September 2015 Farming Monthly

Farming

MONTHLY National

September 2015

Inside this issue...

On Topic

| Husk diagnosis often missed in older cattle

Security EOE Co-op venture into security |

Health & Safety

Network Rail level crossing safety campaign |

News

| Funding opportunity for small rural businesses

Dairy

UK Dairy Day

Potatoes

| Should we be storing warmer for fresh market sectors?

Also Inside: Buildings | Red Tractor | Machinery | Tyres | Tillage | Fuels | ATV | Motors

Contents

24

38

September 2015

16 30

FMN

Features

FMN

Regulars

22 30 34 36 38 45 50 60

Dairy

06 10 20 52 62 65

News

UK Dairy Day

Buildings Dairy redevelopment at Dorrington farm

Security EOE Co-op venture into security

Arable No tillage to save the planet?

Potatoes Should you be storing warmer?

Tillage Tillage Live moves to North Yorkshire

Health & Safety Farming safe & level crossing dangers

Catch up on the news that matters

Energy NextGen Expo

On Topic Husk - increasing missed in older cattle

Machinery NH construction equipment via agri-dealers

ATV Honda Q&A

Motors Latest motors news plus Jeep and Subaru reviews

NEXT MONTH Grain handling

Fuels Contaminated fuel 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 2015.

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 Julie Smith j.smith@farmingmonthly.com Advertising Sales Laura Green l.green@farmingmonthly.com Advertising Sales Phil Barry p.barry@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

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| News

Funding for small rural businesses Almost one million pounds is being made available to small rural businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire looking to develop, as part of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s plan to boost economic growth. ore than a third of the D2N2 area’s total of 880,000plus jobs are in rural local authority areas but according to DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) problems for the rural economy can include reduced income among farmers, lower than average wages and difficulties in finding business investment.

D2N2 – a partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community organisations tasked with boosting economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – is making £933,000 available; to help new or established small or micro businesses in rural areas to expand and create new jobs.

Capital grants – made available through D2N2’s funding allocation from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) Growth Programme – could fund activities including: • farmers diversifying into non-

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agricultural activities such as tourism or an attraction to create jobs; • rural food and drink manufacturers, for example craft breweries looking to increase production; • the construction of workshops or investing in new machinery, to enable a rural business to expand.

To be eligible to apply for a grant a rural business must operate in the D2N2 area and in one of its eight key economic sectors – the visitor economy, food and drink manufacturing, low carbon, construction, transport equipment manufacturing, transport and logistics, creative industries or life sciences – OR be looking to create new jobs, OR increase productivity; OR introduce a technology, product or process new to their sector.

Up to 26 projects will be funded in the D2N2 area. Grants available will range from £35,000 to a maximum of approximately £140,000 and can cover up to 40% of a project’s total costs. Projects must have a total value of at least £87,500 to be eligible for funding.

06 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

The EAFRD funding will aim to create at least 68 new jobs in the area, and boost tourism and visitor numbers, increase the turnover of businesses and increase productivity in the rural economy.

Businesses must be registered with Government agency the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) before they can apply for the EAFRD funding. To register online for RPA go to website www.ruralpayments.service.gov.uk Once registered with the RPA a business can make an outline application for EAFRD funding online. More information about the Growth Programme can be found at website www.gov.uk/government/collection s/growth-programme-grants-forthe-rural-economy Applications – which must be submitted by 5pm on Friday November 27 – will be assessed by the Government and the D2N2 LEP. Those with the strongest business case will then be asked to make a further, full application for project funding.

Other funding could also be made available, for agricultural

and forestry businesses in D2N2 rural areas; through the European LEADER funding programme, the Countryside Productivity Scheme and Countryside Stewardship.

Additional support for businesses, including rural ones, may also be available through other parts of D2N2’s European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) allocation – £214m to be spent in the D2N2 area over the six years, to 2020 – of which the EAFRD funding is a part..

D2N2’s Growth Hub team will be holding a series of information sessions for would-be applicants across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, in September and October – dates to be announced shortly – to give help and guidance on the new EAFRD funding.

Those unable to attend the workshops can also find out more about the EAFRD funding from the D2N2 Growth Hub team, on 0333 006 9178 or email info@d2n2growthhub.co.uk

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| News

Managing Director Nigel Poyner

M&M Timber’s Agricised Peeled & Pointed range raises the stakes

Hailed as one of the decade’s most significant advancements in agricultural fencing technology, M&M Timber’s newly introduced Agricised Peeled and Pointed Stakes are fast gaining popularity with the more traditional farming community and could soon become one of the company’s top selling products. aving made a calculated decision to introduce an Agricised option of its long running peeled and pointed fencing range, the new addition is already bringing in sales that far exceeded expectations.

Having undergone considerable research and technological development, M&M Timber’s trademark Agricised process has become the benchmark for long life fencing solutions across the UK. Now, only two years since the launch of its machine rounded Agricised fencing timbers, the company has seen continual growth in its UK market standing, despite a flood of similar incised products from other suppliers.

Against this background of success, it wasn’t long before the company’s technical development team turned its attention to introducing a peeled and pointed fencing option for the agricultural

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sector, a potentially huge market for extended life fencing that would be welcomed by farmers and landowners throughout the UK. Further investment in plant and machinery at the company’s Midlands manufacturing centre has prompted the introduction of the Agricised peeled and pointed fencing timbers and presented M&M Timber with another industry ‘first’ and the beginning of yet another success story. Machining the uniform Agricised incisions in the uneven surface of peeled timbers, necessary for the deep Tanalith E preservative penetration process, presented many production challenges, but was made possible with newly acquired, technically advanced machinery.

Traditional peeled and pointed fencing timbers have been a favourite with the rural community for many years, but were increasingly being challenged by the economic benefits of the newly introduced extended life Agricised

timbers. Based on an initial installation of an example 500 metres of fencing, Agricised posts cost only a fraction more than the non-Agricised industry standard equivalent, say M&M Timber. And, lasting three times longer, Agricised fencing will return a saving of around £4,500 in materials and labour over the warranted 5 year life span.

Noted for its product innovation, M&M Timber has now raised the stakes in what will clearly become an increasingly competitive market.

Says Managing Director Nigel Poyner, “Our decision to invest in Agricised peeled and pointed fencing timbers follows some lengthy discussions with the farming community, and in particular with those who said they prefer the more rustic look of peeled and pointed to the smooth machined round timbers. Offering the Agricised process with both options opens up the market sector with a choice for every

landowner’s need, with the added benefits of long term cost savings in extended life fencing.”

M&M Timber offers a 15 year written warranty package on both its machined round and peeled and pointed Agricised fencing timbers with customer online registration, another ‘first’ for this market leading company as it strives to always keep one step ahead of the competition. Now a part of the Forest Garden group, the company has also looked at introducing more flexibility to its nationwide delivery service by reducing the minimum carriage paid order requirement to just five packs. It can also offer a just-intime delivery option when required. And to make bulk handling and storage easier, the fencing posts are bundled in a square format.

For more information please contact M&M Timber on 01299 832 611 or see the website at www.mmtimber.co.uk

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

Farming industry invited to brush shoulders at show Innovation and networking is on the cards for farmers and traders at this year’s Midlands Machinery Show. he event, which takes place on 25 and 26 November, is a key opportunity for those in the industry to brush shoulders with some of the key innovators in agriculture.

Returning for its second year at Newark Showground, Midlands Machinery Show prides itself on offering a professional networking environment for the farming community.

George Taylor, show manager, said the event has already set an internal record for the highest percentage of advance bookings, across the society’s events’ portfolio.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming new and previous exhibitors and visitors to the Midlands Machinery Show this year,” he said.

“Last year people told us they really valued the opportunity to speak face to face with some

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of the big name brands in the agricultural industry in a calm and relaxed environment.

“Technical seminars are taking place over the two days with presentations covering a range of topics, including a speaker from the Met Office. Other speakers will also include, Streets Accountants, NFU and Wilkin Chapman.

“HRVS Caterpillar, Chandlers, B A Bush & Son Ltd, Dal-Bo UK, FarmGem and DDM Agriculture have already confirmed they’ll be exhibiting at the event which is free to attend.”

Visitors can expect to see product launches, a range of technical seminars on the latest issues affecting farmers today and over 150 high-profile exhibitors at the rapidly-growing event.

The event is organised by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society.

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Awards for the best trade stands will also be taking place including Best Agricultural Stand, Best Overall Stand and Best Non Machinery Stand.

George added: “After launching the show last year, it was clear that there is a need for an event of this size in the area and the signs are indicating that this is an event that will grow in popularity year on year.

“Around 80 per cent of those that came to the show last year have re-booked due to the success of the Midlands Machinery Show.”

For more information about MMS visit www.midlandsmachineryshow.com or join the conversation on Twitter @Midsmachinery15 using the hashtag #MMS15. Visitor entry and parking is free.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Batman & Robin deliver Countrywide acquire three wheeler to farmer Cornwall Farmers Robert Wrinch got a big yellow surprise on his 50th birthday – a three-wheel Rialto Reliant van, delivered to him by friends dressed as Batman and Robin!

Bond Dickinson advises on acquisition. ond Dickinson has advised Countrywide Farmers on the acquisition of the trading business of Cornwall Farmers Ltd, in a deal worth over £6m, which will give Countrywide a bigger presence in the South West. Countrywide will take on the operation of all 12 Cornwall Farmers country stores in Cornwall and Devon.

The Bond Dickinson team was led by Simon Hewes, Corporate Partner and Joe Lewis, Corporate Managing Associate and included Arwel Edwards, Operational Property Legal Director, Rachel Jones, Employment Associate and Alex Fergus, Corporate Solicitor.

The transaction will see the number of stores in the Countrywide portfolio boosted to 66, creating the largest store group of its kind in the UK. Countrywide intends to retain the Cornwall Farmers name in Cornwall and Devon and introduce Countrywide retail innovations to the Cornwall

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obert, an arable farmer from Suffolk, now wants to use his treasured threewheeler (which the family has called Madge), to produce a calendar detailing her farming adventures as she flies around the fields, even pulling combines and grain trailers!

Proceeds from the calendar will go to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), a welfare charity that supports farmers in financial difficulties.

Robert’s wife Karen said: “Robert has always wanted a yellow three-wheeled van. For his 50th birthday friends and family decided to club together and buy

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him one. It definitely looks a bit strange when he jumps in Madge to get about on the farm.”

When Madge has finished helping with the harvest, she’ll star in a calendar the Wrinch family is producing called ‘The Adventures of Madge’.

Karen added: “Farmers like a good laugh and everyone think it’s hilarious. We wanted to do something that would make people smile while raising money for a very worthy charity like R.A.B.I and Madge has quickly become a very popular sight around here.”

Madge has already made her first star appearance – she was the wedding car for a neighbouring farming couple earlier this year.

Farmers store network. These include its free 'click and collect' service and an extended product range through its Agricultural Catalogue.

Joe Lewis said: "We are delighted to have advised Countrywide on the acquisition of the trading business of Cornwall Farmers and to have been part of this exciting next step in the continued development of Countrywide's updated retail strategy. This project follows our involvement on the recent disposal of Countrywide Farmers' agri business and we look forward to the next stage of Countrywide's growth in the region."

Julie Wirth, Chief Financial Officer of Countrywide Farmers said: “This is an exciting development for our business reenforcing our growth strategy and commitment to the rural sector.

Bond Dickinson have worked with us as a key partner enabling the acquisition of the trading business of Cornwall Farmers Ltd”

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 09

| Energy

On-farm renewables in focus at Nextgen 2015 event With particular focus on biomass and biogas, Nextgen running 7 – 8 October is one of the leading events during the year helping farmers, landowners, growers, rural businesses and building owners, make the best decisions on their future renewable energy generation, heating and supply. his two-day business event at the NAEC, Stoneleigh will present an exhibition of over 130 specialist on-farm renewables technology and support solution companies who are recognised leaders in their field in terms of capability and quality of service.

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“It is important producers are aware of current trends and innovations within the renewable energy sector. Renewables still offer a great investment for farms and can be successfully integrated into an existing business” It will also be supported by a world-class seminar programme across four dedicated theatres including the Agri-Rural Renewables theatre that will be tackling the issues facing the continued growth of renewable energy within the agricultural and rural sectors. With the recent government announcements on

incentives and continuing uncertainty about long term stability, Nextgen’s expert speakers will be addressing the best solutions for rural stakeholders.

This will include a practical, technical look at all the key aspects of planning and commissioning renewable energy projects, as well as the role of different technologies in supporting on farm processes. There will also be updates on government incentives and the regulatory regime and the role they play in the decision agri-rural professionals should make on their energy resourcing; as well as new developments in technologies, financing and business models which look set to give new opportunities in sustainable energy for the agrirural sector.

Speakers include; Dr Jonathan Scurlock, Chief Renewable Energy Advisor, NFU, Dr Kiara Zennaro, Head of Biogas, REA, Julian MorganJones, Chairman, Wood Heat Association, Lucy Hopwood, Lead Consultant – Bioenergy & Anaerobic Digestion, NNFCC and Katy Read, Senior Policy Manager Non-Domestic RHI, Ofgem, as well as a range of plant owner/operators who will share their knowledge.

10 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

“It is important producers are aware of current trends and innovations within the renewable energy sector. Renewables still offer a great investment for farms and can be successfully integrated into an existing business.

Anybody interested in balancing income streams, maximising a projects potential or looking for a sustainable energy supply is invited to attend the Nextgen and Innovation for Agriculture’s On-Farm Renewables Networking Breakfast running at 9.30 – 10.40am on Thursday 8th October at the NAEC, Stoneleigh.” Says David Gardner, Chief Executive, Innovation for Agriculture.

Taking place in Nextgen’s new Thought Leadership Hub area, this free to attend event gives you the opportunity to come together with peers who operate their own bioenergy plants and other generation capacity, as well as industry experts. You'll find advice on best practice, compliance, connectivity, incentives, business models and appropriate use for your land.

Register free for Nextgen at www.nextgenexpo.co.uk

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| Energy

Peak energy savings with Bowler Energy

AD electrical capacity surges beyond 500MWe

Peak Waste are a waste disposal company based near Ashbourne. Their core business is recycling waste.

The anaerobic digestion (AD) industry now delivers an electrical equivalent capacity (electricity and biomethane) of 514 megawatts across 411 plants in the farming, waste and water sectors.

he team at Peak contacted a few energy firms but decided to award the contract to Bowler Energy because the site survey produced

by Bowler Energy’s sales consultant, Eddie Chadfield, impressed them and they felt that Bowler Energy had a professional image. Eddie explained the process and the steps that would be taken such as planning, construction, commissioning, registration for the feed-in tariff and back up and support. The installation itself was relatively trouble free and the system was soon up and running.

The team at Peak Waste have been delighted with the support received from Bowler Energy. “The support has been fantastic. Bowler Energy has had to be very patient with us initially, well continually in truth, especially in regards to meter readings and submitting data to OFGEM. We couldn’t have

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asked for better from the Bowler Energy team!”

Apart from the environmental benefits, Peak Waste are also very happy with the effect that the energy generated on site has had on their business energy costs: “With energy prices rises dramatically every year, this is very important that we can sell back to the energy company, which basically means we are cutting our energy costs.” Prior to installation the system was forecast to produce an annual financial benefit of £15,677 which is a return on investment (ROI) of 13.4%. The system has now been installed for about two years and is actually producing slightly more than forecast – generating an extra £933 per year which gives an actual ROI of 14.2%.

The team at Peak Waste also say that they would “100% definitely have used Bowler Energy again if we were back at the start of the process”.

ommenting on this substantial progress, ADBA’s Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton, said: “Last month I announced a new industry milestone following the unveiling of the UK’s 400th biogas plant.

“ADBA’s market data now shows that AD offers over 500MWe electrical equivalent capacity – more capacity than one of the UK’s nuclear power plants, Wylfa, which is being decommissioned this year.

“This capacity is extremely valuable because AD generates low carbon baseload or dispatchable power, helping to keep the lights on and balance the output from intermittent renewables such as wind and solar. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has rightly said that providing baseload is one of her

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department’s priorities, and biogas should be seen as an important component to our energy security.

“Despite this, however, further growth in capacity is being hindered by the government’s decisions to remove Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) in the summer budget – a cut that ADBA estimates will cost the AD industry £11 million – and to fasttrack a four week consultation aimed at removing preaccreditation from the Feed-in Tariff.

“To continue to expand the industry needs viable support in the forthcoming FIT review, and an RHI budget which will support new green gas. AD has the potential to meet 30 per cent of UK domestic gas demand, and overall it could cut UK greenhouse gas emissions by four per cent and support food security and production.”

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 11

| Energy

WELTEC biomethane plant in France launches Feed-in On 5 August, the “Longchamps“ biomethane plant in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France went live. Thus, 70 standard m³/h are now continually supplied to the natural gas grid of the French gas distributor GrDF (Gaz réseau Distribution France). lant operator David Peterschmitt uses about 6,000 t of agricultural leftovers a year for the production of biogas from anaerobic digestion.

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“I am convinced that the technologies employed by WELTEC BIOPOWER will ensure optimum efficiency” To ensure effective biogas processing, German plant manufacturer WELTEC BIOPOWER decided to deploy flexible, compact membrane technology. In the three-stage separation procedure, methane is separated from carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and other components with the help of

special polymer membranes. The WELTEC membrane procedure is highly efficient and delivers a methane yield of about 99 percent.

The upstream compression is another advantage of the procedure. In this way, the separated methane already has the needed pressure for feed-in to the natural gas grid without being compressed again.

This saves costs by eliminating the need for an additional compressor and enables economic use of WELTEC biogas processing even for smaller plants.

This processing method also saves money in other areas: The molecules are separated at ambient temperature and without the addition of chemicals.

Moreover, the membrane technology stands out with its compact setup in the container, reducing the installation overhead.

To optimise the plant synchronisation, WELTEC integrated the custom-developed LoMOS SPS control. One of the special features of this system is an SQL database-based task management: The user merely needs to enter his individual tasks for the biogas plant in the userfriendly calendar, after which the LoMOS control automatically executes the entries.

In view of the user-friendly operation and high-quality components, the builder and operator David Peterschmitt is very optimistic: “I am convinced that the technologies employed by WELTEC BIOPOWER will ensure optimum efficiency as well as permanently stable, economic operation of my biomethane plant.“

See us at NextGen 2015 Stand F20

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| Livestock

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 13

| Energy

Lipp GmbH launches new direct UK sales operation Lipp GmbH has launched a new UK sales operation. ipp is one of the leading tank system manufacturers in Europe, having been in existence since the 1950’s. It has patented over 170 different manufacturing, material construction and tank design technologies, supplying to a number of market sectors including; water, pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, farming and the renewables industry.

Lipp is offering a comprehensive design, supply and manufacture service to the UK, their experience in the development and supply of tank systems is extensive, with successful operations in 80 countries worldwide and over 10,000 tanks installed.

Manuel Lipp, MD, said; “We are aware of the potential growth in the UK, such as the anaerobic digestion market and the recent Ofwat changes to the water utility market. Lipp have installed over 500 AD plants around the world

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and are regulated as a water expert in the European market, so we feel that we have a lot of experience to offer and innovative tank systems that will benefit the UK”.

Lipp have developed a number of unique products such as our Verinox™ stainless steel composite material. Utilising both galvanised and stainless steel in a layered construction to provide a stainless steel tank liner without the expense of full stainless steel tank walls. The Verinox™ material allows for different grades of Stainless Steel to be selected to line the tank dependent upon substrate chemistry and aggression requirements.

In addition to Verinox™, the Lipp tank manufacture process is also unique. Utilising a spiral form, double seal system, the tanks are created on site using Lipp’s own automated tank construction system. The tanks are built as a continuous spiral wall that ‘grows’ from the ground up. Thereby providing quick construction

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times, reduced labour costs and minimised high level scaffold work.

The double seal system adds to the tank construction integrity and ensures gas tight seals with a completely smooth interior surface.

Martin Grant, UK Marketing and Sales Manager added, “in addition to Lipp’s extensive product range, we recognise that the many years of experience that has been developed through their continuous R&D programme will enable us to offer design and development services that are unrivalled in the UK market. For example, Lipp have many AD plants with clients in Germany that have successfully been in operation for over 35 years, longer than the majority of the UK AD market has been in existence.”

There are other applications that will be of relevance to the UK,

such as re-lining concrete tanks to extend tank life or increase storage capacity. The Lipp spiral tank construction method enables a complete stainless or galvanised tank liner to be lowered into a concrete tank; thereby reducing repair and maintenance on older tanks or the considerable expense of tank demolition and re-build.

About Lipp GmbH Lipp supplies tank solutions for the anaerobic digestion, waste water, potable water & industrial processing industries. Providing anaerobic digestion tanks, gas accumulator tanks, storage tanks, pressure vessels & silos employing the Lipp System (engineered in Germany) with its unique dual-seam tank technology. Lipp in Germany has over 40 years of development & innovations, and over 50,000 tanks installed worldwide.

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| Energy

RenewableUK 2015 Annual Conference & Exhibition free Public Day for farmers & landowners Date: 8 October 2015 - Location: ACC, Liverpool, UK. he 37th Annual Conference and Exhibition is at the heart of the international debate on the benefits of wind energy and is an excellent opportunity to learn ways to generate your own electricity, reduce your energy overheads and be updated on the impacts of the recently published changes to the Feed-in-Tariff.

With Day 3 of the exhibition open to the public, delegates get free access to the main exhibition with

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over 100 international exhibitors; conference sessions for farmers and landowners; a dedicated small & medium wind exhibition section with leading developers, manufacturers and consultants; and a busy renewables career’s fair.

The Public Day is aimed at landowners, farmers, community groups and domestic customers.

This is the event for you if you are in search of detailed and up to date information on what the changes to the Feed-in Tariff mean for you; the installation of small or

medium scale wind turbines; updates on planning, and/or searching for the right type of turbine, or organisational structure to suit your site or your community.

Don’t forget that RenewableUK 2015 Public Day is open to the public and is free to attend. Preregistration is essential. Register online today for your free pass.

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 15

| Energy

Calor fuels healthy poultry growth F and H Panton Brothers has replaced a direct-fired heating system at its Stickford poultry farm with a LPG fuelled indirect system from Calor Gas and Winterwarm Agri UK Ltd to save on running costs and improve chicken welfare. ays David Panton, joint managing director of F and H Panton, “Keeping the poultry houses warm is vital.

Modern hybrid birds are like formula 1 racing cars and need treating with care. We need a reliable and cost effective heating system, any loss of heating at the wrong time would be catastrophic.”

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“In the 45 years that we have been dealing with Calor it has never let us down on a delivery” The business chose DXC heaters, an indirect system from Winterwarm available through Calor Gas, because it removes the carbon dioxide and moisture produced from combustion

through a flue. A separate intake pipe brings in air from outside for burning.

In contrast the existing directfired system is mounted in the wall of the poultry houses to draw air for combustion from outside, but there is no means of removing the carbon dioxide and moisture from inside. To keep carbon dioxide levels down, the buildings need regular ventilation, which means that they need more heating to keep the temperature at an acceptable level.

By using indirect heating, Stickford Farm will be able to use less ventilation and because the DXC heater is a completely sealed system with an efficient tubular heat exchanger, it will keep any further heat losses to a minimum.

In a highly insulated shed this will save a significant amount of energy.

In addition, the build up of

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carbon dioxide and moisture is minimised so the litter is drier and needs topping up less often. This also helps chicken health and welfare with less disease such as Podo plus an expected increase in liveweight gain.

F and H Panton Bros rejected Biomass as an option because of concerns over future prices and availability of fuel.

Says Panton, “When I looked at different systems one of my most important considerations was both the cost and the continuity of fuel.

While in the short term the cost of wood chip is lower than LPG, as

more systems are installed I expect the price to rise and would also be concerned about its ongoing availability. We simply cannot afford for a poultry house to be without heat.

“In the 45 years that we have been dealing with Calor it has never let us down on a delivery.”

F and H Panton Brothers are based in Lincolnshire and own a number of poultry farms. The business produces 12 million broilers per year, which equates to one tonne of meat every 20 minutes.

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| Energy

KWS confirms exceptional yields in 2015 Hybrid Trials Hybrid ryes have produced some phenomenal dry matter yields in biogas trials after a season where the crop made the most of early summer warmth. n trials near Cambridge, plant breeder KWS reports that the top performer – in this instance KWS Progas - yielded 23t/ha DM, compared to wholecrop wheat at just under 15t/ha.

In the same trials series, over the previous two seasons the best hybrid ryes yielded closer to 18t/ha DM and the company suggests year-on-year yield hikes from new introductions mean it is the clear partner of choice alongside maize in the biogas plant feedstock clamp.

In comparison with the other hybrid rye varieties in the 2015 trials, Progas had opened up a 2t/ha gap and the company put the additional yield down to the taller nature and increased tillering of the newer hybrid.

According to the plant breeder’s sales manager, Bill Lankford, contract biogas growers are already widely benefitting from the agronomic and rotational advances of taking a cereal off their land in late June or early July.

“As a result, not only is hybrid rye proving to be an ideal entry for oilseed rape it is also giving growers an opportunity to cut blackgrass populations down to size,” he says.

He says that best practice is to drill the crop from mid-September to early October; data from previous year’s trials, point to up to a 2.25t/ha loss in DM yield for a crop where drilling is delayed by a month.

Furthermore, those drilling in mid-October compared to mid-late September will need to increase seed rates from 200 to 220240seeds sq m, and this increases costs.

UK wide, KWS points out that little lodging has been seen in commercial crops and that a 2-3 spray PGR programme is more than capable of keeping hybrid rye upright.

However, 2014, for example did bring significant brown rust issues in at risk regions such as the south and east of England.

“While a relatively inexpensive three spray fungicide programme worked well, it is important to get in to the crop early using a

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protectant product as hybrid rye is fast growing and brown rust can soon gain a foothold,” says Mr Lankford.

“A lot of farmers also see hybrid rye as a silver bullet to control blackgrass and in our experience – and those of those agronomy partners we are working with - it will certainly help keep grass weed populations down.

“While a relatively inexpensive three spray fungicide programme worked well, it is important to get in to the crop early using a protectant product as hybrid rye is fast growing and brown rust can soon gain a foothold” “First off it smothers the weed, then, if you can cut the rye and remove the blackgrass head before it has set seed, you can effectively cut levels of the weed in future crops. In other cereals grown for wholecrop, the later maturity means this is not possible without compromising DM yield.”

Growers looking for varieties for planting this autumn should consider KWS Magnifico or KWS Progas, says Bill. “Magnifico has been very consistent over three years and is easy to manage; it is definitely one for the first time rye grower.

“Progas is slightly taller and, while it is higher yielding will take more managing, so is probably best partnered with Magnifico across a proportion of your crop area.”

Mr Lankford suggests that with the best hybrid varieties delivering 35-40% more DM than wholecrop winter wheat this is probably worth an extra £600-700/ha in gained value from a biogas feedstock crop.

KWS is to host an Energy Crops Field Day at Lydney, Gloucestershire on 22nd September and a networking dinner the evening before.

Farmers or interested parties should contact Alison Phipps on 01594 528234 for more details.

September 2015 | Farming Monthly |17

| Red Tractor

Red Tractor gears up for largest ever on-pack promotion Riding high on the success of its BBQ promotion, Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) is urging retailers to be a part of its biggest ever on-pack promotional campaign later this year. aking place over seven weeks in September and October, and timed to coincide with Red Tractor Week (14th to 20th September), the promotion aims to highlight the standards behind the scheme and raise awareness of Red Tractor to consumers.

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Alex James, the Red Tractor brand ambassador, will also be appearing on TV and radio w/c 14th September to promote the on-pack promotion and the start of Red Tractor Week.

In an unprecedented move, it will be eligible to run across all Red Tractor pre-packed branded

goods, including meat and poultry, dairy, cereals and fresh produce.

RTA marketing manager, Andy Thompson, said: “This has the potential to be the biggest on-pack promotion in the UK, appearing on £millions worth of assured foods.

We hope that retailers and producers will be buoyed by the success of the recent BBQ promotion (27 April – 14 June), which featured on pre-packed barbecue meat ranges in the majority of stores, and join us once again in endorsing Red Tractor standards.

“As well as generating increased visibility of the Red Tractor logo and understanding of what it represents – which remains crucial at a time of continued heightened awareness around food sourcing – it will also highlight the breadth of food types on which the logo can be used.”

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On pack stickers giving shoppers the chance to win a Farm Stay mini break worth £350 (one a day for 49 days), will be made available to retailers taking part in the promotion. To find out whether they have won, customers simply have to visit the Red Tractor website, where they will find out more about the Red Tractor scheme as well as being notified whether they are a winner.

Promotional artwork is already available to download from www.redtractor.org.uk/getinvolved/RTW and can be in-store from 7th September.

Andy continued: “The on-pack BBQ promotion, which generated more than 18,200 competition entries and some 10.8 million brand impressions, showed just how well this tactic works.

However, the scale of products included in the autumn promotion

means we expect to far exceed this total and bring the benefits of Red Tractor assured food to a greater audience than ever before.”

A high profile social media campaign to highlight the #trustthetractor message will once again run in conjunction with retailer activity, encouraging shoppers to look for the Red Tractor logo and in-store promotion, making it an opportunity not to be missed.

Alex James, the Red Tractor brand ambassador, will also be appearing on TV and radio w/c 14th September to promote the on-pack promotion and the start of Red Tractor Week.

For more information and to get involved visit http://www.redtractor.org.uk/getinvolved

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| On Topic

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly |19

| On Topic

Husk diagnosis increasingly missed in older cattle presents risk to long-term productivity Awareness of lungworm (also known as husk or hoose) as a major cause of respiratory disease in older, grazing cattle may not be as high as it should be, according to a government report. Merial Animal Health is urging farmers and vets to consider lungworm infection as soon as coughing begins in adult dairy cattle to prevent significant losses in production. ioned Timothy, Veterinary Adviser for Merial Animal Health, says: “Lungworm is increasingly being seen in adult dairy cattle, not just the youngstock traditionally thought to be affected.”

A government report published in February 2015 stated that there was a significant increase in lungworm diagnoses made at APHA and SRUC laboratories as a percentage of overall submissions from October to December 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, in Great Britain as a whole, and England and Wales (but not Scotland). The relatively warm, dry summer of 2014, followed by rain, provided near-perfect conditions for development and survival of lungworm larvae into the autumn.

The report goes on to explain that in several outbreaks of respiratory disease an initial focus on infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) as the suspected cause led to a delay in diagnosing lungworm. A subsequent delay in treatment resulted in severe, prolonged outbreaks of

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disease and in some cases a number of cows were lost to lungworm.

Ms Timothy explains: “The problem for farmers, and vets, is that lungworm can be difficult to diagnose at an early stage and may not be spotted until a full-blown outbreak occurs. At this point, the harmful effects on production will be significant and costly.

“Coughing in an adult cow should be investigated immediately by a vet, don’t wait until the whole herd is unwell. This gives you time to receive the diagnosis and treat promptly to minimise production losses.”

Acute stages of the disease cause rapid weight loss. Animals have a deep harsh cough during activity which progresses to coughing at rest, with laboured breathing. Severely affected animals will typically stand with neck and head extended in the ‘air hunger’ position. Increased resting time with reduced feeding and drinking leads to milk drop and ill-thrift. Even after recovery, the effect of lungworm disease is costly. Lung damage can leave animals susceptible to secondary infections and affect

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long term productivity.

A study published in 2011 which looked at two outbreaks of lungworm reported total losses of £110* per cow in one case and £113* in another. Clinical disease was shown to have a broad ranging economic impact. Losses resulted from reduced milk production, disposal of dead animals, extra inseminations, laboratory diagnosis and treatment costs.

“Coughing in an adult cow should be investigated immediately by a vet, don’t wait until the whole herd is unwell. This gives you time to receive the diagnosis and treat promptly to minimise production losses.”

Ms Timothy explains: “Treatment programmes that prevent clinical disease, whilst allowing sufficient exposure to the

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| On Topic

parasite to promote immunity are the ideal, however this can be a delicate balancing act; too little exposure and they don’t develop the immunity required, while too much will cause clinical disease and production losses.”

In the face of high challenge even immune cattle can succumb to disease. To guard against this, control measures should take into account local risk factors such as climatic condition. Farmers should also take measures to minimise the risks associated with bringing cattle of unknown exposure status onto a farm.

“Bought-in stock can compound the problem,” says Ms. Timothy. “Such animals may already carry a lungworm burden, or be naïve. Any mismatch in parasite status can put both new and existing animals at increased risk

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of disease.”

Lungworm disease can be prevented by either vaccinating or through strategic or targeted wormer treatments during the grazing season.

Vaccinating before spring turnout is an effective method of preventing clinical disease in both youngstock and adult cows, although this immunity may wane as the grazing season progresses.

Strategic worming programmes are often implemented to control gastro-intestinal parasites in young cattle, and this approach will also provide protection against lungworm. In adult cattle targeted treatments are often used in response to the early signs of disease. With this approach, vigilance is key to ensure cattle

are treated before outbreaks of severe disease and associated lung damage occur.

Many wormers used to treat gutworm (Ostertagia ostertagii), such as EPRINEX® (eprinomectin), will also treat any lungworm present. However, this approach should be discussed with a vet or animal health adviser (SQP – Suitably Qualified Person) to ensure it is appropriate for individual herds and farms.

If lungworm is diagnosed within an individual or group of animals, the whole herd or group must be treated. One treatment with EPRINEX® will clear larval and adult stages lungworm and prevent reinfection for up to 28 days, with zero milk withhold. The weatherproof formulation means animals do not have to be kept in should bad weather occur around the time of treatment.

In severe cases, farmers are advised to consult their vet as supportive treatment may be required to relieve pain, manage inflammation and treat any secondary infections A video which explains the lifecycle of the lungworm has been produced by Merial, and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/1cfOWNHS5Ko

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 21

| Dairy

UK Dairy Day 2015 UK Dairy Day was launched in 2014 as a new event for the dairy industry following feedback from dairy farmers and the industry requiring a dedicated one day event at a time of year when plans and decisions are being made for the winter. In 2014 the event attracted over 6,000 visitors from across the UK and overseas and over 200 trade stands. he event is organised by Holstein UK with support from representatives from CIS, CDI, The International Centre, Stagecraft UK and other key businesses within the industry.

Location UK Dairy Day will be held at the International Centre in Telford, a state of the art exhibition venue with on-site catering, leisure areas, hotels with nearby restaurants and shopping centre. Located just off the M54, junction 4 or 5, the venue is ideally situated with extensive free car parking and easy access signposted by dedicated AA road signs for UK Dairy Day. Address: The International Centre, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 4JH. The Event UK Dairy Day 2015 takes place on Wednesday 16th September 2015 from 8am to 6pm and will feature; • Over 300 dairy businesses • Trade stand space covering

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over 8,000 square metres across ground floor internal and external space • Learning & development zone to educate, engage and inspire dairy farmers which includes a career zone and making more from milk zone • Seminars with leading speakers focused on the cow, farm and team • External demonstration area with foot trimming and knife sharpening • New product display area to show case what is new from exhibitors in one central area • All breeds cattle show including National Holstein classes • Red Ribbon Sale at 4.30pm organised by Glyn Lucas of Harrison & Hetherington featuring the best dairy cattle • Press room and VIP area • Champions Dinner and Awards at 7.30pm to celebrate and network Theme The theme for 2015 is ‘Sharing knowledge’. The event will feature

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a learning and development zone on the first floor, with seminar sessions indoors and outdoors to engage, inspire and educate. This zone is sponsored by ADF Milking, with seminars sponsored by Allflex. The area is also being supported by AHDB Dairy, NFYFC and Dairy Pro. Dairy Pro Accreditation UK Dairy Day 2015 is an accredited event with Dairy Pro and qualifies for two points, one for Livestock Production Systems (LP) and the other point for Business Management (BM).

Dairy Pro is the UK dairy industry's first ever register for professional development. It gathers all training courses and publications into one place – making it easy for students and farmers to not only find the right activity, but to record participation as well. This helps improve career prospects, attract and retain better staff, and enhance business performance.

And there are plenty of opportunities to develop skills

through Dairy Pro. Working through Dairy Pro Partners, the programme has over 50 accredited events and training activities available every month.

These have been carefully assessed and awarded points by a team of experts according to how much each develops technical abilities, increases understanding of industry issues and advances personal skills.

Trade Stands The event features 8,000 square metres of exhibition space across four areas.

Learning & Development Zone The Learning & Development Zone is sponsored by ADF Milking and incorporates the new Making Most of Milk Zone. Supporting this new first floor area for UK Dairy Day 2015 will be the National

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| Dairy

Federation of Young Farmers (NFYFC), AHDB Dairy and Dairy Pro and in this zone you will find:.

• Dedicated trade stand space for colleges, charities and local businesses • Seminars with key presentations and speakers • Careers board to view latest opportunities in the dairy industry • CV clinic to capture advice on getting your CV and application noticed • Confidential break out areas to discuss business challenges and seek advice • Making most of milk zone providing insight and support for diversification Seminars Sponsored by Allflex, UK Dairy Day will feature a number of seminars during the event within the new Learning & Development Zone in the first floor.

Seminars are focussed on 'Sharing Knowledge' aimed at

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educating, engaging and inspiring dairy farmers.

Focussed on the cow, the team and the farm seminars will cover key subjects in 20 minute presentations by leading dairy farming industry speakers.

External Demonstration Area The external demonstration area for the 2015 UK Dairy Day is sponsored by Massey Ferguson.

This area will feature a foot trimming and knife sharpening by Tim Carter.

New Product Display Area Linked to the theme ‘Sharing Knowledge’ UK Dairy Day will have dedicated ‘New Product Zone’ giving exhibitors the opportunity to showcase new products launched since 1st Jan 2015.

Inaddition to the Champions Dinner & Awards and Cattle Show, a new feature for UK Dairy Day will be the Red Ribbon Sale, a joint venture with livestock auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington.

The sale will take place after the cattle show in the main ring from 4.30pm on Wednesday 16th September 2015.

Event Guide & Cattle Catalogue Visitors to UK Dairy Day will be able to pick up a free Event guide and Cattle Catalogue. The event guide includes all information related to the event along with the exhibitor listing. The cattle catalogue will list all the breeders exhibiting at the event.

Social Media UK Dairy Day is live on the following social media platforms • Twitter – Follow @ukdairyday • Facebook • Linked In • Vimeo

Ticket Information There are two ways tickets can be ordered for UK Dairy Day 2015.

• Online • By Phone call 01923 695225

Early bird offer for tickets ordered before 31 July 2015 • £14 inc VAT for orders of 1 to 19 tickets • £12 inc VAT for bulk orders of 20 plus tickets • Free entry for international visitors and under 16's.

Tickets ordered from 1 August 2015 to midnight 15 September 2015 • £16 inc VAT for orders of 1 to 19 tickets • £14 inc VAT for bulk orders of 20 plus tickets • Free entry for international visitors and under 16's.

Event Day - Wednesday 16th September 2015 • £18 inc VAT • £12 inc VAT after 4pm • Free entry for international visitors and under 16's.

Passport or ID will be required for International Visitors and Under 16's.

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 23

| Dairy

Time to consider an ‘Udder Option’ to disposable paper towels...

With milk prices still in freefall and tensions within the industry rising, dairy farmers are constantly looking for ways to increase their margins. Here, Kurt Fryer, Segment Manager for Facilities Management at Electrolux Professional discusses the options open to farmers when it comes to improving milking process hygiene, and how these could have positive effect on the balance sheet at the end of each month: t is a commonly known fact that one of the key requirements before milking is to efficiently clean the teats of each cow. This process minimises the risk of bacterial infections, such as Mastitis, which threaten the health of livestock and the production and quality of milk, and is becoming increasingly important at a time when farmers are under increasing pressure to continuously milk their herds in order to supply the country’s leading supermarket chains, despite the decreasing prices they receive for their product.

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“One udder cloth used three times a day can last between seven and ten months, making it much more economical for famers than using single service paper towels.”

“Generally cleaning will be carried out using disposable paper towels, but even for a small dairy farm which milks its herd two or three times a day, the turnover of clean cloths can be extremely high. A farm with 600 cows using up to 600 towels per session will be spending around £800 a month, and producing a huge quantity of unnecessary waste in the process.

An udder option “However, there is an alternative method rising in prominence,

which gives dairy farmers the option of choosing washable, reusable cloths to cut costs without compromising on cleanliness or hygiene. This kind of sustainable system is extremely common across North America and is becoming more and more popular with dairy farms in the UK, where there is increasing pressure from leading supermarket chains for more milk at lower prices.

“The cloths must be washed using laundry equipment which includes a thermal disinfection process. Temperatures in excess of 71°C will ensure that all items are completely sanitised and kill infection-causing bacteria, allowing farmers to maximise their yield and protect health of their herd. Meanwhile, the cloths are left with the residual moisture crucial to efficient and hygienic teat cleaning.

“One udder cloth used three times a day can last between seven and ten months, making it much more economical for famers than using single service paper towels. As such, the same farm with a 600-strong herd can save up to £1,095 a month just by switching to a more sustainable solution. While it may be a new process that farmers aren’t used to, by incorporating sustainable practices and increasing profitability, investing in laundry equipment could prove a worthwhile investment for any dairy farm.”

Electrolux Professional has recently partnered with Sealed Air, a global manufacturer of animal

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health products including Deosan® microfibre cloths, to offer dairy farmers a complete and cost-effective way to make the disinfection of reusable teat cloths

part of their daily milking routine.

For more information on Electrolux Professional’s leading dairy solution, please visit http://www.electroluxudderoption.co.uk/

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| Dairy

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| Dietfeeders

Root crops cut down to size Root crops such as stubble turnips or stock grade potatoes or carrots can be an ideal, low cost source of livestock nutrition. However, using crops such as these and achieving even distribution throughout a complete diet mix can be difficult. o overcome this problem, HiSpec Engineering Ltd has developed the Super Chopper.

Compatible with all models in the MixMax paddle-type diet feeder range, the Super Chopper enables root crops to be quickly and easily cut down to an optimum size for digestion, before being evenly blended into the diet mix.

The Super Chopper is mounted on the back of the MixMax diet feeder. After loading into the high capacity hopper, the roots are initially cleaned and any soil removed using a special cleaner chain. For heavily soiled crops, there is

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also the option to use water.

Having been cleaned, the roots can be cut down to either 9.5mm or 19.5mm lengths using a spring loaded chopper bar. The chopped roots are then transferred into the main mixing chamber, where the mixing action of the paddles ensures that the roots are fully and evenly incorporated into the rest of the ration.

The benefits of the Super Chopper are that by being able to incorporate chopped root crops into the diet mix, this avoids having to feed the roots separately using an auger bucket and also ensures that only the required amount is used, so the chopped material stays fresh.

Also the small chop size ensures that the

root crop is easily digested for optimum nutritional value and because it is thoroughly incorporated into the ration, it avoids the problem of stock selectively eating.

For further information please contact either: Gordon Brodie (North of England & Scotland Area Manager) 07799 905130 or gordon@hispec.net John Molton (Midland & Southern England Area Manager) 07825 330887 or john@hispec.net

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 27

| Dietfeeders

A new dimension!

Teagle launches new Tomahawk 9500 Feeder Bedder. n response to demand for an update to its popular Tomahawk 9090 Feeder Bedder, Teagle Machinery has launched the new Tomahawk 9500 model for the 2015/16 season.

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“When discussing requirements with customers it is clear a number are looking for reliable performance, maximum flexibility and high utilisation from their machinery, the 9500 has been designed with these requirements foremost in our minds” The wider body design of the New T9500 increases capacity and eases loading, whilst performance is improved with a large diameter fan and twin cross-beaters which together deliver an increased output of straw, baled chopped silage and clamped materials.

Capacity has been increased from 6m3 to a cavernous 8m3, however, an overall length of only 5.2 metres ensures that this compact machine has excellent manoeuvrability around farm buildings.

The 9500 positions itself near the top end of the British Built Tomahawk range from the UK market leader, next to its big brother the T1010. Both models are available in side and swivel chute formats with braked axle and weigh cell options also available.

FLEXIBILITY USING LATEST TECHNOLOGY In yet another “first”, Teagle have fitted Bluetooth wireless technology to the 9500 to provide convenient communication between operator and machine.

Extensive field testing, and use in the “Telehawk” telehandler mounted straw spreader, has highlighted the benefits of a compact in-cab control panel and simple 12V supply to the machine.

HIGH PERFORMANCE The wide body design (the feed chamber measures a generous 1.68 metres wide) was originally

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introduced by Teagle in 2011 in its T8500 series. It incorporates a large diameter fan for greater air flow and blow distance, with a Hardox coating within the fan housing which ensures longevity for the high work rates expected from this new machine. For operators looking to feed a simple mixed diet to their stock the machine can be supplied with optional weigh cells and a recirculation system. Jim Squires, UK Sales Manager states “when discussing requirements with customers it is clear a number are looking for reliable performance, maximum flexibility and high utilisation from their machinery, the 9500 has been designed with these requirements foremost in our minds”.

The model comes “suited and booted” with a durable oven

baked powder coat paint system applied following thorough shot blasting of steel components.

Large 305/55 R22 tyres, mudguards and road lights and fitted as standard in recognition of existing 9090 operators frequently using their machines on more than one site. Braked axles can be supplied upon request. Prices for the 9500 start from £22,400.00 + VAT with finance available and 2 years warranty as standard.

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| Arable

Contact your local dealer today: Farmstar Ltd Bridge Street Brigg North Lincs DN20 8NF 01652 654944 www.farmstar.co.uk

C R Willcocks Old Newton Rd Heathfield Devon TQ12 6RW 01626 831851 www.crwillcocks.co.uk

Andrew Symons River Tamar Way Dobles Lane Ind. Estate Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6HL 01409 254040 www.andrewsymons.co.uk

Farmstar Ltd Grove Farm, Church Lane, Marr Doncaster DN5 7AU 01302 786786 www.farmstar.co.uk

Ravenhill Beech Business Park Tillington Road Hereford HR4 9QJ 01432 352333 www.ravenhill.co.uk www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Andrew Symons Borners Bridge Nr Pathfields Ind. Estate South Molton, Devon EX36 3LZ 01769 574455 http://www.andrewsymons.co.uk

Farmstar Ltd Farmstar Ltd Hawton Lane Becklands Park Ind. Estate New Balderton York Road, Market Weighton Newark NG24 3BU York YO43 3GA 01636 671628 01430 875900 www.farmstar.co.uk www.farmstar.co.uk September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 29

| Buildings

Long term confidence in Dairy production Shropshire based Dairy Farmer Mike Oakley has recently undertaken expansive improvements to his dairy farm buildings and milking facility. any would suggest this as a brave move within the current agricultural climate but Mike’s confidence in the future of his dairy herd will in the long term bear fruits. It will allow production efficiency to improve along with enhancing the welfare of the herd and ultimately the quality of the produce offered to the marketplace.

Mike sought designs for the new buildings at his Dorrington Farm to accommodate a 60 point Waikato rotary parlour, management facilities, cubicle housing and yardage from specialist construction contractors Minshall Construction. He required a ‘one stop shop’ where all the works were controlled by one contractor.

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The redevelopment includes a new cubicle building approx.60mx26m housing 176 cows and new parlour building approx.75mx24m Mike’s remit to Minshall Construction was ‘value for money, quality service and total commitment to the project’.

This is exactly the ethos Minshall Construction have with all their clients and they pride themselves on completing many major turnkey construction projects nationwide on this basis. Using only its own highly skilled workforce, Minshall Construction builds partnerships with clients which ensures they get exactly what they require and more. All projects receive full H & S supervision from start to finish and staff take a site wide pride in all the activities involved in the construction process.

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Mike Oakley has been completely satisfied with the finished project, which expanded during the build to include concrete slab grooving also undertaken by Minshall and the manufacture of bespoke tipping water troughs in the cubicle house. The resulting development positions this family farm well for the future, despite the current issues surrounding UK milk production.

For further information contact brian.finch@minshallconstruction.com or visit www.minshallconstruction.com

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| Arable

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| Buildings

New plan will boost starter homes in rural areas Villages and towns in England’s rural communities will be allowed to build starter homes for local residents as part of plans set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and Environment Secretary, Elizabeth Truss in the Government’s first ever Rural Productivity Plan. he plan, announced as latest figures show thousands of people are moving to rural areas, will set out measures to boost the rural economy by investing in education and skills, increasing wages, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and simplifying

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planning laws for rural businesses and communities.

Measures covered by the plan include: • Amending planning rules to allow Starter Homes to be built on Rural Exception Sites for the first time. This will allow local areas to allocate more sites for Starter Homes specifically for people who already live in the area, or have an

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existing family or employment connection to the area.

• Working with private sector providers to assess alternative solutions to deliver broadband further into rural areas.

• Improving rural transport connections by feeding the views of rural stakeholders into the second Road Investment Strategy for 2020 to 2025.Ensuring fairer funding for rural schools and work with schools and colleges that are currently underperforming or ‘coasting’ to ensure that, where appropriate, they are entering into collaborative arrangements and formal partnerships to raise standards.

Encouraging rural Local Authorities and providers to make innovative early expressions of interest to deliver 30 hours of free childcare to working parents.

Setting a new ambition to provide high speed broadband to businesses in all Enterprise Zones in rural areas.

Considering proposals for increased devolution of powers and greater freedoms to maximise

economic growth in areas across the country that put in place strong and accountable local governance.

Improving connectivity by providing improved transport “We’re connecting the countryside to make it just as simple to run a business from Cornwall as it is in Camden” connections for businesses and passengers in local areas with fifteen brand new routes on the Regional Air Connectivity funding shortlist.

Together these steps will boost productivity and ensure the countryside becomes an even more attractive place for people to live, work, start a business and bring up a family.

Commenting on the launch, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “For too long the British economy has been reliant on businesses based in our cities and towns. We want to create a One

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| Buildings

Nation economy that taps into the potential of all parts of our country.

That means setting the right conditions for rural communities and businesses to thrive, investing in education and skills, improving rural infrastructure, and allowing rural villages to thrive and grow.”

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss added: “Our rural areas could be generating billions more for the UK and providing many thousands of new jobs – this plan will make that a reality, unleashing the full potential of our countryside to create a true One Nation economy.

“We’re connecting the countryside to make it just as simple to run a business from Cornwall as it is in Camden. But it’s not just about transport and technology. Our plan will help us create thriving towns and villages where generations of families can open and expand their

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businesses, buy a home and educate their children at first class schools.”

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said: "We're determined to ensure anyone who works hard and aspires to own their own home has the opportunity to do so – whether they live in cities, towns or rural communities.

"But all too often young people find themselves exiled from the place they grew up as they are forced to move away to find a home of their own.

"That's why we're putting power directly in the hands of rural councils to give the go-ahead for new Starter Homes in their area so local young first-time buyers can continue to be a vital part of their communities."

To unleash the full potential of rural areas and improve the quality of life for people living in some of

the most beautiful parts of the country, the government will deliver: • Strong conditions for rural business growth – cutting red tape, including 20,000 farm inspections to be cut this Parliament, and cuts to corporation tax.

• Better mobile coverage – ensuring 98% indoor coverage for 4G by 2017.

• Modern transport connections – improving connectivity of rural areas including through the £15bn Road Investment Strategy and the £38bn rail investment programme.

• Access to Enterprise Zones in rural areas – giving 100% business rate discounts on businesses located within them, saving each company up to £275,000 over five years.

• High-quality education – raising standards through fairer funding and working with

underperforming schools.

• Expanded apprenticeships in rural areas – tripling the number of food and farming apprenticeships from 6,000 to 18,000.

• Extensive, fast and reliable broadband – making superfast broadband available for 95% of UK premises by 2017 and working with providers to address challenges reaching the final 5%.

• Improved planning and better regulation for businesses – supporting delivery of Starter Homes on rural exception sites and reviewing the planning constraints affecting rural areas.

• More devolution of powers – calling on local areas to propose what further powers they would like to see handed to them.

• Housing for future generations – increasing the availability of housing in rural areas to ensure our villages thrive.

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| Security

East of England Co-op venture into security sector The largest independent retailer in the region, the East of England Co-op, has expanded into the security sector, introducing a new business - Secure Response Services. he East of England Co-op’s Secure Response Services is built on years of experience reducing crime across its own estate of over 200 outlets, many of which are in rural towns and villages across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex – and they are now looking to share their expertise and facilities with other local businesses in the fight against theft and crime.

Although the past year saw a lower level of rural crime, the East of England as a region remains the most affected. In a study by NFU Mutual, it’s believed that this crime, which ranges from vehicle and fuel theft to trespassing, cost our region alone £6.3million in 2014.

Lee Hammond, Head of Secure Response Service, explained: “Everyone has the right to live, shop and work in a safe environment.

We’ve invested heavily in our security department to tackle theft and anti-social behaviour in our stores; and by working in partnership with local communities, police forces, councils and really taking a stand for what we believe in, we hope to make our local towns and village’s safe places to be and protect people’s livelihoods.”

2014 saw the opening of a state-of-the-art Alarm Receiving Centre, allowing the Secure Response Service team to remotely monitor over 3,000 CCTV cameras and intruder alarms.

They also have a dedicated investigations team

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made up of highly skilled interviewers, with a wealth of experience in identifying internal crime and misconduct.

A number of corporate clients, including Sackers Recycling, are already benefitting from the 24/7 service, giving them peace of mind that offices and assets are protected and their workforce feel safe and supported when dealing with incidents.

For further information about Secure Response Services and to speak to a member of our team about your needs and how they could support you, call 01473 786120 or visit

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www.secureresponseservices.co.uk

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| Security

DIY security made easy with Parabeam Effective security doesn't need to be expensive. hen Ray Brearton went to live in New Zealand he never imagined he’d be like Captain Cook returning to Yorkshire / the UK after five years with exciting new wares from a distant land.

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Parabeam wireless driveway alarms / perimeter alarm systems have many applications for external detection.

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 35

| Arable

Destruction of our soil is more serious than climate change An international soil scientist says restocking the world’s arable soil with carbon is more important than climate change. r John Baker says too many people around the world treat soil like dirt when it should be revered because “our lives depend on it.” He believes that because soil isn’t sexy, is not on our radar and is metaphorically beneath us, it’s taken for granted by many farmers and ignored by politicians and city dwellers.

“Instead people are besotted by climate change when improving soil health and feeding the world is more important,” he says.

“Climate change, while serious, is not going to starve you but the rape of our soil over the last 1,000 years through traditional tillage methods, is already leading to reduced crop yields and will eventually result in famine and malnutrition.”

Dr Baker says alarming figures provided by the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the UK Farmers Weekly suggest the quality of soil is rapidly diminishing.

FAO predicts the world, on average, has 60 more years of growing crops left while the Farmers Weekly claims that only 100 harvests remain in the UK. Eighty percent of the world’s food comes from crops.

Ironically climate change and soil health are closely related and can benefit each other Dr Baker, who has a MAgrSc in soil science and Ph.D in agricultural engineering from Massey University, New Zealand, explains.

“Soil health is strongly influenced by the amount of carbon in the soil. That carbon has been oxidised by conventional tillage (ploughing) and even minimum tillage and discharged as carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Tillage does nothing to recapture it,” he says.

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“As a result the carbon that was in the soil is now in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change when it should be back in the soil.”

“The answer is to take it out of the atmosphere and return it to the soil where it belongs which would be a win-win for climate change and soil health. About 20 percent of CO2 in the atmosphere is caused by tillage.”

He explains that if the soil remains undisturbed, the carbon and organisms it feeds start to create a healthy soil that, in turn, improves crop yields enabling them to feed the additional millions of people who’ll populate our planet in the next few decades.

“The UN General Assembly has declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils. We are two-thirds of the way through the year and so far we’ve only paid lip service. The clock is ticking on how many harvests the world has left so it’s time to stop being complacent,” he says.

“Only low-disturbance no tillage can save the world but it requires recognition and an innovative approach from politicians and people in authority before it’s too late.”

The way to begin, he emphasises, is by recycling crop residues i.e. what is left of the crop after harvesting the grain. Dr Baker says the residues, whether standing stubble, lying straw or chaff, are the food stuff of microbes which build soil structure and form symbiotic relationships with plant roots to increase the uptake of nutrients.

“They are not trash to be disposed of or burnt off. They are the resources to grow the next crop,” he points out. “To do this you might have to farm ugly but it’s better than a tidy ploughed paddock which has destroyed the organic matter and released the carbon into the atmosphere.”

Dr Baker is talking about the stuff of life. One way or other soil provides up to 90 percent of our food. There are more living organisms in a cupful of healthy soil than people on the planet he says yet conventional tillage, practised over the centuries, is killing the soil, much more than pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers have ever done.

“People are besotted by climate change when improving soil health and feeding the world is more important” Dr Baker has long advocated the use of low disturbance, no tillage. The process, which penetrates through crop residue on top of the soil and sows seeds and fertiliser in separate bands beneath it, causes minimal disturbance to the soil, traps the humidity, preserves the organisms and soil life, largely prevents carbon from escaping and increases yields.

His own Cross-Slot no-tillage drills are sold in 18 countries and used extensively in the US and Canada, Australia and the UK where farmers have become alarmed at the declining quality of their soil.

“While many scientists and leading arable research groups are focusing on above the ground remedies in terms of pesticides, herbicides and genetic engineering, they’ve ignored the destruction beneath their feet,” he says.

“We will eventually starve if we don’t focus on where the real problem is.”

Contact Dr John Baker, CEO Baker NoTillage: Email baker@CrossSlot.com

Animation outlines steps for black-grass control Bayer CropScience has produced a new short animation to outline the main stages in preparing the ground for blackgrass control programmes. he animation looks at how to reduce the weed burden prior to drilling and ensure the ground is in the right condition to get the best activity from preemergence herbicides.

“It’s been clear for several years now that the only way to deal with problem black-grass is a well planned programme which uses cultural

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controls like delayed drilling and stale seedbeds coupled with effective use of herbicides like Liberator (flufenacet + diflufenican) and Atlantis WG (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron),” says Phillippa Overson, Herbicide Campaign Manager for Bayer.

“In recent years, arable farmers have done well at putting all of this into practice so this animation is really a reminder to help people

keep up the good work in the 2015/16 season.”

The animation can be viewed at http://www.bayercropscience.co.uk/yourcrop/wheat/herbicides/black-grass-taskforce/cultivations/animation-outlines-steps-forblack-grass-control/, another video on the application of pre-emergence herbicides will be available shortly.

BASF strengthens national agronomy team National agronomy manager team strengthened with the appointment of Andrew Clune in the south of England. e will join eleven other UK specialists liaising with farmers and agronomists, discussing weed, pest and disease challenges and helping them get the best from BASF’s crop protection solutions through on farm trials and discussion groups.

“I will be the face of the company throughout

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Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex, engaging with farmers and agronomists to provide technical advice and support at a local level,” says Mr Clune.

“We want to build closer relationships on farm to ensure that BASF can better meet the needs of farmers and provide support for the challenges throughout the industry.

“This will give farmers direct access to our

36 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

team, which will also help them work with us to ensure we develop the products they need for the future.”

Mr Clune grew up in Australia and studied at the University of Sydney, where he completed a BSc in Agriculture majoring in agronomy. After several years in agricultural consultancy in New South Wales he came to England in 2004.

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| Arable

Making the most of manure: SRUC experts say it is time to break old habits

Image: from left to right Stephen, Rhona & John Mitchell (Rumbletonrig)

SRUC experts are advising farmers to make better use of their slurry and manure to increase profitability and reduce their environmental impact. hile livestock farms create large volumes of their own organic manures which can add much needed nutrients back into the soil, many farmers are still not getting the best out of this resource.

SAC Consultant Donald Dunbar says: “Too often farmers see slurry and manure as a waste product they need to get rid off. We know that used correctly it can reduce the need for fertiliser which will save money, and of course reduce the pollution risk. However while many farmers will spread their manure on their fields they still add a normal application of bag fertiliser as well, seeing the manure as little more than a bonus treatment.”

The message was given at a recent Farming for a Better Climate Event held in the Scottish Borders.

Rumbletonrig, a 341 hectare farm near Greenlaw, run by John Mitchell and his family, is one of the Scottish Government’s new Climate Change Focus Farms.

Over the next few years meetings will be held at farms across Scotland which aim to introduce farmers to ways they can lessen their environmental impact while maintaining, or even increasing, profitability.

Rumbletonrig is a mixed enterprise and as well as growing barley, wheat and oats, the Mitchells have 250 sheep and 300 beef cows. While they create and use a significant volume of manure Chris McDonald, a Senior Agricultural Consultant with SAC Consulting, believes they can make far more of it through using it in the right way at the right time.

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He says: “The slurry and manures at Rumbletonrig have an equivalent nutrient value worth around £14,000. We will be working with John and son Stephen to work out where best to apply the manure, when to apply to manure and how much to apply to get the valuable phosphate and potash nutrients back where they’re needed most. That way he can save on his purchased fertiliser which will help both his bottom line and the natural environment.”

Farmers throughout Scotland could benefit similarly if they begin to think about their slurry and manure as a valuable resource and carefully plan how to use it.

Donald explains: “In some fields the nutrient status may already be quite high which means rates of slurry or fertiliser can be reduced, so it’s important that farmers take a more targeted approach. The nutrient level depends on the crop which has just been in the ground, if you have just cut grass for silage for example you’ll have removed a high amount of potash from your soil which manure can help replace.”

For the Farming for a Better Climate team the key to helping farmers adopt greener practices is to highlight just how positive making these changes can be for the farm.

Donald says: “What we need to do is speak to farmers as much as we can and explain how beneficial this can be if they do it the right way. We need to get them to break old habits, and we know old habits die hard. But it is worth it, for them and for the land they are farming.”

The project is funded by Scottish Government and is part of the wider Farming for a Better

Climate programme which sets out to raise farmer awareness of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. The next meeting of the three year project will be in November. Further details of the programme can be found at www.farmingforabetterclimate.org.

For more information on slurry

management please contact Chris McDonald at chris.mcdonald@sac.co.uk For more information on Farming for a Better Climate contact Rebecca Audsley at Rebecca.audsley@sac.co.uk

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Potatoes the six month storage period.

“We might have expected some temperature affect on disease development,” said Glyn.

“This on reflection could be associated with the rapid pull down.

“Fresh market potatoes are typically pulled down at fast rates, 1°C a day, where possible.

This requires good condensation control, with condensation especially aggravating to Silver scurf.

“The research suggests that middle of the range temperatures in the trial provided a cost and taste benefit without dramatically increasing the level of sprouting”

Should we be storing warmer for fresh market sectors?

Plant Pathologist, Dr Glyn Harper discusses how long term established practice in stored temperatures has recently been challenged in a three year AHDB levy-funded project. very so often it’s important revisit and retest common practice,” says Glyn. “For the fresh market keeping commercial stores between 2 and 3.5°C is thought to provide the best control to maintain quality, skin finish, and to limit disease and weight loss.”

“However, maintaining low storage temperatures has a significant influence on energy costs. It also has a known trade off in eating quality, as lower temperatures also affect reducing sugar levels and the sweetness of the tubers.”

“Flavour and texture, is influenced by sugar formation in combination with amino acids,” adds Glyn.

A three year AHDB Potatoes funded trial supported by the Fresh Potato Suppliers

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Association (FPSA) recently concluded at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR). Four well-established varieties, Desiree, King Edward, Marfona and Maris Piper, were stored under controlled conditions at 2.5, 4 and 5.5°C. “The highest temperature in the study, 5.5°C is very high compared to UK standard practice but is not uncommon across Europe,” explained Glyn.

Skin finish “Across all four varieties there was noticeable deterioration in bloom at two monthly intervals,” noted Glyn. “But it was hard to see any difference between the storage temperatures tested with each variety.”

Blemish diseases Temperature also had no significant effects on Black dot, Silver scurf, and Skin spot over

38 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

Sprout control No chlorpropham (CIPC) was applied to the trials and unsurprisingly, some sprouting was apparent after two months and sprouting levels increased at every two month interval.

“Interestingly there was little differences in sprouting of the varieties between 2.5 and 4 °C but there were more significant increases at 5.5 °C,” noted Glyn.

Weight loss “We’ve tended to assume that temperature has a significant effect on weight loss, however the trials did not find this across the varieties tested.”

“The respiration rate is a key component of energy demand and the amount we need to put into refrigeration. Respiration is an area that we will be exploring further.

Old research, used as an industry standard suggests that respiration rates would be enhanced a 2.5 °C. “This was not the case,” adds Glyn. “Although there was a variety difference, Desiree and King Edward respire a little more than Marfona on average and after six months the respiration rate creeps up in many but not all cases.”

Fry colour As expected sweetening was more apparent at the lower temperatures for each variety.

Taste and Texture Organoleptic taste panels tool place at the end of year 2 and 3 and concluded that there was a slight preference for warmer stored potatoes and that lower temperature stored potatoes tasted sweeter, as expected.

Energy costs The assessment showed that the impact of lowering temperatures from 5.5 to 2.5°C increased energy costs by 11%.

Further studies “The research suggests that middle of the range temperatures in the trial provided a cost and taste benefit without dramatically increasing the level of sprouting. We are now doing further work at 3.5°C and results will be shared with our levy-payers,” ended Glyn.

To watch Glyn’s presentation at AHDB Potatoes On-farm Storage Day, Shropshire in June 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ayer_embedded&v=V0gpHiNoeTc Glyn Harper will be on the SBCSR stand at BP2015 to discuss the work with levypayers in Harrogate 12 – 13 November. To register go to www.bp2015.co.uk

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| Potatoes

Box clever by choosing HK Timbers 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. 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.

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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.

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.

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Many of their customers still have boxes in use which are more than 15 years old proving their products are a sound investment.

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 Timber’s can often offer extended credit terms 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 2015 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Potatoes

Exercise ‘Restrain’ for residue free sprout control As the 2015/16 storage season fast approaches Restrain Company Ltd continues to lead the way in ethylene storage; providing residue free sprout control in both bulk and box stores. thylene can be used as a stand-alone product and the Restrain system has approval for use on organic material.

Ethylene is often a favourite among growers with new stores that they do not want to contaminate.

However, ethylene is also very effective in combination with CIPC, providing a back up and extended control to an early or lower dose of CIPC. As the reduced rate of CIPC for 30g/t for the fresh market remains in place for the 15/16 storage season, using ethylene in combination with CIPC allows growers to long term store and whilst avoiding MRLs. The beauty of ethylene is that there is no harvest interval - crop can be safely unloaded from the store at any point giving growers greater flexibility and allowing them to react to the market.

Although the Restrain technology was

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originally developed for residue free storage of table potatoes it also used for sprout control during onion storage and as a treatment for seed potatoes. ‘Pre-sprouting with the brake on’ is how the Restrain ethylene seed treatment is sometimes described. The restrain generator maintains a continuous low level of ethylene within the seed store for a minimum of 90 days before planting. The ethylene disrupts the apical dominance of the tubers, creating more runners and giving more stem numbers, therefore increasing numbers and yield. In some varieties yields can be increased by as much as 20%, in addition more uniform and even sized tubers can be seen. The treatment also give growers flexibility in spring as seed can be placed back into ethylene storage after grading to pause stem growth if there is sudden change in plans – perhaps due to the unreliable British weather!!

Potato Industry CIPC Stewardship Group announce 2015/16 product label New statutory product label changes to Chlorpropham (CIPC) were announced in July. CIPC is an essential tool to control sprouting and is applied to around 3.5m tonnes of potatoes stored each year by around 1,000 growers. ew application rates for CIPC have been agreed for 2015-16.

The gradual annual reduction in CIPC total dose was requested by the companies that hold the approvals for formulations as part of the CIPC stewardship process, and was agreed with the Expert Committee on Pesticides (previously Advisory Committee on Pesticides).

For the 2015-16 season, new statutory limits on total dose rates, approved by Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) are 30g/tonne for the fresh market and 50g/tonne for processing (including fish & chip shops and peeling). The latest time of application is 14 days before removal from store for sale or processing is also a statutory requirement.

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Best practice, in-line with Red Tractor Farm Assurance and the NAAC applicator group, permits just one application in cold stores (<5°C), early in storage, before temperature is decreased below 7°C. “From 2017 it is expected that new product labels will permit a total dose of no more than 36 grams/tonne,” says Adrian Briddon, Group Secretary of the Stewardship Group. “More importantly, it is anticipated, the conditions under which this may be applied, will be more strictly controlled on product labels.”

It is recommended that applications at full label rates should not be carried out unless best practice methods are in place and stores are suitable for effective distribution of the chemical.

“BASIS advisors and users of CIPC should

40 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

be aware that even modest doses (around 1014 grams/tonne) applied under conditions where best practice modifications have not been adopted will increase the risk of a Maximum Residue Level exceedance,” added Mr Briddon.

“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 and ensure that a store checklist is completed before any application is made.” The ‘Be CIPC Compliant’ campaign (www.BeCIPCcompliant.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 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 AHDB Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) and Secretary of the CIPC Stewardship Group, on 01406 359412

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| Renewables

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Potatoes

Take the weight off your Next generation potato shoulders with Burdens grading from Tong Whatever your vegetable or bulb processing requirements, Burdens Goodacres can provide a bespoke solution. urdens Goodacres continue to offer a complete service to potato growers.

We are happy to work on all makes of potato processing machinery and can provide an onsite breakdown service for your grader, stitching line, boxfiller or arrange for a complete overall of your equipment in our large workshop at Sutterton near Boston.

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We continue to service and supply parts for Compas and Schouten jump graders and can make square mesh and long slot riddles for these machines too.

Burdens can now supply and fit a wide range of conveyor belting for all types of equipment.

Materials can be PVC, PVG or rubber. Food quality belts can be specified if necessary. Belts can be made to order with tracking strips or flights fitted to suit most applications. An onsite measuring service is also available.

We continue to service and supply parts for Compas and Schouten jump graders and can make square mesh and long slot riddles for these machines too.

Burdens Goodacres have been servicing and supplying parts for Newlong stitchers for a number of years. We are happy to carry out onsite servicing of your whole stitching line. We can also send you a lone stitching head to keep your line running while we service your head.

Please ring Adrian on 07825 267080 for new and used machines, service and parts enquiries or visit our website at www.burdens.com.

42 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

When one of the UK’s largest growers and producers of fresh vegetables, the Produce World Group, decided to invest in a new grading line to improve the efficiency of its grading operations at the company’s Sutton Bridge site, it chose a uniquely designed grading line from Tong Engineering. he Produce World grading line upgrades focused on a diverse range of potato grade sizes that the company need to be able to achieve in order to supply a wide variety of customers from supermarkets to restaurants and ready meal manufacturers. With Produce World’s specific requirements in mind, design engineers at Tong Engineering, developed a grading system that meant Produce World could achieve each and every grade size within a single grading line.

“With such a wide range of grading requirements, the obvious solution would be two grading lines, or at least a number of interchanging grading screen modules” explained Nick

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Woodcock, Sales Manager at Tong Engineering. “However, we wanted to look at Produce World’s brief very specifically, to achieve one grading line that not only required much less space within the Sutton Bridge grading facility, but also kept grading screen changes to an absolute minimum. In doing this, the grading line allows Produce World to increase throughput whilst minimising damage and reducing downtime at all times, particularly during the peak season.”

Featuring two Tong heavy duty 160 degree box tippers at the infeed followed by Tong’s proven EasyClean separator feeding onto an inspection area, the grading line consists of a total of fifteen Tong EasyGrade screen sizing modules feeding graded crop into four Tong EasyFill twin box fillers

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| Potatoes

and three single box fillers. In line with Produce World’s requirements, the grading line offers accurate grading with throughputs of up to 30 tonnes per hour.

“One of the key considerations with a line consisting of 15 grading screens was the potential impact on the crop as it passes over the screens. Therefore, we carried out extensive impact tests before and after to prove that the new grading system was the most gentle possible. With fined-tuned speed and agitation settings, the new line offers significantly reduced impact, especially when compared to recordings on their old equipment” added Nick.

“We worked very closely with Produce World and as the project developed in the design department, our technical engineers designed an intelligent

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control system for the grading line that allows fully automatic running of the line whilst incorporating automated and continuous safety, maintenance and efficiency features which have allowed Produce World to significantly improve productivity.

The grading line incorporates all of Tong’s latest and most advanced control features, making the new line exceptionally userfriendly. From a multi-user AutoTouch HMI touch screen allowing suitable access and control to all users at all levels and illuminated box filling beacons making it quicker and easier for forklift drivers to see which boxes need changing next. The line also features fully automated grading screen speed and agitation adjustment and an energy efficient power-saving mode that shuts-off equipment that is not in use.

Continuous system monitoring provides users with visual status reports so that it the event of an issue, the exact location is automatically pin-pointed for quick and easy diagnosis and problem solving. The latest safety technology within the machine’s control, also enables safe running of parts of the line whilst others are under adjustment or maintenance” says Nick.

Katie Stark, Operations Director at Produce World Sutton Bridge commented “We are dedicated to

using innovative processes to provide solutions that meet the needs of our customers. When we set the brief for our new grading facility we were very specific about our requirements and Tong really looked at the brief and put a lot of thought and effort into what we needed.

“The fortress key system within the machine controls means that the line is exceptionally safe and I’m confident with a long grading line of fifteen screens, crop is handled very gently and any work to the line is done safely and efficiently. We wanted to reduce the number of screen changes, increase throughput, minimise damage and downtime, and ensure safety for our operators.

The Tong grader has really allowed us to fulfil all of our requirements, we’re getting higher throughputs, and much less damage. We’ve been very pleased with the whole service that Tong has offered, from design to installation and after care” added Katie.

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Potatoes Image: AHDB Potatoes chair Fiona Fell

BP2015 – Heading to Harrogate 12 & 13 November If you’re serious about potatoes, you have to be going to BP2015 in Harrogate 12 & 13 November, 2015.

P2015 is still in Harrogate, but has relocated to the outstanding facilities of the Harrogate International Centre (HIC) - a purpose built complex in the heart of the town. The event is free for registered visitors and by booking in advance (bp2015.co.uk) you’ll gain fast-tracked admission on the day.

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“We consider this event to be the most important in the UK potato industry” “BP2015 is the biggest gathering of potato businesses and people in the GB potato calendar,” enthuses AHDB Potatoes chair Fiona Fell. “You need to be there for two days of solid interaction, catching up with research, talking to old friends and understanding where your business needs to go next.”

Only once every two years, every business associated with the potato industry is under one roof.

It’s an important chance to keep up-to-date, and to meet customers, suppliers and colleagues.

“Since 2013, we’ve seen structural changes within the retail supply chain, an imbalance between supply and demand and consumers buying in different ways as they recover from recession,” states Fiona. “AHDB Potatoes workstreams in research and innovation, marketing and consumer understanding have moved on too.”

“I will be on our stand with fellow AHDB Potatoes board

members,” adds Fiona. “Please come and talk to us and let me know what you think your organisation AHDB Potatoes, should be doing for you in the future.”

Harrogate International Centre enables this core event to have more exhibitors and a larger footprint than ever before.

“We’re delighted that a record number of new exhibitors have committed and are coming,” adds Fiona.

Everyone in the industry passes through the doors during the two days. It’s good to get the chance to see people outside the typical seasonal environment where often time pressures are too great to be able to talk freely.

BP2015 gold sponsor Branston is one of the UK’s largest buyers, packers and distributors of potatoes and is looking forward to meeting up with growers on its stand at the new venue.

“Branston has been delighted to sponsor BP for several years, and we are very much looking forward to this year’s event,” explains James Truscott, Branston’s managing director.

“We consider this event to be the most important in the UK potato industry. The increased attendance and content this year will give us an even greater platform to interact with our suppliers and customers from across the UK and overseas. The last two years have seen fresh challenges thrown at the industry and we’ve been working on a range of initiatives. Seeing everyone at Harrogate this November will be an excellent opportunity to showcase some of our recent developments as well

44 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

as discussing the future direction of GB potatoes.”

The latest Kit Reviewing machinery options, seeing new kit and striking a show deal is an important aspect of the show. This time there’s a larger amount of machinery on display and for the first time it is indoors.

Barry Baker, Sales Director for BP2015 Gold sponsor Grimme says, “Since the last event in Harrogate technology developments have moved on swiftly. Grimme has some state of the art new developments, such as yield mapping and planter section control which allows growers to efficiently place and optimize seed tonnage over the hectarage available.

BP2015 is an excellent opportunity for growers and farm managers to see our equipment kit first hand. Come and talk to the Grimme team about the best equipment available for your farm size and specific rotation.”

The social side As well as serious matters, BP2015 is a time to have a bit of fun. The industry dinner is the chance to mix socially as well as do business.

This year the dinner takes place at the spectacular Harrogate Royal Hall at the end of the first day. The venue is connected to the HIC and provides the perfect environment to unwind with friends and colleagues, network or to entertain valuable guests. We’ve already got more guests than any previous year. Tickets can be booked : bp2015.co.uk The entertainment Seasoned sports commentator Nick Mullins is primed to deliver the after dinner speech. Nick will

Sports commentator Nick Mullins

bring a relaxed humour and unrivalled insight into his work at numerous sporting events. The most topical being the Rugby World Cup, where, as the lead commentator for ITV, he will have had access to every team.

Nick will also provide his experience from commentating at Wimbledon, The University Boat Race, the London Marathon, the Sydney Olympics, the Manchester Commonwealth Games, the Athens Olympics and London 2012.

BP2015 Sponsorship opportunities There are supporting sponsorship opportunities which are still available for the industry dinner and pre-dinner drinks. If you are looking to boost the profile of your organisation, please contact the BP2015 event team on 01743 455886.

Tickets To get in free to the event and avoid queues on day go to www.bp2015.co.uk

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| Tillage

Tillage-Live moves to North Yorkshire Tillage-Live, the national cultivation event that gives the farming community a unique opportunity to see the latest equipment at work alongside the chance to discuss new ideas with industry-leading experts, takes place this year on Wednesday 16th September 2015 at Croft Farms, Croft on Tees, North Yorkshire, by kind permission of Croft Farms. he event which runs from 8am to 3pm, offers operators handson experience with the latest equipment and the chance to compare performance on the same soil type on the same day. NRoSO & BASIS points are available.

“Complementing the machinery demonstrations and static exhibits is the Tillage-Live Knowledge Trail which provides a detailed look at the key soil issues with the popular soil pit, helping visitors understand what is happening beneath the surface,

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showing how to correctly identify compaction and pinpoint its causes. The role of various implements in repairing compaction and the wider issues of preserving soil structure will also be discussed,” said Duncan Russell, Services Manager at the Agricultural Engineers Association and organisers of the Tillage-Live event.

There will also be the chance for operators to get a hands-on drive of the latest sprayers in a special area as well gaining experience of using guidance and auto-steer equipped tractors and machines.

Many leading companies have taken trade stands where a wide range of equipment will be on display.

Full details of the event can be found at www.tillage-live.uk.comincluding details of pre-registering where the cost of entry is £7.50 per car. If you are organising a mini bus or coach, then please contact the organisers on 0845 4900 142 to arrange entry to the venue.

For more information about the event visit the Tillage-Live website or contact the TillageLive Team on 0845 4900 142

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 45

| Tillage

Kubota and UK Air Ambulances prepare to take off at Tillage Live Market leading machinery manufacturer’s national campaign to support life saving services coming to Tillage Live. ubota’s newly launched national campaign ‘Working Safely, Saving Lives’, which aims to raise £250,000 for 20 air ambulance charities across the UK whilst also promoting the importance of health and safety in the workplace, will be coming to Tillage Live on Wednesday 16 September The UK agricultural and construction sectors are two of the most dangerous and hazardous industries in terms of fatal

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accidents and serious injuries. For agricultural or construction workers for instance, who could have a life threatening accident, the critical service the Air Ambulance provides can be their only hope of survival.

The ‘Working Safely, Saving Lives’ campaign is specifically designed to raise crucial funds for the 20 UK air ambulances. It costs approximately £2,500 every time an air ambulance takes to the air, with its life saving rescue missions funded by the public’s generous donations.

Dave Roberts, Kubota UK’s

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Managing Director, said: “All the air ambulance charities provide an essential service in all walks of life, but we have specifically chosen this worthy causes because a high proportion of air ambulance rescue missions carried out across the UK every year are related to agriculture and construction incidents, making it extremely close to our hearts.

To encourage people to donate and raise money, Kubota is giving away one of its Special Edition RTV-X900 utility vehicles in a prize draw, which will be showcased for visitors to see at Tillage Live along

with a selection of Kubota’s market leading range of agricultural machinery.

The all terrain vehicle, featuring a special edition black finish and chrome alloys, offers exceptional performance and versatility for all year round working, whether this be on a farm, construction site or golf club.

“We are extremely proud to be launching this campaign and hope people get behind it and help us make a real difference!”

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| Tillage

Dale Drills offer expert advice at Tillage-Live Cooler spring temperatures and heavy summer rainfall has delayed many harvests this year, causing a knock-on effect to the establishment of following crops. he later start to the drilling season can bring a variety of problems – with wetter soil leading to issues around compaction and smearing.

James Dale, of Lincolnshirebased Dale Drills, said it was vital for farmers to make the most of the shorter time available – selecting the right drill for efficient and cost effective cultivation.

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“Every soil and season is different, so it pays to get the spade out and see what condition the soil is in and where compaction exists, if at all” James, who together with his brother Tom farms 2,650 acres of wheat, OSR, spring oats, spring barley and spring beans, at Pepperdale House Farm in Howsham, near Market Rasen, said: “Whilst the bravest amongst us might dare to leave drilling well

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into November, for most, running on wetter soils is a recipe for disaster – with compaction and smearing of soils leading to poor crop establishment.

“Every soil and season is different, so it pays to get the spade out and see what condition the soil is in and where compaction exists, if at all.

“But if you’re finding yourself carrying out cultivations simply to enable your drill to run it may be time for a change. Drilling technology has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, much of which has been spearheaded by British manufacturers, particularly in the direct drilling sector.”

James said improving drilling output was most obviously done through a wider drill – but this often came with the need for more horsepower to pull it.

However, minimal disturbance direct drills, such as the Dale EcoDrill, had the benefit of being easier to pull with just 25hp/m required, he added.

“These drills not only provide more timely drilling operations but can also help when the weather

does turn,” James continued. “By not disturbing soils any more than necessary, the drill avoids smearing wet soils and leaving open drill channels. Furthermore the smaller tractor used to pull the drill is lighter on the ground, reducing the likelihood of compaction.”

Dale Drills will be showcasing a 6m Eco Drill at stand 128 at this year’s Tillage-Live event at Croft Farms, Croft on Tees, Darlington.

With unique, quick adjust, variable row spacing the Eco-Drill can sow from 5" (12.5cm) to 10" (25cm) for cereals and up to 20" (50cm) for OSR. Its long-lasting 12mm thick tungsten carbide tipped tines also keep the overall power requirement down to just 20hp/m – offering true, low cost establishment.

The drill is capable of sowing into all seedbeds, conventional, min-till and direct, while an adjustable hydraulic pressure

allows for accurate seed placement and depth control in all conditions and soil types.

It can also be easily incorporated into a controlled traffic system, while its electronic RDS control system links into tractor GPS for a variable application rate on the move.

Meanwhile, Michelin XBIB 710mm wide tyres on the land wheels allow pressures to be run at 6psi (0.4 bar) to prevent compaction.

Dale Drills is also holding onfarm demonstrations with its 6m Eco-Drill and an Eco5T. “This gives farmers an excellent opportunity to see how our drills work on their land and gives them a direct drilled crop to compare with their existing establishment method,” James said. “Anyone who wants to find out more is welcome to come and find us at Tillage-Live and we’ll be able to give them some details.”

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 47

| Forestry

British Hardwood Tree Nursery Over the past 25 years, British Hardwood Tree Nursery has secured its place as one of the UK’s leading tree and hedging suppliers at the forefront of the market.

Supplying over a million plants nationwide per year, the company provide bare root trees, shrubs and hedgerow plants to farmers, landowners and forestry companies across the UK. he team at British Hardwood Trees actively support and promote Woodland Grant Schemes and place high importance on playing a part in extending the sustainability of our nation’s woodlands and forests.

UK grown forestry trees, hedging and planting accessories form the backbone of their product

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range and they are a key official distributor of Tubex tree protection products.

Their horticultural team, with skills across forestry and nursery management as well as procurement, provides their customers with the complete hedging and forestry package, with expert advice and support on hand when needed.

Beyond the bare root season, British Hardwood Trees also offer

48 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

cell-grown varieties to ensure their customers can continue to manage their planting regimes throughout the year.

As the trees and hedging specialists, the team at British Hardwood Tree Nursery have pulled together a Tree Care Checklist to help your young plants establish and thrive this season and for many to come. It is really important that newly planted trees, shrubs and hedges are properly cared for in the first few seasons after planting.

1 Keep the area around your new plant weed-free to allow light, moisture and nutrients to reach it.

Use a weed-suppressing mat, weed by hand or strim. Avoid using herbicides in the first couple of years’ of a new plants life.

2 Shield your tree, particularly if you choose to use herbicides for weed control once the plants are established, to ensure the chemicals don’t come into contact with the plant itself. Use tree protection to prevent this.

3 Plants should be well-watered in any dry spells during the first few years after planting – a thorough soaking rather than a

little to each plant. Roots searching for a little dribble of water may surface instead of sending them deep into the soil for water where they can thrive.

4 From November to April, give your plants the best possible start by using Rootgrow Mycorrhizal Fungi to enhance their root systems.

5 Protect from pests – as well as shielding your plants from chemicals, use tree protection to prevent unwanted nibbling from rabbits and deer. This will also help create a healthy microclimate around the plant and keep it shielded from harsh weather conditions.

6 Check that your tree is safe and sound, at least once a year, making sure stakes, ties and tree protection products are secure and properly adjusted.

For more guidance, How To videos and our free Plant Welfare Guide, visit our website at www.britishhardwood.co.uk.

To contact the team, telephone 01673 818443 or email sales@britishhardwood.co.uk

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| Buildings

Seddons (Plant and Engineers) Ltd Bolton, North West England T: 01204 854600 www.seddonplant.co.uk

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

Mawsley Machinery Brixworth, Northampton T: 01604 880621 www.mawsley.com

KO Machines Ltd Wolverhampton, West Midlands T: 01902 798771 www.komachines.co.uk

Lakedale Power Tools Croydon T: 020 8683 0550 www.lakedalepowertools.co.uk

North West Mowers Ltd Preston, Lancashire T: 01772 698027 www.northwest-mowers.co.uk

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

Cardiff Lawn and Garden Cardiff, South Glamorgan T: 02920 569 311 www.cardifflawnandgarden.co.uk

Forest Park & Garden Pontypridd T: 01443 230000 www.fpandg.com

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 49

| Health & Safety

Agriculture industry should take measures to improve safety record Agriculture has by far the worst health and safety record of any of the major employment sectors in the UK. The number of fatal accidents in agriculture remains stubbornly high with the same accident causes cropping up time and time again. ver the ten year period from 2005/2006 to 2014/2015 there were 392 agriculture fatalities in the UK. There’s nothing new about the causes of these fatal accidents.

Although often described as “freak” accidents, agricultural fatalities are rarely unavoidable or unforeseeable. All too often simple measures, if taken, would have prevented them. Over the past 10 years the 3 main causes of fatal injuries to workers have remained the same: • Transport (29%) - being struck by a moving vehicle (mainly tractors and ATVs);

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• Struck by a moving or falling objects(17%) – mainly falling branches or trees and objects being lifted, and; • Falls from height (13%) – mainly falling through fragile roofs and from moveable ladders.

For these risks there are well understood and easily applied precautions. In many cases, these precautions just weren’t applied.

There can be no better illustration of this than the fact that 60% of those people run over by moving vehicles on farms are the vehicle driver who has left the cab without taking such a simple precaution as applying the handbrake.

The costs of accidents are significant. But it’s the nonfinancial human cost of these

accidents that are particularly high.

Family businesses and tight-knit rural communities can be hard hit.

Sadly too, one of the starkest aspects of agriculture’s poor record is the number children that are killed or injured on farms.

These incidents really bring home the message that a farm is a workplace and the industry must remember that you can’t work and supervise children at the same time.

The agricultural industry’s poor record on managing these risks is often exacerbated by a number of factors such as the prevalence of small businesses, lone working, self-employment, the use of seasonal labour; unpredictable livestock and the extensive use of

workplace transport. It is also to do with behavioural factors such as a deep-seated resourcefulness and unwise risk-taking.

With so many factors involved the problem is not going to be solved overnight but strong leadership from within the industry itself is key. At its most basic this is leading by example, challenging unsafe practices and insisting on sensible and effective precautions to avoid unnecessary risks. This leadership can come from all levels; from individuals and small contractors, from large agricultural businesses and landowners, anyone who has an influence on others behaviour.

IAgrE launches specialist safety training Agriculture is the most dangerous industry in the UK. There is an average of one person killed each week on farms and many serious injuries & cases of ill health occurring in the landbased sector - and the incident rates show no sign of reducing. ocussing on one sector IAgrE is organising a training day which will give a detailed overview of the fundamentals of electrical safety, deliver a systematic toolkit for assessing and managing the associated risks and provide each delegate with a copy of the IET’s Code of Practice for Electrical Safety Management.

“Electrical safety in agricultural

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has never been more important.

The dangers of high voltage systems are well known. With bigger machinery the risks of coming into contact with high voltage power lines is as great as ever. Add to this the developments in farm machinery with more low voltage circuits, electrical controls and complex management and control systems, the need to manage electrical safety has never been more vital,” said Alastair Taylor CEO of IAgrE.

50 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

The course is designed for: • Operational workers, farm machinery designers and production managers • Service technicians, installation engineers and electrical fitters • Workshop. Project, Site and Facilities managers • Health and safety managers and co-ordinators • Lecturers, instructors, trainers and work-place assessors The courses which will run on Tuesday 29th September and

Tuesday 17th November at Cranfield University are £350 plus VAT. Course speakers will be Bill Bates, FIEE, FIET Driector Foxgloves Electrical Safety Management and Alan Plom, MIAgrE IOSH Rural Industries Group Vice Chair, Farm Safety Partnership board Member and Chair of the Machinery Safety Group.

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| Health & Safety

Farmers to reap the benefit of new Network Rail level crossing safety campaign Network Rail has teamed up with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to help keep farmers and their workers safe at level crossings at harvest time. n the last five years, there have been over 100 near-miss incidents at crossings on farmland and four instances of trains striking farm vehicles.

Last year saw the number of near misses jump from 15 to 22 incidents, a reversal on years of steady decline.

A new campaign reminds farmers of the critical safety rules – such as using crossing telephones to call the signaller before crossing the tracks – and provides them with helpful materials to guide their workforce and regular farm visitors. These include an instructional booklet designed to be understood by the many casual workers that work on farms, particularly in harvest season, whatever their nationality or first language.

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“We appreciate farmers are often under pressure during busy periods, but would urge them to be extra vigilant, ensuring that all safety procedures are followed strictly and all workers on their farms are well informed” Robert Havercroft, level crossing manager at Network Rail, says: “We know that harvest time is an extremely busy period for Britain’s farmers and that level crossings can be used frequently by people who aren’t familiar with them. At the

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same time, an increase in casual workers who might not have English as a first language is an extra challenge.

“Working with the NFU, we have produced easy-to-understand posters and booklets that can be used around a farm to remind people how to use crossings safely. Level crossings can be confusing to people who aren’t used to using them, but by following a few simple rules people can learn how to cross them with safety and confidence. We hope this will help to prevent last year’s increase in incidents at farm level crossings from becoming a trend.”

THE CAMPAIGN REMINDS FARM WORKERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF: • Using the telephones at level crossings to check that it is safe to cross. If asked users should ring back to let the signaller know when they are clear of the line.

• Remembering to close the gates at level crossings after use so others don’t mistakenly think it is safe to cross.

• Clearing the crossing as quickly as possible, particularly when moving livestock across.

The campaign will be delivered locally by Network Rail’s 100 level crossing managers, who will be working closely with their local NFU branches to deliver a programme of education for farmers and their workers. This will be carried out over the coming months, targeting those working this harvest season and next year’s.

NFU Vice-President Guy Smith said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside Network Rail to improve safety at level crossings.

“We appreciate farmers are often under pressure during busy periods, but would urge them to be extra vigilant, ensuring that all safety procedures are followed strictly and all workers on their farms are well informed.

“With over 100 near miss incidents at level crossings on farmland since 2010 we recognise the importance of such a campaign and hope that our members will be better informed as a result.

“We hope that working with Network Rail Level Crossing Manager at a local level, will not only improve the safety of our members and the public but also help improve communication and understanding as a whole with our membership.”

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 51

| Machinery

New Holland construction equipment now available through selected agricultural dealers Farmer demand for New Holland construction equipment drives decision to create one-stop shop dealers. rom 1st August, the New Holland range of construction equipment will be available through a selection of New Holland’s extensive network of UK agricultural dealers.

Over 20 agricultural dealers from across the UK and Ireland have signed-up to supply New Holland’s construction equipment with more dealers being added to the list in the coming months.

The range of construction equipment now available includes New Holland’s range of five Skid

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Steer Loaders, three Backhoe Loaders, three Wheel Loaders and eight Mini Excavators.

In addition, a series of different attachments and parts, which can be added to this equipment, will be available through the dealers, to fully exploit its versatility.

An analysis of industry trends and customer needs has revealed the widespread use of construction equipment in agriculture, where it is performing very well. The move to supply New Holland’s construction equipment through its agricultural dealers enables us to better serve our agricultural customers and will

52 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

offer our dealers an opportunity to expand their product portfolio.

James Emery, New Holland’s Construction Light Equipment & Compact Tractor Manager, says: “The customer will be the biggest beneficiary of this extended product offering, as we will be able to cover better their equipment needs. Whether the application is bulk material handling on large scale farms and contracting businesses, drainage or row maintenance on speciality fruit farms, or the diverse range of daily tasks performed on livestock units, having the right tool is the key to efficiency, productivity and profitability. And the New Holland Construction offering has the right machines. More than 20 of our dealers have already signed-up to supply our construction equipment and we expect more to follow before the end of the year.”

From 1st August the following agricultural dealers will supply NH construction equipment...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Agricar Ltd Atkinson Tractors Ltd Brian Keys Tractors Ltd Bryson Tractors Ltd Burkes of Cornascriebe Ltd C & O Tractors Ltd Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd Francis Bugler Ltd Gwili Jones & Sons Hawkins Agri Ltd J D W Engineering Ltd J. G. Plant Ltd M & S Machinery Ltd Malpas Tractors Ltd Menai Tractors Ltd Platts Harris Ltd Ravenhill Ltd RES Tractors Ltd T Alun Jones & Son Teme Valley Tractors Ltd Truro Tractors Ltd

For more information about New Holland’s range of construction equipment visit: www.newholland.com

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| Machinery

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 53

| Machinery

Wider availability of new VARIO and CERIO cutterbars CLAAS is to increase availability of the new VARIO cutterbar with integrated oilseed rape plates and the CERIO cutterbar on which the knife distance is manually adjustable, which were introduced last year. nitially the new VARIO and CERIO cutterbars were only available with working widths of 9.30m and 7.70m, and so suitable for use only with the LEXION and TUCANO combine ranges.

For 2016, availability of these latest generation cutterbars will be extended with the addition of four new VARIO and three new CERIO models. This will make the benefits that these latest cutterbars provide available to users of medium to

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small size LEXION, TUCANO and now AVERO combines.

Both the latest VARIO and CERIO cutterbars feature a wider, 660mm diameter intake auger to allow greater amounts of straw to flow into the combine. The intake auger and knife are mechanically driven, the reel is fitted with wearresistant bearings and the cutterbar can be automatically returned to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; position at the press of a button.

VARIO cutterbars In addition to the V930 and V770 versions of the VARIO

54 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

cutterbar introduced last year, the VARIO will now also be available in working widths of 6.80m (V680), 6.20m (V620), 5.60m (V560) and 5.00m (V500).

As on the wider versions, thanks to the integrated oilseed rape plates, the knife can be infinitely adjusted over a wide 70cm range, from -10cm to +60cm, and when fully extended, the knife can still be adjusted over a 20cm range.

The VARIO cutterbar design also means that side-knives can be easily fitted without needing to use tools, and once connected using two flat-sealing couplers, this automatically activates the hydraulic pump to drive the knives.

Additional panelling has been added to the right hand side of the cutterbar to help minimise losses and the knife and reel-end positions are also transmitted automatically to the combine.

Mechanical CERIO adjustment The three new additional CERIO cutterbars have working widths of

6.80m (C680), 6.20m (C620) and 5.60m (C560).

Designed for use mainly with cereals, the CERIO cutterbar shares many of the same components as the VARIO cutterbar, such as the frame, intake auger, drive system and reel, but the knife distance is mechanically adjusted.

Both the latest VARIO and CERIO cutterbars feature a wider, 660mm diameter intake auger to allow greater amounts of straw to flow into the combine As on the wider versions, five possible knife positions are available over a range from -10cm to +10cm. The knife distance is simply altered by loosening a series of bolts, which then allows the knife to be pushed in or out.

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| News

Featured Dealers:

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

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

The Burdens Group Ltd Sutterton Lincolnshire PE20 2ET T: 01205 460 466 www.burdensgroup.com

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 55

| Machinery

Horsch to return to Midland Machinery Show Lincolnshire agriculture giants Horsch will be returning to the annual Midlands Machinery Show this November. ne of the leading farming manufacturers based in Bourne will be bringing its two most popular sowing and cultivation products, Pronto DC and Joker RT, to be displayed at the show on 25 and 26 November.

The Show, now in its second year, continues to grow and Horsch was keen to attend the event held at Newark Showground, to meet potential customers.

Horsch general manager Stephen Burcham said: “We were at the show last year and it was great for us and we feel it’s important to have a presence there again.

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“With 5,000 in attendance last year and hopefully more potential this year, it’s an important event for us and one we strategically want to be a part of.”

“We had some excellent feedback last year and plenty of enquiries which is key to our business in our most quiet period year.”

“The show is becoming recognised as a great place to get in the eye-line of potential customers, meet existing traders and network with key innovators in the industry. We feel it is certainly worth attending.”

The event expects to have between 150 to 160 stands over the two days and trade space is running out fast.

George Taylor, show manager,

said: “We are excited that we are attracting high calibre clientele such as Horsch again to the show.

“Horsch is a huge company who deal with businesses all over Europe, so we are obviously delighted to welcome them back.

“We hope to exceed the number of traders and exhibitors from last year’s event, with indoor space being very close to selling out – we are now almost full in our third exhibition hall. The deadline for entries is at the end of October, so we encourage companies to book now and avoid disappointment.”

Visitors will be able to choose from a programme of technical seminars which will see industry experts discuss relevant issues.

Awards for the best trade stands will also be taking place including Best Agricultural Stand, Best Overall Stand and Best Non Machinery Stand.

Visitor entry and parking is free.

Trade space will remain available until the close of booking for the catalogue on 30 October 2015.

For more information about The Midland Machinery Show, see page 08.

Yorkshire farm machinery importer launches Unia Tine and Disc Cultivator An East Yorkshire farm machinery importer has further consolidated his partnership with Polish manufacturing giant, Unia, by launching its Cross Cultivator in the UK. arket Weighton based Manterra Ltd. is the sole UK importer for Unia Group, Central Europe's leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery and the Cross Cultivator is the latest addition to Manterra's range.

Of the launch of the Unia Cross Cultivator, Manterra founder,

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farmer and agronomist Andrew Manfield said: "Unia is one of Europe's leading suppliers of Cultivators and the Cross is a universal cultivator that has enjoyed an enthusiastic reception in continental Europe where it offers growers an unrivalled combination of strength, quality and outstanding value for money."

The Unia Cross tine and disc cultivators are highly specced as

56 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

standard and include both rigid and hydraulic folding versions from three to six metres wide. All of the machines in the Cross range have three rows of CX legs with a choice of point widths. In addition, a wide choice of roller options are available, including a super-sized 800mm tyre packer.

Andrew Manfield said: "The performance and consistent high quality of all the Unia products that

we are importing has delighted customers.

"Unia Group continues to go from strength to strength in the UK and Unia's five factories are working round the clock to satisfy demand for its machines.

Management at the Polish based company are also planning to expand its production facilities further.

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| Tyres

Mitas releases VF HC 3000 harvester tyre The Mitas range of very high flexion, or VF tyres has been enlarged through the introduction of the HC 3000 in size 710/70R42. The harvester tyre was released in the market last month and offers the advantages of higher maximum load capacity and lower inflation pressure during cycling field operation than standard tyres itas is the leader in the harvester tyre segment. Close to 50 per cent of new harvesters in Europe are fitted with tyres produced by Mitas,“ comments Andrew Mabin, marketing and sales director at Mitas. “With the new Mitas VF HC 3000, we would like show that through innovations and the constant introduction of new products we will maintain this position by offering the best product in its class.”

In comparison with the same size combine standard tyre, the Mitas VF 710/70R42 CFO HC 3000 boasts 26 per cent less inflation pressure during cyclic field operation, resulting in significantly less soil compaction. An additional HC 3000 advantage, albeit one that doesn’t have a direct impact on soil protection, is the tyre’s narrower section width, a

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benefit for farmers who require increased mobility.

“Mitas now offers a full range of tyres using VF technology. Besides HC 3000 tyres designed for harvesters, Mitas also offers HC 1000 for sprayers and HC 2000 tyres for high-horsepower tractors,” says Pavel Kott, Mitas’ agricultural tyres product manager.

The Mitas VF 710/70R42 CFO (Cyclic Field Operation) HC 3000 has a ‘B’ speed rating, allowing speeds of up to 31 mph or 50 km/h. It is capable of carrying loads of up to 14.3 tonnes (15 km/h cyclic).

Like all very high flexion tyres it features a highly flexible sidewall that allows for an extended footprint – Mitas believes VF tyres compete with rubber tracks in many respects. The Mitas range of VF tyres are products in in Charles City, USA and Otrokovice, Czech Republic.

Michelin introduces agri tyre pressure app for iOS devices Michelin’s agricultural tyre pressure app is available on iOS devices ichelin’s free agricultural tyre pressure calculator app is now available for iOS devices, giving even more farmers and contractors access to on-the-spot bespoke tyre pressure advice.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, the Michelin Pressure Calculator app instantly works out the most appropriate tyre pressure settings for desired load and speed on any farm tractor in just three easy steps.

Firstly, the user must enter the tractor’s front and rear axle load and tool weight, and then select the size of Michelin tyres fitted to both the tractor’s axles from a simple drop-down menu.

Finally, a quick snap with the device’s integrated camera allows the app to calculate the precise load distribution and the length of the overhang, measured from the wheels, to define the tractor’s optimum pressure recommendations.

The tyre pressure results calculated and pictures taken for each tractor can be saved in the app’s ‘My

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58 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

Tractor’ menu, and shared by email – ideal for sending pressure calculation results back to the office from the field.

Mike Lawton, commercial director of Michelin’s Agricultural Division in the UK and Ireland, says: “The free pressure calculation app has been well received on Android devices, and we’re delighted to extend that same capability to iOS users.

“Farmers today can enjoy a wealth of technological assistance with their work, and our development team saw a chance to make sure any tractor fitted with Michelin tyres is running at the optimum tyre pressures. Getting your pressures spot on can help reduce soil compaction and leave shallower ruts – and the fact that such a capability can sit next to a farmer’s keys in his pocket is remarkable.”

The free Michelin Pressure Calculator app is available for devices with iOS 7.0 or later and Android devices in four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

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| ATV

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September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 59

| Fuels

Out of sight...out of mind?

Diesel fuel as we know it is evolving, but do we understand the changes imposed upon us? iesel fuel is just about the most ubiquitous commodity that each of uses every single day, but that we rarely, if ever, actually see. And yet, if we were to look at and into it, we would see that changes have been taking place for some time and are continuing in ways that will require us to take action if we are to continue to rely with dayto-day confidence on this most commonplace of commodities.

Since 2001, as part of its overall green initiatives, the EU has imposed requirements on diesel refiners that mean that 7% of all diesel must now comprise biodiesel, ie that derived from plants

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rather than fossil deposits. This percentage is set to rise to 30% and yet the consequences of this change for the way in which we store and manage our diesel fuel are not widely-understood.

In particular, bio-diesel is hydroscopic meaning it has a relatively high propensity to contamination, especially waterabsorption from the humidity changes through the natural vent on your diesel fuel tanks, and, therefore, requires regular testing to ensure that it remains uncontaminated.

If contamination is detected, then it is essential that the fuel be cleaned to prevent it from damaging the engines in which it is used. For example, prolonged

60 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

Contaminated tank

use of contaminated diesel would lead to catastrophic wear on the engine and depletion of the longevity of the engine cycle, causing lack of power and, ultimately, engine failure.

Government fuel guidelines on storing and using bio-fuel can be found on its website: http://www.parpetroleum.co.uk/images/uploads/

DEPARTMENT_FOR_TRANSPORT _FUEL_QUALITY.pdf CFCS (Contaminated Fuel Conditioning Services) would be pleased to offer a free fuel test to readers who apply through our web site and would be happy to discuss your potential requirements for testing, cleaning and storage management advice.

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| Fuels

Is your oil storage container fit for purpose?

NFU Cymru are asking local farmers about how they store their oil on farm in order to gather information to present to Welsh Government in relation to proposals to introduce regulations which will set minimum standards for oil storage facilities. ary Yeomans, NFU Cymru Monmouthshire Chairman said, “Undoubtedly every farmer’s focus this summer has rightly been firmly fixed on commodity prices and getting the harvest completed.

It would be so easy to miss some of the latest proposals, like this one, coming from the Welsh Government which could affect our farming businesses.”

The Welsh Government is proposing to introduce regulations which will set minimum standards for oil storage facilities with the aim of reducing the number of oilrelated water pollution incidents.

The proposals will see the Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (SSAFO) Regulations amended to remove the agricultural fuel oil provisions, bringing to an end the current exemption that exists on oil/diesel storage tanks pre-dating the 1991 regulations.

In the proposals, Welsh Government assumes that oil storage tanks have a lifespan of 25 years and as almost 25 years have

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now elapsed since 1991. There is an assumption that there is no additional burden on the agricultural sector as a result of the new Regulation.

NFU Cymru’s Environment and Rural Affairs Adviser, Rachel LewisDavies, said, “The Welsh Government regulatory impact assessment assumes that there will be no impact of this regulation on the agricultural industry.

However, NFU Cymru is of the view that the impact has been underestimated and therefore we are conducting a short survey on this issue in order to gauge the extent to which members’ businesses will be affected if this regulation is implemented.”

In summary, the key proposals in the draft regulations are: • A requirement for secondary containment for all new, above ground oil storage facilities • Construction standards for oil storage facilities including mobile bowsers • Phased implementation of secondary containment for existing commercial, institutional and industrial oil storage facilities.

(Two years for non-domestic storage facilities, which are located within 10m of a watercourse or 50m of a well, spring or borehole, four years for all other nondomestic storage). Existing domestic installations will remain exempt until they are replaced.

• Offence, civil sanctions and enforcement provisions • Amendment of the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Wales) SSAFO

Regulations 2010 to remove the agricultural fuel oil provisions, including the exemption for facilities predating the 1991 Regulations.

NFU Cymru members across Wales are being encouraged to complete the quick survey which can be found here. The findings of this survey will be presented to the Welsh Government as part of the Union’s response to the consultation which closes on 24 September 2015.

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| Fuels

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

XP Bikes 17 Hareleeshill Road Larkhall ML9 2EX 01698 881 885 http://www.xpbikes.co.uk

WJ Shields and Sons Hall Farm, Main St, York North Yorkshire YO30 1AA 01904 470263

Quad Bikes R Us Waldon House Farm Great Tottenham, Essex CM9 8PN Tel: 01621 893 227 www.quadbikesrus.com

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Quad Zone Mill Cottage Kidderminster Worcestershire DY14 9HP 01299 832699

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Q&A | ATV

There’s no doubt that Honda ATVs are some of the most popular models around in the farming industry. There’s a lot of competition now from other manufacturers, offering a lot of options when it comes to choosing the machine that’s right for you and your circumstances. What did our readers want to know about Honda ATVs? We put the top five questions we received to Honda ATV UK with a view to learning more about the models and brand...

There are many options in the marketplace when it comes to choosing an ATV – why should I choose Honda?

Honda doesn’t produce a UTV – why would I choose a Honda ATV over a UTV from another manufacturer?

Based on the visionary principles of Honda's founder, Soichiro Honda, Honda's engineers still follow the philosophy of, "Go to the place”, to understand first hand what the customer requires. The designers continually test the boundaries of science and Honda's current fleet of ATV’s has been designed following extensive market research with a focus on the farming market. The result of this work is now reflected in the latest range of bikes, where we see a very fit for purpose UK influenced Farm bike. Honda boasts an extensive range of models for all customer types and uses, with market leading reliability, durability and comfort. Honda offers a free EASI Rider Course with every new Honda ATV at no extra cost.

Honda ATV's suit some tasks well and can be a good replacement for the old compact tractor etc. However, the ATV does a different job, being lighter, more versatile and more responsive than any UTV. They are a must for the UK Farmer; also overall running costs including depreciation are considerably less. However, Honda Europe does not currently stock the Honda UTV.

Should I be in the market for an ATV – which Honda ATV should I choose? I’m a hill farmer with 300 sheep...

The low-down torque from the liquid cooled engine of the TRX500 Foreman is ideal for farmers with rough terrain and larger hills. The 500 Foreman is the perfect solution during lambing season, as it is offers Power Steering, and superior suspension settings for those big towing jobs.

Are there any unique features of Honda ATVs that others just can’t (or don’t) provide?

The Honda ATV uses the unique overhead valve design, as this keeps a more compact and lower Centre of Gravity. The Honda ATV comes with true-geared transmission that allows superior control with excellent engine braking and most importantly excellent fuel efficiency. No other manufacturer offers this versatile package.

When designing a new ATV, what are Honda’s priorities?

Reliability, durability, ease of use, simple and effective design, low ground pressure at the wheels and an overall light, responsive and economical machine. It is important to design products, which ensure the customer experience is at the best possible level. The Honda ATV has the technology and performance you require to get your job done.

Our thanks to Honda ATV UK for their valuable feedback. Andew Poulton, Editor

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 63

| ATV

Polaris puts a great deal on the Sportsman Get ready for winter and save more than £315.00 on Polaris Sportsman accessories. That’s one of three special ‘bundle’ offers on the most popular options for the Sportsman ETX and 570 models. tart with a basic Protection Kit of front and rear rack extenders and brush guards. The rack extenders give you bolt-on versatility, putting a secure barrier around your cargo and providing countless tie-down points for bungees, straps or nets. The distinctive styling of the front and rear brush guards let you customise your Sportsman while offering protection from hazards. They’re easily attached and come in a durable black powder-coating, scratch resistant finish. The saving on this Protection Kit when you buy the accessories together is over £100.00.

For even more versatility you can add a Polaris winch to the basic Protection Kit and the saving goes up to more than £170. The winch is an easy ‘nut and bolt’ fitting with just a connector for the wiring and it comes with nylon rope in place

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of wire which makes it easier to handle. The breaking strain has been increased over previous winches.

The Winter Protection Kit for the Polaris Sportsman ETX and 570 models comprises front and rear rack extenders, front and rear brush guards, a Polaris winch and a 66” (1.6m) snowplough blade, with mount and frame, to get you fully prepared for what the depths of winter may throw at you. The plough installs in seconds with Polaris Lock & Ride technology and the tall blade will push more snow faster and more efficiently for clearing large areas. The saving with the Winter Protection Kit is more than £315.

There’s a vast range of Polaris accessories available and by ‘bundling’ your purchase the savings can be substantial.

Visit your Polaris dealer for more details. Polaris Britain: Call 0800 915 6720 or visit www.polaris-britain.com

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| Motors

Feel the Fury! Isuzu launches new addition to D-Max range Isuzu UK is storming into the second half of 2015 with the addition of the D-Max Fury, an exclusive-to-the-UK model that boosts the D-Max pick-up range to 10 variants. he new Fury packs a real punch with a number of unique style enhancements and technology upgrades. Based on the Eiger double-cab model, the special edition can be tamed from just £19,999 (CVOTR), representing a saving of around £2000 compared to buying the accessories separately. Fury is available with either manual or auto transmission.

The attention-grabbing style of the D-Max Fury starts with the stunning and unique Magma Red metallic paint finish, while bold 17inch, five-spoke grey alloy wheels shod with 255/65 R17 Pirelli Scorpion tyres emphasise the pick-up’s powerful road presence.

The exterior upgrades continue with a dark grey metallic finish to the front grille – complete with a fiery red Isuzu logo at its centre – and Cosmic black door and tailgate handles, and black rear bumper, as well as gun metal grey heavy-duty side steps.

Inside, the sporting nature of the Fury is made clear with unique red stitching to key contact points such as the steering wheel and gear knob and the provision of dedicated Fury carpet mats.

Customers will also have the option to upgrade the interior upholstery to Limited Edition Black and Red Fury leather. They will have to move quickly as just 100 will be made available.

Fury also features a rear camera

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to aid easier parking and manoeuvring out of tight spots.

With the vehicle in ‘reverse’, the image behind is cleverly displayed in the rear view mirror inside the cabin.

At the heart of the Fury remains the powerful-yet-efficient 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, producing 163 PS and 400 Nm of torque. Isuzu’s robust diesel will return a highly impressive fuel economy of 38.7 mpg on a combined cycle. Owners of the new Fury will also benefit from a heavyweight towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes (braked trailer) and 1,072 (manual) 1,067 (auto) tonne payload.

William Brown, General Manager at Isuzu UK, said: “We are confident the Fury will further widen the appeal of the D-Max which already has one of the widest choices of model of any pickup in the UK. The Fury has been designed for those seeking an affordable pick-up with standout appeal. It’s certainly a headturner and, alongside the Blade and rest of the D-Max range, will meet the growing demand for a stylish vehicle which can be used for both work and recreation.”

2014 was the best ever year for Isuzu in the UK with sales of over 5,500 pick-ups and the growth has continued into 2015 with sales up over 30% year to date. Isuzu UK continues to be the biggest market in Europe for the Japanese brand by a considerable margin.

Fury will go on sale from September priced at £19,999

(CVOTR) for the six-speed manual and £20,999 (CVOTR) for the 5speed auto. Like all new Isuzu models sold in the UK, the D-Max

Fury will come with the company’s pioneering five-year / 125,000 mile warranty.

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 65

| Motors

‘Grand’ Designs Jeep Grand Cherokee builds a strong case in the large SUV market. hen our test vehicle was delivered to our offices, the first thing I could think of is 'that's big', especially when it was parked up in the car park. Impressively big and chunky, the Grand Cherokee certainly looked the part – but would it drive like it looked – perhaps a little...challenging?

Surprisingly – no.

Once you have settled yourself into the roomy cabin, adopted your commanding driving position, pressed the start button and...released the foot-brake? Yes, a foot brake – old-school Mercedesesque, when most of these vehicles have adopted the electronic button. Ah-hem...once you have released the foot-brake and are underway, progress is....smooth. Comfortable.

Refined...

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Overall, we were impressed with what the Jeep had to offer.

Yes, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is meeting expectations. The model we tested was the 3.0l CRD V6 Summit (with options including special paint and rear seat mounted DVD). Does it live up to the £51,995 (£54,140 with options) price-tag?

That V6 diesel is a great power unit. With 247bhp @ 4000 rpm, it pulls like a train. Not sure we would recommend the alternative

diesel unit at 188bhp but if you are in the market for a true gas guzzler, you could opt for the 461bhp 6.4 litre SRT petrol model and watch you smile turn into a very pronounced frown whilst watching the petrol gauge sink in real time.

V6 it is then - and when mated to the excellent 8 speed auto transmission, you'll be hard pressed to find fault.

With economy rated at 37.7 (combined) and emissions of 198g/km, the Grand Cherokee isn't too bad when it comes to running costs – though it's not top of the tree. A car this size will never be cheap to run but rivals are a little more economy to offer here.

The Grand Cherokee has a towable weight (braked) of just under 3000kg – so horse-boxes, trailers and caravans will present no problem.

Rolling along on its 20inch alloys, you'd expect the ride to be a little unrefined – but none of it.

The air suspension on this Summit model irons out the bumps and holes and gets you down the road in relative comfort. Additionally, this air suspension set-up provides the Jeep's excellent off-road ability, raising and lowering for best clearance over rough terrain.

The Grand Cherokee continues Jeep's tradition of excellence off the beaten track - the 4WD capability goes without question and all models get a Selec-Terrain control system which provides options for sand, mud, auto, rock and snow mode depending on the

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conditions you’re driving in.

Cornering is always something that big, heavy cars have trouble with but the Grand Cherokee isn't too bad in this respect. Don't expect to be on rails, however, you won't be scraping you face off the side window either. Wind noise, even at motorway speeds, was not an issue.

Steering too is light for such a big brute – this isn't a racing car so road feel isn't really a priority here – but it feels good and offers a surprising small turning circle.

Inside, the cabin is pretty roomy, and bright if you open the roof curtain. The electric leather seats are comfortable and boast both heating and cooling functions. Neat.

Up front, the touch screen media system works well and in addition to providing the usual phone, sat nav etc. also incorporates the display for the rear camera. With visibility out the back compromised by sheer size, the camera is a must. It would be nice to have a 'birds eye view' a'la Nissan X-Trail though. The rest of the instruments and switchgear are easy to get along with.

Interior plastics though are not

of the quality you would expect from a car carrying a £50,000 price tag and this is where the Grand Cherokee lags behind rivals. That being said, you do get a lot of kit as standard. We'd just like the interior to be a little more..well...grand.

In addition, the boot isn't as massive as you'd think for such a big car – it seems a little shallow.

However, there are some nice touches with floor runners, bag hooks, 12v supply and even a useful integrated torch. The tailgate can be remotely operated which is always a useful feature.

Overall, we were impressed with what the Jeep had to offer. It's a good looking, powerful and capable SUV but we would have to say that the interior plastics need further refinement to put the Grand in Grand Cherokee – especially if you'll be shelling out £50,000+.

However, it's hard to criticise the amount of standard equipment that's present and correct. A great option if you're looking for something stylish that isn't German and has the right off-road credentials. We were certainly sad to see it go.

Andrew Poulton, Editor

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

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| Motors

New Honda HR-V lands in the UK Honda’s much anticipated successor to the original crossover, the HR-V, has landed in the UK, with the first shipment having arrived into the Bristol docks. ue into dealerships at the end of the month, the new HR-V has already generated almost 350 orders without customers having driven, let alone even seen the car in the metal.

With pricing starting at £17,995 or from just £149 a month on PCP with a 30% deposit for the entry-level S grade petrol model, the new HR-V tops out at £24,945 for the flagship EX diesel.

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The new HR-V is available at launch with a choice of highly responsive and efficient 120 PS 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel or 130 PS 1.5 litre iVTEC petrol engines, both part of Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series.

Philip Crossman, MD at Honda UK, commented: “The HR-V is back. These are some fantastic pictures of the new HR-V being driven off the boat having arrived from Mexico and it is only a matter of weeks before we start seeing the car out on the road.”

ŠKODA named UK’s most dependable car brand ŠKODA has been named as the UK’s most dependable brand in a new JD Power study. he inaugural 2015 UK Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) asked owners to report problems with their new cars – from serious breakdowns to troublesome in-car entertainment issues. Once analysed, the results gave ŠKODA a clear victory, with the brand comprehensively outscoring luxury brands.

The study, which focused on new cars registered between April 2012 and March 2014, used owner data to generate an overall dependability score for each brand. SKODA’s score of 77 was the lowest in the entire survey, with the Industry Average for 2015 recorded as 114.

Every ŠKODA in the survey performed better than the industry

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average, with the Fabia ranked as the third most dependable car in the Small Car category.

Commenting on the survey, Alasdair Stewart, Director, ŠKODA UK said: “This result perfectly illustrates ŠKODA’s passion for delivering quality and dependability. As this study shows, our build quality is the envy of the industry, and I’m delighted that this has been recognised. We’re always striving to improve quality and reliability, and we hope that this will be repeated in future studies.”

Following the JD Power report findings, UK Consumer organisation Which? has also named ŠKODA as a firm favourite with owners. The organisation’s 2015–2016 Car Guide named the Superb and the Yeti as the most satisfying cars to own in the estate

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and SUV classes, achieving owner satisfaction ratings of 96 per cent and 93 per cent respectively. ŠKODA has won numerous industry and media awards for customer satisfaction and has been in the JD Power top ten for

more than 20 years in a row. The brand has also been named Best Manufacturer in the Auto Express Driver satisfaction survey three times in the past four years.

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| Motors

All new Nissan NP300 Navara: raising the bar Striking exterior and interior, engineered for performance and comfort with Crossover-inspired refinement and boasting new-to-sector technologies and high equipment levels, including Around View Monitor, NissanConnect and LED headlamps. he all-new Nissan NP300 Navara sets a new benchmark in the one-tonne pick-up sector, combining the best of Nissan’s Crossover leadership with over 80 years of experience in designing and manufacturing robust and cleverly engineered pick-ups.Improving comfort and refinement while maintaining the Navara’s acclaimed off-road ability, durability and loading capacity, was a cornerstone of the new vehicle’s development. The vehicle is all-new, with a robust and tough chassis that introduces a host of new engineering features designed to further improve drivability and practicality. Plus thanks to the Crossover DNA that produced landmark passenger cars, the NP300 Navara brings a new level of refinement, style, comfort and quality, as well as firstin-class technologies to the pickup market.The introduction of a five year or 100,000 mile manufacturer warranty with the new NP300 Navara is further testament to the vehicle’s credentials, and provides additional peace of mind for customers.

Technology In-line with Nissan innovation, the new NP300 Navara introduces an array of new technology.In a sector that has traditionally been slow to adopt the very latest in comfort and safety features, it sets a new benchmark for affordable technology. Around View Monitor and Forward Emergency Braking (FEB) – both highly acclaimed Crossover safety features – are unique to the pick-up market and provide customers with more advanced levels of technology than ever before in a pick-up truck.

Further safety and convenience

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features include Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA), all of which have been developed to meet the specific demands of NP300 Navara owners, as well as keyless entry, rear-view camera and parking sensors.

Ride and Handling Improving refinement and delivering a Crossover-style driving experience was a key element of the NP300 Navara’s development.

To help achieve this without compromising the vehicle’s acclaimed off-road ability, Nissan has designed an all-new five-link rear suspension system for the Double Cab model, providing significantly improved ride comfort and handling, and is 20kg lighter than the previous layout.

The King Cab features a substantially updated version of the leaf spring design fitted to the previous generation model. Not only does the new over slung leaf weigh 7kgs less than the previous under slung design, it also gives the King Cab a 3.1 per cent improvement in rear wheel approach angle and delivers a reduction in road noise.

Interior Every element of the cabin has been optimised to provide the best possible quality, comfort, space and practicality for drivers and passengers.The dashboard assembly has been redesigned from the ground up, with a sculpted appearance that creates increased cabin space and a more open feel. Spinal Support front seats offer improved ergonomics, and have been engineered using technology inspired by NASA. Additional features include dualzone digital climate control, as well as a new rear cab ventilation and seat design, to provide a more comfortable travelling environment for passengers.

Exterior Design Designed and engineered for the specific requirements and preferences of the European market, and also manufactured in Europe, the NP300 Navara has been designed to deliver a rugged yet sporty overall style.

Engines and Transmission The NP300 Navara’s new 2.3litre dCi engine is up to 24 per cent more efficient than the unit it replaces and is the cleanest and most economical in its sector.

Available with two power output options, 118kW (160PS) and 140kW (190PS), the range-topping version introduces twin turbocharging technology to the sector for the first time and delivers exceptionally low running costs and substantially reduced CO2 emissions. Great engines need great transmissions, and once again the new NP300 Navara excels. The latest generation model will launch with the choice of two or four-wheel drive and the option of a standard six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic gearbox. As customers have come to expect, the new NP300 Navara is as capable offroad as it is on-road. The fourwheel drive system builds on the strengths of the design fitted to the previous generation model, and delivers surefooted traction over rough terrain.

Payload and Towing Knowing that pick-up owners need their vehicles to earn their keep, the NP300 Navara’s load carrying and towing ability across the range is improved. With payload ratings now in excess of one tonne across the range and an impressive towing capacity of 3,500kg, the new NP300 Navara is ready for the toughest and most demanding of jobs or leisure

pursuits.The load bed itself is home to further Nissan innovations in the form of the brand’s acclaimed C-channel load system.

With heavy-duty channels on the rear cabin bulkhead and bed sides, owners have complete flexibility when it comes to securing vulnerable loads.

Because the clamps slide along the C-shaped channel tracks, even the most unusually shaped load can be secured with ease. To help owners go further with more, the new Double Cab’s load bed is 67mm longer than the previous model, with a sector-best load bed length of 1,578mm. The King Cab’s load bed measures 1,788mm in length.

Ponz Pandikuthira, Director of Light Commercial Vehicles for Nissan Europe commented, “Since we built our first Pick-Up in 1935, over 14 million customers in 180 countries around the globe have come to depend on Nissan pick-ups to transport their families, colleagues and cargo, sometimes in the toughest of circumstances.

Nissan pick-ups have often been the lifeblood of their communities and a trusted work partner to businesses and tradespeople.

Now in its 12th generation, we’ve harnessed this experience and our customer feedback to develop the new Nissan NP300 Navara which sets a new benchmark for performance, refinement, convenience and running costs in the sector.”

The all-new NP300 Navara will make its European debut at the Frankfurt Motorshow on 15 September, when further information will be announced.

Final specifications and prices will vary by market and will be announced closer to the launch date.

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| Motors

Likes Land Rover

Kentdale Kendal

01497 842100, www.likes.hayonwye.landrover.co.uk

01539 814444, www.kentdale.kendal.landrover.co.uk

Guy Salmon Knutsford

Lakeland Torver

01565 632525, www.guysalmon.knutsford.landrover.co.uk

01539 441317, www.lakeland.torver.landrover.co.uk

Guy Salmon Wakefield

Duckworth Land Rover, Boston

01924 695658, www.guysalmon.wakefield.landrover.co.uk

01205 722110, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

Guy Salmon Land Rover, Maidstone

Duckworth Land Rover, Market Rasen

01622 795 666, www.guysalmon.maidstone.landrover.co.uk

0844 4709366, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

Barretts Ashford

Rocar Moores Land Rover

01233 506070, www.barretts.ashford.landrover.co.uk

01484 583418, www.rocarmoores.huddersfield.landrover.co.uk

Barretts Canterbury

Conwy Land Rover

01227 475475, www.barretts.canterbury.landrover.co.uk

01492 580000, www.conwy.landrover.co.uk

Ripon Land Rover

Stafford Land Rover

01765 646464, www.ripon.landrover.co.uk

01785 214140, www.stafford.landrover.co.uk

Cambrian Aberystwyth

Matford Land Rover

01970 624841, www.cambrian.aberystwyth.landrover.co.uk

01392 825 825, www.matford.exeter.landrover.co.uk

Hunters Norwich

Carrs Land Rover, Truro

01603 944836, www.hunters.norwich.landrover.co.uk

01872 263 377, www.carrs.truro.landrover.co.uk

Hunters Southampton

Yeovil Land Rover

02380 215800 www.hunters.southampton.landrover.co.uk

01935 426600, www.yeovil.landrover.co.uk

Lloyds Kelso 01573 224345, www.lloyd.kelso.landrover.co.uk www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

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MTC Subaru Cambridgeshire 01733 822 943

Cross Roads Warwickshire 01608 433 163

Proveeda Suffolk 01473 849 991

Cambridge Subaru Cambridgeshire 01223 633 706

www.mtc-subaru.co.uk

www.crossroads-subaru.co.uk

www.proveeda-subaru.co.uk

www.cambridge-subaru.co.uk

Perkins Essex 01371 483 379

Unity Leicester Leicester 01162 149 060

Maidstone Subaru Kent 01622 528 968

Burrells Motor Group South Yorkshire 01302 515 767

www.perkins-subaru.co.uk

www.unityleicester-subaru.co.uk

www.maidstone-subaru.co.uk

www.burrellsmotorgroup-subaru.co.uk

Maple Garage Ltd East Riding of Yorkshire 01964 782295

Central Motors Somerset 01460 601049

www.maplegarage-subaru.co.uk

www.centralmotors-subaru.co.uk

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| Motors

‘Outback’ where it belongs Subaru presents us with winner (in our book). practical estate car with impressive off-road ability – this is how the Subaru is presented and it certainly lives up to the claim.

Looking more 'estateish' than ever with the new styling, it's actually the changes inside and under the skin that make the biggest impression.

Inside first, and quality has definitely gone up a notch (or two even). The new dash is uncluttered and positively minimalist. The new in-dash media system is attractive, easy to use and operated using touch screen controls. You'll be wiping fingerprints off the screen regularly, however – if not to just keep it looking nice! Navigation is included and works well. Also included are the usual bluetooth and phone controls. Climate and a few other dials and switches sit beneath the screen and offer a nice, easy to read digital display.

In-dash clocks are lit nicely in blue and a central display provides further information.

The steering wheel accommodates numerous controls such as the cruise control buttons, phone and menu display controls.

Leather seats are comfortable and supportive, if a little on the firm side, and overall, the plastics used are of a higher quality than ever before. You could easily be sitting in your pick of German autos in the Subaru – praise indeed.

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Practicality has always been good with the Outback and this year's model is no different.

Excellent boot and interior space are at the top of the class – there's excellent leg room for rear seat passengers, as well as those up front and headroom is enough for even the tallest of people.

Under the skin, this year's Outback has been revised in terms of suspension leading to a much more controlled ride, soaking up the bumps and potholes better than before and providing a significantly improved cornering ability. Even though airing on the firm side, the ride is now much more enjoyable than the previous model.

Of course, the Outback remains considerably capable off-road too, sporting better approach and departure angles than many of its rivals – this additional ground clearance allowing better traversing of deeper rutted drives and such. It's unlikely you'll be getting stuck in the field in this Subaru.

Indeed, with the symmetrical allwheel drive system (with x-mode) coupled with hill decent control, you are in good hands here.

On the road, the Outback pulls well and you know that you will always get smooth power delivery with Subaru's 2.0l diesel Boxer engine (our choice of power plant), though there's also a 2.5l normally aspirated petrol unit available too. You also get a

choice of a 6 speed manual or Lineartronic CVT automatic (which we had in our test model). Whilst we like the smoothness of the CVT when driving, it has to be said that it does have a tendency to over-rev when pulling away quickly, giving a sudden boost of power when the unit catches up with your intention.

Under relaxed driving, when you are not asking too much of it, the CVT is fine.

Economy has been improved too, Subaru stating 50.4mpg for the diesel manual and 46.3 for the Lineartronic model.

Safety aids have been introduced on this new model in the form of the 'EyeSight' system.

This scans the road ahead for potential hazards and attempts to mitigate them accordingly – braking for obstacles in its path or warning of lane departure etc. This is available only on Lineartronic models.

Benefiting from a rear view camera for reversing, I was disappointed to find no parking sensors installed – a useful aid that I miss when not there. With all the other gadgetry installed, this is a clear omission. Another point of frustration were the electrically

folding mirrors – remember to fold these in before turning off the engine when parking – there's no auto option here.

On the other hand, Subaru do provide a useful electronically and remote operated tailgate which has an opening height memory function. Good stuff.

There's a lot to like about the 2015 Subaru Outback. Overall quality has improved, especially in terms of the interior - and the driving experience is an enjoyable one. We do miss the bonet-scoop (but that’s just personal) though we really like the new signature LED running lights.

This is one of those vehicles that, for the user it is aimed at, does everything well. Pricing is fairly competitive too – our 2.0D SE Premium Lineartronic has an OTR of £32,995 and still comes with the 5 year (100,000 mile) warranty.

Try the others – then try the Subaru Outback. I think you will agree that this year's Outback has a lot going for it and is a serious contender for your cash. Outback is back.

Andrew Poulton, Editor

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| Motors

AUGUST MOTORS Wiltshire 01722 622 633 www.augustmotors-isuzu.co.uk

CROSS ROADS Warwickshire 01608 433 021 www.crossroads-isuzu.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EUROPE Kent 01892 629 140 www.lifestyleeurope-isuzu.co.uk

ARCHIE MOSS Leicestershire 01530 553 785 www.archiemoss-isuzu.co.uk

MAPLE GARAGE LTD East Yorkshire 01964 782 292 www.maplegarage-isuzu.co.uk

MARK WEATHERHEAD LTD Cambridgeshire 01954 574 562 www.markweatherhead-isuzu.co.uk

BOB GERARD LTD Leicestershire 01162 149 052 www.bobgerard-isuzu.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Boston 01205 535 417 www.duckworths-isuzu.co.uk

YORK VAN CENTRE North Yorkshire 01904 275 211 www.yorkvancentre-isuzu.co.uk

BURRELLS MOTOR GROUP South Yorkshire 01302 515 763 www.burrellsmotorgroup-isuzu.co.uk

GARLAND MOTORS Hampshire 01252 884 026 www.garland-isuzu.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Market Rasen 01673 558 892 www.duckworths-isuzu.co.uk

JEFFRIES OF BACTON Suffolk 01449 424 758 www.jeffriesofbacton-isuzu.co.uk

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| Motors

New VW Amarok Atacama brings the desert to the urban jungle Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is turning up the heat this summer with the arrival of the new limited edition Amarok Atacama. amed after the vast desert region of South America that covers Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, the Amarok Atacama features an equally broad and impressive specification that is guaranteed to appeal to adventurers and citydwellers alike.

On sale now through Volkswagen’s UK Van Centre network, the new Amarok Atacama is priced from £26,850 (basic excl.

VAT) and features enough standard equipment to keep even the most demanding of explorers happy. The latest addition to the

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acclaimed Amarok range is powered by a 2.0-litre BiTDI 180 PS engine with a choice of two transmissions: a six-speed manual with selectable 4MOTION fourwheel drive or an eight-speed automatic with permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive as standard.

Available in three colours – Candy White, Horizon Blue and Deep Black – the Amarok Atacama comes with a raft of design and styling features that give it a striking look. These include bixenon headlights, black rear styling bars, black rear bumper with integrated step and 19-inch ‘Cantera’ alloy wheels. The load

bed features a ‘Durabed’ protective coating, while distinctive black foil finish on the B-pillars and unique ‘Atacama’ side decals complete the design package.

Inside, even the hardiest adventurer can sit back and relax with luxurious Vienna leather upholstery, a newly designed leather multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth phone connectivity and Climatronic 2Zone air conditioning. What’s more, should drivers venture into unfamiliar territory, the Atacama’s standard RNS310 sat nav system will help them get back on track.

As with all Amarok models, the Atacama is available with a vast

selection of Volkswagen accessories. The range includes practical additions such as towbars, tonneau covers and waterproof seat covers, along with styling features including chrome surrounds for the fog lamps, indicators and tailgate handle. All can be fitted by the supplying retailer with most coming with a two-year warranty.

The Amarok Atacama is available now through Volkswagen Van Centres. Around 500 of the special edition model are expected to find UK homes. For more information on Volkswagen’s Amarok range visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk

and petrol engines comply with the Euro 6 emission standard.

The 1.6 litre diesel engine achieves a CO² emission level of just 113g/km (2-wheel drive, manual transmission), and the 1.6 litre petrol engine with two wheel drive, manual transmission and Stop/go a level of 149g/km.

The fifth generation E-VGT turbocharger on the e-XDi160 diesel engine maximises

performance especially in the midlow speed range so it is fun and responsive to drive. Two transmissions are offered, a 6speed manual and Aisin 6-speed automatic.

In terms of economy, Tivoli diesel achieves up to 65.7mpg on the Combined Cycle with manual transmission, and 51.4mpg for the automatic.

Tivoli gets diesel option The contemporary SsangYong Tivoli arrived in petrol engine form earlier this summer and quickly began to make its mark in the compact SUV segment of the market. ow SsangYong is expanding the choice available by launching an all-new 1.6 litre Euro 6 diesel engine across the range.

“Tivoli is the biggest thing to happen to SsangYong”, says Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK, “and we have been delighted with the reaction to the car from the media and all importantly from owners.

“Tivoli is being praised for its style, safety and equipment, interior space and finish, and with the introduction of diesel we can now offer greater power, increased economy and a 1.5 tonne towing

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capability, while also underlining the SsangYong proposition of value for money, backed by a warranty no one else can match.”

Diesel power The newly developed e-XDi160 diesel engine produces 115ps/3,400 - 4,000rpm max power with 300Nm/1,500 2,500rpm, and delivers a smooth, progressive and powerful driving experience, while the e-XGi160 petrol engine delivers up to 128ps/6,000rpm max power with 160Nm/4,600 rpm max torque, and offers optimised performance for both urban and motorway driving with excellent NVH (noise, vibration & harshness) characteristics. Both the diesel

September 2015 | Farming Monthly | 75

| Motors

76 | Farming Monthly | September 2015

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| Motors

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

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| Motors

First exterior images of all new Kia Sportage Kia Motors has revealed the first official exterior images of the all-new Kia Sportage, featuring a dynamic and strong new design. The all-new Sportage will make its global debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 15 September 2015. ntering its fourth-generation, the all-new Kia Sportage features a bold, progressive design, with the vehicle’s designers creating a sense of power and agility from every angle. Echoing the contrast of smooth and sharp shapes found on some of the most iconic modern fighter jets, the Sportage creates visual harmony out of the tension between sharp, defined feature lines and smooth surfacing.

The ‘face’ of the all-new Sportage represents the biggest change to the car’s design, with the car’s headlamps no longer integrated with the grille for the new model, instead sweeping back along the outer edges of the more sharply-

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detailed bonnet and bolder wheel arches.

Immediately recognisable as a Kia, the Sportage’s lower, wider ‘tiger-nose’ grille adds more volume to the lower half of the Sportage’s face, resulting in a more imposing appearance and a more stable-looking stance.

The all-new Sportage is characterised by its sportier, more raked profile. From the side, the all-new Sportage retains the swept-back silhouette of the outgoing model, with a roofline that tapers slightly towards the rear of the car, longer front overhangs, shorter rear overhangs and longer wheelbase. Smooth bodywork, bolder wheel arches and sharp lines endow the Sportage with a more dynamic, muscular look.

At the rear, the horizontal forms and surface

volume emphasise the car’s width and give the compact SUV a more stable appearance.

Inspired by the 2013 Kia Provo concept car, the slim combination lamps are joined by a strip that runs the width of the rear, while turn signals and reversing lights are separated, relocated lower down to add more visual weight and a greater sense of stability to the lower half of the car.

The design of the new Sportage has been led by Kia’s European design studio in Frankfurt, Germany, with input from the brand’s Namyang, Korea and Irvine, California design centres.

Land Rover develops transparent horse trailer Land Rover researchers develop an innovative camera system that makes a trailer or caravan appear see-through when being towed. and Rover is developing a see-through trailer concept that would completely remove the blind spot created when towing a caravan or trailer. This transparent view would allow the driver to clearly see vehicles coming up behind and help driver confidence by improving visibility whilst manoeuvring.

The prototype ‘Transparent Trailer’ system fitted to a Range Rover combines the video feed from the vehicle’s existing

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surround camera system - which includes the reversing camera and a camera on each wing mirror with a video from a digital wireless camera that is placed on the rear of the trailer or caravan. The video feeds are then combined to create the live video images that make the trailer behind appear seethrough. When the trailer is coupled to the towing car, the live video feed would automatically appear in the rear view mirror inside the vehicle.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “When you are

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overtaking it is instinctive to check your mirrors, but if you are towing your vision is often restricted with large blind spots. Our Transparent Trailer project is researching how we could offer a view out of the vehicle unrestricted by your trailer, no matter what its size or shape.

Our prototype system offers a very high quality video image with no distortion of other cars or obstructions. This means the driver would have exactly the right

information to make safe and effective decisions when driving or manoeuvring, making towing safer and less stressful.”

When reversing, the driver would also be able to view the camera feed from the back of the caravan or trailer through the infotainment screen, with guidance lines calibrated to help reverse both car and trailer.

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| Motors

Heneage Motor Co Lincolnshire Tel. 01472 729980

Browning Great Wall Leicestershire Tel: 01664 564121

MTC Great Wall Cambridgeshire Tel: 01733 309782

www.heneagegrimsby.co.uk

www.browningsuzuki.co.uk

www.mtcars.co.uk

Garland Great Wall Hampshire Tel: 01252 367373

Haven Motor Holdings Ltd Sussex Tel: 01403 891700

Great Wall Bath Somerset Tel: 01225 473014

www.winchestermotorgroup.co.uk

www.havenmotors.co.uk

www.bathhonda.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

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