January 2021 Farming Monthly National

INSIDE: Bauer slurry separation by Mastek page 54

Farming MONTHLY National

January 2021

| News

| Red Tractor logo has never been more important page 14 | Machinery

I Massey Ferguson MF 8S.265 Dyna E-Power Exclusive wins Tractor of the Year 2021

Also inside this month..

page 58

Optimum control of sp routing

PFC features new HayBoss range

New medical niche for British crops?

PLUS: Arable| Grain | Potatoes | Building | H&S |Sheep |Tyres| Livestock| ATV | Motors

Market leading quality with excep�onal compe��ve prices Andrew: 07967 300 578

Mar�n: 07769 992 932

www.pfc-eu.com

2|

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Spirit 400 C/S

Introducing the new Spirit 400C/S The new Spirit 400C/S brings a new level of seeding precision, user-friendly electronics and a high field performance to the 4-metre seed drill segment. The Spirit family is known to provide impressive precision at high working speeds whilst maintaining an even emergence over the entire field.

Learn more about how the new Spirit 400C/S will provide a great start for your crops at vaderstad.com

Where farming starts www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 3

CONTENTS

J a n u a r y 2021

FEATURES 25

44

52

70

20 Arable

46 Livestock

66 Sheep

26 Pests

50 Muck &Slurry

68 Tyres

28 Grain 34 Buildings

REGULARS

38 Health & Safety

06 News

58 Machinery

40 Potatoes

18 On Topic

72 ATV

36 Energy

78 Motors

4|

Farming Monthly | January 2021

84

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

p18 Agriculture. Covered.

EDITOR editor@farmingmonthly.com EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@farmingmonthly.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Shona Beedham s.beedham@farmingmonthly.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jenny Hughes j.hughes@farmingmonthly.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION studio@farmingmonthly.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@farmingmonthly.com ON THE COVER

Massey Ferguson MF 8S.265 Dyna EPower Exclusive

OnTopic: BRILLOPAK MEATS INDUSTRY CHALLENGES WITH UNIPAKER

Subscribe today!

Enjoy your 12 month print subscription direct to your door for just £20!

Call us on 02476 353537 or visit our secure website at www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Available in

PRINT. DIGITAL. APP.

For editorial, general enquiries or to advertise please call +44 (0) 2476 353537 or email sales@farmingmonthly.com Farming Monthly National is published monthly in the UK by Farming Monthly Ltd, Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 Printed in the UK No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

Whilst every attempt is made to ensure accuracy, the opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or publication. The Editor also reserves the right to alter or edit material as required and no responsibility is accepted for inaccuracies.

Full copyright applies. All rights reserved.

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

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 5

| News

Agricultural machinery pioneer, Helmut Claas, dies elmut Claas, long-time Managing Director, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Chairman of the Shareholders' Committee of the CLAAS group, died on January 5 at the age of 94.

H

His death has come as a great shock.

Along with the family and all of the relatives, not only are well over 11,000 employees around the world mourning, but so too is an entire industry which, in Helmut Claas, has lost a significant European business personality.

Helmut Claas was born in 1926 in Harsewinkel. His parents, August and Paula Claas, managed a small agricultural machinery firm with a workforce of around 100. He completed an apprenticeship as a machine fitter after graduating from school. Practical experience followed in metalworking firms, and further practical training in casting. After a complementary study of agriculture in Paris, he took over the planning and establishment of a CLAAS distributor in France, which now operates as CLAAS France SAS. He joined his parents' family firm in Harsewinkel in 1958. Here he applied himself initially to his particular area of expertise, which was engineering.

In 1962 he was made Managing Director.

Helmut Claas accepted the position of Personally Liable Partner when the company was reconstituted as a general partnership in 1978. In 1996, as part of the restructuring of the firm into a jointstock company, he changed from the role of Managing Director to the position of Chairman of both the Supervisory Board and the Shareholders’ Committee.

His special focus was always on developing pioneering products and mass-producing them economically.

During his era, following the success of the combine harvester model DOMINATOR, came the completely new combine harvester construction the LEXION, which is today the most efficient combine harvester in the world. Also, the JAGUAR forage harvester and the large tractor XERION were developed under Helmut Claas, author of the success story.

In 2003 he succeeded in taking an important step towards the company’s future: CLAAS took over the complete tractor business from Renault Agriculture in France. In other respects, too, internationalisation continued to progress with the establishment and expansion of production sites in Russia, the USA and China.

Four internationally renowned universities in Hungary, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Germany 6|

Farming Monthly | January 2021

awarded honorary doctorates (Dr. h. c.) to Helmut Claas. It was in the year 2000 that he received the honorary title of 'Doctor of Agricultural Science' from the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim. It was this university that also made him an Honorary Senator in 2004.

In June 2009 the Goryachkin University in Moscow bestowed an honorary professorship upon him. Also in 2009, Helmut Claas was made a Knight of the French Legion of Honour in recognition of his efforts as a pioneer of FrancoGerman cooperation. In November 2013, Helmut Claas was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame of American Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). An important highlight was the awarding of the Diesel medal by the German Institute of Inventions in 2017.

Personal awards, such as honorary citizenship of his home town of Harsewinkel, Germany, the Medal of Merit of the German state of BadenWürttemberg, as well as the Order of Merit of the French Agriculture Minister, round off his life’s work.

Helmut Claas was first and foremost a farmer. He ran a farm in East Anglia in Great Britain and often stayed there with his wife, Erika. He enjoyed keeping in touch with farmers in the neighbourhood and took a keen interest in issues concerning agricultural firms. He also had a passion for hunting.

And he had long since taken care of the ongoing development of the family business, as the next generation has already taken over the running of the CLAAS Group. Today, consequently, his daughter, Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, manages the decision-making and development of the successful group of companies.

The death of Helmut Claas leaves behind a space in the world of agricultural technology that cannot be filled. His family, all the shareholders, the Group Executive Board, and the staff are mourning the passing of a great personality and will continue to develop the CLAAS Group as he would have wished. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

UK strikes trade deal with EU – NFU response esponding to the announcement that a trade deal has been negotiated between the UK and the EU, NFU President Minette Batters said: "The successful conclusion of a deal between the UK and EU is very positive news for British agriculture. The EU is our largest trading partner and we have been clear throughout negotiations that maintaining tariff-free access to the EU market is absolutely crucial for our food and farming industry, not only for farmers' businesses and livelihoods, but for our ability to continue to provide a secure supply of quality, home-grown food for the nation.

R

"We will now analyse the details of this agreement to ensure it meets the needs of British food and farming. The tariff-free element will be a particular relief for farmers that rely heavily on the EU export market, such as our sheep farmers, as well as farmers across British agriculture that produce the safe, traceable and affordable food that underpins more than £14 billion worth of export sales each year to the EU.

T

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed today that the UK has been granted 'national listed status', which ensures exports to the EU of live animals and products of animal origin such as meat, fish and dairy can continue, providing certainty for a market worth more than £5 billion a year.

The UK's listed status was confirmed by the EU after it met the health and biosecurity assurances required for a third country.

"With only seven days left until the end of the transition period and traders still facing a huge amount of disruption on the ground, I would urge both the UK and EU to now use the basis of this deal to continue talks to manage any disruption we may experience from 1 January."

"It does remain the case though that our relationship with the EU will experience a fundamental change at the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021 and we do anticipate that there will still be disruption to trade at the border. New

UK secures 'listed status' to protect £5 billion animal export market he Department for

checks, paperwork and requirements on traders will add costs and complexity. It is vital government does all it can now to prioritise exports of our high quality, perishable agricultural products to make sure that these products are not left languishing in queues at the border when the changes take effect.

The move recognises the UK's high biosecurity and animal health standards and will bring welcome clarity to our worldleading farmers and food producers. The decision will also allow the continued movement of equines between the UK and

after 31 December.

Businesses will require an Export Health Certificate for all different product types within a consignment, which will need to be signed by a certifier such as an Official Veterinarian.

Guidance for animal importers and exporters including equine transporters is available on GOV.UK.

"Third country listed status demonstrates our very high standards of biosecurity and animal health which we will continue to maintain after the end of the transition period.

The EU has voted to lift a number of plant health prohibitions and they also voted to grant equivalence for fruit and vegetable propagating material, which means these plants and plant products can continue being exported to the EU and NI. We are expecting a decision on agricultural species and forest reproductive material, which is decided via a Council vote.

"If you or your business imports or exports animal and animal products, or imports high risk food, then I urge you to visit our guidance pages on gov.uk for what you need to do to continue to trade

The recent positive outcome of the EU vote means it will be possible to export seed and propagating material, as well as ware potatoes, to the EU and NI from 1 January 2021.

the EU. UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, said:

Welsh farmers breath collective sigh of relief after trade deal breakthrough elsh farmers and food producers have sighed a huge sigh of relief after it was revealed that the UK and EU are close to agreeing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) covering key Welsh products.

W

Speaking after news of the breakthrough broke on Wednesday evening (December 23), FUW President Glyn Roberts said: "The consequences of a no deal for farming and other industries would be catastrophic, so it was always hoped that common sense would prevail. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

"However, there was always a risk that refusals to compromise on one or other side could lead to the worst case scenario."

Mr Roberts also welcomed the EU's formal listing of the UK as a 'Third Country' - a move which is essential in terms of allowing Welsh food exports to the EU. "However, our access to the EU market, which is the destination for three quarters of Welsh food and drink exports, will still face significant barriers after 31st Decembers, with

non-tariff barrier costs expected to rise by 4 to 8 percent."

Mr Roberts said the full text of an agreement would have to be scrutinised in order to assess the full impacts and benefits, and a number of concerns existed including in terms of seed potato exports.

"Nevertheless, the Welsh farming industry, like others the length and breadth of Great Britain, will be celebrating Christmas having breathed a huge sigh of relief that a deal seems close to being agreed."

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 7

| News

NEW HayBoss 7 Series Application Equipement For 2021 Season ayBoss is launching the new 7 Series bale management systems for all types of large square baler. The 7 Series builds on the precision and functionality of the previous 600 Series while reducing the overall capital cost of a system.

H

The 7 Series has 3 key components. The components are plug and go systems so are easily upgraded to meet the demands of the progressive baler operator.

The H2O precision moisture sensor and is the building block for additional 7 Series modules. Accurate measurement of moisture is key to understanding further improvements in the management of your baling operation. The H2O moisture sensor with its 24 years of infield experience is built for the latest generation of high density large square balers.

The technology used to read moisture is market leading +/- 1% accuracy with zero calibration requirements in different crop types or density. The twin star wheels measure by pulsing an electrical signal through the entire bale flake profile. The

HayBoss team is often asked ‘why we would pay more for your moisture sensor’, the simple answer is accuracy and reliability with ease of use whether it is integrated to he baler or as a smart device standalone system. Why should a 8|

Farming Monthly | January 2021

baler operator accept data that is less accurate from a rub pad or moisture probe? With the twin star wheel system, the operator can have full confidence in the data produced.

In the near future a second generation RFID bale tagging system will complement the wet bale marker that provides a simple low-cost option to highlight bales that exceed the operators defined moisture limit.

Marking with a food grade colour of the high moisture bales allows the bales to be separated at the stacking point so that the number of waste or poor-quality bales are reduced.

The third component is the automatic variable rate applicator which is suitable

for all large square balers. The new 7 Series is approximately a 20% saving in capital cost. HayBoss uses the balers onboard sensors such as the electronic bale length and weigh scale to monitors the balers performance, adjusting Baler’s Choice application in real time.

Baler’s Choice pH6.0 animal safe buffered acid. This is an integral part to assist in the baling of high moisture hay and straw when the weather is fighting you all the way to the barn. We have all heard stories of straw baled too wet and turns out like cardboard or hay baled to wet and the usual comments of ‘leave it in the field for a few weeks to sweat’ or at worst self-combust. Once you exceed 16% moisture just as with grain there is varying degrees of spoilage unless using our high quality bale preservative.

NEW 7 Series is the most cost effective tool to assist in your baling operation.

Improving your understanding of moisture in crops and being able to manage high moisture bales with the wet bale marker or utilising the ultimate bale management applicator system. Baler’s Choice and HayBoss is available form your local Fendt dealer

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Precision moisture sensors Bale management solutions Manual & Automatic applicators Up to 20% saving on RRP for the New 7 Series Applicators

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 9

| News

RABI’s online wellbeing service helps to remove barriers to support ABI’s new online wellbeing and counselling platform has seen a 90% return rate since launching in October.

This statistic highlights the demand for easily accessible online support for the farming sector.

R

Normalising seeking early preventative support to maintain better mental wellbeing continues to be a fundamental challenge for RABI. Establishing the online wellbeing platform has been the first step in the charity’s development of flexible, accessible programmes of

support that reach a wider audience.

“Knowing there are repeat users accessing this service, even after only two months, is a really positive result.

RABI has been encouraged by the initial use of the two websites and I would like to thank the many stakeholders, who have played a role in raising awareness of the new wellbeing websites,” says Alicia Chivers, RABI’s Chief Executive.

“There is often an unrealistic perception that farming people are ‘invincible’. The truth is, we all have the capacity to be affected by difficulties and challenges, so it’s vital there are these easily accessible and confidential tools available to help overcome some of these invisible barriers that can stop farming people gaining greater resilience from professional support.

“It’s an ongoing conversation that we collectively need to continue to amplify.

We must break down the barriers

created by labelling ourselves as ‘robust’ and ‘strong’ to allow farmers to acknowledge they are human, just like the rest of us.

“I am aware that there is still a lot of work to do to really embed this message far and wide. Until we can really achieve this, these barriers will continue to impact farming. people, preventing them from feeling comfortable to access the many services available to empower them to move forward positively,” she added.

The online service offers free, anonymous resources to adults and young people from the farming community throughout England and Wales. Users can also access one-toone counselling with British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited counsellors, who have received training in the challenges facing farmers. Visit https://rabi.org.uk/ kooth for more information.

More than £300,000 available to farmers for turtle dove conservation in East Anglia armers are being encouraged to take part in pioneering conservation work aimed at saving the critically endangered turtle dove, one of the UK's most iconic farmland birds.

F

A new funding mechanism is being trialled to allocate a total of £320,000 to landowners providing feeding plots and other habitat improvements for the doves, in areas of Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently running a series of Test and Trials to see what will replace the existing schemes making up the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.

The RSPB's project will pilot a new way of funding habitat creation for farmland species through 'reverse auctions' as part of the Environmental Land Management Scheme programme.

These auctions have already proven successful in funding a variety of land management practices and Defra is keen to see if they can deliver other more complex environmental outcomes.

Turtle doves were once part of the soundscape of an English summer, 10 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

immortalised as a symbol of love by Shakespeare and most famously as the gift given on the second day of Christmas. But this beautiful and secretive dove is now the UK's most threatened farmland bird.

Populations have plummeted by 98% since the 1970s, and turtle doves are now at risk of global extinction. The last population estimate in 2016 suggested there were just 3600 breeding pairs in the UK, with East Anglia being one of the species' few remaining strongholds.

Research shows the main reason for this rapid decline is the reduced availability of their preferred food – the seeds of arable plants such as fumitory, scarlet pimpernel, chickweed and clover. They are also vulnerable to further decline from other pressures such as unsustainable hunting along the doves' European migration routes.

This new project seeks to work with farmers and landowners to help conserve turtle doves. RSPB advisers will support those interested in the scheme, working with them to identify suitable nesting habitat and the best locations for feeding plots on their land.

This information is then submitted online,

along with the price required to deliver this work. Bids will be scored on price but also on the quality and proximity of nesting habitat and water to the proposed food plots.

Jake Zarins, the RSPB's Senior Project Manager, said the first auctions will take place from February 15 to March 2.

"We are really keen to engage as many people as possible in raising awareness of the plight of the turtle dove and working in partnership with those who know best how to deliver the practical assistance these amazing birds need," he said.

"This project is a great opportunity for farmers and land managers both to boost efforts to save an important part of the UK's agricultural heritage and directly influence how future agri-environment schemes might be delivered, whilst getting paid."

For more information on the project visit the project webpage https:// www.entrade.co.uk/rspb or contact Jake Zarins on jake.zarins@rspb.org.uk or 07739 460005. Guidance on the different ways to help turtle doves can be found on the Operation Turtle Dove website https://www.operationturtledove.org/ www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

AHDB’s £1.5m campaign to encourage consumers to 'Eat Balanced; Enjoy the food you eat' his January, AHDB will launch a new £1.5 million “Eat Balanced” TV led advertising campaign, encouraging more British households to continue eating meat and dairy as part of a balanced diet.

•

Meat and dairy contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient not naturally present in a vegan diet

•

Red meat and dairy from Britain is produced to world class food and farming standards

Working with stakeholders and industry partners from across the pork, beef, lamb and dairy sectors the AHDB campaign represents a first for the meat and dairy industry, delivering a collaborative and concerted message that everyone can get behind.

•

T

The campaign will appear on TV, social media, digital and supermarket packaging and aims to highlight the nutritional benefits of enjoying red meat and dairy, whilst showcasing Britain’s world class standards in food production and sustainability.

The campaign will be built around three key messages, which AHDB believe can become a drum beat for our industry:

The campaign follows months of extensive consumer testing to better understand the needs and desires of the British public.

Liam Byrne, AHDB’s Head of Marketing, said: “The nation needs a bit of a lift as it’s been a tough time for everyone, so now more than ever we wanted to create a campaign that feels uplifting and reassuring for consumers who are increasingly being told by the media to reduce their meat and dairy consumption. As such this is also a very important campaign for our levy payers as it tells the real story of food and farming from Britain.”

Red meat and dairy from Britain is amongst the most sustainable in the world

AHDB’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Christine Watts said: “In Britain we have so much to be proud of when it comes to the food we eat, how it is produced and the entire journey from farm to fork.

AHDB want farmers to get involved and share their stories on social media. A range of assets have been designed that are free to download from 4 January and will help farmers promote the inclusion of red meat and dairy in the diet of British consumers. For more information on the campaign and how you can get involved, visit ahdb.org.uk/ WeEatBalanced

“Our farmers operate to some of the highest standards in the world and this campaign aims to balance the negative commentary around farming as well as the importance of eating red meat and dairy as part of a balanced and healthy diet. AHDB is championing a message with consumers for a bright new year – eat balanced: enjoy the food you eat”

Farming app offers guidance on the go he Farm Advisory Service has launched an interactive updated version of the FAS Companion app to help farmers with the daily management of their businesses.

T

The free app, which was developed by SAC Consulting – part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), has links to tools and converters, technical guides, the FAS website and the latest news, as well as a diary and notes section.

Farmers can click on various tools to get help with business planning decisions for different farming projects, including a lime equivalent calculator which gives the liming value of a product, and a forage budget calculator which allows them to measure and monitor forage stocks throughout the winter.

The converter tool offers a quick and accurate conversion of sizes, distances and weights, such as hectares to acres and feet to metres.

•

All the FAS guidance notes, covering livestock, grassland and arable, are available on the app to help farmers solve issues on the go and improve productivity.

•

It also includes a summary of the latest news, with each linking directly to the website, allowing farmers to read more about new developments.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

In the My Diary and Notes section, app users can plan their workdays, set reminders, make notes and upload photographs.

Hazel Laughton, of SAC Consulting, said: “We are delighted to launch the updated FAS Companion App. “Wherever you are, you can access a range of tools and advice to help you make key decisions to enhance your business performance at the click of a

button.

“This free app will make assessing forage supplies much easier for farmers and has the potential to save money on hundreds of farms, helping to boost the sustainability and profitability of the business.”

For more information about the app, visit: https://www.fas.scot/app/ www.fas.scot

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 11

| News

Allerton Project farm manager to bring ‘superb understanding’ as new Voluntary Initiative Chair

he Voluntary initiative, the national farming-led programme to promote best practice in pesticide use through Integrated Pest Management, has appointed Allerton Project head of farming, training & partnerships Phil Jarvis as its new Chair.

T

Phil, who also chairs the NFU Environment Forum, has been involved in all farmbased research and demonstration at the Allerton Project, run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, since 1992.

Ruth Bailey, Head of the Agricultural

Engineers Association and Chair of the Voluntary Initiative CIC Board representing the eight Voluntary Initiative (VI) sponsor organisations announced the appointment: “Following an intense recruitment exercise involving a high-class field of candidates, Phil Jarvis has been appointed to be the new VI Chair” Ruth also notes that Phil brings “a superb understanding of innovative

practical farming and his leadership in the wider rural sector makes him well suited for this role”.

Phil Jarvis thanked the sponsor organisations for the opportunity to take the organisation forward. “I am looking forward to working with the Voluntary Initiative sponsors, Defra, VI Champions and a wider group of stakeholders. I’m hoping to start that engagement in the new year. Our landscape management is entering an exciting and challenging period, where food production and environmental protection take on an increasingly important role in society.”

“I’m looking for solutions to challenges, removing barriers that will encourage more collaboration and promote practises that ensure both our farming and environment prosper.”

Latest donations see NFU Mutual Charitable Trust top £1m of support for UK charities in 2020 ith one in 10 UK charities facing bankruptcy this year, the charity sector is one of the worst-hit by the pandemic.1 At the end of 2020, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust donated a further £235,000 to support ten UK charities.

W

This takes the Trust’s total donations to £1,092,500 in 2020, with 20 organisations receiving funding over the year. The increased donations were made possible by an additional £750,000 pledge from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, aiming to help charities maintain resilience during the pandemic.

So far this year, the funding has helped to support a range of initiatives, including projects that tackle isolation, support mental health and wellbeing, and enrich young lives through agricultural education and innovation.

The impacts of these initiatives have 12 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

included: support for 523 households from RSABI, support provided over 1 million times by Samaritans via phone, email and letters, and 16,309 hours of continual professional development for teachers delivered by LEAF Education.2 The charities set to benefit from the latest donations are: •

Addington Fund

•

LEAF Education

•

National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC)

•

Open Farm weekend NI

•

Prince’s Countryside Fund

•

Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I)

•

RSABI

•

Rural Support

•

Samaritans

•

YFCU

The donations have already been made available, allowing the charities to continue to provide crucial support services after difficult year which has seen many of their usual fundraising activities cancelled.

Lindsay Sinclair, Group Chief Executive of NFU Mutual, said: “In The Charitable Trust’s biggest year for donations since it was established in 1998, NFU Mutual is proud to have supported causes across all corners of the UK which are changing lives and giving hope for a better future.

“While many fundraising events have had to be side-lined this year, the demand for these charities’ services has grown. We want to help them meet that need and build resilience for the future, maintaining practical and emotional support for our communities at a time which is proving especially difficult.” www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Fortress expands ‘SMART’ raptor inspection range

ortress Technology has expanded its new range of intelligent inspection systems for food manufacturers developing IoT lines, including an XL version for bulk applications. With three models now in the family, the ’smart’ Raptor checkweighing series uses digital process monitoring technology to advance inspection efficiency, target operational inefficiencies and slash product giveaway.

F

Redefining how machines and humans interact in future food factory settings, the Raptor series now comprises a compact modular Raptor combination metal detector and checkweigher, a single frame high-spec checkweigher, and XL caseweighing version for ingredient and large applications.

Designed for new-generation manufacturers embracing the digital revolution, the Raptor series addresses major changes on the horizon, including how humans and machines will work even closer together in the age of AI. With the World Economic Forum forecasting that half of all work tasks will be handled by machines by 2025, the Raptor series merges high performance machines and digital data capabilities with human critical thinking.

To assist operatives working alongside these smart machines, Fortress has invented numerous advanced timesaving features. Including ‘no-tool’

maintenance, automated COP conformance checks, a totally unique conveyor motor release for ultra-fast machine sanitation, plus secure remote access.

Guaranteeing absolute traceability and consistent weighing results, the Raptor instantaneously captures sample readings of individual packs by the millisecond.

Only possible by using the most advanced ARM processors, this data capture and analytics is a game changer for food factories concerned about product waste and giveaway.

Saving valuable time and money, the Raptor introduces an innovative, failsafe, paperless, fully auditable COP test routine. The only known inspection machine on the market to configure every test by retailer and product being inspected, Raptor gives food manufacturers the assurance that test steps are never overridden or bypassed.

Using a beacon to alert machine operatives when a test is due, if not performed by the deadline, the Raptor system halts and an alert is generated and sent direct to the factory’s QA or technical manager.

For extra cleanliness and tougher hygiene control, Fortress unveils a new tight fitting conveyor and ‘no-tool’ maintenance concept. Overcoming the longstanding industry challenge of

loosening belt tension during machine sanitation, in just seconds operators unclip and disconnect the Raptor conveyor motor and lift out the entire conveyor assembly for maintenance and cleaning. Belt tension and alignment are instantly restored when clipped back into place.

All three Raptors also feature customisable swipe touchscreens, allowing users to select the statistical information and trends that are most relevant to their food operation. For 24/7 support and to eliminate machine downtime, every Raptor is fully configured to provide remote and secure access.

To book a Raptor online demonstration, please contact salesuk@fortresstechnology.com

RSPCA press statement on government proposals for deregulation of Gene Editing SPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: "The RSPCA is very concerned about government plans to weaken legislation on livestock gene editing in England. This could lead to food from genetically altered animals being offered for sale on supermarket shelves or in restaurants, an unwanted and unacceptable development even if the food were labelled.

R

"Over and above the forthcoming government consultation, we would like to see a national debate taking place rather than just rush to deregulate gene editing. There are many questions to be considered and the public has the right to be informed and engaged in this debate and for us all to understand what www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

this means for animal welfare.

"Claims that gene editing (GE) is the same as natural selection or plant grafting are disingenuous and potentially misleading. GE is an unproven technology which does not take into account animal welfare, ethical or public concerns. It involves procedures that cause pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm and is an inefficient process, using large numbers of animals to produce a single individual with the desired result. Despite claims that these newer GE techniques are much more precise than previous methods, they still cause unpredictable and unintended changes to the genome, which are only just starting to be reported. Before this technology is adopted more widely, comprehensive

research should be undertaken so we can understand the potential impact on people and animals.

"While the UK is no longer compelled to follow the EU's robust genetically modified food laws which are designed to protect human and animal life, health and welfare, it would be a huge mistake for the Westminster government to water down that legislation.

"Rather than obtaining ever more productivity and profit from individual animals, who are sentient and have intrinsic worth, now is the time to drive forward sustainable agriculture practices that respect the welfare needs of farmed animals."

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 13

| News

he UK's leading farm assurance body, Red Tractor, is urging farmers to engage in a consultation on how its farm standards should evolve.

T

A consultation opened today with proposals put forward on how the standards should look across the scheme's six sectors; beef and lamb, poultry, pigs, dairy, fresh produce and combinable crops and sugar beet.

Red Tractor is seeking input from across the industry before finalising its proposition of what the schemes standards will be from November 2021.

The proposals have been developed over 12 months. At every step of the process,representatives from across the food chain – farming organisations, farmers, vets, processors and retailers – have been fully involved in drawing up the amendments.

Together they have studied consumer trends, reviewed the latest science and evidence, as well as benchmarked the scheme against competitors and industry best practice. The three-stage process of committee, consultation and consensus, adheres to gold standard recommendations of the British Standards Institute.

CEO Jim Moseley said: "We are a proven world leader in food chain assurance, but we cannot rest on our laurels.

"Red Tractor is recognised as a symbol of British food quality but to maintain this, our standards must continue to evolve with the times, to ensure they address changes in legislation, industry practice and reflect the emerging issues on shoppers' minds.

"At a time of ever-increasing scrutiny, preserving the public's trust in UK agriculture and the Red Tractor logo has never been more important.

"These proposals strive to strike a 14 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

delicate balance which protects and promotes our members, reassures consumers and customers, while acknowledges the implications of the challenges that the industry faces with future trade deals and the agricultural transition plan."

The proposed amendments tabled by Red Tractor are primarily about streamlining, legislative compliance and responding to change. These include simplifying some of the requirements for farmers to drive greater understanding and compliance, and rationalising standards which are common across multiple sectors, providing improved clarity for both farmers and their assessors.

Red Tractor has also listened to British consumers and the recommendations made in a review of the scheme by Dr Jonathan Birnie in 2019, which identified limitations in the current standards around animal and worker welfare and environmental protection.

Examples of proposed changes in these areas include: Animal Welfare: Having welfare outcomes linked to standards. This includes housing structure and cleanliness and making it absolutely clear what is and isn't acceptable when handling animals.

Worker Welfare: The Red Tractor strapline Farmed With Care includes care for the people on members' farms.

UK agriculture's health and safety record is poor and farming is identified as an at-risk sector for labour exploitation. Building worker welfare into the standards ensure members are taking sensible steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of workers on farm.

Environmental Protection: The inclusion of the Farming Rules for Water, which are already legislation and aim to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run-off.

The requirements have been adapted from the legal requirements to ensure they are meaningful and can be easily

assessed.

The full list of proposed changes, supplementary documents on why Red Tractor has reached these decisions and on how to respond to the consultation can be found on the Red Tractor review hub at https:// assurance.redtractor.org.uk/.

The full consultation can be accessed at https://redtractor.citizenspace.com .

A short video explaining why Red Tractor needs input from the industry has also been created here.

In addition to reviewing its standards, Red Tractor is also asking members and stakeholders for their views on what matters to them and their business.

Mr Moseley added: "Farmers have been an intrinsic part of the process in drawing up the proposed new standards, but now it is over to the membership and stakeholders to have their say.

"Red Tractor was created to become a symbol of trust, safety and responsible production. Twenty years on, our purpose remains the same and we are absolutely delivering on it.

"Millions of shoppers look for the Tractor when they are buying food and drink.

And consumer trust has never been higher, making us the most trusted food marque in the UK." The consultation and review closes on 5 March 2021.

Proposed amendments to standards by sector Dairy Animal husbandry Under the proposals from November 2021, tethering as a management practice would no longer be permitted.

Husbandry procedures have also been separated into a standalone section for ease of navigation and to highlight the www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News A requirement to be part of a disease eradication programme for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) would be upgraded from a recommendation to a full standard in 2023. Red Tractor requirements around handling could be strengthened to make clear what is and isn't acceptable under the proposals.

Pigs Statutory requirements Red Tractor's new pig standards would mirror Defra's revised Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Pigs which covers requirements around tail docking, enrichment, accommodation and record keeping.

importance of this area.

Animal medicines The change in standards would encompass wider coverage of the medicines used by dairy farmers in the annual review, rather than just antibiotics as it is currently. The consultation is asking for views on requiring the antibiotic collated data to be uploaded to an industry medicine hub in the future to help demonstrate that Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) Targets Taskforce objectives are met.

Animal welfare Welfare outcomes have been linked to standards. This includes housing structure and cleanliness. Red Tractor requirements around handling could be strengthened to make clear what is and isn't acceptable under the proposals.

Beef & lamb Animal husbandry Under the proposals from November 2021, tethering as a management practice would no longer be permitted.

Husbandry procedures have also been separated into a standalone section for ease of navigation and to highlight the importance of this area.

Animal medicines Health planning could be strengthened to give members an insight into any issues at farm in a timely manner.

Farmers would be asked to annually collate their total antibiotic use on the farm so that meaningful reviews can take place with their vet to reduce antibiotic use where appropriate. The consultation is asking for views on requiring the antibiotic collated data to be uploaded to an industry medicine hub in the future to help demonstrate that RUMA Targets Taskforce objectives are met. A proposed new standard is for at least one person who is responsible for administering medicines to have undertaken training and hold a certificate of attendance or competence.

Animal health and welfare www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Animal medicines Red Tractor pig producers have made huge strides in recording antibiotic use in their herds, and the 2021 changes being proposed include developing the future Pig Health and Welfare Pathway and the next set of RUMA's Targets Taskforce targets for antimicrobial stewardship. The standards would support the pig sector as a whole to meet some of the objectives set out by these initiatives. There is a new draft standard requiring training in medicines and antimicrobial resistance, aligned to requirements in other Red Tractor farm schemes. A new standard requiring persistent high users of antibiotics to implement an antibiotic reduction plan has also been proposed.

Animal welfare The way producers move and handle pigs is crucial for both welfare and the industry's reputation. A new standard being consulted on would require all persons involved with pigs to undergo an online training course in handling provided by the AHDB. Additionally, Red Tractor's requirements around handling could also be strengthened to make it clear what is and isn't acceptable, under the proposals.

Biosecurity New standards have been drafted aimed at minimising the risk of disease spread between and within farms.

Deadstock collection would have to be done at the perimeter of the farm and members would be required to sign up to the industry's Significant Diseases Charter, which aims to ensure rapid communication of disease outbreaks.

Poultry Animal welfare Across all poultry species, each crop would require the light intensity to be measured and recorded at bird-eye level to confirm that farms are meeting the standards. Lighting for ducks would be phased on and off over a 30-minute dawn-dusk period and there is a new recommendation for windows in all buildings which house ducks. It is proposed that only slower growing breeds can be used for free range chicken production to ensure that

breeds are suitable for the method of production.

Biosecurity Standards are being revised and simplified to help with consistency and ease of auditing. Requirements have been grouped – for example site access for people, site access for vehicles, hand cleanliness and footwear.

Compliance and consistency Members will notice that all chicken enterprises are now grouped together, including the new enhanced welfare module. This would ensure that core requirements are standardised across all enterprises and species.

Fresh produce Structure Members will see a new framework to the standards. There will be 10 core sections which apply to all farms, five operational area-based modules (assessed only where relevant) and two crop-specific modules. There has also been a reworking of the produce handling and packhouse packing section to allow this to cover rig-based packing operations and streamline assessment where a valid BRC certificate is held.

Risk management Existing standards have been reviewed to take into account site risk assessments and post-harvest water management. Additions have been made to reflect new growing techniques and non-traditional cropping systems such as vertical farms and hydroponics.

Legal compliance There would be new standards for the management of nitrate concentration in crops where legal parameters apply and two new standards to cover post-harvest treatments in the post-CIPC era.

Food safety Several new standards are proposed to further strengthen food safety. They include daily start-up checks for harvest teams and two new standards concerning recirculation and re-use of post-harvest water.

Combinable crops and sugar beet Risk Assessment This would appear as a new section on the standards but brings together a number of existing requirements into one area for clarity.

Irrigation A number of revisions have been proposed, all with the aim of providing clarity on what is required where a member is irrigating crops.

Environment Some changes to the storage of plant protection products have been outlined based on best practice.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 15

| News

Rhug Estate Owner, Lord Newborough, announced as the winner of NFU Cymru Clwyd Branch’s Dafydd Jones Memorial Award ord Newborough, owner of Rhug Estate near Corwen, has been announced as the winner of NFU Cymru Clwyd Branch’s Dafydd Jones Memorial Award.

2019 but suddenly passed away after he courageously battled with Myeloma throughout the previous 18 months.

Dafydd had represented his county on NFU Cymru’s Rural Affairs Board for eight years.

The Award winner was announced last night at the NFU Cymru Clwyd County Conference which was held virtually.

The Award Cup is presented annually to the NFU Cymru Clwyd member who has made a great contribution and a lasting, positive impact on agriculture in the county.

Lord Newborough, Owner of Rhug Estate said, “I am truly honoured to have been chosen for this award by my fellow local NFU Cymru members. It is particularly special this year as we have just celebrated our 20th anniversary of the farm being certified organic. This has been a tough year for the business but work on the farm has continued regardless of the pandemic as we, like all farmers, have continued to produce food for the nation.”

L

Dewi Jones, NFU Cymru Clwyd County Chairman, said, “Congratulations to Lord Newborough on winning this year’s award. He has made an enormous contribution to the local economy and the organic farming industry over many years. His endeavour and dedication to his work sees him frequently travelling between Corwen, London, the middle and far east to meet customers face to face to explain the virtues of buying their meat from Wales.”

The Dafydd Jones Memorial Award was created in 2019 in memory of Dafydd Jones, from Pencoed Ucha, Pwllglas, who was the Clwyd County Chairman in

16 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

At the heart of Rhug is Lord Newborough’s commitment to an organic lifestyle. Rhug Farm is selfcontained and a true ‘field to plate’ operation applying the highest standard of sustainability. Using the most sustainable farming practices Rhug prides itself on superior tasting meat products. The organic farming enterprise extends to two farms and has grown over the past 20 years to nearly 8,000 acres.

Organic beef, lamb, chicken, deer, bison,

turkey, goose, and game when in season, are reared on the farms. Rhug Farm Shop stocks almost 3,000 products from local suppliers and small businesses.

Café Rhug is located just next to the farm shop and creates dishes that are made with seasonal produce using Rhug’s own products where possible. For those who are on a much needed pit-stop, Rhug has the On The Hoof takeaway service.

This takeaway isn't your average roadside burger van, it uses organic meat from the farm to create an unforgettable experience on-the-go.

There is also the Drive Thru, which opened in 2018, the first opened on a farm in the UK for those that don’t have time to stop there is a wide selection of meals on the go.

Lord Newborough is adding value wherever he can, by utilising natural ingredients and wild forage off the Estate he has recently created a luxury, organic and sustainable skin care range to sell into the global market further putting north Wales on the world map as well as creating valuable employment into this rural part of the country where employment is hard to come by.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 17

| On Topic

BRILLOPAK MEATS INDUSTRY CHALLENGES WITH UNIPAKER Brillopak is launching its awardwinning UniPAKer robotic crate packer into the meat, fish & poultry sector following design enhancements that make the system both affordable and efficient in tray-sealed meat applications.

The development of a new generation end-effector that offers increased suction and control when handling trays and skin packs coupled with a new dual-pick configuration have made the UniPAKer a viable automation solution for this sector for the first time.

vailability of labour has steadily declined since the Brexit vote in 2016 and now with COVID, staff can no longer work in close contact with each other. Both of these factors have conspired to challenge meat,

A

18 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

fish & poultry packers, who rely heavily on overseas workers and do not have the space to accommodate social distancing, whilst maintaining production levels. Automation presents an obvious solution to this situation.

However, as Brillopak director David Jahn explains, it is not as straightforward as replacing two or three people with a robot. “Automating the secondary packaging operation is a logical solution, but it is not as simple as it might seem. Any robotic system has to be extremely compact to fit into very tight spaces and must offer complete flexibility in terms of packing different pack formats and crate sizes. The solution must be able to pick and

place consistently and accurately at high speed, without dropping any packs.

Hygienic design is a given.�

Brillopak has risen to the challenge, optimising the design of its UniPAKer robot to meet the specific demands of meat, fish & poultry producers and packers. This trail-blazing robot has already revolutionised the packing of bagged fresh produce such as apples, sprouts and potatoes into crates and now looks set to be a gamechanger in the meat, fish & poultry industry.

By optimising the cycle speed and developing a new range of end effectors, a single robot with a dual-pick head,

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| On Topic

Brillopak has shaved 25% off the cost of a typical robotic crate packing system. In this configuration, the robot performs two picks, then places the packs in the crate, two at a time. becomes a costeffective and space-efficient machine capable of packing tray sealed meat packs in excess of 70 packs per minute.

A redesign of the vacuum endeffector has been key to pushing the boundaries of performance on meat, fish & poultry packs. The redesign has improved the head’s vacuum capabilities through a combination of more consistent, faster airflow and larger independent vacuum generators. A stronger, more uniform vacuum means the robot holds the packs squarely and tightly so it can be controlled from the conveyor to the crate at a faster speed, in a controlled manner.

Brillopak’s engineers are further developing the UniPAKer concept to pick an entire row at a time on the same compact footprint, which will dramatically bring down the capital cost. A pioneer in vacuum handling packing system design, Brillopak has devised a flexible solution based on a single, universal vacuum head with independently operating vacuum cups for precision control. Individual valves can be turned on and off to allow different pack combinations to be picked.

“With this solution we are dramatically increasing www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

throughput, while keeping the footprint of the machine really small, which is a very attractive proposition for meat, fish & poultry operators,” says David.

One of the idiosyncrasies of MAP meat, fish & poultry products is that there can be minute variations in pack height depending on the volume of gas in the pack.

These variations, which can be 4-5mm either way, can hinder the robot’s ability to draw a vacuum, causing it to drop the pack (if the pack is lower than usual) or crush the pack (if the pack is higher than usual). This variability can also arise when there is a subtle temperature change that causes the pack contents to expand or contract.

Rather than stop the line and call engineering to adjust the system, Brillopak has come to the rescue with a feature that allows the operator to manually adjust the position at which the vacuum is turned on by the few millimeters necessary,

robot cell is key to an efficient crate packing operation, and in meat, fish & poultry applications, different tray orientations can cause a problem. Whilst some trays will exit the tray sealer narrow-edge leading, others will be long-edge leading, depending on the tooling format. A robot can pick packs in either orientation, but to maximise picking efficiency, all packs should normally be presented in the same orientation. Brillopak has addressed this potential issue with the design of a servo turner that will reposition trays after they leave the tray sealer.

The UniPAKer can be programmed to pack any combination of product into any crate size. Whilst supermarket customers often require half (300 x 400mm) crates for higher value meat SKUs, high volume lines such as minced beef will usually be supplied in full (600 x 400mm) crates. The UniPAKer can switch between both crate size at the touch of a button.

Accurate feeding into the January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 19

| Arable

New medical niche for British crops? armers could be growing more high value crops for pharmaceuticals in the UK if promising research into treating an aggressive form of lymphoma proves successful.

F

The project, which is based at the University of Plymouth’s £17m Derriford Research Facility, has discovered that specific essential oils inhibit cancer cell growth in Mantle Cell lymphoma – a so far untreatable form of this aggressive disease.

“Mantle Cell lymphoma has a survival rate of just three to five years,” explains project leader Dr Lynn McCallum, associate professor of haematology at Plymouth University. “No new biomedical compounds are helping to prolong patient survival, but plants have a better prevalence of producing the correct structure of bioactive compounds, and we’ve found some essential oils that have a growth inhibitory effect.”

Funded by Agri-Tech Cornwall, the research has benefited from links with other – seemingly unrelated – AgriTech start-up projects, including a vertical plant factory and a local lavender farm.

Cornish Essential Oils is seeking to add value to locally grown crops like lavender, bay, basil and mint by maximising the quality of the oil produced, for sale into the medical and

20 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

cosmetics industry.

It, in turn, is working with Ginium and the Plant Factory, which have identified affordable ways to adjust the plant environment – including light intensity and spectrum – to increase yields and the concentration of beneficial compounds.

Ginium is now setting up a vertical growing unit at Cornish Essential Oils’ farm near Callington, where the two firms will compare the production of crops in a conventional polytunnel, environmentally managed polytunnel and environmentally managed shipping container. “The aim is to manipulate the levels of essential oils to benefit the lymphoma research, while also adding value to the crop,” says Ian Sexton at Cornish Essential Oils.

The firm already has a market for its lavender for the next five years – and if the lymphoma research proves successful then demand is only likely to grow. “We are creating a toolbox of technology that will make vertical growing more accessible,” explains George Journeaux, director of Ginium.

“The plug and play technology is very easy to use and lower cost than traditional vertical growing systems. We’re taking vertical farming away from being niche to becoming more commercial.”

eight growing cycles a year, in a pest-free environment and with the ability to manipulate the chemical composition of the plant. And by linking with the medical research facility, it’s possible to quickly evaluate the impact of changing the crop environment on the essential oils’ anti-cancer effects, says Marwa Jbara, research assistant at the Plant Factory.

“Herbal medicines have been used for generations, but the chemical composition is defined by local environmental conditions – by growing in a controlled environment we can produce very high value chemicals.”

The next step is to identify whether the essential oils affect normal human cells, and then whether they affect other types of cancers. “We need to identify which receptor pathways the compounds are working on, and then we can move to clinical trials and optimise the therapeutic window in which to use them,” explains Ms Jbara.

“Commercial use is still a long way off, but because Mantle Cell lymphoma is very aggressive and untreatable, anything which is genuinely useful will be pushed forward quite quickly, as there are no other options.”

For more information see www.agritechcornwall.co.uk

Growing crops inside means the producer can have seven to

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Arable

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

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 21

| Arable

‘World’s most comprehensive’ online soil health guide launched n online soil guide aiming to become the world’s most comprehensive resource to help farmers improve soil health and increase the efficiency and profitability of their businesses has been launched.

A

The Good Soil Guide – a collaboration between Yorkshire Water, Yorkshire supply chain consultancy Future Food Solutions and expert soil scientist Neil Fuller – is a free-to-access, online encyclopaedia, specifically designed for use in the field.

The huge database contains extensive information, empirical data and advice on how to improve soil health, increase soil organic matter (SOM), diagnose and treat problems with soil and crops, and help farmers to reduce carbon emissions.

It is a live guide, enabling farmers, agronomists, and other industry professionals from around the world to share their knowledge by adding to the already extensive resource.

The idea for the Good Soil Guide was born when Yorkshire Water Catchment Strategy Manager, Andrew Walker, met with Neil Fuller at an event held by Future Food Solutions.

In 2014, Mr Walker helped initiate a project bringing together landowners and stakeholders in the English uplands to facilitate better environmental outcomes for blanket bog land and was keen to try a similar approach in the lowlands.

He said: “The project in the uplands proved that by engaging with landowners and other stakeholders and taking a collaborative approach, you can create outcomes that deliver for all.

“We wanted to take this model and apply it to the lowlands to solve issues around sediment, nutrients and pesticides leaching into the watercourses and having a detrimental effect on water quality.

“We knew that working with farmers to address this would bring them huge benefits in terms of keeping soil and expensive fertilisers and pesticides where they should be – in the field.

“For us, it was a case of improving water quality, so we got our heads together and created the Good Soil Guide to help achieve these aims.”

Mr Walker added the guide was the sum of Mr Fuller’s 40 years of experience in practical soil science compiled into a single resource, which was funded by 22 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Yorkshire Water.

“Essentially, it focuses on improving soil health and increasing soil organic matter,” Mr Walker said.

“Doing this gives the soil a more robust structure, meaning far less is lost to sediment, nutrients and pesticides are held on the field, and as the soil can absorb more water, incidents of flooding are hugely reduced.”

Mr Fuller said the resource had been created to help farmers get the best out of their most valuable asset – soil.

information and advice contained within it is unbiased.

He added that it was a holistic guide, looking at all aspects of soil health, and had been specifically designed for use in the field.

Future Food Solutions is already running the world’s largest renewable agriculture project – the Sustainable Landscapes Humber Project – in East Yorkshire, in partnership with Yorkshire Water and frozen food specialists Birds Eye.

He said: “The Good Soil Guide is full of soil data derived from cover crop trials, different tillage methods, practical experience and much more.

The Good Soil Guide extends this work, opening up cutting edge soil management practices to farmers across the globe.

“By using it, farmers can compare soil samples from their fields with pictures in the guide and diagnose issues such as a lack of nutrients or depleted soil organic matter. They can then use the contents of the guide to put that right.

Paul Rhodes, director of Future Food Solutions, said the guide was a huge leap forward in helping farmers to grow more sustainably.

“It is not written in an academic or scientific style. The information is presented simply and clearly and in a mobile-friendly format, so farmers and agronomists can access it whenever and wherever they need it.”

Mr Fuller added that the guide also included advice on carbon management, including sequestering carbon to reduce atmospheric C02, increase soil organic matter and help farmers move towards net zero.

“The key to carbon net zero is good soil health,” he said.

“By managing soil in a way that increases its health, everyone wins. The farmer saves money, increases yields and reduces emissions; there are huge environmental benefits including removing CO2 from the atmosphere, and the consumer benefits from better quality food.

“The Good Soil Guide is a powerful tool in enabling British agricultural to make these changes.”

He said: “Our understanding of soil has moved on dramatically in the past five years and what we’ve learned is that to get the most out of it, we must treat it as a living bio-system.

“The Good Soil Guide has been developed to help farmers do this and realise a dramatic increase in soil health.

“Making that shift has huge, positive consequences in terms of reducing steel and diesel use, improved yields, better efficiency and better profitability.

“It will also help farmers reduce emissions, and with the target of net zero just 20 years away, that is something we all have to start taking seriously.”

Matt Parkin, who farms at Bilton-inAinsty near Wetherby, North Yorkshire, is taking part in the trials to improve cover crop establishment.

He said: “I am currently participating in some interesting cover crop trials as I think soil management is becoming steadily more important to an integrated farming approach.

Food consultancy Future Food Solutions co-ordinated the creation of the Good Soil Guide.

“As a dedicated soil tool, the Good Soil Guide can only help with this.”

The guide is free to use and has no links to agribusiness, meaning all the

To access the Good Soil Guide, go to www.soilguide.co.uk and create a free account. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Arable

New Maize Variety Represents Step-change in Modern Hybrid Breeding A new maize variety from KWS that is due to be listed in September 2021 represents a step-change in modern maize breeding. Suitable for both forage and biogas, the highyielding KWS Exelon has the potential to carry 20 grain rings, compared with an average figure of 15-16 for a typical older hybrid, explains KWS maize product manager, John Burgess.

T

varieties we register for potential use in this country and we expect to submit up to 18 new varieties in the future; this will expand the market choice for growers.“

“No new variety can be offered commercially without being accepted in the National Listing programme and historically, KWS has submitted 8-10 varieties annually,” he states. “It requires huge investment to bring a new variety to market, due to the extensive testing that is required; we have to be fully confident that it will perform consistently well before the official launch.

Maize growers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, when it comes to choosing the right maize varieties for their farm, he adds. It is vital that seed breeders continue to produce a wide selection of ultra-early, early and mainstream varieties to match the varied conditions across all growing regions.

“During the UK’s EU membership, there was some flexibility over the importation of maize varieties. However the situation has become more complex and new varieties must be UK-registered in advance. Our response has been to increase our investment in the number of

*NIAB National Institute of Agricultural Botany For more information: www.kws.com.

Follow us on Twitter® at https:// twitter.com/KWS_Group

he early variety will be submitted in 2021 and fully included in the NIAB* descriptive list from 2022.

Seed is already available for spring planting.

To offset the additional cob weight, KWS Exelon has been bred with a low ear insertion height to minimise the risk of lodging.

“The extra rings and modified ear insertion height are just two examples of the rapid genetic progress that has been achieved in maize breeding over the past few years,” says Mr Burgess.

UKʼsming Li No.1roduct n p rectio or for cof soil ity acid

“These features will be incorporated into all of the forthcoming KWS candidate early and ultra-early hybrids. The low ear insertion height is particularly relevant, because the autumn storms of recent years have led to some reports of maize crop lodging.”

LimeX is a valuable source of: Phosphate Magnesium & Sulphur

An average yield of 21.2 tonnes/ha makes KWS Exelon the highest-yielding among all varieties in the latest KWS portfolio, with starch at 36.4% and an ME of 12.76 MJ/Kg, he adds. It is also ideal for the production of corn cob mix and crimped or dried grain maize.

Alongside its stand-out traits, KWS Exelon (FAO 170) has proven consistency and gives excellent performance across all soil types.

“The variety was entered twice in some trial networks, in order to double-check yield consistency,” he says. “This feature is confirmed if the two yield figures are close together and KWS Exelon passed the tests with flying colours. Based on the initial data, we are expecting it to take up a strong position in the variety rankings.”

KWS has made a significant new investment to ensure that maize growers continue to have access to a wide range of varieties in the coming years, states Mr Burgess. The move is in response to the uncertainty looming over Brexit in the short-term, but it will also benefit farmers in the years to come. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Optimises soil pH Increases available calcium Fast acting and longlasting Provides valuable nutrients Improves soil structure Flexible service options

Customerservice 0800 090 2376 limex@britishsugar.com limex.co.uk

LimeX is a business ofBritish Sugar plc

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 23

| Arable

Light Science Technologies wins Innovate UK funding to develop ground-breaking sensor technology for vertical farming ight Science Technologies (LST) has secured part of a ÂŁ90 million government investment to support the UK's most innovative technology to boost agricultural productivity and set food production systems towards net zero emissions by 2040.

The Derby-based company is one of just 23 feasibility projects which has been awarded funding from the UK's innovation agency Innovate UK, as part of its Transforming Food Production (TFP) challenge, after a highly competitive process attracting many applications nationwide. In partnership with Nottingham Trent University, the company will be leading the project to develop a growing sensor and innovative transmission node for vertical farms over the next six months, synergy with their light and science offering.

The IoT precision data solution for vertical farming will help boost productivity and efficiency, reflecting the government's drive to help the agricultural sector grow economically with less environmental impact.

The 'all in one' indoor farm sensor will enable farms to monitor and control their environment by measuring key areas including light, water, air,

L

24 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

temperature, humidity, oxygen and soil to ensure optimal plant productivity and yield.

The Controlled Environment Agricultural (CEA) market is growing fast at a CAGR of 21 per cent, with increasing demand from AgTech CEA farmers looking to install or replace existing indoor farms to achieve maximum yield on crops for optimum profitability. High start-up costs are attracting investment from stakeholders eyeing the potentially significant ROI opportunity.

Through its custom-made solution for the CEA market, LST works withgrowers to provide an integrated, cost effective and low maintenance solution that can be used across different crops to achieve maximum yield, creating the full growing "recipe" of lighting, nutrient and environment.

The sensor will form a vital part of its bespoke offering, reducing energy and saving costs using technology and realtime data.LST is focused on becoming a technology driven trailblazer in vertical farming innovation and technology over the next four years, as it looks set to shape the future of the CEA market.

Technologies added: "This is an especially important boost to our business. To be selected by Innovate UK is confirmation of the urgent need for more sustainable, productive and cost-effective solutions in farming.

Investment in UK technology and innovation in this sector is crucial in achieving a better approach to agricultural production and reducing emissions."

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: "There are many innovative projects in our latest feasibility competition showcasing ideas for improving productivity and cutting emissions that range across the whole agricultural sector, from arable, to livestock, to sensor technology and to new biopesticides. Our funding and support for these projects is ongoing."

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org.

Simon Deacon, CEO of Light Science www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Arable

Trade-in scheme offers easy upgrade to latest generation Topcon precision systems H Agro, Topcon’s preferred UK dealer for its range of precision agriculture systems, has kick-started 2021 with the launch of a new trade-in scheme to make it more affordable for existing users of precision farming equipment to upgrade to the latest version of Topcon’s range of X consoles and steering solutions.

L

The offer enables farmers and agricultural contractors to trade-in any brand of guidance or steering systems in exchange for generous savings against the very best and most recent Topcon equipment.

For example, customers who tradein an existing manual lightbar guidance system will be eligible for up to £1,800 of retail credit which can be put towards a Topcon Xconsole based autosteer system.

Likewise, customers trading-in an EGNOS enabled electric steering wheel system will receive £3,200 off the cost of an RTK enabled Topcon X-console autosteer system. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Similarly, trading-in an existing RTK autosteer system will entitle customers to £6,400 off the price of two RTK enabled Topcon X-console autosteer systems.

“With many arable farms still feeling the impact of last year’s poor harvest, we were keen to find a way of simplifying the process of upgrading to the latest precision farming tech,” explains Richard Reed, Managing Director of LH Agro. “Our new trade-in scheme perfectly compliments our existing 0% finance deal which not only makes the latest precision farming equipment affordable for farmers who are kitting out new machinery, but also for those who want to retrofit an existing machine to make it auto-steer compatible or which they want to upgrade to include section control and variable rate application.

“In the same vein, our new trade-in scheme makes it easier and more affordable for users of older equipment to upgrade to the latest

generation of guidance systems without having to worry about compatibility issues or having to sell their old equipment.”

The scheme can be used to trade-in any brand of equipment in exchange for credit against the entire range of Topcon X-series ISOBUS-compatible implement control consoles; from the rangetopping X35 (12.1” screen) and X25 (8.3”), to the recently introduced entry-level XD+ (12.1”) and XD (7”) models, all of which use a full-colour touchscreen to operate multiple implement functions including crop sensing, section control, variable rate control, auto-steering and autoheadland turning.

The Topcon AES-35 electric steering wheel and Topcon AGI-4 receiver deliver high-accuracy automatic guidance in a retrofittable package which is compatible for almost any non-steer ready tractor or self-propelled sprayer.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 25

| Pests

BPCA calls for rodent control as part of Avian flu measures national trade body is calling on poultry farmers and other bird keepers to step up rat and mouse management as part of measures to halt the spread of Avian flu.

A

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was declared across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday, November 12 after outbreaks of a highly pathological strain seen in Russia and Kazakhstan were reported in the UK. British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is now urging bird keepers to seek professional advice on controlling rodents as part of biosecurity measures to halt the spread of the disease.

Poultry farms and other bird keepers must introduce disinfection measures for people and vehicles and take steps to prevent their flocks mixing with wild birds under the AIPZ. BPCA is calling for rodent control to also be a priority to help stem the spread of

the disease which has been confirmed at farms in Cheshire and Herefordshire.

Dee Ward-Thompson, Technical Manager at BPCA said: “Rats and mice are a common pest issue for poultry farmers and bird keepers.

“Research indicates they may also be vectors in spreading Avian Flu, which is why we are urging bird keepers to prioritise rodent management as part of their biosecurity measures.

“For any rat infestation, we would always recommend contacting a professional pest management company, a member of BPCA. “They are trained in rat control and will have access to a range of professional use rodenticides and tools, which are not available to the public.

“Professional pest controllers will take an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to tackling your infestation.

“A pest professional will have access to monitoring equipment, which they will use to confirm entry points into your

property, the size of the infestation and to track the rat to its nest.

“They can then recommend a proofing strategy and decide on the best course of action in terms of control; this could be traps, rodenticides or a combination of both.”

The current strain of Avian flu does not pose a high risk to the public or food safety and is not connected with Covid19.

Birds with the disease may suffer from a swollen head, blue discolouration of the neck and throat, loss of appetite, respiratory issues such as gaping beak, coughing and gurgling, diarrhoea, fewer eggs laid and increased mortality.

BPCA members are trained, qualified and audited to the British Standard in Pest Management BS EN 16636.

For more information about pest problems, or to find a professional company, visit bpca.org.uk/find

New barn owl study finds improved breeding performance arn owl breeding success in 2019 was four percent higher, at 2.66 fledglings per nest, than the preceding four-year average, according to a new report from the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use. On the same basis, a 17% increase was also found in the percentage of nests that produced fledglings.

These findings are from the annual Barn Owl Monitoring Scheme (BOMS), one of the formal surveillance studies for the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime, operated by CRRU and overseen by a Health and Safety Executive-led Government Oversight Group.

This latest report explains that breeding productivity can vary markedly from year to year. It attributes this primarily to changes at critical times of the breeding cycle in the abundance of prey – mainly voles and field mice – and extreme weather, such as 2013’s Beast from the East.

The barn owl is nominated by HSE as a sentinel for other rural predators of small mammals that are also exposed to second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs). The BOMS report points out that the impact, if any, of this exposure on barn owl breeding “is difficult to quantify directly”.

The scheme’s purpose includes to provide context for separate analysis, also funded by CRRU, of rodenticide

B

26 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

residues in barn owls. The next annual Rodenticide Residues in Barn Owls report on samples collected in 2019 will be published soon. In the 2018 sample reported last year, detectable anticoagulant rodenticide residues were found in 87% of barn owls.

Regardless whether residues affect breeding performance or not, CRRU chairman Dr Alan Buckle says they are clearly unacceptable and consistent professionalism is essential among all pest controllers, farmers and gamekeepers. “Best practice by a responsible majority is not enough,” he urges, “it’s a must for everyone, without exception or excuses.

“In 2021, subject of course to easing of coronavirus measures, there will be an official in-depth review of the stewardship regime’s implementation and impact on wildlife. To be judged effective, lasting reductions in rodenticide residues carried by nontarget wildlife are expected by the oversight group.

“Without such evidence, we might anticipate further restrictions on how rodenticides can be used, and by whom. Clearly, responsibility is squarely in users’ own hands.”

BOMS and Rodenticide Residues reports can be downloaded from thinkwildlife.org. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Pests

Beware of rodents attacking precious straw stocks odents are out in force again and with nationwide straw shortages, farmers are being urged to protect already scarce straw stocks, so they last the winter.

R

Ken Black, national account manager at Bayer, says the poor 2020 harvest means there needs to be a pro-active approach to protecting straw bales from rodents that are now seeking cover, harbourage and winter feed.

“According to AHDB, straw prices are up by over 40% on this time last year, that reflects the limited availability.

“Thorough rodent control is going to be especially vital this winter,” says Ken. HOW TO TACKLE RODENTS THIS WINTER He points to a three-point plan to keep rodents out of the straw shed this winter.

“Firstly, producers should ensure the area around the shed is free from debris and undergrowth, as rodents may be sheltering there.

“Secondly, monitor for activity to provide the evidence that rodents are

active and if they are, pinpoint the areas of high activity.

“Farmers can visually monitor for signs of activity by checking for droppings, footprints and chewed bales or string or they can place perimeter bait boxes around the shed with grain in, to monitor for signs of rodent feeding activity,” he says.

The final course of action is to look to rodenticides. “Remember, that anyone purchasing and applying these treatments must have appropriate qualifications and adhere to CRRU guidelines, which is also now a requirement of farm assurance.

“When it comes to selecting the appropriate rodenticide, the same active ingredient can be found in several different formulations, for example, in blocks or grain, like Rodilon®.

“The selected formulation should aim to give the best chance of bait uptake. Typically for a farm environment a combination of blocks and grain baits offers the most successful control,” adds Ken. “Blocks can be fastened in place and therefore minimise the risk of contamination, but they’re not necessarily as palatable as a soft

block or paste. Grain baits are however usually a popular choice in the farm environment as it’s often similar to the food source on the farm. However, the decision about formulation selection comes back to your knowledge of the particular site.”

Ken adds that rodenticide resistance is also a growing problem, with many parts of the UK having widespread resistance to the actives bromodialone and difenacoumn.

“Rodent populations are high again and with straw a very valuable asset this winter, it’s important producers take an integrated approach by physically clearing the at-risk areas, by monitoring populations and applying rodenticides where appropriate.

Here is Ken’s three-point plan to keep rodents at bay this winter: • • •

Ensure the at-risk areas are free from debris and undergrowth Monitor rodent population Use rodenticides if appropriate to get populatins under control

Unique pest control franchise set to disrupt UK market by saving the environment pest control franchise like no other has officially been launched this week.

The PGH Beegone Limited franchise comprises of two well-established brands – PGH Pest Control & Prevention and Beegone Live Bee removal, the latter is what makes this new franchise such an exciting proposition. Beegone Live Bee Removal is a pioneering business which removes honeybee colonies and relocates them, without the use of pesticides and insecticides. The inclusion of the Beegone brand in the franchise offering effectively means franchisees are getting two for the price of one.

Based in Surrey, PGH Pest Control & Prevention and Beegone Live Bee removal were formed 14 years ago

by Peter Higgs, as part of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme. Since then, the

A

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

businesses have gone from strength-to-strength and now serve 8,400 loyal clients across London and the South East. Peter has even been invited to show bees saved by Beegone to Her Majesty, The Queen.

Experts in their fields, PGH Beegone pride themselves on their environmentally-friendly approach to pest control and live bee removal – limiting the use of harmful chemicals wherever possible. They employ a holistic approach, dealing with and resolving problems by providing preventative work for a long-term solution which ensures value for money and client satisfaction.

As demand grew, Peter realised there was opportunity for UK-wide growth and with a replicable business model the company lent itself to franchising so he began putting the necessary markers in

place to take the concept nationwide.

Peter said: “I couldn’t be more excited that we’re ready to launch the franchise business and can’t wait to grow the PGH Beegone family. We see this as the perfect time, it’s been a turbulent year and many people are looking for a fresh start – the pest control and live bee removal industries have shown themselves to be both recessionproof and Covid-proof so this is a low risk strategy.

I genuinely believe there’s no comparable franchise opportunity out there at the moment and this is a real gold mine for people looking to own a business who have the right attitude, the desire to make a difference and who are ready to reap the rewards of their hard work.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 27

| Grain

Skandia H-Line next-generation elevator from BDC Systems Ltd raises the bar for efficient grain handling DC Systems Ltd, Skandia Elevator's sole UK agent today announces that Skandia's H-Line, nextgeneration grain handling elevators are now available for delivery in the UK and Ireland.

B

"Skandia Elevator has worked closely with its customers to understand exactly what they need from an elevator to improve the efficiency of grain handling within both commercial grain storage operations and larger farming enterprises," said Andrew Head, Managing Director of Wiltshirebased BDC Systems Ltd. By listening to its customers Skandia H-Line next-generation of elevators meet their requirements by delivering optimised flow, less wear, simpler and easier maintenance plus the ability to increase the overall height up to 70 metres.

Skandia has focused on simplifying service and maintenance of the HLine. Its elevator hood is now a twopiece unit, the inspection hatches in the legs are larger and the boot has two extra cleaning hatches, as does the drive head. These smart solutions provide convenient access, simplifying the working day and significantly reducing downtime.

In addition, to meet customers' requirements to improve maintenance the H-Line's head pulley, bearings, top shaft and drive can now all be removed as a complete assembly.

The H-Line's new elevator hood and head design has been developed using extensive simulations and calculations. The result is that the hood follows the trajectory of the grain minimising wear and importantly, damage to the grain. All internal contact surfaces are fitted with plastic

28 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

wearing plates.

The increased dimension of the HLine's new and stronger legs mean that the elevator can withstand higher loads and by optimising the power requirements, the H-Line can be built up from 50 metres to now reach 70 metres. The H-Line's Very Low Elongation (VLE) belt means that although the elevator is higher the belt stretches considerably less so has a longer service life, reducing the need for re-tensioning – saving both time and money.

Skandia's revision of the individual components of the H-Line elevator has meant that assembly and adjustments have become simpler. A fast and secure installation means that operation can start very quickly.

"We started designing the H-Line using our many years of experience with our existing elevators. We listened to our customers' wishes and demands and I would say that it is a whole new elevator!" said Andreas Fransson, Skandia's Product Designer. "I know that our next-generation H-Line elevator is a reliable and durable product that will last for many, many years."

"The design of the H-Line emphasises Skandia's commitment to continuously listen, improve and develop its equipment for an everchanging market," added Andrew Head. "This new generation of elevators will fit into the higher tonnage user category required by large farms, commercial grain stores or mill intakes. A lot of thought has gone into access and maintenance which is a key need for these types of plants."

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Grain

Openfield and Roger Warnes Transport get IT right penfield Group Limited, the British farmerowned co-operative, has successfully worked together with Roger Warnes Transport to integrate two IT systems which benefit both businesses and Openfield’s farmer customers.

O

As a result of this integration Roger Warnes Transport can use their own IT systems and driver tracking App to provide Openfield with live and accurate data for their own farmer App and online portal, Insight. Openfield then uses this key information to update both their loading schedules and Track My Truck tool.

Roger Warnes’ Operations Director, Ian Barclay said, “The benefits of this integration couldn’t be better. All this is powered by TDi Software and the data transfer just happens which has removed many duplications

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

and eliminated data transfer errors. Our drivers and offices don’t see what’s happening as everything is integrated. We no longer receive emails with typos or handwritten faxes which risk human error. It removes transport reference number inaccuracies and saves time and costs. It also avoids using memory capacity on our driver phones and office systems, as there’s less software being used.”

Michael Goodyear, Openfield’s Head of IT said, “We have our own haulage tracking App for both our own fleet and a number of third-party hauliers; however, Roger Warnes Transport were looking to use their own App to process our work and create efficiencies. We combined our resources to automatically load our fixings into their systems and create data exchanges which deliver the same Track My Truck benefits to any

Openfield Farmer where grain collections are being carried out in this way. The real time data exchange includes all weighbridge information and images removing delays and costs created through old fashioned paper documents.

Another benefit for us is that we’re able to process their invoices more quickly, due to everything being automated.”

Openfield is proud of the depth of information available for farmers to interact with on their App and innovative “skill” for the smart speaker Alexa. They are now working on some fantastic enhancements to these, including Price Alerts and a Fertiliser Selector tool which will be added very soon. The team are also working to identify more third-party hauliers who could benefit from similar system integration opportunities.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 29

| Grain

Perry's new partnership with SiloMasters With over 70 years experience in manufacturing bulk materials handling, drying & storage equipment, Perry of Oakley Ltd. provide high quality machinery to a wide variety of industries, including farms, commercial grain stores, waste & aggregate industries, feed & pet food, pharmaceutical & biomass industries, and many others. They have supplied machines to over 25 different countries across 4 continents. n 2019, Perry announced a new partnership with SiloMasters. Together, the two companies provide an extensive range of flat bottom & hopper bottom silos.

I

The partnership between the two companies allows a complete solution to be offered across the full handling, drying and storage range ensuring support for dealers and customers, from concept, to layout & design, through to manufacture, supply, installation & ongoing support.

with Z600 galvanising and S450 steel construction. A wide corrugation profile of 106mm pitch for only 13mm profile depth is standard, helping to reduce product hang-up ensuring a cleaner bin.

The silos are manufactured on state of the art equipment and can be specified to meet either ANSI or Eurocode standards. Perry & SiloMasters silos are not only the perfect storage solution for grain, a silo with smooth wall construction can also be used to store less natural flowing products, such as meal & woodchip.

The silos are designed & manufactured to the highest specification, using quality materials while remaining a very costeffective option. The silos are duel branded with Perry & SiloMasters logo, as a symbol of both companies cooperating together to provide customers with a full package, tailored to individual needs.

Flat bottom silos range from 3m to 32m giving storage capacities from 27m³ to 26,000m³. Hopper bottom silos range from 3m to 13m diameter with either 45 or 60 degree cones. The hopper silo ranges can be manufactures with either a heavy duty hip ring or with an internal light weight hip ensuring we can supply the most cost effective solution for specific requirements.

All of the silos within the range come

In addition to the standard silo range,

30 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

within the scope of supply will be: •

Complete aeration systems (fans, perforated floors).

•

Temperature control systems (portable or computerised).

•

Unloading equipment (sweep & discharge augers).

•

Walkways & catwalks – the catwalks system is modular to be able to adapt to all types of conveyor loads and to any design of plant.

•

Towers & structures (supporting columns, work towers, structures for loading silos off trucks/ trains).

To find out more about the Perry range of products and services contact Perry of Oakley Ltd. on +44 (0)1404 890300 or email sales@perryofoakley.co.uk www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

www.perryofoakley.co.uk sales@perryofoakley.co.uk +44 (0)1404 890300

Perry of Oakley Ltd. The UK’s Most Experienced Manufacturer of Grain Drying, Handling & Storage Equipment • • •

Continuous Flow Grain Driers Belt Driers Chain & Flight Conveyors

• • •

Belt & Bucket Elevators Aspirator Cleaners Augers & Screw Conveyors

• • • •

Belt Conveyors Ducting & Valves Levelling Conveyors Twin Trace Conveyors

Flat Bottom Silos From 3m to 32m diameter.

20 tonne to 30,000 tonne capacity (based on wheat at 750kg/m³).

Standard and bespoke range.

30 degree pitched roof, low overall heights for conveyor & elevators, matching the natural angle of repose for stored materials.

Hopper Bottom Silos From 3m to 13m diameter.

23 tonne to 3,000 tonne capacity (based on wheat at 750kg/m³.

45 or 60 degree cones.

Heavy duty or light weight hip ring.

Single piece roof design, simplifying installation and enhancing performance.

Aeration, temperature control, unloading equipment & catwalks available.

David Perry, Managing Director of Perry of Oakley Ltd. said: “We insist on the highest quality in all aspects, this starts with the assessment of a customer’s needs and carries through to designing a scheme, manufacturing the silos, packing, shipping and final installa�on along with a�er sales support”. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 31

| Grain

Spring seed considerations David Bouch, Hutchinsons National Seeds Manager, provides his thoughts on spring 2021 and recommendations for spring seed varieties. e approach a spring likely to be vastly different to that of 2020. A large proportion of the farming community had never experienced such a cropping year (and hopefully never will again), where there was a very sizeable amount of spring cropping entered into the ground, in a delayed drilling season.

W

This has subsequently been followed with a projected wheat area this autumn at circa 1.8 million hectares, coupled with another significant fall in winter OSR and a shortfall despite a derogation in winter bean supply.

We now have to look ahead and assess the prospects and challenges for spring 2021 accordingly.

32 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Spring Barley will again be in demand, albeit with a fall back to the more “normal� hectarage of the previous two years.

However, the supposition that there will be a plentiful supply of seed may well be based on a slightly false pretence. It is certainly becoming apparent that although there was a very large crop planted and harvested, the quality of some of those crops is beginning to present a problem, with germinations looking poor and therefore availability perhaps not the given that was perceived.

RGT Planet, Laureate and LG Diablo (now fully approved for both malting and distilling) will be the main 3 varieties in terms of market share with newly recommended Tungsten and SY Splendor (under test) and Cosmopolitan (provisional

recommendation) also competing within the sector.

Barley still offers the best competition for black-grass and therefore offers both an end market as well as agronomic benefit. These barleys also offer high yield and can hold their own against out and out feed varieties such as Fairway and Prospect.

Spring Wheat will also have a more traditional uptake, but invariably sells out and certainly varieties such as KWS Chilham, KWS Cochise and KWS Giraffe (very little available 2021) will be popular alongside Mulika as the only group one and Hexham may also see some uptake on the back of limited volumes this spring.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Grain

ADM Agriculture Wheat and Oilseed Rape Market Report rain prices have moved considerably higher since our last report, with the US market up $18/t, Matif up €10/t, and London up just over £10/t on March 21 positions.

G

Talk of diminishing export availability in the Black Sea has supported the recent rally, along with continued buying interest from China and concerns over South American corn and soybean production due to dryness. Trade talk suggests reduced South American output could push additional export demand into the US. Argentina will suspend sales of corn for exports until 28 February. The surprising move is part of the government’s effort to ensure ample domestic food supplies.

Russian agency SovEcon has downgraded its estimate for Russia’s 2020/21 wheat exports to 36.3mln t, from

40.8mln t previously, due to an upcoming export tax aimed at stabilising domestic food prices.

agreed prior to the UK’s departure from the EU at the end of 2020 at least clarifies the UK/EU trade relationship regarding movement of goods between the two parties.

Conversely, Ukraine’s trade union has reported government assurances that no additional grain export limits will be imposed for the 2020/21 season.

With no tariffs or quotas to be applied, grain imports and exports can continue freely. This is seen as a positive move for the UK, given its increasing dependency on imports for this season due to the lower crop forecast. There have been, and will be, hiccups but in practice imports and exports should continue.

Egypt’s supply minister reports the country has strategic wheat reserves sufficient for 5.5 months. However, Morocco has extended its suspension of import duties on soft wheat until 31 May to ensure regular supply amid low domestic output.

DEFRA has released an update on its 2020 UK crop estimates, pegging wheat production at 9.658mln t. This 40% year-on-year reduction is due to a 24% drop in area (1.387mln ha) and an average yield of just below 7t/ha.

In addition, the above agreement will also aid UK growers looking to market their 2021 wheat crop. The expected rebound in production will return the UK to being a net exporter, but tariff-free exports to the EU will avoid the need for the UK to chase Third country trade, which would have affected farm prices.

The announcement of the trade deal

3yr

PROUDLYMADE INTHE UK

WARRANTY

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 33

| Buildings

34 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

Farmplus: Building it right riven by the simple principle of creating a healthy environment and that ventilation is not the volume of air in a building, but critically it is the rate of air exchange, simply clean air in and stale air out - Farmplus design and build to these principles. Animals left to nature always try to find shelter in the basic form, they use hedges, walls & natural hollows to get out of or reduce the impact of the winds. Likewise, they will use trees for shade from the sun and shelter from rain. When we look at buildings we should aim to replicate these basic principles of nature wherever possible. Remembering that animals want in the basic form shelter

D

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Farmplus has thirty years’ experience in the design and supply of timber framed farm buildings and animal shelters.

from the wind, rain, shade from the sun, and plenty of fresh air. Ideally giving animals a shelter wall to be able to lie behind with a decent gap above for air to pass over. All air movements need to be above animal height so as not to create a draft. Depending on the height of the wall, the gap above will often need some form of wind break material to reduce wind speed on bad days. The best and cheapest form of ventilation is and always will be natural ventilation using the stack effect with sufficient gaps at the low eaves and open ridges.

No fans using electricity, no moving parts & nothing to breakdown, so no ongoing expense. In very high rainfall areas, special ventilated ridge capping’s can be supplied. For most situations,

the best ridge treatment is still, simple upturned flashing, for these will make the outside air lift over the ridge of the roof. The base of any upstand should always be at a minimum 50mm (2� inch) back from the top edge of the roof sheet, so any water/rainfall that hits the inside of the upright flashing can then drip of the heal and drain away down the roof sheet.

Animals left to nature always try to find shelter in the basic form, they use hedges, walls & natural hollows to get out of or reduce the impact of the winds. Likewise, they will use trees for shade from the sun.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 35

| Energy

Miscanthus: Long-term secure returns and reduced risk armers and landowners are urged to consider maximising returns and reducing risk with Miscanthus - a renewable energy crop with a rising market demand.

F

Produced for an increased number of markets, including renewable power generation, livestock bedding, domestic fuels and many more, the crop thrives on unproductive farm land and guarantees returns on long-term contracts, promising a move away from the price volatility associated with traditional agricultural markets.

The perennial energy crop can grow to heights of up to 12 feet and has the potential to yield 15 tonnes per hectare, which can give the farmer a return of £900/ha after establishment costs have been paid back. Terravesta Performance HybidsTM provide an average net profit of £558/ha over 15 years.

"Miscanthus is ideally suited to lower grade, unproductive marginal land," says Terravesta chairman, William Cracroft-Eley. "It's a low input, high output option, and once established, no fertiliser is required, as the rhizome recycles nitrogen back into the soil."

emerging from biorefining Miscanthus for advanced end-uses, including degradable bio-plastics, pharmaceuticals, bio-ethanol and biogas production, as well as fibre uses for construction, materials and furniture.”

The firm is also progressing a standardised approach to measuring and auditing Miscanthus carbon storage, enabling farmers to have a framework for carbon trading.

Earlier this year a report from the Committee on Climate Change, entitled “Land use: Policies for a net zero UK” states that expanding biomass crops by around 23,000 hectares each year would deliver 2MtCO2e emissions savings in the land sector and an extra 11 MtCO2e from the harvested biomass when used for construction or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), for example.

Terravesta is working with worldleading plant scientists to develop new Miscanthus Performance HybridsTM, aiming to further build on the improvements of the rhizome-based variety Terravesta AthenaTM launched by the firm in 2019, with the added benefit of being cultivated from seed.

Terravesta is the world-leading Miscanthus specialist, and works with growers to facilitate planting, provide agronomic support, secure lucrative markets and offers long term indexprice-linked contracts. The firm is looking for growers to plant its own Terravesta Performance HybridsTM to meet increased demand.

36 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Terravesta is looking for more growers to help to meet the increased demand from whole bale power stations and emerging markets. "We're offering growers 10-year retail price index-linked contracts," says William.

“Markets for large-scale heat and power generation are growing and there are exciting second-generation markets

“This will mean that new markets for the crop will need to continue to develop,” adds William.

The company is looking for UK growers to plant Miscanthus to meet increased demand, and encourages farmers interested in planting to email planting@terravesta.com or call +441522 731873. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Energy

ADBA National Conference 2021 to focus on the green recovery and COP26 ntitled Green gas: ready to go, ready to scale, ready to deliver Net Zero, the ADBA National Conference 2021 taking place online on 16th and 17th February will address how AD can reduce the carbon footprint of hardest to decarbonise sectors of transport, heat and agriculture, as well as look at the financial frameworks needed for the industry to contribute fully in the post-Covid green recovery.

E

"The 2020s are the decisive decade of decarbonisation and AD is ready to deliver today" said ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton. "The UK generates millions of tonnes of organic wastes (sewage, manures, slurries and other agricultural wastes, food and food & drink processing wastes), most of which goes to landfill: 70% of all wastes worldwide are dumped in the open atmosphere, resulting in serious

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

GHG and public health issues. AD can play a key role in processing these wastes safely, capturing the resultant methane, and recycling them into useful green products.

The technology is mature, proven, ready to go, ready to scale, ready to deliver Net Zero."

As the UK prepares to host a critical COP26 meeting in Glasgow in November, putting measures in place to meet the UK's 5th carbon budget for 2030 and its net zero target by 2050 has become more urgent than ever. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicting that 2030 would be the tipping point for climate change, time is of the essence and ensuring that AD and biogas are integrated into national strategies to deliver on the Paris Agreement and beyond has become a key priority for the industry.

The ADBA National Conference will explore how best to frame the sector's arguments to take to the policymakers at this crucial event.

•

The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) will host its 2021 National Conference virtually on 16-17th February

•

It will review how the anaerobic digestion (AD) industry can support the post Covid Green recovery

•

It will seek to formulate arguments in favour of AD to take to COP26 discussions in November

For more details on the conference programme and to register, click here.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 37

| Health & Safety

Clarience Technologies Acquires ECCO Safety Group (ESG) Clarience Technologies is a family of brands (Truck-Lite, DAVCO Technology, Road Ready, RIGID Industries and Lumitec) focused on bringing total visibility to commercial and recreational transportation. Through our data and insights, we improve fleet management, streamline supply chains, reduce total cost of operation and enhance safety on and off the road. For decades, our collaborative, transparent approach has been turning customers into long-term partners. Since TruckLite introduced the first sealed marker light in 1955, our companies have unveiled a steady stream of innovation. Today, Clarience Technologies is a global company known for its quality and dedication to sustainability and to a simple principle: in transportation, the more you can see and be seen, the better. larience Technologies today announced that it has acquired ECCO Safety Group (ESG), a worldwide leader in audible warning equipment and emergency lighting for commercial and emergency vehicles and home to brands like ECCO and Code 3. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

C

Brian Kupchella, Chief Executive Officer of Clarience Technologies, said, "We are thrilled to welcome ESG to Clarience Technologies. The addition of ESG’s leading safety and emergency lighting solutions expands and complements our existing offering of lighting technologies and advanced telematics. With this enhanced product lineup, we will deepen and broaden visibility solutions for new and existing customers. ESG has built a strong reputation as an industry leader known for innovation and customer service and we look forward to welcoming ESG

38 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

associates to the Clarience Technologies family.”

Doug Phillips, President & CEO of ESG, said, “I am confident that Clarience Technologies is the right partner to take ESG to the next level. We share a commitment to customer service, transparency, performance, and most of all safety. As part of Clarience Technologies, we will be able to leverage their resources and R&D expertise to grow our business and ensure unparalleled safety for our customers and those on the road around them.”

With nearly 50 years of operating experience, ESG is a global leader in research, design, development, manufacturing and distribution of audible warning equipment and emergency lighting for commercial and emergency vehicles. Its brands include ECCO and Code 3, which are known for products that create safer working

conditions that enable operators to get the job done. ESG has a track record of innovation having developed the first backup alarm and today holds over 200 patents, including the newly launched Matrix system which simplifies the systems integration of the siren and lights in a police vehicle.

ESG’s brands are trusted by the world’s leading on-highway medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle manufacturers; off-highway agricultural, material handling and mining and construction vehicle manufacturers; as well as more than 20 U.S. federal agencies and over 100 international law enforcement and emergency services organizations.

ESG is headquartered in Boise, Idaho with seven offices globally, including in St. Louis, Missouri; Leeds, England; Suzhou, China; Ulm, Germany; Meyzieu, France; and Melbourne, Australia.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Health & Safety

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 39

| Potatoes

AHDB reform plans not enough Growers who called for a ballot on the continuation of a horticulture level say that the strategy for change published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) does not go far enough and offers little to the horticultural and potato sectors. he comments come as AHDB confirmed there would be a formal ballot on the continuation of potato levy in February. The move means that two of the AHDB’s six sectors have now questioned the reasons for its existence.

T

Potato grower and ballot co-organiser John Bratley, who grows between 220 and 280 ha of the crop each year, comments: “Our own ballot of 661 growers in July showed that 92% of growers feel current AHDB policies are of no, or marginal, benefit to their business, while 80% of growers did not want to pay a statutory levy. Like many growers I receive little or no benefit from the levy and, as I am in competition with other growers, AHDB’s policy of ‘knowledge exchange’ for everyone means that any technical advice which will give me a competitive advantage has to come from elsewhere.”

Potato growers currently pay £42.62 per planted hectare, with their customers paying a further 18.58 pence per tonne purchased. Because the levy is paid on planted area, it does not reflect yields, crop losses (a particular issue over the last two years) and crops which fail to find a buyer. In the past AHDB has investigated the use of drones and satellite data to spy on farms who may be growing potatoes.

40 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

John continues: “Like our colleagues in horticulture, potato growers are fed up with being forced to pay for an overly bureaucratic organisation which offers little or no benefit to professional growers who are increasingly working to secure a larger share of the same overall market. AHDB simply fails to understand the commercial reality of how growers’ markets work. In terms of its recently published plans for the next five years, where are the radical changes that both Defra and growers have been asking for?”

AHDB has said that it looks forward to “having constructive conversations” with levy payers, but despite promising real reform, its new Strategy Document makes no mention of potatoes or horticulture in its ‘Looking Ahead’ section, while associated documents reveal no changes to the levy system for at least 18 months.

Ballot co-organiser Simon Redden adds: “AHDB have spent the last few months trumpeting their new Strategy Document, but the 38-page brochure is full of empty promises with no substance and offers nothing for the horticulture or potatoes sectors. There is nothing to address the lack of benefit they have provided for the last 12 years, and it doesn’t recognise that if growers or their associations organised research, then the growers themselves

would be entitled to 230% tax relief, something which is lost to the industry with AHDB funding R&D. “Furthermore, the plan for levy reform which AHDB chair Nicolas Saphir has been promising since his appointment is actually to do doing nothing at all for 18 months. After this, potato growers may be able to appeal for a refund on their payment based on the existing mechanism, while the proposals for horticulture lack any real detail and would still leave many crops and subsectors without representation.”

Vegetable grower Peter Thorold adds that the mixed messages coming from AHDB show that the organisation has lost its way. “Nicholas Saphir’s acknowledgement that there are ‘differences between the challenges facing sectors and even within sectors’ is welcome, but the strategy document doesn’t provide any information on how the organisation will address these. It simply promises more of its existing projects from which many growers derive no benefit at all. If this is the best the organisation can come up, then it shows how divorced the organisation has come from the industry it is supposed to support. If their Town Hall meetings are anything to go by, AHDB is simply going round in circles.”

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

Expert advice to be served up at potato conference

S

cotland’s potato growers will be given advice on markets in the year ahead.

Potato experts from around the world will provide Scotland’s growers with valuable advice on how to combat the effects of Covid19 and Brexit.

Organised by SRUC, the 22nd annual conference of the SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAPP) will take place on 27-28 January.

Among the speakers will be Patrick Hughes, Head of Potato Export Development at AHDB, who will discuss exporting potatoes post Brexit, and Cedric Porter, editor of World Potato Markets, who will give his views on the lasting effect of Covid-19 on the markets.

The webinar will also hear from Keith www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Taylor, a grower from Western Australia.

Day two will focus on the technical details of crop production, with Jon Pickup and Christophe Lacomme from SASA reviewing virus control in 2020, while Dr Mathuresh Singh, from New Brunswick, Canada, will share how the Canadians have brought viruses under control.

New approaches to haulm destruction will be explained by Kyran Maloney from SAC Consulting, while topical tips will be on offer from colleagues in the SAC Consulting potatoes team.

With sustainable production key for the sector, Colin Herron from McCain will explain the company’s approach around the world. Dr Mark Stalham, meanwhile, will speak about the related topic of irrigation scheduling for Scottish growers.

Event organiser Dr Philip Burgess, lead researcher and consultant for Scottishpotates.org, a partnership between the James Hutton Institute, SRUC and SASA, said: “Scotland’s potatoes are renowned around the world for their high quality. So, it is appropriate at this virtual conference that we can hear directly from growers and scientists in other parts of the world.”

The first day of the conference (27 January) is free. The second day (28 January) is free to SACAPP members and £10 for non-members.

For more details and to sign up, visit www.sruc.ac.uk/sacapp

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 41

| Potatoes

Exceptional sprout suppression in fresh and processing crops ith the withdrawal of CIPC for the 2020 harvest, many growers will be using BioxM for the first time this season; and for many processors this will be the first season in which they will handle Biox-M treated crops at scale in the UK. Lessons have been learned from crops treated last season. Growers and store managers are adopting best practice and gaining familiarity with the product. Biox-M is a relatively new product for many users and requires particular attention to detail in store management.

W

Biox-M has been approved for use as a sprout suppressant in the UK since 2012 and has been used on a wide range of British potato varieties delivering excellent sprout control. For crops destined for fresh and organic markets, Biox-M is well understood and in general use; it is part of the normal toolbox. Many of the lessons from use in the fresh sector are being reinforced in processing stores treated this season: •

Store integrity is paramount. BioxM is a volatile compound and should not be allowed to escape from store. Leaks should be sealed

Biox-M is a well-established and highly effective treatment for the control of sprouting of potatoes in store. Biox-m is in widespread use in the UK and on the continent on crops destined for both fresh and processing markets.

•

•

•

•

before treatment.

•

For optimum control of sprouting, the first treatment should be as eyes first ‘blink’; do NOT wait for sprouts to develop.

suppresses sprouting in potatoes by causing local necrosis of the bud meri-stem with no visible damage to the skin of the tuber;

•

is approved for use on organic potato crops, and can be used in multi-use stores;

•

is widely used on crops grown for the fresh market, with longevity of control well in excess of normal commercial requirements;

•

can be used on processing crops stored at up to 10oC, thus allowing store managers to address concerns about the development of acrylamide;

•

has no harvest interval and no MRL;

•

is applied to stores as a hot fog using approved technology;

•

leaves no residue in buildings or boxes.

Air circulation during and following treatment must be adequate to ensure an even distribution of BioxM through the crop.

Stores should be kept closed for at least 48 hours following treatment.

Closed means closed. There should be no air exchange during the closed period.

Part-filled stores or stores with substantial headroom should be closed for more than 48 hours following treatment.

Biox-M: •

is 100% naturally occurring spearmint oil, extracted from leaves of spearmint (mentha spicata) by steam distillation;

Branston raises £32K for its chosen charities of the year ational potato supplier Branston has raised a total of £32,004 for its chosen charities of the year, by travelling virtually around the world in 80 days.

N

120 Branston employees and suppliers took part in the fundraising challenge, which took place from Saturday 8 August to Monday 26 October, across its three sites. The challenge saw the team running, walking and cycling a total of 25,402 miles for the charitable causes.

The team finished 501 miles over its target of 24,901 miles (the distance around the equator) and raise muchneeded funds for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, Children’s Hospice South West and Rachel House, which is run by Children's Hospices Across Scotland.

James Truscott, managing director at Branston said: “We’re really pleased to have raised such a generous amount for all three of our chosen charities this year.

Fundraising has been a real challenge 42 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which cancelled many of our events, but we’ve managed to beat our goal and support some amazing causes.

“I’d like to thank all the team and our suppliers, who collectively covered more than 300 miles a day throughout the challenge. I would also like to thank everyone who has supported us and made a contribution.”

Overall Branston raised £7,314 for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, £3,730 for Children’s Hospices South West and £4,958 for Rachel House, Children's Hospices Across Scotland. The potato supplier matched the fundraising total for each of the charities as an extra boost.

For more information about Branston, visit www.branston.com.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

BIOX-M

| Potatos

Exceptional sprout suppression in fresh and processing crops

Contact:

Peter Hall peter@junopp.com 01622 821276 Nick Tapp nick@junopp.com 077 75785748 www.junopp.com www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 43

| Potatoes

THE EVOLUTION OF A MARKET-LEADING SEPARATOR 020 has been a year of unprecedented success for Scotts Precision Manufacturing and sales of its Evolution Separator. Here, Derek Scott, managing director, outlines what makes the Evolution so effective.

2

With more than 650 units sold since it was introduced in 2005, the Evolution is universally recognised as the marketleading separator. It is in use around the world, with Evolutions found in the UK, across Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond 2020 has seen more than 80 Evolutions leave Scotts’ Lincolnshire factory.

The Evolution’s popularity is due to its ability to clean virtually all root crops, fruits and alliums gently and without crop losses and in extreme conditions.

Like all good engineers, Derek is continually looking at how he can improve his designs, and in 2014 he gave the Evolution a substantial makeover. Adding direct drives to the machine was a significant step forward, and while from the outside it was difficult for users to see the differences from previous models, there were considerable changes made under the skin of the Evolution.

Derek and his team at Scotts focus on producing the high-quality machines possible and have total control of all aspects of the manufacturing process, including the polyurethane casting, which sits at the heart of the Evolution.

In house 3D CAD modelling together with 3D printing and CNC machining allow Scotts to develop prototype new designs of the spiral roller designs in days not weeks.

“We are always trying to improve,” says 44 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Derek. “By having the ability to produce the spiral rollers in-house, we can try out new ideas quickly. We’re not afraid to try things that people would consider wacky or daft. Even if the idea falls flat, we are still learn something.”

It is that curiosity, trial and error and a focus on improvement that has led to the high-performance spiral roller segment that sits inside the Evolution today.

How does it work?

The spiral roller working in tandem with the following clod roller or “P roller” has 2 jobs. Extracting haulm/leaf matter and everything else (clod, stones soil) both require different attributes within the spiral segment design.

anything that’s an irregular shape to be grabbed by the ribs and pulled down between the rollers. At this point it is essential that the tread pattern does not completely fill up with soil and become smooth and the roller itself can deform around harder clods and especially stones. We feature large multiple air chambers that solves these two problems and this is where recent development has been focussed.

Self cleaning then is the key and this ONLY happens when two things exist at the same time.

1.Regular deformation of the roller body 2.Inertia (we recommend 130RPM in wet conditions)

Image titled Spiral roller cutaway

A higher performing spiral roller

Lets take haulm for the first example, you need to firmly pinch the stems tightly between the rollers to extract them quickly so a large contact area between the rollers and a stiff rib are the key. The Evolution spiral rollers feature a flat topped rib. The rib itself has a stiff construction and does not easily deflect away as it “pinches” the haulm against the clod roller. This eliminates bunging of root balls. There is no need to have the pair of rollers pressed together (causing premature wear) we can simply just leave a 1mm gap.

We do not take the simple approach of aligning the air chamber directly underneath the spiralling outer rib. This dramatically reduces the “pinch effect” and causes bunging, rather, we run our air chambers (and spokes) parallel to the shaft together with strategically placed foam pockets. What this gives us is varying stiffnesses along each alternate rib to increase the “pinch effect” against the haulm, yet allowing the very best deformation. The inclusion of a foam section also protects the ribs from stone damage.

Image titled “Pinch effect” Extracting clod, stones, mud etc, We rely on the ribs or “tread pattern” to nibble away at the clods, The design of the rib / shape of the valley allows

The Evolution has broad appeal. It is used by farmers as part of an on-farm harvesting process and incorporated extensively into processing lines by some of the world’s leading vegetable handling machinery manufacturers. Both groups are united by their desire to use a thoughtfully designed, exceptionally manufactured and effective separator – that’s why they choose the Evolution.

For more information about Scotts and the Evolution, visit www.scottsuk.com, email sales@scottsuk.com or phone 01205 270128. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

Tong’s new MonstaFill box filler transforms throughput for UK grower wo of the newest machines within Tong Engineering’s wide range of vegetable handling equipment are proving invaluable in transforming post-harvest operations for Hampshire-based potato grower, Whitewater Potatoes.

Both the company’s mobile cleaning and loading powerhouse; the FieldLoad PRO, and high capacity MonstaFill box filler were launched as part of a suite of new product developments from Tong throughout 2019 and 2020, focussing on streamlining the handling process with the gentlest handling, and maximum efficiency and throughput in mind.

And, during their first demanding season of 2020, both machines have come to the fore in making light work of cleaning and loading crop at very high capacities, reducing manual operations by almost 50% for Whitewater Potatoes in Hook, Hampshire. The established potato company grows 1900 acres of potatoes both on its main farm at Lodge Farm in Hampshire, and on land in Scotland. With a farm team that plant, manage, harvest and store an impressive 30,000 tonnes of potatoes for the crisp market, Whitewater Potatoes relies on a swift and efficient post-harvest process that allows them to keep up with market demands.

“With the need to process high volumes of potatoes straight from the field, we decided to review our existing operations in order to maximise throughput and minimise labour requirements,” explains Gavin Janaway, Managing Director at Whitewater Potatoes. “After our initial discussion with Tong, we could see that the EasyClean separator was going to provide the cleaning capabilities we need, and the FieldLoadPRO was the machine for us. After some consideration of the different box filling options, it was clear that the throughput capabilities of the

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

MonstaFill would really take our capacity potential to the next level.”

Featuring a high-capacity infeed hopper, the FieldLoadPRO at Whitewater Potatoes gently receives harvested crop directly from trailers from the field before crop is transferred to Tong’s industry leading EasyClean separator and high-speed PU coil unit, which ensures very effective cleaning of crop in all conditions. Crop is then inspected within the machine’s insulated inspection cabin before it is gently transported via the remote-controlled cart elevator to the MonstaFill box filler.

Manufactured to gently and evenly fill 1 ton boxes, the MonstaFill features a 2.5 cubic metre capacity holding hopper at each end of the machine’s main crop conveyor. Whilst the machine can fill boxes to level, the hopper tanks are also fitted with integrated loadcells which allow them to fill to a pre-determined weight ready for discharge into boxes. Once one hopper is full, the conveyor begins to fill the second hopper. The machine detects when an empty box is presented by the forklift and the hopper discharges crop into the box as it is lowered by the forklift.

The process means that the forklift then takes the full box away and returns with an empty box to repeat the process.

There is no waiting for the forklift, ensuring a truly continuous box filling process.

“Before we added the new equipment from Tong, we were operating one grader and two box fillers, with a total of seven operators required. The new FieldLoadPRO and MonstaFill set-up requires a maximum of just four operators and often only requires three. The new Tong system runs with around half as many operators than our existing set-up, and is also capable of processing almost

25% more crop; with capacities of up to 90 tons per hour. The way in which the MonstaFill operates with fewer forklift movements and a simple ‘full box out, empty box in’ process, really does make a significant difference to how quickly we can process the crop with the new system.”

“The new system at Whitewater Potatoes is performing extremely well,” says Richard Knighton, Sales Manager at Tong Engineering. “The FieldLoad PRO is receiving high volumes of crop straight from the field and providing very effective cleaning and gentle transfer of crop to the MonstaFill. The discharge mechanism of the filler’s holding hoppers means a very even fill of each box, allowing fewer forklift operators to swiftly exchange full boxes for empty ones and achieve a very continuous box filling operation.”

“We’re are very pleased with our new post-harvest system from Tong. The FieldLoad PRO and the MonstaFill have made it very easy for us to process large volumes of crop daily. Tong’s family heritage and reputation for quality design and build made them a natural choice for us. Their latest equipment is very much designed to perform in the most demanding handling situations, and it has certainly made it quicker and easier for us to efficiently process much higher volumes of crop on a daily basis.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 45

| Livestock

Don’t compromise dairy performance by underestimating mycotoxin contamination road-spectrum binder provides effective response to mycotoxin challenge Production drops and compromised performance will be inevitable if dairy farmers fail to address the impact of mycotoxin contamination in animal feeds, warns nutritional supplement manufacturer UFAC-UK. With almost half of recent TMR samples, produced using spring-summer silage, containing a mycotoxin level considered either moderate or high risk to dairy cows, farmers are being urged not to underestimate the considerable impact on herd health and performance, and act quickly to minimise losses, particularly in yield and butterfat.

With the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimating at least 25 percent of the world’s food crops are contaminated with mycotoxins, it is a threat that should not be ignored.

In a significant development to address the threat, independent tests now demonstrate the effectiveness of a new binding solution to reduce the level of mycotoxin challenge and avoid sustained health and performance impacts.

Mycotrap is an independently tested mycotoxin binder, demonstrating proven, effective performance in minimising the levels of mycotoxins within the rumen, therefore reducing their overall affect.

B

46 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

“Mycotoxins are toxic chemicals produced by fungi that readily colonise crops in the field and in storage,” says UFAC-UK national sales manager Nigel Bateson. “Even at very low levels, they are extremely harmful to ruminants, particularly freshly calved dairy cows.”

Moulds which commonly grow on grass silage and other wet feeds stuffs can often produce mycotoxins. They can be found in home grown and imported feedstuffs, feed ingredients, forages and bedding materials.

“Mycotoxins within the rumen can have a major effect on the rumen microbes, ultimately reducing feed digestibility, which subsequently will reduce available nutrients for milk, body condition and/or reproduction,” explains Mr Bateson.

The effects of mycotoxin challenge appear quickly, and are best treated equally fast to minimise the losses resulting from them. Using a broadspectrum binder will optimise the ability to achieve this.

“Mycotrap is an enhanced, broad spectrum mycotoxin absorbent,” says Mr Bateson. “It works by incorporating specific activated clay minerals with added glucose pre-cursor, glycerine, to provide enhanced toxin control and improved liver function. Glycerine also has anti-mould properties which helps minimise heating in the TMR.” This specialised clay mineral compound has been independently tested at Gent

University, a centre of excellence for mycotoxin binder research, and is proven to have strong binding capacity for a broad range of economically damaging mycotoxins at all pH ranges, throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract.

A non-digestible, free-flowing and palatable product, Microtrap is easily incorporated into feeds, helping to maintain the rumen pH at a healthy threshold. It minimises the risk of mould growth in feed and maintains performance by supporting recovery of immune status by increasing energy supply.

“Reducing the effect of mycotoxins means better immunity to disease challenges, improved daily feed intake and increased milk production,” says Mr Bateson.

“It also means improved rates of conception and reduced embryonic mortality, meaning more numbers are born alive,” he concludes.

Nigel Bateson, National Sales Manager, UFAC-UK

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Livestock

Smart Control: maintaining grazing practices through geofencing popular release in 2020, “Kiss the Ground” is a Netflix documentary which takes an extensive look at the use of soil and regenerative farming to reverse the effects of climate change. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, the film explains the emergence of industrial agriculture and its subsequent consequences on our planet’s climate crisis. It also offers several regenerative solutions that could lower current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and future emissions. One of these solutions is “smart grazing”.

A

What is smart grazing?

Also known as planned grazing or rotational grazing, smart grazing refers to the process of moving livestock from pasture to pasture at the right time. This allows the animals to fertilise the land with their waste and disturb and aerate the soil with their movements. This kind of controlled grazing can even cause plants to grow back stronger. However, it’s important to monitor grazing patterns and move the animals before they eat too close to the ground or begin to trample the land.

The benefits of smart grazing include: •

Increased biodiversity

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

• • • • • •

Improved levels of soil organic matter and overall soil health Restored land and water systems Food resilience Better animal health Reduced carbon footprints Increased farmer prosperity and profitability

How to smart graze the smart way The level of precision management required to enable smart grazing may seem daunting to livestock owners. The good news is that smart technology enables seamless smart grazing.

Commonly used to control and track vehicles and monitor the movements of commercial drones, geofencing technology is also being used effectively in the agricultural industry.

Geofencing uses the global positioning system (GPS) and/or radio frequency identification (RFID) to create a virtual geographic boundary around a particular area. The associated software will then trigger a response when a tagged asset (such as an animal) enters or leaves the area. By placing a simple cattle collar on individual animals, farmers can use geofencing systems to help monitor the behaviour of grazing animals.

the herd reporting into a central dashboard, farmers can access movement patterns at their fingertips.

The data analysis and monitoring possibilities are endless. For example, farmers can set predefined grazing limits within a specific area. Once enough cows have been in that area for the optimal amount of time, the farmer can receive an automated alert that it’s time for the cows to move on.

Along with the rotation of livestock through grazing areas, geofencing can also assist farmers with crop planning, planting, harvesting and keeping livestock in designated areas.

The technology can also help protect livestock and prevent stock theft by immediately alerting the farmers when an animal moves out of its designated area.

By making it easier for farmers to implement regenerative farming practices such as smart grazing, smart technology is also promoting more sustainability and long-term food security, thus futureproofing an industry that is only increasing in demand as world food supply continues to grow at an exponential rate.

With real-time location data on animals in January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 47

| Livestock

Poultry Sense and Lallemand Animal Nutrition collaborate to improve efficiency of commercial trials gri-tech company Poultry Sense and specific microbial solutions company Lallemand Animal Nutrition have joined forces to improve the reliability and credibility of data gained from commercial farm trials.

At a time when accurate data is becoming increasingly important for farmers and companies alike to drive the consistent performance of farmed livestock, this partnership demonstrates their commitment to helping the industry make this a reality.

Barry Thorp, veterinary adviser at Poultry Sense says, “We

A

are really excited to be working with an innovative company like Lallemand that has similar objectives to us - improving the health,

48 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

welfare and efficiency of commercial livestock.

“This trial will see us install our new realtime data solution on a couple of poultry farms that work with Lallemand, to see what impact introducing new products has on bird health, welfare and productivity.

“The technology will provide insight when introducing or changing products, as any adjustments in bird health or performance can be identified and analysed by our team, whether they are related to the product or not, such as daily liveweight gain,” he says.

“This data will also provide Lallemand with the ammunition required to stand out in a competitive market when, providing their customers with accurate data that will help increase their confidence in these new options,” says Barry.

Hannah Elliott, monogastric sales and technical support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, says that they are looking forward to collaborating with Poultry Sense on this trial.

“We’re eager to embrace this new, innovative technology, which will enable us to look at poultry houses on a zoneby-zone basis as opposed to a whole house basis. This will give us much more accurate insight on how birds are performing and behaving when our products are used.

“With the Poultry Sense team’s expertise, we’re hoping to interpret and analyse this extensive real-time farm data and use it to support the existing European and technical data we have, as well as the good feedback we get from customers,” she explains.

Hannah adds, “We often see positive changes in behaviour as well as an increased stress resistance when our products are used and we want to be able to capture this. We feel that this data and the expertise of the Poultry Sense team will help maximise the efficiency and reliability of commercial trials for us, as we value the importance of data in continuous progression and working with our customers to enhance welfare and take production forward to the next level.”

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Livestock

Home markets thriving amidst port disruption Livestock farmers urged to work with auctioneers and be aware of demand armers should take advantage of the knowledge and resources available through their local livestock auctioneers and benefit from a strong home market demand, amidst the disruption and chaos at ports witnessed this week, the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) says.

While export markets have effectively been temporarily closed by the travel bans enforced due to the impact of the new variant of Covid-19, the LAA says a strong home market demand has provided a welcome boost.

Auctioneers across the country have been closely monitoring the situation, as they have throughout the pandemic, keeping farmers abreast of a constantly evolving situation, this week exacerbated by the delays and disruptions at UK ports.

“In this circumstance, it is the new variant of Covid-19 that has created the backlogs, delays and disruptions at our ports,” explains Chris Dodds, executive

F

secretary of the LAA. “Regardless of any future trade deal, we can expect more of the same in the coming months, with the added red-tape, bureaucracy and paperwork required for exports,” he adds.

Despite the challenges to the export trade, at least in the short-term, Mr Dodds says the strong home market points to the opportunities farmers can exploit, with the support of their livestock auction market.

“We have seen an excellent trade this week, and it is important this buoyant home market is supplied,” says Mr Dodds. “This thriving local market will remain for the foreseeable future, particularly in light of the new tier announcements and travel restrictions.”

Red-meat sales are booming as consumers are choosing to treat themselves at home, particularly with the closure of pubs and restaurants in most parts of the country during this festive period.

“It is a captive audience, and if this

pandemic has taught us nothing else, it is the fact that the consumer is taking great comfort in having access to homesourced, high quality UK produce, basing their preferences on the provenance and high standard of animal welfare guaranteed in the UK,” says Mr Dodds.

The Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) is working on behalf of its members and the wider red-meat sector to maintain the supply chain in both home and export markets. Its member markets and auctioneers play an invaluable role and are a source of information and advice for producers across the country.

“Speak to your auctioneer and work with your market to be aware of demand,” Mr Dodds advises.

“Markets have been supporting farmers and mainta∆ining a competitive trade throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so as we look ahead to the early part of 2021, and the additional challenges of a post-Brexit environment,” he says.

Prioritise hygiene to meet antibiotic reduction targets ales of antibiotics to treat UK farm animals have halved since targets were introduced in 2017, making Britain the fifth lowest user in Europe. However, to continue to reduce antibiotic use still further, sound hygiene practices must be a focus for all farmers.

“The new antibiotic reduction targets facilitated by Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance – and set out in ‘Targets Task Force Report 2020’ – aim to see usage levels reduced further. If we are to continue to cut our use of antibiotics, the highest hygiene levels are needed, especially during lambing and calving,” says vet Dan Humphries from Horizon Dairy Vets.

Postnatal diseases occur on livestock units largely due to a lack of hygiene awareness.

For example, a focus on hygiene during lambing is one of the simplest and most economical ways to

S

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

reduce lamb losses.

“Approximately a third of losses in lowland flocks occur in the neonatal period and most are the result of diseases that can be prevented by keeping the shed or lambing area clean and disinfected,” explains BASF rural hygiene specialist Helen Ainsworth.

“Despite higher demand for disinfectants due to the coronavirus pandemic, BASF has stock of the disinfectant Sorgene Xtra for UK farmers to buy throughout 2021,” she adds.

Sorgene Xtra is a disinfectant that can be used for general hygiene, spraying or specific disease control, dependent on the concentration.

“Focussing on animal husbandry and using products that minimise risk at key times, such as lambing and calving, will help farmers reduce costs and antibiotic use,” says Mr Humphries.

“Any equipment should be kept in a solution of disinfectant when not being used. A solution of 1:250 of

disinfectant is advised to store items such as water bowls, teats and milk dispensers,” he adds.

For lambing and calving the hygienic preparation of sheds and pens will reduce the likelihood of postnatal diseases. Pressure washing using detergent before spraying with a disinfectant will help to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

“Attention to detail, preparation, and

routines will help reduce the risk of infection and reduce costly losses. This will also reduce any subsequent reliance on antibiotics which will help the whole livestock sector in the UK improve animal welfare,” concludes Mr Humphries.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 49

| Muck & Slurry

Agriculture Contractors reminded to put safety at the top of their New Year’s Resolution List SENI’s advisory engagement with agriculture contractors will continue during January with telephone calls and virtual advisory appointments being carried out rather than site visits due to the ongoing situation. The advice offered is more important than ever and focuses on how health & safety should be managed.

Agriculture Contractors are being asked to put safety at the top of their new year’s resolution list.

for complacency.

We will continue to carry out advisory calls with agriculture contractors during January to drive home the importance of having safe systems in place which will benefit themselves, their employees and the farmer and farming family they are working for.

HSENI’s Principal Inspector Camilla Mackey said ‘We are reminding contractors of the importance of having robust controls in place to ensure the safety of everyone who comes in contact with them in their line of work. There is no room

If you have not yet had the opportunity to speak with a Health & Safety Business Adviser from HSENI now is the time to get in touch with us before your busier period of work commences.

H

50 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Agriculture Contractors wishing to directly arrange an advisory call to discuss health & safety or would like more information on our agriculture contractors initiative should contact -Deirdre Goan on Tel – 077200 36472 or e-mail deirdre.goan@hseni.gov.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Muck & Slurry

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 51

| Muck & Slurry

Ktwo invest in British Farming throughout COVID-19 two are a leading British manufacturer of farming machinery with factories based in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire and have invested significantly in supporting British Farming throughout the past 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

K

Ktwo have adapted and continued to grow rapidly during the past year to ensure they supply and support British Farmers who are feeding the nation with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. ''We are doing everything we can to support the industry during these difficult times. We have been fortunate to have seen a 35% increase in sales in 2020 and that has allowed us to be able to invest substantially back into the industry to provide the best innovation, support, and service to our customers.'' Explains Robbie Polson, Ktwo Managing Director.

Ktwo purchased Warwick Trailers in 2019 to increase the size of their production facilities to nearly 80,000 square foot, giving them the space to produce more muck spreaders and to be able to offer a complete range of trailers across the agricultural industry. ''The purchase of the Warwick Trailers was a significant milestone for us and has helped us to continue to grow even with the difficulties of the pandemic,'' continues Robbie, ''We have continued to 52 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

recruit and have grown to a team of nearly 70 staff.''

Ktwo recently won Leading Innovators in Agricultural Machinery 2020 in BUILD Magazine's 2020 Construction & Engineering Awards which is a testament to their product innovation this year.

During 2020 they improved their muck spreader range by redesigning their Ktwo Evo and Ktwo Bio spreaders to maximise outputs and increase efficiency.

They have invested in their product design and have increased their design engineering team by three in the last year alone. They are continuing to focus on product innovation based on customer feedback and the most up-to-date technology.

Along with their new Design Engineers, they have further invested in their support team with service and back up Engineers out on the road for customers.

Will Green from Robinson Contract Services has worked closely with Ktwo for many years and praises them for their customer support relationship: ''I would recommend Ktwo both for their machines and as a company – we have always had excellent backup from the Ktwo team regardless of whether this has been for parts, advice, or joint head-scratching

when problems have arisen.''

Ktwo also launched a campaign called Spread The Load to raise awareness of mental health in farming and to provide support to those who need it this year.

They have a dedicated page on their website for farmers and their families to find advice during difficult times and often promote it across their social media networks. The page links to many services and charities such as The Farming Community Network's Farming Help and YANA Rural Health Support which offers a full directory of support services.

It is great to see a British manufacturer investing in their people and their industry during these challenging times and with a positive story for 2020.

For more information on Ktwo visit: www.ktwo.co.uk www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Muck & Slurry

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 53

| Muck & Slurry

Bauer slurry separation by Mastek astek were featured in our previous edition showcasing their own slurry equipment, we are now covering the other part of their business which is Bauer slurry separation and green bedding systems. Mastek can offer models to separate straw, paper and sawdust along with the option to produce your own green bedding material.

M

Green bedding systems give dairy farmers a nearly unlimited supply of dust free, absorbent bedding material which offers improved cow health, cleanliness and comfort. Green bedding is produced by extracting undigested

organic fibres from slurry, using a screw press separator.

The slurry is forced through a mesh screen with an auger, the liquid is drained away and the solids are deposited into a bunker. The separator is very easy to operate, the amount of 54 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

pressure is controlled by altering the position of the weights on the output flaps and the mesh screens can be checked by removing the inspection plates on either side. The bedding material must be 35% dry matter and the higher the dry matter is the healthier and more comfortable the bedding is for the cows to lie on. The bedding material can be applied to the cubicles with a dispenser type telehandler bucket, most users find that because the material is readily available they use more of it in the cubicles which in turn leads to better cow

lesions and the buildings are less dusty and a nicer environment for cows and staff.

Standard separation is the same

comfort and increased lying times. Users also find that cows stay cleaner, they see less hock www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Muck & Slurry process but using straw, paper and sawdust or similar products in the cubicles but separates the excess bedding which is deposited onto the passageways and also removes the undigested fibre in the

The separated slurry can be applied during the growing season and the minimal fibre content enables nutrients to be easily absorbed by the grass or growing crop.

Slurry

slurry the same as the green bedding system. The main difference with the two processes is a standard separator produces lower dry matter material than a green bedding separator.

separation and their own products sit hand in hand. The dribble bars and trailing shoe applicators on both slurry tankers and umbilical systems ensure slurry is applied with precision across the field and most importantly minimises leaf contamination, resulting in quicker re growth.

dribble bars to any make of slurry tanker and trailing shoe applicators to any slurry tanker with brackets or linkage. Their full range of umbilical equipment and the option of underground main piping can allow you to spread slurry quickly and efficiently after silage cuts or grazing. They can also supply flow meters with touch screen or ISO bus connectivity to monitor how much slurry you are applying to maintain accurate farm records.

Mastek have two UK sales representatives and a mobile technician who can visit your farm to discuss options and ways to streamline your slurry system and make the best possible use of the slurry on your farm.

They can fit

Both options have the huge advantage of leaving you with a highly valuable liquid fertiliser which requires very little mixing prior to spreading, something which may become key if we are forced down the route of covering slurry stores. Removing the fibre from your slurry also has the hidden benefit of increasing your storage capacity by up to 30%.

Featuring Mastek’s award winning SuperCut Macerator

MICRO TRAILING SHOE

UNIVERSAL DRIBBLE BAR

LINKAGE DRIBBLE BAR

NORTH OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND

SOUTH OF ENGLAND AND WALES

MARK ROBERTS : 07432 589562

BEN WILLCOX : 07930 876941

“Our Ambition is to cut Emissions” www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 55

| Muck & Slurry

5 slurry application tips

armers can choose to use slurry and digestate rather than fertiliser on crops and grass land.

However, what should be considered when choosing to buy in slurry? Contractor and Tramspread director Laurence Baker has five tips for farmers looking to invest in using more slurry.

F

1) What type of slurry?

The type of slurry will make a difference to the crop. The key measurement is the amount of plant available nitrogen (N) in the slurry which can be determined by testing it before spreading. Digestate and pig slurry are likely to be higher in N than cow slurry so if there is a choice to make and the crop needs the maximum amount of N available then opting for digestate will provide this. Crucially, the water content will determine the value of the slurry. Slurry or digestate stored away 56 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

from rainwater will have a higher nutrient value because it will not have been diluted.

Therefore, a source of slurry that has been kept in a covered store is preferable to maximise plant available N.

soil. However, the more effective use of slurry is when it is

2) When should it be applied?

Slurry should be spread as soon in the season as possible. In some areas of the country this can be as early as February.

Once the land starts to dry out it is ready for slurry. Spring crops will always benefit from having slurry applied early and then ideally another two applications during the season. The applications should be approximately four weeks apart to allow the crop to absorb the nutrients. Applying slurry to stubble is cheap and good for the

applied to the crop early in the growth stage. It is more expensive to have slurry applied to a crop, but the benefits can be seen almost instantly because unlike fertiliser the liquid slurry can be absorbed by the plant immediately. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Muck & Slurry

3) How should it be applied?

For arable crops using dribble bars is an accurate method.

Dribble bars come in lengths from 6 metres to 36 metres to cater for all widths of tramlines. Umbilical spreading reduces soil compaction and if the source of slurry is close enough to the crop the slurry can be pumped direct. Nurse bags and bag tanks are becoming ever more popular to enable direct umbilical spreading of bought in slurry. New dribble bar technology such as the recently launched Suffolk range can be specified with and without macerators depending on the type of slurry being used.

This will help to keep the spread even.

of measuring slurry application. It connects a flow meter to the tractor’s GPS and can be used to adjust the application rate from the cab. An Agros

5) What are the cost savings?

The data in AHDB’s RB209 nutrient management guide helps to illustrate the savings available by testing slurry and applying it accurately.

Calculating the available nitrogen, phosphate and potash (N, P and K) of slurry can save significant sums of money. ADAS soil scientist John Williams has used the RB209 guide to equate this to between £215 and £265/ha, based on a season’s application of 95m3/ha of cattle slurry.

4) How can it be measured?

Measuring the amount of slurry is crucial to understanding the amount of plant available N being applied to the crop.

The Tramspread Isobus flow meter package costing £3,740 is one of the most accurate methods www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

is the future of slurry application and will enable all farmers to be more accurate and make the most effective and efficient use of slurry.

Nova liquid manure testing kit costs £425 and offer farmers laboratory test quality results. The nutrient value of the slurry in conjunction with the speed of flow can then be used to ascertain the amount of N applied per acre. This

“Slurry is one of the most undervalued resources farmers have. If stored, tested and applied carefully with attention to nutrient value, slurry offers significant savings and environmental benefits,” concludes Mr Baker.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 57

| Machinery

Massey Ferguson MF 8S.265 Dyna E-Power Exclusive wins Tractor of the Year 2021

assey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is delighted to announce the MF 8S.265 Dyna E-Power Exclusive is the winner of Tractor Of The Year 2021. This prestigious award, judged by a jury from 26 European countries, was presented at a special Tractor Of The Year 2021 fully digital event ceremony, on 18th December.

M

“Everyone at Massey Ferguson is overjoyed to receive the ultimate honour of Tractor Of The Year 2021,” says Thierry Lhotte, Vice President & Managing Director Massey Ferguson, Europe & Middle East. “With the MF 8S Series, we set out to define a new era, not just for Massey Ferguson, but also for tractor design and, of course, our customers.

Technology” and the Silver Medal Award as “Best B2B Digital/Hybrid Event” at the Best Event Award Italy 2020 as well as Gold Medal Award in the category “Digital Event” and the Gold Medal Award as “Best B2B Digital/ Hybrid Event” at the Best Event Award World 2020, giving credit to Massey Ferguson’s shows and events strategy initiated back at EIMA 2018 blending physical presence and digital capabilities.

Award-winning technology

The MF 8S.265 Dyna E-Power Exclusive, heads the MF 8S Series, which includes four models from 205hp to 265hp, all offering 20hp of extra power with Engine Power Management.

Completely new, the MF 8S Series introduces novel, innovative designs in every area – engine, cab, transmissions and driveline as well as with new controls and connectivity. Equipped to a high standard, it comes with different specification packages, which offer great value for money, ensuring owners only pay for what they need.

“This prestigious award recognises how Massey Ferguson is defining a new era in straightforward and dependable tractor design. At the same time we are delivering an enhanced user experience and providing our customers with the benefits of connectivity and smart farming technology for a sustainable future,” he adds.

The Tractor Of The Year 2021 award is a new addition to the MF 8S trophies cabinet, as the MF 8S digital launch even won the Gold Medal Award in the category “Best Use of Digital 58 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Setting the tractors apart is the unique Protect-U design, with its 24cm space that separates the engine from the cab and insulates it from noise, heat and vibration.

Industry-leading cab Its industry-leading, four-pillar cab is the quietest on the market, at only 68dB, with a distinctive inclined windscreen providing ultimate space and visibility.

Inside it provides optimum control using the new Multipad control lever and

armrest, along with connectivity for smart farming

exceptional visibility over the slim, waspwaisted bonnet.

Complete connectivity is assured with MF Connect telemetry and Datatronic 5 terminal fitted as standard. There is also the option to use an extra Fieldstar 5 terminal to manage the MF Technologies Suite – including MF Guide, MF Section Control and MF Rate Control.

New highly efficient transmissions

operations.

A new digital MF vDisplay, fitted to the right-hand pillar, replaces the dashboard and leaves just the steering wheel and Power Control lever to ensure

Completely new, Dyna E-Power’s dual clutch technology combines the comfort of a CVT with the efficiency of a semipowershift. This reduces power loss by 26% at higher speeds, saving up to 5% in fuel.

Alternatively, the new Dyna-7 semi-powershift is also available on the MF 8S range and offers 28 forward and reverse speeds.

With the same easy operation and reliability of the renowned Dyna-6, it delivrs one extra speed with smoother shifting and is also now 15% more efficient.

Built on a 3.5m wheelbase and with a strong, new rear axle the

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

MF 8S delivers 10% more tractive power. With powerful new hydraulics and PTO, it delivers higher performance, operate more efficiently and cut costs. MF 8S Series tractors can also be fitted with rear tyres up to 2.05m diameter (R42), including the exclusive option of the latest VF650/75 R42 Trelleborg TM1000 PT. Superb specification choice The award winning MF 8S Exclusive specification is a comprehensive package providing operators with exceptional comfort and ease of use, as well as genuine performance enhancing features to increase productivity and efficiency.

Exclusive models are available now.

These will be joined by the Efficient versions in early 2021, along with the option of a Dyna-VT CVT transmission for all models later 2021.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 59

| Machinery

VADERSTAD LAUNCH LARGEST HIGH SPEED PRECISION SEED DRILL äderstad has launched its largest high-speed precision seed drill to date, which will be available from June 2021. Despite its size the Tempo L 32 can maintain increased output without compromising performance.

V

The new drill is equipped with 32 row units of 375mm spacing, a 3000l seed hopper and a Central Seed Fill as standard. To manage a narrower row spacing, every second-row unit is offset.

The row cleaner angle and gauge wheel

60 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

size have also been reduced.

To increase the versatility of the Tempo L 32 it is possible to hydraulically raise half of the row units and lock them in an upper position, reducing the number of rows from 32 (375mm row spacing) to 16 (750mm row spacing). In practice for UK growers, this means it is possible to drill oilseed rape and then change to maize on 16 rows with 750mm row spacing quickly and efficiently.

For the Canadian market, there is a possibility to attach the Tempo L 32 to a

Seed Hawk 660 Air Cart. The Seed Hawk 660 Air Cart is able to hold up to 23000l of fertiliser.

The Tempo L 32 and Seed Hawk 660 combination will provide enormous capacity and planting precision to the vast fields of the Canadian prairies. The fertiliser can be applied in two different ways - either 7cm beside the seed furrow, or together with the seed in the seed furrow.

The price of the Tempo L 32 will be announced in 2021.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

AN ELECTRIC FIRST YEAR FOR FARMTRAC t’s been a year since Reesink Agriculture launched in the UK with the highly successful arrival of the Farmtrac tractor brand, and what a year it’s been!

I

Drawing crowds, wowing critics and generating praise from industry dignitaries, Farmtrac arrived with a bang at LAMMA 2020. The brand’s flagship model, the FT25G featuring lithium-ion battery, was the industry-first allelectric tractor, revolutionary in its innovation and technology, it got the market talking about the future of the industry.

Upon seeing the FT25G for the first time, Jane Rickson, professor of soil erosion and conservation at Cranfield Soil and AgriFood Institute and president of the IAgrE, said: “This compact and agile tractor represents a significant development in agricultural engineering.

We were impressed by the tractor’s huge potential in a range of land-based industries both here and overseas, including horticulture, livestock and amenity use.”

Despite the tricky market conditions 2020 created for most, Farmtrac

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

attracted a number of dealers across the country to commit to representing the brand. Steven Haynes, tractor sales manager at Reesink, says: “Although this has been a less than ideal year in which to launch a new brand, the dealer network has grown very well for

clean energy and electric vehicle channel FullyCharged, The FT25G was referenced as “amazing” and “incredible” on many occasions in both programmes as it was reviewed and put through its paces. But it wasn’t just the cutting-edge FT25G that proved itself, distributor Reesink Agriculture did too.

In September, Reesink Agriculture was awarded by Farmtrac the ‘Best Debut 2020’ as part of their International Day for distributors around the world.

This was given on the back of strong sales and a solid market awareness campaign during 2020, and to reflect on the robust warranties Reesink Agriculture offers its customers, and its reputation for servicing, maintenance and back-up.

Farmtrac in its first year, which is testament to the quality of the product.

We have some great dealers on board that have really taken to the products and are seeing good results already.”

Farmtrac also caught the eye of Robert Llewellyn and Adam Henson on BBC’s Countryfile and the world’s number one

With a string of successes to look back on, it’s certainly been a launch year full of more highlights than anything else for Farmtrac, as Steven concludes: “We’re thrilled with the positive response Farmtrac has had in the UK, it’s been a very unusual but also incredibly exciting launch year and I have no doubt 2021 will have just as much to commend itself for the brand.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 61

| Machinery

KUHN TILLER DEVELOPED FOR COVER CROP INCORPORATION UHN Farm Machinery has launched a shallow soil cultivator designed specifically for the mechanical breakdown and incorporation into soils of cover crops, other plant residues and organic manures.

K

The EL Biomulch is a development within KUHN’s established EL Cultitiller range and is aimed at farms seeking to improve soil organic matter levels through the increased use of cover crops and organic fertilisers. It has the potential to reduce the need for plant desiccating agrochemicals and can aid incorporation for bio-fumigation and have a role in cultivating grassland for renewal or following crops. The EL

62 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Biomulch is currently available in a 3 metre working width format, designed to work at up to 10km/hr and is suitable for tractors up to 160hp. It can be particularly effective in combination with a front mounted shredder when working in tall and dense cover crops.

The rotor on the EL Biomulch is fitted with 72 angled blades that ensure the machine fulfils a complete mulching operation across the full working width.

These blades have a 95 degree angle to maximise the effectiveness of root and plant residue destruction whilst avoiding soil smearing and crust formation.

The EL Biomulch is designed to operate within the top 3 to 5cm of the soil, with the working depth controlled by four

adjustable wheels at the front of the machine. Adjustments can be made from either side of the machine and depth gauges are fitted to ensure the machine is always set level.

The EL Biomulch’s hydraulically adjustable hood allows close control of the finish and can be operated from the tractor cab. The machine can be used with the hood fully closed for increased safety when working near public spaces.

Designed to the same mechanical specification as KUHN’s established EL Cultitillers, the EL Biomulch has a heavy duty Duplex gearbox and adjustable rotor speeds to allow adaption for different applications.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Spaldings expands SPL Ultra range of wearing parts

T

he SPL Ultra range of replacement points, wings and shins from Spaldings has been expanded with new items to fit several cultivator and subsoiler

designs.

These bespoke products, developed inhouse by the Spaldings technical team in partnership with specialists in materials and manufacturing, result from field trials and wear pattern mapping by laser to assess the wear characteristics of original OEM and non-original parts to ensure the SPL Ultra components deliver improved features and performance.

• •

wing assemblies for Cultivating Solutions and Grange Machinery subsoiling tines; R2712 – point and wings in a onepiece casting for TWB subsoilers; R2714 – short shin with ribbed extension plates to protect TWB subsoiler legs.

All are available to order on the UK and Ireland sections of the spaldings.co.uk website, via the company’s telesales department or with a member of the

High-quality manufacturing processes then ensure they correctly fit the original ‘host’ legs and tines.

New additions Five new items have joined the multitude of points and wings already available for Horsch, Keeble, Simba/ Great Plains and Väderstad implements.

Cast in a single piece, it also has 17mm wide-shaped soil defectors on the upper surface of the wings, which have a total span of 272mm.

nationwide Spaldings field sales team.

•

R1446 – claw-type chisel point for MulchMix legs on Horsch Terrano cultivators; R2706/R2708 – 120mm ‘standard’ and 165mm ‘intermediate’ point and

Leg protection The SPL Ultra R2714 is an alternative to the replaceable shin on TWB subsoiler legs and provides additional protection for the leg where soil flow abrasion tends to cause significant wear over time.

Points and wings The R1446 80-90mm point for the MulchMix legs on Horsch Terrano FG, FX, MT and FM stubble cultivators is of similar design to R1400, the version for Väderstad’s TopDown, Cultus, Opus and Swift tine cultivators.

The Spaldings short shin section has wear-resistant hard-facing material all the way up the main leading edge, with wrap-around tungsten tiles also protecting the leading edges of the 130mm x 130mm side plates.

Both have a distinctive 50mm deep central spine for extra wear and fastening bolt protection that stands proud of the 40mm thick nose and side sections with their cast-in soil deflectors designed to minimise wear of the underlying material.

These plates guard the most vulnerable section of the leg and in addition to being ribbed to deflect the soil flow are tapered from 7mm thickness at the front to minimise drag to 11mm at the back to provide extra metal where the soil starts to close back in, build pressure and cause most wear.

They comprise: •

Both have the same chisel-like point with a single tungsten facing tile, another on the integral shin section and along the leading edges of the wings, which are 120mm and 165mm wide, respectively.

Multiple tungsten tiles A tungsten tile and extra material on the bulbous nose, two more tiles on the loading point and three on the wings is a feature of the of the R2712 point and wing combination for TWB subsoilers.

One aspect of this development approach is that some of the soilengaging products have distinctive serrations, ribs and terracing to combat wear by influencing soil flow.

These features, together with the use of strategicallypositioned tungsten carbide tiles, hard-facing and a carefully selected combination of production technique and material, results in parts that retain their shape and ‘as new’ performance for longer.

The SPL Ultra R2706 and R2708 are point and wing assemblies produced in a single casting for rapid fitting and removal are designed for the soil loosening tines of Cultivating Solutions and Grange Machinery implements.

Three tungsten tiles are fitted to the claw-like point, including a wrap-under design for the hardest-working centre section.

Single casting

Given the snug fit, it is important that TWB legs already in use are free of hard-facing or anything else that will prevent the one-piece assembly from fitting correctly.

NEW Product Manager for SKY Drills and HE-VA Cultivations lenn Bootman has been appointed as Product Manager for SKY Agriculture drills and the HE-VA cultivation range in the UK. Glenn will use his considerable knowledge and experience of cultivation and establishment

G

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

practices and, more importantly soils, to support OPICO’s Territory Managers and dealers around the country. He will also work closely with HE-VA in Denmark and SKY in France to develop their products for farmers and contractors in the UK. Glenn will be the essential link between what

happens on farm and in the manufacturing and R & D process.

Glenn will also continue his role as an OPICO Territory Manager but will look after a contracted area, focused around Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Charles Bedforth, Sales Director, OPICO Ltd commented, “Glenn’s knowledge is second to none. OPICO is growing and having someone with Glenn’s capabilities championing HE-VA and SKY brands for all our customers and dealers will benefit us all.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 63

| Machinery

SANY UK & Ireland makes its Executive Hire Show Debut he Executive Hire Show team is very excited to announce that, as part of the renewed focus on the UK & Ireland, SANY has announced its first-ever attendance at The Executive Hire Show, which is being held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 28th and 29th April 2021.

T

SANY, one of the world's largest manufacturers of excavators, is stepping up its operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. With a comprehensive range of machines from 1.5t to 50t designed for the UK market, SANY has set up its own

direct sales route in Scotland and has appointed a new dealer network across England and Wales. SANY will continue to sell and support excavators in Ireland with Sleator Plant.

"We are embarking on a new chapter with SANY in the UK & Ireland and have lots of exciting plans for 2021 and beyond" commented Leigh Harris, business development director SANY UK & Ireland.

"A key objective for us is to show the quality of our products and dealer network and therefore, we have decided to attend our first-ever Executive Hire Show, as it will give us a great platform to meet with key decision-makers from the UK's hire industry."

Executive Hire Show, publishing and events director, Chris Moore said, "Confidence continues to grow in the 2021 Executive Hire Show, and we are delighted that SANY has committed to exhibit at the

64 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

event. We very much look forward to welcoming them to the Show."

Chris added, "This will be the 15th annual Show and we are confident that we will be able to deliver the same fantastic experience as always. To which end, I am delighted to report that the show is over 70% booked."

Keeping you Safe at the Executive Hire Show The safety of EHS visitors and exhibitors is a top priority for the Executive Hire Show delivery team, so in addition to developing new initiatives for the event itself, the team is proactively working to the new collaborative guidelines of the Industry 'All Secure Standard' to ensure the health and safety of all visitors, exhibitors, and event personnel in response to COVID-19.

For further details please visit 'All Secure best practice guidelines and standards' Visit www.executivehireshow.co.uk for further details about the event and put 28th and 29th April 2021in your diary.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Netherton Tractors take on Maschio Gaspardo, Strautmann and SKY Brands PICO Ltd is pleased to announce the expansion of its partnership with Netherton Tractors Limited, to include Maschio Gaspardo tillage and seeding equipment and Maschio flail mowers, SKY grain drills and Strautmann forage and feeding wagons.

Netherton has previously been a longstanding and successful OPICO dealer, selling and servicing the HE-VA range of cultivation machinery and the OPICO range of grassland maintenance equipment and grain dryers.

O

Netherton Tractors Ltd, was established in 1987 and covers the area from the M8 north, with branches located in Forfar, Glenrothes and Perth, as well as two depots to be opened in the Turiff and Nairn area. This recent expansion has extended their reach into the North of Scotland.

Commenting, Charles Bedforth, OPICO Sales Director said, “We couldn’t be more delighted that our full line-up of brands will be represented by Netherton Tractors.

They enjoy an excellent reputation for supporting customers and they

are ideally positioned to grow the OPICO portfolio across the Perthshire, Turiff and Nairn areas. We are confident that all our customers, new and existing will receive excellent support.“ Harry Barclay, Managing Director at Netherton Tractors Limited added, “The OPICO range of brands enables us to offer our customers a wide range of arable, forage, feeding and grassland products. Our sales, service and parts teams are busy getting up to speed with the excellent new range and we look forward to being of service to our local customers.”

BREAKING NEW GROUND WITH MAKITA’S NEW CORDLESS EARTH AUGER eading power tool manufacturer, Makita UK has announced the release of its Brushless LXT 36V (18Vx2) DDG460 – Earth Auger. Suitable for a variety of earth boring tasks up to 200mm diameter, this powerful tool is breaking new ground in the field of cordless solutions.

L

Powered by two 18V LXT lithium-ion batteries, the new

DDG460T2X7 (with two 5Ah batteries and twin-port fast charger) and DDG460ZX7 (body only version) Cordless Earth Auger is capable of producing a maximum torque of 136Nm. Thanks to its 36V brushless motor, the solution is suited for even the most demanding tasks with the ability to drill approximately 155 holes with a 150mm earth auger, and 90 holes with a 200mm earth auger all from a single charge (figures may vary depending on ground conditions.)

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

The tool incorporates a number of features to protect the tool and battery from potential over use, including Makita’s integrated Automatic Torque Drive Technology (ADT) that automatically changes the drilling speed according to the load condition, thus enabling more optimum operation.

To protect the operator, the tool also features a torque limiter, that will activate if the auger binds in the ground, which is required due to the high torque output generated by this machine. Here, the motor will disengage from the output shaft and the machine will stop. Should an auger bit jam in soil with high resistance such as clay, the reversing switch enables the operator to extract the bit in reverse rotation. Makita has also included a Handle Set with a bar and auxiliary handle to assist the operator in controlling the rotation torque generated by the powerful motor and gearbox.

With a number of convenient controls such as soft-start function, an electric brake two-speed gearbox and variable speed control, the DDG460 can easily switch between tasks with its versatile auger bit adapter, whilst the twin LED job light makes working in low-light environments far easier.

The power unit can be fitted with a selection of 100mm, 150mm and 200mm earth augers and Makita has also introduced a 540mm extension bar

to achieve greater hole depth when required.

Speaking on the new release, Mark Earles, OPE Business Development Manager at Makita UK commented: “The new DDG460 Cordless Earth Auger is ideal for many fencing and landscaping companies, with the power and performance required to tackle a variety of soils without the constraints of petrol engine alternatives. Powered by a brushless motor, the tool is engineered to run more efficiently for longer life and is fuelled by our LXT battery platform for fast charging and on-site productivity.

“We are looking forward to releasing more cordless, outdoor products as part of an exciting and expanding roadmap of cordless products in 2021.”

To see the DDG460 in action and to find out more, visit: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=80PGP5QzBXo For more information about Makita, please visit: www.makitauk.com January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 65

| Sheep

Shearers working together was key in facing up to Covid-19 challenge an Lucas, a shearing contractor based in the South East of England says the 2020 shearing season certainly threw up some challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I

Ian has been contracting for the last 20 years and has also travelled to New Zealand shearing. As well as a shearing run of

approximately 50,000 sheep, Ian also has his own flock of 300 ewes and buys in store lambs.

It was 20 years ago Ian’s interest in shearing started, initially by shearing his own sheep and some local farms. As the demand for shearing increased, so did his client list which resulted in

employing an additional shearer and by now Ian employs 4 – 5 shearers every season. Over the years, Ian has been on several shearing courses, achieving the highest British Wool accreditation of a Gold Seal.

As a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the UK entered into a national lockdown during March and there were concerns within the sector on shearing the UK flock this year due to the restrictions in place which meant less overseas shearers were able to travel. Ian comments: “This season was very testing at times and staffing was a very real problem. The Shearing Register was an excellent resource to support the shortage of shearers and unfortunately, many of those who made contact, had other work commitments from early June.

“I did however take two very good shearers, one from the North of England and one from Wales, who shore a lot of sheep during May. In addition to these two shearers, I also gave a complete beginner a job – he learnt and developed quickly, was very enthusiastic and is interested in coming back next season. I also had a local shearer working with me part time who was also working part time for a friend.

“Including myself, we made up five stands this season with the Welsh shearer coming back for July and part of

August, which helped a great deal”.

Reflecting on the season, Ian added: “Overall, although it was a real challenge this year, collectively as a shearing sector with people coming and working together, we got through the season. Due to good weather and a dry summer, the earlier start to the season also made a difference”.

As we come to the end of 2020 and with much hope on the vaccine for the virus, Ian concludes: “I do hope that moving forward we’ll be able to welcome overseas shearers into the UK once again as this, and locally based shearers working together, supports the UK sheep sector. In terms of my own contracting business, as I’ve recently taken on another ‘run’, we are expanding - I’ve already made plans to bring in some Welsh shearers next season to support the shearing of an additional 30,000 sheep!”

NSA launches new Breakfast Club to inform and update in the New Year ith the start of 2021 set to bring change and uncertainty to the UK’s sheep sector the National Sheep Association (NSA) is preparing to launch a new sheep farmers Breakfast Club to help update on the latest news and announcements affecting the industry this January.

W

“With so much still to be announced on how the UK’s departure from the EU will shape our future sheep industry combined with changes to agricultural legislation and support payments there will no doubt be many sheep farmers out there seeking some support and guidance as we start the New Year.

Launching the initial series of four, onehour morning updates NSA will welcome industry leaders and experts to help deliver concise and useful information to sheep farmers each Wednesday morning starting from Wednesday 20th January at 8.30am.

“NSA is excited to launch this new series of short webinars to help the nation’s sheep farmers keep up to date on the latest announcements affecting them. We will be welcoming industry leaders from across the UK as well as NSA office holders and some of our corporate supporters to present what we hope will be engaging and useful short sessions that can be enjoyed over breakfast before the day's jobs really begin.”

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says:

The four sessions will cover changes to

66 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

existing UK trade deals as well as future ones, the future of UK farm support, the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) and a specific focus on differences to legislation across the devolved nations.

Interested parties are encouraged to register to receive updates on more specific details of what the sessions will cover, as and when more news is announced. Register your interest today at https://mailchi.mp/nationalsheep/nsabreakfast-club.

Due to the time-sensitive nature of the webinars, further detail will be announced as more information on the webinars directly impacted on the outcome of final Brexit negotiations is released.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Sheep

British Wool Launches Major Cost Saving Initiative he Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant detrimental impact on the global wool market and despite the fact that British Wool has cleared the 11million kg of unsold wool they had at the end of April the market remains extremely challenging.

T

Andrew Hogley, Acting CEO explains “British Wool has managed to sell wool in decent volumes since August which has allowed us to clear last season’s unsold stock but prices are still severely depressed. The global market faces an oversupply of crossbred wool, this is mainly from New

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Zealand but also from other European markets. Although we have seen some more positive signs in recent auctions on some wool types, carpet wools remain under a great deal of pressure.

The contract carpet market which serves hotels, offices, cinemas, restaurants, airports, cruise ships, and the like, remains extremely depressed due to the closure of the hospitality trade due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

In order to ensure producers receive maximum value for their wool in these unprecedented times British Wool has launched a major restructuring programme. Mr. Hogley explains “In order for us to maximise the value of producer’s wool it is critical that we reshape the business in-line with current market conditions. Next season we will be reducing the number of grading depots that we operate from twelve to eight. This will result in the closure of our grading depots in Irvine, Porthmadog, Stamford and Liskeard and the wool from these areas will be reallocated to other grading depots within our network. The annual savings from these measures are estimated to be £1.5 million per annum. Based on our current level of wool intake this equates to a saving of 6p to 7p per kg.”

He continued “It is critical that we make the changes to the grading network but I want to stress that we will not changing our service levels to producers. Where we close a Grading Depot we intend to replace this with a new Intermediate Depot in the nearby area. This will ensure producers still have a local drop point for their wool with no onward haulage charges. We will contact all affected producers ahead of next season to let them know where the new drop off points will be. We will also continue to take all types of wool from any producer. The sites we are closing are still open for producers to deliver this season’s wool and will remain so until the middle of February.”

Mr. Hogley concluded “We urge producers to stick with us and remember that British Wool is YOUR organisation working on YOUR behalf.

Without British Wool returns for wool would be permanently low and many producers would have no market for their wool. Rest assured things will improve and British Wool will be working hard to support the recovery of the wool trade in order to maximise the value of your wool.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 67

| Tyres

BKT LAUNCHES NEW AGRIMAX V-FLECTO SIZES The innovative BKT tire, created to improve the performance of highpowered tractors, will soon be available in 22 different sizes.

All the new sizes are equipped with VF technology. he range of BKT's lead product, AGRIMAX V-FLECTO, is expanding. A new size is already available and further three are being developed and will soon join the 18 which already exist. The new size is VF 710/70 R 42 which will soon be followed by VF 750/70 R 44, VF 710/75 R 38 and VF 710/55 R 38.

T

The objectives of new agriculture are ambitious: working better and sustainably, saving time and resources, optimizing. Machinery and tires must make a significant contribution to improving results, from every perspective.

For this reason, BKT developed AGRIMAX V-FLECTO which meets all these needs, improving tractor performance on every type of terrain. It is a revolutionary tire which brings together in a single product a range of “combined� solutions to optimize the work and performance of high-powered tractors.

First of all, this tire makes it possible to maximize loads without changing tire pressure, regardless of speed, managing to carry 40% more weight than a standard tire of the same size and with the same recommended rim. At the same time soil compaction is reduced thanks to a wider footprint area and a 10% wider tread.

The great strength is then durability which is 10% longer than the standard equivalent, a characteristic which means a benefit in terms of productivity and optimization of farm work.

68 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tyres

The ultra-resistant casing and the special strengthened bead allow AGRIMAX V-FLECTO to exploit all the tractor's potential both in the field and on the road, where it can also reach high speeds.

It is the first BKT tire which makes use of NRO (Narrow Rim Option) Technology, conforming to the standards recorded by the European Tire and Rim Technology Organization (ETRTO). This marking makes it

possible to use standard rims and not dedicated rims which are instead needed for VF tires of the same size.

Thanks to all these winning characteristics united in a single solution, AGRIMAX V-FLECTO has quickly become one of BKT's most successful products, to the extent that the company has increased the range of sizes available. Launched in 2017, initially in the size VF 710/60 R 42, this tire has been meeting the most

demanding performance needs. For this reason AGRIMAX V-FLECTO sees its success increasing more and more in only three years, to the extent of being now available in 22 sizes.

The right tire at the right time is a sustainable choice because it makes it possible to save on time, consumption and resources. This is why BKT Research never stops and continues to expand an already rich catalogue of over 2,700 products.

CEAT SPECIALTY BROADENS ITS PREMIUM TORQUEMAX RANGE – INTRODUCES THE VERSATILE VF OFFERING FOR TOP OF THE LINE TRACTORS ith farmers investing in tyres that offer greater operational efficiencies, today’s generation of farm tyres must be designed to carry more weight, work on lesser inflation pressure to reduce soil compaction, provide consistent performance during long working days on the fields and perform well on the roads at higher speeds for longer distances than ever before. The high horsepower tractors need technically advanced tyres to transition swiftly between these activities.

W

The new TORQUEMAX VF range from www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

CEAT Specialty is a powerhouse performer equipped to deliver on all the VF technology parameters and more.

Its special design features & robust construction with increased sidewall flexibility, enables the vehicle to carry forty percent more load than a standard tyre at the same pressure. Alternatively, in the field, the pressure of VF tyres can be lowered by forty percent compared to standard tyres, even when carrying the same load. The lower-pressure tyres produce a larger tyre footprint, which reduce compaction and hence improve yield. While too little tyre pressure and a too high load can quickly lead to

damage for standard tyres, for TORQUEMAX VF tyres the tough casing, sidewall flexibility and rigid belt lower the risk of deformation and damage. In addition, the TORQUEMAX VF tyre houses a stepped lug design providing excellent traction and reduced slippage, thereby improving the fuel economy of the tractor.

CEAT Specialty will soon be launching its exciting new range of VF tyres for sprayers, a new range of agro-industrial tyres and a new addition to its flotation radial range of tyres. Stay tuned..

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 69

| Tyres

“TRACTOR OF THE YEAR 2020” AWARDS ASSIGNED. SUSTAINABILITY AND DATA DIGITALIZATION WILL BE THE PILLARS OF NEW AGRICULTURE. BKT: “TODAY THE FUTURE WINS” Thanks to the partnership with TOTY, BKT looks at the future of agricultural mechanization through the privileged lens of its support for the award for the best European tractors.

T

ractor of the Year (TOTY) 2020, which BKT, as from this year and up to 2024, will support as main

sponsor.

The winners by category are:

Tractor of the Year: •

MASSEY FERGUSON with the model MASSEY FERGUSON 8 S.265

Best Utility: •

VALTRA with the model VALTRA G 135

Best of Specialized: •

FENDT with the model FENDT 211 V VARIO

Sustainable TOTY: •

CLAAS with the model CLAAS AXION 960 CEMOS

To assign the “Tractor of the Year” 70 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

award to the best European tractor, a jury of 26 experts studied the best technologies and solutions proposed by the most important manufacturers on the market.

The partnership between the prestigious award and BKT arises with the aim of disseminating knowledge and expertise in agricultural mechanization. The Indian multinational has found a place as an expert on the “tire” component, sharing as the main parameter in identifying the best projects a hi-tech vision focused on the future.

With the official assignment of the Award, the tractor of the future now has its own identity: first of all it is now reductive to call it a “vehicle”, instead it is a genuine system, a data incubator intimately digitally connected to the world through the cloud. Inside the cabins, which are equipped with every comfort for the driver, it will house a digital console of monitors that can provide all the real-time data related to carrying out its work, from the external weather conditions, to the physical-chemical conditions of the land, up to indicating the level of wear and tear on the tires.

But above all, besides this, today's tractor is becoming a central and integrated part of a new global approach in agriculture, where the work in the field must be related solely and exclusively to the sustainable yield, with a global saving that can help people and their environment.

So said Lucia Salmaso, CEO BKT Europe, during the award ceremony, which took place in live streaming on the totydigital.com platform: “I am happy to be here together with you to find out who has won. But more than being happy, I am overcome by emotion. TOTY has always been a very enticing project. This year even more so owing to the exceptional circumstances.

I think that TOTY is an event which has become a tradition, but at the same time is evolving and showing us the future developments in the agricultural sector. TOTY highlights the best ideas from the best tractor manufacturers. TOTY is synonymous with innovation. It looks to the future and sets trends.

BKT is proud to sponsor and take part in such an extraordinary event, which is the only one of its kind.

It is the realization of a project which www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tyres that the winner today is the future.

I hope that this passion, which we put into all our sponsorship projects around the world, has reached the TotY audience, also because next year we will be even more up for the challenge.”

has been going forward for a year which has not been easy for all the parties involved. Nonetheless, it is very stimulating and encouraging when a goal is reached together with people who share the same spirit and determination.

May I add that a digital edition of TOTY is an absolute novelty.

As sponsor, we have been able to follow all the stages of this extraordinary challenge. Being part of all this feels good.”

"Thanks to the whole team involved, we have managed to produce video and other content dedicated to the key issues for our sector, content which has been disseminated worldwide through the digital platform and through social media channels, reaching over 2.5 million people with over 850,000 views and

200,000 interactions. All this would not have been possible without BKT’s priceless collaboration," concluded Fabio Zammaretti, Chairman of Tractor of the Year.

In its first year as main sponsor, BKT wished to contribute to the success of the initiative by focusing on people's involvement through numerous online events.

For BKT, this emergency has challenged all to think creatively and so numerous projects have come into being, such as training and virtual events and even a new TV channel, the BKT Network where over recent months, the company has broadcast a number of programs on key themes, such as agriculture, as well as involving the public in other news from the BKT world.

Involving operators, end users or simple enthusiasts is part of BKT's communication style by telling stories and interacting; a concrete way to grow and improve.

The curtain goes down on the 2020 edition of Tractor of the Year (TOTY). BKT, as a privileged observer, treasures all the stimuli and ideas, in order to move on to the next challenge.

“May I offer my personal congratulations to the winners of the 4 categories: MASSEY FERGUSON, VALTRA, FENDT and CLAAS – Lucia Salmaso continued. I am absolutely taken back by the research, by the incredible solutions developed in terms of technology, all focused on environmental and economic sustainability. Projects and ideas which almost seem to be science fiction. And yet they are not, as we are all aware. In recent months we have seen intense research by manufacturers and this has been a powerful stimulus also for those who, like us, make tires.

I can only thank everyone for this, for having raised the level of enthusiasm, the drive to improve, to grow. We could say www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 71

| ATV

No job too big for the Kawasaki full 2021 MULE and ATV Range

he Kawasaki 2021 range comprises of four MULE utlity vehicles and the Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS ATV: the MULE PRO-DXT, MULE PRO-DX, MULE PRO-MX and MULE SX. The range is designed for use over various terrain found on arable and pastoral farms, providing the ability to easily transport equipment and animal feed. A range of Kawasaki Genuine Accessories are available across the utility range to provide additional comfort and ease with everyday tasks.

T

The MULE SX 4x4 is equipped with a 401cc four-stroke, OHV, air-cooled engine, sporting a 16-litre fuel tank, delivering power reliably and economically, with a restricted top speed of 25mph. The tubular steel chassis provides the best balance of rigidity, strength and ride comfort with off-road pursuits. The MULE SX can be fitted with either a Canvas Cabin or Hard Cabin, which includes wiper and washer, to provide protection against the elements for use all year round. Also available as an additional accessory is a Cargo Bed Liner or thick Cargo Bed Mat, to reduce damage to the original bed

surface from heavy loads. The easy-toload tilting cargo bed can carry up to 181kg of tools and materials, and an extra 500kg can be towed behind by fitting a tow ball to the ever-eager MULE.

At the top of the MULE range is the MULE PRO-DX and MULE PRO-DXT, offering a class-leading 453kg carrying

The MULE PRO-MX offers the ideal balance between compact and full size UTVs, fitted with a single-cylinder 700cc petrol powered engine, the MX is perfectly positioned between the MULE SX and MULE PRO-DX, giving customers even greater choice to find the perfect vehicle for their needs. The MULE PRO-MX can be fitted with a Hard Cabin made of high grade steel with a quality black finish. The flip-up style tinted safety glass windscreen features rubber seals and locks to ensure you stay dry and warm when tackling the most difficult tasks. Heavy Duty Springs are available to firm up the suspension and improve the handling of the vehicle whilst transporting heavy cargo or when fitted with a cabin. With conveniently small dimensions (2,795 mm long x 1,525 mm wide x 2,005 mm wheelbase with a turning circle of just 4.2m), the carrying and towing capacity does not suffer at 317kg and 680kg respectively.

A Bed Extender is available for the MULE PRO-MX to further increase usable cargo space for extra-large loads.

capacity of the long and low tipping cargo bed and impressive 907kg towing potential. The 993cc liquid-cooled, 4stroke Diesel engine provides ample power to navigate over tough terrain and working environments. Dirt, terrain and weather won’t stop the ultra-rugged MULE PRO-DX and PRO-DXT, with all essential systems designed to resist water, dust and debris. The MULE PRODX and MULE PRO-DXT are available to purchase with a Hard Cabin, featuring doors equipped with hydraulic stoppers, automotive style locks and sliding safety

For more information

•

72 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

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

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV front and rear seats to allow complete cab enclosure whether in 2 or 4 passenger mode.

Additional accessories include a bed extender, cargo

glass side windows. The DXT Hard Cabin also includes a clear sliding window partition between the

The full Kawasaki utility range and Genuine Accessories are available on

dividers and under seat storage bin to provide additional easy-to-access space, which stays out-of-sight.

The Kawasaki 2021 ATV offering is the Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS, available in either Camo or Super Black colour options. This high-performance all-terrain vehicle is equipped with a 749cc

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

liquid cooled, 4-stroke V-twin engine, providing all-day working performance.

Industry leading features including speed variable Electronic Power Steering and greater chassis control providing all-day working performance.

The Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS can be installed with a front or rear case to create extra storage when on the move.

the Kawasaki website or through your local Kawasaki utility dealer. To find out more visit www.kawasaki.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 73

| ATV

Suffolk farmer tackling flock and crop aboard Honda ATV Suffolk-based shepherd looking after approximately 1,000 sheep at one location plus many additional flocks grazing cover crops on other farms, says the job would be impossible without his Honda ATV.

A

Robert Spink, trading as Dunhill Farm Ltd, set up his shepherding business seven years ago. Operating from the family’s farm near Diss he built up his own flock of 500 ewes and also contract-rears up to 1,000 additional store lambs each year. Other activities include accommodating 900 nursery pigs on a bed-and-breakfast arrangement, housed indoors and bedded on straw. In addition, Robert provides a contract shepherding service for a 1,000-head flock of sheep owned by a local farmer.

Previously, Robert’s own flock lambed indoors, but a change to Romney ewes means that lambing this spring will be field-based for the first time, reducing the workload. His flock is grass-grazed on pastures either owned by the family or on rental agreements during spring and summer, but in autumn and winter the sheep graze cover crops established on predominantly arable land by an increasing number of local farmers.

Mutual benefit “It’s a good arrangement,” explained Robert. “The cover crops provide much

74 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

needed ground cover when the land would otherwise be bare after harvest, and my sheep convert the vegetation to organic manure. It’s a time of year when the fields would otherwise be unproductive, and the fodder crops provide fresh feed for the flock at a time when I would otherwise be short of grass. Popular cover crops in this area include fodder radish and stubble turnips, as well as mixes such as oats, vetch and phacelia, or rye and vetch.”

With arable agriculture dominating in the region there is hardly any stock-proof fencing, so nearly all the grazing is managed using electric fences. With sheep grazing on so many fields at a time relocating the fences is timeconsuming. “I used a hand-reel fencing system when I had only 100 ewes,” said Robert. “However, it was hard work and as the operation quickly expanded it became obvious that something more efficient was needed to save time.”

other farmers in the area, and everyone I spoke with said that it had to be a Honda. The business had only been running a year or so and my budget was limited, so I asked the advice of Keith Collins, the ATV specialist at Fieldens (WTA) Ltd which was the local Honda dealer at the time. He was very helpful and quickly found me something suitable.”

A used Honda Fourtrax TRX420FM was purchased, and immediately proved successful. The large flotation tyres provided plenty of grip for working on slippery ground, and because the machine’s weight was distributed across a large surface area, ground damage was minimal even in the wettest operating conditions. Whereas working on foot it took half a day to erect a fence around a 2ha grazing block, the Honda with a mounted fencing system could complete the

Honda solution With a wide range of soil types plus sensitive grassland used for grazing, an ATV-based fencing system was the obvious solution. “I asked the advice of

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

Honda dealer, but the ATV specialists who had looked after us so well there had been recruited by our new dealer - MKM Agriculture Ltd. “We asked the advice of Keith Collins again, and with the help of Honda’s very attractive interest-free finance scheme we upgraded to a new Honda Foreman TRX520FM6, with more power and extra load carrying capability.”

same task in just over 30 minutes. Other tasks for which the ATV proved ideal included livestock checking, moving ewes and lambs by trailer and transporting feed and bedding around the yard.

Proved reliable By 2019, the TRX420FM was due for updating. “It very rarely needed attention and was totally reliable,” commented Robert. “So, when we were upgrading there was no need to look at other brands. Fieldens was no longer a

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

The new machine was delivered in early autumn, and Robert said he is pleased with his decision to upgrade.

“The extra power is handy occasionally and, although the ATV is slightly larger, it’s just as manoeuvrable as our previous machine. The heavy-duty, independent rear suspension attracted us because of the extra load capacity, but we hadn’t expected such an improvement in ride quality too. At all speeds and on any terrain it’s smooth and comfortable and with its rear load rack rated for loads up to 85kg, anything we carry is well within its capabilities,” he added. “It’s got power steering too which makes a surprising difference

during long working days - particularly for tasks such as putting out and reeling in fencing, and operating in confined areas.”

Fuel economy is rated as excellent, and Robert said that the 14.7-litre petrol tank is filled only twice each week. Daily checks and maintenance are quickly and easily carried out.

The controls are well located and all within easy reach and there is plenty of storage for smaller equipment. The 12volt power supply socket is especially useful for keeping mobile phones charged in the field.

“In the relatively short time since we started our business we have developed excellent relationships with many farmers and landowners,” concluded Robert. “We are always on the look-out for additional land in the Bury St Edmunds and Diss areas which would allow us to expand our operation further.

We are totally reliant on the Honda ATV – we couldn’t do what we do without it, and I believe that operating modern, reliable machinery is essential for our growing business. I haven’t a bad word to say about the new Honda or MKM’s back-up, and would certainly buy the same machine again.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 75

| ATV

Celebrating 10 years of Polaris RZR and Xtreme+ at the Dakar Rally akar 2021 marks the tenth year that the Xtreme+ team will take the Polaris RZR to Dakar: The legendary race that has shaped both the history and the future of SXS racing.

D

The Xtreme+ team first took the Polaris RZR to Dakar in 2012, before the SSV category was even introduced in the racing line-up. In the first year of taking on the Dakar, the Xtreme+ team claimed first place in the T3 category with driver Willy Alcaraz, making Polaris the first-ever side-by-side manufacturer to not only compete, but also to win the Dakar; a triumphant first win that set off a long streak of unbeaten Dakar rallies for Xtreme+…

76 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Further assaults on what is arguably the world’s toughest race, the Xtreme+ team claimed the top spot of the T3 podium a further six times, from 2012 right up to 2017. Not only that, the French-based team has five Silkway Rally titles under their belt, six FIA World Championships, five Qatar Cross Country Rally titles and eight Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge wins, as well as a number of additional rally and Baja wins across the world.

Marco Piana, Xtreme+ Team Manager, said, “The Polaris RZR was the side-byside that pioneered rally raid, and we are so happy to be celebrating ten years of racing around the world – we’ve made memories that will last a lifetime, and out of nine Dakar editions we’ve

competed at, we’ve won six of them – but that doesn’t mean we’ve finished fighting for the title.”

Now, to regain their long history of podium finishes, the Xtreme+ team are returning to Dakar 2021 with a new beast behind them: The RZR Pro XP. With many of the famous rallies across the world cancelled this year due to Covid-19, that hasn’t stopped the Xtreme+ testing efforts with the Pro XP machine, which have been vigorous in order to prepare for Dakar; known as one of the hardest and most intense offroad challenges in the world.

“This year we’re taking the new RZR Pro XP to Dakar, and wow – what an awesome machine it is,” continued

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV recently after 1,600 kilometres of big sandy dunes and technical rocky trails, so far completing 4,000 kilometres since the RZR Pro XP first arrived with the Xtreme+ team.

Marco. “We spent six months in development with the machine – six months of hard work, studying and collaborating with Polaris to make it the best possible vehicle for the team – and the comments after just the first two days of testing were unanimous: Easy, robust, comfortable and capable for everything Dakar has to throw at it.”

Testing in Tunisia has concluded

“Performance and quality are the best qualities of the Pro XP,” continued Marco. “We feel in a really good position with this vehicle and the team are super positive about what it can bring to the Dakar race. We’ve got CST Apache tyres – super resistant and reliable, and the entire drive train from Sky Works using French brand Donnere suspension is very effective. At high speed the Pro XP can overcome all obstacles and above all, it always allows last minute corrections even when obstacles appear out of ‘nowhere’ – it

gives us a lot of confidence for the difficult situations that we are sure to see at Dakar.”

Testing continues in Fonjoncouse, France. The team will tackle the world’s toughest race beginning 3rd January 2021 to 15th January 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

To stay up to date in the preparation for Dakar, follow the Polaris Xtreme+ team on Facebook.

For more information on the Dakar Rally, please visit www.dakar.com

POLARIS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE GRAND TOUR mazon Prime Video’s The Grand Tour, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, is one of the most popular motoring TV shows worldwide. Broadcasted throughout more than 240 territories worldwide, this series of specials sees the team take on expeditions across some of the most remote and exotic parts of the world.

A

Launched on 18th December, the latest episode titled ‘The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt’is the long-awaited addition to the fourth season available to watch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Featuring some of the roughest roads imaginable on the island of Madagascar, The Grand Tour production team chose the Polaris RZR to assist behind the scenes to overcome the challenging conditions experienced along the way.

The episode follows Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May as they search for real pirate treasure that remains the most sought after in the world. Their journey starts off on the island of Reunion; a French outpost in the Indian Ocean, showcasing its impressive infrastructure, then leading on to the neighbouring African island of Madagascar, known for its unique wildlife, diverse terrain and breathtaking landscapes. The Grand Tour team are led to take the Route Nationale 5, a 240-kilometre stretch of road that runs alongside the Indian Ocean, which is arguably one of the most dangerous www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

roads in the world. The road has distinctive sections, each with its own set of difficulties, from swamp-like conditions to deep sand, river

crossings and sections of sheer rock combined with slippery red clay and steep gradients to circumnavigate.

Filming for the latest episode took place in Madagascar in November 2019. To navigate the demanding and unnerving route, the Grand Tour team needed a vehicle they could trust in case they found themselves in a dangerous situation. It also needed to manage the huge obstacles with ease so they could safely transport the delicate camera equipment from A to B, and the RZR XP 4 1000 did just that with the additional seat space to fit crew members too.

“With its combination of mud, rocks, sand, steep gradients and continual flooding, the RN5 is the most challenging

road I’ve ever driven on,” said Phil Churchward, Series Director of The Grand Tour.

“What’s more, as well as being unbelievably bumpy, it’s also very narrow in sections with little room for mistake. So, all in all, not the easiest place to film a TV show. Quickly realising that a normal 4X4 wouldn’t work - no matter how trick the suspension - we chose the Polaris RZR. Not only did it ride the bumps, climb any gradient, and wade through constant flooded areas, it was incredibly easy to use as a camera platform - and we had over £200,000 of stabilised camera equipment rigged to it. Importantly, we never had to worry whether it would make it to the location each day.”

Customised with a poly roof, windscreen, LED light bars and secure cargo boxes, the RZR offered a unique vehicle that the team could depend upon. The Polaris distributor in Madagascar, CT Motors, prepared the vehicle with all additional parts and modifications to ensure it was ready to take on the difficult route – including the addition of larger 15-inch tyres and a spare, just in case. Fully prepared and tested at CT Motors based in Antananarivo, Madagascar, the unit was then transported for 8 hours across to Toamasina, the start of the RN5 route.

The Grand Tour: A Massive Hunt is available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video.

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 77

| Motors

LUNAZ TO BEGIN PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC CLASSIC RANGE ROVERS unaz, the leading creator of electric classic cars, is delighted to announce the first tranche of production availability for classic electric Range Rovers. The company, based in Silverstone, England will create an initial run of 50 of the luxury SUVs built in the ‘classic era’ between 1970 and 1994.

L

Since unveiling Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls-Royce electrified classics, Lunaz has been consistently asked by its global customer base to apply its reengineering and restoration approach to these cars.

In response to feedback from these customers, electric classic Range Rovers by Lunaz will be offered in both ‘Town’ and ‘Country’ specification. The more urban expression of these cars will be presented with increased focus on rear-seat and driver comfort, reflecting their dual use as either self-driven luxury vehicles or chauffeured cars. These cars will be available in both standard and long wheelbase.

‘Country’ specification will include a full suite of engineering, technological and design features that augment a full electric classic off-roading experience for the first time. Every car by Lunaz goes through a full bare metal restoration and re-engineering process ahead of conversion to the company’s proprietary electric powertrain. This approach allows Lunaz to answer the questions of usability and reliability that detract from the experience of owning the most celebrated classic cars in the world Country specification electric classic Range Rovers by Lunaz will include a 478 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

wheel drive system, updated suspension including anti-roll bars and uprated brakes. Within the cabin, the pure utility of the original interior design will be significantly elevated. This will be achieved by applying Lunaz’ design philosophy. This approach balances the integration of technology and usability within a classic architecture. It is executed with the highest quality materials from a palette that responds to traditional and contemporary tastes and lifestyles.

Design Director, Jen Holloway and her team will work in close consultation with customers to tailor the car to their exact requirements. Material palettes that honour the textile interior that debuted on the original classic Range Rover will be offered as well as more traditional upholstery options executed in the very finest leathers and woods. Customers will be able to select from either the classic three-door configuration or the four-door models.

Usability is further enhanced with the inclusion of a full suite of contemporary technologies. Features including infotainment, air conditioning and entertainment screens are sensitively integrated into the existing design scheme to ensure the spirit of the original car is maintained.

Prices for classic electric Range Rovers

by Lunaz start at £245,000 excluding local taxes. The first production tranche of 50 vehicles is currently being allocated with first customer deliveries anticipated for the summer of 2021.

SPECIALISED VEHICLES

Lunaz will further the legacy of some of the more specialist interpretations of the classic Range Rover’s celebrated lineage.

From the start of production, fully roofless options will be offered. First seen in the James Bond classic, Octopussy, these rare cars feature in some of the world’s great car collections.

Because of their scarcity, Lunaz’ engineers will take existing conventionally bodied Range Rover classics and convert them to what the firm is calling ‘Safari Specification’ as part of the full bare metal restoration and re-engineering process. The world’s first electric roofless SUV has already been allocated to a European customer.

Every car by Lunaz represents an individual customer build. This provides extraordinary scope for personalisation.

Customers will be invited to work with Design Director Jen Holloway and her team to specify features to augment their own lifestyle requirements. The ‘Country Specification’ could include modifications to storage areas or a boot space for the transportation of equipment and refreshments for field sports. For ‘Town’ cars, the creation of a bar area for rearseat chauffeured occupants can be tailored to the customer’s favourite choice of beverage.

JOB CREATION AND GROWTH “In the face of a challenging year that restricts every business's ability to collaborate globally, we have drawn even more intensely on the extraordinary talent-pool that exists in Silverstone, Britain's automotive and technology www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

manufacturing heartland. We are proud to fly the flag for our nation’s leadership in cutting-edge zero emissions technologies and more traditional automotive engineering skills on the global stage.”

David Lorenz, Founder, Lunaz Lunaz has enjoyed extraordinary growth in 2020 reflecting shifting global attitudes towards consumption. Indeed, the firm has responded to a rebalancing of car collections for a clean air future. This has led to a doubling in the number of highly skilled jobs at the firm’s manufacturing base in Silverstone and anticipated 2021 demand will lead to a further doubling of the number of skilled engineers, designers and technicians at an expanded manufacturing base adjacent to the current technical HQ. THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY “By 2030, when the UK ban on internal combustion engine car sales will come into effect there will be 2 billion ICE vehicles on the planet. Without conversion to electric, this will represent mass redundancy of finite resources that could otherwise be re-used. Our approach answers the urgent need to extend the life of these vehicles for future generations.”

David Lorenz, Founder, Lunaz Lunaz’ approach is in line with the principles of the ‘circular economy’. Its mission is to deliver pinnacle cars whilst exhausting significantly fewer resources than goes into the production and lifecycle of a new vehicle. With major market bans on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles being brought forward, there is a pressing www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

requirement for industry to find viable alternatives to scrapping the estimated 2billion ICE vehicles that will exist by 2030. Furthering the legacies of classic cars through electrification will preserve their life and make them a relevant and usable proposition for a new generation.

RESTORATION AND ELECTRIFICATION PROCESS “We designed inherent flexibility within our approach to upcycling the world’s most celebrated cars. The commencement of production of the first electric classic Range Rovers demonstrates the scope of vehicles that can be re-engineered and given an entirely new life through conversion to our proprietary electric powertrain.”

Jon Hilton, Technical Lead & Managing Director, Lunaz From its inception in early 2018, the company has hired the very best engineering, design and manufacturing talent. The team has been handpicked to satisfy all of the identified requirements of Lunaz’s clientele and includes expertise from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford, Formula 1, Jaguar, Volkswagen, McLaren and Rolls-Royce.

The restoration and conversion process represents re-engineering from the ground up. It starts with an exhaustive inspection. Each corner is then weighed to understand the original weight distribution to the gram. This information informs decisions on chassis setup, powertrain packaging and suspension.

The internal combustion engine and associated systems are then removed and the chassis is prepared for electrification.

The car is then 3D scanned; this allows the engineers to create detailed CAD models to ensure technical perfection in every step of the process. The specifics of Lunaz’s electric propulsion technology is closely guarded, but each classic by Lunaz is designed, developed, engineered and tested in-house using the highest specification modules available for automotive applications.

Traditional coachbuilding and restoration skills are then employed and the car is stripped down to a bare metal shell.

Even imperceptible body defects are addressed by hand before the surface finish process begins.

The same approach extends to the interior. The in-house design team makes subtle adaptations to integrate modern conveniences such as satellite telecommunications, WiFi, audiovisual entertainment and navigation aids.

The accessories associated with electric powertrains including battery chargers and DC converters are sensitively integrated into the existing design of the car, utilising the fuel filler cap for charging and adapting dials to an appropriate read-out for the electrical powertrain. New air conditioning and electronic heating systems are installed and the accelerator is converted to a throttle-by-wire system. Following the uprating of braking, suspension, steering and electronics systems every circuit is tested before first start-up procedures begin.

For more information go to: www.lunaz.design

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 79

| Motors

he Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has regained the top spot in the European plugin hybrid sales charts with registrations across Europe from January to the end of October 2020 topping 22,262 (Source: Jato), over 1,000 units ahead of its nearest rival.

T

With competition heating up and demand from PHEVS across Europe growing, the Mitsubishi Outlander’s reputation for reliability and efficiency still holds sway in the segment it effectively established since it launched the first generation Outlander PHEV in 2014.

In the UK, sales of PHEVs have now topped 58,000 so far in 2020 with Outlander topping the SUV PHEV charts and still on the podium across all

80 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

plug-in hybrid competitors, with 3,294 sales.

The popularity of PHEVs is growing with the UK government accepting that they will continue to have a role to play in the decarbonisation of transport beyond the 2030 ICE end of sale deadline.

Recent studied carried out on behalf of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK have indicated that 92% charge their PHEVs multiple times per week and spend almost three quarters (72%) of their commutes and 85% of their errand and school runs driving in EV mode. Just as importantly, PHEVs are also accelerating an attitudinal shift for the future with 70% of PHEV owners now considering a fully electric vehicle for the next purchase compared to just 27% of ICE drivers.

The new Mitsubishi range is available to

order now from Mitsubishi showrooms and via Mitsubishi Motors’ Buy Online service: mitsubishi-motors.co.uk/buy Press information at: mitsubishimedia.co.uk •

The plug-in hybrid pioneer – the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – is back on top of the European PHEV sales charts in 2020

•

Between January and the end of October 2020 the Outlander PHEV pulled ahead once more with 22,262 sales

•

Outlander is still UK’s the bestselling PHEV SUV with 3,294 sales up to the end of November, and the third best-selling PHEV across all segments

•

More than 58,000 plug-in hybrids have been sold YTD in the UK

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

olvo’s award-winning XC60 mid-size SUV is now available with a full range of electrified powertrains.

The former World Car of the Year is offered purely with hybrid power, from mild-hybrid petrols and diesels to petrol-electric plug-in hybrids.

V

Mild-hybrid powertrains Every mild-hybrid powertrain in the XC60 range combines a powerful 2.0litre engine with a 48-volt battery and a KERS kinetic energy recovery system to reduce fuel consumption and improve driveability and response, especially at low speeds. An integrated starter generator also provides faster, quieter restarting of the engine.

This mild-hybrid set-up can be combined with front-wheel drive in the 197hp B4 diesel and 250hp B5 petrol for optimum efficiency, or with all-wheeldrive for extra stability and security, especially in slippery conditions. The 235hp B5 diesel and 300hp B6 petrol mild-hybrids are offered exclusively with all-wheel drive.

Extensive plug-in hybrid range The XC60 is available with three plug-in hybrid powertrains. These combine a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine that drives the front wheels and an electric motor that powers the rears, ensuring the plug-in hybrid’s exceptional efficiency is twinned with the reassurance of allwheel drive.

Recently introduced to the XC60 range, the entry-level plug-in is the Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T6. Despite having a total of 340hp from its petrol engine and electric motor for stirring performance when needed, its high-voltage battery enables it to travel up to 32 miles on www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

electric power alone, with no tailpipe emissions and without using a drop of petrol. Its CO2 emissions from 55g/km are the lowest of any XC60, while WLTP Combined fuel economy is up to 113.0mpg. It also sits in the 14% BIK band for company car tax, making it a cost-effective choice for company car drivers.

The Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T6 is available in popular R-Design and Inscription trim levels, along with keenly priced Inscription Expression (£50,695 on-the-road), which makes a plug-in hybrid XC60 more accessible than ever.

Sitting above the T6 is the 390hp Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T8, which is available in highly specified R-Design Pro and Inscription Pro form. The rangetopper is the 405hp Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T8 Polestar Engineered, which has a series of powertrain, suspension and brake upgrades to make it the most dynamic of all XC60s.

Every plug-in hybrid XC60 has a 11.6kWh high-voltage battery that can be completely recharged in as little as two and a half hours.

An XC60 for all tastes Steve Beattie, Volvo Car UK Head of Sales, said: “The XC60 has always had the perfect blend of luxury, technology and safety, and now, thanks to the latest advanced hybrid powertrains, it has broader appeal for both private buyers and company car drivers.

“A larger range of economical and powerful engines means there is an XC60 for every premium mid-size SUV buyer.”

On-the-road prices start at £40,460 for the front-wheel-drive B4 diesel and B5

petrol, while PCP finance is available from just £388 per month and PCH from only £399 per month (terms and conditions apply; for full offer details, go to www.volvocars.com/uk/cars/newmodels/xc60/offers).

Like all other Volvo models, the XC60 can also be purchased entirely online using Volvo’s fully end-to-end sales platform, plus it is available via Care by Volvo, Volvo’s flexible and convenient subscription service.

For more information on the Volvo XC60, and to use the online configurator, please go to www.volvocars.co.uk •

Mild-hybrid petrol and diesel XC60s combine a powerful and efficient 2.0litre engine with a 48-volt battery and kinetic energy recovery system for optimum efficiency

•

Plug-in hybrid versions offer electriconly range of up to 32 miles, low CO2 emissions and impressive performance

•

XC60 now available with three plug-in hybrid powertrains, along with two mild-hybrid petrol and two mildhybrid diesel engines

•

Powertrains range from 197 to 405hp

•

CO2 emissions from just 55g/km

•

Combined fuel economy of up to 113.0mpg

•

Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T6 available in keenly priced Inscription Expression trim level, making a plugin hybrid XC60 more obtainable than ever

•

XC60 prices start from £40,460 onthe-road

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 81

| Motors

82 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 83

| Motors

NEW DEFENDER SET TO PLAY VITAL ROLE AS LAND ROVER RETURNS TO THE DAKAR IN 2021 and Rover’s most capable and durable 4x4 is taking on the ultimate all-terrain challenge with two Defender 110 support vehicles destined for the Dakar Rally 2021. The rally is one of the toughest sporting events in the world and the production-spec models will support ambitious new Dakar Rally and Prodrive-backed team, Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) throughout the 7,646 kilometre (4,751-mile) race.

L

The pair of New Defender 110 4x4s will have to negotiate extreme conditions, traversing desert dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks as they carry vital supplies, crew and equipment for the team and drivers.

BRX’s driver lineup includes nine-time World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, from France, and two-time Dakar Rally winner, Nani Roma, from Spain. The showroomstandard models will also provide essential support for crew members, who will camp, eat and sleep in the P400 models across 12 gruelling stages of desert driving.

84 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

The Indus Silver models are powered by Land Rover’s 400PS straight-six Ingenium petrol engine, featuring Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology, and are fitted with the Explorer Pack, which includes an Expedition Roof Rack, Raised Air Intake, Wheel Arch Protection and Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier. In addition, a Deployable

Roof Ladder provides easy access to a roof box,

which will help BRX carry all the necessary kit.

Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Customer Experience Director, said: “Land Rover has a unique Dakar pedigree having won the inaugural event in 1979, and the rally remains the ultimate all-terrain endurance test.

While the Defenders won’t be competing, they will have a vital role in supporting the team as they navigate their way across thousands of miles of punishing desert terrain. The fact these vehicles are unmodified is testimony to the intrinsic capability and durability of our legendary 4x4, which has undergone the most demanding engineering test and development programme in our history.”

The role of support vehicle will see crew members test the Defender’s expedition credentials to the extremes. With a maximum payload of up to 900kg and maximum dynamic roof load of 168kg, each of the vehicles will be loaded with equipment and supplies, while advanced Terrain Response 2 technology, including www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors Following its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019, Land Rover has experienced unprecedented demand for New Defender alongside worldwide critical acclaim – since its debut, the 4x4 has won 28 international awards.

world-first Configurable Terrain Response, will allow the drivers to fine-tune the vehicle to suit both their driving preferences and the challenging conditions.

World-leading motorsport experts, Prodrive, are behind BRX and Team Principal, Paul Howorth, said: “The crew need to know our support vehicles will be able to carry all of the necessary kit and be relied upon to get to the next service location, whatever the conditions. New Defender provides a unique combination of all-terrain performance, rugged practicality and comfort – a crucial combination for the unpredictable Dakar conditions and after long days behind the wheel.”

Land Rover has also introduced its range of powerful and efficient inline six-cylinder Ingenium diesel engines, featuring mild hybrid technology, and its advanced P400e plug-in hybrid powertrain, which provides an all-electric range of up to 27 miles (43km)* and CO2 emissions of 74g/km.

New Defender is available in 90, 110 and practical Hard Top commercial derivatives. To find out more and configure yours, visit: www.landrover.com/Defender

•

motorsport event – the Dakar Rally – with a pair of productionstandard models joining Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) as crew vehicles for its 2021 campaign •

Durable by design: Pair of Defender 110 models will provide on-event support for the team’s two drivers, medical crew and support staff across the punishing 13-day, 12-stage, 7,646 kilometre event

•

Competition pedigree: Land Rover has a rich association with the event after a Range Rover won the first ever Dakar Rally in 1979, before triumphing again in 1981

•

Choose your model: New Defender 90 Hard Top is priced from £35,820 OTR (ex. VAT), 110 Hard Top from £43,012 OTR (ex. VAT), 90 is priced from £43,625 and 110 starts at £45,315 in the UK

•

Configure yours at: www.landrover.co.uk/Defender

Behind the scenes: New Land Rover Defender will play a vital role at the world’s most extreme

BRITISHVOLT APPOINTS ISG AS CONSTRUCTION PARTNER FOR BRITAIN’S FIRST BATTERY GIGAPLANT

B

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 85

| Motors

KIA HAILED AS GREENFLEET'S 2020 'EV MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR' • Kia Motors (UK) Limited wins ‘EV Manufacturer of the Year’ at 2020 GreenFleet Awards • Kia’s Lorraine Fellowes commended as an ‘EV Champion’ • Awards recognise Kia as a leader in electrified vehicles

ia Motors (UK) Limited has been crowned ‘EV Manufacturer of the Year’ at the 2020 GreenFleet Awards. Not only was Kia commended, but Lorraine Fellowes, Regional Business Sales Manager at Kia was awarded ‘EV Champion’ status at the awards.

K

The 2020 GreenFleet Award-winners were announced in a digital ceremony held on 2 December 2020, hosted by Roger Atkins, founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook Limited. The Awards celebrate and recognise fleet operators, companies and individuals that have succeeded in cutting down transport emissions.

The recognition follows previous success at the 2017 GreenFleet Awards,

Lorraine Fellowes, Regional Business Sales Manager at Kia

electrified, and with its plan to bring 11 new EVs to the UK market over the next five years, this figure is only set to grow.

“For Kia, it’s fantastic to receive industry recognition of its EV strategy and for bringing innovative technology and car design to market. Both of these awards recognise that Kia is in great stead for the future.

when the company picked up the ‘PHEV Manufacturer of the Year’ award.

In the ‘EV Manufacturer of the Year’ category, which was sponsored by Electric Zoo UK, Kia triumphed over nine other shortlisted vehicle manufacturers to take the win.

86 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Motors (UK) Limited commented on the awards, saying: “To be recognised for this award fills me with pride in the work I have achieved over my nine years with Kia, and for the company to win ‘EV Manufacturer of the Year’ is a credit to the hard work and commitment of everyone associated with it. Kia is at the forefront of the EV market, with every three in 10 vehicles sold in the UK being

“For Kia, the transition to fully-electric vehicles is about awareness and informing motorists about EV capabilities, and the recent success of the 48-hour test drive campaign of the Kia Eco Range shows why Kia is deserving of the accolades it has received. I’m truly flattered by the consistent support from everyone working with the company and look forward to continuing the Kia EV journey.”

Every Kia including those with electrified powertrains is sold with an industry leading seven-year / 100,000 mile warranty and its fully-electric vehicles are capable of a range of upwards of 280-miles on a single charge.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

FIVE-STAR EURO NCAP SAFETY RATING FOR ALL-NEW KIA SORENTO he all-new Kia Sorento SUV has been awarded the highest-possible safety rating by Euro NCAP. The entire Sorento line-up, including the upcoming Plug-in Hybrid, achieved the maximum five-star rating from Europe’s leading independent safety testing organisation.

T

The Sorento achieved 82 per cent for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent for child occupant protection, 63 per cent for pedestrian protection, and 87 per cent in the ‘Safety Assist’ category.

Euro NCAP praised the Sorento for passenger compartments that remained stable in the event of a collision, as well as its ability to offer good protection for all critical body areas in the side barrier test. The Sorento also scored highly for child occupant protection. Seat and head restraint tests demonstrated good passenger protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision.

The Sorento’s standard-fit Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist system also helped the car avoid impacts during testing for the ‘Safety Assist’ category*.

The car’s safety rating was reinforced by the Advanced High Strength Steel bodyshells that underpin each Sorento SUV, with torsional rigidity that is 12.5 per cent higher than the perceived ‘safety leader’ in the Sorento’s segment.

Every car is fitted with seven standard-fit airbags, including a new front centre airbag, a new innovation that provides additional head protection for front-seat occupants. All Sorento models are equipped as standard with Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management and Electronic Stability Control systems to help drivers maintain control under braking and cornering.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Pablo Martinez Masip, Director of Product Planning and Pricing at Kia Motors Europe, commented: “The new Kia Sorento is a spacious, efficient and high quality SUV for up to seven passengers, and owners can be reassured that it offers a high level of safety too. The new model is already proving incredibly popular with families, who have been impressed with its headturning design, performance and allweather capabilities. It’s important that the car offers a wide range of features and technologies designed to reduce the chances of a collision, and protect occupants should a collision be unavoidable.”

Active and passive safety with high-tech driver assistance features The Sorento is available with Kia’s latest Advanced Driving Assistance Systems.

Depending on specification, the Sorento offers owners Forward CollisionAvoidance Assist technology with pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle detection and Junction Turning (detecting oncoming vehicles when turning across the road at a junction), High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning system with leading vehicle departure warning, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist. Other technologies include Highway Driving Assist with Navigation-Assisted Smart Cruise Control (Curve), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Safe Exist Assist, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist when reversing, and Surround View Monitor.

The Sorento is also available with Lane Following Assist (LFA), a driver assistance technology that operates between zero and 112mph. LFA supports drivers by tracking vehicles in front of the Sorento in traffic, and detecting road markings to keep the car

in its lane on the motorway. In combination with the Sorento’s Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go system, it can support the driver by accelerating, braking and steering depending on the convoy of vehicles in front, using radar sensors to maintain a safe distance.

The Sorento also features Kia’s new Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), which acts as a ‘second pair of eyes’ for drivers. It enhances safety for occupants and other road users by eliminating a driver’s left- and right-side blind spots by displaying a high-resolution video feed within the instrument cluster. Kia’s first Multi-Collision Brake system, which enables the Sorento to mitigate the severity of secondary collisions is also standard. It automatically applies the vehicle brakes when the airbags have been deployed after an initial collision, further protecting occupants from secondary frontal or side impacts.

Available now with Kia’s Seven-Year warranty – Plug-in Hybrid on-sale in Q1 2021 The all-new Kia Sorento is available across Europe, with sales of the new Sorento Plug-in Hybrid commencing in the first quarter of 2021. Every Sorento model is covered by the company’s unique seven-year / 100,000 mile warranty as standard.

Highest-possible Euro NCAP safety rating for the all-new Kia Sorento SUV All three Sorento models – Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and diesel – benefit from Advanced High Strength Steel bodies Electronic Stability Control, Vehicle Stability Management and seven airbags as standard Plug-in Hybrid version of Sorento on-sale across Europe during Q1 2021

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 87

| Motors

Landmark study reveals driving for work death toll • • • • •

Nearly one in three road deaths involves a driving-for-work trip Thirty-nine per cent of pedestrian deaths involve a working driver One in five casualties involves a driving-for-work trip Changing economy triggers a rapid increase in use of vans Stakeholders urged to act on emerging safety issues

T

he unacceptable death and injury toll involving people driving for work on UK roads has been revealed in a major new

study.

Nearly one third (29 per cent) of all road fatalities and 21 per cent of all casualties (killed, seriously injured and slightly injured) occur in driving-for-work collisions, a landmark study on behalf of Highways England and charitable partnership Roadsafe, has found.

It means that more deaths occur from at-work road trips than at the workplace, despite the dangers posed by industries such as construction, farming and mining.

Most of the victims are non-working drivers, the study – which focuses particularly on the van, company car and ‘grey fleet’ sector - reveals.

It shows that in 2018, 520 people died in collisions involving a driver or rider driving for work, but only 12 per cent (63) of them were working drivers or riders. Five per cent (25) of the fatalities were passengers of a driver driving for work, while 83 per cent (432) of those killed were non-working road-users.

The figures are in sharp contrast to the total of 144 people killed in workplace accidents during the course of work in the UK in the year 2017/18.

‘Driving for work - a strategic review of risks associated with cars and light vans, implications for policy and practice’ - estimates that up to 39 per cent of pedestrian fatalities in the UK were in collision with a ‘working’ driver, causing up to 11 pedestrian deaths a month.

The study, conducted by UCL and Agilysis, says there is a ‘lack of attention to work-related road safety’ by policymakers. It warns that despite a rapid increase in vans (up by 27 per cent from 3.24m light goods vehicles in 2011 to 4.12m in 2019) and people working in the gig economy, this 88 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

sector falls outside the strict regulations governing other occupational drivers.

Despite businesses switching to ‘last mile deliveries’ by vans – coinciding with the boom in internet shopping - vans and drivers are not subject to the strict driver training, drivers’ hours restrictions and roadworthiness regulations governing HGVs. On average, finds the study, vans are being driven 12,800 miles a year, accounting for 15.4 per cent of all vehicle mileage. Two in 10 of these journeys occur on minor urban roads.

Nick Starling, Chair of the Transport Safety Commission Work Related Road Safety Forum said: “As a society, we rely on those driving for work. Twenty-nine per cent of all fatalities, 24 per cent of the seriously injured, and 21 percent of all casualties are sustained when someone involved in an injury collision is driving for work. Vans and drivers are not subject to the same strict regulation of driver training, drivers’ hours restrictions and roadworthiness testing as HGVs and buses/ coaches, while the number of vans on the road and people working in the gig economy continues to rise.

This report highlights the importance of stakeholders across all sectors working together to understand and manage the risk better.”

Stuart Lovatt, Head of Strategic Safety in Highways England, said: “Highways England is delighted to support this important piece of research by providing the funding to enable this study to be undertaken. This report will support the objectives of our Driving for Better Business Programme which aims to raise awareness of workrelated road risk to business leaders and their drivers.”

The study calls for further investigation into who is driving for work, the type of vehicles used, the

type of roads used, who is being injured and the numbers working in transport in the gig economy. It says that strategic stakeholders must work together to drive down the death toll.

It also calls for new links between coroners’ data and crash data to improve analysis and transparency of work-related crashes.

“The working van, car and grey fleet drivers (people using their own car for work) are emerging as an increasing group on our roads but little is known about them,” says the study. It says there is a “high level of risk associated with occupational driving.”

The study warns that despite the high level of driving-for-work fatalities, the figures are probably an under-estimate, due to shortcomings in data-gathering.

Other study findings: *It is not known how many people drive for work; *Reimbursement to employees for miles driven is a ‘disincentive’ to reduce mileage; *There are no reliable statistics on the number of workers using their own car for work; *It is unknown how many of the rising number of gig workers use their own vehicles, how far they drive or how many hours they work; *In interviews with stakeholders, participants said that in the gig economy, all ‘corporate risks’ were passed to individuals, and that this employment model was ‘shrouded in confusion’. *Participants said that lack of awareness among stakeholders was a ‘major barrier’ to road safety being addressed.

“There is a lack of ownership and management of the problem among some key stakeholders,” concludes the study, which calls for ‘better leadership’ and much closer monitoring of work-related road casualties. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

SSANGYONG MUSSO PICKS-UP 4x4 MAGAZINE’S “BEST VALUE” AND “BEST INDIVIDUAL MODEL” AWARDS FOR 2021 sangYong Motors UK is delighted the Musso shortbed pick-up has won 4x4 Magazine’s “Best Value” pick-up award for the third year in a row – and this year its longbedded big brother scoops the added accolade of “Best Individual Model”.

S

On Musso’s win of “Best Value” pick-up, Alan Kidd, editor at 4x4 Magazine, said; “The pick-up market is laden with goodvalue trucks but none of them can match Musso for its combination of low purchase price, high specifications and stout towing and carrying abilities.”

“The Musso’s interior finds the holy grail by being the most SUV-like of any pickup truck and it is laden with kit. It is much more than a cheap truck – and for the third year in a row, it’s the best in the business in terms of value for money.”

The Musso pick-up, which arrived in the www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

UK in 2018, shares its body-on-frame construction to give an extremely strong vehicle that delivers excellent off-road driving performance and safety from its quad-frame and four-wheel-drive system.

Designed to carry passengers in comfort and transport loads securely, the SUVbased Musso combines a five-seat crew-cab body style with a workman-like load deck that will take a full-sized Euro pallet. Importantly, it also carries a payload of over 1-tonne and tows trailers of up to 3.5 tonnes concurrently to give the highest total load capacity in the segment. The combination of utility pick-up and SUV means Musso offers the perfect blend of functionality, practicality, performance and high specification comfort to the driver and family or workmates. These same qualities are now available in a long wheel-base variant in the guise of the Musso Rhino, which adds an additional 300mm to its bed length.

About the Musso Rhino, named as 4x4 Magazine’s “Best Individual Model”, Alan Kidd, added; “The Musso shortbed has held the “Best Value” title for three years, but the Rhino long-bed gives it something new. With a longer wheelbase, it has a massively enhanced load bay to enhance its already formidable practicality.”

Kevin Griffin, managing director at SsangYong Motors UK, said; “We are delighted that Musso wins not just one award from 4x4 Magazine but two this year. Musso short-bed scores a hattrick winning “Best Value” pick-up three years in a row, and we are delighted that our new long bed Musso Rhino has been recognised too as “Best Individual Model”. Musso is one of the toughest, all-round value for money pick-ups on the market - it even boasts a sector leading 7-year/150,000-mile warranty.”

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 89

| Motors

Endurance test at the North Cape: The BMW iX undergoes final winter testing.

year prior to market launch, the seriesdevelopment process for the BMW iX is forging ahead as scheduled. Following the presentation of the final design of theBMW iX at the #NEXTGen 2020 in Munich, prototypes of the new technology flagship are now ready forfinal winter testing north of Scandinavia. The endurance test, which is being held under extreme weather conditions beyond the Arctic Circle, serves, among other things, the fine tuning of drive and suspension systems.

Moreover, the electric motors, fourwheel drive system as well as charging technology, high-voltage batteries and heat management are put to the demanding acid test under subzerotemperatures.

The tuning and test drives take the prototypes of the BMW iX as far as Europe’s most northerly regions. On deserted roads in Finnish Lapland and to the North Cape on the Norwegian island of Mager¿ya,both the fifthgeneration BMW eDrive technology and thesuspension control systems have to prove their functionality and reliability in particularly demanding road and weather conditions. In the process, test engineers evaluate above all the interaction between drive and suspensions systems on road surfaces

A

90 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

with a low friction coefficient. Unsecured tracks, icy roads and ice surfaces especially prepared for test-driving on the edge of the Arctic Circle offer the ideal conditions to precisely coordinate the motor control technology, the electric four-wheel driveand suspension control systemsright up tothe limits of longitudinal and lateral vehicle dynamics.

The BMW iX is the first model based on a new, modular and scalable future BMW Group construction concept. It was conceived from the outset for purely electric mobility, and with the latest development stage of BMW eDrive Technology, intelligent lightweight construction and optimized aerodynamic characteristics it sets new benchmarks in efficiency within the competitive environment of the luxury Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). Two electric motors together generate a maximum power output of more than 370 kW/500 hp according to current calculations. An integral part of the endurance test at the North Cape is also the final tuning of the intelligent fourwheel drive system BMW xDrive and adaptive adjustment of the axle-specific yaw moment, which in addition to stability and traction also constantly optimizes the BMW iX’s efficiency. The aim of the development is to achieve an

extremely low combined power consumption of less than 21 kWh per 100 kilometres in the WLTP test cycle and a range of more than 600 kilometres, likewise according to WLTP, values which are untypical of this class.

During the winter test, the components of BMW eDrive Technology are faced with very special challenges. The highvoltage batteries and the charging technology undergo in extremely low outdoor temperatures field testing for everyday use in the deep of winter.

Likewise, displays informing of charge level, range and operating status as well as the heat management system, which constantly ensures the optimum operation temperature of the drive system and high-voltage batteries, demonstrate their resistance to extreme sub-zero temperatures.

Within the shortest time, the challenging test programme demands more from the BMW iX prototypes than the future production models have to withstand during their entire life cycle. The evaluation of all test results and the resultant fine tuning of all drive and suspension components of the BMW iX will pave the way during the coming months for the launch of a new era of driving pleasure.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

INMOTION INVESTS IN CIRCULOR TO HELP JAGUAR LAND ROVER TRACE SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN

I

nMotion, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital and mobility services arm, has invested in blockchain technology firm Circulor.

The investment will enable Jaguar Land Rover to source premium materials with greater transparency as to the provenance, welfare, and compliance of suppliers throughout its networks. As part of its commitment to be a responsible business, Jaguar Land Rover is always innovating to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of its products across their lifecycle.

The technology can trace valuable raw materials throughout a global supply chain from origin to supplier, with Circulor already using blockchain to boost the traceability of minerals used for electric vehicle batteries.

The technology uses a combination of GPS, biometrics and QR codes to digitally verify the movement of raw materials at every step of the process.

As well as tracking compliance, the digital process will enable Jaguar Land Rover to assess the carbon footprint of its supply network.

Blockchain technology is impossible to

modify or tamper with, giving customers complete confidence that the supply chain is authentic, and all materials have been sustainably sourced.

Sebastian Peck, Managing Director of InMotion Ventures said: “This investment is further evidence of Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to improving the sustainability of its supply chain around the globe, and will help authentically trace raw materials from origin to supplier, eventually to vehicle. The implementation of blockchain technology provides a great opportunity to make a systemic change in supply chain compliance, not just for the automotive world but for other industries, too.”

Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, CEO and Founder of Circulor, said: “Our blockchain technology has already proved its worth in tracking materials, and we are excited to innovate further with Jaguar Land Rover and its global supply chain. We believe the digitalisation of the supply chain is key to ensuring traceability between the multiple intermediaries that handle the material between its origin and the manufacturer.”

VAUXHALL VIVARO-E NAMED ‘BEST ELECTRIFIED COMMERCIAL VEHICLE’ AT 2021 DRIVING ELECTRIC AWARDS £27,028.33 OTR after the current Government Plug-in Van Grant, which is worth up to £8,000.

T

he fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro-e has been named ‘Best Electrified Commercial Vehicle’ in the 2021 DrivingElectric

awards.

Judges from DrivingElectric were impressed by the Vivaro-e’s vast electric range, quick charging capability, load capacity and the wide range of features onboard.

Available with 50kWh or 75kWh battery options, the Vivaro-e has a zero emissions range of up to 205 miles from a single charge. Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, an 80% charge can be completed in 30 minutes for 50kWh models and 45 minutes for 75kWh models.

The Vivaro-e also comes with a maximum payload of up to 1,226kg and a maximum load volume of 6.6m3, suiting the needs of all business and private users. Available in two trim (Dynamic and Elite) and two body styles (panel van and double cab), the Vivaroe comes with rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, cruise-control with speed limiter and a 7-inch touchscreen as standard.

Richard Ingram, Editor of DrivingElectric, said: "The Vauxhall Vivaro-e is a no-compromise commercial vehicle. It offers buyers a choice of specs, plus quick charge times and a usable driving range – all at a great price. It's the best electric van we've driven to date and a worthy DrivingElectric award winner."

The Vauxhall Vivaro-e is available to order now with prices starting from www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 91

| Motors

Hyundai announces prices and specifications for all-new Tucson compact SUV

yundai Motor UK has announced pricing and specifications for its allnew, fourth generation Tucson compact SUV. More than seven million Tucsons have been sold since the first-generation model launched in 2004, making it the company’s bestselling SUV globally.

The new Tucson range comprises three high-specification models: SE Connect, Premium and Ultimate. The SE Connect costs from £28,495 when equipped with the 1.6-litre T-GDi 150ps 6MT, and is also available with a 1.6-litre T-GDi 150ps 48-volt Mild Hybrid powertrain with 6iMT or 7DCT, or a 1.6-litre T-GDi 230ps Hybrid powertrain with 6AT.

The all-new Tucson is a design revolution for Hyundai offering an elevated design experience combined with state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to sportier and more dynamic proportions made possible by the new platform, the all-new Tucson achieves a very progressive look without compromising functionality.

SE Connect trim includes 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, and bodycoloured bumpers. Interior features include a leather steering wheel and gear knob, dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, heated and folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera. A comprehensive range of active safety systems include Forward Collision Assist (FCA) – with car, pedestrian and cycle detection, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Lane Follow Assist (LFA), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Manual Speed Limit Assist (MSLA), Multi Collision Braking (MCA), and tyre pressure monitoring with individual tyre display.

H

The look is enhanced with the use of Parametric Jewel Hidden Lights - a design innovation which seamlessly incorporates state-of-the-art lighting technology into the Tucson’s parametric jewel pattern grille which forms the car’s striking light architecture.

The all-new Tucson also offers more electrified powertrain options than any rival in the compact SUV segment, with hybrid and mild hybrid propulsion available from launch, and a plug-in hybrid option from next spring. All use Hyundai’s 1.6-litre petrol ‘SmartStream’ efficient turbocharged internal combustion engine.

92 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

Bluelink app.

The Premium Tucson is available from £30,195 in 1.6 T-GDi 150ps 6MT guise.

The trim line is also available with a 1.6 T-GDi 150ps 48-volt Mild Hybrid with 6iMT or 7DCT or a 1.6 T-GDi 230ps Hybrid powertrain with a 6AT. It builds on SE Connect specification with the addition of 18-inch alloy wheels (19-inch on Hybrid models). Other upgrades include LED headlamps, ambient interior lighting, heated front seats and heated steering wheel, smart adaptive cruise control with stop go function (DCT and Hybrid models), front and rear parking sensors with rear-view camera, and smart key with keyless entry and engine start/stop button.

It also includes a KRELL premium audio system with eightspeakers and

The all-new Tucson is equipped with a 10.25-inch supervision cluster and 10.25-inch AVN screen, through which the driver can access Hyundai’s Bluelink connected car services that encompass Connected Routing, Last Mile Navigation and a new User Profile feature. Drivers can also locate their vehicle, lock and unlock it remotely, or view the car’s fuel level remotely, via the www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

a subwoofer, as well as a wireless smartphone charging pad. Additional safety equipment includes Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW) with additional Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) on Hybrid models, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) with additional Junction Turning assist on DCT and Hybrid models, as well as Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW) and Safe Exit Warning.

The range topping Ultimate trim starts at £32,895 for a 1.6 T-GDi 150ps 6MT. It is also available with a 1.6-litre T-GDi 150ps 48-volt Mild Hybrid with 6iMT or 7DCT, a 1.6 T-GDi 230ps Hybrid with a 6AT and a 1.6-litre T-GDi 180ps 48-volt mild hybrid powertrain with a 7DCT and 4WD. Upgrades include 19inch wheels, satin chrome door mouldings, leather seat

trim with electric adjustment to driver and front passenger seats – both with heat and ventilation function, and driver’s seat position memory function.

Ultimate trim also includes heated rear seats, three-zone climate control with separate rear-seat control, panoramic sunroof with front section electric tilt and slide function, and a smart electric tailgate. Additional safety equipment includes Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA), Highway Drive Assist (HDA), and Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance (RCCA) on all powertrains.

Also available is a ‘Tech Pack’ option that includes Electronic Control Suspension (ECS), Around View Monitor (AVM) and Blind Spot View Monitor (BVM). On Hybrid models, the Tech Pack also includes Remote Smart Park Assist to aid parking in confined or difficult spaces.

Ashley Andrew, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor UK, commented, “We have taken a radical new direction with the styling of the all-new Tucson highlighted by its unique light architecture, but this compact SUV retains the characteristics that made its forebears so popular. There are many new technologies to enhance comfort and safety, as standard. The muchanticipated plug-in hybrid variant and sporty N Line trim will arrive next year, helping the Tucson retain its status as one of our most popular models.”

The all-new Tucson is available in nine colour finishes: Polar White, Engine Red, Phantom Black, Dark Knight, Shimmering Silver, Silky Bronze, Amazon Grey, Sunset Red and Teal.

All new Tucson models come with Hyundai’s industry leading 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty, Roadside Assistance package, 5 Year Annual Health Check, and 12 Year Anti Corrosion Warranty.

An efficient Tucson Plug-in Hybrid and Tucson N Line specification will be introduced in early 2021. The plug-in model will be equipped with a powerful and www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

efficient powertrain based on the thirdgeneration 1.6-litre T-GDi ‘Smartstream’ engine paired with a 66.9 kW electric motor with a maximum torque of 304 Nm and a 13.8 kWh lithium polymer battery. Combined, the gasoline engine and electric motor deliver 265 PS maximum power and 350 Nm maximum torque.

The comprehensively enhanced Tucson range goes on sale in the UK from 7 January 2021. *finance example terms and conditions

January 2021 |

Farming Monthly | 93

94 |

Farming Monthly | January 2021

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk