm we were able to see the massive improvements which this approach has brought about over the last 22 years, including high numbers of worms and staggering levels of soil organic matter.

“Worms may not be sexy, but they are the unsung heroes of the farming world and instrumental in changing soils for the better, so as one of their greatest exponents Jeff is a deserving winner of the Suffolk FWAG 2023 Peewit Award.”

Jeff Claydon (centre), with sons Spencer (left) and Oliver (right), receives the 2023 Peewit Award from Ashtons Legal partner Jeanette Dennis

Below: The largest Evolution mounted drill is the 6m M6 model

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