Agricultural Machinery

Agricultural Machinery NEW HOLLAND NUTRISENSE NUTRIENT ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGY HELPS FARMERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS TO MARKET THEIR CROPS MORE PROFITABLY

Farmers are constantly looking for ways to do more with less: improve the quality of their crop while optimising the use of inputs, preserving the health of the soil and reducing the environmental impact of their activities. It’s a delicate balancing act where advanced technologies can make all the difference. New Holland’s NutriSense system is one of them: awarded the Silver Medal at the SIMA Innovation Awards 2021, this innovation provides farmers with valuable measurements of crop moisture, starch, crude protein, fibre (ADF and NDF), ash and crude fat content in every area of their field. The farmer can visualise this agronomic data with an intuitive, user-friendly interface on their MyPLM Connect portal and use it to make informed decisions that will enable them to market their crops most profitably.

Eduardo Nicz, PLM Product Marketing Global, explains: “Our strategy at New Holland is to integrate digital technologies to deliver a smart and connected agriculture to our customers, with easy-to-use solutions. The NutriSense system is an excellent example: it provides farmers with detailed agronomic data collected by their New Holland combine or forage harvesters in the field. This will enable them to use their inputs most efficiently and harvest a crop they will sell at better prices.”

The NutriSense system on New Holland’s FR Forage Cruiser can help the livestock farmer or contractor in

New Holland’s award-winning NutriSenseLM™ system is now integrated in the brand’s MyPLM™ Connect portal, enabling customers to visualise crop nutrient data collected by their machines in the MyPLM Connect Farm application.

different phases of the farming cycle, starting from understanding and managing field health and performance using year-on-year field data. They can also use the measurements collected by the machine to determine if there is soil contamination in the forage, so they can add a safeguard for the livestock. At harvest time, the crop moisture data supports the farmer’s decision making on animal feed storage. The crude protein, crude fat and starch content of the crop enables them to improve the animal feed ration content and quality. The result is a healthier, more productive field and high-quality animal feed for the farmer’s livestock or for the contractor to sell at a higher price.

Cash crop farmers operating a New Holland CR or a CX7 and CX8 Combine with NutriSense will benefit too from the year-on-year field data to manage the health and performance of their fields. Understanding the crop protein levels across their field can be very useful when calculating fertiliser application rates for the following seasons, optimising the use of inputs. The protein content in the grain enables the farmer to determine whether the crop is suitable for animal feed or for milling wheat, which sells at a higher price. Knowing the value of their crop at harvest will also help them decide how to store the crop. The levels of crop nutrients such as starch also determine whether the crop is suitable for bio-fuel production. With the increasing demand for this sustainable fuel, this can represent an interesting revenue stream.

Lars Skjoldager Sørensen, Crop Harvesting Product Management Global, comments: “New Holland CR, CX7 and CX8 combines deliver massive capacity with outstanding grain quality. The NutriSense system gives our customers an additional advantage: the detailed information on nutrients enables them to optimize the use of inputs, determine the best way to manage their crop, and understand value of their crop to obtain the best price for it.”

Visualisation of data from the NutriSense system is the latest addition to the continually expanding array of features and functionalities of the MyPLM Connect Farm app designed to help farmers optimise the performance, productivity and profitability of their operation.

KUBOTA SA INTRODUCES NEW IMPLEMENT RANGE

Kubota SA has introduced a much anticipated new line of implements to complement its already renowned Kubota tractor range.

In the round baler segment, the company has introduced the BF3255RN, which is a net only baler, fix chambers and full rollers; the BF3255RNT, a net and twine, fix chambers and full rollers; as well as the BF3255SC, a net and twine, fix chamber and full rollers, with a supercut option.

“We have also introduced the BV4160, a net and twine, with variable chamber that is specifically brought in for the contracting business in South Africa,” explains Dennis van der Merwe, national sales manager for Kubota SA at Smith Power Equipment.

“To complete our haymaking equipment range, we have introduced a Kubota disk mower range from 1,7 m up to 3,2 m cutting width, which will also be available with a conditioner as well as two models of power rakes – 3,5 m and 4,3 m working width,” he adds.

To further strengthen its offering to dealers and customers in South Africa, Kubota SA has introduced specialised implements, including shredders, mulchers, rotary mowers, slashers and flake mulchers. These are manufactured in the Netherlands and sold under the Kubota brand name.

“Over the past season, we have been testing these new haymaking products in South Africa. The products have been developed with excellent workmanship, exceptional quality and are able to do the job they were designed to do,” he says.

“All these products are backed by Kubota SA’s dealer network, ensuring greater parts availability as well as unparalleled technical support throughout the country,” concludes Van der Merwe.

For more information, visit www.smithpower.co.za

JOHN DEERE LAUNCHES BIGGEST EVER TRAILED SPRAYER

John Deere’s new R975i sprayer is the biggest trailed model the company has ever produced. This 7500-litre machine will join the rest of the R900i Series line-up, with tank capacities of 4400, 5200 and 6200 litres, in 2022.

As with other sprayers in the range, this new model benefits from John Deere Precision Ag technologies, enabling customers to profit from additional smart solutions. The R975i is designed to meet customer requirements for larger tank volumes and wider booms, as well as higher accuracy, reduced chemical use and more comfort when filling and operating the sprayer.

The machine’s new larger volume will mean farmers and contractors can spend more time in the field spraying, and so increase productivity by covering larger areas with one tank. The proven PowrSpray dualcircuit solution system also helps to speed up filling times, improves spray application and increases accuracy.

For the first time on John Deere sprayers, the M900(i) and R900i Series models will offer 25cm nozzle spacing as an option. This is an ‘On Centre’ solution that means an additional nozzle is placed between each 50cm nozzle body on the spray boom. John Deere has also added a nozzle body plus an additional nozzle at each end of the boom to offer full coverage and eliminate underdosing at the boom ends.

All trailed sprayer ranges will also benefit from the options launched on the R700i Series for 2021. These include Individual Nozzle Control, which limits over- or underdosing to help preserve yields while saving input costs. Nozzle Control offers savings in crop protection products worth up to 6€/ha on top of Section Control.

Another feature is the new Closed Transfer System, which is an ISO approved coupling. This prevents contact with and any spillages of crop protection products, to ensure filling the sprayer is safe for the environment as well as the operator.

On the M700(i) and R700i Series sprayers, an additional key feature for the German and Netherlands markets is a new 33m wide boom with 3m Section or Individual Nozzle Control options. This boom will complement small 3m grain drills as well as 75cm row crops, enabling fewer passes with one tankful and therefore also increasing productivity.