High input prices, labour shortages and environmental pressure are all driving the need for increased efficiency on-farm, and agricultural suppliers are responding.
At the Midlands Machinery Show on 16-17 November at Newark Showground, visitors will find technology that improves performance, precision and safety of machinery. There will also be time-saving innovations for operators, software that optimises input use and apps designed to provide information for more informed decision-making.
The latest JCB Fastrac will be making its Midlands Machinery Show debut. It will sit alongside a selection of other JCB handlers exhibited by Sharmans Agricultural and G&J Peck.
“The Fastrac has always had strong appeal with its unrivalled ride comfort, great all-round visibility, and fast working and road speeds, says managing director of Sharmans, Scott Barclay.
“With the new iCON version, it’s also up with the best in terms of tractor and implement control and guidance, with an enhanced transmission contributing to a more enjoyable, more productive experience for the operator.”
Pecks and Sharmans also plan to exhibit some of JCB’s world-leading range of Loadall telescopic handlers. Earlier this year, the range was expanded with the new 542-70 AGRI Pro which is said to significantly increase productivity potential for large farming enterprises and contracting businesses.
Burdens Group will be showcasing New Holland’s new T7 Heavy Duty with PLM Intelligence tractor. The latest model has a wide variety of features designed to optimise efficiency. IntelliTurn, for example automates steering during headland turns, selecting the optimum route to minimise time and compaction. It can be combined with the HTS II control, which records and stores all implement sequences and operations at the headland.
When it comes to manure handling, the rising cost of synthetic fertilisers has increased demand for the FBS18 Manure spreader, says Amy Taylor at Richard Western. “It is a rear discharge spreader which has horizontal beaters with spinning discs. It is designed to handle all types of farmyard manures, sludges and waste product,” she says.
Alongside the manure spreader, Richard Western will be showcasing the BTTA16/28HS bale trailer with a safe lock bale clamping system, developed to allow farmers to load bales quickly and safely. Also on display will be the SF18HS Suffolk trailer fitted with a hydraulic roll-over sheet – a more effective, quicker and safer way to cover loads than the conventional manual easy sheet.
Root crop growers will find a range of innovations at the event, too. Tong Engineering has recently announced its latest product development – an advanced optical sorting option available on all new models of its popular field loader machine, the FieldLoad PRO.
“With rising costs and an increasing need for growers to streamline their post-harvest operations to get tractors and trailers off the roads, carting less soil and generally minimising crop mileage, the demand for our FieldLoad PRO has continued to increase since its launch in 2018,” says Charlie Rich, sales director at Tong Engineering.
“Recent results have been very impressive, both in terms of the amount of labour that can be saved at this stage of the post-harvest handling process, as well as the potential reduction in storage costs as only good crop is being stored,” he notes.
Technology at the event isn’t limited to machinery hardware. Visitors will also find exhibitors demonstrating a range of software and apps designed to improve accuracy and arm growers with information.
Lemken, for instance, will be showcasing its digital solution, iQBlue, designed to make work more efficient, both in the field and in the office. The easy-to-install module is a cost-effective alternative to upgrading kit, so users can benefit from optimised implement performance and automatic data management.
Cost-efficiency has also been at the heart of Drone Ag’s latest development – the Skippy Scout Android app. Like it’s iOS counterpart, the Android app gives users real-time reports on plant counts, green area index (GAI), crop health and flowering ratio- saving time and providing deeper actionable insights which can enhance crops yields and profitability.
“By introducing the Android app, we have been able to design new features like creating field boundaries,” says Drone Ag founder Jack Wrangham. “Android devices are also far cheaper than Apple, which will enable more users to access the app at a lower price using existing phones, tablets or computers.
“Skippy Scout automates drone flights using field maps to navigate a drone to points of interest. Users need not have any experience of flying drones or a license* because Skippy will fly the drone for them,” he explains. “Our image analysis takes only minutes after the drone has completed its flight to present high resolution photographs and crop data. This means that users can identify problems with crops, like weeds or pests, more quickly by viewing the leaf level images on their phone or tablet.”
