February 2018 Farming Monthly National

INSIDE: LAMMA Show cut short after successful first day page 34

Farming

MONTHLY National

February 2018

Also in this issue...

Feature

| Are we redefining the role of the farmer? page 09

The real value of trees & woodlands Also inside this month..

Why the support of celebrities like Dame Judi Dench is crucial to the survival of British woodland page 10

Kawasaki ATVs for 2018 p48

Snow loading on agri buildings p16

British Shooting show 2018 p27

PLUS: Arable | Slurry | Dairy| Livestock| Buildings | Machinery | Energy | ATV | Motors

CONTENTS February 2018

FEATURES 15

21

12 Arable Lupins as a homegrown protein source

16 Buildings Snow loading on agricultural buildings

31

31 Fencing

36

34 LAMMA

Fencing news

32 Forestry

Show review

48 Irrigation

Unlock potential to make smaller woods more productive

Lots of uncertainties in managing water for food

18 Grain Perrys Savannah Series driers, Your guide to grain storage

22 Dairy Dairy-Tech 2018, Red Tractor recognition for Parlour Safe accreditation

REGULARS 06 News Fairfields Farm flying high

40 Machinery Latest machinery news

24 Livestock Use technology to boost returns, Crucial step forward for beef exports to China

30 Muck & Slurry Latest news

04 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

10 On Topic The real value of trees & woodlands

28 Energy Latest energy news

46 ATV ATV news...covered.

53 Motors Latest motors news

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39

Agriculture. Covered.

EDITOR Andrew Poulton editor@farmingmonthly.com

The real value of trees and woodlands

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ISSN 2044-0190 (print) ISSN 2044-0200 (digital)

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 05

| News

Fairfields Farm flying high with new Virgin Atlantic deal Artisan crisp brand, Fairfields Farm will join the mile high club this week as its brand new 20g grab bags hit Virgin Atlantic cabins across the world in a three-year deal. airfields Farm started supplying the airline with its parsnip crisps in December. The crisps, which were enjoyed in Upper Class cabins, proved hugely popular, prompting the airline to offer the brand across all cabins to all destinations.

“We are incredibly excited to be working with Virgin Atlantic and for our crisps to be enjoyed by travellers all over the globe. We've developed these new 20g bags of our Lightly Salted hand-cooked crisps especially for Virgin Atlantic and we are very excited to be able to reach a whole new customer base with this contract,” explains Robert Strathern, founder of Fairfields Farm.

“Aside from the quality of our crisps, which are all produced on our family farm from our homegrown potatoes, it was also our eco-friendly ethos that attracted Virgin to our brand,” continues Robert. “We use 100% renewable energy on the farm, whilst our Lightly Salted crisps are also gluten free and vegan-friendly

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making them perfect to appeal to a whole range of customers.”

Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President – Customer, at Virgin Atlantic said, “We’re always on the lookout for exciting brands that we can work alongside to provide our customers with an amazing onboard experience. The team at Fairfields Farm run a fantastic, sustainable business and produce a delicious product – a perfect fit for us.”

The first bags of Fairfields Farm Lightly Salted crisps will be served up in cabins from Thursday 1st February. The deal translates to thousands of bags a month being enjoyed on Virgin flights.

The new 20g format bags will also be available to other retailers and food service operators from February. “This new format is perfect for pubs, trains and airlines as they are small and easy to store. We expect them to prove hugely popular with a range of customers,” adds Robert.

For more information about Fairfields Farm visit www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

06 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

Organic conversion With the window for organic conversion payments now open in England, how can Soil Association Certification support farmers in organic conversion? atural England is offering financial support to farmers and landowners converting to organic, through its Countryside Stewardship offer.

The funding application window is now open for both mid-tier and higher-tier payments.

Application packs for Higher Tier must be requested by 9th March and submitted by 13th April. Application packs for MidTier must be requested by 31st May and completed by 31st July 2018.

Liz Bowles, Head of Farming at the Soil Association, said: “This is a really good time to convert to organic. The launch of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan this month confirmed what we’ve been hearing from Michael Gove for some time: that there is going to be a renewed focus on preserving and enhancing our environment, and a commitment to protecting our soils. Farming is going to need to play an integral role in achieving this, and the fundamental principles of organic – such as enhancing our soil health, working with our ecosystems, and caring for our environment – are wholly in line with the ambitions being set out by government.

“We also know that the public demand is there for organic produce – people are becoming ever more aware of how their food is produced, and we’re now in our sixth year of consecutive market growth for organic in the UK, so there are good opportunities for farmers who want to meet that demand.”

Soil Association Certification certifies organic farmers, offering a comprehensive and competitive support package that can assist

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farmers through their conversion period. Belmont Farm started the process of converting their beef and lamb production in 2016. They sell rare breed meats, and their pork is already certified organic.

Henry Rossiter, Belmont Farm Estate Director, said: “Our choice to certify with the Soil Association was based primarily on the organisation’s place in the market and on its wider educational and campaigning role. At the end of the day the Soil Association is the most-recognised organic certifier, world-wide, and its strict rules on animal welfare are important for our customers. We deal directly with our customers, which makes all the difference. We hope this will inspire people to learn about food and where it comes from. ” The Soil Association Certification business support package includes: · A dedicated Certification Officer, offering practical and proficient support throughout the life of your certification · Use of the UK’s most widely recognised organic symbol, used on more than 70% of UK organic products · Supply chain support, including free access to the Food for Life supplier scheme · Discounts for farming programmes such as Innovative Farmers · Free marketing support for key organic campaigns, such as Organic September · Support from our policy teams, who campaign for farmers on important issues, directly to Government If you’re thinking about converting to organic, find out more about organic certification and conversion at www.soilassociation.org

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

APPEAL

‘Common sense prevails’ NFU delivers win on sheep splitting regulations. armers will be able to more accurately age sheep after a vote by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) that allows Member States greater clarity on sheep going into the food chain – a clear result of NFU efforts spanning over many years.

The vote result – which was revealed yesterday afternoon (1 Feb) – will pave the way for the UK Government to allow farmers, market operators and abattoir owners to use a cut-off date rather than have the additional burden of checking the teeth of sheep to determine whether it is over 12 months old. This, in turn, indicates whether the carcass needs to be split to remove the spinal cord, which is required by the regulation.

Evidence provided by the NFU, and subsequent work calling for a simplification of the system for the livestock industry, demonstrates how the use of a set date provides an accurate and streamlined approach in aging procedures for the entire supply chain.

A FSA report on this topic

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released in 2010 stated: “Aging by dentition check is an imprecise process as the first incisor can erupt at any point between 9 and 15 months of age.”

More information on sheep splitting is in the Notes to Editors.

NFU national livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe said: “We are thrilled to see the UK Government supporting the Commission on this issue. The NFU has been persistent in highlighting the importance of clearer and simpler way of aging lambs.

“Livestock farmers know well that checking teeth has never been the most efficient or accurate way of determining the animals age. This flexibility is long overdue so I’m extremely pleased that we finally have a common-sense approach.

“Part of the evidence we supplied showed that sheep splitting unnecessarily can devalue a carcass by as much as 40%.

“We look forward to working with Defra, the FSA and the supply chain to ensure we implement these changes as quickly as possible.

There is no reason why we can’t see the cut-off date of 31 May being applied from 2018.”

ats Protection’s Derby and District Branch is offering the purrfect solution to individuals and businesses in need of an environmentally-friendly pest control service. We currently have several healthy feral cats on our books, just ready to pounce on the right vacancy!

Most feral cats prefer the freedom of a working life to a comfortable lap in suburbia. We have had some very positive feedback in terms of reduced rodent problems from the many farms, stables and warehouses that have adopted a feral or two from us in the past.

Derby Branch has been active in responsible feral cat management programmes for many years, developing considerable expertise in this area. Whilst feral kittens aged up to 8 weeks can be successfully ‘socialised’ and rehomed in a normal home environment, this is not usually possible with adult ferals. Once they have been neutered, volunteers return them to their colony where a sustainable one exists, or, find them a new home in a suitable environment where they can thrive and work hard doing what they like best!

These mousers can provide a

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very efficient and environmentallyfriendly alternative to chemical pest control. Garden centres, golf clubs, smallholdings, farms, stables, shops; in fact, anywhere where there is room to roam and rodents to catch, will be these cats’ idea of heaven and will provide working cats with a suitable environment in which to live and work.

In the first instance, the new owner would need to supply them with a safe, secure outhouse/shed/stable where they can be contained for about two to three weeks, with regular meals, a comfortable, warm bed and a litter tray. After this two week period indoors to get used to their new surroundings, they can then be released, returning to the outhouse/shed only for their food and shelter. They would then repay their new owner as fit and healthy vermin controllers.

Branch volunteers would take on the job of settling them into their new home, providing bedding and a litter tray although ultimately the new owner would be responsible for the cost of their food and welfare.

If you can provide a home for one or more of these cats, please contact Jane Baynton via the Branch’s Catline on 01332 206956 or email her at enquiries@derbybranch.cats.org.uk

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

Levy bodies announce £2m programme of joint activity The red meat levy bodies in England, Scotland and Wales have announced a major programme of joint activities to be paid for by a ring-fenced fund of £2 million of AHDB red meat levies. n agreement by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Hybu Cig Cymru, (HCC) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) will see a range of activity delivered in a three-way collaboration starting in 2018.

This has been developed as an interim arrangement while a longterm solution is sought on the issue of levies being collected at point of slaughter in England for animals which have been reared in Scotland or Wales.

The three organisations share an immediate joint commitment to collaborating to ensure levy payers across Great Britain benefit from the activities delivered using the £2 million ring-fenced fund.

The agreement announced today (06 February 2018) follows 12 months of talks between the three bodies after the parameters of the fund were set out by

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Ministers early in 2017.

This established that AHDB would set aside a ring-fenced sum of £2 million to support a programme of activities benefitting cattle, sheep and pig levy payers in Scotland, Wales and England.

Jane King, Chief Executive of the AHDB, said: “The three GB levy bodies share many challenges and the simple fact is we can more effectively address them through working together.

“Though we already work closely with our colleagues in HCC and QMS on various projects, this new arrangement will take our collaboration to a whole new level with all three organisations deciding jointly how we will invest this fund to make the biggest impact for the red meat sectors.”

Gwyn Howells, Chief Executive of HCC, said: “Addressing the issue of the loss of levy income to the Welsh red meat industry has been long awaited. While a permanent solution will require

08 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

Alan Clarke

legislation, this interim arrangement will allow greater value for money and accountability for Welsh levy-payers.”

“We look forward to working together with our colleagues in Scotland and England on important programmes of joint activity in areas such as overseas market access, research, and communicating the health benefits of red meat within a balanced diet.”

Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of QMS, said: “It is encouraging that progress has been made and that recognition has been given to the movement of livestock around GB and the impact this has on each of the levy bodies.

“The priority now is to ensure we maximise the benefit to levy payers of the activities delivered from the ring-fenced fund. This collaboration gives us the opportunity to take a joined-up approach to issues that affect the industry, regardless of geography.”

Jane King

Gwyn Howells

The levy bodies have agreed that effective from the financial year 2018/19 the new joint fund will focus on five priority areas: • International shows and export events • Market access • Brexit preparation • Meat and health, animal health and environment • Research The ring-fenced fund will boost the international presence and access for meat from Britain in key overseas markets with particular focus on preparing the red meat sector for the potential challenges and opportunities that are likely to follow Brexit.

In the meat and health, animal health and environment category the three organisations will concentrate on collaborating on positive messaging to counteract negative messages, while work on antimicrobial resistance is expected to dominate the research investment.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Feature

Are we redefining the role of the Farmer?

Britain has had a cheap food policy since the war, but the time has come to re-evaluate our priorities. Pressure on prices has forced farmers to sacrifice ecological protection in the name of productivity. Government subsidies, while designed to encourage sustainable farming, have unfortunately failed to deliver tangible benefits to wildlife. With this in mind, Fisher German, a leading rural consultancy, takes a look at what the role of the farmer is and how it needs to change… he new sustainable standard Individual trailblazers are creating new models of sustainable farming, but a complete overhaul of the subsidy system is needed to ensure that all farmers are required to deliver environmental services. Brexit – while a threat to the protections enshrined in EU law – provides an opportunity to reset the balance, ensuring that British farmers are valued for their stewardship of the environment as much as for the food they produce.

Current ‘sustainable farming’ subsidies, under Pillar 1 of EU structures, consist of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening obligations. Under the BPS, farmers are paid a fixed flat rate per hectare, which varies between lowland, upland or moorland.

The Greening obligations, required for further payment, include the rotation of a minimum number of different crops (Crop Diversification), and the creation of Ecological Focus Areas. In addition, Pillar 2 grants support the UK’ Countryside Stewardship scheme, aimed at maintaining areas of existing high biodiversity, such as limestone grassland or neutral meadows, or specific bird breeding habitats.

The BPS under which farmers are paid regardless of what they produce, providing the land is maintained as farmland, has failed to deliver, because it offers no incentive to engage in ecological protection. Indeed, ‘nonqualifying’ features, wildlife-rich habitats such as ponds, wetlands and wide hedgerows, are actually deducted from the area for which farmers can receive payment; encouraging their destruction.

A fair system?

With respect to Greening, the rules for Crop Diversification contain many loopholes, while the Ecological Focus Area (EFAs) obligation is poorly specified; it does not enforce improvement, but allows farmers to claim for already existing ecological features, while catchand-cover crop obligations have failed to improve biodiversity due to narrow restrictions on the species permitted and the duration that they are grown for.

Ironically, frustration with the present system, in which even high inputs and production levels do not enable farmers to compete with cheap food from abroad, is driving innovation. It has encouraged a growing minority of farmers to experiment with more traditional systems, producing higher quality food that commands a premium in the market and simultaneously achieving a multitude of ecological benefits.

Trial and error One farm has been trialling with using grass and herbal leys utilising a rotational approach which gives nature the opportunity to restore soil health and faunal diversity between crop yields.

In 2011 an 11-hectare field, which had been in continuous arable cropping for over 30 years, was drilled with grass seed and white clover and left for 5 years, untouched save for grazing

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sheep and cows. In 2015 the grass was removed and winter oilseed rape and winter wheat were direct drilled into the field. The direct drilling method precludes the need to cultivate the soil for 7 years, and so the field is currently acting as a carbon sequestration facility.

According to the farmer’s data, soil carbon has increased from 1.4% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2015; the earthworm population and the structural quality of the soil improved. This in turn provides the foundation for stable crop yields, improving commercial revenue.

On the farm’s other fields, the cropping programme has moved away from narrow, 2crop rotations of wheat and rape to rotations of 8-10 diverse crops, including spring crops, linseed and catch-and-cover crops which act as green ploughs and cultivators. A suckler herd and sheep flocks now graze the rotational grass leys; and close to 20,000 extra trees have been planted, the area under which will be used for free-range chickens.

The farm has implemented a monitoring programme to record achievements and failures, including annual soil tests and a bird survey to audit the farmland birds.

Looking after the future The grass leys have meant that soil is now in good enough condition to allow direct drilling for the foreseeable future. This has resulted in a 6570% saving on establishment costs and reduced CO2 emissions previously caused by in field cultivations prior to drilling. The longer crop rotation has helped to improve the soil health, so that herbicide sprays across the farm have been reduced by 10 – 15% as the ground becomes cleaner.

Other estates are experimenting with various forms of ‘re-wilding’, allowing natural rediversification and enhanced profitability; whilst groups such as the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) are working to encourage the restoration of species-rich grasslands, and also producing higher value meat at lower cost.

The Brexit effect While it is widely understood that British environmental policy will initially be identical to EU legislation, the current farm subsidies are only guaranteed until 2022.

Speculation suggests that, once farming subsidies are paid directly from the Treasury and not through the EU, the public may increasingly demand quantifiable tax-payer benefits in return for subsidy payments.

The recent indication from Mr Gove that farmers are likely to be paid by results – whether increases in the ’natural capital’ of the soil and water or better delivery of biodiversity across the countryside – certainly suggests that change is on the way.

Forty years ago, the respected Professor of Agriculture Gerald Wibberley was fond of saying that farmers will always respond to ‘price signals’, growing whatever society pays them to.

This concept could form the basis of a new contract between farmers and their communities.

An EU-funded pilot scheme in Wensleydale, for

example, awards farmers with grants, dependent on the biodiversity they can produce in the dale’s hay meadows, including re-establishing meadow flora and increasing the population of wet grassland birds, such as the Curlew.

Farmers are already discussing their achievements, and even competing for the best result.

To restore biodiversity and encourage a shift away from intensive farming methods, government subsidies need to be refocused along similar lines.

A new eco partnership?

Any new scheme will need to be more helpful both for farmers and for the environment. It seems highly likely that the declines of many species, and the catastrophic overall reduction in invertebrate populations, must be ascribed to changes in the chemical – and not just agrochemical – environment; its scale is such that it cannot be due to habitat loss.

It will not be possible to restore biodiversity without addressing methods of production in the area of intensive farming. To do this, it seems clear that much of the BPS funding, (around E25.1 billion over 2014-2020), could with advantage be re-directed towards CSS type schemes (Pillar II grants (E2.6 billion 2014-2020) which help to create and restore more biodiversity over a much wider area, as well as farm innovation.

It is not simply a matter of numbers, though.

The administration of grants needs to be made simpler and cheaper, and targets need to be more integrated across landscapes. Regulatory focus in UK, unlike most of Europe, has tended to home in on details of individual fields, at the expense of a more comprehensive overview of the potential for reconnecting land and restoring soils and isolated or lost features across larger areas.

Many other considerations DEFRA’s focus on individual fields should be urgently replaced with discussions between groups of landowners (inhibited by present confidentiality rules) about implementing lowinput systems and restoring connected habitat systems across a suite of adjoining farms.

These groupings should reflect soils, geology and drainage, and semi-natural vegetation patterns. The countryside is one comprehensive unit, not just individual plots of farmland, and grants and cross-compliance checks should be designed accordingly. As the ‘Making Space for Nature’ report of 2010, led by ecologist Professor Sir John Lawton, stressed, biodiverse areas need to be bigger, better, and betterconnected.

These concerns must feed into the promised overhaul of the system, to ensure that each and every farmer is required to deliver environmental services. These could include carbon sequestration, the storage of floodwater to prevent it flooding a town, and the conservation of biodiverse wildlife habitats. In short, DEFRA should change its philosophy from control to enabling.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 09

| On Topic

The real value of our trees and woodlands John Lockhart, Chairman of environmental planning and forestry consultancy www.lockhart-garratt.co.uk explains why the support of celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench is so crucial to the survival of British woodland.

Beech Avenue at Harlestone Firs, nr Northampton Photo Credit, John Lockhart

he British woodland is in need of careful management and protection now more than ever and so it was encouraging to see the issue given prominence in the by the BBC when they broadcast the programme My Passion for Trees, featuring respected actress Dame Judi Dench .

In the programme, Dame Judi spoke movingly of her long fascination with trees and how she has established and nurtured her own woodland which has a very personal meaning for her. As someone who has lived and worked in woods and around trees for many years, this awarenessraising celebrity endorsement can only be good for our woodland environment.

The value of woodlands Woodland is now broadly recognised as having a valuable impact across the widest range of ecosystem services, including flood prevention and alleviation, air quality, water quality, health and wellbeing, carbon sequestration, landscape, biodiversity, local

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Author: John Lockhart is Chairman of Lockhart Garratt environmental planning and forestry consultancy (www.lockhart-garratt.co.uk).

John specialises in a range of areas including strategic woodland management, environmental planning and development and green infrastructure.

John can be contacted on 01536 408840 or by emailing john.lockhart@lgluk.com

10 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

climate regulation and public access to nature. As such, Natural Capital1 and Ecosystem services remain at the heart of government thinking and form a key element of the proposed 25 year plan for the Natural Environment2. However, these values are routinely understated.

The 25 year plan notes that England’s woods and forests deliver services to the value of £2.3bn with less than 10% of this relating to their timber value. This should make us look differently at the resource, which in many cases is at the back of many landowners’ minds. Woodlands have not been viewed as an integral part of the commercial operation of rural property in the past and this needs to change. In almost all cases, well planned and implemented woodland management is paramount to ensure that our trees and woodlands are maintained for the future, and continue to deliver all of the critical benefits key to our health and well-being.

Why woodland management is so important One of the things often forgotten is that trees and

woodlands are living organisms, and as such they need to be managed and renewed to maintain their vigour and health. Our forefathers knew this only too well as they relied on their woodlands for fuel, shelter, building materials and food. Woodlands were managed in balance with their requirements to produce these services; many of our most valuable ancient woodlands today owe their health and condition to sustained and positive management.

Wood is something that we come into contact with every day.

It is undoubtedly our most tactile, warm and versatile building material, as well as having the additional benefit of locking up carbon both as a building material in use, but also through the growing cycle. A new native woodland can capture up to 300400 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare (tCO2e/ha) by year 50, and 400-500 tCO2e/ha by year 100.

The role that woodland plays in land management One of the main challenges is that woodland management is

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| On Topic

Finest English oak logs

often seen as a drain on resources rather than a significant contributor to the land management account.

In fact, Forestry Commission research indicates that less than 50% of woodland resource is currently under active management. In addition, planting new woodland can sometimes be resisted on the basis that it may be viewed as a permanent change of land use - one that might threaten rather than enhance the rural property account. Forestry Commission figures also show that just 582 hectares of trees were planted in England in 2016, the lowest number since records began. To put that into perspective, the entire year’s planting could have been fulfilled by just three full-time planters. The Woodland Trust has suggested that this could almost put us into a situation where we are losing more woodland than is actually being planted.

Addressing the challenges So, how can we address these challenges and build on what Dame Judi Dench has been able to do in her small woodland garden? In the first instance, it is critical to get an understanding of what you have to work with, whether it be a small or large woodland, or just an area of land that you might think about planting.

There are a number of funding options available to provide support with this. In particular, the Forestry Commission provides funding for the preparation of a woodland management plan which, in addition to enabling you to understand the condition and value of your woodland, also provides operational consent to allow you to undertake tree felling and management operations. It provides a gateway to a suite of management and operational grants, many of which are integrated into the wider Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

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Alternative support may also be available through organisations such as the Woodland Trust, who are keen to support positive management to protect and support our invaluable ancient woodland3 resource.

With a greater knowledge of the resource available, you can then make a more informed decision about how best to deliver your objectives. Whether you wish to focus on landscape, biodiversity, growing the best quality timber, or simply making money understanding what you want to achieve is key. Fortunately, these objectives and outcomes do not need to be mutually exclusive. In terms of both Natural Capital and Ecosystem services, woodland can deliver against a wide range of metrics. The challenge is not only to be aware of the opportunities that currently exist, but also those that are envisaged through the 25 year plan.

Identifying the opportunities Timber production is still the heartbeat of woodland’s commercial sustainability, and recent increases in commodity prices and the negative focus on agricultural subsidies has meant that timber is now being seen as a valuable and renewable source of income. As crops develop, highquality silvicultural management including well planned and executed thinning and formative pruning - will be critical to crop development and value. Finally, at harvest, knowledge of the crop and identification of market opportunities can be of great importance.

These operations are also critical to the wider health of the woodland, encouraging the development of a diverse structure, and enabling light to reach the woodland floor, promoting the development and proliferation of a mass of unique and valuable plant and animal life.

Providing a network of tracks and

open spaces will also encourage a wide range of habitats, whilst at the same time allowing all year round management access for harvesting and woodland management.

Beyond timber production, recreation opportunities can also prove lucrative, with many woodland owners taking advantage of the unique ‘feel’ of woodlands to develop new and innovative enterprises. With glamping and log cabins now in vogue and rental values in excess of £1,000/wk not uncommon for relatively small units, high returns can be secured for quality sites in good locations. Other activities such as paintballing, mountain biking and high rope courses also continue to be popular. Woodland also continues to provide the framework and backbone for estate shooting enterprises.

Woodland continues to be a sound investment. Forestry and woodland has been the top performing asset type in the last 15 years, generating returns in excess of 10% a year. The market is still buoyant, and likely to become more so as the impact of increasing timber prices and supply constraints come to the fore.

Woodland also enjoys a unique taxation status, whilst not the driver of years ago, the fact that timber sales are still tax free and enjoy further reliefs, including 100% relief against IHT, can still be very valuable to many owners.

Opportunities also exist for woodland creation, and the government has set this as a clear focus of the 25 year Environment Plan. Woodland creation can help to shape our landscapes and public and private spaces, as well as enhancing landscapes, developing carbon storage reservoirs, providing shelter, and reducing flood risks. Attractive capital grants of up to £8,800/ha are also available to help plan and

establish woodlands, in addition to support for design, planning and ongoing maintenance. Use of good province seed and planting stock, specifically selected for individual sites and likely impacts of climate change, will be key, and effective design will help to meet specific objectives. Carefully sited and designed woodland can support wider capital values, and provide screening and protection both for and from development activity.

Every day we enjoy our woodlands as an almost unnoticed but critical part of our wonderful landscape. However, if they are to continue to thrive they need our care and attention. This should not be a chore and, as Dame Judi has found, trees and woodland can enrich our lives in so many ways, not least as quiet spaces, but also as green gyms for those of us to prefer to be in the open air.

Whatever the driver, you should get down to your woods today, as you could be in for a big, and hopefully a good, surprise.

1 Natural Capital is the sum of our ecosystems, species, fresh water, land, soils, minerals, our air and our seas.

2 A Green Future: Our 25year Plan to Improve the Natural Environment

3 Ancient Woodlands are defined as sites that have enjoyed continuous woodland cover since 1600 i.e. in excess of 440years.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 11

| Arable

Lupins as homegrown protein crops: farmers review first year of trials and plan second year of research Group of Innovative Farmers to launch further research into homegrown protein crops, following an educational first year of trials. group of twelve farmers in the South West are investigating the potential for commercial production of combinable organic protein crops, lupins and soya. The Mole Valley Farmers group have completed a first year of trials, growing one white variety and one blue variety of lupin, and their results are set to shape a further year of research.

Lupins have a reputation for being problematic to grow in the UK: but with rising demand for organic proteins for animal feed making sourcing increasingly difficult, and with new seed varieties entering the market which may increase the possibility of success in growing locally, the group were keen to see whether they could make it work on their land.

The results were mixed. The white variety largely failed, but the blue showed promise despite the challenges of an unpredictably dry April that reduced establishment. Each of the participants used one or both lupin varieties alongside a range of weed control measures, with mechanical weed control proving most successful. Some chose to intercrop with vetch, but this tended to result in excessive competition from the vetch.

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Nigel Mapstone is coordinating the trials. He said: “This first year has been a really helpful learning experience and we enter the second year with a more refined trial design, including adding a second blue lupin variety, and we’re confident we can deliver some really positive results. We’ve gathered some good insights that have encouraged us to implement the next trial on larger plot sizes, with denser planting and no intercropping, which should improve both establishment and harvest success this time around.”

Discussing their second trial the group are considering using two blue varieties, Regent and Iris. These have different growth habits, and the group are keen to see whether this results in significant differences in yield, quality and weed competition.

Paul Redmore is one of the farmers taking part. He said: “You can’t go on one year alone really as there are many variables in a field trial situation. Every year you learn a bit more, and over time you start to accumulate a mosaic of knowledge. It’s particularly nice that we’re working as a group, it’s very easy to stay in your own little silo but getting different people together to understand the common problems and find solutions that work is a really

worthwhile exercise.”

The group is working with Hannah Jones from the University of Reading. Speaking about the challenges faced in the first year, she commented: “Across the South, we had a significantly drier spring in 2017 compared to rainfall over the last decade, which contributed to high plant mortality and greater levels of seed predation than expected. Once the remaining plants started to grow with the on-set Lupins have a reputation for being problematic to grow in the UK of rain, the season was well-advanced and the time for the crop to reach maturity was limited.

Because the spring weather pattern was significantly different to what can be expected in this first year it is important to repeat and refine these trials, with lessons learned this year meaning greater chance of success going forward.”

The group plan to commence their next trial in spring this year, keep up to date with their progress at www.innovativefarmers.org

Use averages to be the best When it comes to both variety choice and grain marketing, long-term averages can give the best clue to successful strategies, as Saltburn Monitor Farm found out. ohn Aynsley has hosted the Saltburn Monitor Farm since June 2017 and the group recently met to discuss how to make the most out of grain marketing and varieties, led by AHDB experts Helen Plant and Jenna Watts.

John said: “Everybody is interested in trying to get the best out of what we do.”

Although in recent years volatility has been the norm, in reality UK feed wheat prices in the last 12 months have remained fairly flat. UK prices are above world market levels and ex-farm prices in the North East of England relatively high compared with a year ago.

Helen Plant, AHDB Senior Market Analyst, said: “Global markets will move, but we don’t know when. We need to prepare for change and be ready. The signs are that the market could

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have a strong reaction if there was a significant weather issue.”

The most important thing, Helen said, is to get a handle on farm business costs using benchmarking such as with AHDB’s Farmbench. Farmers should use long-term averages, both of market price and cost of production, to see how their business is fairing.

Bearing in mind the uncertainty around Brexit, preparing becomes even more vital.

Helen said: “The best form of attack is defence. Lowering your costs means you’re the last to lose profit in a falling market or as direct payments are reduced or eliminated after 2022.”

Like many farmers in the region, the looming exit from Europe is on John's mind, with uncertainty top of the concerns.

John said: “In the short term we probably won’t be making any marketing changes as we don’t know yet what will happen. We’re

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still dealing with the same people, at the end of the day. However, we may need to look at futures and call options in more detail, although they often work out more expensive for us, especially when there’s not been a lot of volatility.”

Knowing your own farm business inside-out is key for marketing, just as it is for variety choice.

John said: “The main thing I took away from the varieties part of the meeting was that the AHDB Recommended Lists are a very comprehensive guide, but you have to do your own homework to see how your own farm behaves.

You also have to take into account how you want to farm.”

Jenna Watts manages the Recommended Lists work for AHDB. She advises farmers to look at five-year averages and to consider the specific farm conditions.

“Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make

John Aynsley

conclusions on variety performance,” she said. “Instead, if you’re looking at new varieties then take into consideration the yield, disease resistance and performance in your specific situation, such as your soil type and weather.”

Summing up, Judith Stafford, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager, said: “The important thing is to know your costs and know your farm. Get involved with benchmarking and also have your say on the Recommended Lists with our online survey.”

The next meeting will be on 27 February, looking at precision farming.

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| Arable

Beet with AD potential fares well in UK trials New varieties of high dry matter energy-dense beet now available in the UK are making the crop more viable as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion (AD). o says Francis Dunne of Field Options, who points to the latest UK trials where new varieties have excelled and demonstrated their potential for the renewable energy sector.

Independent fodder beet trials carried out in Cambridgeshire in 2017 compared the performance of 14 leading varieties from five different breeders, encompassing the full range of beet types from low dry matter (fodder beet for grazing) through to very high dry matter types.

“Clean lifting, very high dry matter beet is one of the most efficient feedstocks available for AD,” says Francis Dunne.

“Optimising yield of the crop further increases gas yield per hectare.

“The variety Acker, bred in Germany by Strube, specifically for the AD market, is set to take

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greater market share. It stood out in both 2016 and 2017 trials, with top dry matter yield in 2017 producing 8.8t/ha more roots over the control variety, KWS Gerty. Dry matter percentage was almost identical.

“These very high dry matter types do sit deeper in the soil than more traditional fodder beets, so root cleanliness is a key factor. In the case of Acker, it appears to have relatively clean lifting roots.

“Establishment vigour of Acker is good and it develops good ground cover. Resistance to leaf disease was excellent in a season when disease pressure was high.

It produces very large tops that also help to provide frost protection when harvesting late.”

Field Options provides expertise and access to varieties across the full range of beet, from low dry matter fodder beet for grazing through to very high dry matter energy beet for both livestock feed and AD plants.

Smaller in size than traditional fodder beet but producing more dry matter per hectare, new varieties such as Acker are an ideal feedstock for anaerobic digestors, says Francis Dunne.

Swedish start-up is launching a global satellite analysis to reduce fertilizer usage by 40% Vultus, a fast-growing Swedish start-up, is launching a satellite system, which aims to eliminate waste in farming and help farmers grow healthier plants at a lower cost. he new technology solves a problem that so many farmers around the world face – the over-fertilization of the crops. Satellite system provides precise information about the fertilization needs of the specific plants, which enables farmers to most efficiently cultivate their crops.

At the time of the launch, the system will be covering 5.5 million hectares and is estimated to save about 2.3 million tons of CO2, which is the same amount of CO2 as 258,000 car trips from Sweden to South Africa.

The company, together with its partners from Russia, Ukraine, the UK, and India is launching a satellite system, which enables farmers to fertilize their crops with much greater precision and at a lower cost grow healthier plants.

The global system is suitable for

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farmers of all sizes, ranging from small plot farmers in developing countries to farmers, who operate on a large industrial scale. Vultus technology will be launched on March 16th, 2018.

The satellite system provides farmers with the precise information about the fertilization needs of their plants. Therefore, rather than spreading the fertilizers evenly across the field, Vultus solution lets farmers know which plants may need more or less fertilization. For a typical farmer, these up-to-date satellite recommendations could save up to 40% of the fertilizers, whilst increasing yields and crop quality.

For a medium sized farmer, who works in a field of 250 hectares, the system would save approximately 15,000€ per year.

Eliminating waste in farming The technology strives to save not just money, but also the environment. Vultus has an

ambitious goal – to eliminate waste in farming. It is estimated that currently about 60% of fertilizers go to waste due to the lack of knowledge of which plants need more or less fertilization.

Even more daunting is the fact that over-fertilization contributes to approximately 7% of CO2 emission in Sweden alone.

“What really motivates us is the fact that farming was so inefficient, and we saw how it was being left behind by the technological revolution. 60% waste of a primary input would be totally unacceptable in any other industry.” - William Håkansson, founder of Vultus.

Vultus was founded by William Håkansson (22) and Robert Schmitt (20) in 2016. Since then the team has grown to 9 people and the technology has been used by farmers and seed developers, in Sweden, during two growing seasons.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 13

| Arable

Contact your nearest dealer: Central Cropsprayers Limited Unit J Sandford Industrial Park Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 2AN 01948 840187 www.centralcropsprayers.co.uk

Agratech NW Ltd Unit 8 Dale Mill Burnley Road East Lancashire BB4 9HU 01706 211399 www.agratech.co.uk

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| Arable

More consistent vine weevil control from the high quality formulation, Nemasys L New experimental work has confirmed that Nemasys L (Steinernema kraussei) provides better control of black vine weevil at a range of temperatures compared with other species of nematodes used to control this pest. Nemasys L is manufactured in the innovative, state of the art production facility at Littlehampton, which prides itself as being one of the best in terms of quality. ob Storer of BASF explains that the trials on black vine weevil compared Nemasys L with a number of other parasitic nematode products. “We initiated this work originally to prove once and for all that Nemasys L works just as well at warmer temperatures as at lower ones. The temperature data for this trial ranged from a high of 40°C down to below minus 5°C. Nematodes were applied at 25,000 per plant, and Met 52 OD at 0.05 ml/plant on the 31st August 2017. The untreated suffered nearly 6 vine weevils per plant; Nemasys L reduced this to less than 1 per plant, which was the best treatment in the trial. Met52 resulted in 5.2 weevils per plant, Nemtrident H 5 per plant, Nema-top 4.2, Larvanem 4.1 per plant.”

Nemasys L really outshone the other treatments. We were surprised at the results for the competitors, none of which performed as we expected. This could possibly be down to formulation as the BASF product is well known to be of particularly high quality.”

“Nemasys L (Steinermema kraussei) is nematode that controls the immature stages of the black vine weevil in strawberries and other crops under a wide range of temperatures.

Nemasys L is effective at all times and across a soil temperature range of 5 ºC to 30ºC, when the larvae are active and feeding,” says Rob. Black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is

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a devastating pest of many plants, particularly soft fruits, glasshouse ornamentals and nursery stock. It feeds on over 140 different plant species. In strawberries alone they are thought to be responsible for losses of over £10 million each year. The adult feeds on the foliage producing characteristic notches, which is a problem in nursery stock such as Azaleas, Camellias, Fuschsias and Rhododendrons where cosmetic damage can make plants unmarketable. “Larvae in the soil or growing medium feed on roots, leading to wilting or even death of the plant. When applied as a drench or through irrigation systems, Nemasys L controls the damaging larvae rapidly and safely.”

“This assured activity across a wide temperature range added to its high quality formulation is what differentiates Nemasys L from other nematode products,” comments Rob. Adult vine weevils are active from May to October. The female lays 500 eggs in the soil or compost from July to September. Eggs are 1mm across, white turning brown and are difficult to see. The larvae hatch after 2 weeks and start feeding on roots. The beneficial nematodes, usually applied from February to November, seek out the larvae and once inside release symbiotic bacteria, quickly killing the insect pest. The microscopic nematodes reproduce inside the insect and release a new

generation of infective juveniles that seek further larvae, providing long lasting effects.

Nemasys L persists in the soil for four weeks.

“Nemasys L (Steinermema kraussei) is nematode that controls the immature stages of the black vine weevil in strawberries and other crops under a wide range of temperatures” Nemasys L can be applied using standard spray applicators. Drench application is preferred, particularly where canopies are dense. New plant material coming into the nursery should always be treated as it may contain vine weevil larvae. As well as being effective at warm and low temperatures, Nemasys L has no resistance problems, no residue concerns, no re-entry interval, no requirement for protective clothing and no disposal restrictions.

Rob Storer notes that “there is increasing pressure for effective pest and disease control in specialist crops, particularly fruit crops, but there are more legislative and practical challenges for growers. We need effective alternative options in speciality crops and Nemasys L provides this. BASF are developing market-leading science in both conventional and biological approaches.”

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 15

| Buildings

Snow loading on agricultural buildings The United Kingdom is blessed with a fairly mild winter climate, but it is not uncommon for a significant snowfall to occur at least once every winter, bringing with it the usual transport chaos and school closures. n Scotland and North East England, heavy snow is more common and the problem increases with altitude. For farmers, especially those with livestock, the snow is a cause for concern and, if possible, many farmers will try to bring their animals indoors during the worst of the weather. For their sake, it is essential that the buildings erected on farms and elsewhere are sufficiently strong to withstand the worst winter snow, including drifted snow where appropriate. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple design method that frame manufacturers can follow to ensure that their buildings are safe. This article aims to describe this method and highlight the key issues.

Snow loading on buildings There are two fundamental types of snow loading that can act on a building structure and it is important to distinguish between them: • Uniform snow loading • Snow drift

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All buildings should be designed for uniform snow load as there will always be an element of distributed snow, even if some drifting occurs. Some buildings, especially those with obstructions against which the snow could accumulate such as parapets or walls, should also be designed for snow drift loading. While snow drift loading is usually much higher than the uniform snow load, it is limited to a relatively small area and is subjected to lower safety factors by the design standards.

Snow drift loading may also occur on buildings that are susceptible to snow sliding off a higher roof onto a neighbouring lower one.

All snow loading ultimately has to be carried to the foundations by the cladding, purlins and building structure. It is, therefore essential that building designers take account of the snow when designing all elements of the building (cladding, purlins, rafters, columns and foundations) and the connections between them. For steeply pitched roofs, the building designer should also give consideration to the down-slope

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component of the snow loading acting on the roof cladding and ensure that sufficient fasteners are provided.

Factors affecting snow loading: Location Some parts of the country are more susceptible to snowfall than others. A number of meteorological factors influence the depth and frequency of snowfall at a given location, beyond the expertise expected of a steel frame manufacturer or structural engineer.

Fortunately, data from many years of meteorological records have been analysed to produce simplified guidance in the form of a snow map and a simple equation to allow for site altitude.

Both are published in the National Annex to the BS EN 19911-3. The snow map, which has been reproduced in Figure 1, divides the country into a number of zones, according to the predicted intensity of the 1 in 50 year snow event. As one might expect, the highest snow loading occurs in Scotland and eastern areas of England.

Altitude The depth of snow fall naturally increases with altitude. This is catered for by a simple equation in BS EN 1991-1-3 that gives site snow load in terms of site altitude and snow zone (taken from the map). It is therefore a relatively simple matter to obtain the ground snow loading for any location in the UK. Multiplying by another factor, known as the shape factor, gives the uniform snow loading on the roof of the building.

Parapets and obstructions Parapets and other obstructions against which the snow may accumulate cause snow driftsresulting in localised high snow loads well in excess of the uniform snow load. These need to be taken into account in the design of the roof cladding and its supporting structure and may require additional local strengthening of the roof (e.g. purlins at closer centres). Where snow drifts against a wall or parapet, there is also the possibility of a horizontal force from the snow onto the cladding and structure. In extreme cases

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| Buildings this could give rise to sway in the frames.

Neighbouring roofs Where a building is erected adjacent to an existing taller one, building designers need to be aware of the possibility of snow falling off the higher roof onto the lower building causing local overloading of the roof cladding and supporting structure. The same could also be true if a low mono-pitch extension were built against a duo-pitch shed. The snow load in this case will depend on the roof slope area of the taller building and the area of the lower roof onto which the snow is likely to fall (i.e. the size of the heap formed on the lower roof). If there is a significant height difference between the two roofs, there is also the risk of impact loading due to the momentum of the snow as it hits the lower roof. This loading is likely to be far greater than the equivalent static load. RIDBA is aware of examples where such roofs have collapsed in practice.

Snow loading calculations Snow loading is site and building specific so should be calculated for each building project.

This is not as onerous as it sounds, since the only two factors affecting the uniform snow loading are the location (expressed as a snow zone) and altitude. It does however mean that a steel frame

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designed for a farm in Cornwall is unlikely to be able to withstand the snow loading of a typical winter in North Yorkshire (although the wind loading is probably worse in Cornwall). Taking account of the influence of neighbouring buildings and obstructions, the snow drift loading could differ between two buildings on the same farm!

The magnitude of the snow loading should be determined using BS EN 1991-1-3 (part of Eurocode1) and its UK National Annex. For agricultural buildings, it may be permissible to apply a reduction to the snow loading obtained from the Eurocode, depending on the use and occupancy level of the building.

For further details, see BS 550222. When designing the structural frame, the snow loading is assumed to act at the same time as the dead load (e.g. self-weight) and any positive (downward) wind loading. BS EN 1990 gives the appropriate safety factors to apply to this combination of loading.

Access for maintenance (imposed load) is considered as a separate load case and is combined with the dead load only. Snow drift loading is considered separately and is treated as an accidental load case with lower load factors.

Concluding remarks The design of any steel or timber framed building is

dependent on the magnitude of the snow loading acting on the building. Since the snow loading is location specific, it should be calculated for each and every building project, although in practice it may be simpler to specify a standard uniform snow load calculated for a particular zone up to a specified altitude (this approach will be conservative for most buildings). Snow drift loading is building specific and bespoke calculations are required for each case. If in doubt, frame manufacturers should seek assistance from a qualified engineer or speak to the RIDBA technical consultant.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 17

| Grain

Perry’s Savannah Series driers Perry of Oakley Ltd are the UK’s most experienced manufacturer of materials handling & drying equipment. 2017 saw the companies 70th anniversary, and they were awarded the accolade of being named SHAPA’s 2017 Exporter of the Year. hey have achieved this wellearned title by providing quality products at affordable prices both in the UK and export market, using the knowledge and experience that can only be gained through years of experience.

Perry designed & manufactured their first continuous mixed flow grain drier back in 1955, the first Perry grain drier was a considerably advanced piece of equipment for its time, and Perry’s latest drier, the Savannah Series, is no different in that it is leading the way with drying technology.

The Savannah series driers are capable of capacities from 8tph to 800tph. The driers come with Perry’s own advanced PLC panel, which is designed and programmed in house, and the auto control, which uses both the exhaust air temperature and hot grain temperature to give advanced control of the drier with feedback, to maintain a consistent moisture content of the discharged grain. If connected to the internet, the panel can send you email and text alerts including drier status updates and it will alert you to any issues that may have occurred while drying.

The PLC panel can also be connected to an app (available free on Google Play & iStore).

While connected to the app, you can see your control panel and control it from the app. It provides a direct link to your control panel,

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meaning you can control your drier from anywhere you have a mobile phone signal or a WiFi connection.

To ensure drier longevity the Savannah Series driers are built with a 2mm thick grain column for additional strength, and 3mm thick top ducts in the grain column to help prevent deformation and wear. To promote consistent movement of the grain down the grain column, even in very wet conditions, all Savannah Series Driers are fitted with pneumatically controlled Shutter discharge. This year this has been upgraded to phosphor bronze bushes on all wearing parts. These improvements, and the other key features of the Savannah range, provide a truly commercial specification grain drier for use on farms and commercial grain stores.

Perry of Oakley Ltd also manufacture a full range of 10tph – 1000tph handling equipment including chain & flight conveyors, belt & bucket elevators, augers & screw conveyors, aspirator pre-cleaners, belt conveyors & much more.

To find out more about Perry of Oakley & their range of drying and handling equipment call +44 (0)1404 890300 or email sales@perryofoakley.co.uk. You can also find a full list of products & services at www.perryofoakley.co.uk

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| Grain

Silvery Tweed partners with British spelt supplier to bring ancient grains from field to fork Cereal processor Silvery Tweed Cereals is continuing to champion the UK’s grain growing capabilities with its newest supply partnership. Working together with County Durham spelt producers Craggs & Co., Silvery Tweed will be able to provide its customers with a reliable supply of competitively priced, locally-grown spelt products – a rarity in the UK grain market. ased in Sedgefield in the Co. Durham region, commercial wheat growers Craggs & Co. expanded into spelt production after cultivating a test batch for a family friend and finding that conditions on their land were ideal for growing the grain. Craggs & Co.’s range of Red Tractor and TASCC-certified hulled spelt products was launched in March 2017, with customers ranging in size from home bakers up to large commercial bakeries and food manufacturers.

In addition to milling the grain into flour for their own range of products, Craggs & Co.’s spelt will be used in Silvery Tweed’s own processed cereal products such as flakes and kibble, which will then be supplied to the food manufacture and breakfast cereal industries.

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Thanks to this partnership, Silvery Tweed will be able to offer customers a reliable supply of UK ancient grain with a very transparent supply chain whilst also controlling price volatility; due to fluctuations in European supply and demand, these benefits can be less easy to deliver when relying on imported grain.

The endeavour also highlights the consistent availability and quality of UK-grown spelt for product development purposes.

Craggs & Co. founder, Stephen Craggs, explains: “To increase the stability of our enterprise, we have secured the backing of a network of spelt growers around the country, who are given specialist support and expertise from our team to maximise consistency between crops.” This, alongside the cost benefits, should reassure food manufacturers and NPD teams of the UK spelt market’s stability.

Silvery Tweed’s MD, Bob Gladstone, says of the partnership: “We’re very happy to be working so closely with Craggs & Co. The values of the two businesses are incredibly well-aligned: we’re two family-owned firms which are both committed to delivering quality, transparency and longevity in the supply chain.

“Like Craggs & Co., Silvery Tweed understands the

importance of sustainability and longevity, both in terms of environmental impact and stock supply. And we’re both firms which champion local suppliers and promote produce grown in the region: at Silvery Tweed we source most of our grains from within a small radius of Berwick, and it’s great to be able to add British spelt to our product list.”

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 19

| Pigs

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| Grain

Gibbons’ Plug&Dry™ accessories help farmers enhance their grain store fans Following a successful (if short-lived) debut at LAMMA ’18, Essex-based Gibbons Agricultural Fans is set to ease the strain on farmers during harvest 2018 with the launch of its new Plug&Dry™ crop store fan system. lug&Dry™ enables users to quickly and easily connect a number of optional accessories to their trusty Gibbons graindrying fan to help them save time, energy and money during 2018 and beyond.

Firstly, a direct on-line (DOL) starter fitted with thermal overload protection can be attached to the fan for direct push-button/autostart control. The compact, enclosed units are easy to use and offer high performance at low cost.

High-precision thermostats can be connected for accurate temperature control and monitoring – essential when the erratic British weather offers no guarantees.

For added convenience, Gibbons also provides heavy-duty 10 or 20-metre extension leads with 16A plug and socket. The durable IP44-rated leads offer protection against dust and are resistant to water splashes.

Each of these ‘plug-and-play’ solutions can be quickly installed by the user, removing the cost of having an electrician attend site. Clients still benefit from Gibbons’ after-sales support, with engineers available to answer technical queries.

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The Plug&Dry™ accessories can be connected to both the steel and aluminium versions of the Gibbons centrifugal fan, which is powered by an energy-efficient IE3 electric motor. The motor itself has been upgraded to include a steel (rather than plastic) terminal box casing for added robustness and reliability.

Gibbons Agricultural Fans Manager Josie Knight is excited to launch the Plug&Dry™ system: “After discussions with farmers at the LAMMA show, we decided that there was even more we could do to make their lives easier during the hectic harvest period. We set to work immediately on a range of add-ons for our fans and Plug&Dry™ was born.

“The accessories are ready to add to the fan box prior to shipping, and the flexibility of the system means that the farmer can use a single accessory or all three together. And with electricity prices as unpredictable as ever – as well as Brexit causing uncertainty over the future economy – we’re glad to offer a solution that will help farmers minimise their energy bills.”

The Gibbons Agricultural fan range is manufactured on-site at the company’s production facility in Tollesbury, near Maldon and is delivered to farmers via a network of

official resellers and distributors across the UK and beyond. Sized at 0.13 – 2.2 kW, the fans are available as single phase or three phase in both aluminium and steel in most sizes.

For more information on the Plug&Dry™ system or any of Gibbons Agricultural Fans’ other products and services, call Josie Knight on 01621 868 138 or email fans@gibbonsgroup.co.uk

Your guide to grain storage With a great deal of attention focused on producing grain to the right specification, it is important that this effort continues during grain storage to reduce food and feed safety problems. crucial part of post-harvest management is getting grain to the target temperature – detailed within the AHDB Grain storage guide – and keeping it there. If a storekeeper can get this right, the risks associated with insects, mites and fungi that can compromise quality and lead to loss of premiums through claims and rejections can be significantly reduced.

But hitting and maintaining these targets can be a challenge, especially during mild periods of weather. Fortunately, cold spells have helped to keep down average temperatures down recently. For example, Met Office data show the mean temperature last December for the UK was just above (0.2°C) the long-term average (1981 to 2010) of 4.1°C. This is cooler than the same period in 2016 (2.0°C above average).

Annual, monthly and daily variation in temperatures means that the approach to hitting target temperatures needs to be flexible.

Many storekeepers switch fans on overnight to pull cooler ambient air through warmer grain.

AHDB-funded research, however, showed it is better to automate this process through the use of differential thermostats. This relatively lowcost technology instructs fans to turn on only when the air outside is cooler than the air around the grain. Typically, the automated approach causes fans to turn on more

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Image credit: Tim Scrivener

Image credit: Tim Scrivener

frequently in shorter bursts. When trialled in arable farmer Stewart Vernon’s grain store, the technology helped to achieve cooling targets and significantly cut energy use (40% savings in electricity costs in AHDB-funded trials), due to reduced total fan running times.

As food safety requirements become stricter and crop protection options in grain stores become more limited, such technologies

should be considered by anyone thinking about upgrading their stores.

Additional pressures resulting from volatile energy prices and climatic variability means that now might be the right time to consider investing in automated cooling technologies.

For more information visit cereals.ahdb.org.uk/grainstorage

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 21

| Dairy

Dairy-Tech 2018 RABDF have been focused on tailoring Dairy-Tech for the new generation of dairy farmer ensuring it will showcase ground-breaking technology and inspire uptake of the latest science and field-based skills. ith over 40 new products and a variety of new concepts set to wow visitors in the science, technology and innovation hall, specialist speakers in the dairy and innovation hubs and a wide range of new concepts, the event will house something for all farmers irrespective of their system type.

All of the hub speakers have been challenged to present in a novel way to enhance audience engagement; sessions will offer the opportunity for knowledge exchange and will include a sequence of ‘take-home’ messages. Whilst the dairy hub will predominantly focus around the critical issues on-farm, the innovation hub will highlight certain and potential innovation likely to feature in the industry moving forward.

There will be automation demonstrations from Lely who will also be showcasing their newest product set to hit the market early 2019.

Hands Free Hectare will share their future plans and explain how their existing projects are going. There will also be a working 3D printer, drones and a virtual reality experience in the tech zone, an area made up of several small stands, allowing visitors to road-test new technology, products and services.

In addition, Semex, Lallemand Animal Nutrition and Miracle-Tech have been announced as finalists in the Royal Dairy Innovation Award.

Previously the Prince Philip Award, the new format and name come as a result of Prince Philip stepping down from official duties and are also timely to fit with the innovation focus of RABDF’s brand new Dairy-Tech event.

Tim Downes, dairy farmer and chairman of

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judges said the finalists stood out for the innovative thinking behind their products.

“Lallemand demonstrated some fascinating research and have a brand new silage additive development that will provide the best aerobic stability of newly ensiled forages. MiracleTech’s thermal CCTV is very ‘techie’ and has the ability to play a huge part in animal health moving forward whilst Semex’s Immunity+ high immunity testing has a role to play in lowering antibiotic use.

Mr Downes continues: “Each finalist will have a short slot on the innovation hub to present their product or service to the judging panel at Dairy-Tech, the award will go to the company with the most practical and relevant product or service which is, or likely to be, the most significant innovation for the future of dairying.

“Whilst the industry faces some future uncertainty we know that whatever the outcome, to survive, farms need to be as efficient as possible. It is the invention of such products and services that aid this efficiency allowing farmers more time to focus on other elements contributing to production and profitability.”

Tickets for the event are available at www.dairy-tech.uk along with further information. RABDF members are eligible for free tickets and further concessions whilst all other pre-bought tickets cost £17. Tickets purchased on the door cost £20. For any queries contact office@rabdf.co.uk or 02476 639317

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| Dairy

Red Tractor recognition for Parlour Safe Dairy Accreditation The Milking Equipment Association (MEA) Parlour Safe Dairy Technician Accreditation is scheme recognised by Red Tractor. ith most leading milk buyers and retailers now demanding certification to the Red Tractor Assurance Dairy Standard, it is vital dairy farmers follow requirements and ensure standards are met, or face losing their customer.

The Red Tractor logo, which has become a trusted and familiar sight on supermarket shelves across the UK, gives consumers confidence in the products they are buying and requires dairy farmers to meet a list of specific criteria to be awarded the certification.

"Within the Red Tractor dairy

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standard there's a requirement that the milking machine must be tested at least annually, any faults identified must be rectified and records kept,” says Technical Manager of the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme, Jess Sloss, who is responsible for the day to day running of the dairy, beef and lamb schemes.

Also, under Red Tractor Certification for the dairy industry, it is recommended an engineer or technician, who holds accreditation through the Milking Equipment Association, or a similar body, undertakes annual milking machine testing.

"Professional qualifications, accreditation and training are always a good thing, as is

professional development," she said.

Jess also confirmed that because the Parlour Safe Accreditation Scheme for the Milking Equipment Industry is an MEA accredited training scheme, engineers who had undertaken the course would be considered to have the level of competence required to carry out milking machine testing under the Red Tractor Scheme.

"Copies of the records must be available for inspections as well as test reports, delivery notes and invoices, to demonstrate that any faults have been rectified."

Another element of the Parlour Safe Scheme will be to introduce a standards-based test document

format in 2018, to underpin service and allow easy confirmation that necessary maintenance of milking equipment has been carried out on farms.

"At the moment we've just gone live with our latest set of standards which are reviewed every three years.” Jess said.

Although introduced too late for consideration for inclusion in the current Red Tractor set of standards, Jess Sloss did confirm that the standards-based test document is something that could be considered when looking at when the next standards are introduced in three years’ time.

Parlour Safe is the Land-based Technician Accreditation scheme for the milking equipment industry. It has been developed by the Milking Equipment Association (MEA), an independent organisation that represents the interests of milking equipment manufacturers registered in the UK, and also representing suppliers, dealers, distributors and any other organisation involved in the milking equipment and associated industries.

The scheme provides a clear development path to attract young dairy engineers into the industry and is administered by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IArgE), the land-based engineering sector's professional body, (www.iagre.org).

Training for Categories 2 – 4 accreditation (Intermediate, Advanced and Master Technician) takes place at Reaseheath College, based in Nantwich and Hartpury College near Gloucester. Technicians registered at Category 3 and 4 are recognised by the IAgrE and at this level have the option to register as members of IAgrE and as Engineering Technicians (EngTech) with the Engineering Council (fees applicable).

For further information about the Parlour Safe Accreditation Scheme, please visit www.milkingsystems.co.uk, call 01733 207602 or email ceo@aea.uk.com For further information about the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme and Dairy Standards please visit www.redtractorassurance.org.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 23

| Livestock

Use technology to boost returns The next three to five years will be all about efficiency – part of which is embracing new technology and ensuring you make the most of all farm data to raise profitability on your unit. hat’s the view of Rob Massey, Managing Director of Tru-Test, a solutions-based business, specialising in weighing, EID and fencing for all farming situations.

“It’s a fact that only 10% of UK livestock farmers weigh anything – yet, if you were harvesting grain, you‘d never sell it off the farm without knowing what it weighed,” he says. “The only gauge is the market or abattoir, but by then it’s too late – you’ve missed any opportunity to get it right.

“When you have a worm burden, lameness, mastitis or any disease issue you’ll see a dip in growth rates. But, if you aren’t monitoring them, and you’re just guessing weights, there’s room for a huge margin of error.”

Rob says the days of writing data in the dust of a tractor, or on the back of a fag packet, should be long gone. “Data is king. It should drive every aspect of your farm business. We have the tools to become more efficient, we just aren’t using them properly.”

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He says he’s seen examples of farmers asked to ‘guess’ the weight of a live animal at a demonstration, and that with dairy and beef cattle they can be up to 200kgs out. “No other business would not measure output. Dairy farmers know what milk they are sending off farm, but liveweight gain is another matter altogether.

“I don’t understand this reluctance to embrace technology.

I think a lot of it is tradition – ‘my grandfather or my father’ always did it this way. We’re not mathematicians so we have calculators – and in this case, there shouldn’t be a farm without an ability to weigh the stock.”

Rob accepts there is a massive issue with wormer resistance, for example, and says giving the right dosage – which is based on weight – is one of the key reasons behind this.

“You don’t have to buy top end products, honestly anything is better than nothing. A measuring stick or a weigh tape are not exact science, but better to use either of these than your eye.”

He says you will get back any

money invested in weighing equipment inside a year. You’ll save money on inputs such as wormers and vaccinations, and will get heifers back on track bulling and calving at the right weights.

“The average calving age is 28 months at best, with a calving index average over 400 when it should be 365. These ‘losses’ represent huge costs to a dairy farm, and using the right technology can so easily improve margins.”

There needs to be a ‘mindset change’ with producers embracing new technology, regardless of their farming system. “They should be asking ‘what does it save’ not ‘what does it cost’,” he adds.

Looking ahead, he says the majority of farmers are waiting for EID to become compulsory, rather

than considering the savings it can offer.

“It can offer huge cost savings,” he says. “Just one kg of liveweight gain over an animal’s lifetime will increase returns by £1.50 to £2 a beast. It’s a ridiculously small amount of cost when you consider what it will give you back.

“This isn’t about saying that farmers aren’t good at judging the weight of their animals, it’s about making their life easier, and ensuring they use the latest technology to best effect. Make life easier by investing in the future, so you make the right, and accurate, business decisions.” *Some of Tru-Test’s weighing and EID solutions, as well as the range of PEL electric fencing, will be on stand i27 at Dairy-Tech, Stoneleigh Park on February 7.

Crucial step forward for beef exports to China An agreement to progress lifting the BSE ban on British beef exports to China is a vital first step in unlocking this major market, which could be worth £250 million in the first five years, according to AHDB. ew measures to improve market access to China were announced

by Prime Minister Theresa May this week – in a move which could see beef from the UK exported to the country for the first time in over 20 years.

It is anticipated the BSE ban could be lifted within six months if a visit from Chinese inspectors this spring is successful, clearing the way for detailed discussions and the completion of a five-step process to open the Chinese market to British beef.

The news has been welcomed

by AHDB, which has been working on the market access in the region for a number of years, and is good news for exporters keen to look to new, non-EU markets.

AHDB Head of Exports Peter Hardwick said: “The announcement is a vital first step in unlocking this major market for beef without which we could not progress to the substantive approval process.

“This agreement comes after an intensive programme of

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inspections and visits by the Chinese authorities over the last two years, led by AHDB in collaboration with government and industry organisation.

“It is still an ongoing process but we will continue to play a key role in helping to steer discussions to ensure we unlock the full potential of the Chinese market for beef producers here in the UK.” The announcement came on the first day of the Prime Minister’s three-day trade mission to Beijing, where she was joined by senior business leaders and industry representatives including AHDB Chief Executive Officer Jane King.

During her visit she held meetings with members of the Chinese government and other industry leaders where products ranging from pork to malting barley were discussed. Jane raised the urgency of lifting the beef ban with both the Prime Minister Teresa May and Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox. Both indicated it was a government priority.

AHDB has previously helped secure access to China for pork and for barley.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Livestock

Make colostrum ‘liquid gold’ this spring Calves who don’t receive enough colostrum at birth are more than twice as likely to develop pneumonia, and can have mortality rates as high as 13%. his is just one compelling reason the 3Qs – quality, quantity and quickness of colostrum given after birth – can make a big difference to the need for antibiotic treatments later in an animal’s life, says Gwyn Jones, chair of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance.

He says this is the rationale behind RUMA’s #ColostrumIsGold message, being promoted throughout February as peak calving and lambing season approaches. The campaign will see UK cattle, sheep and pig sectors teaming up to promote the ‘liquid gold’ properties of colostrum.

“RUMA’s been around for over 20 years, giving guidelines on how to use all kinds of medicines responsibly,” explains Mr Jones.

“But more recently it’s played a big role in mobilising the farming industry to face up to the threat of antibiotic resistance.

“While the danger to human health of using antibiotics to treat disease in farm animals remains widely debated, we do know that the more antibiotics are used, the more likely bacteria will become resistant to them. If we’re not careful, our own stock of antibiotics for use in farm animals could become ineffective in the

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future – which is why the basics like feeding colostrum properly are so important.”

Government data has revealed that 50% of E coli bacteria in newborn lambs are already resistant to spectinomycin, the most commonly used antibiotic used to prevent and treat Watery Mouth. But specialist sheep vet Dr Fiona Lovatt says many lambs contract Watery Mouth because of insufficient colostrum at birth.

“The reality is that we simply don’t see Watery Mouth in lambs that have taken enough colostrum on board in that golden 24-hour window immediately after birth,” says Dr Lovatt.

A 5kg lamb at birth needs 1 litre of colostrum in its first 24 hours of life to give it essential levels of natural immunity, but importantly, the first feed should be within two hours of birth.

“Antibodies – essential in protecting against all disease including E coli infections – cannot cross through the placenta, so must be transferred through colostrum,” she explains.

The sheep sector is not alone in having room to improve its colostrum management. A recent study suggests only 5% of dairy farmers are feeding colostrum within the ideal two hours after birth, and only 31% are testing the quality of the colostrum for antibody concentration before feeding it.

Veterinary lead at AHDB and pig specialist Dr Mandy Nevel says baby pigs need colostrum too, to maintain body temperature as well as protect them against disease.

She says: “Baby pigs are born wet and with very little energy reserve. Ideally they need to get a feed in within the first 30 minutes to prevent hypothermia. This early feed will also provide essential immunity, giving them the best chance of survival in their first few weeks of life.

“Sow vaccination is the best way to boost antibody levels in the colostrum. That is why piglets who receive good levels of colostrum early will also be the healthiest at weaning. That extra care in the first hours of life will really make a difference.”

Dr Nevel includes post-weaning diarrhoea and respiratory disease as longer term threats for piglets receiving insufficient colostrum at birth. “Colostrum really is a golden opportunity to secure lower antibiotic use and a healthier animal for its whole life.”

Farmers and vets looking for more information should search for the #ColostrumIsGold hashtag on Twitter, or go to RUMA’s www.FarmAntibiotics.org website to be signposted to useful tools, resources and case studies from 1 February.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 25

| Livestock

All Safe with HydroInfinity Acclaimed new water purifier could eliminate use of antibiotics in livestock. ylem, a leading global specialist in water technologies, has partnered with technology company H2Ozone to globally launch a new water treatment system that can eliminate the use of antibiotics in livestock.

Xylem’s HydroInfinity Agricultural Series received a certificate of merit for the best product/innovation in livestock equipment, during its launch event at LAMMA 2018; the leading farm machinery and services show.

Xylem’s HydroInfinity Agricultural Series is a complete water treatment and booster system, which uses H2Ozone patented technologies to deliver UV treatment, ozonation and filtration to treat water from a variety of sources, including rain, municipal and ground. The system delivers pure, ozonated water which could eradicate antibiotics, probiotics and vaccines from the food chain and help prevent antimicrobial resistance.

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“Not only does HydroInfinity clean water to an exceptionally high standard, it increases the health and yield of the livestock. It also offers environmental benefits by converting compromised water that would otherwise have been wasted, and has a payback period of less than a year. The transformation it can bring to an agricultural application is astounding” The fully-integrated solution collects, purifies, stores and distributes water for bovine, poultry and piggery environments to drinking water standards by filtering out harmful pathogens and bacteria such as: E.coli, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella and Legionella.

When this ozonated water is given to animals, the result is a drastic reduction in diseases, which, in turn, leads to a decrease in the use of medication. The use of antibiotics in livestock is currently prevalent in the industry as a means to lower mortality rates and illness. However, it is also thought to be a significant cause of the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis, which could kill

an estimated 10 million people a year by 2050 if no action is taken.

HydroInfinity Agricultural Series collects water through a washable stainless inlet pre-filter at the top of the system. It then flows to a second inlet filter, which traps any particles larger than five microns.

Next, the water passes through the ‘Helical’ UV chamber, where all pathogens are deactivated.

Thanks to the unique design, the speed of the water can be controlled to ensure it is fully treated and sterilised before being moved to the ozonation stage.

The ozone is generated and passed through a diffuser, where it comes into contact with the stored water in the tank. It is then pressurised in the piping network, where it is maintained up to 4.5 bar. The treated water is then stored in the tank until needed.

During this time, the ozone will keep the water clean and fresh, and the Oxidation Reduction Potential probe will monitor levels.

In addition, the tank is fitted with a water level sensor, which will alert the machine when levels fall below 160 litres, and automatically refill to its capacity of 220 litres.

The H2Ozone patented technology in Hydroinfinity, which takes less than two hours to install, also has a Wi-Fi and 3G option, which allows 24/7 remote access monitoring and provides full visibility to the pump and tank’s operation, as well as offering predictive analysis.

Peter Wright, EMEA Segment Director at Xylem commented: “Antimicrobial resistance may be the most catastrophic global health disaster of our time which, if not prevented, could cost the lives of millions. We all have a responsibility to limit our use of antibiotics, but HydroInfinity Agricultural Series marks one of the first major developments in reducing, if not eliminating, the need for antibiotics in the production of livestock.

“Not only does HydroInfinity clean water to an exceptionally high standard, it increases the health and yield of the livestock. It also offers environmental benefits by converting compromised water that would otherwise have been wasted, and has a payback period of less than a year. The transformation it can bring to an agricultural application is astounding.”

To learn more about Xylem’s HydroInfinity visit www.xylem.com/uk or call 01297 630 230

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| Shooting Show

Great British Shooting Show 2018 When the British Shooting Show opens next year at the NEC (February 16th – 18th) it begins a new chapter in the shows incredible journey from a tented exhibition area in Nottinghamshire to the country’s National Exhibition Centre. en years ago the dreams of an annual UK event exclusively for the shooting community and the shooting industry were about to spring from the drawing board and become a reality. The British Shooting Show was born and in the years that followed the event has seen an amazing increase in the support from the global shooting industry, including the countryside organisations leading to increasing numbers of exhibitors and visitors year after year. Today the British Shooting Show is proud to be the only event in the UK to bring the shooting industry and the shooting community together on such a colossal scale.

After the 2017 show it was clear that if the British Shooting show was going to continue its controlled growth something was going to have to change and that something was the venue.

Stoneleigh Park has been the home of the British Shooting Show since 2013 and has served it extremely well, but the event now needed a much larger venue to host future shows and so the search began.

A new home for the British Shooting Show was going to have to meet certain requirements. It was going to have to offer sizeable, first rate exhibition facilities and also be easily accessible, not only for UK visitors and exhibitors, but also for those travelling from Europe and further afield. The next job was to compile a short list of potential venues; and that list was very short indeed. In fact, there was only one name on it; The National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

Centrally located, 75% of the UK is within a three hour drive and once you arrive, the parking at the NEC is FREE for visitors to the British Shooting Show. If the thought of the UK roads is something that doesn’t fill you with joy there are 43 direct rail routes from around the country straight into the NEC and with 25% off advanced fares from Virgin Rail why not leave the car at home, jump on the train, relax in comfort and let Virgin Rail bring you directly into the NEC, with the entrance to the British Shooting Show just a two minute walk from the platform. For visitors and exhibitors alike who

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are travelling from abroad there are 143 direct flights into Birmingham International airport from European destinations as well as direct flights from the USA and with the NEC only 90 seconds from the terminal, ease of access to the British Shooting Show from international destinations has never been easier.

Shooting Accessories The British Shooting Show isn’t just about the guns and ammunition. There are a multitude of accessories available for every shooting sport – Fashion ,Fine arts ,Antiques, Jewellery , Watches handmade knives, electronic calls, shooting sticks, Designer Clothing, and footwear, hearing and eye protection, gunslips and bags bespoke gun boxes and cases specialist vehicles – the list of quality accessories for purchase is almost endless.

International Hunting Experiences attend the Show Is a hunting safari something that’s on your wish list? These trips are becoming more and more popular with intrepid hunters who want to experience tracking and hunting game in exotic locations such as the African plains. The British Shooting Show has more professional international hunting outfitters attending than in any previous year. With the number of different packages that can be tailored to your specific requirements you might be surprised at just how affordable the hunting trip of a lifetime could be.

And Even More ….

The National Gamekeepers Organisation has worked tirelessly with the British Shooting Show in bringing the popular Gamekeeping element to the show and is now a major attraction for gamekeepers and all who have a passion for country sports and pursuits.

Throughout the show area visitors will come across stands where artisans demonstrate incredible craftsmanship such as hand engraving, barrel making, stock making, taxidermy and stick making to name just a few.

The arena is the place to be for visitors wanting to enjoy an exciting line up of displays on a rural theme presented by the leading professionals of their fields. The inspirational

Andy Cullen MBE demonstrates invaluable techniques and personal tips on how to train your gundog and build a successful working partnership. The charismatic Chris Green will be sharing his vast knowledge of country skills in a way that is as entertaining as it is enlightening. And if game cooking is your passion ‘Wild Chef’ Ralph Skripek will be showing how to prepare and create delicious recipe’s using the game abundant in our countryside. Stunning and unusual gun, rifle and pistol collections will also be on show from antique pistols and historic breech loading rifles to huge .50 calibre rifles and Mike Kay’s magnificent Winchester collection. For those wanting a challenge ‘The Battleship Breach’ in the tactical area gives visitors the chance to come on board and ‘clear the decks’, shooting at a variety of targets against the clock while moving through the ship.

A Festival of Shooting over a full three day experience What is the appeal of the British Shooting Show? The answer is quite simple! The show focuses on the needs of the gun trade and the needs and wants of the individual shooter.

Those who have visited the big trade shows around the world such as the Shot Show in Las Vegas and IWA in Nuremberg will recall that jaw dropping moment when the sheer expanse of trade stands and products are first seen. These international shows are not just trade events, but a visitor experience. They bring the “Wow Factor” and that is something that we need to have in this country. The move to the NEC gives the British Shooting Show the venue and the shooting industry the stage on which to deliver and present a truly international shooting show here in the UK. Come and join us for three full days of shooting indulgence at the NEC, 16th – 18th February 2018 where you can enjoy a warm welcome, a friendly atmosphere and the best the shooting industry has to offer.

Tickets are available now by visiting the British Shooting Show website www.shootingshow.co.uk or for more information contact the team on 01258 857700

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 27

| Energy

Energy Now Expo 2018 The Energy Now Expo will be returning to Telford, Shropshire, on 7 and 8 February 2018 for its ninth year, and farmers and landowners across the UK are being urged to save the date. he annual event provides a chance to explore the opportunities available in all areas of on-farm renewables including AD & Biogas, Biomass, Energy crops, Heat pumps, Hydropower, Solar and Wind, explains event director, David Jacobmeyer.

“The Energy Now Expo showcases all of the technologies available to farmers looking to diversify and future-proof their businesses. It also provides best practices in energy efficiency, guidance on the ways to maximise the returns of existing schemes and ways to store the energy being produced.

“Our comprehensive seminar programme features some of the leading experts in the industry.

This, combined with a showcase of technology suppliers, funding providers and advisory bodies, means that the expo is a one-stop shop for pioneering agribusinesses,” he explains.

As the renewable energy industry develops, farmers and landowners who want to find out how investment in this technology stacks-up financially, are being encouraged to visit the Energy Now Expo on 7 and 8 February 2018.

“While a number of government policy decisions have been delayed, causing a state of flux in some areas of the renewables industry, other sectors are really thriving.

“This presents a number of current and future opportunities for farmers wishing to diversify their income stream,” explains David Jacobmeyer, director of the

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Energy Now Expo.

“Energy storage is set to be at the forefront of the industry in coming years,” he says. “Since the last Expo, battery technology has really taken off, with more affordable and effective solutions coming onto the market, which feature improved efficiency and reduced unit size.”

David adds that the recent budget announcement committing £100m of investment in the electric vehicle sector, indicates that farm vehicles of the future are likely to be powered by electricity.

“There are targets in place to remove diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040. And this, paired with the knowledge that 10,000 to 15,000 new tractors are sold in the UK each year, means the scope for the development of electric farm machinery is huge.”

Subsidy-free renewable energy production As the voice of British farming, the NFU is pleased to have supported the Energy Now Expo every year since 2010, explains Jonathan Scurlock, who is opening speaker and chair of the keynote session on day two of the Expo.

“Given our desire to see profitable, resilient, diversified farm businesses through the transition to Brexit, managing energy costs and investing in the clean tech sector alongside food production will be key,” he says.

“With dramatic falls in the cost of solar PV, onshore and offshore wind, and battery storage around the world, we can now foresee the prospect of complete decarbonisation of the UK's electricity supply, and a likely resurgence in subsidy-free

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renewable energy production onfarm.

However, Jonathan adds that in line with the Government’s Clean Growth and Industrial Strategies, there is a need to decarbonise more than just the electricity sector.

“There is still a huge challenge ahead in decarbonising our national heat supply, and large amounts of low-carbon gas will be required to displace fossil natural gas,” he explains.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Energy

Anaerobic digestion industry labels Environment Agency charges hike ‘unjustified’ The Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA), the UK’s trade body for AD, has today labelled the proposals in the Environment Agency’s (EA’s) consultation on its Strategic Review of Charges as ‘unjustified’. he changes proposed in the consultation include significant increases in the majority of charges associated with environmental permitting (including application fees and ongoing annual subsistence fees), which will have financial implications for all new and existing AD operators who operate under environmental permits in England. It is thought that in some cases, the increases will double the existing charge. The changes are due to be implemented from April 2018, just two months from the conclusion of the consultation period.

Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of ADBA, said: “Whilst ADBA supports the need for a wellresourced, effective regulator, the proposed increases in the Strategic Review of Charges are extremely steep and their implementation date of April 2018 will be very challenging for AD operators to meet. As a matter of priority,

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we urge the EA to consider extending this implementation date or, as a minimum, adopt a phased approach, allowing both themselves and the industry to be fully prepared for any changes.

“AD operators are already under increased financial pressure and even small cost increases will result in greater strain and could have a detrimental impact. Should the proposals lead to reduced enthusiasm in investing in the industry or limit operators’ ability to invest in their operations, this could be detrimental to the environment and to AD’s ability to meet vital policy goals.”

ADBA’s comments come after it submitted its response to the consultation last week.

The EA’s consultation was published shortly before ADBA launched the new AD Certification Scheme, an industry-led initiative designed to support the AD industry to improve its operational, environmental, and health and safety performance, in December 2017. The

scheme gives AD operators the opportunity to demonstrate good practice in the running of their plants and has been welcomed by the EA, who called it ‘a positive intervention by the industry to improve performance in the anaerobic digestion sector’.

Ms Morton added: “We are working closely with the EA on our new AD Certification Scheme, which we believe will improve the AD industry’s performance and justify reductions in annual subsistence fees for certified operators. Many of the scheme criteria are similar to those included in EA site audits, and this presents an opportunity to reduce the EA’s regulatory effort. We look forward to working with the EA to monitor the scheme’s impact and secure regulatory benefits for certified operators through ‘earned recognition’.”

Granville Ecopark becomes first UK AD plant certified under new performance scheme Granville Ecopark, an award-winning enhanced anaerobic digestion (AD) facility based in Northern Ireland, has become the first AD plant in the UK to achieve certification under the recently launched AD Certification Scheme (ADCS), an industry-led initiative that recognises good operational, environmental, and health and safety performance at AD plants. he scheme was launched just six weeks ago at the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association’s ADBA National Conference 2017 following a successful pilot earlier in the year involving three different AD plants. The ADCS has been developed in collaboration with a range of industry stakeholders including regulators, insurers, investors, and operators and is managed by ADBA, the UK’s trade body for AD. Granville Ecopark is the largest AD facility in Ireland taking only food waste as a resource and has capacity to export 4.8 MWe of renewable electricity onto Northern Ireland’s local grid. Recent expansion now allows the plant to clean up excess biogas into biomethane, which is being transported all over Northern Ireland to power CHP engines and create renewable heat and electricity for its customers.

David McKee, Technical Director at Granville Ecopark, said: “We are delighted to be the first UK AD plant certified under this new scheme. It gives us the confidence that we are attaining the highest standards within the industry and will drive us forward to remain at the top. We hope that others will now follow in our footsteps and apply for certification to help boost their

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environmental credentials and further highlight how important the AD industry is for the future of renewable energy throughout the UK.” Nick Johnn, Director at Aardvark Certification Limited, the ADCS’s official certification body, said: “We’re delighted to announce Granville Ecopark as the first AD plant to be certified under the ADCS. Aardvark was proud to be appointed as the first and currently only certification body for the scheme, which we see as vital to assuring performance and raising standards in what is such an important industry.

It was great to receive Granville Ecopark’s application so soon after the ADCS was launched at the ADBA National Conference 2017 back in December, and this will hopefully be the first of many applications. We look forward to working with many more AD plants who are looking to demonstrate that they are meeting high operational, environmental, and health and safety standards.”

Charlotte Morton, ADBA Chief Executive, said: “To have the first plant certified under the ADCS just six weeks after the scheme was launched is hugely encouraging and shows the support within the AD industry for raising its performance across the board and recognising good practice in running plants. ADBA will continue to speak to AD operators about the

many benefits of the ADCS both for operators themselves and for the wider industry, including increased support from politicians, regulators, insurers, and investors.”

In September 2017 Granville Ecopark also became the first AD plant to obtain a Prosperity Agreement with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency whereby the two parties have pledged to work together to develop innovative solutions to maximise energy production and work with the community to deliver environmental initiatives. Amidst this success Granville Ecopark has also been recognised as Market Development leaders with a prestigious award from Sustainable Ireland for its work in food waste and the circular economy.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 29

| Muck & Slurry

New rear discharge spreader from Harry West (Prees) Ltd Harry West machinery are introducing their new “Maelstrom”8 rear discharge spreaders. he Maelstrom unit incorporates the new “Y” shape body giving additional volume but allowing a low loading height of 1.95m. This allows for a wider loading access of 1.9m and 4.5m long allowing for quick and easy fill with any material handler.

The low height design gives good stability on uneven ground.

The rear spreader benefits from the care and attention giving to all West machines in its design and construction. The twin vertical beaters fitted with specially designed blades spinning at 400 rpm offer an even and consistent spread pattern and handles all types of manure, waste and are driven by new highly rated

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gearboxes. This coupled with two 14mm hardened chain drives rated to 65ton strain and pad less connectors connecting the bars to the chain ensures a long and productive life.

LED lights are fitted as standard as well as wide angle p.t.o. which is driven through a slip clutch unit giving additional protection to the machine.

The optional extras • In cab electrical controls for the bed speed • Slurry door with light protectors • Mud guards

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| Fencing

New gate announced Calders and Grandidge, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of pressure treated timber products and handcrafted gates has announced it will be expanding its range with the addition of the new Aintree Gate. he company, which prides itself on producing unique hand crafted gates treated to the highest specification, is able to offer the gate in AC500 or Creosote treatments.

“We are thrilled to release the Aintree Gate and expand our product offering to the trade and feel the Aintree gate fully showcases our core qualities and manufacturing expertise”, said National Sales Manager Mike Lisney. “Our passion and dedication to manufacturing a range of high quality gates is already well known and it has been an honour to be able to design alongside our production team and produce a gate of this high quality and finish.”

Calders and Grandidge have been producing hand-crafted gates for the UK and European market for decades to a consistent quality standard. The gates are designed so they are equally

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Tornado Wire – if you know fencing, you know the difference Like its customers – all over the UK and beyond – Tornado knows the difference between a good fencing job and a bad one. It knows what is required to make a fence that will actually do the job that’s needed (to the exacting demands of the most knowledgeable farmers), rather than cutting corners.

suited for access into drive ways or for equine and agricultural usage in yard and field environments. Calders and Grandidge continue to produce all their high quality products from their large manufacturing facility in Boston, Lincolnshire.

To learn more about the Aintree gate, or any of the other Calders and Grandidge products, please contact the Sales Office on 01205 358866 or send an email to enquiries@caldersandgrandidge.c om asking for details on this or any enquiry you may have or alternatively visit the website at www.caldersandgrandidge.com

ith so many different areas of investment to consider and manage, great value fencing is always important to farmers; being highly aware of this, Tornado works tirelessly to manage and reduce costs in manufacturing and logistics processes, ensuring that it provides the right products at competitive prices.

Tornado strongly believes in understanding the intricacies of the agricultural fencing market; having the capability to produce and supply products to meet all its customers’ needs is key to the Tornado approach. The company believes it has the best products and, with distribution centres in both England and Scotland, it also has the capability to supply rapidly, even at the busiest times of year.

Tornado invests the time to listen to what its customers want through its dialogue with farmers and its professional fencers’ network, using focus groups, social media and other tools.

Stock availability is a key issue; particularly when farmers are working on projects subject to unpredictable weather windows.

Tornado is constantly developing its capability to service growing demand, as demonstrated by recent investments at its manufacturing site in Millom, Cumbria. Major upgrades have resulted in greatly increased

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production and storage capacity, ensuring that Tornado is fully prepared to meet the demand during the upcoming peak season.

Tornado is different from other manufacturers – a direct result of its background in fencing and the understanding and culture that this has created. Tornado’s Managing Director was himself a fencing contractor 36 years ago, so the needs of the industry and of customers have always been an integral part of the company philosophy.

With new products, digital tools and investment in manufacturing and stockholding capability, as well as taking the time to talk to its customers, Tornado demonstrates that it knows the difference that its customers are looking for. The company understands livestock fencing and it understands the needs of its customers.

“We are a market leader in our sector,” says Paul Harris, Sales & Marketing Director, “but we understand that we do not have that position as of right – we have earned it and we have to keep on earning it. We have to invest in product and distribution, we have to keep talking to our customers.

We have to demonstrate our capability to meet their demands, because we understand that their trust in us, and the relationship we have with our customer base, is only strong because we can demonstrate that we know the difference, as they do, between a good fencing job and a poor one.”

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 31

| Sheep & Lambing

Spaldings Limited Lincoln, Lincolnshire T: 01522 507500 www.spaldings.co.uk

World of Power Buxton, Derbyshire T: 01298 213101 www.worldofpower.co.uk

Lakedale Power Tools Croydon, Dartford & London T: 020 8683 0550 www.lakedalepowertools.co.uk

Ermin Plant (Hire & Services) Ltd Gloucester, Gloucestershire T: 01452 526616 www.erminplant.co.uk

Charles H Hill Ltd Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire T: 01526 388281 www.charleshhill.co.uk

Mawsley Machinery Brixworth, Northampton T: 01604 880621 https://mawsley.stihl-dealer.co.uk

DM Chainsaws Arundel, West Sussex T: 01243 554065 www.dmchainsaws.co.uk

Davenport Western Yeovil, Somerset T: 01935 425311 www.davenportsaws.co.uk

32 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

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| Forestry

Free demo set to unlock potential for making smaller woodlands more productive Estate managers, agents, forestry contractors and farmers are being invited to a free demonstration in North Yorkshire which will provide valuable information for the timber management of small woods. he small-scale harvesting and extraction demonstration will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm at Bolton Abbey, near Skipton, on Friday, March 23.

The event, to be held in Westy Bank Wood, is being funded and co-organised by the Forestry Commission, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Ben Scotting, Project Manager for Yorwoods, the Woodland Initiative for Yorkshire and the Humber, explained: “A feature of the English landscape is the small woodlands of various types scattered widely over the countryside. A significant proportion of this resource is not in planned management. In 2011, the Forestry Commission estimated that almost 500,000ha, or around 45% of the total woodland area in England, is un-

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or under-managed.

“The 'smallness’ of these woodlands is part of the reason for this lack of management. Forest

structure and economics have favoured bigger machinery. Ideally smaller-scale equipment needs to have: • A low capital cost (minimising investment) • Low transportation costs and overheads • High manoeuvrability • Ability to access un- or undermanaged woodlands • Flexibility to deal with different material sizes • Potential compatibility with agricultural equipment “Exhibitors will be showing a range of smaller-scale equipment and techniques to unlock the potential of farm or small woodlands. It will help attendees to see how they can get the most out of their woodlands, give advice about small woodland produce, including woodfuel, and consider

how low-impact, silvicultural interventions may help make smaller woodlands more productive.”

“A feature of the English landscape is the small woodlands of various types scattered widely over the countryside” Those interested in attending – meeting point details will be provided - are asked to book in advance by contacting Yorwoods/Rural Development Initiatives on 01765 609355 for more information, or e-mail Erica Spencer at erica.spencer@ruraldevelopment. org.uk

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 33

| LAMMA

LAMMA show cut short after successful first day This year's LAMMA show was on track to be the most successful yet until the weather took a turn for the worse, leading to the suspension of the second day. he show was scheduled to take place on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th January and opened on a crisp and sunny morning.

However, the weather changed dramatically overnight and violent winds battered the site before daybreak of the second morning, leaving event organiser AgriBriefing (previously Briefing Media) no option but to cancel the rest of the show.

Many exhibitors reported an excellent first day, when visitor numbers appeared to be heading for a new high.

Positive noises coming from the government about its plans for a post-Brexit agricultural policy and the improved livestock and arable commodity prices that followed the Brexit vote helped create the buoyant mood.

Many of the 900 exhibitors reported busy stands and serious interest in their wares from key decision makers across a wide range of farm businesses.

Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, group head of events of AgriBriefing, which owns the LAMMA show, said: "There was a real buzz in the air on the first day of LAMMA '18. Everything about the show felt positive, it was busy and noisy and had all the makings of an extremely successful event.

"Exhibitors large and small used the event to launch hundreds of new products, underlining LAMMA's reputation as a launchpad for all types of machinery and equipment. “We were all set for a fond farewell to Peterborough with over 20,000 visitors on site on Wednesday, and the feedback we've had from a number of exhibitors is that it was the best day in LAMMA's history.�

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34 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

Storm damage However, the organisers were left with no option but to suspend the second day due to the extensive damage caused by the storm in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Mrs Mork-Eidem said: "The decision to cancel was not taken lightly and the team is devastated as they work extremely hard all year to make LAMMA the fantastic event it is.

"However, it was made based on the advice of our health and safety team, our contractors and the operational team. When I arrived on site at around 5am, the storm had already got hold and ripped open a number of the larger marquee structures.

"At the peak we recorded gusts over 65 mph on site. When the wind subsided, and it was safe to do so, we sent out the contractors to assess the structural integrity of the various structures.

"Following that and as it started to get light, we sent out our stewards to assess the internal damage. Based on the information we got back, we then made that call to suspend the second day of the show."

Mrs Mork-Eidem said: "There was structural damage to some of the smaller stand marquees together with extensive damage internally in a number of halls and also outside.

This included the shell scheme collapsing, twisted metal, broken glass and stands that were half collapsed, with the potential of falling further when moved.

"We did get and assessed timelines for making the site safe, but in reality this would have taken too long," she added. "Due to the nature of the showground, it is not possible to open to the public as long as any area is unsafe and we were left with no choice."

All access to the site was suspended, including the car parks as the organisers would not have been able to provide the necessary welfare provisions for additional people, said Mrs Mork-Eidem.

"It would have been impossible to ensure visitors stayed in their vehicles and away from the site. As we said last Thursday, our main focus was to keep people safe.

"We did unfortunately have one serious casualty in the early hours of the storm. The individual is in hospital and should make a full recovery and our well wishes goes out to him and his family."

Mrs Mork-Eidem said she fully understood how testing it was for exhibitors, visitors, contractors and staff alike, and greatly appreciated the understanding shown and the help in getting everyone off site safely.

"We're also very grateful for the numerous messages of support we've received since Thursday, which have meant so much to the extended LAMMA team of stewards, contractors, traffic managers, security and health and safety officers; for whom this has been a very challenging few days."

Next year's event moves to the NEC, which, as well as remaining free to visit (both in terms of entry and car parking) should protect against weather like that experienced on Thursday, said Mrs Mork-Eidem.

"Curtailing the show last week was heart breaking for everyone. We are now focusing all our resources and working closely with the NEC team to make sure we continue to deliver a great LAMMA in 2019."

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| LAMMA

Bridgestone launches VX-TRACTOR tyre at LAMMA Bridgestone, the world’s number one tyre and rubber company, has been turning heads as well as soil after taking the wraps off its eagerly anticipated VX-TRACTOR tyre, which will complement its range of premium agricultural products. he tyre got its first UK outing at LAMMA 2018, the popular farm machinery equipment show, which has been taking place in Peterborough on January 17.

Comprehensively designed and tested at Bridgestone’s European Technical Centre facility in Italy and produced at Bridgestone’s European agricultural ‘manufacturing excellence’ Puente San Miguel plant, the VX-TRACTOR is built to work hard both in the field and on the road, even under heavy payloads.

It is constructed from robust casings with extra-deep and extra-long lugs, ensuring outstanding traction and extremely long wear life. This means that farmers can go further and get more done, time and time again.

Developed for tractors of 100bhp and above, the VX-TRACTOR will be available in 38 and 42inch rear sizes as well as 24 to 34-inch front wheel sizes.

Not only was the new VX-TRACTOR a headline attraction, but a selection of Bridgestone’s ever-popular agricultural tyres also sat alongside. Bridgestone presented the VT-TRACTOR tyre in partnership with New Holland and its latest T7 315 HD Tractor.

The VT Tractor provides farmers a solution to protect their most precious resource : fertile soil. The benefits from its "Very High Flexion" (VF) technology allows the tyre to operate at low air pressure, due to the special tyre

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construction in combination with a revised tread design. This is up to 0.4 bar below tyres using standard technology. The lesser soil compaction will increase soil living organisms, fertility and the efficiency of crop protection products.

Bridgestone’s Agricultural Product Manager Steve Hewitt said: “It was great to unveil the VX-

TRACTOR and communicate the many virtues of the product.

“LAMMA gave us the perfect opportunity to present our selection of premium agricultural solutions direct to those who will benefit most.

We see the VX-TRACTOR as an ideal original equipment product for a host of tractor manufacturers.”

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 35

| LAMMA

Keith Mount Liming Phieldtek soil sampler

Innovative machinery and equipment celebrated at LAMMA ’18 Innovative machines and equipment that offer significant practical benefits to farmers and operators are always plentiful at the LAMMA show, which made the judging of this year’s LAMMA Innovation Awards as difficult as ever. ver 80 entries were put forward, reflecting the depth and breadth of innovation for which the agricultural sector is renowned.

The awards, sponsored by Firma Foreign Exchange, are open to new products exhibited at the event. The competition is split into five categories, judged on best product or innovation.

Crop production equipment – tractors, all field machinery and crop drying, storage and handling equipment.

Livestock equipment – livestock feeding and handling equipment, dairy machinery, milling and mixing and fencing equipment.

Technological – covering the use of new technology, electronics, robotics and GPS. Environmental – the new product or innovation which has the most impact on the environment.

Farm Machinery and Equipment Innovation Award, in association with Farmers Guardian.

The shortlist was judged by a panel of 10 experts, led by chairman Chris Rothery, on the first morning of the LAMMA show (17 January), which was held at the East of England Showground, Peterborough.

The panel was aided by four students from the West Midlands, selected by the West Midlands branch of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

The winners were announced at a packed award ceremony later in

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the day.

Mr Rothery was delighted with the numbers of entries. “We had a very good response again this year, over 80, which we believe is a record.

“The standard was very high, as we have come to expect, with some very interesting ideas and concepts that are likely to be of significant practical value to farmers.

“We look forward to even more companies taking part next year, when we plan to introduce one or two more categories.

“The industry has a lot to shout about and we think this is a fantastic competition. All entrants benefit from an unparalleled opportunity to gain free promotion for their new products.”

The winners were as follows: Crop production equipment (The Loven Cup) – Halse South West Entry: Halse South West, importer of machinery from Spanish manufacturer Ovlac, won this category with Ovlac’s Reptill, a multi-purpose short disc harrow designed to reduce the number of inter-row cultivations in vineyards.

The machine consists of two gangs of discs, between which are mounted a row of de-compacting, height-adjustable tines. It can cut roots and mulch while eradicating pans and improving drainage in one pass. An optional hydraulic headland frame lift for narrow headlands lifts the rear of the machine vertically towards the tractor.

Judges’ comments: The

36 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

winning machine has multiple function lift mechanism for tight headland turns and tines for root cutting and compaction relief.

Livestock equipment (Anne Armstrong Trophy) – Wessex international Entry: The Wessex BFR-180 is a

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| LAMMA modular feeding and bedding system that can be a configured as a bale feeder, a straw spreader and bale feeder combination or a bale feeder with an extension chute.

It can feed round bales of hay, haylage, straw and silage from either side with ease. With the Crossfire straw spreader attached, bedding and feeding tasks can be undertaken with the same machine, bedding from one side and feed off the other. The Wessex Sidewinder extension conveyor attaches to the BFR-180 for high level feeding.

Judges’ comments: Judges said that this product deserved to win first place for its wellengineered modular straw handling system and innovative features.

Technological (LAMMA trophy) – Alltech & Keenan Entry: InTouch is a live nutrition service providing real-time diet support, providing a loading sequence and mixing process to generate consistent, accurate and optimum diet presentation.

InTouch enables rapid ration production, intake and production monitoring and control of feed and fuel costs.

InTouch has collected data on more than 1.3 million cows from nearly 10,000 farms in 25 countries. The new InTouch controller and Application has an

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enhanced display, an increased communication platform with Wi-Fi link, Bluetooth and 3G Connectivity, enabling instant transfer ration updates and loading reports between the InTouch Centre and farm. Its programmable rations facility can store up to 100+ rations and groups.

Judges’ comments: The judges said that the machine has benefits for both the operator and the livestock, with potential to save on feed bill and livestock monitoring.

Environmental (The IAgrE Ivel Award): Mzuri Pro-Til Entry: Mzuri’s Pro-Til 3T Xzact combines a striptill drill and a precision seeder in just one piece of equipment, capable of sowing into all types of arable and precision crops in a single pass.

The patented Xzact precision metering system is an optional extra that can be fitted to most ProTil strip till drills to provide nonstop precision seeding. The drill can just as easily be converted back into a standard Pro-Til striptill drill for crops such as wheat, oilseed rape and beans.

Judges’ comments: The product has, precision drilling concept added to a versatile direct drill, offering significant contribution to the environment.

Farm Machinery and Equipment Innovation Award (Farmers Guardian Trophy) – Keith Mount

Mzuri Pro-Til 3T drill

Liming Ltd Entry: The Phieldtek PCN210 is an on-the-go soil sampling device designed to improve the quality of a PCN soil sample. The machine permits increased sampling intensity, collecting 210 cores of soil/ha rather than the standard 50 cores.

The PCN 210 extracts cores at around 3m intervals. The machine can be towed behind a quad at speeds up to 10mph. A springloaded auger is pushed into the soil to pick up a core. The core is then pushed into a collecting container, before springing back into position for the next sample.

Each 1ha grid can be sampled without stopping.

Judges’ comments: The mechanism to efficiently collect

core samples and speed up the process and collection prior to testing is impressive, providing more accurate samples for potato cyst nematode.

The David Baggaley Trophy – Best new product or innovation at LAMMA 2017 Winner: Mzuri Pro-Till Additional Award presented at LAMMA ’18 The Ray Larrington Memorial Trophy Awarded to the top student on the Level 2 Diploma in Land-based Technology course at Riseholme College, Lincoln.

Winner: Billy Nicholson.

For further information on LAMMA ’18 go to www.lammashow.com

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Irrigation

Lots of uncertainties in managing water for food Not only are there uncertainties with the weather but 2018 brings many changes in the way water resources will be managed in the future. Just how this will affect abstractors is not yet clear. But the changes will be profound and so farmers must engage with this process if it is to benefit them. his is the theme of the UK Irrigation Association Spring Conference on 28 February in Peterborough.

New regulations are now in force which bring exempt abstractions, such as drip irrigation, into the licensing system, and Defra has now published a plan which sets out how government will seek to reform water abstraction management over the coming years and how this will protect the environment and improve access to water.

The main message in Defra’s plan is about changes in future water management. A catchmentbased approach is proposed (CaBA) with existing local organisations taking responsibility for water management and solving local water management problems. In 2011, Defra introduced CaBA essentially to improve water quality through better land management in line with the requirements of the WFD. Defra now want to strengthen this

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by enabling catchment groups, such as The Rivers Trust, to take on a more central role in managing catchments and developing local solutions to local water availability issues.

So how does this affect abstractors? At the UKIA conference, Paul Hickey, Head of Water Resources at the Environment Agency (EA) will present an overview of the licencing and water management proposals, and Paul Hammett, NFU Water Policy advisor will lead a response with thoughts and concerns from the farming community. But there is lots of room to ask those key questions, such as – What kind of new framework is envisaged for local catchment management? and Who decides who gets what and when, particularly when water is in short supply?

We have presentations from John Adlam, Dover Associates, who brings in the concerns of nursery growers, whose water needs are relatively small but vitally important in terms of

38 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

investment per hectare. As John points out – 24 hours without water can bankrupt a nursery business!

We will also focus on making best use of available water resources looking at the practicalities of irrigation systems and their management. Also, the latest cosmic ray soil moisture monitoring which is described as a ‘game changer’ for managing crop water requirements.

Our special guest this year is Wiehann Steyn from HORTGRO Stellenbosch in South Africa. You may know that Western Cape in the grip of a 3-year drought where the talk in Cape Town is about ‘day zero’ - when the taps are forecast to run dry. This is expected in early April when the city moves into unknown territory. Wiehann, who works with farmers, will describe the impacts of this disastrous drought on the main crops which include fresh fruit, most of which is exported, and some 15% comes into the UK. The effects of this drought will be felt around the world and it is a timely reminder that we in the UK are not immune from droughts in other countries which supply most of our fresh fruit and vegetables, many of whom are already short of water.

This heightens our interest in dealing with drought at home. We experienced agricultural drought conditions earlier in 2017. But as we start 2018, although it seems ‘wet’ at the moment, according the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) the underlying trend across the east and south east continues to be less than average rainfall which has persisted through the summer, autumn, and winter months of 2017. In the south-east groundwater levels are likely to be below normal and river flows likely

to be normal or below normal over the next three months. There is little that can be done to improve groundwater levels but clearly, filling reservoirs, as and when the opportunity arises, is vital to safeguard against short-falls in the coming summer months.

Defra has now published a plan which sets out how government will seek to reform water abstraction management over the coming years and how this will protect the environment and improve access to water.

So perhaps we should listen carefully to Wiehann and learn what we can from the South Africa experience to build more resilience into our water resources so that we can continue to enjoy the food we produce at home as well as from abroad.

To find out more about drought management, Defra’s plans, and what local experts think, come to the UKIA Annual Conference on 28 February 2018 (www.ukia.org for full details).

Melvyn Kay UKIA Exec Secretary

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Irrigation

Mobile device App helps Briggs brings efficiency users of Bauer SmartRain irrigator management organise staff and machines

Efficient system management with accurate, uniform water distribution has always been a primary objective for Briggs Irrigation.

The documentation feature of Bauer’s SmartRain irrigation management system automatically saves water usage records and details of individual irrigator operation based on measurements and information about soil conditions, soil moisture, and the size and shape of different fields. he online data, which can be accessed on an office computer or an App for mobile devices, can be used to optimise water-use management, minimise operating costs and help organise day-today operation of irrigation equipment and staff.

The SmartRain package, available for an initial fee followed by an annual charge, enables users to monitor just one or several of Bauer Rainstar reel-type and Centerstar pivot irrigators, as well as Bauer diesel irrigation pumps.

“By receiving information remotely about the progress of irrigation sessions and any problems that arise, managers can save a lot of time and focus on other tasks safe in the knowledge that their systems are being monitored at all times,” says Adrian Tindall, Bauer UK & Ireland sales manager.

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“On farms with multiple irrigators, the manager can receive status reports from all machines” Bauer’s leading range of reel irrigators extends from the compact Rainstar T Series, which starts with the T32 handling Bauer PE pipe in 65-85mm diameters from 220-350m in length to the fullsize E Series, which tops out with the E55 XL carrying pipe lengths of 560-740m in 125-140mm diameters.

The Centerstar range of pivot irrigators is based on three sizes of fixed or mobile towers with boom configurations of up to eight spans covering 60ha and 150cu m/hr; 14 spans for up to 150ha and 400cu m/hr and 16 spans covering up to 220ha and 600cu m/hr.

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All can be serviced by a diesel irrigation pump from a six-model range equipped with Caprari or Rovatti pumps and FPT Industrial or Deere Power Systems engines.

The SmartRain system requires installation of a solar-powered GPS controller, mounted on the chassis of a Rainstar reel irrigator or the Universal PRO-G control unit on the central tower of a centre-pivot system. Access to the SmartRain internet platform is by personal login from a computer.

The mobile application, which is available for Apple iOS and Android mobile devices, provides remote control access to the irrigators and pumps, and receives SMS or email messages on designated mobile phones.

“On farms with multiple irrigators, the manager can receive status reports from all machines but to avoid information overload, status messaging from particular machines can be sent only to the individual team member looking after them,” explains Adrian Tindall. “That way, operators on the ground get only the information they need; simply knowing which of several irrigators will finish next and when can save a lot of time.”

ontinuous development has led to a range of recent improvements including an easier method of moving booms between runs, extra features designed to make booms easier to operate and the option of advanced remote management systems.

The company’s R46 hosereel mounted boom can now be moved from one run to the next without being folded, saving time in fields without headlands. The boom is carried on the hosereel, alongside and parallel to the tractor, minimizing the width of the overall rig.

Current R46 developments also include a self levelling system, full 360o turntable to allow rotation around obstacles and a hydraulic lift system. This last feature is mainly for the export market where tall crops are more likely to be irrigated.

Briggs Irrigation has also made it easier for farmers and growers to manage irrigation systems remotely. Using the Raindancer GPS tracking system, operators can see the status of different

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machines on a Smartphone or PC. They can also monitor progress, water pressure, estimated completion time and take control if there is a problem. The system records irrigation data and as it is GPS based, it provides added security for remote farm equipment.

The system comprises a GPS solar module with a pressure sensor and the operating software.

The module is attached to the boom or raingun. By overlaying the colour coded irrigation runs on the satellite image of the farm, the activity of each unit is shown in real time. The unit continues to work at night, sending a signal at regular intervals.

Briggs Irrigation Director Adrian Colwill said: “Farmers cannot afford to waste water and need to operate their irrigation systems as efficiently as possible. The Raindancer not only shows the status of each machine, it sends a text message when the irrigator stops moving, the pressure falls below a preset range or a critical area is reached, such as roads or railways.”

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Machinery

Case IH expands low weight, high horsepower Optum tractor line with addition of third model Optum 250 CVX joins existing Optum 270 CVX and Optum 300 CVX tractors / Addition of entry-level 250hp machine forms complete three-model range from 250 to 300hp / Produces a maximum power output of 273hp / Supplied as standard with CVXDrive continuously-variable transmission. ase IH’s line of Optum tractors, based on a high power, low weight design that can be ballasted where required, is to be expanded with the addition of a third model at the base of the range. The new Optum 250 CVX tractor, with a rated power output of 250hp and a maximum figure of 273hp, joins the existing Optum 270 CVX and Optum 300 CVX models also built in St Valentin, Austria, and is available with a number of optional features designed to create a competitive package in terms of features and performance, yet serve as an attractive entry level model for the Optum range.

The new model has been introduced in response to a growing demand for the Optum range’s combination of 250-300hp power output, high payload and compact dimensions, and it benefits from the same 2,995mm wheelbase as other models in the range. Optum tractors are built around a design that can be operated unballasted for jobs where high power yet low weight are required, such as mowing, or weighted for tasks requiring higher levels of tractive performance, such as primary cultivations.

Like the two larger models, the Optum 250 CVX is built around a heavy-duty front axle and a structural engine oil sump for the 6.7-litre FPT Hi-eSCR Stage IV sixcylinder engine, the same turbocharged and intercooled unit

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already proven in the existing Optum models. Fuel-saving features include an idle speed management system, which reduces engine speed from 850rpm to 650rpm if the tractor remains still without moving for two minutes. Fuel tank capacity is 410 litres, and on the options list are anti-lock braking (ABS) and an engine braking system. The latter works in combination with a

variable-pitch fan to create a unique solution in the tractor industry to the requirement for high braking efficiency, providing up to 149kW of braking power to help rapidly reduce tractor speed and stop the vehicle as quickly and efficiently as possible.

At the rear, the Optum 250 CVX is equipped with a Category IIIN linkage capable of lifting a maximum 11,058kg, with a figure

of 10,305kg throughout the lift range. Hydraulic requirements are taken care of by a 165 litre/minute pressure flow compensating pump. Maximum rear tyre size is 2.05m.

Massey Ferguson awarded innovation prize at Italy’s Fieragricola Show Silver Leaf for MF 3700 specialist tractors. assey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO has added further to its trophy cabinet with the award of a Silver Leaf for its new MF 3700 tractors in the Innovation Awards presented at Italy’s Fieragricola Show for agricultural technologies.

These brand-new MF 3700 specialist tractors are aimed at vineyard, fruit, orchard and hill farmers. The prize was awarded by the expert jury for the machine’s front-axle suspension and new multi-function hydraulic joystick which groups the clutch, transmission and implement functions into one easy control.

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The Fieragricola Innovation Awards 2018 (Premio Innovazione 2018) are staged by Veronafiere, the show’s organisers, in collaboration with L’Edizioni L’Informatore Agrario, a key publisher of agricultural magazines. In selecting the award- winners, the expert jury considers innovation and originality, the impact on environmental and economic sustainability, product quality improvement and product functionality.

“We are thrilled to receive a Silver Leaf award,” says Gianluca Gherardi, Massey Ferguson National Sales Manager, Italy.

“With models dedicated to each

specialist farming category, the new MF 3700 Series features top quality, straightforward machines, providing high performance, superb fuel efficiency, extreme comfort and versatility.”

With widths extending across the line-up from 1.0m to 2.2m, the new 75-105hp MF 3700 Series features five ranges: V (Vineyard), S (Special), F (Fruit), GE (Ground Effect - low profile) and the WF (Wide Fruit). The Wide Fruit version is a brand-new model with a wider chassis for greater stability, making it also ideal for hillside vineyards and livestock farms with sloping fields The MF 3700 Series was also a Finalist in the Tractor of the Year 2018 Awards.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

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February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Machinery

Pirtek Cambridge Tel: 01223 835222 Pirtek Derby Tel: 01332 205000 Pirtek Harlow Tel: 01279 427300 42 | Farming Monthly | February 2018

Pirtek Luton Pirtek Penrith Pirtek Preston

Tel: 01582 597050 Tel: 01768 210055 Tel: 01772 620111 www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Introducing the new Honda EU22i inverter generator Power up by 10 per cent over EU20i which it replaces.

icking off 2018 for Honda (UK) is the launch of the new EU22i, successor to the best-selling EU20i from Honda’s portable inverter generator range.

Offering a 10 per cent increase in power, plus a range of enhancements to make it more durable and user friendly, it still remains as quiet and almost identical in size and weight to the EU20i which it replaces. The EU22i is available to buy now with the price remaining competitive at £1,249 (incl. VAT) – the same as the outgoing model.

The new EU22i retains the advanced technologies for which the original is renowned since its introduction in 2001, using inverter technology to offer electricity clean and stable enough to charge sophisticated devices including laptops, tablets and mobiles, while strong and powerful enough to handle more demanding equipment or act as a back-up.

Honda’s revered Eco-throttle mode also remains a feature of the EU22i - constantly adjusting engine speed to precisely match electrical output with load – saving fuel, reducing operating noise and extending engine life when maximum output isn’t needed. The ability to seamlessly link the unit to another for extra power through parallel operation is also

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still possible.

Maximum power output is up by 10 per cent to 2.2kW thanks to the all-new four-stroke Honda GXR120 (120cc) engine, operating at a lower speed to the GX100 (100cc) featured in the EU20i, with operating noise a quiet 91db (A), improving fuel economy and increasing operating time up to 8.1 hours on one fill. The new engine also offers improved handling of varying load demand, with faster speed recovery when load increases, and cleaner combustion which meets stringent Euro5 emissions standards.

Despite the increase in power and capability, the EU22i retains the same dimensions and almost the same weight as the outgoing model.

Dry weight is 21.1kg, a negligible 400 grams up on the original, and with a full tank of fuel just 24.2kg – the same as that of the EU20i. At just 509cm(L) x 290cm(W) and 425cm(H), the lightweight EU22i remains truly portable, with a large carry handle allowing easy handling by one person.

Honda’s trademark durability, reliability and ease-of-use which runs through all of its’ products is further ensured through a range of enhancements. A new fuel valve arrangement prevents fuel going stale during extended periods of storage by allowing the fuel supply

to be switched off while the engine is running until all fuel in the carburetor is consumed and the engine stops. Draining the engine in this way before storage ensures no problems and easier starting when it’s time for the EU22i to be filled with fresh fuel and get back to work.

Engine oil changing and filling is also easier and cleaner than before, with less chance of spillage, thanks to an extended rubber channel to contain oil while emptying the sump, and a larger diameter filler opening to simplify top-ups and allow direct filling from a can. Durability enhancements to the recoil starter housing offer improved resistance to wear and damage.

The new EU22i comes with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty for leisure customers and one- year for professional users, Check out www.honda.co.uk/eu22 for further information and information on where to buy one.

Follow @HondaUKPower on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date with all the latest news on Honda’s power products.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Machinery

Kubota highlighting its First TORION sold ongoing commitment to UK agricultural industry

CLAAS UK are delighted to announce the sale of the first TORION wheel loader to be retailed in the UK, which was confirmed on the first day of the LAMMA Show on 17th January.

Tractor manufacturer showcasing a host of exciting new solutions including the UK debut of its M7002 Series. ubota will be demonstrating its continued commitment and investment in becoming a global major brand in the agricultural industry and what this means for the UK market at LAMMA 2018.

The machinery manufacturer will be showcasing its complete range of high performance and innovative agricultural solutions at the show on Stand R10, with its new flagship M7002 Series (up to 170hp) taking centre stage to make its UK show debut. Kubota’s stand will also feature its popular M5001 Series MGX-III tractors and an exclusive UK show preview of the M5001 (Narrow) tractors.

Kubota’s new orange implements will also be on display.

Visitors to Kubota UK’s stand will have the opportunity to find out more about Kubota Farm Solutions, the company’s unique solution that offers farmers and contractors complete aftersales support and servicing, along with unrivalled Kubota finance options.

Rob Edwards, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Agriculture Division, said: “We are very excited to introduce the new M7002 Series to the UK market and for farmers to get a closer look at its enhanced performance capabilities. The introduction of this new range is yet another example of our continued investment into the agricultural industry and our ambitious growth plans as a business.

“We constantly want to bring

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solutions to market that add value to our customer’s farming operations, not only through product innovation but also the aftersales services we offer.

Kubota Farm Solutions gives our customers the confidence that we are there to support them every step of the way, from sales and finance options, right through to aftersales support and advice.”

Kubota UK’s expert team and representatives from the company’s extensive independent dealer network, including George Browns Limited, Arthur Ibbett Ltd, Ireland’s Farm Machinery Ltd, K Farm Machinery Ltd and N Richardson Ltd, will be on-stand to help visitors at the show.

Back by popular demand and returning for 2018 will be Kubota’s green screen photo booth, which saw thousands of visitors queue up last year to have their pictures taken as an event souvenir. Kubota will also be carrying out a number of live social media Q&A sessions and product walk around videos during the event to support its ever increasing social community.

In addition to Kubota’s agricultural solutions, the company’s high performance groundcare products will be showcased on stand R41, giving visitors the chance to see the latest innovations in the turf care market, including a brand new range of compact tractors and zero-turn ride-on mowers.

Kubota’s world class industrial diesel and dual fuel engines will also feature on the Mitchell Powersystems stand (104).

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aunched at Agritechnica and making its UK debut at LAMMA, the new top-of-therange TORION 1914 has been bought by Metcalfe Farms, based at Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

Metcalfe Farms are long established customers of CLAAS Eastern at Sinderby, and operate a fleet of CLAAS JAGUAR forage harvesters and LEXION combines in their farming and contracting business.

The company has been operating wheel loaders for 33 years, and has made the decision to change brand and invest in the new CLAAS TORION, partly due to the high level of customer service and support they receive from CLAAS Eastern, but to also benefit from the higher capacity the TORION 1914 provides, combined with lower ownership costs.

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The TORION range comprises a total of seven models, in three body sizes, with tipping load capacities ranging from 12.4 tonnes for the TORION 1914 to 3.45 tonnes with the smallest TORION 535.

The TORION is the first wheel loader designed specifically for agricultural use and a particular feature of the TORION range is its low operating cost. This is as a result of a combination of high engine torque, peaking at 1433Nm, and the efficiency of the CVT transmission which provides a higher loading capacity. Allied to this is the TORION’s significantly lower maintenance cost, with service intervals of 2,000 hours and the hydraulic system only needing to be checked at 3,000 hours and the oil not changed until 6,000 hours, which is three times longer than any comparable machine on the market.

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| ATV

Sharnford Tractors Ltd Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5EH T: 01455 209300 www.manitou.co.uk

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| ATV

Polaris

Polaris horsepower helps train ‘dog power’ for Finnmarksløpet

Norwegian musher and journalist, 33-year-old Marit Beate Kasin has been using a Polaris RANGER 900 to train her 30 Alaskan huskies ahead of Europe’s longest dog sled race, Finnmarksløpet, which begins on Friday 9 March. his year will mark the fourth consecutive year that Marit will compete in the iconic 1000 kilometer event, an event where Polaris plays a vital role, with event organisation staff using Polaris Snowmobiles and Off-Road vehicles. The winners of the 500 and 1000 class receive a Polaris Sportsman 570 as part of their prize package.

Marit first competed at Finnmarksløpet in 2015 and was awarded ‘Rookie of the Year’. The following year, she won the Norwegian Championship and in 2017 she won a silver medal. In March 2018 she heads to the event with 14 dogs, ready to run for victory. The most important thing, however, is not the finish line, but “the experience and growth we experience along the way.”

Marit started her kennel ‘Vinterdans’ – which translates to ‘Winter Dance’ – in 2008 with eight huskies and participated in shorter races of 100-400 kilometers. Today, it consists of 30 Alaskan huskies – 16 adults and the rest puppies and yearlings.

“Dogs have always been a huge part of my life. They were the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes as a newborn, and I have always had at least one dog. When I was seven years old, I read about Iditarod – the world’s longest sled dog race in Alaska. It made an impression on me and I never forgot about it. That’s how the dream came about. I decided that I wanted to compete in the world’s longest dog races.”

The Polaris RANGER forms a vital part of the training for the dogs – being used around five times a week as part of their regime.

“We build them up gradually, with short runs at slow pace in the beginning of the season. With a Polaris RANGER, I have plenty of space to have my equipment, water and dog food for our trips and I can easily control the training speed between 10-15 kph. The dogs are hooked up two and two together in a long gang line. The Alaskan husky

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Photo credit: Dominik Fleischmann

is a very nice breed to work with; they are athletic, easy learning and social individuals who like to work in a pack. Every time I start the Polaris, the dogs begin to jump and bark.

They love to run and know that the sound of engine means a new training trip.”

During the autumn season, the dogs are trained over 2000 kilometers with the Polaris RANGER before Marit switches to a sled when the snow arrives.

“One of the things I like about the RANGER is that it has steering wheel. It makes the many long trips less strenuous when I can sit relaxed in a seat and use foot pedals and steering wheel. It is also a very strong machine, which easily holds back and slows down 16 crazy huskies.”

Marit has been training intensively for the unique outdoor competition.

“It is long, desolate, extreme,

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tough and beautiful. A challenge that goes on day and night for a whole week, where men and women compete in the same class, against ourselves and nature. I’m very thankful to be able to experience together with my dogs. I have an incredible respect and fascination for the dogs’ performance and athletic potential.

It’s all about the dogs. If I take good care of my four legged friends, they give everything in return; trust, love and performance.”

Finnmarksløpet starts on Friday 9

March and finishes on Saturday 17 March. For more information, visit the website: www.finnmarkslopet.no To read more about Marit, her dogs and stories, she will be launching a new book ‘Vinterdans’.

Alternatively, follow her on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/vinterdans Polaris celebrated rolling the onemillionth RANGER machine off the production line in 2017 – 2018 marks two decades since the utility vehicle was introduced to the sideby-side line-up.

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| ATV

Polaris

Save on a new Polaris with 0% finance As part of a new range of special offers with the promise of great savings in 2018, Polaris is extending its 0% finance offer. nterest-free finance on new Polaris Sportsman ATVs, Ranger 4x4 Utility Vehicles, RZRs and Scramblers (excluding Youth) is now available until 31st March 2018 so it is an excellent time to consider updating an existing model with one of the latest Polaris Ranger UTVs or Sportsman ATVs. “Polaris 4 x 4 vehicles are used for work and leisure around the world,” says Ben Murray, Polaris’ National Sales Manager. “With a Polaris you can take on the challenge of the roughest terrain knowing you have one of the toughest, most durable vehicles available. Now is a very good time to take advantage of the interestfree finance offer, and there are additional offers such as a free roof and rear panel when you buy a new Polaris Ranger Diesel.

Polaris also has one of the widest ranges of accessories available and the 0% finance can include up to £1,000 ex VAT on genuine

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Polaris ATV and UTV accessories.”

The 0% finance scheme, in conjunction with Rural Finance, is available over two years with 2 + 22 monthly payments up to a maximum of 80% of the Recommended Retail Price from January 2018 through to 31st March 2018. It’s available for new Polaris utility ATVs, UTVs, Sport and Leisure (excluding Youth).

Each new Polaris comes with a two year-warranty and CESAR security as standard for peace of mind.

A visit to a Polaris dealer is recommended for full details, any special deals, and to see the extent of the Polaris range and accessories. The availability of the 0% finance through Rural Finance is subject to status; the offers and warranty are subject to terms and conditions.

Available in the UK, excluding the Republic of Ireland. The finance offer ends on 31st March 2018. Polaris Britain 0800 915 6720 www.polaris-britain.com

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| ATV

Kawasaki ATV Kawasaki ATV’s are designed for all-day comfort and durability to assist in everyday tasks.

hether you are tending to animals in rough terrain, repairing a run of fencing or require industry leading power, a Kawasaki ATV will help you get the job done. Available with either a 749cc V-twin or 271cc single-cylinder engine, swing arm or IRS suspensions plus variable limited slip differentials (LSD), the Brute Force range has a vehicle to suit a variety of needs and budgets. All Kawasaki ATV

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vehicles have CVT transmission as standard, contributing to ease of operation and leaving you free to concentrate on the terrain ahead.

Kawasaki Brute Force ATV’s, the choice of professionals.

If you are looking for a compact, affordable and capable ATV, then look no further than the entry-level Brute Force 300. With features you’d expect from a much larger ATV, including CVT transmission, a generous 227kg towing capacity, disk brakes front and rear plus a

water-cooled engine, this vehicle is designed to deliver. The transmission and CVT ratios are tailored for optimum power delivery appropriate for a smaller-displacement ATV. These ratios along with the hydraulically activated triple disc brakes contribute to engine braking, helping you conquer tricky downhill trails. The majority of balanced handling comes from the double wishbone suspension set with 5-way adjustable shocks up front whilst a lightweight, strong steel-tube frame makes the Brute Force 300

For more information, or to view the whole utility range from Kawasaki, visit: www.kawasaki.co.uk For more information Day & Coles Ltd Newton Close, Park Farm Ind. Est. Wellingborough NN8 6UW 01933 673900

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Southam Agri. Services Southam, Warwickshire CV47 2DH 01926 813426 http://southamagri.co.uk

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| ATV

Kawasaki ATV

manoeuvrable and improves stability when cornering.

The Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS is

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designed for high performance off-road riding and boasts industry leading features. The Electronic Power Steering marries a sturdy yet

refined fuel-injected, water cooled, V-twin engine with a 567kg towing ability plus electronically selectable two or four wheel drive.

The speed variable Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and revised steering column assembly contributes to improved handling and makes light work of changing direction on tough terrain. The double wishbone front suspension ensures generous wheel travel and minimal body roll to ensure safety on uneven ground.

Rider control is improved by the specially designed handlebar grips and reduced vibration contributes to everyday comfort.

Adding security, the rear brake can be operated via either the handlebar lever or foot pedal.

Powerful twin, round headlamps cast a broad beam when working in low-light conditions, perfect for those early morning feeds during the winter months.

To find out more about Kawasaki’s ATV Brute Force range, visit the website or contact your local Kawasaki ATV and Mule dealer.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 49

| ATV

Can-Am

Can-Am see what we can offer you with the NFU

BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), the world leader in the design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised utility and recreational vehicles, is to become an official all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and side by side vehicle (SSV) partner for the National Farmers Union (NFU) with its Can-Am brand. nnouncing the new agreement at this year's LAMMA show, the move is part of BRP’s strategy to forge partnerships with relevant organisations to assist in increasing awareness of the powerful, versatile and reliable Can-Am off-road range.

The Can-Am Outlander portfolio is available with engines from 450cc to 1000cc and combines power, reliability and handling to offer a workhorse ATV that can handle multiple terrains and situations with ease.

The Can-Am Traxter line-up available with this offer has been designed by BRP’s engineers to be tough, capable and clever, so that users have a versatile SSV that excels at hauling and towing heavy loads and can handle multiple terrains, from boggy fields to rocky trails with ease.

The agreement will see BRP offer an exclusive deal to eligible NFU members* for its Can-Am Outlander ATV and Can-Am Traxter utility SSV line-up including its exclusive LinQ quick attach accessories range such as rack extenders and bumpers, which have been designed to make jobs more efficient and to be removed with ease.

Both BRP and its Can-Am offroad dealership network as well as NFU will be promoting the

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partnership offer throughout the year.

Ben Coates, NFU Commercial Partnerships manager, says, "We are excited by this partnership and the opportunities it will provide to our members. As an organisation, we are always considering products that will enhance the range of benefits available to our membership, so bringing Can-Am on board because of its pedigree within the utility sector. We are

delighted to be able to announce the launch of this offer to our members at LAMMA 18 and look forward to a fruitful collaboration."

Paul Wood, BRP commercial and network development manager UK and Ireland, adds, “We are always looking at ways to expand the reach of the Can-Am family and we are delighted to be partnering with NFU. This exclusive offer will allow us to showcase to NFU members the

wide variety of models available to them, which have been specifically designed by our engineers to handle multiple terrains with ease and make tasks such as towing and hauling everything from bags of feed to machinery easier and more efficient.” *NFU membership eligibility rules and Terms and Conditions apply. NFU members can visit www.nfuonline.com/can-am or call NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.

Contact your local dealer 158 Performance Unit 1/2 Tallington Services Mail Road, Tallington Lincolnshire PE9 4RN Tel: 01778 341 144 www.158performance.co.uk

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| ATV

Suzuki ATV Save 10% on a new Suzuki with the NFU Suzuki ATV is delighted to announce that eligible NFU members* can now receive a 10% discount on selected Suzuki ATVs to use around the farm.

he Suzuki ATV range features powerful and comfortable utility ATVs suitable for a variety of applications, with the ability to carry and tow heavy loads and help you to rule the land. From the leading KingQuad 750 with a 722cc engine, power steering, independent suspension and a sealed rear brake, to the compact but powerful Ozark 250 with a large towing capacity for its size and a highly efficient, economic engine, the Suzuki range has a variety of models available to suit every element of farm life.

The range also features Suzuki’s unique T-shaped seat and selectable 2 and 4-wheel drive options on selected models, which make the already fuel efficient

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ATVs even better.

This offer is available for eligible NFU members* on the KingQuad 750, KingQuad 500 power steering/non-power steering and Ozark 250 (at participating Suzuki ATV dealers only).

All Suzukis also come with free EASI rider training and a free Suzuki workwear kit consisting of overalls and a bodywarmer worth more than £40, to keep you warm and dry out in the field. They also come with a free CESAR Security System powered by Datatag, giving each ATV a unique ‘fingerprint’ with an identity that cannot be erased. This acts as a powerful deterrent and a tool for recovery should the worst happen – NFU Mutual customers receive 12.5% discount on their ATV premiums when CESAR is installed!

George Cheeseman, Head of Suzuki ATV for GB, said; “We know that a large number of ATV users are NFU members, and we wanted to partner up to offer this great discount on our ATVs. Utility ATVs are an essential part of modern farm life with large areas and tough terrain to conquer.

Suzuki ATVs are well known for being reliable, powerful and comfortable workhorses for the day’s graft, which we know is

invaluable to our customers when out in the field.”

For more information on the NFU Suzuki ATV discount please visit www.nfuonline.com/suzukiatv or call NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458. *NFU Membership eligibility and terms & conditions apply

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 51

| ATV

Honda ATV Half-cab for half-price offer on Honda’s Pioneer is a real winter warmer

Honda (UK) is to offer a genuine Honda ‘Signature’ half-cab for half-price on all new orders of its Pioneer 700 utility vehicle placed between now and the end of March 2018. uaranteed to provide even more protection from the tough winter elements, customers opting for the two-seater 700-2 can add on their premium quality cab for just £853, or £939 for those choosing the four-seater 700-4 model, with professional fitting also included.

Customers looking to spec their go-anywhere workhorse even further can also take advantage of an upgrade offer on genuine Honda hard doors, reduced to just £1,450 for the 700-2 and £1,740 for the 700-4, including fitting. 7002 buyers choosing to add both the half-cab and hard doors options can therefore do so for just £2,303, offering an overall saving of £1,165.

Steve Morris, Head of Honda (UK) Power Products comments: “With so many varied uses across such a wide range of sectors, the Pioneer is purposefully designed to be the definition of flexibility and versatility, with customers able to specify their machine to best meet their requirements. This new year promotion offers exceptional value for those looking to enhance their machine with a premium half-cab and the option to upgrade to hard doors, with the added peace of mind that these are genuine Honda products with our

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trademark durability, quality and reliability to match that of the Pioneer itself assured.”

Introduced to the UK market in early 2017 and developed from the ground up as a pure utility vehicle with the build quality for which every Honda product is revered, the Pioneer is available as a twoseater (700-2) or flexible fourseater (700-4). The Pioneer is built around the powerful and efficient 675-cc fuel-injected, liquid-cooled engine and transmission seen on Honda’s range-topping TRX680 ATV. A three-speed automatic transmission ensures true and reassuring engine braking across even the most demanding terrain, while fully-independent double wishbone front and rear

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suspension deliver superior handling, smooth riding and allday comfort. A 386kg payload capacity tilt bed with a hydraulicassist strut makes light work of heavy lifting and easy unload, even for just one person.

Honda’s half-price cab and door upgrade offers are available on all orders of a new Pioneer 700-2 or 700-4 placed with an authorised

Honda dealer between January 1st and March 31st 2018 inclusive. For further information, please visit www.honda.co.uk/pioneer or contact your local dealer.

Follow @HondaUKPower on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date with all the latest news on Honda’s power products or visit www.honda.co.uk/atv

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| Motors

Range Rover Velar and Jaguar E-Type Zero win at GQ Car Awards 2018 Jaguar Land Rover has won two trophies at the GQ Car of the Year Awards. The luxurious and capable new Range Rover Velar won the ‘Climb Every Mountain in Luxury Award’, while Jaguar’s zero-emissions E-type Zero was named as ‘Best Use of Electricity Since the Lightbulb.’ n March 2017, the Range Rover Velar became the first car to ever be launched and displayed at the London Design Museum. Created with balanced proportions and elegant lines, the Velar brings unprecedented glamour and modernity to the Range Rover family, but without losing the famous go-anywhere ability of every Land Rover.

GQ magazine said of the Range Rover Velar: “That it can cruise effortlessly through any urban landscape is a given, but when called upon, it can also conquer where mountain goats fear to

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tread. We love the new Velar.”

Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover, said:“Our continued evolution is driven by a relentless focus on creating highly desirable vehicles our customers will love for life. The Range Rover Velar brings a new dimension of modernity to the Range Rover family with an abundance of innovative technologies, all making this vehicle a joy to drive and be driven in. We’re honoured that the arbiters of style at GQ have recognised the tireless endeavours of our designers and engineers who have delivered a vehicle with compelling design, tailored technology and relevant innovation which come together to create a

Special Camp Jeep® with preview of the all-new Jeep Wrangler The fifth annual Camp Jeep® event – the once-a-year gathering of the Jeep Owners Group (JOG) and fans of the brand from across Europe – will take place on 1415 July to celebrate the arrival of the all-new Jeep Wrangler. acked with excitement, activities and entertainment, the thrilling two-day event will be a very special occasion as it will

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give Jeep enthusiasts a first chance to get up close to the new generation Wrangler and put it through its paces on challenging off-road routes.

First revealed to the world at the recent Los Angeles Motor Show,

vehicle of instant desirability.”

The Jaguar E-type Zero is a modern reinvention of Jaguar’s most iconic vehicle, fitted with a new zero emissions, all-electric powertrain. Built by Jaguar Land Rover Classic, the E-type Zero boasts an advanced lithium-ion battery pack with the same weight and dimensions as the original car’s XK six-cylinder engine.

Weighing in at around 46kg less than a traditional E-type, the Zero can accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds.

Tim Hannig, Director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “E-type Zero demonstrates Jaguar Land Rover Classic's commitment to future-proofing classic car

the all-new Jeep Wrangler builds on its legendary history to deliver an unmatched combination of offroad capability, a modern design that stays true to the original and a host of advanced technology features.

The second day of Camp Jeep, 15 July, is a particularly important date for the American brand – the anniversary of the signing in 1941 of the agreement to supply the US Army with the unstoppable Willys-Overland MA, regarded as the first Jeep vehicle. Today, the all-new Wrangler picks up that heritage and is writing a new page in the history of the Jeep brand.

ownership. It combines the renowned E-type dynamic experience with enhanced performance through electrification. This unique combination creates a breathtaking driving sensation. We’re delighted that E-type Zero has the approval of the knowledgeable team at British GQ.” The Range Rover Velar is priced from £44,830, and is available to configure now at https://www.landrover.co.uk/buildyour-own/index.html Customer enquiries for Jaguar Classic vehicles should be made using: +44 (0)203 601 1255 or info@classic.jaguar.co.uk

Year after year, Camp Jeep lines up an activity-packed programme for visitors, featuring off-road test drives, theoretical and practical courses held by Jeep Academy, and many other open-air activities. It will be a unique opportunity to meet new people, have fun and live unforgettable adventures. Online registration to the event, location and the complete Camp Jeep programme will be coming soon on the JOG website and on the Jeep social media channels.

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 53

| Motors

Volkswagen celebrates 10 years of Tiguan It was a decade ago that Volkswagen’s first compact SUV went on sale in the United Kingdom. The Tiguan was a step into a new market sector for the German manufacturer, yet through a combination of urban elegance and rugged off-road ability the Tiguan has become a key member of the brand’s product portfolio here. n sale across Volkswagen’s UK Retailer network from January 31 2008, the first generation Tiguan featured exterior styling that echoed that of its bigger brother, the Touareg. Distinctive elements, such as a clamshell bonnet, gave the Tiguan MkI its own character.

The option of an off-road pack meant the model could be tailored to customer needs while the compact exterior dimensions masked generous interior space.

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Tiguan is closing in on its 150,000th sale in the UK The Tiguan was initially offered with a choice of a 150 PS TSI petrol engine or a 140 PS TDI diesel engine. Four trims comprised the range and the car had an infotainment system that included a touchscreen, satellite navigation and MP3 playback.

Tiguan SE models featured the

luxury of a six-CD autochanger.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the original Tiguan’s performance here is that the number of cars sold in the UK climbed ever higher with every passing year. In the model’s final full year on sale, 2015, a total of 21,889 Tiguan MkIs were sold in the UK. That’s nearly 5,000 more than in 2014 and more than 8,000 up on 2013. In total, 102,974 Tiguan MkIs have been sold here.

That impressive sales growth has accelerated with the second generation Tiguan. Last year, 2017, was the most successful in Tiguan’s 10-year history with 29,117 new Tiguans finding homes in the UK. The popularity of this SUV is underpinned by its generous list of standard features, with every model sold here now including key safety systems such as Lane Assist and Front Assist.

Other ubiquitous features in today’s Tiguan include electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, automatic windscreen wipers and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The infotainment system has

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developed significantly in the past decade, too, and all Tiguan’s now include a colour touchscreen of at least 8.0-inches in size. Two mobile smartphones can be paired to the car via Bluetooth, and music can be played from MP3, WMA or AAC files. Or, of course, from a compact disc.

Over the past 10 years Volkswagen has invested extensively in research and development and the results can be seen in the second generation Tiguan. At the top of the Tiguan range is the luxurious SEL and the sporty R-Line models. These include examples of this classleading technology such as Active Info Display: a 12.3-inch highresolution TFT display screen in front of the driver in lieu of traditional analogue instrumentation.

SEL and R-Line versions also include LED headlights with dynamic curve lighting. This turns an element of the Tiguan’s headlight setup so that it lights up the corner the vehicle is approaching. These models

feature a panoramic sunroof and, from SE trim, there is Adaptive Cruise Control that takes the strain out of motorway driving.

Tiguan is closing in on its 150,000th sale in the UK and through the past 10 years it has become established as one of the UK’s favourite SUVs. At the same time Volkswagen’s comprehensive SUV offering has grown around it.

The all-new Tiguan Allspace – launched to UK buyers only this month – has a wheelbase that’s 109 mm longer than the regular Tiguan, and that means a third row of seats can be easily accommodated. This third row of seats can be folded flat, too, opening up a vast luggage area when needed.

Below Tiguan Allspace and Tiguan is the new T-Roc. Launched in the UK at the end of 2017, T-Roc eloquently combines sporty handling with the spaciousness of an SUV. And later this year the luxurious new Touareg will make its world debut.

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| Motors

Award winning D-Max benefits from attractive offers across the range The award-winning Isuzu D-Max benefits from a number of attractive offers across the product range, including the D-Max Eiger, available from just £199 per month (excl.

VAT) on Business Contract Hire. vailable in number of variants, the award-winning DMax offers maximum performance from refined engineering and manufacturing. Equipped with a trusted 1.9L engine, the iconic Isuzu D-Max range benefits from class leading MPG and a reliable reputation.

Perfectly designed for both work and comfort, the Isuzu D-Max Eiger offers high specifications,

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reliability and a range of competitive finance options as standard. With 16” alloy wheels, chrome door mirrors and handles, reversing camera and remote control central locking it really takes the meaning of ‘standard equipment’ to a whole new level.

Isuzu’s D-Max finance offers don’t stop there, with many attractive quotes across the pickup range. Stepping up, the D-Max Yukon is available for just £239 a month (excl. VAT), over 23 months, with an initial rental of

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£2150.91 plus VAT. A punchy engine also benefits the Yukon, and all other D-Max variants, offering 164 PS and 360Nm of torque.

With low running costs, excellent fuel economy and topping the range, the Isuzu DMax Blade is available from just £299 (excl. VAT) per month, allowing you to experience a sleek and dynamic pick up over an affordable two-year period.

As standard, each new vehicle comes with 5 years European

roadside assistance, 125,000 miles or five-year warranty (whichever comes first), and can achieve a combined 40.4MPG, without the need for AdBlue, unlike other pickups in the market.

All offers end on the 31st March 2018 and are available direct through any official Isuzu Dealer in the UK. For more information on offers, finance packages and dealer locations, please visit www.isuzu.co.uk/isuzu-offers

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| Motors

Subaru shrugs industry gimmicks with new campaign Subaru UK has started 2018 with a new and refreshed direction, launching its brand campaign – ‘Better Where It Matters’. artnering with creative agency MullenLowe, the premier campaign strips to the true essence of Subaru, highlighting its core values; Safety, Capability and Reliability. The campaign celebrates the launch of the allnew Subaru XV, which has already collected high profile accolades globally including a Best In Class award for the Euro NCAP 2017 end of year results.

The ‘Better Where It Matters’ campaign showcases the true strengths of the all-new XV to customers and audiences, focusing on what really matters to prospective Subaru customers in today’s day and age. Subaru is renowned for its engineering expertise and quality, traits which

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the ‘Better Where It Matters’ campaign boast throughout its communications.

The campaign spans a number of communications channels, culminating around a strategic media partnership with National Geographic, bringing together a shared audience and active prospective customer base.

Subaru’s Communications Manager, Alexandra Lyons, commented: “Auto advertising all looks and feels the same. The engineering that goes into our cars sets Subaru apart from that style over substance. We don’t have the biggest marketing spend in the car market so we need to outsmart others to win attention, and this work for the XV does just that.”

‘Better Where It Matters’ launched on January 19th, made up of TV, cinema, print and online

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creative and a media partnership with National Geographic. The campaign also sees a new direction for Subaru in the UK, with the campaign complimenting a new business strategy for 2018.

Subaru UK is also pleased to announce that the all-new Subaru XV has been selected as one of the safest cars in the UK, having been highly commended in the Safety category at the 2018 annual What Car? Awards.

The combination of Subaru’s bespoke EyeSight safety technology and the recent 2017 Best In Class accolade from Euro NCAP, aided in the commendation for the all-new XV which went on sale in the UK earlier this year.

EyeSight technology uses cameras to detect the car’s surroundings, highlighting any potential threats, issues or

impending collisions, aiding in a safer drive on and off road. The allnew XV is also praised for its passenger and child safety credentials, topping the findings as the safest car for child occupancy in the 2017 results.

Torbjörn Lillrud, Automotive Development Director Subaru UK, said: “We are delighted the all-new XV has been Highly Commended

by What Car?, Our customers buy our cars because of their safety credentials and EyeSight technology is a part of that reason too. We’re delighted that the XV has got off to such a good start, especially as it’s now in showrooms for customers to test drive.

Visit www.subaru.co.uk or visit your local Subaru dealer for more information.

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www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 61

| Motors

Clive Sutton is first to sell RHD Raptor and all-new Navigator Clive Sutton, one of the UK’s leading specialist and luxury car dealers, has added two remarkable US vehicles to its stock list this week, including the first right-hand-drive conversion of the Ford F-150 Raptor ‘super truck’, and the first example of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator to arrive in the UK. he dealership was the first to offer the F-150 Raptor to the UK market in left-hand-drive guise early last year, and it has now completed the first full conversion to right-hand drive. The steering swap, which is carried out by Sutton Bespoke’s customisation programme, uses precision-sculpted mouldings of interior components, before specialists use a blend of both traditional and modern techniques to ‘mirror’ the dashboard appearance and steering assembly.

The price for the converted right-hand drive F-150 Raptor is £89,000 + VAT for business buyers (£106,800 incl. VAT for private buyers) and the cost for commissioning a conversion of an existing F-150 Raptor is approximately £32,000 + VAT (£38,400 incl. VAT).

Sutton’s team worked for six months to develop a right-hand drive steering rack for the new Raptor, which is an upgraded version of the system in the standard F-150, and carried out

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extensive recalibration. The completed right-hand drive F-150 Raptor is a SuperCab model in Lightning Blue, with rear-hinged coach doors that open to reveal a pillarless cabin aperture. The pickup is equipped with Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, and has been reprogrammed as part of the conversion with full European navigation and radio frequencies Another significant new arrival with Clive Sutton is the first 2018 Lincoln Navigator brought to the UK. The all-new model is a capacious and cossetting sevenseater SUV, with an obsessive focus on comfort for all passengers. It is a step ahead of other US SUV models and is a genuine rival for European domestic brands in terms of quality and dynamics. Powered by a 3.5-litre 450hp V6 petrol engine, the luxury SUV is packed with high-grade features, including PowerFold® captain’s chairs for the second row, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and a hands-free power tailgate. As standard, the Navigator comes with 24-way adjustable, multi-contour heated and ventilated front seats for driver

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and passenger, complete with a ‘thigh extender’ comfort function for each leg position.

The example now available with Clive Sutton features an elegant Black Velvet exterior with Cappuccino Leather interior. It is a high-specification model that includes wireless charging for smartphones and a 20-speaker 1,200-watt sound system, and is priced at £114,950 (incl. VAT).

Clive Sutton is offering the full range of new Lincoln Navigator models to the UK market, including both standard length (5.3 metres) and ‘L’ specification (5.6 metres) vehicles. Prices range from approximately £89,000 to £115,000 (incl. VAT) depending on the model and specification.

Sutton Bespoke will also be

developing a right-hand drive conversion package for the new Navigator during 2018, and anticipates bringing this to market later in the year.

In late 2017, Clive Sutton was officially appointed as UK distributor for high-performance Shelby vehicles. The variety of brand-new Shelby-tuned cars and trucks available for UK clients includes the F-150 Super Snake ‘'street truck’ and the Shelby F-150 off-road truck, both powered by a mighty 5.0-litre supercharged V8 producing 750hp. These new EU production vehicles are now being built for Shelby at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. Clive Sutton will deliver the first brandnew, UK-bound Shelby truck next month.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 63