September 2014 Farming Monthly National

Farming

MONTHLY National

September 2014

Inside this issue...

Pests

| Rodent control on farms and the growing importance of non-toxic options

Potatoes | Storage & all things tuber

On Topic BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year |

Buildings Better cattle housing |

News

| Failure to keep good farm records costs millions in lost payments

Security | BSIA: The importance of farm security Also Inside: Renewables | Diet Feeders | Pests | Tillage | Fencing | Tyres | ATV | Motors

Contents

25

62

September 2014

34 43

FMN

Features

FMN

Regulars

12 14 25 33 37 42 54 56

Fencing

06 10 16 46 58 60

News

Talking electric and Jacksons Farmers Group...

Tyres New BKT flotation tyres for trailers

Potatoes Potatoes in Practice, growing, storing...

Security BSIA discuss the importance of farm security

Buildings Better cattle housing & better buildings all-round

Diet Feeders Latest innovations

Tillage

All the latest need to know commentary

On Topic BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year

Renewables RWM & Nextgen events plus focus on AD

Machinery New kit from Bobcat & Avant plus more news

ATV Suzuki go ‘festival’, Polaris appoint new dealer...

Motors Look out for the Range Rover SVR..

NEXT MONTH

Get ready for the show...

Sheep

Groundcare APF show preview We welcome feedback and encourage readers to air their views. Have an opinion on a story or something you want to get off your chest? Write to us at the address below or email letters@farmingmonthly.com Whilst every attempt is made to ensure accuracy, the opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor. The Editor also reserves the right to alter or edit material as necessary and no responsibility is accepted for inaccuracies. Full copyright applies. All rights reserved 2014.

Andrew Poulton EDITOR

Connect with us: Published in the UK by Farming Monthly Ltd, 15-17 Dugdale Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5QJ Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 Editor Andrew Poulton Editorial Assistant editorial@farmingmonthly.com Advertising Director Shona Beedham s.beedham@farmingmonthly.com Advertising Sales Jessica Hopper j.hopper@farmingmonthly.com Advertising Sales Oliver Shorrock o.shorrock@farmingmonthly.com Accounts Manager Cheryl Arnold c.arnold@farmingmonthly.com Production studio@farmingmonthly.com Subscriptions subscriptions@farmingmonthly.com For editorial and general enquiries or to advertise please call Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 or email sales@farmingmonthly.com

Buy a single edition or subscribe at www.farmingmonthly.co.uk/subscriptions

| News

Productive discussions with deputy minister at FUW president’s farm Farmers’ Union of Wales officials and staff held a productive meeting with deputy minister for agriculture and fisheries Rebecca Evans on union president Emyr Jones’s farm near Bala recently. r Jones, who farms beef and sheep at Rhiwaedog farm with his two sons, said: “It was a pleasure to host this meeting with the deputy minister to show her first hand a working family farm and to have the opportunity to discuss a range of issues in depth, including the recently announced changes to the definition of moorland under the next round of pillar one of the common agricultural policy, the opportunities we have to shape the programmes under the new rural development programme and the importance of succession and new entrants in ensuring the future of family farms in Wales.”

The deputy minister was given a tour of the farm which extends to 360 acres, with a further 200 acres of rented land, and carries a herd of 60 Pedigree Welsh Black Suckler Cows and 1200 breeding sheep.

M

Rhiwaedog has won several awards over the years, including awards by the Grassland Society, the Royal Welsh Show Farm Buildings Facilities Awards, and the Snowdonia National Park Society Farming and Landscape Award.

The main achievement was in 2008 when the farm won the British Grassland Societies National Grassland and Management competition in Wales, and thereafter won the competition throughout the UK. “We have held a number of productive meetings with the deputy minister over the summer and are pleased that Welsh government has listened carefully to our concerns and amended the classification of moorland to reflect the botanical composition of the sward and we hope that this positive co-working will continue during the development of the next rural development plan.

06 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

It’s a family affair at Rhiwaedog farm with FUW president Emyr Jones, his sons Aled and Dylan, grandson Caron and deputy minister for agriculture and fisheries Rebecca Evans

“The industry is facing an unprecedented level of change and upheaval over the next few years as the new payment regime is rolled out. Many farms will have to find new ways to make up the shortfall in income resulting from the changes and we underlined to the deputy minister the importance of a fair market return for our products and the need for farmers to be able to maximise their returns from the rural development programme.

“It was a pleasure to host this meeting with the deputy minister to show her first hand a working family farm” “This is a positive example of how we as an industry can work together with government reaching practical solutions which are fair to agriculture and our farmers,” added Mr Jones.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Failure to keep good Testing times in China farm records costs millions in lost payments S R-Biopharm Rhône to aid Chinese after new contamination scare in yoghurt sweets.

Farmers in England are missing out on millions of pounds in EU payments because they are not keeping adequate records. armers in England are missing out on millions of pounds in EU payments because they are not keeping adequate records.

Figures released by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) today show that poor record keeping continues to be the major factor in cross compliance breaches which cost farmers £2.33 million in reductions to their Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments last year.

RPA Operations Director Paul Caldwell said: “RPA is currently working very hard to prepare for the new CAP but we are also committed to delivering our usual high quality routine services. “Release of these figures is just one of the ways that we help farmers and the agricultural industry as part of our ongoing commitment to support rural economies.

“The aim is to make farmers aware of the most common errors to help them to avoid future penalties and keep more of their vital SPS funds.

“The data clearly shows that, similar to 2012, failure to keep adequate records was a major cause of breaches across a number of cross compliance requirements.”

The figures show there 2,972 failures last year. Because of poor performance on soil protection and nitrate vulnerable zones in 2012, the Agency was tasked under EU rules with carrying out extra inspections in those areas last year. These additional

F

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

inspections generated 711 of the total breaches recorded.

As in 2012, cattle keepers attracted the highest number breaches (810) for failing to report deaths and movements; incorrect reporting of movements and animals being found without passports.

Failure to keep accurate and up to date records, leaving temporary field heaps in position for more than 12 months or too close to water courses meant Nitrate Vulnerable Zone breaches were the second most common failing at 562 (328 of them as a result of the extra inspections).

“The aim is to make farmers aware of the most common errors to help them to avoid future penalties”

cottish science company R-Biopharm Rhône is aiding Chinese food companies in the wake of another food contamination scandal involving yoghurt sweets tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. Recent testing activity in China follows a case in which 12 tonnes of yoghurt sweets were found to be contaminated with melamine in the southern province of Guangdong. The manager of the factory involved has been detained.

This follows on from a previous scandal in China in 2008, where at least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill after consuming powdered milk laced with melamine, which can be added to low quality or diluted milk to fool inspectors checking for protein levels.

Experts from the Glasgowbased company, one of Scotland's most successful scientific exporters, will travel to Germany next month to meet and help train a Chinese delegation in the methodology

for testing a range of contaminants and additives including vitamins in milk products.

Carol Donnelly, Marketing Manager at R-Biopharm Rhône, said: "Our meetings with the Chinese delegation will be very important for us to strengthen and build our position in this growing market."

"The Chinese are quite conscious of the adverse publicity surrounding food contamination scandals and there is increasing concern about the quality of local products. European brands of milk are seen as safer, due to more stringent testing and there is a move towards the use of European test kits and methods in order to help reduce the risk to the consumer in China."

Its team will meet with influential scientists in the sphere of transferring knowledge on methods and test kits to Chinese laboratories.

For further information email: info@r-biopharmrhone.com

Soil Protection Review issues came a close third, producing 535 failures - 383 of these generated by the additional inspections.

Issues with animal medicine and mortality records saw a rise from 95 breaches in 2012 to 148 last year.

Other areas where breaches increased include sheep and goat reporting errors, up 34 on last year; farmers cultivating or applying fertilizer or pesticides in the protection zones around either hedgerows or watercourses increasing from 184 to 221; while farmers failing to comply with a water abstraction licence saw a rise of 23 breaches.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

“Egg-static” about Co-op Well, hello dolly! supply deal Good golly… a woman from Dorset has just completed what could be the world’s longest corn dolly measuring over 65 feet.

The family company, L J Fairburn and Son Limited, is ecstatic with a deal to supply all 77 Lincolnshire Co-op stores with Fairburn’s Lincolnshire Free Range Eggs. airburn’s are very proud to be going back to their roots, after a long history supplying co-operative societies. In the early 1960s Leslie James Fairburn supplied cooperative shops in the county with his freshly produced free range eggs. 53 years on technology and production methods may have changed but the retail partnership and family values haven’t.

F

“We take great pride in our family business and our eggs, just like our Grandfather did all those years ago” Forming part of Lincolnshire Coop’s Love Local Range, Fairburn’s Lincolnshire Free Range eggs only travel a maximum of 25 miles, ensuring the freshest eggs are packed for the Love Local Range.

Fairburn’s are in control of every process from day old chick to the family fridge. This means that each great tasting egg is full of freshness and very local.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Supply Chain Manager Nicola Berry said: "We’re delighted to have added

he 20m long intricately woven dolly is made up of over 3,000 wheat stalks finely interlaced by Audrey Rolfe over the last four weeks. The corn dolly is made in a traditional ‘Long Welsh Fan’ design by Dorset resident and Guild of Straw Craftsmen Audrey.

Working in her Bridport home the dolly slowly increased in length and had to be wound around a home made cable type drum until it was completed yesterday.

Audrey said: “I could have made it quicker but I am very particular about how the finished article looks and the overall strength of the completed dolly as it is such a long length. It is in fact, longer than our house!”

The handcrafted construction that derives from pagan harvest time customs had to be taken to a local sports hall in order to be officially measured.

It needed at least seven people to unwind and carry it without snapping and then lay it out flat at Bridport Leisure Centre so it could

T

large Lincolnshire Free Range Eggs to our growing Love Local range as it gives our shoppers another choice when it comes to buying produce from the county.

“Supporting local family firms like L J Fairburn and Son is also really important to us and because the chickens live on farms in Lincolnshire, it means our customers can really identify with where the eggs are coming from.”

Sarah Louise Fairburn, Brand Director of L J Fairburn and Son Limited, said: “We take great pride in our family business and our eggs, just like our Grandfather did all those years ago. We are delighted that he is alive today to see us rekindle the relationship with the Co-op.

“Our Fairburn’s Lincolnshire Free Range Egg brand is proving really popular and we are so pleased to be supplying all Lincolnshire Co-op stores in the county. The Co-op is an amazing retailer to work with and we look forward to adding future additions to our range to support such a great sponsor of local produce.”

be gauged with a surveyors measuring wheel.

The dolly turned out in the end to be 20 meters long and that corresponds to 65feet and 7.4 inches. Audrey has been a corn dolly maker for some 37 years, and is well known as one of the finest exponents of the craft in the south west of England.

The dolly is made from Maris Widgeon wheat straw, selected by Audrey for its durability and pliability - vital criteria for the intricate and painstaking plaiting of each stalk to achieve the finished design.

The public will have a chance to see the giant corn construction for the very first time at Dorset County Show Sept 6th and 7th. The show falls on the first weekend of September, around the time of what is called the Harvest Moon. farmers for 2015.”

The show organisers have submitted the dolly project to the Guinness World Records and are waiting to hear if it will be confirmed as a world record attempt.

Unique Harvest Festival Looking for an alternative take on the harvest festival this year? Want to swap a hard church pew for a hay bale? he Leicestershire committee of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I.) will bring this year’s harvest even closer to home by holding their festival in a barn on 28 September.

The service will be held on the farm at Whetsone Pastures near Leicester, rather than in a church and guests will learn from their surroundings the importance of bringing in the harvest and the farmers who work on the land.

Last year the service was held among the hay bales at Springbarrow Lodge Farm in Coalville and impressed the Telegraph’s Judges at the Bring Home The Harvest Competition

T

with its interpretation of the traditional festival and use of local produce. It is hoped that this year will attract a larger audience including the city dwellers due to the close proximity to the city.

R.A.B.I. Leicestershire committee and the Rev. Peter Hooper look forward to greeting you at Whetstone Pastures Farm, Whetstone Gorse Lane, nr Lutterworth LE8 6LX at 3pm.

R.A.B.I is a grant-making charity which helps farming people of all ages if they are in financial difficulty and a collection will be held at the event, in aid of the charity and the Farming Community Network. To find out more visit www.rabi.org.uk or call R.A.B.I.’s confidential helpline on 0300 303 7373.

08 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Harvest hazzard Network Rail is reminding farmers and farmworkers of the importance of level crossings safety as they gather their crops this harvest. here are hundreds of userworked crossings on farmland in Britain, which see a marked increase in traffic during the harvest season. Figures collated over the past ten years reveal that the number of collisions and near misses at these types of crossings also sharply increases over the harvest months. Since the beginning of June, Network Rail has recorded dozens of incidents of level crossing misuse on farm crossings. Fortunately none of these have resulted in collisions or serious harm but they have caused over ten hours of delays to rail services.

T

Result of tractor misusing a level crossing

Vincent Briggs, level crossing manager for Network Rail, said “Harvest gathering is an extremely busy time for farmers, with level crossings that are seldom used during the rest of the year coming into almost constant use.

“While most farm crossings are used correctly and safely, that is not always the case and we have already seen a number of dangerous examples of crossing misuse this year.

“We’re asking farmers with level crossings on their land to make sure that everyone who comes onto their farm knows how to use the crossing correctly.”

National Farmers’ Union regulatory affairs adviser Ben Ellis

added: “Farmers with land either side of the railway rely heavily on being able to use level crossings.

We remind our members to follow the safe working procedures for the particular crossing, cutting corners can cost lives.”

“We have already seen a number of dangerous examples of crossing misuse this year” General advice for the safe operation of a user worked crossing include: • Read all the signs and follow the instructions • If there are no lights, stop, look both ways and listen before you cross. If there is a railway telephone, always use it to contact the signal operator to make sure it is safe to cross. Inform the signal operator again when you are clear of the crossing so trains are not unnecessarily delayed • Train speeds can be deceptive. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can beat an approaching train.

Earlier this year, Network Rail launched a nationwide awareness programme targeting motorists who drive for a living. The programme, delivered by its team of 100 level crossing managers, provides training sessions reminding drivers that although it may seem an inconvenience to have to wait at a crossing, especially when they are trying to meet delivery deadlines, crossings are in place to save lives – theirs as well as those on trains. As well as the risk to life, the misuse of a level crossing also poses a threat to the career of a professional driver as it is a criminal offence to misuse a level crossing.

Salvage Hunters Salvage Hunters, the long running prime time programme for Discovery is returning to our screens and is looking for weird and wonderful locations to include in the new series. odern day treasure hunter and leading architectural salvage dealer Drew Pritchard travels the length and breadth of the UK in his quest to search out unique items.

From small holdings to family run farms no stone is left unturned in Drew’s mission to find quirky, unusual antiques & salvage to purchase and renovate. Items that Drew has purchased in the past include, farmhouse tables, industrial lighting, chairs, storage units and anything unusual!

The Salvage Hunters team is looking to hear from businesses, individuals and institutions from across the UK who may have interesting and decorative items stored away which they are willing to sell. If you or somebody that you know are interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you, please contact:

M

Salvage Hunters Cineflix Productions 28-32 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JF 0203 179 0099 | 07734 466837 lrowbotham@cineflix.com Salvage Hunters made by Cineflix Ltd for Discovery Europe. Transmits on the Quest Freeview channel.

Arla milk price Owner on-account price reduced by €1.5 cents per kg, with effect from 1 September 2014. hen applied through the pricing mechanism, this equates to an overall 1.2 pence reduction in Arla’s UK standard litre price, taking it to30.38 pence.

Commenting on the reduction, Ash Amirahmadi, Arla UK’s head of milk and member services said: “Global commodity markets have fallen sharply over recent months - a development that has affected dairy

W

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

companies, including Arla. In addition, Russia has announced a ban on agricultural import from certain states, including the EU. The ban has affected Arla Foods’ exports and we are now unable to export products to Russia.

“This further reduction in Arla’s global milk price is necessary due to a continued downward movement in global and European prices, made worse by the Russian import ban.”

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 09

| On Topic

On Topic

BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year Competition 2014: Final round judging completed The judges of the BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year Award criss-crossed the UK recently (18-22 August), visiting the three 2014 finalists at their farms in Wales, Northern Ireland and on the Isle of Man.

he Award, which is sponsored by GrowHow UK and DLF-Trifolium sets out to find the ‘best’ grassland farmer in the country, technically and financially, while managing their farm in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.

The competition saw a surge in entries this year and there was stiff competition through the local and regional rounds.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 17 October in Cheshire at the farm of 2013 winner Mat Venables. This year Mat joined Elaine Jewkes of GrowHow UK, John Read of DLF-Trifolium and Head Judge beef and sheep farmer Glasnant Morgan, to evaluate the eight regional winners and assess the three finalists.

Sam Chesney, Cool Brae Farm, Kircubbin, Northern Ireland Sam farms 75ha (185 acres) of short and medium term grass leys. He runs 150 suckler cows, 30 following heifers and 120 finishing cattle, with 200 store lambs and 50 lambed hoggets.

This is not the first time Sam has made the final round, having done so in 2011, the same year he won the Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year. In the meantime he has gone on to win the Danske Beef Farmer and Farm Quality Awards in 2013. The farm is a DARD focus farm for grassland beef and Sam is vice-chair of Agrisearch (beef), working towards low carbon beef production in Northern Ireland.

Sam manages his grassland to keep quality high and the cost of production low. All his leys have been reseeded within the past six years, opting for late heading varieties to help with cutting. Clover is

T

Using grass to its best advantage whilst producing food in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way

10 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

encouraged, with some fields having more than 40%.

He grazes paddocks on a 21-day rotation, planning cattle movements using information derived from weekly field measuring and a grass budget calculator.

David Collister, Southampton Farm, Port Soderick, Douglas, Isle of Man David built the dairy unit at Southampton Farm on a greenfield site in 2005 after being given the opportunity to help develop his parents-in-law business. The parlour and infrastructure was designed to accommodate 200 cows, which was a ten-fold increase. David is currently running 140 cows, calving in two blocks but predominantly in the spring, with numbers increasing steadily.

David aims to optimise the return on the investment and to recognise the farm’s full potential. There has been significant attention to putting in tracks and water supplies and recently erecting a new dry cow and calving building.

The farm in total is 129ha (318 acres), some of which is rented on a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT).

David’s grassland policy over the past eight years has been to improve the fields systematically, focussing on those with the best potential for return.

Most fields have grown a winter crop, followed by barley and then been reseeded with a high quality grazing ley. The next step is to monitor and tackle underperforming leys.

“David has achieved an astounding amount in a short time, with an intelligent approach to establishing and managing high quality grassland for his herd. His forward-looking approach and passion are evident,” said Elaine Jewkes of GrowHow UK after the visit.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| On Topic

On Topic BASF's Jonathan Ball

Dafydd Jones, Maesllwyni Farm, Penegoes, MidWales Maesllwyni extends to 190ha (469 acres) at an altitude ranging from 50 – 300m (164 – 984ft), receiving an average rainfall of 1500mm (59 inches) per year. Dafydd runs a 56-cow suckler herd, 40 finishing animals and 750 ewes organically, supplying Waitrose and achieving a 95% in-specification rate on the lambs.

Cattle and sheep are out on grass most of the time; turn out dates being mid-April and mid-March respectively. Sheep are set-stocked in spring. The cows are turned out after calving and used as a grazing tool, rotating around all the fields. This helps keep weeds down and promotes clover by controlling sward height and vigour.

Clover is of great importance, not just because the farm is organic, but also by pushing up the feed quality of the grazing and silage. Red and white clovers have been sown in new leys, along with high sugar grasses. Other legumes including vetches and birdsfoot trefoil have also been included.

Daffyd has reseeded by undersowing barley/oats with grass, which helps control weeds and increases overall forage production. Some of the upland areas cannot be reseeded and are managed to promote continued productivity from the existing sward, with one field being 60 years old.

When the judging was over, head judge Glasnant Morgan summed up by saying: “It has been a real treat to visit these three outstanding finalists and it will be hard to pick the winner.

“There is no doubt that they will be someone who

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

is full of optimism, a strategist, supplying what the market wants, and achieving a premium price for his endeavours by knowing his costs of production.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 17 October in Cheshire at the farm of 2013 winner Mat Venables. This year Mat joined Elaine Jewkes of GrowHow UK, John Read of DLF-Trifolium and Head Judge beef and sheep farmer Glasnant Morgan, to evaluate the eight regional winners and assess the three finalists.

“We are also taking into consideration producing food in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way, while using grass to its best advantage. What a challenge!! We will all learn from the winner”.

BGS would like to congratulate all of the nominees in the 2014 competition, recognising that the enthusiasm with which this competition is entered into demonstrates the passion that exists amongst grassland farmers for continued progress.

The Society also applauds the 2014 regional winners who did not make it to the final round: Martyn Vanstone, South West; Jonathan Lampshire, Southern; Ben Charmley, Central-West; Mick Lingard, Central-East and Michael Kyle, Scotland.

Sponsored by

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 11

| Fencing

We love talking electric fencing!

For everything electric fencing, look no further and read on.... ww.electricfencing.co.uk is the largest specialist online supplier of electric fencing in the UK. We have the most extensive and comprehensive range of products to cover all of your electric fencing needs. From electrified poultry netting to three reel sheep systems for strip grazing, to permanent systems for cattle, we have it all.

Sometimes it can be tricky to know where to start with electric fencing! Which energiser is best for which system and which system is best for which animal…?

And what is best to keep animals in or to keep predators out?! Or perhaps it is just a matter of repairing an old system?… We can answer all your questions and sort your fencing conundrum... and supply the right products for the job direct to your door within

W

12 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

2-3 working days.

So if you have an electric fencing question … just ask! We'd be happy to help. If you are not sure what you need - contact us we know electric fencing!

Keep checking our online shop – we are constantly up dating our sale and clearance sections… there are bargains to be grabbed!

Call: 01620860058 Email: info@electricfencing.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Fencing

Jacksons Farmers Group proves commitment Jacksons Fencing has always been loyal to their core customer base - farmers! acksons Fencing supplies products worldwide and has established a reputation for providing an increasingly wide range of products to an expanding customer base.

But while the market continues to grow and the company continues to develop its range of fencing, gates, garden products and security fencing, the company has always been loyal to the farmers who make up its core customer base.

That relationship has been taken a step further with the creation of JFG – Jacksons Farmers Group – a membership organisation that promises savings, preferential prices, special offers and a number of other benefits.

Farmers are renowned for being shrewd purchasers and for having an eye for a wellmade product that will last for a decent length of time.

After all, for the average householder who puts up a garden fence, Jackson’s unique 25year guarantee is comforting but perhaps not the deciding factor; they may well have sold up and moved on long before the guarantee runs out. For a farmer, though, the guarantee protects an investment that could well run into thousands of pounds.

As managing director Richard Jackson has pointed out, the actual cost of the stakes is a relatively small proportion of the total cost of the initial fence, with most of the cost in the labour and the other materials.

“It makes no sense at all to buy a cheaper product because in the long term you might have to replace the posts in six or seven years.

That means taking it all down, replacing the stakes and then putting the wire or the rails back again, which will cost you nearly as much as starting again.

“You could end up replacing cheaper stakes four times in the 25-year span of a Jackson’s guarantee.”

Farmers who join JFG will be able to take advantage of that unique guarantee at the best possible prices, as well as benefiting from free delivery, priority service and special offers.

J

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Another innovation for this year – and one that applies to all customers, not just members of the JFG – is the Stowting, Kent-based company’s new range of agricultural kits, which bring together all the materials needed for a fencing project at a discounted price.

There are five fencing kits available, all designed with farmers in mind, Richard explained.

“Our kits make buying simple and straightforward while providing the best products available at the most competitive prices,” he said. “Buying the items as part of a kit instead of individually is a much cheaper and simpler way of tackling a fencing project.

“Jacksons has always enjoyed a special relationship with local farmers, who have been at the heart of the company’s operations since it was founded in 1947. Making life simpler and cheaper for them is our way of saying thank you.”

All the timber used in the kits has been treated using the company’s own Jakcure pressure treatment process that forces preservative deep into the heart of the wood – after it has first been kiln dried.

“Wood is like a sponge that can’t soak anything up until it has been squeezed out,” Richard explained. “That’s why we make sure the wood is dried to below 28 per cent moisture content before it goes through the Jakcure process.”

The rest of the components in the agricultural kits meet similar high quality standards. Wire netting is constructed and galvanised to the appropriate British Standard and the heavy metal field gates are hot dip galvanised.

Here’s an example of the agricultural kits prices: to buy the 3.6m universal timber field gate kit with posts and fittings at retail price, it would cost a total of £258.20 ex VAT, bought as a kit it costs £172.35 ex VAT - a saving of over £85. Similarly the retail cost of all the Rabbit Netting Kit cost £1,153.85 ex VAT at retail, as a kit the cost is £932.21 saving over £220 Farmers wishing to register should visit

Richard Jackson

“It makes no sense at all to buy a cheaper product because in the long term you might have to replace the posts in six or seven years. That means taking it all down, replacing the stakes and then putting the wire or the rails back again, which will cost you nearly as much as starting again.”

www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/farmers to find the simple instructions on how to join the Jacksons Farmer Group. Info on the agricultural kits is also on the web site farmers page.

(Prices correct 08/14)

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 13

| Tyres

BKT flotation lineup for great performance on any terrain Three new models to boost the BKT tyre range for agricultural trailers and combined on-the-road and on-the-field use.

B

KT, the tyre manufacturer and global player in the Off-Highway tire market, has enlarged and enhanced its Flotation lineup for agricultural trailers by introducing three new tyre versions to meet any application requirements.

Recently presented at the Reifen show

in Essen, the versions FL 630 ULTRA, FL 635, and RIDEMAX FL 698 will be on the market soon. They are going to boost the BKT Flotation lineup currently consisting of FL 630 SUPER – successfully launched last year at SIMA, Paris – and of the versions FL 630, FL 630 PLUS, FL 639 and RIDEMAX FL 693 M. Designed for combined on-the-road and onthe-field use, the tires of the BKT Flotation lineup feature excellent flotation resulting in a minor impact on the land. The resistant structure provides excellent traction and perfect grip even in bends and when maneuvering.

The particular tread design ensures great grip on any kind of terrain in addition to excellent self-cleaning features.

The nylon casing with polyester belts of the versions FL 630 ULTRA, FL 635, FL 630, FL 630 PLUS, and FL 639 offers great robustness and resistance in addition to the necessary elasticity to adopt to any land conditions.

The large tread surface as well as the particular lug distribution provide a homogeneous load distribution avoiding soil compaction.

The tyres FL630, FL 630 PLUS, and FL 639 have been mainly designed for land applications (70% field and 30 % road). Yet, the new version FL 630 ULTRA shows a slightly changed design including

14 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

more lugs and a reinforced bead area making the tyre more resistant and suitable for combined use 50% field and 50% road.

Another novelty in the Flotation lineup is the FL 635, a perfect tire for both field and road use. Its tread has been specially designed for grass land and straw baler applications.

Designed for combined on-the-road and on the-field use, the tyres of the BKT Flotation lineup feature excellent flotation resulting in a minor impact on the land. The resistant structure provides excellent traction and perfect grip even in bends and when maneuvering.

The RIDEMAX FL 698, FL 630 SUPER, and RIDEMAX FL 693 M tyres feature instead a radial All Steel structure made of extremely resistant steel belts conferring the tire optimum stiffness and stability. The unique tread design makes these tires particularly suitable for multipurpose use on any terrain and on the road.

Besides, the large footprint area provides a perfect load distribution on the land, limiting soil compaction and enabling major load capacity. An essential feature, being these tires studied for trailers, tank trucks, and sprayer applications.

For more information visit www.bkt-tires.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Fencing

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 15

| Renewables

RWM unveils what’s in store for 2014 From 16 to 18 September, the NEC in Birmingham once again plays host to RWM in partnership with CIWM. WM is Europe’s leading resource efficiency and waste management event and helps businesses and organisations meet their recycling and resource management targets.

With over 750 exhibitors expected and more than 70 seminars and presentations across three specialist theatres, the exhibition and conference is free to attend simply register online at www.rwmexhibition.com.

Free RWM CPD-accredited conference programme This year’s conference programme has been developed through peer-reviewed research with industry bodies such as the CIWM. Key issues to be addressed in the conference include the latest recycling legislation and targets from Britain and the EU, packaging and PRNs, WEEE regulations, the circular economy, financing infrastructure and waste prevention.

The new Circular Economy Connect (CEC) Theatre will address the key issues and barriers to creating a more circular economy, as well as investigating those who can best benefit from the closed-loop model. The programme features over 40 speakers from across the supply chain, including Sir Stuart Rose, chairman of Ocado and former executive chairman of Marks & Spencer and one of the world’s leading environmentalists, Professor Walter Stahel.

In addition to the theatre programme, Circular Economy Connect (sponsored by SITA) will provide a dedicated space where visitors can network and find new resource

R

management solutions to help them move towards a more circular economy.

Local Authority waste needs, including bestpractice case studies, TEEP guidelines and targeting recycling engagement, will be addressed in the Local Authority Theatre.

Featuring more than 15 seminars, leading industry speakers include Ray Georgeson, CEO at Resource Association and David Palmer-Jones, chairman at ESA. The Energy from Waste Theatre brings together experts from across Europe who will present the latest energy generation innovations, from waste companies to technology owners and developers. Speakers include Adam Read, practice director at Ricardo-AEA and Chindarat Taylor, director at Resource Efficiency Pathway.

Leading waste companies exhibiting Many key brands are already signed up to RWM in partnership with CIWM 2014, which is supported by the Environmental Services Association (ESA). Confirmed exhibitors include world leading plant and vehicle suppliers JCB, Isuzu Trucks, Finning (UK suppliers of Cat machinery) and Mercedes Benz.

Looking at recycling specifically, Countrystyle Recycling and Hills Waste

16 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

Solutions are exhibiting and are capable of handling and processing almost all forms of waste. Smurfit Kappa, Hills Waste Solutions, and Biffa Polymers return this year, while visitors interested in paper recycling should drop by the Novelis, Aylesford Newsprint and Cycle Link UK stands.

This year’s conference programme has been developed through peer-reviewed research with industry bodies such as the CIWM. Furthermore, a number of companies will be offering inventive and practical bin solutions, such as Straight and Big Belly Solar Compactor Bins.

RWM in partnership with CIWM is free to attend and takes place from 16 to 18 September 2014 in halls 4 and 5 at the NEC, Birmingham. The event is co-located with The Water Event, The Energy Event and The Renewables Event, all taking place on 16 and 17 September 2014 in hall 3 and 3a.

Registration (sponsored by Novelis) is available at www.rwmexhibition.com.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Feature

Do solar the right way

“

Devon farmer sheds light on diversifying into solar successfully. evonshire farmer Mr Gilbert Churchill, of Newlands Farm in Axminster, has nothing but praise for the large scale solar farm that has now diversified the income of his farm.

Mr Churchill shares his experience with us so that other land owners can benefit from the valuable lessons he learned. He explains exactly how to ensure you get the best offer for your land and what to look for in a responsible solar developer.

D

Firstly, we asked Mr Churchill what made him opt for installing a solar farm rather than other renewable energy technologies. He tells us, “It’s environmentally friendly and it suits the farm industry very much because it gives a secure regular income. That’s very important to me and to other farmers as the industry is struggling at the moment to make ends meet.

It’s a lifeline.”

“Then with solar panels you can run sheep, as I do. It’s very quiet, you don’t know it’s there, and it’s generating power for the local community. People don’t realise that these solar farms they put in here, they’re generating energy for people in the area. A lot of people think, “Oh, they’re generating power and it’s going up the country”, but it’s not. It keeps local businesses going, and keeps our homes powered. And it’s clean energy and it’s lowering our carbon footprint.”

You can then get a feel for which company has the most experience

”

immediately. This has allowed Lightsource to become the largest operator of solar farms in the United Kingdom, managing over 4000 acres of farmland that has been diversified with solar power.

“Another thing you need to ask about is planning. The developer should tell you their process in obtaining planning permission.

Make sure you ask them how many planning applications they have made and how many were successful. This will give you an idea of how the planning will go.”

It is important for farmers to ask plenty of questions and to learn about the track record of any developer they’re considering entering into an agreement with. One of the best ways to ensure success is for farmers to go directly to a reputable company that have built many sites before in the UK and are able to manage the whole process from initial meeting with the land owners to reinstating the site back to its original condition in 25-30 years’ time.

Mr Churchill highlights the importance of land use and making the best use of the solar farm. A typical solar farm only takes up 30 per cent of the leased area, leaving the rest of the land open for various types of diversification.

This includes the grazing of small livestock such as sheep or chickens, along with a number of other practices. Fortunately, there is now best practice guidance issued by the National Solar Centre to ensure responsible and sustainable land management practices are carried out on land that has been allocated to solar farming.

in lots of hedges to hide it all away, which is brilliant, and the people [Lightsource] who came in to do it were very good. I’ve got hollies, beeches, and some hawthorn. That was done straight after and is growing nicely.”

“I’ve got wild bees under the panels, this past year we’ve had masses of butterflies I haven’t seen for years, ladybirds, grasshoppers, lots of insects all coming back and enjoying the shelter. And the birds love it!

The birds are absolutely enjoying it because it’s a place where they can live and be happy and there’s lots of food!

“The solar farm supports wildlife because it can work alongside Mother Nature. Plants and animals can live peacefully underneath it and you can run stock under it… which is great. As I said, the solar farm has worked with the community very well, and the wildlife.”

Mr Churchill finishes by offering these two tips to any farmer who is considering leasing out land to a solar farm developer, “I would advise farmers to research solar companies that operate solar farms locally and regionally.

You should request to view their projects and speak with some of their clients. You can then get a feel for which company has the most experience and can make you the best offer.

This is a long term agreement, you need to be sure the company operating and looking after the solar farm is going to be around for at least 25 years.”

The solar farm supports wildlife because it can work alongside Mother Nature Mr Churchill continues, “You need to find out at the start where the money or investment is coming from and who is going to own and operate the solar farm for its lifetime. This will determine how many companies are in the contractual chain and how quickly your solar farm can be developed. The lesser number of people involved, the better for you and the quicker the solar farm will be done.”

Lightsource Renewable Energy has leapt to the forefront of solar farm development because they have their funding secured. This means that contractual negotiations can be swift and quarterly rental payments can begin

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Lightsource works closely with the land owner early on in the process, agreeing a land management plan with them to put the land to best use. For example, biodiversity enhancements like sowing wildflower seeds around the field boundaries can be implemented according to the stocking density requirements. We asked Mr Churchill if biodiversity had improved at Newlands Farm since the solar panels went in: “Yes, they’ve put

For more information on Lightsource Renewable Energy, visit: www.lightsource-re.co.uk or phone 0333 200 0755

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 17

| Renewables

Free masterclass helps farmers assess AD viability Anaerobic Digestion - known in the industry as ‘AD’- is the simple, natural breakdown of organic matter which, at the end of the process, results in a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide gases (biogas), water and a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser (digestate). But how is AD and investment in an AD plant an opportunity for farmers? ot only is AD a great way of dealing with farm wastes, including slurry and manure, in an ecologically sustainable and responsible manner, but the energy released (biogas) can be harnessed to make electricity, gas, heat and green fuel for tractors. AD also offers farmers the opportunity to grow and use purpose grown crops – such as break or cover crops – as a plant feedstock which help to promote biodiversity in British agriculture, complementing existing agricultural rotations and improving soil quality. Further to this, a key output of the process digestate - provides farmers with an organic biofertiliser, rich in nutrients including nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulphur to name a few. Notably, this valuable byproduct could be worth over £200 million in nutrients to UK farming.

N

Currently, the government is showing commitment to increase energy from AD by offering a variety of financial incentives such as the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), both paid directly to the energy producer.

Growing numbers of UK farmers are using AD to provide their business with alternative valuable revenue streams and reduce their

input costs – recent figures show 83 UK AD plants use farm feedstocks: a 23% increase in the last 12 months. To help more farmers benefit from AD, ADBA (Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association) is holding a series of free masterclass sessions, including an AD plant tour, across the country this November.

“Farm businesses must ensure they are prepared for AD diversification,” says Gwyn Jones, former Vice President of the NFU. “The key issues which can make or break a business case for AD include planning permission, grid connection, and local opposition.

Running an AD plant also requires 24/7 commitment and a skilled manager in order to get the best out of it.”

“Diversifying into AD is a great way of retaining farm staff,” adds Robert Greenow of BioG UK who collaborates with farmers to establish joint venture AD partnerships. “With the right training, it can help to build up an individual’s skill set and offers genuine career opportunities, particularly for the younger generation.”

To alleviate financial concerns, grants are available to encourage development. With the aid of a grant from the Rural Development Programme, Gloucestershire pig farmer James Hart developed an AD plant in partnership with a neighbouring chicken farm: “Our plant cost £1.2m and in a month we’ve seen income generated from electricity sales in the region of £25,000. We are on target to

18 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

pay off the loans within five years it’s hard work, like all of farming, but it is fun.”

Currently, the government is showing commitment to increase energy from AD by offering a variety of financial incentives such as the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), both paid directly to the energy producer. These incentives are protected for 20 years and linked to inflation which should help the success of the 297 known proposed AD plants - to date there are 148 operational plants, 56% of which use agricultural material.

Free advice and masterclass for farmers Held in rural locations across the country, ADBA’s educational

meetings will include an overview of the AD options for farmers, along with presentations on finance from ADBA’s finance interface Compass Renewables, one-to-one discussions with expert farming consultants and an optional visit to an AD plant after lunch. Free to attend throughout November, for dates/times and to book, contact Barbara at ADBA on +44 (0)203 176 7767 or visit http://adbiogas.co.uk/events/.

For farmers looking to explore ‘growing crops for AD’, ADBA’s recently published best practice guide is free to download: www.adbiogas.co.uk/resources/cr op-best-practice-document.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Renewables

“Eco-tom” from Guy and Wright – the red tomato with a green heart Tomato growing pioneers Guy and Wright of Much Hadham have adapted the tried and tested benefits of CO2 as a growth promoter by cleaning up biogas to use as their heat, power and carbon source rather than relying on natural gas.

hey established the system approximately 15 years ago when energy costs rocketed and many other producers were going under. The family built their own digesters, fed largely from “spoilt” tomatoes and other green waste such as bananas and cereals, successfully collecting the gas and using all the heat from small gas turbines to drastically reduce their energy bills. This process also enabled them to apply for ROCs.

T

A careful programme of non pesticidal management is used to control threats to the crop and Bumble Bees are the pollinators.

With the existing engines now superseded by much more efficient models, Guy and Wright considered an additional unit and finally opted for an MWM TCG 2016 V12 from Edina. This provides all the heat and electricity for the growing enterprise, the 6 glasshouses take up 3 ½ acres, and a high proportion of electricity is exported to the grid bringing in vital revenue which is re-invested in the business.

The gas is cleaned by the Codinox unit from Holland with a system of catalyst bricks which absorb harmful gases leaving the resulting CO2 which is piped into the glasshouses at perfectly safe levels for humans and animals.

This then aids the photosynthesis of the tomatoes, resulting in more plentiful flowers/fruits. Guy and

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Wright also report that the heat has had a beneficial effect in reducing fungal type diseases such as petritis. The levels of CO2 and heat are controlled by computer which can operate vents and manage the system to perform at its optimum.

Two types of tomato are grown, Piccolo just for the farm gate (honesty box) and Encore, Guy and Wright’s “Eco-tom” which is supplied as the main crop for supermarkets. “Green” production is now possible 10 months of the year, the remaining 2 months being set aside for cleaning and re-planting. A careful programme of non-pesticidal management is used to control threats to the crop and Bumble Bees are the pollinators.

This fascinating enterprise is both lucrative and kind to the environment with plans underway for further storage and treatment of liquid waste to supplement that used already as a land fertiliser locally.

More info: T: 01279 842444 visit www.guyandwright.com or www.edina.eu

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 19

| Renewables

Urban bio gas from farming and communal waste Agraferm Technologies AG is one of the market leaders among builders of AD plants in Britain. graferm is one of the leading full-service providers for agricultural and industrial biogas and bio methane plants. Our range of services covers the design, project management and building of AD plants as well as all the related technical and biological services and of course re-powering.

In Great Britain Agraferm Technologies is one of the market leaders in the biogas industry.Agraferm has 10 AD plants operational in the UK, another 2 close to commissioning and more under contract or in planning. Agraferm bio methane plants e.g. in Great Saxham, Doncaster, Taverham, Scottow and Reepham Road are characterised by their high level of efficiency and financial return. In Poundbury, Dorchester, a bio gas location with very high sustainability standards, Agraferm built the first agriculturally based bio methane plant in Great Britain to feed gas into the national grid. One of the operational plants is the first AD plant in the UK (Poundbury) which on a commercial basis injects bio

A

methane into the extensive natural gas grid in the UK. Although the waste to energy market is high on the policy agenda, it is a complicated regulatory environment, related to the fact that waste is an input.

Therefore strict requirements apply to the useful output, digestate with fertilizer properties, which often turns out to be a burden for farming operators. Therefore this sector is, for the moment, confined to industrial and utility type of operators. Farmers focus on using manure, crop rejects and purpose grown crops. This is where most activity in the market is seen, and if the tariff revisions planned in 2014 are carefully designed, this will allow for a continued vigorous development of the market in the UK beyond 2015. Proper supporting policies are key to increase the renewable energy share in the energy mix and reduce dependency on energy imports.

Agraferm has already begun to develop their presence locally in order to continue to grow the business successfully in Britain.

Such as the setting up of a

20 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

technical and biological service team which serves all of the existing plants.

In a market where feedstock is becoming scarcer and regulations regarding types of feedstock stricter, Agraferm customers can use feedstock that other plants cannot use or can only make limited use of. The same maxim applies to all Agraferm bio methane plants in Britain: Agraferm’s philosophy is based on using highly sophisticated technology to enable the use of a wide range of feed stock, using a smaller digester volume, therefore leading to maximum gas yield while making maximum use of ground space.

The advantages of Agraferm technology: ► Full gas yield from smaller container volume (2 MWel from 2 containers) ► Efficient processing of energy plants such as maize, grass or whole grain plant silage ► Efficient processing of agricultural waste and by-products from the food industry This also applies to unusual feedstocks such as gas.

Furthermore, Agraferm’s numerous completed projects have proven that slurry-free digestion is possible and due to the wide range of possible feedstocks operators are free from a dependence on maize.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Renewables

Gas-to-grid comes of age in the UK farming sector In 2012, a high-profile site became the first on a UK farm to take the step of producing upgraded biogas in the form of biomethane for injection into the gas grid. There followed a pause while the industry took stock of the benefits of the process and the challenges involved. ow in 2014, with the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in place, there is a heightened level of interest from the agricultural sector, says the UK’s leading supplier of biogas upgrading systems, Chesterfield BioGas (CBG).

N

CBG is confident that, with several sites shown to be operating efficiently and profitably, there will be much wider adoption of the technology on the UK’s farms.

Significant investment is required to take the output gas from the AD and render it suitable for the gas grid. But at that point it attracts both the network entry gate price and the added income stream of the the RHI. The longterm commercial returns are undeniable, provided the

challenges are anticipated and met.

Among these challenges is the need to maintain continued availability of the feedstock for the AD. Each upgrading system is supplied to work within a range of hourly gas throughput rates but, continuity of gas from the AD is important. Consistency of gas content within certain parameters is also desirable.

CBG offers the water-wash method and contracts for a 98% availability of the plant. It currently has two projects building on UK farming sites. These demonstrate that a variety of organic feedstocks can be adopted and the resulting raw biogas suitably upgraded.

Work is more advanced on the site at Ellough near Beccles, where CBG has supplied a ‘Totara’ upgrading system to its customer FLI Engineering.

Here the feedstock will be mostly energy crops, particularly maize, plus some other agricultural wastes. It will deliver

between 600 and 2000 cubic metres of biomethane per hour to the national grid within weeks.

In contrast, the second CBG project, located on a large estate at Coupar Angus, Perthshire, will use feedstock including whole crop rye, sugar beet off-cuts, raw silage and some vegetable wastes.

The mid-range ‘Matai’ unit being installed will upgrade between 400 and 1200 cubic metres of biogas per hour.

This contract includes a 5-year aftercare package for the system, including remote monitoring and management of the plant’s performance to maximise returns.

CBG is confident that, with several sites shown to be operating efficiently and profitably, there will be much wider adoption of the technology on the UK’s farms.

More information from www.chesterfieldbiogas.co.uk

Weltec Biopower receives order for 1.1 MW extension in Dorset Award-winning AD plant processes food waste to energy. eltec Biopower (UK) Ltd, based in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, has been granted the contract to extend the award-winning food waste AD plant in Piddlehinton, Dorset. Plant owners Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd. are expanding with a further 1.1MW of food waste processing capacity. This follows on from the Weltec successes of commissioning two other plants in early 2014. With other construction projects underway, new staff recruited and a healthy order book 2014 looks set to be an excellent year for Weltec Biopower (UK) Ltd. The original Eco-Dorset AD plant was also built by WELTEC and was commissioned in 2012. After two years of successful operation, the operator assigned WELTEC with the extension. The extension will be completed in autumn 2014. The plant is fed by local authority food waste as well as out of date food products which prior to digestion are unpackaged, sorted and pasteurised at the site. After the extension, approximately 37,000 tpa of food waste will generate an

W

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

electrical output of 1.6 MW. The Eco-Dorset approach is an excellent example of the benefits of intelligent design, co-location and mutually beneficial plant integration. Electricity generated at the plant as well as excess gas is fed to an adjacent feed mill. When the mill is not operational, the power is fed to the National Grid.

The digestate produced by the plant, which is in the process of gaining PAS 110 accreditation, is collected and used by local farmers.

Despite the latent renewable energy in commercial and municipal food wastes, much of this valuable resource still ends in landfill. Much of it also ends in composting plants, which use expensive imported energy to biostabilise (or destroy) what, when processed in an AD plant, is a valuable renewable energy resource. After all, one tonne of organic waste processed through AD, could be converted into 600 to 800 kilowatt hours of energy – enough to power five refrigerators for one year. The equivalent tonne of waste through a composting

plant costs energy and money to process.

As energy demand and prices continue to rise and security of supply concerns worsen, more and more Local Authorities and private waste companies look set to follow the excellent example set by Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd. and capitalize on the excellent income generation opportunity that organic waste presents.

WELTEC understands the needs of every client and tailors the most cost-effective solution on a case by case basis. The partnership between the plant manufacturer and his clients also maintain after the design and build phase. “We recognize that an AD plant is a 20 year partnership and that maintaining solid trust-based working relationships with our clients is crucial to our ongoing success. Therefore we now have a dedicated UK-based Service and

Maintenance capability with locally available spare parts”, sales manager Kevin Monson explains.

Another advantage core to WELTEC’s continued success in industrial and agricultural applications is the fact that the digesters and digestate storage tanks are constructed from stainless steel. Aside from being a higher-quality product, stainless steel and is corrosion resistant to aggressive materials and offers a faster construction time, which is increasingly important to all developers with the FIT framework deadlines providing tight construction windows.

WELTEC BIOPOWER experts can discuss your AD project at RWM (Recycling and Waste Management) at the NEC Birmingham from September 16th to 18th. Visit WELTEC in hall 4 at stand F21.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 21

| Renewables

Nextgen 2014 – the most important business platform for bioenergy and renewables sector It is vital farmers, farm managers and the wider agri-rural sector keep well informed when making the right choice for renewable and low carbon energy generation solutions, as well as taking advantage of current (and ever changing) government installation grants and incentive schemes available. iomass is one of the UK’s great potential energy sources for localised, sustainable and affordable heating for agricultural operations, local communities and off-grid properties.

Schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), incentivise the deployment of Biomass powered systems by enabling a more rapid recoupment of capital costs. It is vital to understand the technical complexities, opportunities and challenges around launching a successful Biomass operation and obtaining incentives such as the RHI. On-farm AD also represents a real opportunity to deliver growth, sustainability and resilience for farming operations, combining a solution for waste management and the creation of a new sustainable base-load energy resource. But, what are the different approaches and drivers for on-farm AD? What

B

does the Green Energy revolution mean for Growers?

Nextgen, incorporating ebec, is UK’s leading bioenergy and renewable energy generation event for both urban and rural communities, and will take place on 8 – 9 October 2014 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

This two-day business, networking and CPDaccredited education event is designed to give agri-rural sector a deep insight into the opportunities, pitfalls and challenges around financing, installing and maintaining renewable technology systems and will answer these questions and more.

Two dedicated Agri-Rural Theatres focusing on AD and Biomass will give you the opportunity to hear from the experts from across the industry including; the NFU, Ofgem,

REA, Wood Heat Association and NNFCC. Live case studies will give you practical and technical insight into all the key aspects of planning and commissioning successful AD plants, as well as providing detailed analysis of how to optimise plant performance.

This year also sees the launch of the AD operators’ forum, where key industry experts provide advice on best practice and maximising value across areas such as feedstock management, digestate quality, process enhancement, plant design and hardware.

Register FREE or Nextgen 2014 now and find all the information you need, from over 175 suppliers within a major exhibition, whether you are at conceptual, planning, delivery or operational phase of your next project.

Come and see us at Nextgen 2014 stand F35

22 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Cereals

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 23

| Pests

Rodent control on farms and the growing importance of non-toxic options The onset of autumn and winter traditionally heralds an increase in rodent activity for farmers and householders alike, as the colder weather conditions will encourage many rodents to relocate to farm buildings in search of protection.

British Pest Control Association (BPCA) Technical Manager Richard Moseley examines the risks and the importance of toxic and non-toxic control. s we all know, harvest will remove a key food source for many rodents as the crops are relocated and stored in farm buildings.

However, you may not be aware that this encourages the movement of rodent species.

This migration can cause intolerable damage to animal supplies as well as human food stocks, as rats especially can contaminate up to 10 times the food they consume with their droppings, fur and urine. Therefore we must accept that vital food resources can be decimated in relatively short periods of time via rodent infestation.

The risk of rodent infestations may have you automatically reaching for rodenticides to control the risk, but you must take careful consideration before you apply a rodenticide. There are growing concerns amongst many groups such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the contamination that is occurring to non-target species from the Second Generation Anticoagulants (SGAR’s) that are routinely used to control rodents in all sectors of society. Members of organisations such as the BPCA are modifying their practices to meet the challenges that this will bring. Both target and non-target rodents are being consumed by animals such as birds of prey, leading to a buildup IN anticoagulant residues in animals due to secondary poisoning. This means the way that we apply, monitor and remove rodenticide will change in the coming months and years, and it is essential that you carefully consult the labels of the rodenticides that you use on a regular basis. Phrases

A

such as ‘in and around buildings’ and ‘visit frequency’ and ‘environmental risk assessment’ will become more common, and failure to comply may result in the loss of these valuable control tools – your suppliers and trade bodies will undoubtedly keep you updated on developments.

With further restrictions potentially being imposed on the use of rodenticides, it may be more prudent to view rodenticides as a ‘last resort’ control measure, and only used when all other controls have been considered. There are a number of actions that you can take before you resort to the use of rodenticide that will help to minimise rat activity. For example, rats are acutely fearful of new objects and do not like environments that are disturbed on a regular basis. If you have areas of long standing, unwanted items on your farms and property, consider an autumn rather than a spring clean. By removing unwanted items and rotating the location of seldom moving items, you will help to prevent rats taking up residency in the heart of the farm. But remember, if you are currently treating rat infestations, complete the baiting programme prior to your deep clean to ensure you do not disturb the colony before it is eradicated.

You can also take further steps to control the environment around the farm to make your property as unappealing as possible for rodents. Heavy foliage around building will offer rats easy access to farm structures and equipment.

Rodents do not like to cross open ground as it offers predator’s easy access to them, so if you keep foliage cut back they are less

24 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

inclined to move towards you buildings. Also consider sealing off any obvious gaps and defects in the buildings you have around the farm. It may not completely prevent the problem, but it will again help to make life difficult for the pest. It is also important to remember that if you can limit rodent’s accessibility to your buildings, you can start to dictate their movements and make them more likely to fall foul of any control measures you put in place, such as break back or spring traps, which if used effectively can help reduce rodent numbers.

We have to accept that the use of rodenticide will be unavoidable if we are to effectively control rodent infestations and protect food stocks, human health and property.

However, this will need to be justified, and when you do apply a rodenticide (or if your pest control contractor does) it is essential that you use enough product in enough locations to control and eradicate the infestation. Ensure that your baiting locations are visited frequently and that the rodenticide is kept well topped up until takes completely stop and rodent activity ceases. Written records of your treatment and plans of the bait locations will help you monitor activity and ensure you get to every baiting location on a regular basis.

It is also essential that you visit your

treatment areas on a regular basis to help prevent the possibility of non-target species coming into contact with your rodenticide.

Burrow baiting with a grain bait formulation is undoubtedly one of the most efficient ways to control rat activity as it introduces the bait directly to the rodents nesting area.

However, you do need to be aware of the heightened possibility of bait spillage and you may need to visit this kind of treatment more frequently than one carried out using bait boxes. The person applying the rodenticide must also make sure that they visit the treatment area on a regular basis to search for and remove rodent bodies. Dead rodent bodies are easily picked up by non-target species such as birds of prey, which may be inadvertently killed by well-meaning rodent controllers.

If you do not want to fall foul of changing requirements for bait application, you may like to consider using a professional pest control company. For details of a professional pest controller in your area, or if you would like any further information on rodent control or legislation, contact the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) on 01332 294 288, or visit us at www.bpca.org.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

Lancashire potato grower opens his farm gates to share best practice Aughton potato grower Andrew Webster’s desire to try the science in Potato Council-funded trials to increase productivity at his own farm is to be opened up to other growers, Thursday 11 September. otato farmers experience different conditions and challenges each season.

“Getting the optimum primary, secondary and bed preparation cultivations plays a key factor to my yield, tuber quality and the stability of the structure, therefore increasing knowledge is high on my agenda” explains Andrew.

“As our operation has developed, I’ve been keen to try the latest science on my own farm and I’m glad that we have had the opportunity this year to be involved in extensive Potato Council-funded cultivation, nematicide and cover crop best practice trials.”

“I’m pleased that Potato Council has arranged an open event, so other growers can come and see the study first hand, discuss the results with experts and can

P

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

takeaway and share best practice.”

Cheshire based, event sponsor Mercian is one of the largest single suppliers of crisping potatoes to the UK industry. “We’re proud to support the North West potato event,” said Jonathan Kemp. “The technical agenda is an excellent opportunity for local growers to get the latest information to benefit their own specific rotation.”

The interactive field sessions will be led by the country’s leading experts from Agrovista, McCain, NIAB CUF, and Spud Agronomy.

Topics will cover the latest best practice for cultivations, cover crops, and crop nutrition. George Moate will also have a working demonstrate of its Tillerstar.

Following the field discussions, a session on the latest storage technology and sprout suppressant best practice will take place in Andrew Webster’s new

potato store.

Potato Council technical executive, Phil Bradshaw who is organising the evening says, “The North West Potato event will provide a focused programme examining topics of specific interest to local growers.”

Registration is at 15.45 with the agenda 16.00 – 20.15 followed by a buffet meal. Levy-payers can register for this event online at: http://www.potato.org.uk/events or contact Miya Kotecha on 0779 220 9919 or email: miya.kotecha@potato.ahdb.org.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 25

||Potatoes LAMMA

The importance of proper potato storage Storage is key to potato production in Great Britain; between 3.5 and 4 million tonnes are stored every year and crops can spend as long in the store as they do in the ground. Implementation of best practice is critical to ensuring that the storage phase is cost-effective for businesses. otato storage is a critical component of the potato production process, with some crops spending longer in storage than they do in the ground. It follows therefore that potatoes in stores should be afforded a similar level of management input as might be applied to a growing crop.

The situation in stores is dynamic; the crop is respiring and reacting to its environment. Store operators must have the capability – in both expertise and environmental control equipment – to respond to this change to optimise conditions in the store and maintain quality throughout the storage period.

A critical time for potato storage Much of the potato storage in

P

Great Britain has suffered from a lengthy period without major capital investment and many businesses now face critical decisions about the continued suitability of some older stores.

The first step on this decisionmaking path is the store assessment process. This helps to identify any deficiencies or areas for improvement, evaluation of performance, prioritisation for operation and suitability for specific uses. Having the right equipment for the job is fundamental to success. Storage is not just about keeping potatoes; it is about maintaining their quality throughout the storage period so that it is possible to deliver consistently, in accordance with the market specification, at an economic and sustainable cost to

earn a worthwhile return.

Topics which feature prominently in the Potato Council’s research priorities include: • Disease management • Chemical residue minimisation • Cost control Energy efficiency and sustainability Focused, issue-specific strategies have been introduced and are an increasingly important aspect of potato store management. These include: • The Safe Haven scheme for the prevention of notifiable diseases • The Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Action Plan to address all aspects of the use of the sprout suppressant.

Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Group announce new product label changes New statutory product label changes to Chlorpropham (CIPC) were announced by the Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Group recently. round 94% of UK post-harvest treatments use CIPC, which is applied to around 3.5m tonnes of potatoes stored each year in c.2,500 stores by around 1,000 growers.

New application rates for CIPC have been approved by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD). Changes were requested by the companies that hold the approvals for formulations as part of the CIPC stewardship process.

Pamela Foster, from the Aceto Agricultural Chemicals Corporation Ltd, one of the CIPC approval holders, announced the changes during the event.

“For 2014, the CIPC total dose applied may not exceed 30g/tonne and 58 g/tonne for fresh and processing potatoes (including fish & chip shop supplies) respectively,” said Pamela. “The maximum individual dose is now 18 g/tonne and the latest time of application before the crop is removed from store for sale or processing is now 14 days. These are statutory changes which apply to crops grown and stored in the 2014/15 crop year.”

In addition to these statutory changes, approval holders continue to strongly recommend just one application is made in low temperature stores (5°C or less) and initial applications should always be made early.

CIPC remains under continuing intense scrutiny, recently exacerbated by a further maximum residue level (MRL) exceedance in a box store containing crop intended for the fish and chip trade.

A

“The regulatory situation with CIPC is now such that any MRL exceedance could trigger its withdrawal from use, which would have a profound impact on our industry,” said NFU’s Horticulture Adviser, Lee Abbey.

“If you use CIPC, you must check and adhere to the statutory conditions of use and, now more than ever, it is critical that users adopt best practice. The easiest way of doing this is to use an NAAC applicator.”

The ‘Be CIPC Compliant’ campaign (www.cipccompliant.co.uk) promotes best practice and raises awareness of the issues surrounding CIPC use. The aim is to reduce the levels of residue found on crops, to safeguard its availability for future use.

Growers and store managers attending the 50 years of Storage Research event heard that future availability and use of CIPC may be subject to having robust store ventilation systems in operation.

Adrian Briddon, Secretary of the Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Group explained that what is currently considered best practice will soon become a statutory requirement on the product label.

“CIPC distribution is easily improved in bulk stores. Around half of GB stores now have variable frequency drives (inverters) fitted to control fans to slow the speed of the ventilating air during application. This mitigates over and under application and ensures the sprout control is good and that residues are below the Maximum Residue Level (MRL),” commented Adrian.

26 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

“Improved ventilation is also required for box storage,” said Adrian. “Most box stores are of the overhead throw type, and without corrective action there can be an increased risk of higher residue levels occurring. CIPC should be applied via a plenum to prevent fog rising up into the store headspace. This reduces the risk of an MRL exceedance.“ Growers who are upgrading or building new stores can contact the team at SBCSR for advice, before capital investment takes place.

For more information on CIPC, the StoreCheck service and related issues, contact Adrian Briddon, Technologist at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) and Secretary of the CIPC Stewardship Group, on 01406 359412.

Keep up to speed on best practice at www.BeCIPCcompliant.com.

“CIPC distribution is easily improved in bulk stores.”

Remember to ensure all CIPC recommendations are taken from a BASIS qualified advisor, who has preferably taken the storage training module and has inspected the store prior to making recommendations that are recorded. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. For free advice call Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research on 0800 02 82 111

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 27

| Potatoes

Seed potato success

Restrain yourselves

Seed potato exports from GB outstrip previous levels once more.

Increasing success worldwide means generators are in high demand.

ecent export statistics confirm that GB seed potatoes continue to be in demand around the world, with the 2013/14 figures revealing a new seed exports record from Britain.

A diverse range of certified British potato varieties are exported for growing potato crops overseas, and seed export tonnages from GB have risen steadily and strongly over the last ten years. From around 70,000 tonnes in 2002 to well over 100,000 tonnes over the 2013/14 export season, GB seed potato exports have risen by over 30%, which is an exports success story by any standards.

GB seed potatoes are consistently high health and high quality, due to the year-round diligence and hard work of specialist growers and the UK’s plant health authorities.

The majority of seed potatoes are exported from Scotland, Cumbria and Northumberland where most of the high grade stocks are produced. However, what some people may not know is that Yorkshire is an up-and-

R

coming producer and exporter of high quality seed potatoes in its own right. An increasing amount of seed potatoes are grown in the Yorkshire Wolds, an area approximately the size of Birmingham, which 30 years ago was not used for growing potatoes at all.

Over the 2013/2014 export season, record tonnages of over 103,000 tonnes of seed potatoes were exported from GB, including an increasing amount of Yorkshire seed sent to countries such as Egypt.

Robert Burns, head of seed and export at Potato Council indicated that the next export season should be as good, if not better. Robert remarks “The GB seed crop has grown well this season, with a good supply of different varieties available. We have seen increasingly strong exports, and having talked to our contacts overseas, seed tonnages to key markets are expected to rise further for the 2014/2015 season and we are well positioned to fulfil that demand.” his year Restrain Company Ltd is celebrating its 10 year anniversary of helping growers to achieve residue free sprout control with ethylene. Today, Restrain ethylene generators are supplied in 30 countries worldwide, treating more than 1 million tonnes of potatoes and onions.

Restrains increasing success is built upon its extremely portable ‘plug and play’ generators, which take less than 30minutes to install.

What’s more no store modifications are required making the system particularly cost efficient in comparison to upgrading fridge systems in stores to meet standards for CIPC which can be very costly to growers. The catalytic generators convert ethanol into ethylene, which being a dynamic gas distributes itself evenly throughout the store no matter whether the crop is stored in bulk, bags or boxes. The generators maintain a constant low level of ethylene in store throughout the storage period, also monitoring temperature and CO2 levels. This method of using ethylene is advised by HSE due to safety reasons, whereas the use of ethylene cylinders is ‘strongly discouraged’.

Ahead of the 2014/15 storage season approval holders have reduced the rates of CIPC to 30g/t for the fresh market and 59g/t for processing. The max single dose

T

28 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

has been cut to 18g/t and the minimum interval between treatment and sale has been extended to 14 days. The limit of 1 treatment on all crops being held in cold storage will continue.

Therefore it is crucial that growers and store managers prepare for storage season and seek alternative treatments such as Restrain.

Restrains increasing success is built upon its extremely portable ‘plug and play’ generators, which take less than 30minutes to install.

Restrain can be used as a stand-alone residue free alternative to CIPC or it can be used as a complimentary product to back up a lower dose or single application of CIPC. Using natural ethylene gas Restrain extends the storage life of both potatoes and onions by supressing cell elongation giving anti-sprout control. Unlike restrictions surrounding CIPC Restrain gives growers the flexibility to unload potatoes at any point from the store allowing growers to react to the market with confidence that the crop is completely residue free.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

Bag palletising at its best Box clever by choosing HK Timbers PHS have more than 50 years experience in supplying automated end of line solutions, including ‘turnkey’ systems if required.

HK Timbers Limited are an award winning company who specialise in the production of large and bespoke strong timber potato boxes and vegetable crates which are mainly used in the agriculture and horticulture sector for safely storing and transporting vegetable products whilst allowing air to flow through. s part of our portfolio we include a large range of palletising solutions for the produce industry, for example potatoes, carrots, onions or any kind of root vegetable packed into a bag. The range starts with the VPM 5 semi automatic machine and depending upon the speed can increase right up to the top of the range VPM 14. All machines within our range our modular, so we can design a layout to suit your needs and if required we can also include for one of our pallet wrapping machines which uses either netting or stretch film to keep the load stable during transit.

Some of the Verbruggen machines use a stacking bin principle, which means that the bags are contained within a 4 sided chute whilst being stacked, this means that the end result is a

A

pallet with all bags within the pallet perimeter. Hence the presentation to your customers is perfect and load stability is highly increased. If necessary each layer can be tamped underneath the stripper plate to ensure that each layer is totally flat before stacking the next one, again aiding load stability and presentation.

Here in the UK alone there are more than 55 machines in operation palletising root vegetables and pet foods etc. PHS provide new machinery sales and after sales support to you as a customer from our HQ in Burnley, Lancashire.

If you are considering automating your farm operation or factory, please call PHS for a no obligation quotation on 0845 265 7570, email us: info@phs-uk.com or visit www.phs-uk.com

he BS7611 standard was introduced in 1992 at the request of the Potato Marketing Board and the Health and Safety Executive. It is primarily concerned with ensuring that potato storage boxes are strong enough to withstand the loads and forces of handling and stacking. HK Timbers were one of the few manufacturers involved in the standard's formation.

With over 40 years in this business, HK Timber products are recognised nationally as being first class in the industry.

Their state of the art technology allows HK Timbers to produce in excess of 100,000 boxes a year and they have the unique ability to store up to 25,000 boxes on site at any one time, allowing orders to be delivered when required.

HK Timber products are predominantly made from imported timber which is proven to last much longer than home grown timber. Many of their customers still have boxes in use which are more than 15 years old proving their products are a sound investment.

T

HK Timbers supply boxes and crates to many industry sectors for a variety of uses.

Manufacturing Potato Boxes is, as one would expect, a very seasonal business, the busiest part of the year being April /May through to early November.

There are therefore significant financial advantages for both customer and supplier should purchases be made out of season between November and March. HK Timbers can often offer extended credit terms

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

during the out of season period along with a discounted price, especially if early physical delivery is considered.

Located just outside Gainsborough in Lincolnshire HK Timbers is ideally situated close to the A1, M1, M180 and M62. This relatively central position provides easy access to the whole country for distribution purposes. Delivery can be provided or customers can arrange their own transportation if they wish.

HK Timbers supply boxes and crates to many industry sectors for a variety of uses and their products are used to transport goods all over the world.

Services offered by HK Timbers include: Stencils - All boxes are offered with a permanent black ink stencil on any of the four sides of the box. This can include customer specific designs such as a logo.

Numbering - If required, boxes can be numbered sequentially.

Bar code facility - If required, a rebate can be made to accommodate a customer bar code or bar codes can be stapled to boxes during the production process.

Plastic identification strips A colour-coded, plastic strip printed with a customer's name can be pressed into the steel connector plate.

Flat Pack - A significant haulage saving can be made by purchasing flat packs. An average lorry can carry 56 assembled boxes against approximately 150 flat pack versions.

Colour-coding - If required, boxes can be colour-coded on any of the four sides using water-based emulsion.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 29

| Potatoes

Blighted leaves

Comparison Pre & Post T1 application with six day interval

Desiccation timing to manage tuber size Many crops have reached the optimum market-size ahead of schedule due to favourable conditions this year. otato crops have enjoyed extremely good growing conditions across most of the UK this season – providing there has been ample irrigation available and they have been effectively protected from the extended periods of extremely high blight pressure.

As a result, many crops have reached the optimum 80 to 85 mm market-sized tubers several weeks ahead of expected. Growers now face the challenge of stopping further tuber growth beneath a vigorous crop canopy, reports Shropshire-based Syngenta potato specialist, Rob Farrow.

“With this season's big crops, an initial Reglone application can quickly burn off the tops to help manage tuber size more effectively and reliably,” he advised. “It will also expose the stems for a second application to complete desiccation before harvest.”

Interval timing Mr Farrow advocated the initial treatment should be applied at a low rate of one-litre per hectare, which is fully supported by Syngenta, whatever the soil conditions. The follow-up treatment can be tailored at two to four litres

P

per hectare, depending on the remaining stems and green haulm.

“One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘when do I make the second spray in a sequential desiccation programme?’.

“From experience the temptation is often to go in too quickly. You need to give time for the leaf canopy to die back and stems begin to go over, especially with big crops,” he added. “In most instances, five to seven days will give better results and achieve a more complete kill of haulm with the two-spray Reglone programme.”

For best results the initial treatment in vigorous crops should be applied at 400l/ha using the angled Syngenta Potato Nozzle to achieve good coverage and canopy penetration, highlighted Mr Farrow. The second spray water volume can be reduced to 200 l/ha, again using the angled nozzles for enhanced all round coverage of stems.

Maintain blight protection This year’s very high blight pressure and widespread reports of infection in unprotected crops, volunteer potatoes and gardens means growers must protect tubers right through to

Rob Farrow

harvest, warned Rob Farrow.

Fortuitously, the Reglone sequential desiccation programme interval also fits with the Shirlan blight spray timing at appropriate rates. That enables the inclusion of effective tuber blight protection in both desiccation sprays, to minimise the risk of blight spores moving through the soil to infect tubers, he added.

“One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘when do I make the second spray in a sequential desiccation programme?’

Research has also shown that Reglone does have a direct effect on blight spores.

Furthermore, the rapid defoliation and removal of leaf and haulm deprives blight of the green vegetative material on which it depends, reducing the risk of further development and spore production that threatens tuber infection.

Potatoes in Practice delivers broadest technical programme so far The sun shone on the many hundreds of industry visitors at the scenic farm site overlooking the Tay, all there to get their ‘tech-know’ from the expected high-standard mix of R&D and technical information presented by the Potato Council, the James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Agrii and the many industry experts and exhibitors who come to this major event. espite pressure on growers to get combining out of the way before bad weather closed in, Potatoes in Practice (PiP), held last month at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm, saw high visitor numbers with over 650 industry attending.

Dr Rob Clayton, Director of Potato Council which sponsors the event, spoke alongside Prof. Iain Gordon, CEO of the James Hutton Institute. Rob told visitors that “We need the science and evidence base to go hand-in-hand with the marketing campaigns to promote potatoes to consumers. It’s the long term commitment to science programmes that has given us the positive back-story on nutrition, sustainability and cost of production. And now

D

it’s time for levy payers to help us tell the story.”

Rob urged industry to speak with ‘One Voice’, saying, “The marketplace is crowded with competitive products so our industry needs to be loud and proud, and join together to bang the drum with consistent messages about potatoes.”

Prof. Iain Gordon added “Potatoes in Practice is a great opportunity to learn about the latest R&D, and I would encourage you to visit all the plots, seminars and stands. I should also emphasise the importance of partnership working, because the R&D here today is brought to you as a result of the collaboration between the James Hutton Institute, Potato Council, SRUC, Scottish Government and also industry through levy investment. This working

30 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

together is crucial to ensure the future sustainability of our industry.”

PiP provides a unique opportunity for farmers, advisers and agronomists to view industry and government-supported science at a single site in one day, and this year’s programme was even more packed with technical information.

SASA’s Dr Jon Pickup talked about the growing threat to seed production and to ware crop yields from Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), an issue very high on the list of growers’ concerns. Jon highlighted the increase in land area recorded as infested with PCN in Scotland, following introduction of the EU PCN Directive and the consequent requirement for increased soil sampling. Jon emphasised the

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Potatoes

Working harvesting machinery

potential and significant threat from ‘PCN creep’ and a change in approach for seed and ware land is urgently needed. He concluded that improved approaches to PCN management are required to maintain sufficient PCN-free land for the production of seed potatoes, and whilst nematicides provide a valuable tool for managing yield in PCN infested ware land, resistant varieties provide the best option for managing PCN populations.

In particular, for successful management of G. pallida, the highly resistant varieties now available must gain commercial acceptability.

Dr Brian Fenton from the James Hutton Institute examined whether the grain aphid – Sitobion avenae – is becoming a threat to seed potato crops. Brian was able to add some very recent information to his talk, originating from important resistance results from Scottish and English samples taken by colleagues at Rothamstead Research, which show that the resistant clone of the grain aphid has increased from 10% to 50% in Scottish samples and from 50% to 60% in English samples. Brian concluded that “The grain aphid is now recognised as a more efficient PVY vector than it was in the previous Fera calculations; it has developed pyrethroid resistance and migrates in large numbers from cereal crops over into potato crops. So to answer the question – yes, it is a threat! Growers can minimise virus infection by utilising clean stocks and good agronomy practices, and careful selection and use of agrochemicals. These are the most effective ways of controlling the spread of aphid-borne viruses in seed crops.”

With high slug numbers expected this autumn after the mild winter, the revocation of methiocarb in slug pellets and metaldehyde found increasingly in watercourses means that slug control in potato crops will become more challenging for growers. SRUC’s Dr Andy Evans’ talk on slug control showed how most slug damage occurs below ground with slugs rarely coming onto the soil surface where control tends to be targeted. Andy advised

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

“Know your enemy! Growers need to identify the species of slug and monitor slug levels in the field. Also, timing of treatment applications is vital; the most effective treatments are applied just before the crop canopy meets and if this canopy opportunity is missed, poor control is achieved regardless of how many applications are made. Andy also demonstrated some potato varieties which are more – or less - susceptible to slug damage, and how biological controls such as Nemaslug can be effective for control, as an alternative to chemical treatments. Furthermore, if your crop is at risk from slug damage, lift as early as you can and remove slug-damaged tubers before storage.

Crop damage at harvest costs industry around £20m each year, so the new harvesting clinics were created for PiP by Potato Council’s Claire Hodge. Sited alongside the live machinery demonstrations, the clinics saw Greenvale, Tong Peal, Standen and Grimme advising on quality control issues that growers face at harvest and grading and loading into stores.

Doug Hendry, Procurement Manager at leading producers Greenvale AP told audiences “This year with the prospect of a good supply of high-quality crop available, you need to pay particular attention to damage minimisation and quality assessment to reduce the possibility of rejections. Tolerances will be tight and skin finish is a very high priority, so you need to ensure that your lifting, grading and loading machinery is checked and set correctly to capitalise on the good quality crop currently in field. Harvesting equipment has changed dramatically over recent years, especially after the response to 2012 when investment was put into equipment which could harvest in challenging conditions. This has led to a requirement for training harvester drivers to understand and control the speed settings and change in direction of crop through the machine in order to minimise crop damage.

Potato Council’s ‘Damage Awareness’ booklet

and videos give clear advice on what to look out for so your crop gets the best handling treatment at this crucial time.”

Visitors spent time walking around the many plots finding out more on the latest R&D and technology on cultivations, common scab, aphid monitoring, new and established varieties and on agronomy, with experts on hand to explain the outcomes of the many different trials and demos set up months before for PiP’s large technical audience.

Leading machinery manufacturers and suppliers brought the latest equipment to PiP for the second year of live demonstrations.

“Potatoes in Practice is a great opportunity to learn about the latest R&D” Visitors were able to observe working machinery in operation, demonstrating tilling, bedforming, planting and harvesting which attracted large audiences, and complimented the adjacent harvesting clinics very well.

PiP has become GB’s largest technical potato field event and is presented each year as a result of the planning and cooperation between Potato Council, the James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Agrii, with the support of Potato Review magazine.

The date for next year’s PiP has already been set for Thursday 13th August and planning is already underway to ensure next year’s event delivers timely and relevant R&D to our industry. We look forward to delivering the 2015 PiP technical programme and to seeing hundreds of industry visitors return to PiP next year.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 31

| Animal Health

Red Mite X concentrate Make winter housing hassle free An effective control for Red Mite and other insect pests in poultry housing.

B

After a summer of wet and warm weather, farmers should capitalise on the chance to combat current parasitic infections and protect their stock at winter housing time.

arrier Red Mite X Concentrate is a totally different approach to the control and eradication of Red Mite in Poultry Housing, with a high dilution rate of 1:20 parts

water.

The product gives excellent cleaning, anti-bacterial results in Poultry/Animal Housing and also disinfects. The unique formulation has added benefits in controlling Red Mite and other Blood sucking / Biting pests. It controls Red Mite using a physical mode of action.

The formulation has a slightly sticky consistency which when applied directly to insect pests, breaks down the wax coating causing dehydration and death. A similar reaction is caused when applying to Red Mite eggs.

Red Mite blood suck from birds and if they are not controlled with a suitable insecticide, they can cause anaemia and even death in poultry.

Shake container thoroughly and dilute the whole contents of the 500ml bottle into 10L of water, ensuring the mixture is stirred well.

Red Mites live in the poultry housing 95 per cent of the time.

After they have had their fill of blood from the birds, they travel upwards into the poultry house and live and breed in the crevices and roof structure of the hut.

Where infestation exists, felt roofs should be lifted and the whole area thoroughly treated.

Continue treating the rest of the hut – thoroughly wetting the entire infested/affected area.

Do Not Rinse, allow the product to dry naturally.

Quick Turnaround: Poultry can be returned to the treated area once dry.

Barrier Red Mite X Concentrate is non-toxic and safe to use around feed areas, egg layers and

t mustn’t be forgotten that housing comes with its own set of challenges but a bit of forethought and by following a few simple steps, it can be made stress-free and simple.

Although roundworms typically cause disease while animals are at pasture, one cattle parasite, Ostertagia ostertagi, has taken things a step further. Having developed the ability to halt its development within the wall of the stomach during the winter months, this roundworm can cause severe disease when the ‘arrested’ larvae resume development I late winter and all emerge together. This ‘type II ostertagiosis’ can result in depressed cows with profuse, unresponsive diarrhoea. What’s more, there is no way to assess whether an animal is harbouring arrested larvae as they produce no eggs in the faeces. As last winter posed a high risk of type two ostertagiasis, it is wise for farmers to stay on top of their parasite prevention this winter.

Cooperia worms not only contribute to the severity of Ostertagia infections, making it an important player when it comes to parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE), but can cause significant damage in their own right. Larvae ingested in the later summer months can arrest development in a similar manner to Ostertagia.3 They can overwinter in a hibernated state to re-emerge following turn out to seed spring pasture with oocysts. By reducing intestinal roundworm burdens before housing, associated productivity losses can be avoided and spring pasture can also be better protected.

As winter housing looms, lungworm is another key parasite which warrants attention in the late summer/ autumn grazing period as it can have serious potential consequences for health and productivity. Following a similar lifecycle pattern to the other roundworms, the adult worms reside in the respiratory airways with infective larvae being coughed up and swallowed before passing out into the faeces. All cattle are at risk until they have encountered the disease and developed sufficient immunity to the parasite. Signs range from mild coughing to severe respiratory distress and even death, or there may be no obvious clinical signs at all. Negative effects on productivity can be marked.

Dosing stock with doramectin (DectomaxTM % Pour On for Cattle) four weeks before housing is an

I

foodstuffs.

Organic Farming Systems: This product falls into the exempt category of products which use only plant oils as active ingredients, as listed in Annexe IIB (Pesticides) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (as amended) and is therefore suitable for use in organic farming systems.

Our poultry range of products also includes Red Mite Concentrate, Red Mite Powder, Scaly Leg Spray and Anti-Pecking Spray for direct application to birds and poultry. Barrier V1 Concentrate Disinfectant (High Dilution 1:40 parts water). Fast turnaround where immediate access and re-stocking is necessary. Apply to all internal structures, walls, ceilings, floors and posts, manually through a knapsack sprayer or through a pressure washer, orchard sprayer or similar. Independently tested at 1:40 parts water against a wide range of organisms and has an effective kill rate against a wide range of bacteria including all types of Salmonella, E Coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Aspergillus.

Available from all Poultry Suppliers & Agricultrual Merchants.

32 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

effective way to provide protection against a variety of parasitic diseases. DectomaxTM prevents late season disease caused by lungworm and Cooperia,while allowing natural immunity to develop and is also active against the arrested larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi, giving protection against type II disease.

As well as overcoming internal parasites that have been picked up at pasture, housing is also the perfect time to get a handle on those parasites which flourish indoors. The mite, Chorioptes bovis can affect cattle towards the end of the winter housing period causing crusting and thickening of the skin, typically at the base of the tail but that spreads if left uncontrolled. The effects of lice in cattle should also not be taken lightly, causing intense irritation interrupting feeding patterns and resulting in significant production losses.

All five species of lice that affect cattle in the UK complete their entire lifecycle on the cow which means direct contact is required to enable spread from cow to cow – a situation perfectly presented by housing. DectomaxTM Pour-on Solution for Cattle 5 mg/ml is effective against all major species of mites and lice affecting cattle in the UK making sure these pesky parasites don’t take advantage of cattle being kept at close quarters.

In sheep, the highly contagious non-burrowing mite Psoroptes ovis can cause sheep scab, a severe skin disease leading to significant economic loss for farmers. Once present in a flock, the mite can move rapidly between animals and even sheep that are seemingly healthy are capable of spreading the disease, making housing the perfect opportunity for mites to run amok. The fact that there may be no obvious signs also makes buying-in stock a potentially risky venture, highlighting the value of a top-notch quarantine and treatment for incoming stock procedure to protect the flock. As well as being effective at treating sheep scab with a single injection, DectomaxTM 1% Injectable Solution for Sheep has lasting activity to prevent reinfestation with the mite which is vital due to its contagious nature.

So, to wave goodbye to their winter worries, producers should make sure that parasite prevention is high on their agenda when it comes to making the most of housing time.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Security

Cost of crime in the countryside rises to £44.5m High-value tractors stolen for export, a substantial rise in sheep rustling and opportunist thefts of garden tools and ornaments have helped push up the cost of rural crime to near record levels, according to NFU Mutual. he UK’s leading rural insurer’s annual Rural Crime Survey revealed the cost of crime to the rural economy totalled £44.5m in 2013 – up 5.2% on 2012 figures.

At an estimated £2.7 million, Cambridgeshire bore the greatest cost of any UK county while the East Midlands, Northern Ireland, East Anglia and the North East experienced the largest year-onyear increases (38%, 15%, 12% and 12% respectively).

T

To-date, NFU Mutual has invested more than £400,000 funding police specialist units to coordinate activity on agricultural vehicle crime.

The cost of livestock theft rose 25% across the UK, making 2013 one on the worst years on record.

Northern Ireland, currently suffering an spate of cattle and sheep rustling was the most seriously-affected part of the UK. Large-scale sheep rustling in the

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

North West and North East of England led to the cost of livestock theft claims increasing by 68% and 52% respectively.

Another new crime trend identified in the survey is the theft of chemicals, such as fertilisers and pesticides, which can be taken in small or large volumes and exported quickly and easily. In one example, close to £20,000 worth of chemicals was taken in one raid alone.

The Mutual surveyed its network of more than 300 local offices throughout rural areas of the UK to identify current trends.

According to the survey, the most commonly targeted items in the last twelve months have been fuel – such as domestic heating oil and farmers’ supplies of ‘red’ diesel – tools and quad bikes.

More than half of staff interviewed from local NFU Mutual offices as part of the study also said they’d seen customers suffer repeat crimes or had high-value items stolen.

Commenting on rural crime, Matthew Scott, Chief Claims Manager at NFU Mutual, said: “After a welcome fall, we’re

starting to see the cost of crime in the countryside creep up towards its 2011 peak. Much of this increase is from tractors – often worth up to £80,000 – being targeted by organised criminal gangs. These machines are not only valuable, but they are also essential to running a farm and are sorely missed.

“But criminals are not just cold and calculated; they’re opportunist too. That’s why it’s important to stay vigilant and fight rural crime.

“We’ve already seen that by working with the police forces and manufacturers, tractor theft and organised rural crime can be tackled head-on. We’re also working with community groups and watch schemes to safeguard their local neighbourhoods and make life more difficult for rural thieves.”

To-date, NFU Mutual has invested more than £400,000 funding police specialist units to coordinate activity on agricultural vehicle crime.

The Mutual also organises the Country Crime Fighters Awards, a nationwide competition to support and encourage examples of crime

prevention taking place in the countryside.

For more information visit www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralcrime Top 10 items targeted by thieves 1. Tools 2. ATVs/Quad bikes 3. Oil/Diesel 4. Machinery 5. Garden equipment 6. Livestock 7. Tractors 8. Trailers 9. Vehicles 10. Equestrian equipment Top 10 UK counties by estimated cost of rural crime 1. Cambridgeshire (£2.7m) 2. Lincolnshire (£2.3m) 3. Essex (£2.1m) 4. Kent (£1.8m) 5. Lancashire (£1.8m) 6. Suffolk (£1.5m) 7. North Yorkshire (£1.5m) 8. Leicestershire (£1.3m) 9. Co. Antrim (£1.2m) 10. Somerset (£1.2m)

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 33

| Security

Livestock and livelihood: essential rural security With rural crime on the rise, farming communities across the UK are finding themselves under increased pressure to implement effective security measures to protect their machinery, livestock and tools, writes Amanda Caton of the British Security Industry Association, the trade body representing the UK’s security sector. rime against the agricultural sector is on the rise, a worrying trend highlighted by NFU Mutual’s most recent Rural Crime Survey, which was published this summer and revealed that theft alone cost rural businesses an estimated £44.5 million in 2013, a 5.2% rise on the previous year.

Trends highlighted by the survey reveal a number of crimes are on the increase: theft of livestock rose by 25% across the UK, making 2013 one of the worst years on record, while the theft of lower value tractors – often not fitted with high-tech security systems – is also on the rise. Chemicals and fuel are also among the items most commonly targeted by thieves.

Despite the continued financial challenges facing the UK’s farming community, making an investment in security has become essential for agricultural businesses across the UK as they aim to reduce the risk of theft and vandalism.

Security needn’t be a grudge purchase, however, and many rural businesses find that making a small investment in the right security measures can help reduce their exposure to financial loss through crime.

Protecting the perimeter The sprawling nature of many farms and agricultural centres makes them an easy target for criminals. Remote barns, secluded haylofts and numerous outbuildings mean that farms offer plenty of hiding places for would-be thieves. With plenty of entry and exit points, farms are often difficult to secure – particularly at night, when items can be hundreds of miles away before their theft is even noticed the following day.

That said, implementing simple security measures can help reduce the chances of farms falling victim to agricultural crime and, contrary to popular opinion, can be achieved on a restricted budget.

Making it difficult for intruders to penetrate the outer perimeter of a farm is an essential starting point for any security strategy. Physical solutions such as fencing, bollards, doors and locks are a great place to start when securing the perimeter of a site. Sturdy measures are a deterrent to intruders and can be further reinforced through use of technology, for example, by mounting fence vibration detectors that trigger an alert in the security control room, with automatically directed camera observation of the area often used to track intruders' movements and alert farm management at the earliest opportunity.

Although in some cases security fencing may seem oppressive, modern systems can now be designed to blend into their surroundings. Combining strength to maintain the level of deterrent, without ruining the ambience of its setting, an important factor for physical security deployed in the rural environment. Of course, modern security measures can be almost undetectable, as one recent example demonstrates.

Antony Lindlay is an arable farmer with a 500-acre farm in north Lincolnshire, who woke up one morning to find that thieves had broken

C

into his farm buildings and used his lorry to steal thousands of pounds worth of goods ranging from quad bikes, sprayers and power tools to lamps and tillage equipment.

Recognising the need for a security solution, Antony took expert advice and installed infrared intrusion detection technology across his farm, providing an ‘invisible curtain’ across areas as large as 200m.

Now, should an intruder try to break into a farm building, the perimeter security system – in this case, provided by Berkshire-based BSIA member company, OPTEX Europe – detects them and sends an immediate alert to the farmer, enabling him to monitor what is happening on his farm regardless of the time and wherever he is. An additional benefit of the system is that it can be set up to ignore wildlife, so it is not triggered by foxes or other nocturnal animals.

Ricky Miwa, Managing Director of OPTEX Europe, says: “Very often, assumptions are made that crime does not happen in peaceful rural places, but it is happening on a much larger scale than many people know about. It is costing farmers millions of pounds.

“In many cases the crime is committed by gangs that move across the country and target farms in isolated areas. One way of increasing security on farmland is to use an intrusion detection system.”

Machinery Farms are also home to an array of valuable equipment, plant and machinery, which, due to the nature of its use, is often kept outdoors in ineffectively protected compounds. Moreover, the prevalent single-key operating system of many older models makes many items of machinery relatively easy to start up and drive away. Easy to steal, difficult to identify and often left unattended for long periods of time; it's easy to see why valuable machinery is an everpopular target for thieves.

Though the true cost of plant theft in the UK is unclear, the most recent estimate stands at around £1.5 million per week, with mini-diggers alone producing an estimated annual loss of around £20 million. In stark contrast, the recovery rate for stolen plant is surprisingly low when compared to those of other vehicles.

There are a number of factors that contribute to these figures, not least the fact that the prevalent single-key operating system makes many items of machinery relatively easy to start up and drive away. In addition to this, unlike other vehicles such as cars and vans, plant and machinery is not easily identifiable from a distance. As a result, the market for secondhand equipment – fuelled by the ever-growing online marketplace – assists criminals who can use the lack of checks and the anonymity this affords to their advantage. In addition, plant theft is an increasingly international crime, with highly organised criminals often stealing to order and transporting stolen plant to international destinations within days.

Closer to home, stolen plant and farmyard machinery is increasingly being caught up in the wider web of organised crime, being used

34 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

as a means to break into buildings to commit robberies, or to rip ATM machines straight from the walls of banks and supermarkets, often under cover of darkness, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds in a single attack. Stolen cash from robberies like these often funds wider illegal activity, such as drugs and firearms.

As such, it is imperative that farm owners do everything within their power to ensure that this valuable machinery is more difficult to steal, and, if it does go missing, is easier to trace and return.

One of the most cost-effective ways of ensuring costly machinery is easily identifiable is through forensic property marking. This includes use of microdots and forensic solutions based on the principles of our own DNA. Such solutions are invisible to the naked eye and are applied to the intricate areas of machinery, which thieves would have to entirely remove to be confident of disguising the machine's true identity. Working in a similar way to our own DNA, property marking solutions use unique codes to link an item directly to its owner. Just a small amount of 'taggant' or dye can be applied to machinery and can be used to prove ownership should a theft occur.

Property marking technology is flexible enough to be used not just on machinery, but on a range of objects and applications.

Recently, police in Chorley, Lancashire, offered horse riders the chance to get their equestrian equipment security marked in a bid to protect it from thieves.

Using SelectaDNA, produced by BSIA member company, Selectamark, police attended local stables and horse shows across the region in a scheme funded by Lancashire Parnership Against Crime, to mark tack and equipment with a transferable liquid able to link an offender to the crime scene should a theft take place.

PCSO Maria Fetherstone commented: “Marking property with these kits acts as a great deterrent as it increases the chances of us catching an offender. It also allows us to identify stolen property, making it easier to return it to its owner in the event of theft.”

Meanwhile, in Derbyshire, the launch of a new Farm Watch scheme saw all farmers who signed up to the scheme provided with a free SmartWater forensic marking kit to mark up their valuables, along with a Farm Watch sign for their property and several crime prevention guides.

Choose wisely As scientific and technological developments make technology more readily available to all industries, the implementation of basic security measures is now a must for agricultural businesses keen to protect themselves against losses, theft and damage in a challenging economic climate. For those eager for more information on security measures, the BSIA is an ideal starting point. Visit www.bsia.co.uk to find your nearest BSIA member.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Security

Rural theft needs to be stopped New active Infrared Security Systems can help.

T

heft from farms and the countryside amount to over £42 million, with the most commonly targeted items being tools, quad bikes and fuel. It is a crime that is affecting farmers across

the UK. “Very often assumptions are made that crime does not happen in peaceful rural places, but it is happening on a much larger scale than many people know about.”

Antony Lindlay is an arable farmer with a 500-acre farm in north Lincolnshire, who woke up one morning to find that thieves had broken into his farm buildings and used his lorry to steal thousands of pounds worth of goods ranging from quad bikes, sprayers and power tools to lamps and tillage equipment. He needed a solution quickly, so approached

Advance Security Solutions who in turn recommended OPTEX intrusion detection technology.

Mark Davies, Managing Director, Advance Security Solutions, says there was no time to lose, and because they have been installing OPTEX Smart Line wireless infrared beam systems on large sites across the country, he knew that it would meet the brief: “It is tremendous for anyone who wants security over a large area of land – peace of mind is worth a fortune and that is what an OPTEX Smart Line system gives you,” he says. “As soon as an intruder tries to break into a farm building, the OPTEX perimeter security system detects him and sends an immediate alert to the farmer.

“The OPTEX Smart Line Quad beams provide a very reliable intruder detection solution, that enables the farmer to monitor what is happening on his farm regardless of the time and wherever he is. It means that the farmer and his family can sleep

peacefully at night knowing that his farm is protected.”

Additionally the system can be set up to ignore wildlife, so it is not triggered by foxes or other nocturnal animals.

Ricky Miwa, Managing Director of OPTEX Europe says sadly over the past decade, rural crime has increased: “Very often assumptions are made that crime does not happen in peaceful rural places, but it is happening on a much larger scale than many people know about. It is costing farmers millions of pounds.

“In many cases the crime is committed by gangs that move across the country and target

farms in isolated areas. One way of increasing security on farmland is to use an intrusion detection system. The Smart Line Quad IR beam technology lends itself perfectly to this application, by providing an ‘invisible curtain’ across areas as large as 100m for the wireless models or 200m for the wired ones.”

Easy and cost-effective to install, the wireless Smart Line perimeter security systems use batteries with a lifespan of up to eight years. As soon as an intruder attempts to break through the security curtain, the farmer is alerted.

BSIA Security Professionals “The hallmark of quality and professional security” Security Systems

CCTV Protector Group Ltd Protector House, Station Approach, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0ZF Tel: 0191 495 8240 info@protectorsecurity.co.uk www.protectorsecurity.co.uk

Wavestore Ltd 11 Hayes Metro Centre, Springfield Road, Hayes, London UB4 0LE Tel: 0208 756 5480 info@wavestore.com www.wavestore.com

Protector Group Ltd Protector House, Station Approach, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0ZF Tel: 0191 495 8240 info@protectorsecurity.co.uk www.protectorsecurity.co.uk

Wavestore Ltd 11 Hayes Metro Centre, Springfield Road, Hayes, London UB4 0LE Tel: 0208 756 5480 info@wavestore.com www.wavestore.com

The British Security Industry Association is the trade association for the private security industry in the UK. Our members provide over 70% of UK security products and services and adhere to strict quality standards. www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 35

| Security

Tackle agri-crime with GBSG Levels of crime in the countryside have recently been the focus of much debate following the release of the NFU’s Mutual Annual Rural Crime Survey. Nationally, rural crime totalled £44.5 million in 2013 – a rise of 5.2%. rganised criminal gangs are targeting high value machinery, tools, metal and livestock, which means that security is an issue which needs to be taken seriously and that investment in a future proof security system is seen as playing an essential role in business continuity.

A well-planned farm security system can stop losses and

O

minimise disruption through vandalism, accidents or criminal attacks as well as streamline site management.

One such company that it working with farmers and land owners are security specialists GBSG. Operating from their head office in Donington, Lincolnshire, this UKwide security provider understand how the farming and horticultural sectors operate and from an indepth audit and consultation, will

create a unique solution that’s cost effective, easy to use and simple to maintain.

Neil Jackson, Director comments: “Farmers come to us because they are serious about cutting crime.

Theft of valuable equipment means that they may miss out on lucrative orders, as even half a day’s tool down time can have a massive business impact on satisfying customer orders.

There are many ways that we look

to cut theft. For example, the site might lend itself to a movement detection farm CCTV system that’s remotely monitored by our approved NSI gold standard monitoring station, or you may be looking to tighten up your traffic access on and off site, which can be streamlined through access control operated by automatic vehicle identification and farm security gates.”

Taking Pride in security Pride GB has a desire to raise the bar. eeting deadlines, creating economic results and enhancing client communications in order to achieve a cooperative problem solving atmosphere is our strength. We provide you the best, keeping you and your property safe. Management and staff experience within the industry has enabled us to create an accurate forward plan to advise on realistic costs, times and procedures.

Management at Pride GB can identify what their clients require to be done, this can be applied swiftly.

Pride GB Security Services Limited is a manned security services company, we have been established since 2009 and specialise in providing static security officers, mobile patrol officers, key holding services, an alarm response service and security dogs and handler teams. Pride GB are a fully accredited and an ISO 9001 quality managed company, we hold a number of accreditations which allow us to provide a

M

36 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

better service by outlining guidelines and enhancing our skills.

Why we are going in to the agricultural market: In 2013 criminals cost farmers in the UK a total of £44.5 million, with cattle theft up by 25% and 80,000 pieces of plant and farm machinery being stolen as well as fuel theft on the rise. We believe that Pride GB can benefit the farming community with the services that we provide because we understand there is a growing problem with criminality in rural areas. We have extensive experience, knowhow, and the technology that has helped us secure convictions. We believe our services can help to minimise any potential threats to your business and assets.

“

Since Pride GB Security Services have been in charge of looking after the site on an evening I feel more secure that my business is being properly protected.

Ian Clifton of SRT.

”

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

Better cattle housing for productivity Farm buildings can have a big impact on the performance of livestock, and importantly for farmers, the bottom line financially, so it is important to get livestock housing correct. ood cattle housing makes stockmanship easier, encourages optimum livestock performance and plays a very important part in ensuring good disease control, so, as stock comes in this winter, farmers are being encouraged to take a fresh look at their buildings to see where improvements can be made.

EBLEX housing specialist, Dr Phil

G

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Hadley, said: "Even small changes can deliver big benefits. Building improvement does not necessarily require large capital investment or major re-organisation – often just a bit of thought and a few minor adjustments will make a positive difference."

Some key areas to look at include: • Floors and bedding – is the drainage & bedding adequate to keep floors dry throughout winter?

• Feeding – is feed wasted due to poor trough or barrier design?

• Grouping – are groups matched in terms of sex and size?

• Handling facilities – are these adequate for safe and easy handling of all categories of stock?

• Capacity – is there sufficient capacity to meet routine needs and to deal with crises such as infections?

Improving existing buildings, or designing new builds to best standards, has a lasting and positive impact on animal health and productivity. Consequently this has a beneficial effect on farm viability and economic growth through: • Reduced disease cost and improved animal welfare and performance • Improved efficiency of labour (time) and inputs (bedding, feed etc) • Improved sustainability and competitiveness in the market • Better and safer environment for staff to work in Farmers should insist that any new livestock building is designed specifically for livestock and not as a general purpose building, as these often have an insufficient ridge opening to ensure effective ventilation.

Putting up new housing represents a significant investment, but often, older buildings can perform just as well as long as a few basic principles are observed. Some relatively minor tweaks can soon bring them up to scratch.

When considering your buildings, ask the following questions: • Do they meet my needs in terms of stock numbers and the size of animals that will be living in them?

• Can the animals be kept in manageable groups of similar size,

sex and age?

• Is access to feed and water adequate?

• Do the handling facilities allow stock to be handled safely?

• Is the ventilation in the building adequate?

Poor air movement can lead to respiratory disease in cattle, so good ventilation is critical. Ideally there should be ample inlets for fresh air at the eaves, and a wide ridge outlet at the top to allow stale air to escape.

"Even small changes can deliver big benefits” Building ventilation can be tested using a smoke pellet available from builders’ merchants and used by plumbers to test chimneys. These give off cold, dense smoke and demonstrate how air moves within a building.

• If smoke clears completely within two to three minutes and does not linger in any corners – the ventilation is good.

• If smoke lingers anywhere in a building it means that ventilation is poor, allowing pathogens to lurk within. Look at the options for improving the exhaust of stale air such as removing roof ridges. Take care when working on a roof.

Cattle with light respiratory infections often show no obvious symptoms, but suffer reduced daily liveweight gain.

See the EBLEX Beef Better Returns Manual 6 ‘Improve beef housing for Better Returns’ or BRP+ document on Better Cattle Housing Design for more information on how to assess your buildings at www.eblex.org.uk/returns

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Buildings

Farmlite rooflights are cream of the crop at new Somerset dairy farm building At a new-build dairy farm expansion in Martock, Somerset, over 1,500m2 of Farmlite GRP rooflights from Brett Martin Daylight Systems have been installed to improve internal living conditions and provide long term, high quality natural light for up to 800 cows. esigned and fabricated by AJ Lowther & Son, the 9,850m2 steel framed building has been built as part of the expansion of the 1,100 acre Witcombe Farm site. With the existing farm buildings over 40 years old and renovation not a feasible solution, the owner required a new-build dairy unit that would meet stringent animal welfare and environmental regulations.

As part of the design, it was essential to bring as much diffused natural light into the building as possible. Working closely with the client, AJ Lowther investigated a variety of options before selecting Farmlite GRP rooflights which are guaranteed to offer the best long term performance in terms of structural durability and light transmission.

Installed uniformly across the roof area in a Big 6 profile to complement the Marley Eternit Profile 6 roof sheets, the Farmlite

D

GRP rooflights will provide an even distribution of quality natural light throughout the building for in excess of 25 years. A significantly longer period of time than is commonplace for rooflights typically found in the agricultural sector.

“I tend to work on the basis of ‘what would I do if it was my building’ and the answer was ‘I would fit Farmlite’,” said Antony Lowther, MD of AJ Lowther & Son. “So, as a client who wanted a building that gave them best value for money, when we put the case for spending a bit more on the rooflights to get a long term overall benefit, the client went for Farmlite.”

Utilising Brett Martin’s 50 years of experience in the design and manufacture of GRP rooflights, each Farmlite GRP rooflight sheet comes with dual action UV surface protection and specially formulated UV resistant resins as standard, so the long term effects

38 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

of weathering are greatly reduced and as a result the rooflights stay stronger and clearer for longer.

By maintaining their natural translucency, Farmlite rooflights provide free, quality natural light which is proven to encourage healthier, more disease-resistant livestock. They also ensure improved conditions for farm workers and can contribute to energy savings by helping reduce the consumption of electric light in

the farm building when used in combination with lighting control systems.

With the entire floor area set to benefit from a wealth of high quality natural light for many years to come, Brett Martin continues to make a positive contribution towards improving daylighting levels and meeting the strictest environmental regulations at farm buildings across the UK and Ireland.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

Concrete panel systems provide protection & security for your livestock & grain stores The modern farm is defined by efficiency and output. High levels of performance cannot be obtained if basic threats are not dealt with adequately. lthough today’s farms are different to the traditional farms of the past, the same basic threats remain; damage from the elements and protecting your land from any unwanted visitors – animal or human.

While the problems may be as old as time, the solutions are most definitely modern. Nowadays, farm buildings are constructed to robustly stand up to the erratic and increasing potency of British weather. In addition, their strength and construction make concrete panels an ideal solution for security. Concrete Panel Systems (CPS) provides walling products that are durable and cost effective.

All CPS pre-stressed panels and blocks are CE rated & marked for quality. This is in response to regulations introduced on 01 July 2013 for concrete and 01 July 2014 for steelwork, which stated all manufacturers of construction products, must conform to a European Standard with their

A

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

products and for all new structural steelwork to comply with EU regulations.

CPS Concrete products are versatile. Arable and livestock farmers can benefit from their many and varied uses. Panels allow farmers to quickly build walls for Cattle sheds, Milking Parlours, Stables, Grain Stores, Silage Clamps, Slurry Stores to name a few. Concrete Panels are a stronger, quicker and more efficient way to build a wall.

CPS’ products are designed to repel the elements and ensure that grain and livestock are kept in optimum condition. The concrete panels used by CPS in farm buildings come in one metre and half metre increments and can be stacked to create the desired height of wall. Panels can be easily pressure washed and scrubbed down to keep work areas clean.

The construction of Graham Heath Constructions’ farm buildings demonstrates how weather protection and durability

is one of the most fundamental and important features farmers should look for when updating their buildings or purchasing a new one. With the recent harvest meaning that grain stores are likely to be full and cold weather will soon be on the way, now is the time for both arable and livestock farmers to ensure their operation is up to scratch by evaluating the protection of their buildings.

CPS and their parent company Graham Heath Construction

(GHC) – is an obvious choice for anyone looking for the highest level of protection for their farming assets.

The buildings they produce include the following and are all CE approved: • Grain Stores • Cattle Sheds • Sheep Sheds • Chicken Sheds • Straw Barns • Silage Clamps • General Purpose Buildings

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Buildings

Creature comforts - good for the bottom line Comfy cows are happy cows and they have lower vet bills, higher yields and get back in-calf more quickly. But how can you tell if your cow housing is really up to scratch and fulfilling your herd’s creature comfort needs? Check your lameness levels, says DairyCo. ood cow housing should not be underestimated, as giving the right stocking density, smooth cow flow and space contributes to reduced lameness levels. Together, these factors are a useful benchmark for judging overall cow comfort. Furthermore, it’s implicated in many other issues, from poor dry matter intakes and substandard fertility, to mastitis and low milk yields. “The quality of the housed environment has a major impact on dairy herd welfare, productivity and economic performance,” says DairyCo’s technical lameness specialist, Jo Speed. “Getting it right can have a positive impact on lameness levels in the herd and the bottom line.”

Jo suggests a combination of monthly mobility scoring and regular foot trimming to produce accurate lameness records, which can then be analysed with the vet and foot trimmer to identify the most common type of lesions.

“Basically, white line disease, abscesses or sole ulcers result from forces on cows’ feet.

Whereas, if you see the bulk of lesions from infection pressure in the system – such as digital dermatitis, foul or heel erosion – it’s a case of dirty passageways, slurry pooling and your foot bathing regime,” she explains. By identifying your key problems and then the risk area, this gives you priorities to focus your lameness prevention programme around, rather than a scatter gun approach.

G

Housing should provide a comfortable, welldrained lying area and shelter from adverse weather, as a minimum. Yet cows also need space to allow freedom of movement and to display natural behaviours such as lunging and loafing, with access to food and water.

Jo feels the starting point should always be a review of cow behaviour: it’s the best guide to what’s wrong. For instance, cows are highly social animals – they really do like to lie down, loaf and eat, together. “But lame cows won’t get up to eat and drink with the rest of the herd – they don’t want to be jostled and will wait until all the other cows have left the feed fence or water trough. Cows need space to behave normally, with subordinate cows able to get away from dominant or bully cows, so, for example, in a collecting yard cows should have sufficient space to walk into the parlour from the back of the yard if they choose.

Creating the right environment for a ‘life worth living’ means considering both the physical and behavioural needs of the cow and it needn’t cost a fortune. DairyCo’s ‘Dairy housing – a best practice guide’ not only contains the latest guidelines for housing modern cows, it has cost-effective tips to rectify problem areas. Simple jobs, such as grooving concrete or moving a head rail can make a big difference to cow comfort, without a great capital outlay,” says Jo. Alongside cubicle and loose yard

40 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

dimensions, the guide contains data for ventilation and lighting requirements, as well as up-to-date feeding, handling and slurry guidelines.

Dairy housing A best practice guide Find out how much space your cows actually need by measuring chest girth and diagonal body length (don’t forget lunging space as well for cubicle design assessment). Compare this to the tables in ‘Dairy housing’ The target is for cows to lie down for 14 hours a day. This keeps feet clean and dry and combined with regular foot bathing, is more effective in controlling infection If a cow takes longer than 60 seconds to get up, this indicates she may have a problem Better traction on slippery floors can be provided by grooving Good lighting Avoid tight turns and dead ends Avoid projections which can cause injury: from bolts to old hinges or posts Poorly designed feed fences can also increase the rate of wear on the heel of the sole, not the toe area, so you get overgrown toes, so check barrier dimensions to ensure dry matter intake isn’t being suppressed by a poorly designed system.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

BPEX’s Finisher Pig Buildings Design and Build Blueprint now available More commonly referred to as the ‘BPEX Buildings Folder’, the Blueprint is now available to order. he folder is BPEX’s comprehensive guide to new building construction and offers producers everything the need to know in order to plan, design and build a new finishing house.

The guide’s nine chapters cover building designs, focusing on both solid and slatted floor options, it also focuses on slurry pit construction, feeding system options, ventilation systems and renewable energy opportunities.

The finance chapter, informs producers on all of the funding options available, including mortgage possibilities, leasing, hire purchase and various guarantee schemes.

The folder also provides detailed information on planning,

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

environmental compliance, management, nutrition, veterinary health and assurance.

“We’ve received huge demand for this folder,” comments Nigel Penlington, BPEX’s Environment Programme Manager. “This interest is really encouraging because it demonstrates that in spite of all of the other financial pressures faced by producers, the construction of new buildings remains a priority.” Nigel adds that it’s heartening to see that producers clearly recognise the ultimate value in investing in new, potentially more efficient structures.

The Finisher Pig Buildings Design and Build Blueprint, is free to order and can be obtained by contacting: kt@bpex.ahdb.org.uk

SMP Concrete Products Ltd continue to make advances With their latest product the “sand kerb”, SMP are making their mark in the agricultural precast market.

MP Concrete Products Ltd have come a long way in the Agri Precast Industry since establishing in 2001 with their unique portable cubicle bed system, whereby the entire cubicle steelwork, either for the portable cubicle or adjustable cubicle system, can be easily installed and also removed from the concrete bed with minimal effort, which now holds UK, Irish and European patents.

Over the past number of years the product range has increased to include cattle slats, slurry channels, feed troughs, and blocks, double-sided feed troughs and also cattle drinkers – ranging in size from 20 Gallon, right through to 400 Gallon, all rapid empty with rubber / silicone bungs.

SMP Concrete Products Ltd continue to make further advances

S

in the agricultural precast market with the launch of their latest product, the sand kerb, which is designed to create a cubicle ‘heelstone‘ behind which sand can be placed to bed the cow. The kerb is uniquely shaped to reduce the risk of the animal pushing forward whilst lying in the bed, while also maintaining minimum sand spillage from the bed. The kerb is easily fitted to an existing concrete floor or foundation by simply bedding it with sand or mortar and bolting down through the recessed holes in the kerb.

For more information on all our products please call 02837549595, or visit our website at www.smpconcrete.co.uk or email accounts@smpconcrete.co.uk.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Diet Feeders

New additions to Hi-Spec Vertical Feeder range Hi-Spec Engineering Co Ltd provide one of the widest ranges of Vertical Auger and paddle type feeder ranges on the market. For 2014, Hi-Spec has both expanded its range of Vertical Auger feeders and also developed a new mixing auger for improved mix performance. ased in Ireland, Hi-Spec Engineering specialise in the manufacture of machinery for the livestock market, in particular auger and paddle type diet feeders and an extensive range of vacuum tankers and manure spreaders.

A particular feature of Hi-Spec machinery is the wide range of options available, enabling the company to effectively tailor a machine to a customer’s specific needs. This is especially the case with diet feeders, where Hi-Spec offer one of the widest range of feed-out options available of any machine on the market, ensuring that there is an option to suit all types of building and feeding system.

Vertical Auger feeder developments The Hi-Spec range of Vertical Auger Feeders use a single central or twin mixing and chopping augers that are designed to provide an even, consistent mix in the shortest possible time. A particular feature of the Hi-Spec

B

Vertical Auger feeder is its ability to quickly and easily chop and mix complete silage and straw bales, giving the user complete flexibility as to the feedstock used within the diet mix.

The latest range of vertical auger diet feeders feature a new design of auger that offers even greater mix performance. To achieve this, the pitch on the new design of auger has been reduced and is fitted with eight selfsharpening knives, one of which runs close to the body of the Vertical Feeder. This ensures that once the mix is drawn up by the auger, as it falls back down the side it continues to be chopped and mixed, ensuring a quick and thorough mix can be consistently achieved.

This is especially important where bales are being used within the mix and ensures that the bale contents can be quickly and evenly incorporated into the mix in the least possible time and with minimum power input.

Hi-Spec Vertical Feeders are available in a wide range of sizes

42 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

and an extensive range of options are available. Recent additions to the standard range of single and Twin auger machines, include a new single auger 7 cubic metre capacity machine, the V7, for smaller livestock producers, whilst in the twin auger range there is also now the option of new 18 and 27 cubic metre models, the V18 and V27.

Variable Height Discharge conveyor A key feature of the Hi-Spec Vertical Auger range is the ease with which the feeder is able to handle both clamp, but more importantly baled silage or straw, and is able to quickly and efficiently break up and thoroughly mix the ration, so keeping mixing time to a minimum, hence reducing costs.

The VHD conveyor is compact and provides the user with complete flexibility when it comes to feeding out and is ideal in a system where forage is maybe being fed over feed barriers of differing height or even into feed rings.

The VHD conveyor comprises of a modular conveyor belt and elevator, which can be extended out either side of the feeder by up to 26cm, making it ideal for central feed passages where turning round is difficult.

Using the integrated elevator on either end of the conveyor, depending on wheel equipment the discharge height can be varied from as little as 0.9 metres at maximum reach, up to 1.5 metres so enabling the mix to be easily and accurately fed out over railings or even into feed rings.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Diet Feeders Kubota RTV400Ci

Latest innovation from the feeder bedder specialists Teagle Machinery’s focus on specialist feeding and bedding solutions has resulted in their latest innovation; a hydraulically driven straw bedder that attaches to a Telehandler. ver recent years the increasing popularity of Telehanders on farms in the UK has encouraged a number of farmers to look for more ways to utilise the convenience of a Telehandler and make use of the flexibility that it can offer.

One such task is bedding livestock, with which the benefits offered by mechanical bedders such as the Tomahawk has long been associated; saving time, reducing straw requirements, keeping livestock cleaner, as well as overcoming the need to enter the pen.

Efficiently bedding livestock with straw presents a number of challenges that have been addressed in the design of the Telehawk and includes: • Being able to reliably process both round and rectangular bales of straw • Spread material in any direction around the machine in order to access even the most difficult pens • Thoroughly teasing a bale apart and bruising the straw to improve absorbency and comfort, without compromising the structure of the straw and the bed it creates • Straightforward loading of bales • Requiring lift capacity and hydraulic flow no greater than that offered by a typical agricultural Telehandler.

The new Teagle Telehawk meets all of these

O

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

requirements, and through the application of innovative electronic and hydraulic controls to gently tease the bale apart using a low speed crossbeater, leaves the operator free to control the straw placement via a slimline control desk that uses Bluetooth technology to communicate from cab to machine.

Handler requirements – minimum 2.8t, 60 lit/min flow @ 160 bar – various handler attachments available.

For further information please contact the Teagle Sales Desk on 01872 560592, or visit www.teagle.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Diet Feeders

Keenan “Mixermania” sale Rekord Combi-Feeder August & September are the months when Keenan traditionally hold their popular “Mixermania” sale.

Hurley farmer (and co-creator) Chris Wathes tells us why this machine is so good.

ith a wide range of quality second hand and refurbished mixer wagons for sale, both Keenan and non –Keenan, the “Mixermania” sale provides an excellent opportunity for farmers to choose a machine to suit their specific livestock feeding needs.

hris Wathes is a farmer who knows what he wants – and if it's not available, he's not above making it.

Farming around 550 acres out of Hurley, Warwickshire – Chris's operation is predominantly beef, around 100 head – though this was 200 head before he went into “semi-retirement” as he puts it (though I don't think he's near ready to put his feet up yet!)

Having modified other bits of kit to suit his particular needs, Chris is no stranger to the “ATeam” school of thought. A self adapted silage pusher built from an old snow plough and other bits and bobs is testament to that. Having single cattle sheds rather than an “ally” meant he needed something unavailable to buy – and this attachment now meets his needs perfectly.

Make a note Hareland!

So when Chris decided that his Parmiter silage feeder wasn't exactly fitting the bill (even though he had tinkered with this too)...he got to thinking. What improvements could be made to

W

“I would urge anyone considering buying a second hand Keenan not to hesitate.”

With competitive finance available on all the machines through Keenan Finance, and prices ranging from £4,000 upwards, there are mixer wagons to suit everyone’s pocket. Options include the chance to take delivery now, with no payment required until January 2015.

Packages can be “tailor-made” to suit the individual farm, ranging from repayment schedules to deferred payments. Keenan UK Manager Noel Keenan says” We are very happy to individually discuss the most suitable package for the farmer at point of sale.”

In addition, from August 1st, all factory re-furbished Keenan machines and selected second hand machines will come complete with a multi awardwinning PACE Connect technology and a 90 day inTouch starter pack.

Lincolnshire beef finisher, Richard Reams bought a second hand K170 Bale Handler earlier this year, and is “delighted” with the machine. “We had barley poisoning problems in the past, but now the cattle eat a little bit of everything. It’s been wonderful”.

Richard has also reduced his silage use by 50%, is seeing no feed wastage and the cattle are” noticeably more content” Richard says “I would urge anyone considering buying a second-hand Keenan not to hesitate. Just go for it, as it’s an affordable option which has not only improved my bottom line, but has also improved the health and welfare of my cattle.”

For further information about the Mixermania Sale and a list of machines for sale please contact Keenan on 0800 587 3296, or request a catalogue on www.keenansystem.com

44 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

C

meet his needs?

Enter Ray Green at Rekord Machinery, a friend and willing accomplice in the creation of what is now the Rekord CombiFeeder, a machine so good and built so well that Chris still uses the first machine that was made - even today!

Chris described his dilemma, “The Parmiter was doing the job but I felt it could have been done better. When it comes to silage feeders you've got ones that handle round bales, some square – other machines chop it and blow it...I didn't want that. I wanted a solid, reliable machine that would handle round or square bales and clamp silage with no chopping and no fuss”.

“I also wanted the machine to be able to handle the misshapen or collapsed bales at the bottom of the stack – not just the perfectly round ones from the top – the Combi-Feeder does it all”.

For more information on the Combi-Feeder contact Ray at Rekord on 01827 712424 or email ray@rekord.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Diet Feeders

Improved data transfer from Kuhn diet feeders Kuhn Farm Machinery has updated and extended its range of electronic weighing and data management systems for use with its Euromix and Profile diet feeders, and will be demonstrating the new feed tracking systems at this year’s inaugural UK Dairy Day event at the International Centre in Telford on Wednesday 17th September. uhn’s KDW 340 and KDW 360 programmable weighing and feed tracking systems offer increased feeding precision and daily ration recording, with both units being retro-fittable to a range of Kuhn diet feeders. The KDW 340 and 360 units use three load cells (one on the drawbar and two on the main chassis) to weigh the feeder wagon’s contents to the nearest 0.5kg, and can store up to 200 ingredients (equivalent to 25 rations with 8 ingredients per ration).

K

“The ability to accurately weigh out precise rations is key to efficient and profitable milk production,” Both versions can automatically recalculate the required amount of each ingredient as the number of animals or load size changes, and feature backlit, six-figure digital displays with 43mm characters which can easily be seen from a

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

distance in sunny or dark conditions.

The KDW 360 also enables data from the mixer wagon to be transferred to the farm’s main computer via a USB flash drive.

The KDW 340 and KDW 360 can be powered by an ancillary battery which is mounted onto the diet feeder, thereby making the weighing system a totally selfcontained system which can still be used even when the mixer wagon is unhitched from a tractor.

The KDW feed tracking systems can also be used in conjunction with Kuhn’s KDR 300 and KDR 400 wireless display units. The KDR 300 (with a 90 metre wireless range) and KDR 400 (with a 300m wireless range) units feature six digit displays with 25mm characters and can be used as secondary cab-mounted displays, making it easier for the tractor driver to view the data being received from the machinemounted KDW unit.

The KDR units can be synchronised to work with up to 12 different feed wagons, with each

“The ability to accurately weigh out precise rations is key to efficient and profitable milk production,”

machine selected using a unique operating channel.

“The ability to accurately weigh out precise rations is key to efficient and profitable milk production,” explains Duncan McLeish, UK Sales Manager for Kuhn Farm Machinery. “The KDW weighing systems enable rations to be blended to an accuracy of 0.5kg, with the KDW 360’s data transfer system making it easy to share dietary information with key consultants such as the farm vet or

nutritionist.

“The KDW units also make it a quick and simple process to calculate the cost and dry matter content of each ration, with their ability to communicate with multiple mixer wagons making them perfectly suited to larger dairy units. And the new KDR displays now make it easier than ever to view live and stored data from the comfort of the tractor cab.”

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 45

| Machinery

Make a ‘B’ line for Kubota’s new compact Tractor and groundcare specialists Kubota UK has introduced the next generation of compact tractors with the launch of its new B50 Series. ubota's B50 Series - an improved and enhanced upgrade of the B30 - is designed to deliver outstanding performance, fuel economy and reliability. The B50 has an integrated cab option – Kubota’s Super B Cabin – including a fourpillar design with curved glass for more space, 360degree panoramic vision and an integrated defogger on the rear windscreen.

The B50 features a three-range HST transmission as standard and a new multi-stage notch type cruise control, for optimal working speed. Available in four models from 20HP to 31HP, each model boasts Kubota’s innovative hydraulic bi-speed turn function

K

that automatically activates when the front wheel turning angle exceeds 35 degrees, which ensures a smoother, faster and tighter turn for operators as well as reducing turf damage.

The new compact B50 range has been introduced as Kubota are constantly looking to add value to its product and service offering, undertaking extensive research with groundcare professionals to see where further product improvements can be made. The launch of the B50 highlights the commitment to delivering this to customers, with a host of new features that make this machine even better than the B30 model.

Some of the key enhancements on the B50 over its predecessor include changing from a four piece

46 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

to a stylish new one-piece bonnet, for quicker and simpler access to the engine for easier maintenance and allowing increased air flow through the cooling radiators.

The bi-speed turn function is also now standard on all models when previously it was only available on the HST machines. In addition, ground clearance has been increased and significant cab improvements have been made.

These include major changes like the new Super B cab for complete visibility, to more subtle ones such as moving the independent brake pedals to the left hand side to improve safety and operator control and using a single piece door for easier entry and exit.

The B50 compact tractor series comes with hydraulic power

steering for ease of use, air conditioning (Cab version only) and a simple to read LCD digital panel (cab version only), displaying vital information like fuel usage, engine temperature, hours of use and RPM. Ergonomically designed to maximise operator comfort, the machine also features a hydraulic independent PTO system for outstanding productivity and performance when carrying out a multitude of tasks from mowing right through to front loader and trailer work.

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions for the groundcare and agriculture sectors visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tillage

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 47

| Machinery

Expanded versatile ELIOS range Originally introduced in 2009, in the UK the ELIOS has proved the ideal tractor for those needing a compact, lightweight but powerful tractor for jobs as diverse as working in poly tunnels on fruit farms, as a general yard tractor on livestock farms or for grounds maintenance at sports clubs. new generation of ELIOS tractors has now been introduced, but whereas the original range had just three models with power outputs from 75 to 88hp, the new ELIOS has been expanded to four models, which still start at 75hp but now includes versions with maximum power outputs of 92hp and 103hp.

The design of the new ELIOS gives it a low overall height to the top of the cab of just 2.37 metres on 380/85R tyres. However, thanks to the new design for the chassis which has a low centre of gravity, the front overhang is now some 24cm shorter, which means that whilst the wheelbase is 2.16m, even with a folded front-linkage, the overall length is just 3.82m, making the ELIOS ideal for use where access is restricted.

FPT engines The new ELIOS is powered by a

A

4-cylinder, 3.4 litre FPT turbocharged and intercooled high torque engine. This has a wide constant power range from 18002300rpm and is fitted with a viscofan and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) with automatic regeneration to meet TIER 4i emissions regulations. The top-of-the-range ELIOS 240 also features CPM (CLAAS POWER MANAGEMENT), giving the 92hp engine an additional 11hp boost in power to 103hp under certain conditions.

CPM is activated when the tractor goes above 13 km/h in gears 2, 3 or 4 in range III or if the PTO speed starts to drop.

A new feature on the ELIOS is an engine speed memory, which allows the speed to be adjusted precisely at the push of a button, which will be particularly useful for PTO work, and a second engine speed memory is also available as an option.

48 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

To meet the wide range of uses tractors of the size are used for, four different transmissions are available for the new ELIOS. Fourwheel drive models are all fitted with a 24/24 transmission with the option of a mechanical splitter and reverser, TWINSHIFT powershift and mechanical reverser or TWINSHIFT powershift with REVERSHIFT clutchless reverser, all of which have a minimum forward speed of just 500 metres/hour. All 2-wheel drive models come with a 12/12 transmission with a mechanical reverser.

The new ELIOS is available with a choice of two hydraulic systems.

For general work, there is the option of a 59 litre/minute (l/m) pump that serves both the rear linkage and the spool valves. For more demanding work, for instance where the ELIOS will be fitted with a front loader, a two pump system is available, with a 59l/m pump that serves the spool valves and a second 26l/m pump to serve the rear linkage.

Depending on requirement, two or three mechanical spool valves can be fitted, one of which has flow rate adjustment. Alternatively four electronic spool valves are available, each with flow rate

adjustment. All spool valves are also colour coded for easy connection.

Again depending on requirement, the ELIOS can also be specified with a mechanical or electronically controlled rear linkage. The standard linkage has a lift capacity of 2.6 tonnes, but this can be increased to 3.2 tonnes with an optional additional lift ram. A fully integrated optional 2.8 tonne front linkage is also available.

The cab on the new ELIOS has been completely redesigned and the full width frame incorporates a new glass room to enhance the feeling of space and to provide good visibility over a raised front loader. The cab specification includes the choice of a mechanically or air-suspended seat, air conditioning with the option of carbon filtration for spraying and an adjustable steering wheel.

The controls are all grouped on the right hand side of the seat.

Where a front loader is fitted, this can be controlled either hydraulically using a FLEXPILOT joystick or electronically with the ELECTROPILOT, both of which are factory fitted.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tillage

Featured Dealers: Sharnford Tractors Ltd Lutterworth, Leics LE17 5EH T: 01455 209300 www.manitou.co.uk Ravenhill Hereford HR4 9QJ T: 01432 352333 www.ravenhill.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Farmstar Limited Marr, Doncaster DN5 7AU T: 01302 786786 Market Weighton, York YO43 3GA T: 01430 875900 Brigg, North Lincs DN2 8NF T: 01652 654944 www.farmstar.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 49

| Machinery

Pictured from left to right: Chief Superintendent Jon Drake (Temporary Assistant Chief Constable), Hallmark Tractors’ Peter Donegan, PC Pete Clarke, Hallmark Tractors’ Jim Nash and Inspector Geoff Knight.

New Holland tractor helps tackle countryside crime A New Holland tractor has joined the ranks at Staffordshire Police to help tackle countryside crime. he four-ton T5.105 Electro Command has been donated until November by New Holland dealership Hallmark Tractors, based in Ashbourne, to the county’s police force as a way of boosting visibility in rural areas and connecting with farmers.

Agricultural communities can be very isolated and the police hope the tractor – decked out in police colours – will be a high profile and eye-catching way to engage more closely with busy residents and workers.

Hallmark Tractors Managing Director Jim Nash explained: “New

T

Holland and ourselves are very pleased to have the chance to help out our local police force to promote the many local farmingrelated services that they have on hand, and also to engage the public with the valuable services that the police offer.”

The tractor joins Staffordshire Police’s ongoing operation in which every officer, including special constables, is tasked with detecting and tackling rural and wildlife crime. Each has undergone special training and has the support of a lead officer in every local policing team.

New Holland Sales Area

50 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

Manager Rob Dee said: “Seeing the T5.105 in its police ‘uniform’ was a very proud moment. We’re delighted to be assisting officers to tackle crime, and reassure the farming community.

“Our dealer network is a real strength of New Holland. This example of partnership goes to show that it’s not only of huge benefit to our customer service, but also to supporting local communities and services.”

As well as being used in active duty, the 107-horsepower New Holland tractor will appear at events across Staffordshire in the coming months. It was a star attraction at the force’s recent Open Day which drew nearly 7,500 people to its Stafford HQ. Inspector Geoff Knight, Commander of the South Staffordshire Local Policing Team, explained: “PC Pete Clarke, my Wildlife Officer, made the approach to Hallmark and they were more than receptive to the idea, given their close contacts in

the farming community, awareness of the issues and its effects.

“Our dealer network is a real strength of New Holland” “The tractor may seem like a gimmick but what it will achieve hopefully is new relationships with our farming communities; by working with them and giving clear advice and service to improve crime prevention we can plough ahead in the fight against rural crime. We once again extend our thanks to Hallmark Tractors for their kindness.”

Rural crimes, including those against wildlife, are on a downward trend in the county, according to the police. At the start of 2011, it made up over 20 per cent of reported crime compared to 13.7 per cent by the end of 2013.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 51

| Machinery

Sicey Farm purchases first Bobcat S450 skid-steer loader Sicey Farm, a mixed arable and dairy farm near Beverley in East Yorkshire, has purchased the first Bobcat S450 skid-steer loader in the UK farming industry. he new S450 loader has replaced a previous Bobcat S130 model which had been on the farm since 2004 and is the latest in a long line of Bobcat skid-steer loaders that have been used on the farm for well over 40 years.

The new S450 skid-steer loader was supplied by AMS Bobcat, the Authorised Bobcat Dealer based in Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, and represents the fourth generation of loaders the company has supplied to Sicey Farm.

Bill Rodmell, who runs the farm with his brother, Geoff, said: “I remember the first Bobcat loader we bought from a former Bobcat dealer based in Leeds when I was in my teens – I’m 65 now so that’s quite a history with the Bobcat brand at our farm. Though we’ve tested some other makes, we’ve been Bobcat users through and through – they have always been dependable and reliable tools for use anywhere on the farm.”

The new Bobcat S450 loader is used in conjunction with an existing Bobcat S130 skidsteer loader mainly for distributing brewer’s grain to feed the 90 plus cows in the dairy herd together with the heffers reared on the farm.

Bill Rodmell continued: “With their ability to turn around in their own length and controls that allow for precise movements even in the most cramped of spaces, the Bobcat S450 and S130 loaders provide us with the

T

manoeuvrability we need to carry out the feeding operations and many other jobs in the tight confines of the farm buildings.”

As well as buckets, Sicey Farm has a range of other attachments such as a brush and pallet forks to do a variety of jobs around the farm.

Like all Bobcat compact loaders, the S450 and S130 models are each equipped with the quickchange Bob-Tach attachment mounting system, allowing them to be combined quickly and safely with over 70 different Bobcat attachments, delivering versatility and timesaving efficiency across a huge range of different applications.

Like the larger new generation models introduced over the last three years, the new S450 skid-steer loader offers significantly improved comfort and visibility to allow for greater control and accuracy in tight working spaces. In addition, for the first time in a skidsteer loader model in this size class, the S450 loader is supplied with a fully pressurised cab with air-conditioning as an option. Other key features include increased hydraulic performance and efficiency; a new tailgate design; integrated rear bumper and enhanced serviceability.

The new S450 cab is based on that in the larger Bobcat loaders and has been cleverly designed to maintain the loader’s compact size whilst still providing the operator with better comfort and control. The internal area of the

cab has been increased by 10% compared to the S130 model it replaces, resulting in more space around the operator.

Bill Rodmell added: “The new S450 loader is an excellent machine and builds on the standards set by the previous generations of Bobcat machines we’ve had at the farm. With each generation, Bobcat has always tried to offer us more from these very productive farm machines.”

With a height (top of cab) of 1976 mm, width over the tyres of 1500 mm and length with standard bucket of 3172 mm, the S450 loader is particularly suited to jobs in confined areas.

It combines this with an operating weight of 2240 kg, a rated operating capacity of 608 kg and a tipping load of 1215 kg. The S450 also has a height to bucket hinge pin of 2781 mm and a dump height of 2157 mm.

The S450 combines fast lift arm and bucket cycle times with a fast travel speed of 11.4 km/h (a high range speed of 14.8 km/h is an option) for a variety of digging, material handling and many other applications in the agricultural, construction, rental, landscaping, local authority and industrial sectors.

For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit the website www.bobcat.eu

Avant celebrates 20th anniversary with the launch of a range topping machine Avant Tecno (UK) of Thetford in Norfolk is celebrating 20 years of trading in the UK with the launch of the 760i compact tool carrier which becomes the company's largest and most powerful machine. ased in Finland, Avant first set up shop in the UK with the appointment of a national distributor in 1994. However, in 1999 the company decided to take full control of its activities by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary to handle everything from sales and marketing to servicing and repairs in order to show its total commitment to the UK market.

B

The new 760i model offers outstanding performance for its size and is able to work hard even with its engine set at low rpm because maximum torque is on tap from almost the idle position.

Since arriving in the country, Avant Tecno (UK) has gone from strength to strength and sold nearly 5000 of its compact tool carriers as well as access platforms and demolition

machines. It has expanded sales through a growing network of regional dealers into a wide range of different markets which have recognised the many benefits offered by the little green machines and the many jobs they can undertake when equipped with a choice of over 100 different attachments currently available.

The new 760i model offers outstanding performance for its size and is able to work hard even with its engine set at low rpm because maximum torque is on tap from almost the idle position. It is still a compact unit, measuring just 3080 mm in length and 1400 mm in width, and is powered by a new Kohler KDI engine developing 42 kW (57 hp) @ 2200 rpm meeting the latest Tier 4 Final emission regulations. Compared with Avant's previous range topping 750, the new model offers 20% more engine power, 40% more torque and 20% lower fuel consumption.

The ultra-low emission figure has been achieved by Kohler without the need for a

52 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

diesel particulate filter or diesel exhaust fluid.

Instead, the new 16 valve power unit features a high pressure, common rail fuel injection system plus a turbocharger, intercooler, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel oxidation catalyst. This highly efficient and quiet engine is also equipped with CAN bus technology and an electronic control unit.

The 760i's hydrostatic transmission offers a maximum travel speed of 30 km/h and the machine is highly stable, even at speed, thanks to larger and wider tyres that also help to minimise damage to delicate surfaces. In addition, its auxiliary hydraulic system is able to supply an impressive oil flow of up to 80 l/min for powering a huge range of available attachments.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Groundcare

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 53

| Tillage

Tillage-Live 2014: Cultivating establishment ideas Tillage-Live - The National Cultivation Event takes place at Down Ampney Airfield, Down Ampney, Gloucestershire GL7 5QF on Wednesday 10 September 2014 from 08.00 hrs to 15.00 hrs, offering visitors the opportunity to get to grips with the latest in cultivation equipment and soil management technologies. longside the working demonstrations of cultivation machinery and sprayers will be an array of static exhibitors and for the 3rd year the Knowledge Trail where visitors gain NRoSO and BASIS CPD points from completing all of the stations.

Stations on the knowledge trail will include the ever-popular soil pit helping visitors to understand and manage what is happening beneath the surface as a result of cultivation, as well as guidance on weed control across the rotation and Metazachlor stewardship from sponsors BASF. Here visitors can talk to the experts about the weed problems on their own farms and get guidelines on best practice in limiting Metazachor reaching water bodies.

“This year’s Tillage-Live is filled with lots of helpful information.

The Knowledge Trail will again provide visitors with access to valuable, in-depth advice from industry experts on a whole variety of topics. As the largest cultivation demonstration in the UK, TillageLive gives progressive growers the

A

54 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

“This year’s Tillage-Live is filled with lots of helpful information.” opportunity to view the latest and most innovative cultivation and seedbed preparation equipment and drills at work on large scale plots, “said organiser Duncan Russell of the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA).

All the latest news about the event is available on the website www.tillage-live.uk.com including listings of all the working demonstrations and details of prebooking (£7.50/car, compared to £10 on the day). For group rates contact FarmSmart Events.

For further information go to website www.tillage-live.uk.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tillage

Winning the battle against black grass Tillage will see the first public demo for Cousins’ Surface cultivator, their innovatory reduced depth system that has proven effective against black grass infestation. heir agronomist and design partners Hutchinsons are well into a five year plan on their test farm and already have results to prove the cultivator’s pivotal role in their black grass strategy.

The Surface cultivator incorporates a new tine design which, in conjunction with Razor Rings, provokes weed germination for effective weed control with total herbicide prior to sowing the crop.

The tines work at a consistent shallow depth of 2" (50mm) with a precise level of control. The shallower working depth makes for very energy efficient cultivations, encouraging grass weed seed in the top layer of soil to germinate, leaving seeds at lower levels undisturbed.

Field trials confirm that the machine can provide ideal seedbed conditions for a range of cultivator drills in use and will potentially offer wide working widths at a power requirement of around 50hp/metre and forward speeds up to 9km/h ideal for controlled traffic situations.

The new model is the latest

T

product to emerge from Cousins’ collaborative work with Hutchinsons, bringing together the skills of the agronomist and the machinery specialist.

V-Form is a long established Cousins product that has shown great flexibility in adapting to farming’s ever changing needs.

From the initial staggered subsoiler concept with robust ‘level lift’ feet, long recognised as a fast and effective soil loosening system, through the addition of OSR seeders and more recently

the introduction of Micro-Wing option.

The shallow working MicroWing tines are followed by targeted seeding and razor ring 'leg zone' press wheels which focus consolidation over the seeded areas within the cultivated 'leg zone' ensuring consistent seed depth and coverage with minimal moisture loss. The result is rapid and even emergence of the crop which allows for treatment with pre-emergence herbicide and help with the slug pressure burden.

Shallow working at a target depth of 75-100mm avoids destruction of natural soil fissures and worm burrows promoting a robust root systemCows with at Lodge Farm subsequent increased nutrient and water uptake. The Micro-Wing tines disturb less than 20% of the soil with each pass which requires much less horse power and provides excellent fuel economy.

For further information please contact the Cousins of Emneth Sales Office on 01945 584 600 or visit www.cousinsofemneth.co.uk

Lite-Trac at Tillage Following the successful launch of their new model, the SS3000, Lite-Trac will be appearing at Tillage Live. he SS3000 tool carrying tractor features revised underpinnings and heavy-duty Kessler axles to increase gross loading capacity to 30 tonnes, making it even better suited than its predecessor to the demands of solid and suspension fertiliser spreading, as well as high output crop spraying.

Lite-Trac currently enjoys a largely UK based clientele, but since the introduction of its new model has been receiving enquiries from international customers keen to capitalise on the concept's flexibility. Lite-Tracs typically feature demountable sprayers with tanks of up to 8000 litres and booms up to 48m, but the company is now fielding enquiries for other high capacity applications such as slurry injection, fertiliser and lime spreading, drilling and even selfpropelled chaser bin work.

A key feature of the Lite-Trac design is to maintain even weight distribution over all wheels, whether the spray tank or fertiliser hopper is full or empty.

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

This approach, combined with 2m diameter wheels, ensures low ground pressure, even when fitted with the heaviest of equipment. The all-mechanical driveline and air suspension allow high road speeds, comfort under all conditions and peerless traction, making the machine ideally suited to hilly terrain.

The SS3000 is currently available from Lite-Trac as a chassis-cab, or fitted with a demountable sprayer or an AgriSpread spreader. All the equipment is fully GPS compatible, with most machines fitted with automatic steering, variable rate and automatic section shut off.

Visit www.lite-trac.com

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 55

| Groundcare

APF 2014 – The Best Ever APF 2014 is on course to be the best ever with a host of new companies exhibiting for the first time and over £20 million and 2 miles of working machinery and equipment on show. 270 exhibitors and 20 000 visitors are expected to attend the UK’s largest forestry, woodland, arboricultural trees and timber exhibition. he Husqvarna World 25m poleclimbing championships will see the top climbers in the world battle for top honours and some fantastic prizes. The A W Jenkinson and UPM Tilhill European Chainsaw Carving Championships will have the best 25 carvers in Europe fighting to take the title. Will Lee will be aiming to retain his 2012 crown against a high class field including the 2010 champion Daniel Cordell. The UK forwarder driving championships, safety and training demonstrations by FISA, the World log to leg

T

pole lathe championships, an extensive traditional woodland crafts area, horse logging demos, vintage forest machinery and sawbenches and a full, topical series of seminars by the Forestry Commission make this an unmissable event.

For the first time we are offering on site camping to enable you to make the most of your stay. Advance tickets and campsite bookings are now available from the ticket ordering page.

Over 200 exhibitors have already booked. A full list can be found in the Exhibitor section of

this site. APF 2014 represents every sector of the industry and is the UK’s largest forestry, woodland, arboricultural and fencing event. It is renowned for the place to buy and sell machinery, equipment and services and the place to meet up with old friends and colleagues For the first time we are offering on site camping to enable you to make the most of your stay.

Micron precision sprayers to premier at APF Micron Group, manufacturers of precision spraying equipment, have announced their inaugural attendance at APF, UK’s leading forestry and arboricultural event which takes place on 18th – 20th September 2014 at Ragley Estate, Warwickshire. icron plan to showcase a whole host of sprayers and applicators on their stand D6A including the Varidome band sprayer for weed control in tree nurseries, the Enviro range of shielded spraying equipment for arboriculture and amenity and the WeedSwiper device for bracken control.

M

Micron will be exhibiting its highly popular bracken control solution.

Suitable for use in tree nurseries and ornamental crops, Micron Varidome has been specifically designed to safely eliminate weeds growing in between the rows of plants. Capable of treating from 3 to 12 metre maximum working widths, the sprayer toolbar is fitted with a number of fully shielded

ground-following spray nozzles which can virtually eliminate spray drift. For this reason, non-selective sprays can be used under the hoods which in turn can significantly reduce herbicide costs. Each sprayer is custom built to suit the required row spacing; a choice of carriages and wheels is available to best match the terrain. Varidome can also be fitted with a second spray line for delivery of selective herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or foliar feeds directly over the row.

Tree nursery growers and amenity professionals will also be able to find out more about the Micron Enviro series of shielded sprayers. Supplied in a choice of HiFlo or CDA spray systems, the circular Undavina and Spraydome models on display incorporate a spring loaded breakaway arm that allows users to spray right up to the base of the trees, plant pots or

street furniture, whereas the rectangular Spraymiser model is ideally suited for centre row weed control and amenity applications.

In addition, Micron will be exhibiting its highly popular bracken control solution - the Weedswiper, a non-drip chemical weed wiper. The device features specially engineered material pads which transfer the herbicide onto the bracken strands by direct contact. Weedswiper has built-in sensors and a Hydrostat control system to regulate the product flow to the pads. Available in 2, 3 and 6 metre working widths, the wiper is operated off a 12 volt power supply and can be tractor or trailer mounted for towing behind an ATV or UTV. In addition to the company’s vehicle-mounted machinery, visitors will able to see a wide range of back-mounted and handheld equipment. The models on

display will include Micron AU8000 mistblower for tree spraying and foliar applications, Herbidome 600 – a shielded CDA sprayer for weed control in Christmas trees – and AccuDos and AutoDos metereddose applicators for spot treating trees, plant nurseries and bracken.

Forestry Commission Visit the Forestry Commission at stand A4. ave staff to guide you through the latest information on grants and funding available for landowners, forestry businesses, timber and woodfuel, contractors, agents and consultants and timber processors.

The Commission will be there to: • Provide information on the latest from Forest Research,

H

• Share insight into planting a range of species for forestry resilience • Update on the latest plant health work around tree pests and diseases • Give advice on support for developing forestry skills and how to get into forestry and arboriculture We look forward to meeting you!

56 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 57

| ATV

New Forest Garden Machinery 316-318 Salisbury Road Totton, Southampton Hampshire SO40 3ND Tel: 023 8087 1764 www.nfgmltd.co.uk

On A Hill Garage Lynton Garage Ilfracombe Devon EX34 9RQ Tel: 01271 862691 www.onahillgarage.com

58 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

Greenlow ATV Greenlow House Royston Road, Melbourne Hertfordshire SG8 6DG Tel: 01763 260239 www.greenlow.co.uk

Marsh MX 20 Pontmonias Myrthyr Tidfil Mid Glamorgan CF47 8UB Tel: 01685 384625 www.marshmx.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

Suzuki KingQuad: a festival essential Suzuki was proud to be chosen to support the East of England Ambulance Service by providing them with an ATV to use around the V Festival site in Hylands Park, Chelmsford.

Polaris appoints Burdens Group Lincolnshire’s Burdens Group is the latest to join the rapidly expanding networks of Polaris dealers and Polaris Commercial dealers in the UK. ithin a matter of weeks the company sold two ATVs and a Polaris Ranger, getting things off to a flying start.

Operating the Polaris dealership from strategically placed premises in North Kyme, Burdens also have premises at Wrangle, a head office at Sutterton and a dedicated hire facility, Turfleet Hire, based in Berkshire. They are selling the full Polaris range with their specialist approach to agriculture, groundcare, horticulture, produce handling, construction and hire; the latter covering both agricultural and groundcare.

“We’re ideally positioned to meet the needs of operators in each of these sectors,” says John Southern, Burdens’ Managing Director and Dealer Principal, “there are tremendous growth opportunities for the commercial Polaris products in particular, through both sales and our very large hire business in Berkshire.”

Burdens see the Polaris Brutus and the electric 4x4 EV as well as the new GEM electric utility vehicles meeting the requirements of many existing customers. Local Authorities, campuses and industrial units are part of their core business, in fact

W

he company's KingQuad 500 was selected by the Service to provide support throughout the event – including set-up and breakdown.

The ATV was primarily used by the Ambulance Service to assist with logistics around the site. But the KingQuad 500’s efficient fuel injection system, which ensures consistent starting and reliability, teamed with its fullyindependent suspension, meant that the Ambulance Service could also rely on it as a quick response vehicle to comfortably get them to any emergencies that arose around the site.

As well as reliability, Suzuki’s

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

ATVs provide unbeatable rider comfort, which proved ideal for extended use at the weekend-long festival as Executive Officer at the East of England Ambulance Service, Jon Moore, explains, “We used the Suzuki KingQuad 500 across the whole weekend to get around the Chelmsford site quickly and easily. It was particularly useful this year in what were very muddy conditions. We’ve used Suzuki ATVs for years now, and they have never let us down.”

For more information about Suzuki GB and its range of hardworking ATVs, visit www.suzuki-atv.co.uk or follow @SuzukiATVsUK on Twitter.

any area with large amounts of concrete to maintain and needing sweeping, snow clearance and general utility work.

The Polaris Brutus, they say, fits ideally into these areas as well as long term Contract Hire and seasonal work. Premises that are very environmentally aware, such as hospital sites where work continues late at night and very early in the morning, with laundry deliveries for example, will benefit from using the EVs for ‘no noise’ levels and no diesel fumes.

The Polaris appointment brings a full portfolio of groundcare machines to Burdens and they pride themselves on their after sales service and support. Sales and servicing will operate at North Kyme covering Lincolnshire through the Groundcare Division and on the commercial side

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 59

| Motors

Isuzu Salisbury Wiltshire 01722 412222 www.isuzu.co.uk

Jeffries of Bacton Suffolk 01449 781087 www.jeffriesofbacton.co.uk

Mark Weatherhead Ltd Cambridgeshire 01954 210355 www.markweatherhead.co.uk

Isuzu North London Middlesex 0208 8046135 www.isuzunorthlondon.com

Garland Motors Ltd Hampshire 01252 367373 www.garlandskoda.co.uk/isuzu

Tallis Amos Group Bibury Gloucestershire 01285 740115 tallisamosgroup.co.uk

Tallis Amos Group Leominster Herefordshire 01568 613434 www.herefordshireisuzu.co.uk

York Van Centre North Yorkshire 01904 470170 www.yorkvancentre.co.uk

Maple Garage Ltd East Yorkshire 01964 670392 www.maplegarage.co.uk

Bob Gerard Limited Leicestershire 01162 592224 www.bobgerard.co.uk

60 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Isuzu D-Max wins over another new client Company sees value in versatile pick-up. arex (part of the Parex Group),with worldwide sales of over €750m and leading market positions on all 5 continents, is the UK’s leading manufacturer of specialist construction materials, heading the field in Technical Mortars, Render and Facade Systems and Streetscape Mortars.

The company has a 30 strong field based technical Sales and Technical Support team, half of whom use a variety of light commercial vehicles which are usually replaced on a 3 year or 100,000 mile cycle.

It was a 2013 Isuzu feature in Farming Monthly, which highlighted the 5 year /125,000 mile warranty and excellent class leading fuel economy, that first caught the attention of Parex.

P

The company decided to “test the water” and purchased a six month old D-max Utah double cab manual from a private seller. The success of this first vehicle in terms of economy, comfort and reliability - and that it was satisfactorily trialled by other members of the field based team - led to two further purchases.

One of the vehicles was serviced by Archie Moss at Coalvillle and this led to a call from Dave Matthews, Isuzu Brand Consultant to Mark Shorrock, Managing Director at Parex, to determine future requirements.

Following a meeting to discuss pricing, supply and after-sales support, Parex has decided to purchase an additional 2 new double cabs as part of its fleet replacement programme.

The decision to move to a policy of buying the D-Max new has been driven by the high residual values affecting used prices when compared to a competitive new price. The unrivalled warranty,class leading economy and low running costs were also attractive when compared to the opposition.

It was a 2013 Isuzu feature in Farming Monthly that first caught the attention of Parex.

Success of the Isuzu D-MAX product at work means that Parex will increase it’s number in the fleet to between 5 and 10 in the near future – an overwhelming seal of approval if ever there was one.

And then there were 3... ŠKODA has announced full specification and prices for the eagerly anticipated Yeti Monte Carlo. his model is a distinctive and sophisticated addition to the compact SUV range, and packed with desirable extras.

Lining up alongside popular Monte Carlo models of the ŠKODA Fabia and Citigo, the name badge celebrates the Czech brand’s long and successful heritage in global stage rallies.

The ŠKODA Yeti Monte Carlo is based on the equipment levels of SE trim level, but offers customers a long list of added design, comfort and convenience features.

The generous additional spec includes the striking Monte Carlo signature black roof with black detailing on the front grille and spoiler, rear diffuser, door mirrors

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

and 17-inch ‘Origami’ alloy wheels.

Black-tinted front fog lights are also included, as are bi-xenon headlights with cornering function and dynamic angle control. Inside, cars come with a three-spoke leather ‘Supersport’ multi-function steering wheel, sports seats with unique Monte Carlo upholstery and exclusive design detailing on the door sills, instrument cluster and floor mats.

TheŠKODA YetiMonte Carlo is available with a 2.0-litre TDI CR 170PS DPF diesel engine, with 4x4 transmission as standard.

Customers can choose between a six-speed manual or DSG sequential automatic gearbox, priced £24,390 and £25,490 respectively.

The manual version returns fuel

economy of 49.6mpg, with 149 g/km of CO2 emissions and a 062mph time of 8.4 seconds.

Figures for the DSG are 44.8 mpg,

164 g/km and 8.6 seconds.

The ŠKODA Yeti Monte Carlo is available in black, red, white, silver or grey.

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 61

| Motors

RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR THRILLING PERFORMANCE IN EVERY SENSE

Pebble Beach debut for new Range Rover Sport SVR The fastest, most powerful Land Rover ever. he Range Rover Sport SVR made its global debut at Pebble Beach on 14 August. The fastest, most powerful Land Rover ever produced is the first model to wear the SVR designation being adopted by future Land Rover and Jaguar high-performance models.

The Range Rover Sport SVR accelerates from 0-60mph in just 4.5 seconds. A top speed electronically limited to 162mph and a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 8 minutes 14 seconds – one of the fastest times ever recorded by a production SUV – underline its performance credentials.

The SVR’s range-topping 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine has been developed to produce 550PS and 680Nm – substantial 40PS and 56Nm increases – without compromising fuel economy. And its advanced ZF 8HP70 8-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive chassis have been optimised to complement its astonishing performance, whatever the weather.

In a world first for Land Rover, the Range Rover Sport SVR is equipped with a two-stage active exhaust featuring electronically controlled valves. The system optimises sound quality, performance and aesthetics and provides a racecar-inspired soundtrack at higher engine revs without adversely affecting refinement during steady-state driving.

Meanwhile, in another first for Range Rover, unique 22-inch alloy wheels with performanceoptimised 295/40 R22 Continental SportContact 5 tyres complement the driver-focused chassis.

As standard, new 21-inch alloy wheels with 275/45 R21 all-season tyres offer unparalleled all-terrain capability.

Exterior design enhancements ensure the SVR makes a striking visual impact, while

T

simultaneously boosting cooling and aerodynamic efficiencies. A bespoke interior featuring unique sports seats provides further visual differentiation and ensures occupants are held securely in place.

John Edwards, Managing Director of Land Rover’s Special Operations, said: “The Range Rover Sport SVR is a natural progression beyond the core vehicle’s outstanding on - and off-road capabilities and leading-edge design.

Its exhilarating performance will satisfy a particularly demanding customer set.

“A thorough range of revisions specially developed by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations combine to make this premium derivative even more distinctive both inside and out, as well as taking its dynamic capabilities to the next level without impacting on comfort, refinement or all-terrain versatility. The Range Rover Sport SVR is truly the world’s most capable performance SUV.” The Range Rover Sport SVR builds on the success of the new Range Rover Sport, with its all-aluminium monocoque – a world first in the segment – which reduces weight by 39% compared with its predecessor and provides the ideal strong, stiff and lightweight structure on which to create the Range Rover Sport SVR. The premium sports SUV unleashes the full potential of the lightweight and robust allaluminium architecture, while retaining the refinement, luxury and off-road capability for which Range Rover is world renowned.

SVR is fitted with permanent four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case, with a lowrange option for demanding terrain, and a 50/50 percent torque split front-to-rear. The upgraded air suspension system automatically varies between two ride heights, and the next generation ground-breaking Terrain

62 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

Response®2 system automatically selects the most suitable terrain programme.

The Range Rover Sport SVR’s lightweight aluminium suspension is fully-independent, with wide-spaced double-wishbones at the front and an advanced multi-link layout at the rear.

Wheel-travel is class-leading (260mm front and 272mm rear) and provides exceptional wheel articulation of 546mm to deal with the toughest conditions.

Wade Sensing™, introduced on the Range Rover Sport, also features on the SVR. This innovative technology provides ‘depth’ information when driving through water, and in line with the mainstream Sport, the vehicle can wade up to 850mm. It also has towing capability up to 3000kg.

“The Range Rover Sport SVR is truly the world’s most capable performance SUV” The Range Rover Sport SVR has been created by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team and all SVR models need to meet key performance criteria to wear the SVR badge. Range Rover Sport SVRs will be built alongside their mainstream sibling models in our existing production facilities and sold through Land Rover’s dealer network.

Range Rover Sport SVR – designed, engineered and built in Britain – amplifies the engineering integrity, robustness and attention to detail that are Land Rover hallmarks.

Customer orders can be placed from October 2014 at an on-the-road price of £93,450 and first deliveries are expected in Q1 2015.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

SPEED & POWER Call us today to book a test drive.

The first Land Rover to wear the new high-performance SVR badge and capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in a breath-taking 4.5 seconds.

Armstong Massey - York 01937 531531 armstrongmassey.landrover.co.uk

Carrs - Truro 01872 263377 carrs.truro.landrover.co.uk

Kentdale - Kendal 08433 833530 kentdale.landrover.co.uk

Matford - Exeter 01392 825825 matford.exeter.landrover.co.uk

Hunters - Southampton 02380 215800 hunters.southampton.landrover.co.uk

Rocar Moores - Huddersfield 01484 582817 rocarmoores.landrover.co.uk

Guy Salmon - Knutsford 01565 632525 guysalmon.knutsford.landrover.co.uk

Hunters - Norwich 01603 944836 hunters.norwich.landrover.co.uk

Barretts - Ashford 01233 506070 barretts.ashford.landrover.co.uk

Copley - Halifax 01422 520528 copley.landrover.co.uk

Barretts - Canterbury 01227 475475 barretts.canterbury.landrover.co.uk

Lloyds - Kelso 01573 224345 lloyd.kelso.landrover.co.uk

Ripon Landrover - North Yorkshire 01765 646464 ripon.landrover.co.uk

Williams - Manchester 0161 232 5000 williams.manchester.landrover.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 63

| Motors

Quality & technology leap for 3rd generation Sorento Delivering a premium look and feel the all-new Kia Sorento, recently unveiled in Korea, blends style, practicality and technology, which builds on the success of the outgoing model.

he new Sorento’s smoother, swept-back profile and deeply sculpted surfaces introduce a higher level of sophistication for the third-generation model, with more space and numerous innovative features.

The evolutionary styling changes subtly alter the character of the new Sorento, highlighting its sleek, sinuous, profile, creating a sophisticated appearance and ensuring the new model has a bolder on-the-road presence.

The new clean look is achieved with the introduction of new laser welding manufacturing techniques, then rendering weld lines invisible.

The sleeker look of the new Sorento is enhanced by its increased length (+95 mm to 4,780 mm)**, reduced height (down 15 mm to 1,685 mm) and extra width (+5 mm to 1,890 mm).

Inside the all-new Sorento is where some of the most significant improvements are to be found. Interior styling was led by the brand’s European design team, based in Frankfurt, and Kia’s designers have created a more sophisticated, more luxurious cabin, featuring significantly higher quality materials.

The styling of the cabin follows a ‘modern and wide’ theme, providing the interior with a stable, horizontal layout and appearance. A higher proportion of soft-touch materials and leather creates a modern luxury feel to the cabin and gives the new Sorento a genuine premium vehicle ambience.

One of the most distinctive interior styling features is the Swiss watch-inspired centerconsole, which incorporates Kia’s latest HMI (human-machine interface) technologies.

Comfort, convenience and new technologies Compared to the previous-generation model, the increased exterior dimensions and the extended wheelbase (+80 mm to 2,780 mm) have liberated additional space in the cabin of the new car.

T

Although the roofline is 15 mm lower, repositioned seat cushions ensure increased headroom for occupants in all three rows, who will also enjoy greater legroom. Cargo space also increases, thanks to a cargo bay floor (up by 87 mm), and capacity with the third row seats folded flat is up 17.5 percent, from 515 to 605 litres (VDA). The new Sorento also features a new under-floor tonneau cover storage compartment.

Available in five- or seven-seat versions, the new Sorento features 40/20/40 second row split folding for improved versatility, with a higher folding centre armrest. The second row seats in the seven-seat version are equipped with ‘remote folding’ controlled by two levers in the side of the cargo bay.

The new Sorento debuts a number of new, advanced on-board technologies to improve convenience and further enhance the ownership experience. Depending on market, new available features will include: an AroundView Monitor, with four cameras helping the driver to manoeuvre when parking, and a Smart Power Tailgate. This system opens the tailgate automatically when the key is ‘sensed’ in close proximity to the trunk, so owners can slide their shopping bags or heavy objects straight into the vehicle.

Enhanced refinement Throughout the development of the new Sorento, Kia engineers also focused on strengthening the bodyshell structure and improving NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) characteristics to increase refinement and create a tranquil travelling environment that is as sophisticated as the new model’s styling.

The increased torsional rigidity of the new bodyshell (up by 14 percent compared to the outgoing model) provides an excellent foundation for both enhanced refinement and improved safety.

Cabin noise is reduced by three-to-six

64 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

percent, depending on driving conditions.

Improved powertrains, ride and handling To match consumers’ rising expectations, Kia engineers worked to improve every aspect of the new Sorento’s driving experience, creating upgrades for the engines, steering and suspension.

Five engines are available with the new Sorento*, depending on country, offering power outputs ranging from 172 to 270 ps.

These include a 2.4-litre gasoline direct injection (GDI) unit, 2.4-litre and 3.3-litre multipoint injection (MPI) engines, and revised 2.0litre and 2.2-litre ‘R’ turbo-diesel units. Of these, only the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel and 2.4-litre GDI engines will be sold in Europe, with the diesel unit expected to account for the majority of sales. Final decisions on the UK line-up are yet to be made.

When developing the new Sorento, a key focus for the Kia chassis engineering team was achieving improvements in ride comfort, highspeed stability and handling response to match the leaps forward in interior quality and NVH. The fully-independent suspension retains the format of the outgoing model (MacPherson struts at the front and Kia’s multi-link system at the rear), but features a range of modifications.

At the front, an all-new electric motor-driven power steering system (R-MDPS), available as either standard or optional equipment depending on country,is mounted directly onto the steering rack – rather than the steering column as on the outgoing model. This provides greater steering feel and quicker response, ensuring that new Sorento will be among the more agile and sporty vehicles in its segment, without sacrificing the ride quality that customers expect from a luxurious SUV. Paris Motor Show Overseas Premiere Following its unveiling in Korea, the all-new Kia Sorento will make its European premiere on Thursday 2 October at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Contact your local participating dealer PMS Greens Ltd Pembrokeshire Tel: 01437 767767 www.pmscars.com

Ryedale Garages Ltd North Yorkshire Tel: 01751 431343 www.ryedalegarages.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

David Cook Motors Lancashire Tel: 0161 624 1441 www.davidcookmotors.co.uk

Garland Great Wall Hampshire Tel: 01252 367373 www.winchestermotorgroup.co.uk

Cross Roads Warwickshire Tel: 01608 661544 www.unityautomotive.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 65

| Motors

Working with you to bring you more style and better performance.

Rugged it may be, but the Amarok pick-up offers car-like driving and a refined interior with premium styling and functional design. The comfortable interior and convenience of an optional eight-speed automatic gearbox mean it’s as comfortable in town as it is off-road.

With its powerful 2.0-litre TDI engines and the dynamic all-terrain benefits of the intelligent 4MOTION® four-wheeldrive, it will take you anywhere you need to go. Offering maximum payload of 1,145kg and towing capacity of up to 3,200kg, it boasts the widest load area in its class so you can fit in a Euro pallet sideways.

Call us today to book a test drive or pop in to ask for more details.

*

7KH $PD

PRQWK D

Ɇ Ɇ ȫ Ƀ

URN IURP

Business users only. Plus VAT and initial rental. *Contract hire quotation based on Amarok Startline 2.0 TDI 140PS. Offer based on a 3 + 35 payment profile and 10,000 miles per annum.

Available for Amarok registrations before September 30th, 2014, subject to availability. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. This offer may be varied or withdrawn at any

66 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Alan Day Van Centre Pinkham Way, North Circular Road, New Southgate, London.

Telephone: 020 8045 3483.

Volkswagen Van Centre (Birmingham) St Stephens Street, Birmingham, West Midlands. Telephone: 0121 546 0069.

JCT600 Van Centre (Sheffield) Europa Close, Europa Link, Sheffield.

Telephone: 01144 040 023.

Find us on your sat-nav using N11 3UT.

Find us on your sat-nav using B6 4RG.

Find us on your sat-nav using S9 1XS.

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/alandaynewsouthgate

www.vw4vans.co.uk

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/jct600sheffield

Greenhous Volkswagen Van Centre

Greenhous Volkswagen Van Centre (Bilston)

JCT600 Van Centre (York)

Ennerdale Road, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Telephone: 01743 600 031.

Find us on your sat-nav using SY1 3TL. www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/greenhous

Listers (Worcester) Van Centre 157 Bromyard Road, St Johns, Worcester, Worcestershire.

Telephone: 01905 412 191.

Trinity Road, Bilston, Wolverhampton.

Telephone: 01902 546 561.

Find us on your sat-nav using WV14 7EF.

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/JCT600York

Listers (Coventry) Van Centre

JCT600 Van Centre (Hull)

347-367 Bedworth Road, Longford, Coventry, West Midlands.

Telephone: 02477 670 054.

Find us on your sat-nav using CV6 6BN.

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/listersworcester

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/listerscoventry

78 Capitol Way, Colindale, London.

Telephone: 020 8045 6162.

Find us on your sat-nav using NW9 0EW. www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/colindale

Find us on your sat-nav using YO30 4WW.

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/bilston

Find us on your sat-nav using WR2 5EA.

Citygate Van Centre (Colindale)

Centurion Park, Clifton Moor, York.

Telephone: 01904 848 302.

Saxon Way, Priory Park West, Hessle, Hull, East Yorkshire.

Telephone: 01482 908 520.

Find us on your sat-nav using HU13 9PB. www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/JCT600Hull

Citygate Van Centre (Wooburn Green) Holtspur Lane, Wooburn Green, High Wycombe, Bucks. Telephone: 01494 256 064.

Find us on your sat-nav using HP10 0AU. www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/wooburngreen

6p per mile (plus VAT) charged for mileage travelled in excess of the contracted mileage. Available on contract hire or finance lease terms. Available to over 18s in the UK only. time. Finance providers may pay us for introducing you to them. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Finance, Freepost VWFS.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 67

| Motors

Bell & Colvill Surrey Tel: 01483 281000

www.bellandcolvill.co.uk

68 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

SG Petch Richmond North Yorkshire Tel: 01748 821185 www.sgpetch.co.uk

GMD Car Sales County Durham Tel: 0191 384 1925

www.gmdcarsales.co.uk

Pinkstones Subaru Staffordshire 01782 711661

www.pinkstones.subaru.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Prices revealed for new, more efficient VW Touareg Prices and specifications have been announced for the revised Volkswagen Touareg luxury SUV, which opens for orders on 27 August, ahead of first deliveries in November. rices for the new Touareg start at £43,000 (RRP OTR), rising to £47,500, and there are excellent deals available for retail customers. Two engine choices are available – a 3.0-litre V6 TDI with 204 PS and a 3.0-litre V6 TDI with 262 PS (previously 245 PS). Thanks to the introduction of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system using AdBlue, lowrolling resistance tyres and a coasting function on the standard eight-speed automatic gearbox, both engines are complaint with Euro 6 emissions legislation. The 204 PS engine now emits just 173 g/km of CO2, 11 g/km less than before, putting it in a lower VED band than before, and also making for a two per cent benefit in kind taxation reduction for company car drivers.

P

The Escape model features an advanced 4XMOTION off-road four-wheel drive system.

On the outside, the new Touareg features revised bumpers and grilles, new alloy wheel designs, new colours and bi-xenon headlights as standard. Inside, the front seats now come with standard lumbar support, and there are two new optional wood trims – ‘Sapelli Mahogany’ and ‘Engineered Ebony’, while the optional Nappa leather upholstery in the R-Line model is now available in two-tone Flint Grey and Titan Black. An automatic post-collision braking system also becomes standard across the range.

Three trim levels are available. The range starts with the SE, which features a comprehensive specification including 19-inch ‘Salvador’ alloy wheels; RNS 850 satellite

navigation with eight-inch touchscreen, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth; 2Zone climate control; ‘Cricket’ leather upholstery’; bi-xenon headlights; front fog lights; parking sensors and chrome roof rails.

The Escape model features an advanced 4XMOTION off-road four-wheel drive system, with 50:50 torque split and centre and rear axle mechanical differential locks; higher off-road suspension; 18-inch ‘Karakum’ alloy wheels; 100-litre fuel tank (85 litres is standard on SE); underbody protection; black roof rails and a headlight cleaning system.

The top-of-the-range Touareg R-Line features an R-Line body kit with bespoke bumpers front

and rear, sill extensions and wheel arch extensions; 20-inch ‘Tarragona’ alloy wheels; lowered sports suspension; LED daytime running lights and a panoramic glass sunroof.

Inside is a black roof lining; bespoke R-Line seats and aluminium-look pedals, while enhanced equipment includes a heated steering wheel; electrically operated tailgate and keyless entry and start.

Paul’s new car is an ‘eco dream’ A businessman from Lincolnshire bought a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV because his accountant told him the green credentials and tax savings made it a “no brainer”. aul Arnold, who runs a property company called P&P Services (Lincs) Ltd, was looking for a new car and was advised to go for a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) by his accountant.

Because of its outstanding emission levels, a company purchasing an Outlander PHEV is able to write down 100% of the cost of the car against its taxable profits in year one.

That means Paul was able to get the cost of his Outlander PHEV offset against his taxable profits saving up to £7,000 on his Corporation Tax bill.

Paul, 69, from Long Sutton, said: “My accountant told me it was a ‘no brainer’.

P

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Finance-wise it was the best choice and it’s also a great car. I was sceptical about a hybrid at first but it’s wonderful to drive and it’s already saving me a lot in fuel bills.”

Outlander PHEV has phenomenal eco credentials with an EV range of 32.5 miles and emissions as low as 44g/km, meaning people don’t have to pay road tax or the London congestion charge. The PHEV also has a Benefit in Kind of just five per cent for company car drivers, giving them a virtual pay rise of several thousand pounds a year.

Paul, who is chairman of the management board of Kings Lynn Golf Club, was also able to get an electric charging point for the car installed at his home for free by British Gas.

“I was sceptical about a hybrid at first but it’s wonderful to drive and it’s already saving me a lot in fuel bills” For more information on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV visit www.mitsubishicars.co.uk

September 2014 | Farming Monthly | 69

| Motors

Why not attach a SsangYong to your 64 reg?

SsangYong presented a fully refreshed range for 2014, and with registrations up by some 154% on last year, is now one of the UK’s fastest growing marques. With every car in the line-up being covered by an industry leading five year limitless mileage warranty and representing such great value, perhaps that level of performance is not so surprising. he SsangYong value proposition is increasingly being recognised,” says Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK. “Never before has SsangYong had such a complete range - a line-up that includes SUVs, an MPV and three commercials, and all available with 4x4; no other value-brand comes anywhere close to offering such a wide choice to their customers.”

The brand first arrived in the UK 20 years ago, and to celebrate 60 years of vehicle production, SsangYong has introduced two special limited editions, one based on its popular Korando crossover and the other on the Rexton W 4x4.

T

There are currently some 60 SsangYong dealers covering England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with new locations being added to the network all the time.

All Rexton W 4x4 models are currently being offered with 3 years free servicing. This includes the Rexton W SX, EX and EX automatic models as well as the CSX commercial, and registered by 30th September 2014.

Combined with the existing market leading 5 year limitless mileage warranty that protects all

SsangYong cars, this brings three years free servicing (or three services, whichever comes sooner), giving customers complete peace of mind.

The Rexton W range is also currently available with 0% finance from participating dealers.

Built on a steel ladder chassis and with a 3 tonne towing capacity, the new SsangYong Rexton W is a serious off-roader and tow-car, yet with all the equipment and creature comforts expected of an urban cruiser. It is powered by SsangYong’s own 2.0 litre Euro 5 turbo charged e-XDi200 diesel engine.

Taking the Rexton EX specification, the special 60th anniversary edition adds front parking sensors, an electric sunroof, heated seats front and rear, a power adjustable passenger seat, DAB sat nav and is finished in pearl white lily metallic paint.

Available with either 6-speed manual or 5speed Mercedes-Benz T-Tronic automatictransmission, prices range between £21,995 and £27,495, with the commercial at £18,495 (ex VAT).

5 year limitless mileage warranty All models in the SsangYong range are covered by a best-in-class 5 year limitless mileage warranty. Designed to be totally transparent and give customers complete peace of mind, ‘limitless’ means just that: not a

70 | Farming Monthly | September 2014

maximum mileage condition that some brands impose in their small print. All the major mechanical components are covered including wheel bearings, suspension joints and bushes, steering joints, shock absorbers and even the audio system. Wearable components such as clutch discs and brake friction materials which could have their life reduced by poor driving are covered for one year or 12,000 miles, and the battery and paintwork for three years.

There are currently some 60 SsangYong dealers covering England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with new locations being added to the network all the time.

Further information is available from: www.ssangyonggb.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW JEEP? ®

THINK AGAIN.

REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE JEEP® CHEROKEE 2.0 DIESEL LONGITUDE FWD 35 Monthly Payments

On the Road Price

Customer Deposit

Amount of Credit

Optional Final Payment (inc £295 fee)

Total Payable by Customer

Duration of Contract (months)

Rate of Interest (fixed)

Representative APR

£299

£25,495

£4,179

£21,316

£11,810

£26,454

36

1.35%

1.9% APR

With a fresh and bold exterior and award winning interior, the New Jeep® Cherokee successfully combines a futuristic design whilst remaining true to its legendary heritage.

See how else we’re different from the competition at jeep.co.uk/compare The all-new Jeep® Cherokee. BUILT FREE.

Call us today to arrange a test drive.

Now at: PMS Ltd, Pembrokeshire.

Tel: 01437 762112 www.pmscars.com County Motor Works, Essex.

Tel: 01245 235000 www.motorparks.co.uk D Salmon Cars, Colchester.

Tel: 01206 715200 www.dsalmon.co.uk Jeep with ®

Motor Village Oxford, Oxfordshire.

Tel: 01865 376000 www.motorvillageuk.com Thames Jeep, Kent.

Tel: 01892 256087 www.thamesmotorgroup.co.uk Meridien Majestic, Dorset.

Tel: 08433 193554 www.meridien-bournemouth.co.uk

OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE NEW JEEP® CHEROKEE DIESEL RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 55.4 (5.1) – 61.4 (4.6), URBAN 39.8 (7.1) – 44.1 (6.4), COMBINED 48.7 (5.8) – 53.3 (5.3), CO2 EMISSIONS: 154 – 139 G/KM. Model shown Jeep® Cherokee 2.0 diesel Longitude 140hp FWD in white at £25,495 on the road. Promotion available on new Cherokee models registered before 30th September 2014. With Jeep® Horizon you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 9p per mile for exceeding 10,000 miles per annum in this example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to status.

Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. Jeep® Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL1 0RW. We work with a number of creditors including Jeep® Financial Services. New Cherokee models will benefit from complimentary servicing covering the car for three years or 30,000 miles, including protection for the first MoT on all qualifying retail sales. Prices and specifications correct at time of going to print (08/14). Jeep® is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.