Lamma Show 2019: Arable and root crop equipment on show

Star attraction for Fendt on a busy stand was the Ideal combine, making its UK show debut.

Available as class 7 (451hp), 8 (538hp) and 9 (647hp) units, there are three variants - the standard wheeled combine, ‘T’ versions using a suspended track system developed by Agco’s Jackson plant, and ‘PL’ ParaLevel versions, for slopes up to 14 per cent.

The combine uses a variety of novel technologies including extra-long helix rotors, moulded return floors to control the crop flow to the separation pan, and the optional IdealHarvest which automatically adjusts settings to meet pre-defined harvest parameters.

Unloading from the 17,100 litre ‘Streamer’ tank is at 210 litres/sec with the 480mm diameter auger. Headers go up to the 12.2m (40ft) PowerFlow belt table with 76cm diameter Superflow auger to take advantage of the machine’s capacity.

Landquip showed its new CV3530 self-propelled sprayer, designed to offer a lightweight, compact machine for steep ground or demanding work such as potato applications, with 1.2m ground clearance for taller crops.

Weighing in at seven tonnes empty, with a 3.2m wheelbase, the CV3530 can be equipped with 30m aluminium booms, and features the company’s hydraulic anti-yaw system which takes the energy out of a wide boom on turns.

Tank capacity is 3500 litres, and power from the 170 or 228hp is transferred via oversize wheel motors. Prices are from £176,000.

Following the introduction of its compact Hybrid T6c drill, Claydon has revealed its production-ready TerraBlade inter-row weeder.

Key to its effectiveness, said the firm’s Spencer Claydon, is the design of the blade.

“Each inter-row blade uses a flat plate at its heel, which manages the working depth and enables the leading edge to just break the soil surface and kill weeds,” he said.

Available in 3m, 4m, 4.8m and 6m working widths, the unit will soon be available with a camera-guidance system for increased accuracy. Available for front- or rear-mounting, the TerraBlade is priced from £4,500.

Niagri Engineering showed the latest RCA3060 two-row self-propelled potato harvester from Dewulf, which swaps the hedgehog conveyor section for a four-man picking table.

Cleaning is via three sieving webs and axial rollers and the option of three or six Easi Clean rollers and unloading is via a C-elevator.

The bunker can now be set to fill to a specific level, allowing for partial loads in wet ground conditions.

Power is supplied by a 350hp Scania engine, and other features include Dewulf’s automatic steering and depth control, with a choice of 1,500 or 1,650mm harvesting channel. Prices are from £400,000.

The loss of diquat from 2019 leaves potato growers considering haulm destruction options, and manufacturers are offering various mechanical solutions.

High capacity front and rear topper combinations offer a good contractor opportunity, suggests Scotts, which offers the Trinity 6000 rear and 22B front mounted units, recently beefed up to withstand 250hp-plus tractors.

PTO shafts and drive transmissions have been upgraded and a five-belt drive with larger pulleys fitted, while remote greasing eases maintenance. The front mount unit is now fitted with road lights as standard.

‘Flail and spray’ operations ahead of harvesting for windrowing the crop have been the main market up to now. Derek Scott suggests that a 200ha workload could justify the £30,000 investment for the outfit, but with increased demand for mechanical topping purchasers could far exceed that.

Replacing the Maxima 2, Kuhn launched its Maxima 3 TD precision drill at the event.

Now available with either mechanical or electric seed metering, primary updates include the new cast parallelogram linkage, offering greater downward pressure, now up to 180kg.

As well as being able to work in tougher conditions, working speeds have also increased, up to 12kph depending on conditions.

Fertiliser tanks are an option, as are micro-granule hoppers. On electric metering versions, all tanks and hoppers are electrically metered, offering variable rate and section control.

Available in mounted versions from four to 12 rows and a mounted eight row version, the machine retails from about £25,000.

Tong Engineering has developed its Field Loader concept in response to customer requests for loading equipment to more precisely meet their needs.

A slewing harvester-type elevator cuts manoeuvring when loading bulkers at the headland, but the Field Loader Pro can also be used in at the store, with a choice of on-board generator or switch over system for electric power.

Capacities are 120-150 tonnes/hour depending on the amount of cleaning required and a variety of cleaning options can be specified to suit the crop and conditions, including coils, Easy Clean and belts, four, six and eight rows.

The Field Loader Pro also comes with a full-size four man picking table.

Grimme now distributes the Stanhay Pro Air pneumatic precision planter range in Europe and exhibited a 12-row version with a number of new features.

Suitable for a wide range of un-pelleted and pelleted seeds, each seeding disc can plant up to four lines per row.

An integrated counter allows seeding depth to be adjusted accurately and then transferred to the other seeding units; precision singulation ensures that only one seed per disc hole is deposited.

Sealed, flexible drive shafts are designed to provide a maintenance and slip free drive to the seeding disc. Versions from two to 24 rows can be specified.

A number of updates have been made to the FA 200 front fertiliser hopper from Grimme, which can also be fitted with a liquid applicator.

Dual wheels improve the drive, while fertiliser is now transferred to the disc via enclosed quick-release tubes, avoiding exposure to damp air.

Capacity of 650kg is offered by the new shape hopper, lower and wider for improved visibility, and complete with an integrated toolbox and the option of a road lighting kit.

The name of Alpego’s Maratona cultivator has a nod to ‘marathon’ to reflect it speed, says the company, as it is designed to work at 12-18kph.

Using two rows of scalloped discs with each side angled in opposition is said to reduce crabbing, and the 460mm rubber block-mounted discs are followed by a choice of rollers including the 560mm diameter packer on show.

Capable of working in stubble, ploughed or cultivated soils, it is suitable for spring work on over-wintered ploughed land, suggests Alpego, and was paired with the company’s AS4 combi-drill.

Working widths are from 4-6m, folding to 2.5m for transport and power requirement is from 150-280hp. Prices are from £17,500.

Bauer has introduced new pump sets for irrigation and slurry applications.

Previously standard specification irrigation pumps have been adapted for the UK with the addition of FPT 74, 93 and 125kW emission-compliant engines with 1,000 or 1,500 litre bunded fuel tank and housed in a 70dBA silent canopy.

An auto priming system fills a reserve tank which then feeds water into the suction hose when ready to prime.

The pump can be started remotely via a smart phone app and feeds engine diagnostics data back into Bauer’s Smart Rain control system.

Other updates include a removable drawbar for convenience and security, and irrigation pipework routed around the front of the unit, away from the lagoon or ditch.

Ovlac used the show to launch a new range of ploughs, badged Xperience.

Available in five and six furrow variants, the plough has a new headstock with a hollow shaft through which hydraulic pipes are routed. Headstocks are rated at 220-300hp. It uses a parallelogram system for vari-width, with furrow width between 300mm and 500mm.

All plate steel on the plough is Hardox, including the legs, with an under-beam clearance of 78cm. The plough as shown is priced at £25,641 and includes hydraulic reset.

Launching a new flail topper was Teagle Machinery. Said to be experiencing a large demand for high output flail toppers, the latest model features long flails, generating a tip speed of 70m/s, 50 per cent greater than most other models on the market, it claims.

The body of the machine is twice as large as its predecessor, designed for bulky cover crops, brassica stalks, and scrub land, with the ability to chop through 80mm thick material, according to the company.

Rotor and rear roller diameter are both 194mm and the inner skin is constructed of 5mm Strenx steel.

Available in 1.8m to three metre working widths, side shift is standard and prices start at £8,350.

Making its Pro-Til drills more versatile, Mzuri was showcasing its Xzact precision maize seeders.

Designed to replace the drill’s standard coulters and seeding units, the Xzact features electrically driven metering discs to evenly space maize seeds. A vacuum transfers seed from the drill’s main tank to the mini hoppers on the drilling legs.

Standard row width is 333mm, which is doubled to 666mm for maize drilling, by lifting legs out of work. Fertiliser is put down via the front legs, and a range of points and wings is available to suit cultivation requirements.

The three metre version shown could plant five rows of maize, with the standard drill starting from £61,000. Adding Xzact seeders onto the drill will cost an extra £16,572.

Following customer focus groups, Pentair Hypro has developed a prototype closed transfer (CT) system for chemical induction, and comments that CT may become a condition of re-registration for certain active ingredients in the future.

Acknowledging that adoption may be gradual and some products do not require CT, a hybrid system fitted to a standard induction hopper is one option, but progress has been made with a dedicated device. This clamps the lid and contains the lid centre, opening the can, and also introduces air, avoiding ‘glugging’ and making for faster induction. It is possible to transfer part of the pack, using the graduations on its side to measure the amount, in which case the system will rinse the top of the cap before re-sealing.

Water jets in the transfer mechanism then wash the inside of the can before it is re-sealed ready for recycling or re-use. A limited number of units will be supplied to operators via specialist distributors this year.

BDC Systems has introduced a remote moisture monitoring system for wet grain as it passes through the grain dryer, using bespoke sampling units fitted to the wet and dry elevators on a plant.

Samples are then processed through a multi-chamber duct incorporating a Sinar moisture probe, and live readings showing the moisture content of both samples in percentage format are displayed on a screen, along with a graph showing the moisture trend.

The system can be linked to BDC’s grain dryer control system and data viewed remotely via an app. Costs of over drying can be minimised, points out the company, without time consuming visits to the store to take samples, and the system can be retrofitted to many existing grain systems.

The company is also evaluating a new app developed by supplier Skandia Elevator, which provides cloud-based monitoring of all equipment in the grain system, including servicing alerts. Grain Cloud connects to the system’s PLC, and set up costs depend on the complexity of establishing connectivity at the site, plus a monthly subscription.

Sencrop announced the launch of its UK subsidiary and unveiled its connected weather station which records rainfall, temperature and humidity – plus windspeed if an optional anemometer is specified - and feeds data back via low bandwidth wireless technology to an app.

The dashboard shows the location of the sensors plus headline data, and the user can also search historical figures by date and access seven day weather forecasts. Alerts can be set for temperature or humidity thresholds, and the data can be integrated with decision support tools, including Syngenta with which Sencrop has partnered.

The system comes with a two-year warranty, and prices start from £350 for the station and £150/year for the subscription and support.

Patchwork’s latest Black Box Marine terminal offers an all-in-one guidance and rate control function for spreaders and sprayers, based on an Android tablet.

Bluetooth connectivity and simple waterproof plug and play product controller make for easy connection to the implement, and the facility to use variable rate data from suppliers such as Soyl can be specified, along with section control, auto shut off and mapping.

Straightforward touchscreen activated profiles make it easy to swap from a spreader to a sprayer, inputting working width and section width.

Application data can be transferred via wifi or USB stick and synchronised into the Cloud using Patchwork’s Blackbox Core PC software.

Knight Farm Machinery showcased some of the updates being made to the Trailblazer trailed sprayer, which now features a full stainless steel belly plate to protect the crop, plus an air blow out from the compressor to push liquid out of the spray lines.

Control from the Mueller in-cab terminal – available as the advanced split screen Touch 1200 or standard Touch 800 can now be replicated on the external Field Control Pro panel, waterproofed to IP67.

Functions include a phased filling control which allows fill levels to be set with a pause for chemical to be inducted. Final versions will relocate the pump to the rear and move suction valves backwards to reduce pipework.

Agri-Linc has extended the appeal of its Multi-Mole drainer by offering the twin-leg unit as a linkage-mounted machine to complement the existing trailed model.

Equipped with swiveling legs, the unit features long mole beams to enable it to be pulled into the ground at field boundaries, to improve outfall drainage. Its headstock design has been engineered for configuration as a single leg mole drainer, increasing its versatility.

The fully-mounted Multi-Mole is priced at £11,950.

Agri-Linc’s InvertaMax Pro short disc harrow is now available with a twin-wheel press as an option to the standard DD-type packer.

Called STS – soil-to-soil – the twin steel-wheel 600mm diameter packer uses a u-profile channel around its circumference to create consolidation on lighter soil types.

The InvertaMax Pro is available in 5m and 6m working widths.

While Kuhn’s latest generation Oceanis 2 trailed sprayer uses the same chassis as its predecessor, the firm has made several updates to application precision and ease of use.

Available with two chassis sizes and four tank sizes from 5,000 to 8,000 litre capacities, Oceanis 2 now benefits from a new ‘Multi-Spray’ system. Via continuous circulation of liquid, coupled with electric nozzle control, the sprayer offers the ability for individual nozzle section control. On top of this, automatic nozzle switching allows better adaptation to forward speed, spray types and spraying situation.

Boom options extend from 24 to 48m. On show was a 36m version fitted with the firm’s Boom Assist Total Pro which, via ultrasonic sensors and a potentiometer on the frame, automatically looks after boom levelling, tilt and height.

Kuhn’s own control box can be used to control the sprayer, which is also fully IsoBus compatible. Via electrically controlled valves, various wash cycles can be programmed. Auto-fill stop is also a feature, as is Stop Mix which stops agitation when the sprayer gets down to the last 100 litres, preventing foaming which results in a cleaner empty, says the manufacturer.

Available now, the short chassis, 5,500 litre version on show retails from £94,000.

German manufacturer Ziegler used the show to introduce its tillage range to a UK audience.

Already selling its header trailers through importer Abrey Agricultural, the five metre disc cultivator on show has a wide range of options and specifications.

The Master Disc Pro 5001 features two rows of 560mm discs and a spring balance packer roller. The company says the amount of steel and strength of its machines are what sets it apart from the competition. APV seeders can be fitted as an option.

The Master Disc is available in three metre to six metre working widths, with a five metre machine starting at £39,600.

Weaving Machinery has repackaged its GD6000 drill to create a shorter, more compact, more manoeuvrable outfit.

Now badged the GD6001T, the firm has moved its coulters from behind the axle, to a central position beneath the three tonne seed hopper. The firm’s Simon Weaving said these changes give a consistent coulter pressure across the full working width.

The GD6001T has an integral small seeds unit with an Accord metering device to enable customers to handle low rates of larger seeds, for example to suit companion cropping.

The 6m GD6001T is priced from £64,400.

Following on from the Unico plough range introduced last year, Maschio importer Opico has revealed the Mirco semi-mounted model.

Available in 6-9 furrow builds with shearbolt protection, and from 6-8 furrows with non-stop hydraulic auto reset, the Mirco is aimed at the tractors in the 230-400hp sector. Mirco uses the same leg, body and skimmer design as the Unico plough, but is offered as an in-furrow only or an on-land/in-furrow configuration.

Point to point clearance is 105cm, and furrow widths can be manually or hydraulically adjusted. Expected the Maschio Mirco to be available for autumn 2019.

The Top Cutter knife roller is a new option available for the He-Va range of front presses, rolls and Disc Roller models imported by Opico.

Designed to assist in cover crop destruction, the Top Cutter is equipped with six, double-sided blades, arranged in a helix pattern around an axle, to ensure smooth, vibration-free running at high forward speeds.

In addition, the Top Cutter is mounted to the main frame using the same rubber torsion damping system employed on He-Va’s disc cultivators, helping to protect the implement from shock-loads.

Meir Agriculture is an all-new cultivations division within the Dale Drills business that sits alongside the no-till drill portfolio. And this Meir sub-soiler is the pre-production version of a range, which is expected to include two models with 50cm leg spacings – an eight-leg 4m version and a 12-leg 6m model.

The firm’s James Dale says point and wing design had been engineered with additional length to create a gentle heave and deliver adequate soil fracturing of around 40mm, while minimising surface disturbance.

Straight cutting discs ahead of each leg create an open slit for the leg to follow. Expect production models to include the option of hydraulic rear roller adjustment.

Sumo has redesigned elements of its MixiDisc cultivator, to improve soil and trash flow, while also making the implement easier to manufacture – the latter has resulted in shorter lead-times on new machine orders.

Each disc now sits on its own hub, rather than mounting two discs on a common axle. This reduces the risk of blocking, and is better suited to high-speed cultivations, says the firm.

Disc design now includes a shallower scallop too. MixiDisc is available in working widths of 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7m.

KRM launched a new tablet control interface, to work in conjunction with its Calibrator Zurf control terminal.

NAVIcom, a Bluetooth unit attaches to the back of the control terminal, relaying information between a downloadable app on the tablet and the terminal.

The tablet can then control the guidance, automatic shutoff, section control and variable rate spreading. The company sees this as an alternative to IsoBus, which it says limits the spreaders capabilities and avoids high unlocking costs. The app contains spreading charts and settings, ad can email job reports for invoicing and record keeping.

Price of the NAVIcom Bluetooth interface is £2,310.

Standen has updated its Uni Sep stone and clod separator with a longer hoop and larger intake discs to keep soil within the unit, and has been designed as a dedicated 1,500mm wide separator offering high outputs.

Stars over webs offer double separation of stone and clod, and the underweb offers control of particle size. A web-only version with four webs is also available for stony conditions. Standen reports that five Uni Sep machines have recently gone to a Shropshire grower, replacing six units from a competitive brand due to their extra output.

Retail price is £85,000.

Following successful customer testing, Haith Group is to market a smaller single box tipper, designed to replace hydraulic tippers for lower output lines.

The Rota-tip S can handle up to 15 boxes per hour, and is electrically driven, avoiding the risk of contamination from hydraulic oil spills.

It rotates around a central pivot which means that the box is not actually lifted and the machine is not put under pressure; a continental web forms a lid on the box as it is rotated, ensuring the crop is not scuffed when being transferred. The company suggests a move towards mechanical operation of handling equipment is being driven by increasingly high customer expectations.

In search of greater efficiency and more refined automation, Big Bale Co (South) has made a number of design improvements to its Transtracker.

This new 4100 model gets all-new operating software with the ability to handle part-loads, a new bale grab and collection assembly, increased hydraulic system pressure for improved stack clamping, plus a new chassis design.

The unit is also fully CTF-compatible with the help of a front-mounted bump bar to push bales off the wheelings, and with fully automated controls, now offers 25-30 per cent faster cycle times.

The Transtacker 4100 costs £95,000 to buy or can be hired for £19,000/year on a fixed, three-year contract.