Issue 231 | October/November 2024 - NZ Rural Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

ISSUE 231

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024

EQUIPMENT

EasyDrill lifts drilling possibilities sky-high

FEATURE What’s new in Bale Wrappers, Bale Handling Equipment and Telehandlers

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024

IN THIS ISSUE....

02 FROM THE EDITOR: Behind the scenes but not forgotten

18

INDUSTRY NEWS

68

3

Manitou’s 50 years down under

4

Yokohama-Trelleborg merger boosts NZ distributor

6

Effluent – your farm’s hidden goldmine

8

Optimising nitrogen application for maize

10 Origin Ag - 20 years on and here for the future 13 Unterland R recycled wrap both green and tough 14 Technology, customer support keys to machinery sector success 16 Safety campaign, visa reform on RCNZ to-do list 17 Adjuvants worth it says leading spraying contractor 18 Fewer roll changes with XL7 wrap 20 Top John Deere service ‘ambassadors’ awarded 22 Family business supplies Walterscheid parts New Zealand-wide

60

24 Study argues other pasture species can match plantain’s benefits 25 Carrfields takes on Krone distribution in Mid Canterbury

TECHNOLOGY 26 Home-grown weeding laser passes big test

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27 Solar and sheep farm up and running 28 Case IH and New Holland fleet monitoring now more powerful and cheaper

PROFILES 30 Family all hands on deck to drive booming business 34 Contractor keeps pace as dairy farming matures 39 Low-stress business model suits earthmoving all-rounder 42 Across the ditch: The natural selection

FEATURES 46 What’s new in Bale Wrappers, Bale Handling Equipment and Telehandlers 62 What’s new in Hay and Silage Consumables

EQUIPMENT

80

76 EasyDrill lifts drilling possibilities sky-high 78 Kverneland mounted sprayer makes light work of South Canterbury hills 79 Durable BvL mixer can lift your herd’s production 80 Maize operation up and running with ‘magnificent’ Alpego tillage tools 81 Magnon 11 off to a fine start 84 Kubota plays part in family’s drive for sustainable farming 86 Third generation engineering firm not afraid of a challenge 88 Award-winning New Holland specialty tractor creates a buzz

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PO Box 36753 Merivale, Christchurch 8146 ph 03 329 6555 www.agrimedia.co.nz

PAUL TITUS, EDITOR

BEHIND THE SCENES BUT NOT FORGOTTEN KIA ORA. BY A NICE COINCIDENCE, THIS ISSUE OF OUR MAGAZINE CARRIES A COUPLE OF STORIES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE AG MACHINERY INDUSTRY – MECHANICS AND PARTS MANAGERS. Actually ‘mechanic’ is not the right job title to describe what these men and women do. They often use computers to diagnose what is wrong with machines, and they might end up tweaking an electronic sensor or software rather than something mechanical.

It is great that John Deere Australia-NZ holds an annual competition to select the best technical specialist and parts specialist in both countries, as well as the best apprentice in each field.

John Deere dealerships nominate candidates for the award. They are narrowed down to a short list and are brought together for a series of challenges such as to diagnose a fault in a machine.

When he announced this year’s winners, John Deere Australia-NZ managing director Luke Chandler said that, by keeping customers’ tractors and machinery running, these specialists are ambassadors for John Deere.

Another story in this issue covers the biannual conference of the New Zealand Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA). Along with speakers who addressed topics relevant to the industry, the conference also featured TAMA’s ‘emerging talent’ awards.

These awards put the spotlight on three young people – one each in sales, service and parts – who show promise.

Provincial New Zealand is served by independent engineers and mobile mechanics, who also have the ability to fix or build pretty much anything.

In this issue we also tell the tale of Ashburton-based Engineering Repairs Ltd. While ERL is known for their 02

truck-mounted fertiliser spreaders, they have also developed a trailed spreader and they manufacture a whole range of attachments, recycling compactors, and hedge trimmers.

Now, thanks for asking… Yes I did scour the Internet for a joke: A teenage boy worked part-time at Pizza Hut. One day he arrived home in a late model Porsche. His parents were shocked and wanted to know where it came from.

“I bought it,” the boy answered, when they asked.

“We know how much a Porsche costs, and there’s no way you can afford one,” his mother replied.

“It’s used and I got a great deal. I only paid $20 for it.”

His parents were even more shocked.

“Who would sell a Porsche for $20?”

“The woman up the street,” the boy said. “She just moved in. I delivered a pizza to her, and she offered to sell me the Porsche for $20.”

Baffled, his parents rushed to the neighbour’s house, to find out what was going on.

“We are the parents of the boy you sold a Porsche,” the father told the woman.

“Why did you sell our son your car?”

The woman said, “I had a call from my husband this morning. I thought he was on a business trip to Florida, but he ran off to Hawaii with his secretary and isn’t coming back.”

The boy’s mother asked, “So why sell our son a Porsche for $20?”

The woman replied, “My husband told me to sell his new Porsche and send him the money. So I did.”

Publishers of Rural Contractor & Large Scale Farmer, AgriBusiness, AgriVet, NZ Cropping, Australian AG Contractor & Large Scale Farmer, NZ Novachem Agrichemical Manual.

© RURAL CONTRACTOR AND LARGE SCALE FARMER - No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily that of the publisher and suggest independent advice be sought before acting on information or suggestions contained herein.

CONTRIBUTIONS - Editorial and photographic contributions are welcomed and should be sent directly to AgriMedia Ltd. Editing of submissions is at the sole discretion of the editor and will accept no responsibility for unsolicited material.

EDITOR Paul Titus 87 Stanbury Avenue, Christchurch mob 021 655 092 email titus@agrimedia.co.nz

ADVERTISING MANAGER Michael Lightbourne mob 021 403 853 email michael@agrimedia.co.nz

CIRCULATION email admin@agrimedia.co.nz

PRODUCTION, LAYOUT & DESIGN Hannah Kincaid email art@agrimedia.co.nz

CONTRIBUTORS Joanna Ibell, Gus Kebbell, David Hill, Rowland Tsimba, Brendon Burns, Kathy Davis, Andy Thomas.

Printed by Blueprint Ltd

MANITOU’S 50 YEARS DOWN UNDER THIS YEAR MANITOU MARKS 50 YEARS SINCE ITS RANGE OF ALL-TERRAIN FORKLIFTS WAS INTRODUCED TO OCEANIA. OVER THE PAST FIVE DECADES THE BRAND HAS BUILT A REPUTATION FOR PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY, WHICH HAS MADE IT A STAPLE IN BOTH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. Manitou hit the Australian market in 1973 and shortly after this it was launched in New Zealand. The brand’s origins trace back to 1958 when Marcel Braud and the Braud family introduced the first Manitou machine.

Initially, Manitou made its mark with rough terrain forklifts. These machines played an important role in construction and agriculture, sectors that are still major markets for Manitou machines.

Some of those early models, such as the MB30, are hard at work in regional Australia. They might not clock the hours of newer models, but their long working life speaks

EACH YEAR, PRINCIPALS FROM MANITOU’S DEALER NETWORK IN OCEANIA COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS RESULTS AND SET THE BUSINESS DIRECTION FOR THE BRAND. volumes about Manitou equipment’s robust build.

The oldest known Manitou still working in Australia is a 1974 MB20C. It was originally imported by Blackwood Hodge in Adelaide and sold to the Trotta Bros Building Company in Kapunda, SA. The Trotta family still own the MB20C and they regularly use it to move equipment in their storage yard.

The ‘Buggie’ is another piece of Manitou’s legacy. The Manitou 4RM20HP was a compact rough terrain materials handler that became widely known as the Buggie due to its manageable dimensions and height of just 1850 mm.

Today, the Buggie is synonymous with compact rough terrain forklifts in Australia.

Even though competitors have entered the market, Manitou remains the benchmark for this type of machine, and plans for a new

Buggie model are on the horizon.

Manitou’s portfolio extends well beyond forklifts, however. The range includes industrial forklifts, telehandlers, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), skid loaders, track loaders, and rotational telehandlers. All are designed to tackle tough jobs and help contractors and farmers handle their work efficiently.

Manitou’s commitment to its customers is a big part of its success. It has long term relationships with Australia’s largest rental companies but is equally supportive of smaller operations like local hay contractors.

In Australia it has a 30-year partnership with the Defence Force. While its relationship with the New Zealand Defence Force does not go back as far, it is also important. Two years ago Manitou delivered 21 units to the NZDF. Manitou says it maintains a spirit of dedica-

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INDUSTRY NEWS

YOKOHAMATRELLEBORG MERGER BOOSTS NZ DISTRIBUTOR A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE GLOBAL TYRE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS SET TO BRING BROADER PRODUCT OPTIONS AND WORLD CLASS RESOURCES TO THE NEW ZEALAND MARKET. In 2023 global tyre manufacturer Yokohama Rubber Co acquired Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS).

TWS produces the Trelleborg and Mitas ranges of tyres for tractors, agricultural implements and other off-road vehicles.

TWS had already acquired its New Zealand distributor, TRS Tyre and Wheel in 2018, and with the acquisition TRS also comes under the ownership banner of Yokohama Rubber Co. This adds significant resource, expertise and additional product range to what TRS offers to its Kiwi customers.

Founded in the early 1970s, TRS is New Zealand’s largest supplier of tyres and wheels to the agricultural, industrial and mining sectors. Its specialist manufacturing facilities enable TRS to manufacture wheels for agricultural, materials handling, port and OTR machinery.

It can do everything from replace wheels for construction or forestry equipment right

through to wheel conversions for specialist farming applications, most notably Snaplok duals, spreader trucks and row crop wheels.

TRS managing director Nigel Sherborne says over the coming 12 months the company will transition its corporate colours from Trelleborg’s blue and gold to Yokohama’s red and black as TRS evolves into Yokohama TWS NZ Ltd. “TRS will continue to supply the same high quality customer solutions/products with the existing extremely skilled team.

Being part of the Yokohama family gives us access to world class knowledge, research and development from a global giant.

This will allow us to continue to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations,” Nigel says.

TRS continues to represent Trelleborg, Mitas and Cultor tyres and it gains access to Yokohama’s premium port and OTR mining tyres.

tion and passion for the Australasian region.

Although recent years have posed challenges, Manitou is enthusiastic about the future here.

Looking ahead, Manitou is ready to develop new, innovative products and lead the industry to new heights.

The Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1917 and is a global leader in the tyre industry and other rubber applications, such as conveyor belts, hoses and fenders. It manufactures and sells tyres for every vehicle category, from compact cars to sports cars, high-powered sedans, trucks and buses, as well as large agricultural, construction and mining equipment.

Before its purchase of Trelleborg TWS, Yokohama Rubber had

Manitou Australia sales and marketing manager Jean-Philippe Gilbert says Manitou is not focused solely on lifting equipment.

“It is about setting new standards and propelling Australia forward. With a legacy of excellence and a forward-thinking approach, we aim to continue making an impact and

THE OLDEST KNOWN MANITOU SOLD IN AUSTRALIA IS A 1974 MB20C.

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TRS TYRE AND WHEEL IS CHANGING ITS BRANDING BECAUSE ITS PARENT COMPANY, TRELLEBORG, HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY YOKOHAMA RUBBER. annual revenue of 607.8 billion yen (5.2 billion Euros), so it is a truly international conglomerate.

With its acquisition of Trelleborg TWS, Yokohama Rubber is now one of the top five global tyre manufacturers.

It employs more than 27,000 people around the world and operates in more than 120 countries. It is well-established in Asia, Europe, North America and South America and is supported by 18 tyre manufacturing plants and four R&D centres.

setting the pace for industry in New Zealand and Australia.”

MANITOU WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 1950S TO BUILD ROUGH TERRAIN FORKLIFTS.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

EFFLUENT – YOUR FARM’S HIDDEN GOLDMINE Article supplied by Nevada IMAGINE TRANSFORMING YOUR DAIRY FARM’S WASTE INTO A GOLDMINE OF SAVINGS AND PRODUCTIVITY. IT MIGHT SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, BUT IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE. BY CHANGING HOW YOU VIEW AND USE DAIRY EFFLUENT, YOU CAN SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST YOUR PROFITS AND IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH. Let’s delve into soil biology.

Your soil is teeming with life, from bacteria and fungi to earthworms and arthropods.

These tiny workers are essential for maintaining soil health and fertility. When you apply effluent to your pastures, you feed these organisms, enhance their activity, and boost your soil’s overall health and productivity.

Effluent is rich in nutrients that can greatly benefit soil biology.

Healthier soil means better pasture production now and in the future. To maximise these benefits, it is crucial to cover your

entire farm with effluent, not just the paddocks near the cowshed.

This approach ensures that all your paddocks receive this valuable natural fertiliser.

In New Zealand, many farmers apply effluent primarily close to the cowshed due to limitations in pump capacity, power availability, or the length of irrigation lines.

However, this practice often results in over-irrigation of nearby paddocks, which can harm animal health and prevent you from realising the full benefits of effluent.

By spreading effluent across

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WITH A SLURRY TANKER YOU CAN SPREAD EFFLUENT OF DIFFERENT CONSISTENCIES EVENLY AND PROVIDE PROOF OF PLACEMENT. your entire farm, you can heavily reduce the need for costly synthetic fertilisers.

Consider the case of a large dairy farmer in Hawke’s Bay who saved over $200,000 annually on fertiliser costs by using a slurry tanker to cover his entire farm with effluent.

Imagine the impact similar savings could have on your operation. Using dairy effluent effectively is not only an environmentally sound choice but also a smart financial strategy.

One of the best ways to cover your entire farm with effluent is with a slurry tanker. Tankers are versatile, and can handle everything from heavy slurry to lighter liquid effluent. They allow for precise, low application rates and provide proof of placement to ensure that nutrients are distributed exactly where needed.

A slurry tanker equipped with a Nevada RainWave applicator creates larger droplets that deliver effluent directly to the soil. This reduces odour compared to traditional travelling irrigators and minimises nitrogen loss, which helps you get more value from your effluent.

Additionally, slurry tankers offer

superior accuracy across the full width of the application. They are particularly effective for irregularly shaped paddocks, allowing for even distribution, unlike travelling irrigators that can only spread effluent in a straight line.

Slurry tankers also offer flexibility in sucking effluent from virtually any storage facility and spreading it to distant paddocks.

If your farm has a sump or pit with thick effluent that is difficult to pump out with a standard pump, a slurry tanker can handle the job with ease.

Shift your perspective: effluent isn’t waste, it’s a valuable resource. By covering your entire farm with this natural fertiliser, you can enhance soil health, cut costs, and boost your farm’s sustainability.

Healthier soils lead to more productive pastures and, ultimately, a more profitable dairy farm.

Ready to see these benefits on your farm? Contact our team today, on 0800 464 393.

EFFLUENT CONTAINS NUTRIENTS THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE SOIL’S BIOLOGY.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

OPTIMISING NITROGEN APPLICATION FOR MAIZE RESULTS OF A MULTI-YEAR STUDY OF SOIL NITROGEN DYNAMICS IN A MAIZE-ANNUAL RYEGRASS CROP SYSTEM SUGGEST THAT, WHILE SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (SOM) CAN BE A VALUABLE SOURCE OF NITROGEN (N), IN LONG-TERM CROPPING PADDOCKS RELIANCE ON SOM FOR N SUPPLY CAN BE UNRELIABLE. THEREFORE, SYNTHETIC FERTILISER SUPPLEMENTATION IS USUALLY REQUIRED. Maize is a high-yielding crop that requires a significant amount of nutrients, particularly nitrogen (N). To maximise nutrient uptake, and consequently yield, there should be synchronisation between soil N supply and maize N demand. This is particularly critical during the rapid vegetative growth (starting at the V6 stage) when N demand is greatest.

While most soils can mineralise N from SOM, which provides a natural source of N for maize crops, it can be difficult to synchronise soil N release with maize plants’ N demand. This is especially true for dryland cropping under typical New Zealand dry summers due to the difficulty in predicting timing of mineralisation.

To minimise the risk of maize crops running out of N, synthetic N is hence usually needed. It should be applied at rates that match soil available N, i.e., the amount of N crops will remove

and potential N losses that are unavoidable.

Provided weather conditions do not deviate much from normal, the N requirements for maize crops can be easily estimated based on paddock and crop yield potential and regular soil testing.

MINERALISED N Most New Zealand soils generally have high SOM levels which allow them to mineralise a significant amount of N over time. It is possible to obtain some of the N that maize needs from SOM, but regular soil testing is always recommended to estimate soil N availability with reasonable accuracy.

In highly fertile soils, such as those coming out of permanent pasture, soil mineralised N is typically the major source of crop N uptake. Mineralised soil N is in fact a more efficient source of N uptake for maize because it is located close to the crop’s roots.

Genetic Technologies is currently conducting a research trial to understand how soil mineralisation can influence fertiliser N rates required to maximise maize yields without compromising the environment in long-term maize cropping.

Nitrogen mineralisation is complex, and the current study shows there is a trend for more N to be mineralised from SOM when fertiliser N applications are lower. These results are consistent with other studies that suggest that under low soil N levels, microbes meet their N demand by decomposing SOM. Long term, however, N ‘mining’ (through SOM decomposition) can lead to a decline in the fertility and productive capacity of the soil. It can also have negative environmental impacts because excessive mineralisation rates result in higher CO2 emissions and a net loss of soil carbon (C).

Conversely, applications of synthetic fertiliser in a long-term maize cropping situation may decrease potential microbial N mining because of the resultant lower soil C to N ratio.

It is important to avoid excessive fertiliser N application or applying a significant amount of N fertiliser earlier than the rapid growth stage. Doing so could result in N loss either through

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leaching or denitrification, especially under cool wet spring weather conditions.

Prior to the V6 stage, maize uses less than 10 percent of its total N requirement. To reduce N losses to leaching, farmers should only apply a small amount of fertiliser N prior to this stage.

Once the rapid vegetative growth phase gets underway in late spring, N leaching is minimal.

Previous research indicates that losses at this time are usually less than 10 percent of the total annual N leaching losses from maizebased systems.

Fertiliser N rates should therefore be consistent with plant demand, SOM status and paddock management. Efficient fertiliser applications should aim to maximise profits and minimise environmental impact.

While N is essential for regulating maize plants’ growth and yield, it can be a pollutant if it ends up in groundwater and water bodies.

Some research has shown that maize will take up more N if excess levels are present (luxury uptake). However, in this study harvested maize silage had the same N concentration in all N fertiliser treatments. Also, maize yields did not increase in proportion to the level of N fertiliser applied.

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MAIZE AT THE TASELLING STAGE. THE CROP ON THE LEFT RECEIVED ADEQUATE NITROGEN. THE CROP ON THE RIGHT IS NITROGEN DEFICIENT AND SHOWS YELLOWING AND LEAF SENESCENCE. This finding further emphasises the importance of prudent N use to minimise the environmental impact as the maize plant appears to remove only the N that it requires.

While N leaching losses during the maize growing cycle are marginal, leaching losses tend to be greater in winter when drainage is higher. The use of winter catch crops such as annual ryegrass, oats or forage kale after maize silage can reduce N loss by up to 90 percent.

SUMMARY In summary, relying on soil organic matter to supply crop N requirements can reduce fertiliser costs, improve N fertiliser use efficiency (ratio of grain or silage yield to fertiliser N applied), and reduce N leaching.

On the flip side, long-term reliance on soil OM could significantly reduce soil fertility and productivity and potentially increase greenhouse gas emissions.

While some researchers would argue that soil OM should be

increased through organic inputs rather than reducing mineralisation with synthetic fertiliser, the authors of the study argue that the best option is to do both, but in a measured way.

This article is a summary of the article ‘Optimising Nitrogen

Application for Maize Production: Effects on Crop Biomass, Nitrogen Uptake, and Soil Nitrogen Dynamics’ by Tsimba R, Maheswaran S, Edmeades G, and Guthrie J. Their research was funded by Genetic Technologies Ltd.

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09

INDUSTRY NEWS

ORIGIN AG – 20 YEARS ON AND HERE FOR THE FUTURE THE STORY OF ORIGIN AG BEGAN IN 2004 WITH A TRIP TO EUROPE BY MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVID DONNELLY. DAVID HAD PLENTY OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FARM MACHINERY INDUSTRY AS WELL AS THE BACKING AND SUPPORT OF A GROUP OF NEW ZEALAND RETAILERS. His trip was a success and resulted in exclusive importing rights for a number of well-respected European machinery brands that Origin Ag introduced to the New Zealand market.

“We knew that simply starting up a new company to import farm machinery and introduce new products would be difficult.

Therefore we needed a point of difference that would benefit both farm machinery retailers and their customers.

“We adopted a cooperative business model to provide this difference,” David says.

Today, 28 individually owned

JOSKIN CONSTRUCTION TRAILERS HAVE TAKEN ON NZ’S CIVIL ENGINEERING MARKET. PICTURED ARE LANGSFORD N&G CONTRACTING, WAIPA, WHO CELEBRATED PURCHASING THE 7000TH KTP 17/50 CONSTRUCTION TRAILER THAT JOSKIN MANUFACTURED.

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and operated farm machinery dealer retailers are in partnership with Origin Ag. They are located from Kaitaia to Invercargill, so the network is well placed to provide nation-wide support to farmers, growers and contractors for after sales spare parts and servicing.

Two decades since it was launched, Origin Ag remains committed to their brands – Alpego cultivation and seeding equipment, Bogballe fertiliser spreaders, Gascon cultivation equipment, Hatzenbichler air seeders and tine harrows, Joskin effluent tankers, muck spreaders and transport trailers and Pottinger harvesting and cultivation equipment.

While they started with a focus on farm machinery, Origin Ag’s product range now covers the viticulture, horticulture, and civil construction trailer markets.

FAMILY BUSINESSES David says Origin Ag is a family. The majority of its founding dealers are family owned and often with more than one

vgeneration involved.

“That is what we have in common with our European manufacturing companies. It resonates, it is in the blood. Family-owned companies have good customer-centric approaches. It is all about building a culture that puts the customer first,” he says.

Origin Ag prides itself on providing dealers and customers a one-on-one experience.

“We like to have answers and solutions straight away,” David says. “We are a small team, but an extremely efficient one. This has worked for us as we are now celebrating our 20 years.”

Head of marketing at Origin Ag, Lisa Donnelly, says it is quite nostalgic going through the records to see what the company has been able to achieve.

“From small beginnings, we have achieved the position we are at today. We can put our success down to the great team we have and our shareholder dealers,” Lisa says.

Darrell Russell is managing director of Piako Tractors, one

ORIGIN AG STRIVE TO KEEP THEIR NATIONWIDE DEALERS UP TO DATE WITH CONTINUOUS TRAINING ON THEIR PRODUCTS. of Origin Ag’s founding shareholders. He says Piako Tractors’ customers enjoy the close knit relationship they have with Origin Ag. “They can pick up the phone to Piako or Origin Ag and have an answer in a matter of minutes.

I think that makes a huge point of difference in the agricultural business today,” Darrell says.

“In terms of the Origin Ag products, our customer base really likes the idea that we are directly associated with Origin Ag as a shareholder. The quality of the products is second to none and we are very happy with that.”

Origin Ag believes that, with

“WE’VE ALWAYS HAD GREAT SERVICE AND SUPPORT FROM ORIGIN AG AND PIAKO TRACTORS, SO WE NEVER HAVE A LOT OF DOWN TIME,” SAY TREVOR AND ELLY LALICH FROM LALICH CONTRACTING, MATAMATAPIAKO DISTRICT.

its nationwide dealer sales and service support, it can provide service quickly to its customers anywhere in the country. This is critical to upholding its high standards of after sales service.

“Our dealers strive to give their clients the best service possible to build long-lasting relationships. We would not have achieved 20 years without our dedicated family of nationwide dealer retailers and we applaud what we have succeeded together,” David says.

Stevenson and Taylor in Hawke’s Bay were one of the first dealers to sign-on with Origin Ag back in 2005. Stevenson and Taylor managing director Robby Smith says they were excited to have access to the wide variety of gear not offered in

New Zealand at the time.

“Being part of its unique cooperative structure has given us a significant advantage in the industry. Over the years, Origin Ag has become a backbone of the machinery industry in New Zealand. As a family business, their values align closely with ours, making our partnership all the more meaningful.”

Origin Ag’s motto is ‘We have you covered’. It reaffirms the company’s values and the fact that they can provide backup service for their products across New Zealand.

The farming sector is the backbone to New Zealand, and Origin Ag is committed to maintaining the highest standard of quality and service when it comes to their customers’ needs.

KAITAIA Kaitaia Tractors 09 408 0670 WHANGAREI Piako Tractors Northland 09 438 1319 SILVERDALE Brandt NZ 09 427 9137 PUKEKOHE Brandt NZ 09 237 0043 MORRINSVILLE Piako Tractors 07 889 7055 MATAMATA Matamata Tractors & Machinery 07 888 6292 HAMILTON Brandt NZ 07 847 0425 CAMBRIDGE Brandt NZ 07 827 5184 ROTORUA Piako Tractors Ltd 07 345 8560 TAUPO Taupo Tractors & Machinery 07 378 4533 STRATFORD FieldTorque Taranaki 06 765 8643 HASTINGS Stevenson and Taylor 0800 4273 2273 WAIPUKURAU Stevenson and Taylor 06 858 6041 DANNEVIRKE Lancaster Tractor Services 2022 Ltd 06 374 7731 FEILDING TRC Tractors 06 323 0309 PALMERSTON NORTH Transag Centre 06 354 7164 MASTERTON Brandt NZ 06 377 3009 NELSON Drummond & Etheridge 03 543 8041 BLENHEIM Drummond & Etheridge 03 579 1111 KAIKOURA Drummond & Etheridge 03 319 7119 GREYMOUTH Drummond & Etheridge 03 768 5116 CHRISTCHURCH Drummond & Etheridge 03 349 4883 ASHBURTON Drummond & Etheridge 03 307 9911 TIMARU Drummond & Etheridge 03 687 4005 OAMARU Drummond & Etheridge 03 437 1111 MOSGIEL JJ Limited 03 489 8199 GORE JJ Limited 03 208 9370 INVERCARGILL JJ Limited 03 211 0013

David says it is needless to say that none of Origin Ag’s success would have been possible without the many farmers and contractors who have supported

them over the years.

“At the end of the day, we do not have a business without their support and we highly appreciate this.”

OUR NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

11

INDUSTRY NEWS

UNTERLAND R RECYCLED WRAP BOTH GREEN AND TOUGH GREVILLIA AG NOW OFFERS UNTERLAND R SILAGE WRAP, WHICH

reduce the need for modifications or investments in new machinery.

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RECYCLED AGRICULTURAL WRAP AND

Feedback from Kiwi contractors who have used the Unterland R film is overwhelmingly positive. Raymond Hicks is a seasoned contractor in Wairarapa who has been using the film for two seasons. He praises both the sustainability and performance of the product.

“I absolutely love it,” Raymond says. He highlights the wrap’s recyclability and says it appeals to farmers who are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their operations. Raymond previously disposed of used wrap by burning it, but has embraced recycling.

“Now I’m completely the opposite. I try to recycle everything, and R film is just a good product all around, to be fair. It actually runs a little bit better on a hot day. It comes off the roll better on a hot day than a cooler day,” he says.

This speaks to the wrap’s reliability and ease of use, which are critical for contractors dealing with varying weather conditions. By minimising operational issues and reducing downtime, the Unterland R film ensures that farmers can maintain productivity without sacrificing quality.

Another key aspect of Raymond’s experience with the Unterland R film is his relationship with Grevillia Ag, the supplier of the product. He expressed strong support for the company, particularly for Charles Borthwick, whom he credits with bringing the recycled wrap to the market.

“We back Charles 110 percent because he is a good guy and good at what he does,” Raymond says.

This relationship underscores the importance of reliable suppliers in the agricultural sector, where trust and consistent service are crucial to long-term success.

Raymond has also taken proactive steps to

GIVES FARMERS A WAY TO BALANCE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH HIGH-QUALITY PERFORMANCE. Kiwi contractors who have used Unterland R film are very positive about its performance.

They say environmental awareness is growing in the industry, and with Unterland R they can provide high quality silage as well as a more sustainable product.

Produced by Austrian company Coveris Flexibles, Unterland R is durable as well as green. It is made using a multi-layer production process that ensures maximum protection for silage. It safeguards the ensiled crop from potential damage, mould growth, and deterioration during storage and transportation.

It is also manufactured with environmental sustainability in mind. It contains a large percentage of recycled silage wrap, not plastic salvaged from the manufacturing process or other types of recycled industrial plastic.

Coveris Flexibles says Unterland R film is made using electricity sourced entirely from renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass.

By combining recycled material and renewable energy, it reduces carbon emissions, cuts waste, and helps mitigate the environmental impact of traditional silage wrap. Each roll of Unterland R film saves approximately 20 litres of crude oil and, in total, its carbon footprint is 23 percent lower than standard film. This makes it a standout for farmers committed to sustainability.

Despite these environmental credentials, Unterland R film does not compromise on performance. Durability is a critical factor for farmers, because without it silage can lose quality and affect the health and productivity of livestock.

The multi-layer structure of Unterland R film also provides superior resistance to punctures and tears, ensuring that bales remain intact even in challenging conditions.

The versatility of the Unterland R film also adds to its appeal. It is compatible with all balers, making it an easy choice for contractors regardless of their equipment. This can

KIWI CONTRACTORS WHO USE R WRAP SAY, ALONG WITH ITS GREEN CREDENTIALS, IT IS EASY TO USE AND DURABLE. support recycling in his local community. He has set up recycling bins at Raymond Hicks Contracting’s yard to provide a convenient drop-off point for farmers to dispose of their used wrap.

This has been particularly helpful for mini bale clients, who previously struggled to find recycling options for their used wrap.

Waikato contractor Daniel Reymer is also positive about his experience with the Unterland R film. Daniel has used the wrap for several seasons and likes its durability and ease of use.

“Our baler operators have minimal wrap breakages and it gives good coverage of the bale,” he says. “The wrap’s standard thickness does not detract from its strength. Its combination of durability and flexibility make Unterland R film ideal for farmers who require reliable protection for their silage.”

Daniel says environmental responsibility is growing in importance for farmers. “That’s the way everyone wants to be, a bit more environmentally friendly. Products like Unterland R film can play a crucial role in helping them achieve that.”

The positive experiences of contractors like Raymond and Daniel demonstrate the value Unterland R film can have in helping the agricultural industry become more sustainable.

UNTERLAND R WRAP FROM GREVILLIA AG CONTAINS 30 PERCENT RECYCLED SILAGE FILM AND IS PRODUCED USING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY. 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

TECHNOLOGY, CUSTOMER SUPPORT KEYS TO MACHINERY SECTOR SUCCESS IN AUGUST AG MACHINERY WHOLESALERS AND RETAILERS GATHERED IN WELLINGTON FOR THE BIANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE TRACTOR AND MACHINERY ASSOCIATION (TAMA). THE CONFERENCE IS A CHANCE TO TAKE STOCK OF THE INDUSTRY AND GET INSIGHTS ON NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURE’S PLACE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay opened the conference by outlining the government’s approach to the primary sector. Todd was followed by a presentation on farm machinery sales in Aotearoa and two talks on the wider economic and technological challenges we face.

Australia-NZ company Kynetec provides TAMA regular updates and statistics on tractor and machinery sales. Kynetec’s Melinda Haley addressed the conference and did not surprise anyone with numbers showing how bad sales have been over the past year.

Melinda did have some positive news, however, because the figures indicate the downward slide is slowing and the tide could be turning.

Over the financial year to the end of June 2024, tractor sales in NZ were down 25 percent from the previous year, with total sales of 2,982. This drop was virtually the same for sales of tractors below 60 hp (down 27 percent) and above 60 hp (down 25 percent).

“Things could be turning a corner,” Melinda said. “Lending to agriculture and investment in the industry are increasing.

“New Zealand interest rates are higher than Australia’s and land prices have not increased

in New Zealand as much as they have in Australia, so farmers have more debt. Milk prices are increasing and other commodity prices are up ticking, so things could turn around.”

Lucie Douma from FMG and Emma Higgins for Rabobank then discussed economic, social and technological trends around the world and their impact on Kiwi primary producers. Both highlighted our dependence on China for exports and the need to develop alternative markets.

Emma went into detail about China’s dairy industry, which the government is trying to expand and modernise to reduce reliance on imports. There has been a push to consolidate production in large scale farms and consequently Chinese demand for overseas dairy has dropped 12 percent per year.

Both she and Lucie said that we should develop alternative markets in Southeast Asia and possibly India to offset reliance on China. North American and the UK/EU also have potential.

Physically getting products to Europe has become more difficult, however. Lucie said

KYNETEC ANALYST MELINDA HALEY WITH TAMA CEO PHIL HOLDEN. 14

TAMA AWARD WINNERS (FROM LEFT) BRIAN MATCHETT, TRISTAN DAVIS, AUSTIN PEPPERELL, AND HENRY BROWN. traffic through the Suez Canal is down 50 percent because of political instability and pirates in Yemen, going around Africa adds 20 days to a shipment, and droughts due to climate change periodically restrict traffic through the Panama Canal.

While both Lucie and Emma can see hopeful signs that the global economy is becoming more positive for NZ producers, there are many challenges.

“The golden era of trade may have passed,” Emma said. “We see more friction in supply chains, growing protectionism with tariffs and quotas, ageing populations, higher interest rates and a lot of fragmentation. We should be prepared to deal with higher costs, shocks, and uncertainty,” Emma said.

One way farmers and contractors can buffer themselves is by adopting the latest precision technology to increase efficiency. Lucie says it is important for farm machinery suppliers to help their clients do this.

“Our immediate focus needs to be on helping our clients maximise the use of their existing technology and on building long-term relationships with them,” Lucie said.

Its conference is also a time when TAMA celebrates both its young, emerging talents and its notable long-serving legends.

Taking the podium for the emerging talent awards were for sales: Tristan Davis (Roger Gill Agriculture, Huntly), for service, Austin Pepperell (Giltrap Agrizone, Cambridge), and for parts, Henry Brown (Otago Farm Machinery).

At the other end of the career trajectory, industry stalwart Brain Matchett received the TAMA President’s President’s Award for Service to the Industry.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SAFETY CAMPAIGN, VISA REFORM ON RCNZ TO-DO LIST FATIGUE AND VISAS FOR OVERSEAS WORKERS ARE TWO ISSUES RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ IS FOCUSED ON AS THE CONTRACTING SEASONS GETS UNDERWAY. This year RCNZ will run a campaign to remind its members of the danger of fatigue.

RCNZ vice president Daryl Thompson is a Southland contractor. He says as the harvest season begins, RCNZ wants its members to be aware of how they can manage risks associated with fatigue.

The RCNZ campaign draws on one run by its UK counterpart and supported by Nestlé. It features contractors taking a break and having a Kit Kat. Daryl says his own company has a policy on fatigue as well as stress.

“We are committed to identifying sources of stress and fatigue in the workplace and taking appropriate action to eliminate or reduce them.

“Our aim is to adjust the physical environment, the workload, job task design, pacing of

work and work schedules to alleviate significant fatigue or stress for any of our staff. We fully consult with them as we do that. While it is widely acknowledged that some pressure can be a good thing, excessive stress or fatigue is damaging.”

While employers have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act to take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent harm occurring to employees, they also have obligations.

“They need to ensure that our staff’s personal life choices or issues they are facing don’t pose a risk of harm to themselves or those they work with.”

Daryl‘s employees manage fatigue by submitting their work times using a phone app each day. It shows accumulative hours worked and is monitored for excess hours.

Field managers have designated areas, and they keep an eye on employees’ fatigue levels when they visit farms. They stand down anyone who is showing signs of fatigue.

“I have an open door policy so an employee can discuss if they are feeling fatigued and need to rest,” Daryl says.

RCNZ Board member Alastair Kalin says his company also has a fatigue management policy.

“We monitor our staff across Mondays and Wednesdays in the busy parts of the season to ensure they are not being pushed beyond their limits for the rest of the week.”

Alastair says Kalin Contracting asks employees to let them know when they get home safely, to report any near misses and to take notice of any signs of fatigue.

RCNZ VICE PRESIDENT DARYL THOMPSON.

VISA HEADACHES Rural contractors are frustrated they have more steps to take to get visas approved for skilled seasonal machinery operators and the process is taking longer. As a result, more RCNZ members are asking for assistance.

RCNZ CEO Andrew Olsen says the organisation is not an immigration advisory service and it feels like contractors are paying a price for lengthy checking and processing times.

“Most businesses can’t afford an immigration advisor to navigate the complexity of accreditation or visa applications. There is a lot of hit and more miss than the previous year.”

Andrew says, in response to lobbying, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has announced rural contractors could use what is called the Specific Purpose Working Visa (SPWV).

While the SPWV has more conditions than the previous SPEV visa, including a need to advertise the role for Kiwi workers. About 80 percent of applications are approved in three weeks. Feedback from RCNZ members indicates the SPWV is now the preferred visa class.

The Immigration Minister has said this visa class is a temporary measure while Immigration NZ overhauls the system for rural contractors (and others) to hire overseas labour next season.

“In our case, many workers return several years in a row. They already have a NZ bank account, IRD number and an accredited employer backing their visa so wouldn’t it make sense to design a visa around that?

“This is an opportunity for the government to take pressure off and allow NZ agriculture to get on with the business of doubling exports.”

Andrew says the government should review vocational training. He says the career pathway is now a shambles, which means contractors rely on skilled overseas workers.

Training should focus on specific short courses or micro-credentials that give trainees relevant new skills.

“Rural contractors don’t support sending workers to polytechnics for training for weeks and months on end. They want their workers to be able to pick up micro-credentials on the job and build these into a qualification.”

ONE WAY RCNZ VICE PRESIDENT DARYL THOMPSON MANAGES FATIGUE IN HIS CONTRACTING BUSINESS IS

BY HAVING EMPLOYEES LOG THEIR HOURS ON AN APP THAT TALLIES ACCUMULATIVE HOURS. 16

ADJUVANTS WORTH IT SAYS LEADING SPRAYING CONTRACTOR IT CAN GET A BIT GUSTY IN THE MANAWATŪ-WHANGANUI REGION, AND THAT CAN PLAY HAVOC WITH SPRAY PROGRAMMES. BUT MARTONBASED CONTRACTOR GRAHAM GREER HAS A WAY TO KEEP HIS TEAM AND JOBS ON SCHEDULE AND HIS CLIENTS HAPPY. “We use Li-1000 from UPL NZ Ltd, to manage drift and help penetration. Using Li-1000 can be the difference between being able to do the job and not,” Graham says.

He adds that they never operate when conditions are too extreme or might impact nearby houses or other crops.

Li-1000 dramatically reduces off-target drift and significantly increases leaf penetration through the cuticle and translocation throughout the plant. The bottom line is improved product performance.

Graham is both an innovator and industry stalwart. He became a member of the board of Rural Contractors NZ soon after it was formed in 1995 and recently served several more years on the board, stepping down in June of this year.

Graham has contracting in his blood. His

UPL ADJUVANTS GIVE GREER GROUNDSPRAYING AN EDGE. father was a farmer and a hay and silage contractor. Fresh out of school, Graham followed in his footsteps. He worked on farms driving trucks and diggers, then for a mate with a contracting business.

After 20 years of doing that he went out on his own and established Greer Groundspraying Ltd in 2002.

Today, the business serves an area roughly a 50 km radius from their base. It is largely mixed cropping, beef, dairy and sheep. Gra-

ham says there is still a bit of horticulture, but it is not a large part of the business nowadays.

Greer Groundspraying sprays crops including maize, barley and wheat, plantain, chicory, brassicas and grasses. They apply insecticides, fungicides and herbicides as well as crop health products and growth regulators.

“It’s a real mixed bag.”

Graham and his team have work year-round, though he says the busiest time of the year is September through February. “The rest of the

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INDUSTRY NEWS

FEWER ROLL CHANGES WITH XL7 WRAP A WAIKATO CONTRACTOR SAYS WHILE HE WAS A BIT HESITANT TO TRY BARBIER XL7 FILM FROM INDEPENDENT WRAP BECAUSE IT WASN’T WHAT HE HAD TRADITIONALLY USED, ITS PERFORMANCE AND CONVENIENCE HAVE CONVINCED HIM. At 22-micron, XL7 is slightly thinner than the standard 25-micron film Lance was using. But with its seven layers and polymers that give it added strength, it performs as well as, if not better than, standard film, and is supplied on longer rolls compared to other three- or five-layer films.

Kay Contracting is based near Morrinsville.

Geoff and Judith Kay and their three sons – Joseph, Lance and Chad – run the business.

They supply pit silage and balage to both cow and goat dairy farmers.

Lance says they operate three McHale Fusion 3+ combi balers. For years they used a single brand of silage wrap but when its quality started to drop, they began to look elsewhere.

Independent Wrap Upper North Island sales manager Wayne Treymane suggested they try Barbier’s new XL7 wrap, so they bought a pallet. XL7 is a khaki-coloured seven-layer blown film that comes on 1650m rolls which they are looking forward to running for all their wrapping this season.

“We were a bit reluctant to try a wrap that’s different from the wrap we have always used, but when we ran some in-field trials, it was just as strong as standard film,” Lance says.

“It gives us the advantage of 1650m rolls, which means we can produce four more bales before we have to get out of the tractor to change rolls.

“We apply the same six layers with XL7 film as we would with any standard film. It is not

necessary to add more layers.

“It is also strong enough to stand up to our McHale Fusions without tearing. Fusions wrap really quickly and we have not had any tearing.”

Lance says Kay Contracting does bale some lucerne and they have never had a problem with punctures from stalky crop with the Barbier XL7 film.

“About 90 percent of the time we do filmon-film, which does give the bale extra layers of plastic. But we have not had any troubles when we have wrapped bales with netwrap.

Another good thing about the XL7 is it runs right out to the cardboard core every time with no wastage, and with great tack; we have minimal tails on the bales.”

Lance says Kay Contracting’s customers are happy with the bales the XL7 film produces.

He agrees with them from experience.

The Kays fed out nearly 500 bales wrapped with XL7 last year in their own farming operation and have experienced much much-improved balage compared to previous years.

French company Barbier is the primary supplier of bale wrap to Independent Wrap. It is also a family-owned business, which manufactures polyethylene films for a number of industries.

Independent Wrap general manager Richard Howard says Barbier is dedicated to quality, service, performance and innovation.

“Their values line up with those of Independent Wrap, which is the reason we chose Barbier as our supplier and the reason Barbier collaborate with us,” Richard says.

“We have worked closely with them to ensure our clients receive a quality consistent product and this is reinforced by regular visits from Barbier representatives.”

year ticks along nicely. There’s usually something to do.”

The company runs both trucks and self-propelled sprayers. This means they can work in a large variety of conditions, including taller crops, which they cover with higher clearance self-propelled machines.

Today, Graham’s sons Issac and Hamish work with him and they are gaining their CAA drone certification. The company has also embraced the advantages of the Tabula GPS-guided proof of application and job tracking system.

“It gives both you and your clients certainty. We barely use paper in the office now. It’s been huge for us.”

Graham says using adjuvants can also have

a significant impact on the success of a spray operation.

“Using Du-Wett, a super spreader from UPL, means we can go with lower water rates and, at the same time, get better coverage. This is especially important now that we are incorporating drones.

“You can actually even see the difference Du-Wett coverage makes on the leaves. It’s especially good with insecticides in brassicas which are really hard to wet.”

He says a lot of clients look at adjuvants as an additional cost. “But, they are worth it.”

Graham says another UPL adjuvant, All Clear 2X spray tank cleaner and decontaminator, is very important to his operation. He uses it to clean and decontaminate gear between crops

and applications.

“It’s a critical part of the process. You get less residuals and fewer blockages.”

All Clear 2X removes even notoriously sticky products, such as carfentrazone, and cleans everything from the tank to the spray lines to the nozzles. It also increases the working life and performance of spray gear.

UPL NZ (formerly Etec Crop Solutions) has a portfolio of 22 adjuvants. They are industry leaders and understand New Zealand conditions and the pressures on producers and rural contractors.

For more information, talk to your local technical specialist or contact UPL NZ adjuvant product manager David Lingan on 021 804 450.

18

BECAUSE BARBIER XL7 WRAP COMES ON 1650M ROLLS, KAY CONTRACTING CAN DO MORE BALES BEFORE THEY NEED TO HOP OUT OF THE CAB TO CHANGE ROLLS.

INDUSTRY NEWS

TOP JOHN DEERE SERVICE ‘AMBASSADORS’ AWARDED JOHN DEERE’S TECHNICIANS OF THE YEAR AWARDS ARE A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE THE WORK OF THE UNSUNG SERVICE AND PARTS SPECIALISTS WHO KEEP KIWI AND AUSTRALIAN CONTRACTORS AND FARMERS ON THE MOVE. Five Australian and three New Zealand technicians and apprentices were crowned winners of the fourth annual awards at an evening event in Brisbane in September.

Speaking at the ceremony, John Deere Australia-NZ managing director Luke Chandler congratulated the winners and acknowledged the value they bring to their local communities.

“Our technicians are our ambassadors to our customers and regional communities.

JOHN DEERE AUSTRALIA-NZ MANAGING DIRECTOR LUKE CHANDLER ADDRESSING THE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS GALA DINNER. These are prestigious awards that recognise agriculture is only as strong as the people who make it work,” Luke said.

More than 130 nominees from 69 dealerships across Australia and Aotearoa were put forward for this year’s awards, which reflect the growing momentum

the awards have gained.

They were nominated by their branches with support from local customers. They then faced two days of on-the-spot challenges in Brisbane to test their problem solving and diagnostic abilities.

The Kiwi winners of the 2024

awards were Marcus Vine (NZ Agriculture and Turf Service Technician of the Year), Liam Gee (NZ Construction and Forestry Service Technician of the Year) and Daniel Stoneley (NZ Parts Technician of the Year).

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DANIEL STONELEY ACCEPTING THE NZ PARTS TECHNICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD. JOHN DEERE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR, NZ WINNERS, (FROM LEFT) LIAM GEE, DANIEL STONELEY, AND MARCUS VINE. in customer service, technical proficiency and problem solving skills. They thoroughly deserve their awards,” Luke said.

“The calibre of each of this year’s finalists is a testament to the value we place on providing the best possible service to our customers and communities.

They came to Brisbane with a proven track record of supporting farmers and construction and forestry businesses to increase their productivity and get the most out of their investment in John Deere equipment.

“It is promising to see the pipeline of talented technicians who will continue to support our customers across the country.”

John Deere Australia-NZ director of aftermarket and customer support Steph Gersekowski said the purpose of the awards is not only to recognise the people who help John Deere customers get the most out of their machinery.

It is also to raise the profile of technicians and the career opportunities the sector provides. And the awards highlight the importance of continual training and professional development.

“Not all the finalists have traditional rural or farming backgrounds. Many have made the switch from other careers,” Steph said.

“John Deere is committed to providing every opportunity to learn and develop within the role, which has been clearly on show in the standard of finalists. One thing they all have in

common is a commitment to supporting our customers and contributing to the communities in which they work and live.”

NZ WINNERS Marcus Vine. The NZ Ag and Turf Service Technician winner, works for Brandt, Feilding. Marcus says time is money for farmers and contractors.

“They appreciate what we do and the skills we bring in keeping them up and running. There is a lot of variety in this role,” Marcus said.

“John Deere provides awesome support in terms of in-person knowledge-sharing and online courses, so you always have the right resources. ” After he left school, Marcus pursued a mechanical apprenticeship before making the “best decision he has ever made” and signed up to work at the John Deere dealership in Foxton.

Now, 18 years later, he is based at the Brandt dealership in Feilding. He said new technologies like GPS and autonomous steering are bringing new learning opportunities and career growth.

Daniel Stoneley. The NZ Parts Technician of the Year works for Brandt in Masterton. Daniel says he never thought much about agriculture until he began working as a parts technician.

“I was more of a city person, but I love the challenge of working in agriculture. The industry is always evolving and growing, and the different technologies keep things interesting.”

Daniel says the customers and colleagues he interacts with each day are the best part of his job.

“Farming is the backbone of the community, and it is very rewarding to help our customers

get up and running,” he said.

“The technology in John Deere equipment is always evolving too. I am proud to work on the market-leading brand and be part of such a great support network.”

Liam Gee. The NZ Construction and Forestry Service Technician of the Year works for Drummond and Etheridge, Blenheim.

He says no two days are the same. “One day I will be in the workshop carrying out repairs, the next day I will be two hours away in the middle of a forest repairing a machine,” he said.

“My job takes me to some really cool locations, and I get to work

on the great product that John Deere produces.”

Australian winners of the three technician awards were also announced at the ceremony, as were awards for both service and parts apprentices. The Service Apprentice of the Year was Daniel Barnes from Beaudesert, Queensland and the Parts Apprentice of the Year was Tracy Hogan from Emerald, Queensland Those who work as John Deere technicians have many career pathways and opportunities, and they receive ongoing training and support to work on John Deere equipment.

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TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY NEWS

FAMILY BUSINESS SUPPLIES WALTERSCHEID PARTS NEW ZEALAND-WIDE WALTERSCHEID NZ IS A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS THAT OFFERS KIWI CONTRACTORS AND FARMERS FAST DELIVERY OF A WIDE RANGE OF DRIVE LINE SYSTEMS, TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS AND TOWING HITCHES. They also have the expertise and specialist equipment needed to repair, service and maintain PTO shafts and clutches.

German company Walterscheid develops and manufactures high quality drive train systems for agricultural, construction and specialist machines.

Walterscheid NZ general manager Chris Rathbone says Walterscheid is a leader in its field and has a global reputation. Many implements are factory fitted with Walterscheid PTO shafts; likewise many leading tractors are factory fitted with their drawbars, lift arm hooks and ladders.

“We have the biggest range of Walterscheid products in the country. This includes PTO shafts and clutches, as well as PTO spare parts, hydraulic top links, TAS, drawbars, K80 ball

WALTERSCHEID NZ STOCKS A FULL RANGE OF WALTERSCHEID PTO SHAFTS, CLUTCHES, SPARE PARTS, TOP LINKS AND DRAWBARS AND THEY CAN SUPPLY THEM STRAIGHT TO FARMERS AND CONTRACTORS.

22

systems, and adjustable ladders and inserts.

“As the Walterscheid distributor in New Zealand, we supply all major nationwide tractor and agricultural machinery dealers, independent suppliers, and mobile mechanics. We can also work directly with contractors and farmers to provide them the parts they need and bill them through their local dealer.”

Chris says Walterscheid NZ has a strong focus on customer service and ensuring the availability of stock. “We know our product intimately and can offer a timely and tailored solution to our customers’ problems. The advantages we offer are quick delivery and the best NZ prices for genuine Walterscheid parts.

“We have a huge range in stock, so if you ring us up and place an order, we can pack it up and send it out the same day.

We can replace worn out parts or exchange different brands of drive shafts and other parts with a high quality Walterscheid alternative.

“Drive shafts wear out, mistakes happen and things break.

Most shafts have a clutch or

some form of torque limiter. If you don’t maintain the clutch it can cause wear or serious damage to the shaft, implement or the tractor.”

For this reason he encourages yearly maintenance checks on shafts, and this is a service that Walterscheid NZ can provide.

When you send them a shaft, they clean it and replace any worn parts. They dismantle, clean and change any necessary parts on the clutch. They then reassemble it, test it on a German-made computerised torque bench, and make any adjustments needed.

“We are based in Taupo but you can send us clutches from anywhere in the country. We will get onto it as soon as we receive it and can send the serviced clutch back out the same day.

“This is the ideal job to do in winter but we can service a clutch anytime of the year. If you blow a shaft it can be a disaster.

It is worth spending a couple of hundred dollars on yearly maintenance rather than thousands of dollars on repairs.”

Chris says Walterscheid is a

THE SMALL BUT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WALTERSCHEID NZ TEAM: (FROM LEFT) LAURENCE FISHER, EOIN RITCHIE AND CHRIS RATHBONE. high quality product. While it is sometimes more expensive than other brands, it is worth the extra money and soon pays for itself when the cost of an idle machine is accounted for.

For less demanding applications, Walterscheid NZ also carries Walterscheid’s Agmaster range of Chinese-made PTO shafts and spare parts.

Agmaster drive shafts are compatible with other products in the Walterscheid range. They have quick-connect ASGE system couplers at each end and can be fitted with several different clutches.

Chris’s father-in-law Eoin Ritchie is a former sheep and

CHRIS RATHBONE PACKING UP A WALTERSCHEID PTO SHAFT FOR SHIPPING.

INDUSTRY NEWS

STUDY ARGUES OTHER PASTURE SPECIES CAN MATCH PLANTAIN’S BENEFITS SOME TYPES OF PASTURE MAY REDUCE NITROGEN LEACHING ON DAIRY FARMS AS WELL OR BETTER THAN PLANTAIN, A MAJOR NEW SCIENCE REVIEW SUGGESTS. A team of New Zealand pasture scientists has reached this conclusion after reviewing academic research articles on plantain that have been published over the past 15 years.

They say research on plantain shows that it clearly increases the urination of grazing animals, a factor that can help mitigate N leaching. This is not unique to plantain, however.

Following their review of the published research on plantain, they recommend that future studies on pasture-based N-mitigation should include other plant species that share plantain’s lower dry matter content but might grow more feed, especially during the cool season.

Chicory and tetraploid hybrid ryegrass are two other forages they say merit further study for N-mitigation. These could have a

similar effect on N leaching and be easier to deploy at scale than plantain, with higher yield, better persistence and higher cow intake.

In response to the article, however, DairyNZ says research on plantain is on-going and one recent farmlet trial at Lincoln suggests plantain does not lower the production of ryegrass pasture.

That study showed pasture production (tonnes DM/ha) and milk production (kg MS/ cow) were similar for ryegrass/white clover pastures that included plantain at 3 kg/ha and 6 kg/ha compared with ryegrass/white clover pastures with no plantain.

One of the authors of the article questioning the research on plantain is plant geneticist Dr Tony Conner, who is with the private company Lincoln Genetics Ltd. Tony says forages other than plantain have not been adequately studied for their potential value as N-mitigation tools on NZ dairy farms.

“Clearly plantain increases animal urination, and we suspect that is because it has a relatively high water content. Obviously if

PLANTAIN’S ABILITY TO DILUTE URINARY NITROGEN COULD BE MATCHED BY CHICORY AND TETRAPLOID RYEGRASS.

beef farmer and acquired Walterscheid in 2001. They moved the business from Hamilton to Taupo in 2016, when Chris came onboard.

“I was trained as a builder but ended up working on geothermal and CSG drilling rigs in NZ and Australia. When my wife, Emma, had our first daughter, we decid24

ed it would be best to end the FIFO work and be home for our family. Eoin was making plans for the future, so I went and worked with him.

“Gradually I took over running the business and Emma and I acquired shares in it. Today I run it with our sole employee, Laurence Fisher. Laurence has been

the animal is taking in more liquid, it urinates more.

“But there are other forages with a higher water content than diploid perennial ryegrass that might perform equally as well as plantain. These include chicory and tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses.”

DairyNZ says plantain’s low dry matter content and high water content are what drive cows’ increased urine volume and lower urine N concentration.

Recent research on plantain in New Zealand has been funded because it can reduce urinary N not only by diluting N in urine, but also by partitioning more N into dung than urine. It also has the potential to significantly lower N loss at a relatively low cost.

DairyNZ says conclusions from the research programme on plantain are likely to be applicable to other pasture species, and should pave the way for research into other options.

Tony says his team’s review of research on plantain can benefit scientists and farmers who are looking for ways to deal with the environmental challenge of N leaching.

“Controlled field experiments are inherently very difficult to do. They are affected by many co-related factors and different variables, and some of the results can be ambiguous and difficult to interpret,” Tony says.

“I would like scientists to think carefully about their experimental design for these kinds of field experiments, with appropriate control treatments in place, as well as considering alternatives to plantain.”

For farmers, the review is a chance to take a second look at N-mitigation strategies.

“They are caught in the middle here, because there has been a lot of publicity about plantain, and the data is very hard to dissect. I hope this will raise some questions in farmers’ minds.”

The review article is ‘An examination of the ability of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L) to mitigate nitrogen leaching from pasture systems’ by Eady C, Conner T, Rowarth J, Coles G, Deighton M, and Moot D, Lincoln University. It is published in the NZ Journal of Agricultural Research.

with the business since its inception.

“He has a massive wealth of knowledge in the field. We are a small team, but we are both very hands-on. Both of us answer the phone, repair shafts and package up orders to send out.

“We keep high levels of stock and manage it well, so that we

hopefully never run out. We want farmers and contractors to be able to rely on us to know that if they ring up after a part, we can supply it to them straight away.”

Walterscheid NZ has a full catalogue of parts available on their website. For further information visit walterscheid.co.nz or phone 07 376-9911.

CARRFIELDS TAKES ON KRONE DISTRIBUTION IN MID CANTERBURY CARRFIELDS HAS SIGNED A DEAL WITH KUBOTA NZ TO TAKE OVER THE RETAIL DISTRIBUTION OF KRONE PRODUCTS IN MID CANTERBURY. Under the agreement Carrfields will provide Krone customers sales, parts and servicing support from two main locations – Ashburton and Templeton. They will provide a full range of Krone products and train a team of technicians to support Krone customers.

Carrfields group managing director Craig Carr says it is a positive step for both business operations in the region.

“Krone, like Carrfields, is a family-owned business. They make a comprehensive range of products that are an excellent fit for us. They complement our current machinery portfolio, which includes global brands Horsch, MacDon and Novag,” Craig says.

“Krone machinery is a high-quality option.

Krone brings a product suite that is a natural replacement for the range of equipment that we used to represent, especially for agricultural contractors and large-scale farmers.”

Krone farm machinery has been manufac-

tured in Germany for more than 100 years. Its range includes disc mowers, tedders, rotor rakes, forage wagons, round and square balers and forage harvesters.

Krone NZ sales manager John Tulloch says they are pleased to have Carrfields as part of the sales network.

“There are many synergies between our businesses. We are especially impressed with Carrfields’ focus on looking after their customers. They understand what it takes to give great service.

“We observed this from the sideline over many years. The great market share and customer satisfaction they have achieved show clearly that Carrfields is an ideal partner. We look to build our presence and customer base across Canterbury.”

Due to Carrfields’ current arrangements with Landpower, Carrfields will not sell Krone forage harvesters until January 2026. Sales of forage harvesters will be conducted via Krone New Zealand in the interim.

In another expansive move, Carrfields has established a partnership with Waikato-based Piako Tractors to become the exclusive retailer and service provider of Horsch

CRAIG CARR SAYS KRONE’S COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF HARVESTING PRODUCTS COMPLEMENTS CARRFIELDS’ EXPANDING RANGE OF HIGH QUALITY FARM MACHINERY. tillage and seeding equipment in the upper North Island.

Carrfields founding director Greg Carr says the partnership with Piako Tractors will enable the group to offer a comprehensive level of customer service and product support in the region.

Carrfields and Piako are setting up a regional service network for Horsch customers.

Piako Tractors will handle machinery sales, parts, servicing and customer assistance and Carrfields will provide technical support.

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TECHNOLOGY

HOME-GROWN WEEDING LASER PASSES BIG TEST TECHNOLOGY THAT USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TO HUNT WEEDS AND ZAP THEM WITH A LASER HAS WON PRAISE FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS AFTER SUCCESSFUL TRIALS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. A prototype of the Map and Zap system, designed by a group of AgResearch scientists and engineers led by Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar, was put through its paces at a recent demonstration at a Canterbury vineyard.

The system is designed to be used in different agricultural settings, and AgResearch is now looking for potential investors to take this technology to New Zealand and overseas markets.

“It’s not to replace chemicals, but it is going to reduce the use of chemicals over time,” Kioumars says.

Map and Zap uses AI to distinguish between different species of weed, so that it targets only those plants that are unwanted.

It then guides the laser to the weed and kills the weed.

It recognises the leaf shape and size of different plants. It can tell the difference between clover and pest plants, for example, and can identify very young weeds.

The Map and Zap unit can be fitted to different types of vehicles, whether tractor or

We are NZ’s Grass Harvest Specialists

MAP AND ZAP USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO FIRST IDENTIFY WEEDS AND THEN DIRECT A LASER TO ELIMINATE THEM. robot, to suit different farming systems. It uses the vehicle’s battery to power the system.

Kioumars says it can be used in vineyards, row crops, orchards, or pastures.

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SOLAR AND SHEEP FARM UP AND RUNNING TRINASOLAR IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN SMART SOLAR POWER AND ENERGY STORAGE. ITS SOLAR PANELS AND TRACKING SYSTEM PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR THE RECENTLY COMPLETED RANGITAIKI SOLAR FARM. Built is partnership with Lodestone Energy, Rangitaiki Solar Farm is near Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty. It is an example of ‘agrivoltaics’, which integrates solar power production with agriculture.

Lodestone Energy managing director Gary Holden says the solar farm maintains about 80 percent of grass productivity, so the land can continue to be farmed.

The new solar farm has 60,000 bi-facial Trinasolar Vertex N panels, which have the capacity to generate 32 megawatts, which is enough electricity to power 7500 Kiwi homes.

They are mounted on the TrinaTracker 2P tracker system, which uses an algorithm to change the angle of the solar panels to maximise the amount of radiation they receive and minimise shading loss.

But the solar farm also maximises land use because sheep can graze comfortably underneath the elevated panels. Chinese company Trinasolar says this dual-use

approach provides mutual benefits for both the energy and agriculture sectors in New Zealand.

Trinasolar Asia Pacific’s Edison Zhou says from a pasture management perspective, the 2P trackers are ideal. They have fewer posts and the panels are mounted high enough for sheep to walk under them.

“They allow animals to move freely under the panels without confinement. The panels provide shade and promote grass growth even during dry conditions,” Edison says.

Lodestone Energy program delivery manager Nick Murray says the agrovoltaic farm is a first for New Zealand. “The 2P setup was initially perceived as a risk since no one had done it in New Zealand before.”

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was the logistics of transporting panels and equipment to New Zealand. It required 200 shipping containers, which had to be tracked and delivered.

“The ease of installing Trinasolar’s trackers, along with their expert support, was crucial in achieving this milestone in just eight months,” Nick says.

The Rangitaiki Solar Farm will also serve as a testbed for other agrivoltaic projects.

Lodestone will run trials on crops such as strawberries, which will be grown between the rows of solar panels. This can optimise land use and enhance the efficiency of the

solar modules by reflecting sunlight onto the panels.

“Our goal is to support local agriculture and foster collaboration. We’re in early discussions with universities to trial various agrivoltaic techniques. The Rangitaiki Solar Farm will serve as a prototype for these initiatives, allowing us to develop and refine our practices,” Nick says.

use of herbicides. If we can prove Map and Zap here, I think it’s got a fantastic chance of being successful on the global stage.”

Managing director for agritech firm CropX Eitan Dan was also impressed by what he saw at the vineyard demonstration.

“I think this is the exact thing when you are saying `precision agriculture’. You are deal-

ing precisely with a problem without harming everything around it.”

Map and Zap has potential for the agricultural industry in overseas markets.

KiwiNet commercialisation programme manager Michelle Polglase says there is a lot of opportunities globally for “clean technologies” that address the issue of soil health.

THE SOLAR PANELS AT THE RANGITAIKI SOLAR FARM ARE MOUNTED ON FRAMES THAT ARE HIGH ENOUGH FOR SHEEP TO WALK UNDER.

THE BAY OF PLENTY MIXED SHEEP AND SOLAR FARM CAN PRODUCE 32 MEGAWATTS, WHICH IS ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO POWER 7500 HOMES.

Wine industry business adviser Heath Stafford, was among those to see Map and Zap in action. Heath says an integrated approach is needed in weed management and technology like this can help fill a gap.

“We can’t get rid of herbicides immediately, if at all, but we do need to embark on a technology pathway that largely eliminates the

27

TECHNOLOGY

CASE IH AND NEW HOLLAND FLEET MONITORING NOW MORE POWERFUL AND CHEAPER CNH INDUSTRIAL HAS LAUNCHED NEW PRECISION FARMING TECHNOLOGY FOR CASE IH AND NEW HOLLAND THAT PUT THE EXPERIENCE OF FARMERS AND CONTRACTORS AT THE FOREFRONT. They are also bringing down the cost of using digital farming technology by making data monitoring from CNH machines as well as from other farming operations free and easy to use.

The all-new FieldOps mobile and Internet application from CNH is now available for download from the App Store and GooglePlay.

FieldOps allows fleet owners and managers to monitor all their machine and agronomic data from anywhere they have a Wi-Fi connection.

CNH Australia-NZ head of precision technology Jeremy Duniam says FieldOps fulfills the three main needs farmers have with connectivity and precision tech – ease of use, data transfer and the ability to be used with different machines.

An important feature of FieldOps is the remote display view.

This allows mangers to see the cab’s entire monitor remotely.

They can then guide operators to solve problems or operate at peak performance.

With FieldOps, a farmer can monitor crop health, growth stages and field conditions to

make informed decisions. Contractors and farmers can track machinery usage, fuel consumption and machine performance.

FieldOps also allows fleet managers to customise their view based on what’s important to them. They can adjust notifications, alarms and the settings for each machine, and set up preferred settings for different functions.

It consolidates all CNH data and information into one consistent, user-friendly interface across mobile devices and web browsers. This means users can get easier access to their agronomic and operational data.

FieldOps also eliminates the hurdles that occur when navigating in different digital platforms and ultimately it boosts productivity.

CONNECTIVITY INCLUDED CNH has also announced the Connectivity Included policy.

This removes subscription fees from Case IH and New Holland technology for qualifying machines built after 1 October, 2024. With Connectivity Included, farmers and contractors can

access all the benefits of connectivity without ongoing subscription costs.

This is a completely new approach to connectivity. It makes data accessible by simply making it part of the machine. As a baseline feature on selected models, it can expand the reach and utility of connected features, and help farmers and contractors improve their productivity and their use of agronomic data.

Jeremy says some CNH customers can activate Connectivity Included for their existing machines by contacting their

CONNECTIVITY INCLUDED REMOVES SUBSCRIPTION FEES FOR DATA MONITORING FROM ALL NEW CASE IH AND NEW HOLLAND MACHINES AND FROM SOME EXISTING MACHINES.

dealer. They must have compatible telematics modems and a FieldOps account and they will have to pay a one-time fee.

Case IH machine owners can convert to a FieldOps account from an AFS Connect account and New Holland owners can convert to FieldOps from MyPLM. “By simplifying subscription management and providing continuous access to our technology, farmers and contractors can unlock the benefits of the technology now, and in the resale process,” Jeremy says.

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PROFILE

family all hands on deck TO DRIVE BOOMING BUSINESS

FERG MACDONALD STARTED WANAKABASED CONTRACTING COMPANY GREEN TO GOLD IN 2008.

IT BEGAN WITH HIS OBSESSION FOR DRILLING AND HARVESTING WITH HIS COMBINE HARVESTER.

30

Now Green to Gold runs two combines, two self-propelled forage harvesters, two balers, 19 tractors and employs up to 25 staff.

It is very much a family business. The Macdonald family had owned an arable, sheep and beef farm in Northhope, Southland.

Ferg and his wife Ali sold the farm and moved to Wanaka, supposedly to retire.

At that time their eldest son Sam was farming, their second son Tom had begun a builder’s apprenticeship and the youngest two, Luke and Georgia, were still at school.

Tom says Ferg saw an opportunity because no one in the local area had a decent combine.

“He spoke to Mum, said the weather was fantastic and he would be home early because of the good weather. Mum was silly enough to agree to him buying the first Claas Lexion combine.”

Business expanded as clients asked for more services prompting Ferg to get more gear. They now also offer silage, balage, cultivation and drilling.

Later, Tom, Luke and their cous-

in Fin all joined the firm. For the last five years they have been in management roles. Tom mostly looks after HR and balage, Luke looks after silage and Finn runs the trucks.

Tom and Luke share operations management between them with each looking after about half the clients. A big part of their job is setting up the young operators and then checking on others to ensure the farmers are getting what they want.

Ferg remains obsessed with harvesting, although it is fortunate they now have two combine harvesters because Tom is equally eager to be operating one.

“Ferg was harvesting in a paddock with me and jumped on the

ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE FLEET IS JOHN DEERE GREEN, GREEN TO GOLD RUNS TWO MASSEY FERGUSON 8732S. RT and said, ‘The only way to get rid of me out of this, is in a box’.

He really enjoys it.”

In addition to this, Ferg does quality control and okays the invoices. Invoices are generated from information the operators provide on the Ag Drive app.

Ali brings meals out for the operators when the work is flatout. She also has to approve every purchase to keep Ferg under control.

Another key person in Green to

THE TARRAS WATER SCHEME HAS GIVEN GREEN TO GOLD MORE WORK BECAUSE IRRIGATION HAS INCREASED THE PRODUCTIVITY OF MANY FARMS.

Gold is Claire Crowe in the office.

“She is the real secret glue. It is great having an office person who understands what the boys are trying to achieve on a daily task.

“Before Claire, Ferg was up until 2:00 a.m. just trying to transfer invoices to generate income.

With Claire on the job, Ferg can focus on quality and clients.”

Tom says Green to Gold is a beast to run and there is no way one person could do it by themselves. It needs all the of the family’s involvement to keep quality up, pay attention to detail and, most importantly, maintain relationships with clients.

Another reason they can maintain quality is because Ferg has a policy of having two or three of every implement.

“We can keep two clients happy at once, or have both on one job to get the timing right. This might be getting a seedbed ready for fodder beet by the 20th of October.

“By doing large blocks with two machines at once, it makes it easier for the next pass. If we get the seed in on time using two planters, then there is a decent area for the spray contractor to

GREEN TO GOLD PLANTS FODDER BEET AND MAIZE WITH TWO 16-ROW, 6M KVERNELAND OPTIMAS, WHICH ‘NEVER MISS A BEAT’.

GIVEN THEIR LOCATION IN CENTRAL OTAGO, GREEN TO GOLD HAS HAD NO TROUBLE RECRUITING OVERSEAS MACHINERY OPERATORS. apply a pre-emergent. After that it is easier for the rest of the spray programme.”

AG WORK Green to Gold’s season begins with cultivation and reseeding in spring. All the cultivation gear is Amazone.

“It is built tough. Every weld is twice as thick and every box section twice as strong. When dealing with rock after rock, Amazone cultivation gear is best at handling it.”

Amazone gear includes Cenius

rippers, Certos compact discs, Catros discs and then 6m Cirrus drills. The drills are used for cereals, brassicas and pretty much everything that requires worked ground.

“Our Cirrus drills have Catros

discs on the front, so we can do one less pass, and then get the final pass with the drills. We are forever keeping in mind that budgets are a thing, now more than ever.” Tom says.

They also run Duncan Renova-

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31

PROFILE

THE BUSINESS DRILLS BRASSICAS, CEREALS AND ANYTHING ELSE THEIR CLIENTS WANT.

the wanaka area is being carved up into lifestyle blocks Inevitably this has meant some lifestyle block owners have become Green to Gold clients. Most of them have urban backgrounds and generally they develop trusting relations.

Tom Macdonald generally recommends they put it in lucerne and Green to Gold then makes it in to baleage.

“We organise the whole job. We mow it when it is at its best quality and put money in their bank for them when it is sold. With minimal effort from the owner, the land pays the rates, stays tidy and everyone is happy,” he says.

Land at Tarras has been sold for an airport. That will take clients out of the equation, but then there may be contracts to maintain the land surrounding the runways. tor direct drills which can apply fertiliser with the seed. Direct drills are a low-cost option for clients and sometimes a better option when conditions are dry.

“Sometimes the ground is too dry. It is like concrete, but the direct drill can still bite in and make effective seed to soil contact which holds any moisture that is in the ground.”

Fodder beet and maize are planted with two Kverneland Optimas. These are 16-row, 6m precision planters.

“They never miss. They are bullet-proof and the best drills I’ve ever seen for seed depth and spacing,” Tom says.

Also, early spring is when the first wave of overseas staff

arrives. Most are from the UK. “We have been really lucky with overseas and local help. Your staff are the core that keeps the company flowing.”

Tom says they always have lots of people applying for work. “Our location is amazing for getting overseas and local staff.”

Staff work hard, then on their days off they have a glorious landscape to go explore.

“We treat them well. We have good gear and good accommodation and when they go home they tell their family and friends how great the experience was.

Then more enquiries for work roll into my inbox.”

The family is also willing to take on beginners and train them. Dur-

TOM MACDONALD SAYS EACH SEASON GREEN TO GOLD DOES MORE BULK SILAGE AS THE COST OF BALAGE CONTINUES TO RISE.

32

ing Covid that was a necessity.

“Half to three-quarters were new to the industry. That made for challenging times. They required a bit more supervision.

It was fine and they still enjoyed themselves.”

Another big part of training and safety is to assure the team that it is fine to phone with questions.

“They want to prove themselves and show they know what they are doing, but we are forever telling them it is okay to ring and ask the same question four times. It just tells me that you want to get it right. We won’t get grumpy. It takes the edge off and makes an environment with no pressure,” Tom says.

An Irish YouTube channel ‘Grassmen’ came to Wanaka last season and did a 50-minute video on Green to Gold.

“It broke my phone. So many young fellows were wanting to give us a hand for the season that I had to buy a new phone.”

So no, finding staff is not an issue. Accommodation for them has become an issue, however.

Up until now it has been tidily solved with self-contained units at the yard. They are clean, warm and tidy, and solve the issue of tired people driving home after a long stint at work.

“Managing fatigue is a big

GREEN TO GOLD RUNS AMAZONE CULTIVATION GEAR BECAUSE IT IS WELL-BUILT WITH THICK WELDS AND STRONG BOX SECTIONS.

GREEN TO GOLD LOOKS AFTER LIFESTYLE BLOCKS AS WELL AS DAIRY AND ARABLE FARMERS. issue. Safety first. I don’t want to ring someone’s next of kin because of my negligence on their fatigue.”

HARVESTING By the end of October, silage starts and the last lot of staff arrive from overseas. They get inducted and everyone gets training for their role.

Three sets of Claas 9200 Disco triple mowers do the mowing.

Tom likes Claas mowers because they work in rocky ground and the Discos are robust. If a blade does break, it is so easy to change knives and springs.

“We can’t have downtime. If the mowers stop, it filters down the line and the chopper or balers catch up and the product isn’t wilted properly.”

When Green to Gold began, it coincided with the launch of the Tarras water scheme.

“Old barren ground became lush, profitable grain-growing ground. And with that came lots of work for Ferg.”

Tarras ground is so productive because of the pivot irrigators.

THE CONTRACTING SEASON IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO HIGH COUNTRY BEGINS WITH CULTIVATION AND RESEEDING IN SPRING.

THE 6M AMAZONE CIRRUS DRILLS HAVE CATROS DISCS ON THE FRONT, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN ELIMINATE ONE PASS. But that means ruts. Tom likes their two four-rotor Krone rakes because the dolly wheels handle the pivot ruts better than other brands.

Baling is done with two McHale Fusion 3 Plus combination baler/ wrappers. Green to Gold likes the efficiency of two jobs at once, and wrapping immediately maintains quality, especially with a northerly wind in summer.

The balers deal with straw and hay as well as silage. “McHale have proven themselves over the years. They have good backup service, but they don’t really break down.”

Tom says the number of bales Green to Gold makes each season is dropping because of price.

“It is almost unsustainable because the price has increased so much. The extra wrap for balage takes longer to remove for feeding out and then has to be disposed of, all requiring more time and effort.

“In whole crop balage, rats can eat it out and it ends up empty plastic. Bulk silage is less likely to be destroyed by vermin.”

Green to Gold’s forage harvesters are a 960 and a 950 Claas Jaguar. They compact their silage pits with two JCB 435S wheeled loaders. These weigh 16 tonnes, and Tom says they are the right tool for compacting and spreading the crop. They may also do a little stacking but predominantly their job is spending 600 to 700 hours a season on a stack.

The two combine harvesters are Claas Lexion 760s from 2017, and last season they had so much work that they leased a third harvester from the Harvest Centre in Canterbury.

Harvesting is still mostly cereals, but more variety is coming

into the area. This includes three varieties of peas and more fine seeds, such as mustard, bok choi and carrot.

For peas they use a MacDon FD130 FlexDraper header front.

“Peas grow close to the ground.

It combs the ground and hoovers up everything. It’s expensive but the right tool for the job.”

Last season they also harvested ryegrass seed. They mowed it, left it to dry and then used a draper front to pick it up.

What happens to the straw is up to the client. Some want it chopped and left on the ground to be cultivated in and put potassium back into the ground. Others want it bailed.

Over winter Fin is busy carting straw, balage and grain and Tom is employing staff. “Most of the time I am up at 1:00 a.m. trying to get in touch with referees and talk to the boys in their daytime.”

TRACTORS Providing the muscle for all this work are 19 tractors. Seventeen of them are John Deere. Ferg is a Deere purist, but Tom has been known to waver and is responsible for two Massey Fergusons.

“There is a joke that I am not allowed to be left at the yard by myself in case the Massey Ferguson salesman comes around.”

The MF arrived because the salesman told Tom they deliver cheap horsepower. Ferg had such

THE MACDONALD FAMILY RUNS THEIR FULL-SERVICE CONTRACTING BUSINESS GREEN TO GOLD FROM THEIR BASE IN WANAKA. a loyal relationship with John Deere that he approached them and asked them to match the offer.

“At the time they couldn’t and there was a big difference in price, so it was a no-brainer moving forward with times getting tougher.

“The two Massey Ferguson 8732s were also already in the country. It was a risk with a new brand, but at the end of the day, everything breaks down: it comes down to back-up service.”

That excellent back-up service is one reason for the devotion to John Deere.

“Our local branch in Cromwell has dedicated a mechanic to us every season. We have a mechanic on the way within an hour of a break-down. We are really lucky,” Tom says.

The latest John Deeres are from 2020 and 2021. Both are 8R 340s with IVT transmissions. Tom likes the fully variable transmissions for the fuel economy and power to the ground.

He says every new model has improvements. “They keep on getting more and more technology. They are more user-friendly and have better ergonomics in the cab.

“They realise that the operator is in there for more than five minutes. The coolest feature is how far the seat swivels so you are not twisting your neck as much.”

The only downside is the price has doubled over the last four years, but farmers are not earning double. This leads to the dilemma of how much can prices increase and lots of other questions.

How long do you hold onto a tractor? But then what does that do to the trade-in price? Or how many hours in a day can you drive a tractor? Is it better to lease?

The oldest tractor is a John Deere 4240 that Ferg bought in 1981 as his first new tractor. It is still working, though it is parked up and its PTO is used to load grain into bags.

“Fin takes our grain down south, but they have limited storage. We take the grain off once it is under 14 percent moisture and, if there isn’t space, then it goes into grain bags.”

Green to Gold’s clients are dairy farmers, winter dairy support farms and arable farmers. The Macdonalds also lease 600 ha to grow crops.

Ferg has always contracted thinking of how he would treat the land if it were his. “Our clients trust us to run it like it’s our own.”

Green to Gold is a thriving business employing lots of people, especially the overseas staff who then spend most of their income being tourists in New Zealand. Green to Gold ensures local farmers can keep feeding the world.

ONE OF GREEN TO GOLD’S FOUR-ROTOR KRONE RAKES AND CLAAS JAGUARS ON A BULK SILAGE JOB. 33

PROFILE

contractor keeps pace AS DAIRY FARMING MATURES

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, CJ PHILLIPS CONTRACTING LTD HAS GROWN TO SERVE CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHLAND REGION.

Calvin Phillips comes from an engineering background rather than farming. He started his working life with Southland Farm Machinery as an after school job, looking after John Deere tractors.

“My father was a fitter and turner with his own engineering business, so that is where I got my engineering background. I still build our bins, attachments and modify gear to suit our own needs.”

Calvin developed a passion for agricultural machinery. He took up an apprenticeship with Southland Tractors, working with New Holland tractors.

While doing his apprenticeship, Calvin spent his weekends working for a local ground work contractor, before deciding to do his own contracting.

“It all started when I started collecting Ford tractors as an

TO KEEP THE SILAGE AND BALES FLOWING, CJ PHILLIPS CONTRACTING RUNS SIX TRUCK AND TRAILER UNITS AND 14 TRACTORS. 34

apprentice and I bought a Welger Ap61 conventional baler. We were doing conventional hay bales for people all over the district after work and in the weekends.

“In 2015 I bought my first round baler and a Fendt 712 tractor. We have been doing more and more ever since.”

Calvin went out on his own in 2015, calling on a couple of other drivers when he needed a helping hand.

By 2018, the business had expanded enough that he was able to employ one full-time driver and one seasonal worker. He bought his yard in Thornbury, a

CALVIN PHILLIPS ACQUIRED TWO JAGUAR 960S WHEN HE PURCHASED THE SILAGE DIVISION OF ANOTHER LARGE SOUTHLAND CONTRACTOR. small town around 31 km from Invercargill.

Two years ago, Calvin purchased the silage division of R Jack Contracting, a large Southland firm which had been operating for more than 30 years.

At that time he moved his main base from Thornbury to Winton, but retains his Thornbury yard.

“It has increased our workload

HIS 6M SCIMITAR LAND LEVELLER GETS THE THUMBS UP FROM CALVIN PHILLIPS BECAUSE IT HAS HAS GOOD SOIL FLOW AND MINIMAL BLOCKAGES. EQUIPMENT ON THE AG SIDE OF THE BUSINESS INCLUDES A 6.3M ROLLER DRILL AND ALLEN DIRECT DRILL. significantly,” he says. “We have gone from two trucks and three tractors, to six truck and trailer units and 14 tractors.”

The takeover of R Jack’s silage business gave Calvin a step up in his grass and foraging machinery. The purchase gave him two Claas Jaguar 960 forage harvesters, which replaced his Jaguar 820.

Today CJ Phillips Contracting serves mostly dairy farming clients in western, northern and central Southland. They stretch from Riverton, up to Otahu Flat,

Mossburn, Castle Rock, Riversdale and back through Winton as far south as Gorge Road.

“It’s a fairly big circle to be fair, but we do have some very good clients.”

Despite the large area, Calvin says he is able to co-ordinate jobs to avoid a lot of dead driving.

“Our silage crews leave the yard in early October, weather dependant, and they don’t really see the yard again until Christmas time.”

Calvin has a fleet of utes to transport fuel and supplies to jobs and to take his drivers home each night. This means the machinery stays on location or is moved between jobs.

CJ Phillips Contracting offers a

wide range of services, including silage, balage, cultivation, farm maintenance, digger work, wood chipping, winter grazing and general cartage. They also supply supplementary feed.

“We always try and do more for our clients and try and do a good job for them,” he says.

During peak season, Calvin has up to 21 staff. He employs six to eight people through the winter months.

He has two office staff. One looks after administration and the other looks after feed and chip sales, dry matter testing and feed sampling.

Although having the office staff gives Calvin the ability to get out of the office, he rarely gets to sit in the tractor.

“You have always got to be in front and behind the guys to make sure the job is ready to go. I need to read the grass, so that we mow it at the right time, check the stack site is ready and accessible, keep an eye on the weather and then get in behind to make sure the job was complete and tidy.”

To keep staff busy over the winter he leases several blocks to grow supplementary feed and provide dairy grazing. His team supplies and delivers winter feed, and they produce wood chip for calf sheds and a very fine chip specifically for composting barns.

“We lease a few farms around the district to grow grass and crops, which we sell to clients

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PROFILE

CALVIN PHILLIPS ESTIMATES HIS TWO FORAGE HARVESTERS DO ABOUT 1200 DRUM HOURS AND HARVEST 35-40 MILLION KG OF DRY MATTER EACH YEAR.

the new claas jaguar 970 harvester has near infrared sensors The NIR technology gives it the ability to take 20 dry matter measurements per second.

“It is the latest model with a higher throughput. With the NIR and field monitoring, it tests the crop on the way through the machine and gives you lab results in the field as you are doing the job,” Calvin Phillips says.

The reason he opted for NIR sensors is to get as much throughput from the Jaguar during the daylight hours of good weather windows. The aim is to get as much silage into the pit as possible and the best quality as possible. and for winter grazing our clients’ stock,” Calvin says.

“We are probably working towards purchasing some more land for the dry stock to support our clients. I do enjoy trying to get out to the blocks in the winter and doing a bit of farming to give the boys a day off in the weekend.”

Because the business has grown so fast, Calvin says it is difficult to know how many staff he needs, especially during the winter.

“You know in October it starts to get busy and all of a sudden it’s Christmas time.”

MACHINERY Calvin runs a fleet of nine John Deere tractors, a JCB loader and

three Fendts. His John Deeres range from 155 to 370 hp.

“A 155M is the smallest tractor and most of the fleet is in the 175M to 7230R range. We have an 8310R and a 9370R, which are our big tractors.”

Calvin says for good quality silage you can’t beat compaction. The 9370R weighs in at 25 tonnes and he reckons it is the best machine out there for stacking large volumes of grass in a hurry, while maintaining good compaction.

“Other machines simply can’t compete. The way the price of tractors has gone, we are trying to put tractors in the fleet only as big as required for the job they are to be used for.

“For raking, tedding and loader

work, the 155m to 175m tractors are ample. We try to only use the big tractors for the jobs we need to use them for.”

When he took over R Jack Contracting, he also acquired six John Deeres. Previously he was running two Fendt tractors and a Massey Ferguson.

His Fendt tractors include his “old faithful” 818, which has completed over 17,000 hours and he also has a Fendt 724 and a 927.

The Fendt 927 “is quite a big tractor to handle the mowers”, and is the main mowing tractor.

It powers Claas 9200C triple mower conditioners.

Calvin’s dealer for his John Deere tractors is Southland Farm Machinery, while the Fendts were purchased from JJ Ltd in Invercargill. He says both dealers have been good to deal with.

CJ Contracting has its own in-house mechanic and service ute to keep the machinery in working order.

“We try to do most of it ourselves because we need to have machines going when we need them. I do quite a few field breakdowns myself,” Calvin says.

In the summer months, CJ

CJ PHILLIPS CONTRACTING’S SILAGE CREWS LEAVE THE YARD IN WINTON IN OCTOBER AND MAY NOT BE BACK UNTIL CHRISTMAS. Phillips Contracting is busy mowing with a set of Claas Auto swathers, which mows the crop straight into rows to stop it drying out too much.

He also has two Kuhn rakes from Agricentre South in Invercargill, formerly Southland Tractors.

Three diggers (two 13 tonners and a 20 tonner) do farm maintenance, place bales and help with chipping work. The diggers are regularly taken out on silage jobs to put covers in place and lay tyres on them. “They speed the process up 10-fold,” Calvin says.

CJ Phillips Contracting also has two McHale Fusion 3 Plus balers, which are film-on-film capable.

They run an Allen disc drill, a 6.3m roller drill and a 6m Scimitar heavy duty land leveller.

The Scimitar leveller was new for the 2023-2024 season and was manufactured by Agtech Engineering in Masterton.

“It makes a nice job of the paddocks. It has good soil flow and minimal blockages, which you can’t get with other levellers,” he says.

For the wood chipping, Calvin uses a Pezzolato drum chipper, which has its own crane fitted.

Calvin says wood chipping is a growing part of the business as more farmers build composting barns to winter their dairy stock.

“That machine can make chips from 25-mm standard chip down to 9-mm chip, which is virtually

THE JOHN DEERE 9370R HAS THE WEIGHT AND POWER TO DO A GREAT JOB ON THE SILAGE STACK. 36

sawdust. The finer chip is preferred by many farmers for their composting barns,” he says.

“You can pull up to a pile of logs and chip them straight out the chute into the back of the truck or into a calf shed, whatever the client requires.”

Calvin buys his grass machinery from Claas Harvest Centre and Agricentre South, both in Invercargill. He also has a Kuhn 6m power harrow alongside his Kuhn rakes.

He has two Kverneland ploughs from Power Farming, where he also purchased the McHale Fusion balers.

Moving forward, Calvin says he will likely purchase a John Deere and a Fendt tractor each season, which should give him a seven year or 10,000 hour turnover for his tractors.

Rakes and mowers will be replaced more regularly, probably after three to four seasons, “now we are on a roll and depending on the condition of them”.

When he bought R Jack Contracting’s silage equipment, he acquired two Claas Jaguar 960 harvesters. He has now traded in one of the 960s for a brand new 50th anniversary model.

It is a Jaguar 970 harvester with state-of-the-art technology, and it is primed and ready for this season.

Calvin states he gets around 1200 drum hours a year between his two main foragers. They har-

vest 35-40 million kg of dry matter during the season.

He says together his two balers produce between 25,000 and 30,000 bales in an average season.

LOOKING AHEAD CJ Phillips Contracting Ltd is preparing for the future by investing in new technology.

This season they are moving to a new recording system. This will be done with the Resolution Farming App, which allows you to assign tasks and record job data instead of recording it with pen and paper.

“Hopefully that will be easier for the office staff to keep an eye on what’s going on out in the field and notice any key missing bits of information before the job is completed,” Calvin says.

“I am a fan of pen and paper to be fair. It is quite easy for me, but this is just the way of the future.

And for the young people coming in, who like to spend their time looking at their phones, they can put it to good use.”

When he is not busy contracting, Calvin likes to get out on the water with his Hamilton 152A jet boat.

“When you are growing a busi-

CJ PHILLIPS CONTRACTING IS EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE ALL SERVICES THAT SOUTHLAND DAIRY FARMERS REQUIRE. ness like we are and trying to get it to a profitable level, you’ve got to keep pushing it until you get to that position.”

Calvin also sponsors some community activities, including the local bowls club and the Thornbury Hay Competition.

Going forward, he will be looking to keep on top of his machinery and keep doing the best for his clients.

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PROFILE

low-stress business model SUITS EARTHMOVING ALL-ROUNDER

KEN AND DEBBIE DEIGHTON PROVIDE DIGGER SERVICES TO SHEEP AND BEEF FARMERS AROUND TAIHAPE.

Ken Deighton Contracting is a small business that provides a reliable service without fuss or bother. Debbie runs the office and Ken and Mark Bryant operate the diggers. Mark started with them as a contract worker six years ago.

“Mark and I had worked together before and he wanted to move back to the district. He is a mechanic too and can keep his machine going if it breaks down,” Ken says.

That is a low-stress business model – keep it local, employ another expert, and do what you do well.

Ken is Taihape born and bred.

His parents had a 400-ha sheep and beef farm at Mangaweka and Ken grew up with motorbikes and tractors. He did a mechanics apprenticeship at Tractor and Machinery Services in Taihape and worked in the district as a mechanic.

He also tried shearing but that

coincided with a dip in the wool industry.

“No one wanted a learner shearer, so I got a proper job in Auckland.” Ken worked as a mechanic for the North Shore Council.

After a couple of years he returned home and worked in maintenance at Hautapu Pine Products.

This was also the start of contracting. While in Auckland, Ken had noticed that all the tradies used mini diggers on building sites, but in Taihape everyone was still digging by hand.

Ken spoke to lots of tradies and

KEN DEIGHTON SAYS HE WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT A BLADE AND THUMB BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA SAFETY THEY PROVIDE. they all agreed a digger would be an improvement. Ken and Debbie invested in a 1.2-tonne digger.

“Then no one used me for the first five years.”

He carried on with the plan and from the end of 1995 was contracting with his digger on weekends. Instead of working for tradies as planned, however,

THESE DAYS THE BUSINESS RUNS TWO 14-TONNE SUMITOMO EXCAVATORS. 39

PROFILE

IN ADDITION TO FARM WORK AND BUILDING SITES, KEN DEIGHTON CONTRACTING DOES SOME WORK FOR THE LOCAL COUNCIL AND POWER SUPPLIER. he was working for farmers and landscapers.

“Everyone wanted us to do more than our machine was capable of. So we went to a 2.5-tonne machine and then a 3.5-tonne.

Then we bought a truck to carry it around on, and it just kind of grew.

“The next step was up to 7-tonne, and by then we were so busy with digger work that I decided to finish working at the mill,” That was 2002.

It was a big decision leaving a regular income. “We struck the timing right and didn’t look back.”

In February 2004, floods caused a lot of damage in the

area, and that meant a lot of work for diggers. To meet the need Ken and Debbie got a 10-tonne digger and another truck and trailer to cart it around.

“I don’t tend to do much truck work,” he says. “The truck just complements the digger side.”

The earlier machines had mostly been Kobelco, but from 2007 Ken and Debbie changed to Sumitomo.

“The local agent was in Palmerston North and they made a good product and did a good deal. I have stuck with them ever since.”

They are onto their sixth Sumitomo. They currently have two 14-tonne machines. They had a six-tonne for smaller jobs, but

sold it earlier this year. “We haven’t replaced it because of the way things are.”

Both machines have a blade and a thumb. “We do a few dangerous trees, near powerlines or buildings. After having a blade and thumb on a machine I wouldn’t be without them.”

They also have an old Komatsu bulldozer which is mainly used for dams.

The trucks are bought second hand. Ken has an old Mercedes and an Iveco. The Iveco is ex UK army and a six-wheel drive.

“It’s a bit of a beast. It goes good until it’s stuck and then you’d need the army to pull you out. Though – touch wood – I

TOGETHER KEN DEIGHTON AND MARK BRYANT HAVE THE ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO TAKE ON PRETTY MUCH ANY EARTHMOVING JOB. haven’t got it stuck yet.”

For big jobs they may hire gear, but prefer not to. “The nearest place is Palmerston North and it is not cost-effective, unless it’s a big job.”

Generally Ken starts looking at replacing gear as it hits 7000 to 8000 hours. He buys new diggers to get the latest technology.

“Also we cannot afford to have

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THE COMPANY’S IVECO TRUCK IS EX-MILITARY, SIX-WHEEL DRIVE, AND ‘A BIT OF A BEAST’. machines breaking down when we are busy.”

Most of Ken Deighton Contracting’s clients are sheep and beef farmers. Some have been clients for 30 years.

“They are good to work with and with some we are on the second generation.”

Ken works town and rural around Taihape. He says there is no point going further afield, because then someone else would move into his area.

The work includes tracks, dams and fence lines with some urban work such as section development, building sites, demolition, landscaping and water schemes.

There used to be a lot of paddock drainage work with Novaflo drainage pipe, but that has mostly been done now.

It is too wet to do much in winter, and farm cashflow also influences the schedule. Ken and Mark do most of their work in summer and autumn.

Although winter is slower, there is always something to do – maintenance, carting metal, or maybe fence lines. Ken and Mark do some mechanical work for others, but it is not work they go after.

The tradie work never came to much. Tradies finally converted to using diggers, but

then bought their own.

Ken Deighton Contracting also works for the council and local utilities such as Powerco. All work nowadays requires a good knowledge of regulations and health and safety, but working for council or utilities requires absolute precision.

“Compliance costs just keep going up, with more and more paperwork. When it comes to health and safety, everyone is considered a complete idiot.”

Their work is audited for safety and they have to be at SiteWise Green. “It’s quite involved.”

In the meantime the next generation is growing up. One daughter is at university, a son is an apprentice at a local engineering shop and the youngest daughter is still at school.

The low-stress business model puts Ken and Debbie in a good position to ride out these financially uncertain times. They have no surplus gear, minimal travelling costs and the business only has to support their family and Mark’s.

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41

PROFILE

the natural selection LIFE ON THE LAND COMES WITH UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES. TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF FARMING IS IMPORTANT; ITS WHY ONE BUNDABERG FARMER HAS SWITCHED TO KUBOTA.

across the ditch PROFILED IN AUSTRALIA’S AG CONTRACTOR & LARGE SCALE FARMER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024, WE VISIT MARTO FARMS IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.

42

Across Australia, farmers are facing a new range of challenges, rising input costs, labour shortages, climate volatility. The list goes on and on.

Farmers are at the forefront of these challenges and are utilising technology and innovation to constantly adapt and face adversity head on.

In the sweat-inducing heat of tropical Queensland, farmer Andrew Martens has learnt that pragmatism and practicality is key in keeping operations going and feeding the mouths of Australians.

Located in Bundaberg, Marto Farms is a family-owned and operated business run by Andrew with the help of his brother Paul, and their parents, Keith and Karen.

Marto Farms is a vast, horticultural operation, stretching across 2000 acres of property and produces a variety of crops including seedless watermelons, zucchinis, macadamia nuts and pumpkins.

“It’s an interesting mix of produce that’s for sure, but we take pride in delivering quality,

top notch products,” Andrew explained. “At the end of the day, it’s our name on the box so we work hard to do the best we can.”

Juicy, sweet and a hero of the summertime, watermelons are the flagship product grown at Marto Farms.

“Dad planted our first watermelons decades ago; we’re very proud of the longevity and sucess we’ve had with the crop,” he reflected.

“It’s what we’re best known for around these parts, and I think that has something to do with the climate. There’s nothing like a delicious slice of watermelon

when the weather is stifling and hot.

“We get our fair share of those days up here.”

In early 2011, devastating torrential rain and flooding in Queensland saw the entire watermelon crop at Marto wiped out. Andrew needed a solution to keep their workers employed and the farm from going under.

“The sheer volume of rain sat us back on our heels, we knew we just had to dig deep and work hard,” Andrew said.

Pivoting, Andrew brought in the zucchini crop to recover.

“After the watermelon crop

failed, we knew we needed something to keep the farm going. Here in the sub-tropics, zucchinis make an excellent winter crop, so we got planting,” he described.

The move was such a success that Marto Farms now works on 600 acres of zucchini plants each year.

Seeing the value in diversification, Andrew made another swap. With the value of sugar cane through the floor, the team at Marto decided to switch out their sugar cane crop for a macadamia orchard.

“Macadamias are a native tree across Queensland, they grow fantastically up here in Bundaberg, so the change just made sense,” Andrew explained.

“We’ve always believed that in farming you’ve got to be sensible, pragmatic and not afraid of diversification.”

Thanks to continued demand, Marto’s macadamias are a success.

“I’m a farmer first. I’m not an expert across all crops or even running a business. But I’ll have a crack at a lot of different things to get through the testing times.

That’s what we do.”

Challenges haven’t made Andrew overly cautious, in fact the opposite. He continues to innovate and experiment with new technologies to help improve his farming, packing and distribution operations.

In a bid to remain on the cutting edge, Andrew invited robotics experts on-farm to implement autonomous technologies that aid in produce packing, grading and plant nursing.

“It’s an impressive piece of machinery that can grade our crops by size. It also registers the

density of produce to detect if it’s ripe. We still have a packaging team on the line but it helps with the sorting process and is a time saver.

“I wouldn’t say I’m an innovation and technology driver but I’m open to explore ideas on when it comes to making life a little bit easier on my team,” said Andrew.

“Not every new invention or innovation is going to dramatically change our on-farm operation, but if it makes someone’s day a little easier - I’m on board.”

Andrew also understands the

role that working with technology plays in establishing the Marto Farms brand.

In late 2019, Andrew partnered with traceability and consumer technology company FreshChain Systems to roll out a program helping consumers learn more about where their food comes from.

Using blockchain technology, the FreshChain system tracked Marto Farms’ watermelons, allowing customers to follow the journey from paddock to plate and allow consumers to learn

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PROFILE

more about the farms their food came from.

“I think consumers want to know where their food comes from. Technology projects like these help Australians think local and support home grown,” he speculated.

While technological advances

44

are changing the face of modern farming, the basic goal of nurturing produce remains the same.

This is Andrew’s passion; as far as he’s concerned, everything else is secondary.

“No matter what whiz bang contraptions are invented, I’m a farmer through and through. So,

what matters to me is growing and processing quality produce.

“But you’re going to get challenges from every angle, and you have to learn to evolve or get left behind.”

Recognising the importance of equipment and technology that delivers on-farm efficiencies, Andrew needs machinery he can rely on. Which is why he made the switch to Kubota.

In his twenty years working on the property, Andrew had never stuck to one brand but today the vast majority of his fleet is bright orange.

“Growing so many different crops at such a large scale, I need machinery that is reliable and versatile,” Andew explained.

“Funnily enough, when we bought our first farm, there was an old Kubota tractor that came with it. Since then I’ve sold off all the old equipment, but I’ve kept the Kubota, it hasn’t broken down once in 20 odd years.”

Andrew is practical when it

comes to his machinery; more than anything, Andrew chose Kubota due to their reputation for reliability.

“With so much going on, I want a machine that can constantly deliver. No gimmicks, no nonsense. Just a good hardworking piece of equipment,” said Andrew. “After seeing some of the newer model tractors on display it made sense to go with Kubota.

“I’m so thankful for the team at Formatt Machinery – they’ve helped make the transition to Kubota as easy and seamless as possible.

“They know what we need out here at Marto, and they constantly deliver.”

Andrew Martens is a farmer first, and a practically minded one at that. He and the team at Marto Farms will always honour tradition in their practices, but won’t shy away from ways to evolve and tackle the ever-changing nature of farming in Queensland.

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offer faster working speeds thanks to their larger and more flexible entry guide. They can collect bales that lie in different directions on the paddock, not just those that are parallel to the direction of travel. This means the driver does not have to get out of the tractor to straighten bales.

The Multipack D14 is PTO-driven and has its own self-contained hydraulic circuit and pump. All operations are controlled from the tractor cab.

Arcusin bale collectors are stable on irregular terrain. They give a single operator the ability to carry out the entire bale collecting process without specialised training. They can also be run in stationary mode to pack and store bales out of season. RC

FARMSHOP To be as efficient as possible, dairy and livestock farmers require equipment that can handle bales faster and more economically.

FarmShop’s FarmMax suite of bale handling implements combines durability and advanced features to meet the needs of Kiwi farmers.

Since it was introduced five years ago, the FarmMax range has rapidly grown in popularity.

FarmShop has expanded the range to include 20 unique front end loader attachments and other useful implements.

FARMMAX SMARTGRABS FarmMax SmartGrabs offer superior quality and strength and are a great option to move thousands of bales a year. There are cheaper alternatives on the market, but they will never last the distance of these European-made implements.

SmartGrabs have Euro hitch as a standard. They can open to 1.7m and easily manage medium to small square bales and large

rounds. The bale arms can be opened and closed at variable speeds to ensure the grab clears a stack without damaging adjacent bales.

Northland dairy farmer Ken Finlayson uses a set of SmartGrabs and he says they work very well.

“We use them to tidy up behind the baler and stack bales onto trucks,” Ken says. “They open up with plenty of width, which makes them convenient to use.

The paint has stayed on them well, so they look good, and they come with a stand, so they sit nicely when they are not in use.

“FarmShop is excellent to work with. The have brought some competition into the market, which is good for us.”

FARMMAX COMBI CUTTER The highly versatile FarmMax Combi Cutter is three implements in one. It can work as a

grab bucket, shear grabs or bale slice.

In developing the Combi Cutter, the designers made it simple to remove the bucket section and reattach it again. Heavy-duty hydraulic rams on the side enable it to easily chew into a silage stack and leave a clean face.

When opening a balage bale, the hydraulically operated clamp conveniently holds the plastic film.

GET HARVEST

READY

JUST LIKE YOU, WE’RE GETTING READY FOR THE UPCOMING HARVEST SEASON! Our Parts Warehouse is filled with the essential gear you need to keep going through harvest and our team are ready to assist you and ensure your downtime is kept to a minimum.

We’ve got you covered — Purchase Genuine Parts from CLAAS Harvest Centre and get six months warranty on overthe-counter purchases or a 12 month warranty of parts fitted by a CLAAS Harvest Centre technician.

Visit your local dealer today! claasharvestcentre.com

47

WHAT’S NEW...

MANITOU Manitou’s NewAg range of agricultural telehandlers can handle heavy duty jobs that demand loading power, high lift height and steady forward reach.

In New Zealand popular models in the range extend from the MLT-X 732, with a maximum capacity of 3200 kg and lifting height of 7m, up to the MLT-X 961, with a max capacity of 6000 kg and lifting height of 9m.

All are built to last with a wide welded boom head, hoses and distributors protected under the boom, steering cylinders protected from gravel splatter and multiple-disk oil-bath brakes in the axles.

Manitou constantly adds new technology to its telehandlers and the latest offering is the Smart Weighing System (SWS).

When using a telehandler, drivers often need to keep track of the quantity of material they are handling to achieve accuracy and productivity. But existing weigh systems often require an additional screen which can add clutter and require calibration.

The SWS is a fully integrated weighing system, that is more productive and user-friendly than existing systems. It is available factory-fitted and retrofitted.

With the SWS you can do static or dynamic weighing and measure the load at any boom position. This means you can use customised feeding recipes. It is also user-friendly.

MLT-X 732 Manitou’s MLT-X 732 telehandler comes with a Power-

The Combi Cutter is made from powder-coated high-strength steel, so it is robust and durable.

Heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders give superior performance and longevity. Drop-forged replaceable prongs are high-strength tools uniquely designed for the implement.

A thick-gauge crossbeam holds the prong sockets and braces the implement frame to prevent distortion at high loads. The service width is 1.6m.

48

shuttle four-speed gearbox that provides a good range of speed options for optimum performance in different applications.

Its 95-hp engine and torque converter give you more than enough power for most tasks.

This is an excellent first-time investment choice or option for farmers who want to make the step up from a tractor to gain the versatility a telehandler can deliver. It is easy to use and will suit new operators to perform various farm applications perfectly.

MLT-X 737 The latest MLT-X 737 delivers 3.7 tonnes of lifting capacity, a max height of 6.9m and max reach of 3.9m.

Like other NewAg models, it gives the operator exceptional visibility. A patented protective roof grid provides a clear view of the load whatever the height of the boom.

Its 129-hp Deutz engine delivers maximum torque of 500 Nm at 1600 rpm while the Torque Converter transmission is combined with a Powershift Plus gearbox.

Exclusive to Manitou is the JSM joystick, which allows you to control all boom movements with one hand. This includes forward-reverse, raising and lowering the boom, boom extension and retraction and tilt hydraulic operations on the attachment.

MLT-X 841 Manitou’s MLT-X 841-145 PS+ has a lifting capacity of 4.1 tonnes, a max lift height of 7.6m and a max reach of 4.45m. They

FARMMAX PALLET FORK The FarmMax Silage and Pallet Fork is the perfect complement to front end loaders. It is designed for fast and easy handling of loads onto pallets.

The manufacturer has designed an adjustable pallet fork with a Euro hitch to make it simple to attach. With a 1600-kg load rating this is a heavy-duty tool.

Conveniently, there is an option for farmers to add tines to make

have the strength and efficiency to do the work needed in large farming and contracting businesses.

The MLT-X 841 is designed to make life easier for the operator thanks to its low-vibration, quiet cab (just 69 dBA). It can be specified with a pneumatic seat with intelligent suspension, which adapts automatically to any terrain and reduces vibrations by more than 50 percent.

The 141-hp engine delivers additional torque with lower fuel consumption. This torque gain improves the towing and loading performance.

A torque converter transmission with automatic Powershift gearbox plus hydraulic flow of 200 litres/min will give an agricultural business maximum productivity.

A High View camera allows the operator to view the inside of the trailer when loading and Active

CRC boom suspension reduces jolting when driving with a load.

The MLT 961 has an M-Vario Plus transmission, which delivers comfort, performance and low fuel consumption. The ultra-quiet NewAg XL cab gives high visibility, an automatic parking brake, and plenty of storage. Optional is an adaptive air suspension seat.

With its 156 hp engine and a maximum torque of 805 Nm, the MLT 961 is ready to work. It has a self-cleaning pre-filter and auto reversing fan, so it can handle dusty environments.

A 200 litres/min load sensing pump and the optional Intelligent Hydraulics package boost its performance. And it offers easy maintenance with a centralized position of greasing points and the option of automatic greasing. RC

them suitable for silage bales.

The forks are adjustable, so it has multiple uses on-farm – handling silage, lifting a one-tonne pallet of wire, and more.

FarmShop has a direct factory-to-farm supply model, which keeps pricing very compelling.

Because FarmMax is FarmShop’s own brand, they are diligent about after sales care.

Most customers choose to purchase FarmMax implements online. Without bricks and mor-

tar stores throughout the country, FarmShop can keep costs low and pass the savings directly to its customers’ balance sheets.

If you want to see a FarmMax implement in action, the team can put you in touch with a customer in your neighbourhood.

Check out FarmShop’s spring special, where you can purchase any two FarmMax products and receive a 50 percent discount on the lower-priced item (available until 30 November). RC

MLT-X 961-160

FLIEGL

BALE TRAILERS Fliegl’s large range of bale trailers provides options to suit any major baling operation.

The more traditional platform transporters are Fliegl’s TPW models in 14-tonne and 18-tonne total weight capacities. Standard specifications include a galvanised steel floor with sizing options from 5.4m to 8.2m in length and 2.48m width.

Hydraulic drawbar suspension ensures TPW trailers deliver towing comfort. Securing frames are optional for the front and rear, and these are suitable for squares and rounds.

Fliegl’s DPW bale trailers use a three-axle setup. The front axle is mounted to a turntable steering system for a more European way of working.

Loading and transporting bales can become a one-tractor job because the trailer is self-supporting, stable and can easily be unhitched and parked in a paddock for loading.

Total permitted weight options range from 18 to 24 tonnes and the trailer’s galvanised non-slip

steel floor measures 9.9m by 2.48m.

Many tyre options are available including flotation widths of 445mm or 500mm, as well as steel securing frames front and rear.

TPW and DPW models all include a fully galvanised chassis, leaf-sprung axle suspension, lights and air or hydraulic brakes as standard.

For an even safer and quicker way to secure large bale loads, the hydraulic securing frame of Fliegl’s DPW210 BL Profi does away with time-consuming ratchet tie downs.

Quick-release safety bolts give

flexible loading from the left or right side, and the frame wings open to a height of 5m for easy and unobstructed access. The frame on each side can be operated independently.

SOFT HANDS Fliegl Soft Hands are competitively priced and durable. They feature a galvanised Euro-hitch frame and extra ‘support feet’ at the base of the frame. The latter is an overlooked bonus when it comes to attaching and unhitching the implement with ease.

With a height of 810 mm and four-bar arms, Soft Hand grabs cover a significant surface area

on a bale, which evenly distributes the clamping pressure. This ensures they maintain a tight grip without damaging the wrap or distorting the bale’s shape.

Soft Hand grabs can manage bales with weights up to 1400 kg. Double equalising springs on each arm ensure consistent opening and closing when working with bales from 900 mm to 2m in diameter.

More information on Fliegl’s full range of trailers and machinery is available from your nearest Power Farming dealer.

They can also supply Fliegl’s Soft Hands for the current season. RC

“Oooh yummy*!” (*100% of slugs)

Irresistible Colzactive® technology means slugs don’t stand a chance Even the most determined slugs are no match for Metarex Inov®. The leading slug and snail bait with its Colzactive technology is so attractive, slugs and snails actively prefer it to seedlings. Protect your crops with Metarex Inov.

Talk to your local merchant to find out more.

Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. P009605. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, Approval Code HSR101302. See www.epa.govt.nz for approval controls. Metarex Inov is a registered trademark of DE SANGOSSE SAS.

UPL-LTD.COM 49

WHAT’S NEW...

DIECI

AGRIMAX POWER X2 There is now a telehandler with an innovative HVT-1 power-split transmission, which has both a mechanical and a hydrostatic component in a single transmission – the Dieci AgriMax Power X2.

Dieci developed the HVT-1 power-split transmission in partnership with Dana Inc, a world-leading transmission manufacturer.

It makes the AgriMax Power X2 more responsive and controllable, with less noise and vibration.

It can travel continuously from standstill up to 50 kph while still providing sufficient power and torque for low-speed applications.

Dieci’s AgriMax Power X2 can handle a wide range of applications in dairy, horticulture, arable farming or construction. It combines all the advantages of the HVT-1 transmission with the strength and precision of a Dieci telehandler, so it can deliver versatility, power and fuel efficiency.

New power management software optimises output by contin-

uously varying speed and torque automatically to maintain maximum productivity. The electronically controlled boom control pump guarantees smoother and more precise movements when loading, unloading and handling.

Dual radiators and dual reversible fans ensure everything is running at the optimal temperature.

They also allow the operator to reverse the fans to remove any airborne debris that could be sitting on the radiator grills.

Four driving modes – eco, normal, loader and creeper – optimise the telehandler’s ability to perform under all conditions. Full Can-Bus technology allows 100 percent electronic control of the entire system, optimising engine, transmission and boom through the hardware-software cooperation.

AgriMax Power X2 is fitted with both front and rear axle suspension to enhance operator comfort and safety. The rear axle suspension is locked out while travelling at high speed, and conversely the front axle suspension is locked

E G A SSIIL E LAGULAN T T CULAN IIN OC NO R E R W E O W L ALO A TA AT CCOSSTT!!

out while operating at slow speed.

This gives you a smooth ride every time, irrespective of whether it is on the road, or across the paddock.

Braking on both axles and engine braking ensure there is sufficient capacity to stop the Agrimax Power X2 even at maximum road speed.

Hydro-pneumatic boom suspension dampens the oscillation of the boom when travelling at speed or across rugged terrain giving you a smooth ride every time.

Dieci’s AgriMax Power X2 range

has three models: the 50.8 model, with a 5 tonne lift capacity and 8m reach, the 60.9 model with a 6 tonne capacity and 9m reach and the 65.8 model with 6.5 tonne lift and 8m reach.

Webbline has received their first Agrimax Power X2 50.8, which is powered by a 172 hp FPT four-cylinder diesel engine and boasts a 50 kph top speed.

For more information on the Dieci Agrimax Power X2 range, contact our Dieci product specialist Tim Currie on 021 221 5016, call Webbline on 0800 932 254, or check out the website webbline.co.nz. RC

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PPP CAN ALSO SUPPLY SILAGE INOCULANT APPLICATORS FOR HARVESTERS

Supplying contractors North & South Island

Supplying contractors North & South Island 50

JOHN DEERE

C451R WRAPPING BALER Grass harvesters who want better quality forage, a faster wrapping speed to produce more bales per hour and a versatile machine with optional use of pre-cutters should take a look at John Deere’s C451R variable chamber wrapping baler.

Several features enable the C451R to boost harvesting capacity. These include a high-performance 2.2m (7.2 ft) feeding system with five reinforced tine bars that rake two times per second more than the standard four-tine pickup.

A wide hydraulic drop-floor easily clears the worst blockages, and a transfer table system ensures efficient bale transfer, even in hilly terrain.

John Deere hay and forage product specialist Roberto Scheidt says the C451R is designed to simplify and speed up the baling with advanced technology.

“It comes with a wide pickup and a pre-cutter option, so you can use knives if you want shorter cuts or you can disengage them if you don’t. The pickup

is equipped with a unique John Deere drop floor that is longer than the industry standard and easy to unplug from the cab,” Roberto says.

“We have increased the speed of the wrapping arms from 35 to 40 rpm. This means the C451R produces more bales per hour, and there is extra storage for net to keep operators in the field for longer.

“Also saving time are the central lubrication systems, one for the baler chains and one for the bearings and pins. All the operator has to do is top up the external fluid containers when necessary.”

The C451R uses a fast-release table transport system to receive a bale and transfer it to the wrapping system. Control panels on each side of the baler give operators the ability to operate the knives, wrapper arms, table and gate.

With John Deere’s HC premium rotor, the C451R feeding system limits the distance from the pickup to rotor tines to reduce plugging. This optimises crop flow and ensures high feeding capac-

ity, especially in short crops such as brittle straw or sticky silage.

A new knife lever and roller assembly on the C451R improves knife engagement and reduces the amount of cleaning required.

The high-quality knives are treated to provide better cutting quality and durability. A set of knife slot fillers is standard.

Its fast, efficient operation and technology that minimises interruptions should ensure the C451R becomes the go-to baler

for farmers and contractors.

The C451R needs less than eight seconds to unload a bale and close the baler’s rear curtain. Its wrapping system runs at 40 rpm. Together they enable the baler to produce more bales per hour.

John Deere C451R balers require 100 horsepower with no knives engaged, 110 hp with 13 knives, and 120 hp with 25 knives. Their tandem axle causes less ground compaction. RC

WEBBLINE

GOWEIL Goweil bale wrappers are user-friendly. They feature intuitive controls and straightforward maintenance, so they are ideal for large-scale Kiwi farmers and contractors.

G50 Goweil G50 wrappers have robust construction, compact design and a low centre of gravity. This ensures they give an outstanding performance and excellent manoeuvrability.

Options in the range are: • G5020. This model features twin wrapping arms and Profi program control, which automates the wrapping cycle, film cutting, and bale deposit.

• G5020 Inliner. Similar to the G5020 but designed to be pulled directly behind the baler. It eliminates the need for a separate tractor and driver.

• G5012. This trailed round

wrapper includes twin wrapping arms and Standard program control. It has manual bale pickup using an electronic joystick.

• G5010. The smallest model in the G50 series features a single wrapping arm. It is a great entry-level option for professional users.

G40 Q There are two models in Goweil’s G40 Q range of square bale wrappers.

• G4010 Q Profi. This is a stationary model powered by a 25-hp Kubota diesel engine. It features twin wrapping arms and Profi program control with radio remote. It can wrap square bales up to 2m long and handle double bales (depending on bale size) to enhance performance and reduce film consumption by up to 20 percent.

• G4020 Q Profi. This trailed model has twin wrapping arms 51

WHAT’S NEW...

GILTRAP AG

RS2 FEEDER As farming becomes more sophisticated, efficient feeding systems are critical. Giltrap Ag offers two machines to suit different farm sizes – the RS2 Feeder and the Bale Buggy. Both machines handle various bale types and sizes and provide farmers efficient and streamlined feeding solutions.

The RS2 Feeder is designed to handle large square and round bales with ease. It can load and feed two round or big square bales. It handles squares up to 8 ft and rounds up to 6 ft tall, so it is both versatile and durable enough to work in demanding operations.

Central to the RS2’s performance is its two-stage hydraulic lifting system, which gives full control over loading. This feature simplifies the process while enhancing safety.

By positioning the bale above the RS2’s feed bed, the operator can remove netting and plastic before feeding which reduces waste. A pause function ensures minimal contamination from packaging, crucial for maintaining feed quality.

Giltrap Ag builds the RS2 to last. It has a 3-inch solid pin chain rated for 15,000 lbs. It features high-tensile, 6-mm folded channel tine bars with aggressive tapered teeth that penetrate even the tightest bales to ensure a clean and consistent feedout.

Farmers operating in challenging terrain will appreciate the RS2’s stability and flexibility.

and hydraulic bale pick-up. It offers high performance with fully automatic cycles controlled by the Profi program.

GRAB AND SLICERS The Goweil Round Bale Grab (RBG) simplifies loading and stacking of round bales 1.1m-1.6m in diameter. It is also effective for square bales.

It securely grips and gently handles bales by clamping three-quarters of their surface, ensuring even pressure distribution and minimising stress on the tractor’s front axle.

52

With a wide 2.2m wheel track, it remains stable on uneven ground, even when handling heavy loads on hills. Fully-enclosed drive shafts prevent twine or wrap tangling, a common problem that can cause delays.

Optional extras include a bed extension to accommodate big square bales up to 4x4x8 ft, and an elevator extension that provides extra reach.

Flotation or traction wheel upgrades are available for tougher ground conditions, and a third bale tine on the headstock allows for more secure bale handling.

BALE BUGGY For smaller farms or those looking to feed without a tractor, the Giltrap Bale Buggy is an efficient option. It can be towed behind a road vehicle or ATV, making it

Goweil’s Bale Slicer efficiently removes plastic and netting from bales without requiring the operator to leave the tractor cab.

Equipped with eight hooks and a powerful blade, it simplifies loading into feeder and mixer wagons. It operates hydraulically from the third service valve without extra valving.

TUBE WRAPPERS Tube wrapping is becoming increasingly popular among Kiwi farmers and contractors for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Tube wrappers can reduce

easy to feed round bales while minimising pasture damage.

The Bale Buggy’s ground-driven feedout system ensures feed is proportional to the towing vehicle’s forward speed. With a 3:1 ratio, the feed chains move three times slower than the vehicle’s speed. This ensures the feed is evenly distributed, minimises wastage, and reduces the risk of animals trampling feed into the ground.

Additionally, the geared feeding chains reduce the torque load on the ground drive wheel. This is essential in wet or muddy conditions where slippage could occur.

The design allows the Bale Buggy to perform reliably in all weather and to be suitable for year-round use.

Loading bales onto the Bale Buggy is straightforward thanks to its two-speed winch system.

By reversing the buggy to the round side of the bale and attaching the two hooks to the winch strop, the operator can pull the bale onto the buggy with minimal effort.

The winch’s geared mechanism ensures precise control, while the cradle automatically tips back once the bale is loaded, securing it for transport. This user-friendly design makes it accessible to operators of all experience levels.

Built for long-term use, the Bale Buggy features a powder-coated frame and aluminium side panels, offering corrosion resistance and durability. These materials make it lightweight yet strong, allowing for easy towing. The polyethylene guard over the feed mechanism prevents feed from getting caught in the chains or drive system, reducing maintenance needs. RC

wrap usage by up to 40 percent and offer faster throughput compared to individual bale wrapping.

The Webbline Superwrap offers efficient and durable tube wrapping for round bales of silage in New Zealand. Its advanced features, including a simple hoop design and robust construction, make it a favoured choice.

Superwrap is built to withstand rough terrains and heavy workloads, so it minimises both downtime and maintenance costs.

Scannell tube wrappers are ideal for both square and round bales. Their large-diameter chain-driven wrapping ring ensures a tight seal, preventing air and moisture from compromising forage quality.

Scannell wrappers help New Zealand farmers protect their feed from the region’s unpredictable weather.

For more details on Goweil wrappers and Webbline’s range of tube wrappers call 0800 932 254, email sales@webbline. co.nz, or visit the website webbline.co.nz. RC

JOSKIN is Europe’s largest and most experienced manufacturer of quality effluent tankers and transport trailers. Investing in a JOSKIN machine guarantees you not only reliability and performance, but your future.

TOPPERS

MUCK SPREADERS

27x DEALERS NATIONWIDE FOR YOUR LOCAL SALES, SERVICE & PARTS KAITAIA Kaitaia Tractors 09 408 0670 WHANGAREI Piako Tractors Northland 09 438 1319 SILVERDALE Brandt NZ 09 427 9137 PUKEKOHE Brandt NZ 09 237 0043 MORRINSVILLE Piako Tractors 07 889 7055 MATAMATA Matamata Tractors & Machinery 07 888 6292 HAMILTON Brandt NZ 07 847 0425 CAMBRIDGE Brandt NZ 07 827 5184 ROTORUA Piako Tractors Ltd 07 345 8560 TAUPO Taupo Tractors & Machinery 07 378 4533 STRATFORD FieldTorque Taranaki 06 765 8643 HASTINGS Stevenson and Taylor 0800 4273 2273 WAIPUKURAU Stevenson and Taylor 06 858 6041 DANNEVIRKE Lancaster Tractor Services 2022 Ltd 06 374 7731 *T&C’s apply – Normal lending criteria and special conditions apply

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CONSTRUCTION TRAILERS

WHAT’S NEW...

MERLO Merlo’s Turbo Farmer (TF) 27.6EE4 and Multifarmer (MF) 34.7 CS140 deliver precise handling, durability and operator comfort.

Both telehandlers can tackle a range of agricultural and industrial tasks while minimising fuel consumption and maximising safety.

TURBO FARMER 27.6EE4 The TF 27.6EE4 combines compact design with efficiency. It has a 55.4 kW (75-hp) Kohler 2504 TCR engine that provides ample power for demanding tasks while keeping fuel consumption in check.

Full electronic management of the transmission and engine reduces rpm to optimise fuel efficiency and lower operating costs. The TF 27.6EE4 gives the operator several steering modes to work with, enhancing manoeuvrability in tight spaces.

With a maximum load capacity of 2,700 kg, a lift height of 6m, and a maximum reach of 3.4m, it manages various material handling tasks with ease.

At the core of the TF 27.6’s design is the operator’s experience. The intuitive layout groups critical information and controls in easy reach.

The cab’s 180-degree door opening, along with a large handrail, makes it easy to enter

and exit the cab.

MULTIFARMER 34.7 CS140 The MF 34.7 CS140 takes telehandler efficiency to the next level by combining traditional telehandler features with the power and flexibility of a tractor. Like the Turbo Farmer, the Multifarmer prioritises operator comfort with an ergonomic cabin layout, intuitive controls, and reverse shuttle on both the steering wheel and joystick for ease of use.

A 180-degree door opening and handrail allow operators to enter and exit the cab with minimal effort, even in challenging environments.

The air-conditioning system in the MF 34.7 CS140 mirrors that of the Turbo Farmer. It gives rapid temperature regulation and stra-

HUSTLER

SOFTHANDS LX200 “Don’t muck around. Go straight to Hustler,” says Southland dairy farmer Dwayne

54

McVeigh, who handles thousands of bales annually using Hustler Softhands LX200 bale handlers.

tegic vent placement for optimal air quality and comfort.

Thanks to its electronically managed transmission, which optimises rpm to minimise fuel demand, the MF 34.7 CS140 also delivers impressive fuel economy. Like the TF 27.6EE4, this model offers three steering modes to adapt to different working conditions.

Merlo powers the MF 34.7 CS140 with a 100 kW (136-hp) Deutz TCD3.6 engine, which delivers plenty of power for heavier tasks. Its maximum load capacity is 3400 kg, and it has a lift height of 6.85m and a maximum reach of 3.8m. At its maximum reach, it can support a load of up to 1500 kg.

Its power and capacity make the Multifarmer top choice for users requiring both telehandler

and tractor capabilities in one machine. It has a mechanical PTO and three-point linkage, at the rear so farmers and contractors can use it to do materials handling, field operations, or operate on road towing a heavy trailer.

The dual-speed PTO (540 and 1000 rpm) can be selected directly from the cab with a dedicated control on the dashboard.

The hydraulic circuit has a load sensing variable displacement pump to guarantee lower fuel consumption and it can perform up to three simultaneous movements without difficulty.

In terms of safety, the MF 34.7 CS140 has advanced features that protect operators and comply with regulations. It has anti-tipping mechanisms that do not compromise the boom’s speed and lifting performance. RC

Dwayne’s operation spans more than 2300 acres, and each day he handles bales that he either produces on his farm or purchases.

Over the years, he has tried

various brands of bale handlers, but none had the durability and strength required for the sheer volume of work his farm requires.

After cycling through three different types of handlers, Dwayne found the solution three years ago when he bought Hustler Softhands LX200 bale handlers.

“These Hustler clamps seem to be a lot stronger,” Dwayne says. “The other clamps we have all seem to crack over time, just with handling lots of bales.”

Hustler Softhands LX200 grabs can handle all sized round bales as well as big square bales from 0.9m up to 1.8m. They have a max opening width of 2.3m and a max closing width of 0.4m.

Hydraulics required to operate

FENDT

ROTANA 130 F With the Fendt combi baler range, valuable forage is turned into perfect silage for the best animal nutrition and production.

The Fendt Rotana 130 F Combi combines high bale density, secure tying, rapid ejection and wrapping and easy handling.

The Rotana’s technical innovations make all the difference when it comes to producing high quality silage.

High-density baling is achieved inside the 1.25m diameter chamber, which has 18 Power-Grip steel rollers to ensure even pressure and reliable rotation of the bale. Three ribs are in constant contact with the bale and scrapers on the rollers prevent soil accumulation.

Fendt’s Rotana 130F has an elliptical shaped bale chamber (similar to a snail shell) that ensures optimal net pick-up, bale density, bale chamber fill and bale rotation.

Its HydroFlexControl cutting floor removes more than 80 percent of blockages using a spring loaded hinge. For larger blockages, the operator can hydraulically lower the floor up to 50 cm from the cab.

Fendt Rotana balers have a knife bank with up to 25 knives.

The operator can seamlessly manage them through the operating terminal or ISOBUS.

A maintenance-free and quiet camless pick-up is key to reliable and even intake. The 5.6 mm diameter pick-up tines extend forwards 13 cm and are spaced 64 mm apart. When combined with the crop press roller, it delivers reliable and even feeding.

If you operate some of New Zealand’s undulating terrain, Fendt offers the optional Alpine pick-up, which gives 140 mm vertical travel.

Reliable tailgate closing is ensured by a mechanical lock.

The tailgate cannot move thanks to secure hook locks, which helps the Rotana produce dense, optimally formed bales.

Tractor Implement Management (TIM) is optional on the Rotana 130F Combi. TIM simplifies baling because the machine performs a number of functions fully automatically.

For example, the tractor stops automatically as soon as a bale is finished. After tying the tailgate opens and closes automatically to eject the bales.

Film-on-film wrapping is now an option on Fendt Rotana balers.

The Rapid Reload System holds three rolls of net or film and can be reloaded with either the Eco-load or Comfort-load systems. With Comfort-load, a rail allows the operator to easily slide the net or film roll into place. RC

THE NEW

them are one double acting unit with flow from 12-60 litres/min.

Dwayne’s experience illustrates the role that the right equipment can play. Before Hustler, he had to deal with dropped or damaged bales caused by faulty handlers, but with the LX200, those frustrations became a thing of the past.

With Hustler Softhands LX200 there is no damage and minimal disruptions, which has kept Dwayne’s operation running smoothly.

The LX200’s durability is a standout feature for Dwayne.

It easily handles thousands of bales annually without showing signs of strain.

For farmers dealing with high volumes of bales, Dwayne highly recommends the Contractor

model (LX200). “The Contractor ones just seem to be the better ones to go for. They are a little bit dearer, but they are a lot more reinforced,” he says.

The extra reinforcement extends the Softhands LX200’s lifespan, making it a worthwhile investment for larger farming operations.

Another reason Dwayne trusts the Hustler Softhands LX200 is its ability to securely grip bales without causing damage.

He also values LX200’s simple maintenance. There are only four grease points, all conveniently located and the hydraulic hoses are easy to access in case one gets blown.

For more information visit the Hustler Equipment website: hustlerequipment.com. RC

POWER DRIVEN 8 ROW STRIP TILL

4, 6, 8 AND 12 ROW OPTIONS AVAILABLE

POWER DRIVEN STRIP TILLAGE AT ITS BEST

Paul Linklater 021 247 4967

www.precisioncultivation.com 55

WHAT’S NEW...

MCHALE

ORBITAL WRAPPER McHale’s Orbital round bale wrapper is fast enough to keep up with multiple balers. The Orbital harnesses the proven vertical wrapping ring technology used in the McHale Fusion to deliver a low-maintenance, high-output bale wrapper.

With the vertical wrapping ring, Orbital wrappers can apply six layers of film to bales with diameters of 1m to 1.45m in less than 25 seconds.

Orbital wrappers are also fully automatic. With the Expert Plus console, the operator can adjust the number of wrap layers, bale diameter and manual or automat-

ic bale tip. The control console also records bale totals for different jobs.

The fast performance of the Orbital begins when the bale is lifted onto the wrapping platform. As the arm moves the bale onto the platform, the front roller pivots down to reduce the height the bale has to travel to the wrapping position.

This allows the bale to move smoothly and quickly into place, and the lift arm can also carry a bale while another is being wrapped, which increases output even further.

When the bale is in place, the vertical wrapping ring has two

750-mm dispensers. Together they can apply four layers of film to a 1.25m bale in 20 seconds or less, or six layers of film in less than 25 seconds.

FUSION VARIO PLUS The Fusion Vario Plus is McHale’s first variable chamber baler with the ability to secure the bale with either netwrap or film.

It also has a number of improvements that give it more capacity and faster working speeds than previous Fusion Vario combi balers.

Fusion Vario Plus has the ability to make bales of hay and straw from 0.6m to 1.68m and silage bales from 1m to 1.45m.

Both the Fusion Vario Plus and the new fixed chamber Fusion 4 Plus feature McHale’s Profi-Flo pickup. Profi-Flo improves crop flow, is more forgiving in poor swaths and ultimately increases output.

Profi-Flow pick-ups have Adaptive Intake, which reduces the chance of blockages and allows the intake to automatically adjust to the volume of the crop in the windrow.

Having the ability to secure the bale with film-on-film is a great option for contractors. Many farmers now prefer to have their silage bales made with bales secured with film, and for good reason. Studies have shown that film-on-film bales produce bet-

POWER HARROWS

TORO

FALCO

• 400 horsepower • 5m-7m working widths • Increased performance reliability and longevity.

• 110-220 horsepower • 4m-5m working widths • Robust, reliable and light-weight

LOW COST FINANCE OPTIONS AVAILABLE Find your local dealer

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0800 627 222

KRONE

EASYWRAP 150 Krone says its mounted EasyWrap 150 is the world’s fastest single-arm wrapper. It is a versatile machine that is the ideal option for farmers who produce their own supplements.

EasyWrap 150 can handle bales from 1m to 1.5m in diameter weighing up to 1600 kg. It can be mounted on a tractor’s threepoint linkage or front hydraulics, or on a telehandler.

Operators set the number of wraps and the bale size on the DS 500 terminal. Then the entire wrapping cycle – from collecting to unloading the bale – can be controlled automatically, semi-automatically or manually.

During wrapping the EasyWrap 150’s massive rollers ensure even high-density bales roll efficiently. Two massive bobbins keep the bale in place during wrapping.

per can work at speeds up to 40 rpm. An angle sensor controls the position of the arm, and a brake fixes the arm in position so it always starts out from the same position. This ensures consistent overlaps, even on slopes or when using tractors with different hydraulic systems.

COMPRIMA

Krone’s EasyWrap 165 T is easy to attach to any tractor’s lower linkage arms, and its trailed design allows it to handle today’s heavy bales.

A slim drawbar gives maximum manoeuvrability and it pivots automatically from transport to work position and vice versa.

The EasyWrap 165 T has a strong loading arm that picks up the bale and gently places it onto the wrapping table. The operator can adjust the arm to handle different sized bales without tools.

Its entire wrapping cycle can be automated. The cycle begins when the bale contacts the sensor plate on the loading unit.

The powerful twin-arm wrap-

High quality balage or hay requires more than just tightly packed bales. It is the culmination of efficiency, precision and reliability.

Krone round balers are engineered to deliver perfectly formed, high-density bales thanks to their advanced round baler technology.

The Comprima Series features the EasyFlow pickup with a V shaped 2.15m pick-up. Double tines efficiently gather the material and feed it to the feed rotor and rotor cutter without contamination. In rough terrain, the spring-loaded EasyFlow provides perfect ground contouring.

EasyFlow is camless. This gives it a simple design with fewer moving parts, less wear, and quiet running.

Comprima and Comprima Plus balers feature the NovoGrip beltand-slat elevator. It handles all types of crops including straw and hay, wilted material and wet silage. The NovoGrip system utilises high-tension, tear-resistant belts that transfer drive power to the bale to achieve extremely high-density bales.

The Krone XCut cutting system uses a 53-cm diameter feed rotor with two rows of tines. It provides reliable and consistent crop supply to the bale chamber.

ter quality silage that is easier to feed out.

When film is applied to the barrel of the bale, it can be stretched to a higher degree than netwrap.

This expels more air, a critical factor in producing better silage.

ISOBUS is standard on the Fusion Vario Plus. Customers without an ISOBUS tractor can use a McHale ISO-Play terminal.

Using all of these terminals, the operator can monitor baling and

wrapping through the graphic display.

Options with the Fusion Vario Plus are the bale weighing system and bale moisture system.

The weigh system displays each bale’s weight and calculates an average bale weight for the current job.

The bale moisture system shows the moisture values of the forage in the bale when netting begins, and it can calculate the

EASYWRAP 165 T

XCut has a maximum of 17 blades spaced 64 mm apart. It delivers a short chop length, which ensures bales can be easily broken up.

Bales are secured either with netwrap or RoundWrap net replacement film. RoundWrap film is 16 micron thick and comes in 2000m rolls. RoundWrap does not need to be pre-stretched. It forms a tight layer on the bale, so less air is likely to be trapped

in the outer layer.

Comprima wrappers can take 75-cm or 50-cm wide film, and they provide generous overlap no matter which film is used.

Krone’s CV wrapping system has an integrated non-contact sensor to detect film breakage during operation.

For more information and to find your nearest dealer, visit the website kronenewzealand. co.nz RC

average moisture content for all bales in a job.

keep the bale as close as possible to the loader carriage. This gives better control, stability and balance when dealing with even the heaviest of bales. A heavy duty ram complete with check valve ensures a consistent grip as the bale is being transported.

R5 bale hands cradle the bale without damaging the plastic.

The hands are slim in design, allowing them to slip between two closely stacked bales. RC

R5 BALE GRAB McHale’s R5 bale grab is ideal for transporting bales that have been tipped on their ends.

It can be used to collect bales after wrapping and rotate them through 90 degrees in order to stack them on their ends, so that they hold their shape better.

The R5 Handler is designed to

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WHAT’S NEW...

ORIGIN AG

PöTTINGER IMPRESS

Pöttinger’s Impress baler range is designed to give contractors and large farmers maximum versatility, performance and convenience regardless of whether they are baling silage or hay.

The Impress range includes fixed and variable chamber balers and baler-wrappers. The combi versions are the fixed chamber FC Pro, which produces bales, with a diameter of 1.25m, and the variable chamber VC Pro, which produces bales with diameters from 1.1m to 1.5m.

To wrap these high density bales Impress balers have a robust, smooth running wrapping arm. Large diameter bales can pass over the wrapping platform without any problems, as there is no upper clearance limit.

A 2.3m pickup is standard on Impress balers sold in New Zealand. The pickup has a unique floating pickup system with a centralised suspension that gives it the ability to move from side-to-side 120 mm.

Easily adjustable jockey wheels allow the pickup to follow contours over uneven ground.

An important feature of Pöttinger balers is the rotor’s Lift-Up flow technology. It directs the forage up and over the rotor into the baling chamber in a straight line, which means fewer block-

ages and lower power requirements.

Pöttinger’s patented rotor features a V-shaped tine arrangement that feeds the chamber with a wide-flow of crop. The result is a perfectly shaped bale.

The design of the Lift-Up system places the chopping system and knives above the rotor. This gives more flexibility and allows you to have a full set of 32 knives on board at all times.

It is a simple procedure to select the knife group from the side of the machine to get chop lengths as short as 36 mm.

In order to work in steeper paddocks, the Pöttinger Impress has a low centre of gravity. The wrapping table also has a compact

KUHN

RW 1810 WRAPPER Does wrapping 100 bales per hour with six layers of film seem impossible? Not with the new

58

Kuhn RW 1810 bale wrapper.

With its 30 percent faster cycle time you can keep up with the fastest balers around.

design with a low centre of gravity because the wrapping arm is driven from below.

The film pre-stretching unit works with 70 percent or with 50 percent pre-stretching. The wrapper rotates at up to 36 rpm, so it always works faster than the baler.

There are two film magazines with six film roll holders each.

Underneath there is space for one roll of binding material or two more rolls of wrapping film.

When equipped with the second roll holder for binding material, a maximum of four or six rolls of binding material and a maximum of 14 or 18 rolls of wrapping film can be carried.

Impress balers have an inte-

grated bale tipper to place the bale on its end. The flat faces of the bales are always much better protected so this protects against punctures from stubble or stones. On slopes, the bale tipper can be deactivated at the touch of a button.

Rear-mounted controls are standard on the Impress. The operator can use them to operate all of the wrapper’s functions.

They can also lower the film magazines with these controls.

An optional LED lighting package is available for all Pro models.

Pöttinger Impress balers are available from Origin Ag’s nationwide network of sales and service dealers. RC

Along with the RW’s new look come several new features. Highly visible lights and reflectors have been added for improved safety and security during wrapping. At the same time, the

extended loading arm will guarantee a quicker, gentler loading of the bale.

Large mudguards prevent damage to film during transport, and the hydraulic unit of the wrapper is now protected with a large side cover that gives excellent accessibility for maintenance. The RW 1810 can be towed sideways with wider, larger tractors without difficulty thanks to the long drawbar.

In this wrapper Kuhn combines 3D wrapping with IntelliWrap to give well-shaped, tightly sealed bales that maintain their silage quality even after long storage periods.

Kuhn’s 3D wrap distributes the total film uniformly and efficiently across the entire surface of the bale. The film is first applied

Experience Greatness deferred payments until March 2O25*

Get yours from $4,4OO per month 3 years/30,000 bale extended warranty^

*This offer is for business customers only and is available only on all new in stock manufactured 2022 and 2023 KUHN FBP3135 Combi Balers and 2023 KUHN VBP3165 Combi Balers purchased between 1 September 2024 and 31 December 2024. Any approved loans must be drawn down within the promotional period. The 5.99% p.a. interest rate offer requires a 30% deposit (based on the GST exclusive purchase price) plus the full GST component repaid in month 3 of the loan. If you defer your regular monthly loan payments to March 2025, you must still repay the full amount of the loan, together with all interest and fees. The deferred payments will be added to, and form part of, the loan balance. Repayments of that adjusted loan balance (together with payments of interest on it) will be spread over the remaining 36-month term of the loan. UDC Finance Limited lending criteria, fees, standard terms, and conditions apply to any UDC loan. Details of terms and conditions will be specified in the loan document. Fees are available on request. ^The 36 mth/30000 Bale Extended Warranty provides an enhanced protection plan that extends beyond the standard KUHN manufacturer’s warranty of 12 months/10000 bales. This extended warranty offers an additional 24 months/20000 bales of coverage (whichever comes first), ensuring protection should any unexpected issues arise. The KUHN Extended Warranty is governed by the terms and conditions that apply as part of the EPG Service Plus Protection Plan standard product warranty. There is an annual winter check & service requirement to maintain the warranty. For the avoidance of all doubt, a complete listing of the inclusions and exclusions can be found in the Master Parts Schedule Baler document.

WHAT’S NEW...

JCB

The new JCB TM 420S telescopic wheeled loader sets new industry benchmarks for performance, productivity and comfort. It boasts a powerful engine and a 50 kph, eight-speed powershift transmission with torque converter lock-up in all forward and reverse gears.

JCB has been pioneering the telehandler concept since 1977.

Since then, the JCB telehandler range has delivered the highest levels of performance and productivity.

The JCB Loadall line-up is one of the most extensive in the world. They offer competitive running costs, world-beating build quality, versatility and top residual values.

Claas Harvest Centre product manager Steve Gorman says telescopic wheeled loaders combine the power and articulated steering of wheeled loaders with

the manoeuvrability and telescopic reach of a telehandler.

Telescopic wheeled loaders combine the power and articulated steering of wheeled loaders with the manoeuvrability and telescopic reach of a telehandler.

“TM telescopic loaders are already highly regarded by farmers and agricultural contractors for their versatility in restricted spaces and this new series sets the bar even higher,” Steve says.

“Fitted with a huge range of attachments, they can perform a range of tasks, including silage rolling, hay stacking, lifting potato boxes, loading bulk seed and fertiliser bags, and feeding.”

The TM 420S is powered by a 4.8-litre JCB 448 DieselMax engine that delivers lively performance and silage clamp climbing ability. It delivers a maximum output of 173 hp and 690 Nm of torque and it has an

impressive power-to-weight ratio of about 17 hp/tonne.

“Its engine meets EU Stage 5 emissions standards via a clever single-canister DPF/SCR system,” Steve says. “The engine meets this standard largely thanks to its inherent efficiency, which also makes a significant contribution to fuel economy.”

This is further enhanced by the ‘autostop’ feature that shuts down the engine after a pre-determined period at idling speed.

JCB’s new 50 kph eight-speed Powershift transmission is based on its proven six-speed unit but has two extra forward gears for optimum traction in all conditions and smooth progression through the ratios.

Its high-speed gearing allows rapid yard-to-field and farm-tofarm travel and a quieter and more economical 40 kph cruise at low engine speed.

A torque converter lock-up in every gear (including the four reverse speeds) ensures

where it is most needed, around the corners of the bale. Then the film is wrapped very tightly around the bale to exclude more air.

After finishing the 3D wrapping cycle, conventional wrapping covers the remaining bale surface with stretch film. IntelliWrap gives full wrapping flexibility by allowing you to control the num-

ber of film layers to match your local circumstances, crop conditions, and storage periods.

Life for the operator of the Kuhn RW 1910 wrapper is comfortable thanks to 100 percent automatic loading, wrapping and unloading. They do not even have to press a button.

With AutoLoad you can concentrate fully on driving, for a

more ergonomic and stress-free working environment during a long working day. It increases the overall capacity and efficiency of your wrapping operation.

In addition, AutoSwitch quickly switches the wrapper from transport to field mode. The machine folds and unfolds at the touch of a button, which is ideal when contractors or farmers have to

TM 420S

60

optimum performance during repeated forwards-and-backwards work or when travelling on the road, especially when tackling hills or towing.

Operators can use the transmission manually with the joystick buttons or via an automatic power-shift for gears five to eight.

“In auto mode, the transmission responds to light use of the accelerator pedal by shifting up and down at a relatively steady engine speed for optimum fuel economy,” Steve says.

“More aggressive use of the pedal results in delayed up-shifts to exploit the full power and torque available at higher revs for maximum acceleration and productivity.”

A heavy duty chassis, 10-stud axles, 660 mm diameter tyres, limited slip differentials and disc brakes in both axles and an electric parking brake completes the package.

JCB’s TM420 delivers a maximum lift of 4.1 tonnes and maximum reach of 5.45m.

Twin hydraulic piston pumps deliver an on-demand flow rate of up to 160 litres/min using only modest engine power. Regenerative hydraulics exploit the weight of the boom to bring it down faster but still under safe control.

A new Command Plus cab features a one-piece windscreen that sweeps up and over the operator’s head. There is 13 percent more forward visibility while overhead visibility is 52 percent greater for easier stacking.

JCB TM420s can be equipped with the Pro Edition specification. This adds the JCB Smoothride boom suspension, transmission belly guard and a variable-speed reversing engine coolant fan to the package. RC

work across several fields.

The Kuhn RW 1810 is controlled by the new Kuhn VT 30 control box which gives full command of wrapping. With Process View software, the operator can see the status of wrapping and can pause and restart at any time.

Curious about the new RW 1810 wrapper? Check out kuhn. com. RC

YOUR SOIL IS YOUR BEST ASSET, LOOK AFTER IT

KVERNELAND PLOUGHS

KVERNELAND QUALIDISC

COMPACT DISC HARROW

• 2-8 furrows • Robust and reliable construction • Variomat Vari-width® system for furrow width adjustments that save fuel and time as standard

• Compact and sturdy • Perfect cutting angle • Good penetration • Simple adjustment • Maintenance-free bearings • Long lasting discs

0%* INTEREST

36 MONTHS | 30% DEPOSIT ON SELECTED CULTIVATION EQUIPMENT

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SEED DRILL COMBINATION

Find your local dealer

0800 627 222

*Terms, conditions and normal lending criteria applies. Monthly payments over 36 months. GST paid month three. While stocks last. Limited time offer.

Front & rear tyre packers present a uniform seed bed

Seed & Seed & fertiliser options

CD coulter ensures consistent seed depth for greater germination

3m, 4m & 6m models

WHAT’S NEW...

what’s new in....

HAY AND SILAGE CONSUMABLES

FARMERS RELY ON INTEGRATED PACKAGING SUPPLEMENTAL FEED FOR THEIR HERDS SILAWRAP because of pressures on supTO ACHIEVE PEAK Integrated Packing is Austral- ply chains. Therefore suppliers asia’s leading manufacturer of had to re-evaluate their stockPERFORMANCE. agricultural silage film and a spe- ing strategies to manage supply CONTRACTORS cialist distributor of high quality risks. packaging products under “Through our local manufacWHO FOLLOW BEST crop the SilaWrap and SilaNet product turing capabilities and single PRACTICE AND range in New Zealand. managed short supply chain, USE THE LATEST Integrated Packaging was the Integrated Packaging successfulfirst manufacturer in the world to ly provided the support and serTECHNOLOGY stretch wrap silage bales, and it vice its customers heavily relied CAN MEET THEIR designed and patented the first on through this difficult period,” wrapper in 1984.

Glen says.

CUSTOMERS’ bale “Rising operating costs and a Today, the company continues DEMAND FOR HIGH to challenge itself to develop dynamic primary market continQUALITY SILAGE products for the market place, ue to be key discussion points always looking to improve and with customers as we approach AND HAY. HERE ARE innovate. It is proud to provide the season. Integrated Packaging SOME OF THE LATEST New Zealand-made silage wrap TWINES, NETWRAPS, for New Zealand farms.

In 2021 Integrated Packaging BALE FILMS, PIT upgraded the silage production COVERS AND line at its Auckland-based manplant. This has given INOCULANTS TO HELP ufacturing it increased capacity, more effiYOU PRODUCE TOP ciency and improved quality.

QUALITY FORAGE. Integrated Packaging sales manager Glen Kolose says during the Covid years silage wrap supply was severely impacted

62

has made improvements to mitigate cost pressures in the market whilst considering the changing environments we operate in.

“As a manufacturer and supplier of these products, we are taking an active role in the New Zealand government’s Stakeholders and Stewardship Group. Over the last few years we have been working through internal projects around recycling used agricultural plastics that we supply.”

Integrated Packaging has a dedicated agricultural team that provides coverage across all regions of New Zealand.

For further information, contact Glen Kolose or Integrated Packaging on 09 274 4499. RC

AGPAC IS LEADING THE WAY IN

SUSTAINABILITY 30% RECYCLED CONTENT

AGPAC NEW ZEALAND Agpac has cemented its position at the forefront of New Zealand’s hay and silage consumables sector. It offers only the highest quality products to meet the evolving needs of modern contractors.

With a product portfolio of industry-leading brands, Agpac is dedicated to delivering solutions that ensure superior performance and reliability in the field.

By partnering with global innovators and maintaining a strong focus on technical excellence, Agpac continues to support contractors across the country with unmatched service and proven results, making them the provider of choice for hay and silage consumables.

In 2024, Agpac proudly marks a decade since the introduction of the iconic pink silage film to New Zealand, which supports the Sweet Louise charity. This milestone highlights Agpac’s ongoing commitment to community causes while providing innovative baling products.

In collaboration with Trio World, Agpac leads the market with Trio Wrap Plus, which is available in pink and blue to support charitable initiatives globally.

Trio Wrap Plus offers high performance, with lengths ranging from 1900m to 2600m, which makes it the longest running silage wrap on the market.

Agpac’s commitment to sustainability is exemplified through its range of environmentally focused products. This includes the TrioLoop stretch film, a pio-

neering post-consumer recycled (PCR) silage wrap, and Silotite Sustane, also made with 30 percent PCR material.

Despite its eco-friendly composition, Sustane maintains the premium quality and durability that contractors have trusted for over 40 years from the Silotite brand. As the exclusive Oceania distributor of Silotite for the past 23 years, Agpac remains a trusted leader in the industry.

With imitation products attempting to mirror Silotite’s superior properties, Agpac stands by one truth – if it’s not called Silotite, it’s not Silotite.

Agpacs’s support for the Plasback recycling initiative further reinforces its dedication to sustainability and helping reducing the agricultural industry’s environmental impact across New Zealand’s agricultural industry.

Agpac remains committed to delivering only the highest quality stretch films, ensuring that New Zealand farmers continue to benefit from trusted products backed by decades of expertise. RC

Made from 30% recycled content

25 Micron (um)

70% stretch, guaranteeing airtight bales

UV radiation protection for all climates.

SUPPORTED PRODUCT 63

WHAT’S NEW...

GREVILLIA AG It is 25 years since Charles Borthwick established Grevillia Ag NZ Ltd in 1999. Over that time the company has built a track record of supplying innovative and high quality products to the silage industry.

By maintaining a focus on silage contracting and providing better solutions for their clients, Grevillia Ag has grown from a one-man band to a significant player in the New Zealand and Australian markets.

Being locally owned and operated gives Grevillia Ag insights into the needs of the market so they can adapt to the requirements of local silage contractors and farmers.

With four technical sales managers located throughout New Zealand, Grevillia is well placed to provided expert and professional advice to help contractors and farmers throughout the country.

Grevillia Ag was established specifically to promote a new concept in ‘fresh culture’ silage inoculant. It soon added high quality silage sheeting and

stretch films that enhanced the silage making process.

The speed at which the pH is reduced during silage making is paramount. The use of double layer covers helps keep air out and allows beneficial bacteria to do their job and quickly reduce the pH and get the crop ensiled.

This year Grevillia will trial a new seven-layer oxygen barrier cover to assess its suitability for the New Zealand market. This will be an alternative to the innovative Twista cover which combines two separate sheets in one easily unfolded cover, making it much simpler and quicker to apply.

UNDTERLAND R FILM R Film contains a minimum of 30 percent recycled agricultural plastic. Grevillia has trialled it for two years and it will be a big focus in its drive for sustainability.

Charles says R Film minimises the use of both plastic and energy without compromising quality or performance.

“It has proved to be very

strong, durable and user friendly. R-Film is a great way to help the environment and the best part is that it is no more expensive than our normal films.

“We are also contributing to lower plastic use through our high-performance sheeting products, like our Twista double covers, which offer up to three times the strength with 25 percent less plastic.”

SI-LAC One of the best ways to minimise your environmental footprint is to get the best value from the crop you are trying to preserve. By using Grevillia’s Si-Lac fresh culture bacteria you deliver up to 10 times more ensiling bacteria than a standard inoculant.

This considerably lowers the cost of making silage in terms of dollars per kg of dry matter.

“While the dairy and livestock industries look forward to better commodity returns it is imperative to make the most of what you produce. Following good silage making practices and using innovative products will help to achieve this,” Charles says.

MEGAFIX TWINE Over the last two years Grevillia Ag has successfully trialled a new range of baler twines that provides better technical characteristics and higher levels of field performance than previously possible.

It can achieve stronger knots with less elongation using new

LET’S TALK PROMO

knot fixation technology. This delivers higher bale densities, faster working speeds and better profitability.

Combined with larger spool sizes of up to 15 kg this new Megafix range of twines is an exciting addition to Grevillia Ag’s range for the coming season. These twines have been performing extremely well under New Zealand conditions and offer a competitive alternative to traditional twine.

“With another challenging season in the offing the time is right to avail yourself of the latest and greatest that technology has to offer. We wish you all the best for the season and we welcome your enquiry,” Charles says. RC

BLUEPRINT more than ink on paper.

From branded apparel to print and promotional items, if it needs your name on it, we’ll make it look great.

Contact Julie on 021 812 855 or julie@blueprintmedia.co.nz |

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BLUEPRINTMEDIA .CO.NZ

DONAGHY’S CROP Donaghy’s Crop has been New Zealand’s long standing supplier of hay and silage consumables for more than 148 years.

They source high quality materials from across Europe to ensure New Zealand farmers and contractors have a reliable product they can trust backed by service and advice from their team of representatives across the country. Donaghy’s team bring a combined total of more than 80 years of agricultural experience to the field.

REKORD TWINE Donaghy’s Crop proudly brings Rekord twine to New Zealand.

Rekord is a premium product from the Italian brand Novatex.

Designed for high-density baling operations, Rekord twine stands out for its exceptional strength and durability. It is a recyclable twine that offers one of the longest spools on the market, to reduce downtime and increase efficiency.

With its very high tensile strength, Rekord twine allows contractors to push bales to the highest possible density settings, ensuring maximum productivity and performance in the field.

SUPERSIL STRETCH FILM Supersil silage film is setting new standards in bale wrapping.

Manufactured in Europe, this premium product is one of the quietest stretch films available, which makes handling smoother and more efficient.

Beyond its sound performance, Supersil boasts superior manufacturing quality and extreme oxygen barrier properties. These features ensure tighter, more secure bales, which ultimately enhance silage preservation.

The use of premium silage covers is not just about preventing spoilage; it’s about protecting your investment.

Contractors looking for a film that offers both strength and ease of use will find Supersil an outstanding choice.

OXYGEN BARRIER COVERS For bulk pit silage, Donaghy’s Crop offers industry-leading oxygen barrier covers. These covers support the fermentation process and help create high-quality silage by minimising oxygen exposure.

By preventing air infiltration, Donaghy’s oxygen barrier covers optimize the fermentation process, leading to better nutrient retention and enhanced feed quality.

Manufactured with advanced multi-layer technology, these covers are durable, tear-resistant, and capable of withstanding New Zealand’s varying weather conditions.

The flexibility and strength of Donaghy’s pit covers make them ideal for covering large silage pits, sealing them tightly, and maintaining the essential anaerobic environment throughout the entire fermentation period.

As a long-time leader in silage covers, Donaghy’s Crop continues to deliver solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern farming operations. RC

Donaghy’s Crop premium silage covers provide the best defence, ensuring that your silage remains nutrient-rich and spoil-free, offering peace of mind that your livestock are receiving the best possible feed.

Contact your local Donaghys rep to place your orders for the coming season.

0800 33 44 64 donaghyscrop.co.nz

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WHAT’S NEW...

INDEPENDENT WRAP

XL7 BALE WRAP A new product last year, XL7 fills a spot in Independent Wrap’s bale wrap offering. Manufactured in France by Barbier, XL7 is a khaki-coloured, seven-layer, 1650m roll, with a thickness of 22 microns and has good puncture resistance.

Manufactured on the latest technology extrusion lines, XL7 holds its own when compared to most 25-micron films, but it offers the advantage of an extra 10 percent length. Longer rolls mean fewer rolls are needed each day, and fewer roll changes gives more time baling.

XL7 delivered in extensive trials in NZ last season and is now widely available for the coming 2024 season.

ELITE BALE WRAP Coming in 2024, Elite is the product of a close working relationship with Independent Wrap’s long-standing bale wrap manufacturer, Barbier. Both companies have adopted a continual-improvement mindset to come up with Elite, which is a

next-generation, longer-length, thinner micron bale wrap.

At 1900m long and 21 microns thick, this seven-layer silage film has gone through a major overhaul to ensure it remains a top-performing bale wrap that offers more bales per roll, without sacrificing performance.

Mechanical properties (such as puncture resistance) have been improved, so there is less susceptibility to holes from stalky crops or handling. Tack and cling properties have also been improved, so there are fewer tails, tidier stacks and bale wrap stays where it is most valuable – on the bale.

Landing later in 2024, Elite will be available in green and white, and boxed or no box options.

NEXT GOLD TWINE Recently, Independent Wrap has commenced importation of a new brand of baling twines suitable for the New Zealand market.

The Next range of twines is manufactured at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that provides unparalleled consistency and performance.

These twines are produced with less than a quarter of the permitted variation in product that EU standards demand.

Next Gold is targeted at the high density baler market. It has put in a strong performance in New Zealand in both single- and

double-knotter balers.

With a knot strength of close to 300 kg, and spool lengths of 1200m, Next Gold is ready to take baling performance to the next level. It delivers superior knot performance, smooth running and economical cost-per-

designed for New Zealand farming North Island: TRC Tractors Ph 06 323 0309 tractors@trctractors.co.nz South Island: Ikon Machinery Ph 027 225 4566 info@ikonmac.nz

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BIOSTART Talking to successful contractors across New Zealand gives insight into what good practice looks like on the ground.

Simon, Andrew, James and Mathew Botting are the brothers behind Botting Bros. Ltd, based in Balclutha. They put their contracting success down to ‘getting it right’.

For the Botting Bros, getting it right means producing good quality forage and giving the right advice at the right time.

This has led to a loyal customer base. Many of their customers have been with them since they started out in 1985.

After they tried a range of forage inoculants, a decade ago they changed over to BioStart’s forage preservatives, initially for its convenience and good pricing. “It is straight forward. Just tip it in and go, and it does its job,” Simon says.

Since then, the Botting brothers have seen that with SilageKing and when they chop crops in marginal conditions, the forage has still turned out well. They say when they use SilageKing for the first time, clients notice the quality of the silage in the pit is better.

“Now we use SilageKing with all our clients. Basically the product pays for itself as you use it,” says Simon.

The team at Colton Bros Ltd in the Wairarapa agree. They use BioStart’s SilageKing liquid for their silage preservation because there is so little wastage, and it is easy to store.

Colton Bros manager Rob Gawith says, the price is good and they can keep using it after the pack is opened, so nothing goes to waste. Another handy feature is they can read the amount of SilageKing they need to apply on their in-cab monitor.

“We use 90-100 ml per bale so the amount used accurately tells him what to bill the customer for.

And there is no blockages in the applicators,” Rob says.

Colton Bros’ goal is to keep the business steady and solid, to employ local people and be part of their supportive community. When it comes to forage, they have invested in some big machinery and work at a cracking pace through the season.

Ross Flexman owns and runs Lifestyle and Farm Contracting Ltd in Rotorua, a relatively new business that is rapidly expanding. Ross is a member of Rural Contractors NZ. He provides a high-quality service that makes top quality forage and has a reputation for leaving paddocks clean.

He puts his growing client base down to his company’s organisation and communication.

He chose HayKing and SilageKing as his hay preservatives because “the set up was more affordable than other inoculant-based products and because BioStart offers two very good products that are simple to use.

“I wanted to give my customers an assurance. They pay good money to have their bales made

and we wanted them to have the best.”

Ross says with BioStart forage preservatives he can bale earlier in the mornings and later in the evenings “It also works well in difficult situations. The season we had the year before last was so wet it was hard to get forage wilted enough before bailing. Bales made with SilageKing were still outstanding, with not a hint of mould or contamination.”

BioStart CEO Jerome Demmer says making life better and easier for farmers and contractors is a big part of BioStart’s ethos.

“Farmers have a lot on their plate, so our products must be easy to use and consistently deliver high quality forage. That means

maintaining the metabolizable energy in the fodder crop, so that it can feed the maximum number of livestock,” Jerome says.

BioStart’s forage preservatives sales manager Wayne Robinson says SilageKing is easy to use.

“One of the things customers like about BioStart forage preservatives is that they can take a break for a couple of days without throwing away the rest of the product. That means no wastage and you can also work out the amount of forage you have made from your in-cab monitor.

“On top of that, because there are no live bacteria in our preservatives, they are stable at room temperature, can be easily stored and used straight from the drum.” RC

bale. Next Gold is rust-coloured and comes on pallets of 42 twinpacks The Next range of twines was developed in conjunction with baler engineers from CNH, the manufacturers of Case IH and New Holland large square balers.

silage will retain more nutrients, lose less dry matter and have better aerobic stability. Much of this benefit cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can be determined by forage testing.

Independent Wrap now offers two new products – Forage-Mate AP, an all-purpose microbial inoculant, and Forage-Mate BP, a Lactobacillus buchneri-based inoculant that promotes frontend fermentation assistance and aerobic stability during feed-out.

Global agricultural technology company Cargill manufactures Forage-Mate silage inocul-

ants in the US. Forage-Mate AP has three strands of lactic acid producing bacteria. They are at their most active at different pH levels, so as one tails off, another strain kicks in to maintain pH drop and fermentation speed, minimising dry matter losses.

Tests of Forage-Mate AP in New Zealand last season showed that it did exactly what it needed to. It lowered the pH and reduced the activity of yeasts and moulds much faster than leaving silage untreated.

This improved preservation

speed and decreased nutrient loss. Retaining feed value equates directly to more milk in the vat or higher carcass weights when compared to untreated silage.

When Forage-Mate inoculants are mixed, the solution turns bright blue. This makes it easy to check tank levels and the flow of the product through applicator tubing. It is also useful to identify any leftover solution that may be stored once mixed.

For further information, visit the website independentwrap. co.nz. RC

FORAGE-MATE INOCULANTS A good silage inoculant speeds up and improves the fermentation of grass, wholecrop or maize so this is not left up to less efficient wild yeasts and bacteria. With an effective inoculant,

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WHAT’S NEW...

KRONE

EXCELLENT CROP PACKAGING

EXCELLENT NETWRAP

Excellent Silage Film has been specially developed for Krone combination balers and wrappers. It is a five-layer blown film that gives maximum mechanical strength, reliability and ease of use.

Krone Excellent silage film has exceptional wrapping qualities and it is extremely tear and puncture resistant. It is easy to prestretch the film up to 70 percent, which results in more bales per roll.

It maintains excellent tack characteristics in all temperatures and it has high UV-stability. It gives guaranteed protection from weathering for at least one year, which means there is no loss of forage quality when balage bales are stored outdoors.

Superior reliability and easy use are other benefits of Krone Excellent film. It is specifically developed for Krone combination balers and wrappers and it is optimised to the Krone system.

Krone Excellent netwrap has been developed for Krone round balers. It gives optimum bale coverage and edge-to-edge technology.

All Krone Excellent netwraps use weft threads with ample reserve length. Krone Excellent Edge X-tra and Krone Excellent StrongEdge provide excellent coverage from edge to edge and help make perfectly shaped round bales.

Notable features of Excellent Netwrap are: • High tear resistance and Krone anti laddering warranty.

• Excellent unrolling and guaranteed length.

• Easy handling when inserting net thanks to left/right markings.

• End marking over the last 70m.

• Optimum locking of the net ends.

• Great UV and weather stability.

• Superior reliability and easy use.

PROAG Proag understands that contractors and farmers value reliability and consistency, so it has built a business that offers a hassle-free experience.

With crop packaging warehouses in Feilding, Ashburton, Dunedin and Gore, they can provide quick and efficient delivery throughout New Zealand.

BIOCORD Agricultural technology is constantly evolving, and Proag is proud to unveil the latest addition to its twine line up – Biocord. This groundbreaking twine has self-destructing technology, which helps address the pressing issue of fugitive plastics in farming.

For every 10,000 bales produced, 20-30 kg of twine ends and off cuts end up in paddocks.

These remnants, known as fugitive plastics, pose a significant threat to soil health and crop quality.

Over time, they can accumulate and cause higher machinery 68

maintenance costs. Ultimately they break down into microplastics that harm the ecosystem.

Enter Biocord, a new generation polypropylene twine that combats this issue head-on. Biocord combines the strength and functionality of traditional twine with innovative biodegradation technology.

While every effort should still be taken to recycle twine and stop it entering the environment, Biocord offers a sustainable solution to the fugitive plastics problem.

What sets Biocord apart is its ability to biodegrade in an openair environment where heat, UV, oxygen and moisture is present.

During its service life it performs just like standard polypropylene twine. It has the same strength, spool length, and baler performance you are accustomed to without requiring any extra machine setup.

Once the twine has fulfilled its purpose, it undergoes a unique bio-transformation process over the course of a couple of years.

EXCELLENT TWINE Krone Excellent twine has been developed specifically to meet the technical requirements of all the Krone Big Pack Balers. Krone’s baler twine range caters for all applications from light horticultural right up to high-density and most extreme highest density situations.

It gives superior knot strengths up to 340 kilogram-force and it has high tear resistance. It gives tighter knots thanks to optimum fibrilling.

Instead of lingering as harmful microplastics, Biocord breaks down into a bioavailable wax that bacteria and fungi in the soil can digest and convert back into natural elements. This means a full return to nature with no microplastics left behind.

Biocord not only meets the demands of modern farming, it also aligns with the agricultural sector’s growing emphasis on sustainability. By choosing Biocord, you can reduce your environmental footprint while maintaining the high performance you expect from a Proag twine.

If you want to learn more about

Excellent twine is not toxic and is environmentally friendly. It has high resistance to UV and weather exposure.

Krone’s supplier has designed Excellent twine to deliver an optimum performance and it is easy to use. It comes on long reels, which boosts efficiency.

For total peace of mind insist on Krone Excellent silage film, netwrap and twine. Contact your nearest Krone dealer today or visit the website kronenewzealand.co.nz. RC

Biocord, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Proag team. Embrace the future of sustainable twine.

SUNFILM PLATINUM Are you tired of dealing with unreliable bale wraps that force you to get out of the tractor during baling? Look no further. Proag

THE EARLY ORDER PROGRAM IS OPEN NOW.

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• Finance from 1.99%

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• 30% deposit

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• 54-month payment term over 5 annual payments

Drive your business forward with the Fendt IDEAL combine, offering cutting-edge technology, effortless operation with IDEALDrive, and superior power and productivity for all your harvesting needs. *Offer ends December 31, 2024, while stocks last and for machines installed by 31/12/2025. Finance with an interest rate of 1.99% p.a. available over a 54-month term with five annual payments, the first payable six months after settlement. Finance available on a Hire Purchase agreement based on a minimum 30% cash deposit and the GST component repaid in the fourth month. Fees and lending conditions apply to approved GST number holders who use the equipment for business purposes. Finance is approved by AGCO Finance Limited, GST number 88-831-861. Contact your local Fendt dealer for full terms and conditions.

Leaders drive Fendt. fendt.com/au fendt.com | Fendt Fendt ist is eine a worldwide weltweite brand Marke von of AGCO. AGCO.

WHAT’S NEW...

JOHN DEERE

COVEREDGE Farmers and hay contractors are well aware that one badly wrapped bale can spoil the whole stack, and if that one bale is multiplied by hundreds it jeopardises an entire season of stock feed.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand director of aftermarket support Steph Gersekowski says quality is king when considering the right wrapping for hay.

“Our crop packaging products have been developed using the baling knowledge of world leaders. They are fast to load, easy to use and designed for a long service life with minimal impact on the environment,” Steph says.

“Hay and silage insures farmers against hard times and provides extra feed when conditions are good. We know that quality wrapping provides peace of mind that the bales are protected for the long term.

“We have some contractors in Taranaki who have used CoverEdge in their John Deere balers for more than 10 years and say it helps them save time and money, and reduce waste.”

Designed for use in John Deere balers, its wrapping products weatherproof bales, ensure fast re-load of rolls in the field, and reduce downtime by giving contractors the ability to wrap more bales per roll, at less cost per bale.

The smooth sides of CoverEdge netwrap hold the crop tight to the bale surface. This protects it from moisture and makes a better-looking bale that transports well, stores easily, and

retains maximum crop quality.

While many conventional netwraps claim to cover the full width of the bale, CoverEdge has elasticated edge threads. They stretch over the sides to eliminate bale shoulders and cover 15 percent more surface area on a round bale.

“We have an Australian customer who bought a new John Deere baler but chose to trial a competitor’s bale wrap because it was cheaper. It was a disaster, with bales exploding and net rolling up all during a dry season when people were really relying on getting that hay into the shed,” Steph says.

“They recently advised us that they lost a couple of contracting jobs as a result. They decided to go back to CoverEdge and they say they haven’t had a problem since.”

Consistent performance and a trouble-free baling experience is

also a hallmark of XtraNet, which also offers up to 40 percent less plastic waste. XtraNet requires less downtime for roll changes and baler setup, which boosts output. Contractors can choose the roll length that suits them from a range of options.

John Deere has focused on decreasing its environmental impact and now has the lowest amount of plastic use per bale in the market, Steph says.

“Our longer spools minimise the plastic waste by up to 25 percent, and there is zero plastic waste in production processes.”

Efficiency is increased through the John Deere Zebra system, where a wide stripe helps operators load net rolls into the baler correctly. It indicates which direction to unroll the net off the bale.

A red stripe appears in the middle of the bale when there is enough net left to wrap five or

six more. This ensures plenty of time to plan the next change.

John Deere’s XtraFilm Stretchwrap is a multi-layer, co-extruded film that ensures a powerful airtight seal, with exceptional strength and superior resistance to punctures and tears. Strong UV inhibitors reduce the degradation of bales caused by sunlight.

“These quality factors and the longevity of the products, combined with the expert support of your John Deere dealer, is why it makes sense to always choose genuine John Deere crop packaging products,” Steph says.

“They are more accessible than ever from our network of dealers across New Zealand. We encourage customers to find out more about the range of products to suit their business, so they can wrap up baling work in a hurry.” RC

has the solution you have been waiting for.

This year, Proag proudly launches Sunfilm Platinum wrap, a specialised Berry Global product designed for professionals who demand hassle-free wrapping every time.

Creating a dependable wrap involves striking the perfect balance. Sunfilm Platinum is a seven-layer, 23-micron film that is made using blown extrusion technology. It has an optimal levels of tack, strength, elastici-

ty and tear resistance.

It also has patented Pro technology. Pro technology creates a more compact film, which increases its tensile strength and decreases its oxygen transmission rate. The result is a film with an enhanced oxygen barrier and superior sealing properties.

Designed with productivity in mind, Sunfilm Platinum comes in 1800m rolls. This means fewer roll changes and reduced labour costs because operators spend less time out of the tractor.

With a roll length significantly greater than standard options, you can expect to make more bales between stops and to keep your operation running smoothly and efficiently.

Proag is committed to improving productivity for contractors who wrap large numbers of bales. Extended roll lengths cut the cost of plastic per bale and minimise downtime. This allows you to focus on what really matters – getting the job done.

For further convenience, Sun-

film Platinum rolls are packed in easy-to-open, recyclable sleeve packaging. This protects the rolls, reduces packaging waste, and cuts storage and transport costs.

With Proag’s Sunfilm Platinum wrap, you can say goodbye to unreliable wraps and hello to efficient, effective baling. Elevate your bale wrapping and experience the difference that a reliable product can make. Your customers and your bottom line will thank you. RC

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WHAT’S NEW...

NUTRITECH

MAGNIVA CLASSIC Manawatu dairy farmer James Anderson says since he has starting using an inoculant on his pasture silage, it just looks better, smells better and feeds better.

Five years ago, James never treated his grass silage with anything. “I always treated my maize, but never my grass” he says.

In recent years, however, he decided there was an opportunity to get more milk from his grass silage.

Grass silage forms a significant part of the diet for the Anderson’s 1200 cows. With split-calving they rely on both grass and maize silage for winter milking as well as summer feed.

“With 165 ha of grass and 105 ha of maize to come in this 2024 season, every gain in quality we make to our silage programme starts to add up,” James says.

“Last season’s grass was really wet when it came in, around 25 percent dry matter. It was a challenging season for drying down grass. Despite this, the silage treated with Nutritech’s new

Magniva Classic inoculant tested really well.

“I think it saved it to be honest.

To hit a pH of 3.7 on that kind of grass was very surprising. And the cows have loved it, which is the most important thing. I’ll keep inoculating our pasture silage every year now because it works.”

Nutritech ruminant nutritionist and silage specialist Nadine Olsen says James’ 600 tonne DM stack of grass is worth more than $700,000 in milk.

“When you put it into those kinds of numbers, it makes the cost of inoculating and sealing very small in comparison,” Nadine says.

“We know that on Magniva Classic there is a return on investment of at least 7:1. That ROI could be even higher for farmers like the Andersons, who use that pasture silage to capture a winter milk premium.

“When there is that much milk potential sitting in a stack, reducing silage losses becomes the number one priority,” she says.

James very much sees the

silage process as a team effort.

He speaks highly of the work of their contractor, Guthries Contracting.

“The stacks they make here have been awesome,” he says.

“They are easy to work with and understand the importance of silage quality for our farming business.

“We know that we need our

pasture and silage base to be as high quality as it can be. Our supplement is just the icing on the cake. Everything must work together to get the best outcome,” James concludes.

To find out more about Nutritech’s silage product range and technical support, get in touch with your local Nutritech area manager. RC

FACTORY DEMONSTRATOR PRICE

$175,000

ex gst

CHAMBER IMPRESS 3130 PRO FIXED 2 year warranty*

FACTORY DEMONSTRATOR PRICE

$195,000

IMPRESSIVE PRICING on our ex-demo balers 27x DEALERS NATIONWIDE. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALER, VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Finance: Normal lending criteria & T&C’s apply. Warranty: T&C’s apply. *All prices exclude GST as stated.

72

ex gst

CHAMBER IMPRESS 3160 PRO VARIABLE 2 year warranty*

PIONEER When it comes to silage inoculants not all products are created equal, so using a quality Pioneer inoculant this season will ensure you get the best out of your silage.

Silage inoculants ensure the retention of nutrients when pasture or forage crops are harvested, and therefore a better product for your animals.

With the ever-increasing variability of our seasons – whether that is prolonged dry periods or continuous days of high rainfall – silage plays an important role in feeding animals.

Most of the hard work has already been done in terms of growing and harvesting the crop, so it makes sense to invest in a high-quality inoculant to complete the silage making process. It is especially important to choose an inoculant that is backed by animal performance data showing the increase in milk or meat your animals can produce.

Due to the losses that occur during fermentation, silage always has slightly lower quality than the crop that was ensiled.

The amount of drymatter, nutrients and feed energy that ends up in the silage stack is largely determined by the speed and quality of fermentation.

And the speed and quality of the fermentation is influenced by the number and type of fermentation bacteria that are present.

Pioneer inoculants provide large numbers of the most efficient bacteria strains. They outcompete the naturally occurring bacteria and dominate the fermentation reducing losses and maximising silage quality.

Pioneer offers silage inoculants suitable for each and every crop or pasture so that contractors and farmers can get the best out of their silage.

digestibility so animals can get more nutrients from silage.*

PIONEER 1127 INOCULANT Pioneer 1127 is a pasture-specific inoculant that provides an excellent return on investment.

Independent research results show that, when used on pasture silage, 1127 improves drymatter recovery by more than 2.9 percent.* It also shows improved silage quality because fermentation is more efficient and it gives an average 33 percent reduction in ammonia nitrogen breakdown.

This means a higher proportion of the protein in the silage stays in a form that animals can use more efficiently.

Animal performance trials have demonstrated an extra 30 litres of milk or 81 gm higher average daily beef liveweight gain per wet tonne of 1127 treated pasture silage ensiled, compared with untreated silage.*

PIONEER 11H50 INOCULANT Pioneer 11H50 is a silage inoculant for lucerne that contains bacteria specifically selected to best use plant-available sugars.

It maximises fermentation quality, silage digestibility and animal performance.

In a trial conducted at the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Research Centre at Lethbridge, lucerne silage inoculated with 11H50 fed to lambs had higher drymatter digestibility than untreated lucerne silage.

PIONEER 11C33RR RAPID REACT Pioneer 11C33 Rapid React is a maize silage inoculant with next generation L.buchneri bacteria.

It reduces heating and improves silage quality. Rapid React aerobic stability technology reduces heating and produces stable feed in seven days.* A New Zealand trial in 2022 looked at the time it took maize silage treated with Pioneer 11C33 to heat and its DM loss compared to an untreated control. The treated silage lasted an extra 97 hours before heating and had 6.3 percent less DM loss compared with the untreated control.* Using an inoculant this season

is an investment. So be sure to ask for information on both fermentation and aerobic stability as well as animal performance data.

Don’t just rely on overseas data as our growing environment and ambient temperatures and humidity is different than that of other countries. Therefore, you need to be sure the inoculant you purchase will work here in our New Zealand conditions.

For more information and to find the best inoculant for you, visit the website pioneer.co.nz or speak to your local area manager. RC *The trial data on which these figures are based is available on request.

PIONEER 1174 INOCULANT Pioneer 1174 is a lower cost multi-crop inoculant that improves silage quality and reduces losses (including shrinkage) as silage is made.

Using 1174 increases drymatter recovery by an average of 2.1 percent and improves fibre 73

WHAT’S NEW...

WEBBLINE Webbline offers an extensive range of high-quality crop packaging consumables designed to offer the very best protection of silage and balage.

Webbline has spent more than 25 years sourcing and testing products to refine what suits New Zealand conditions. They have sourced these from premium manufacturers like Cotesi, Mima Films, Rani and their own Webbline brand. These products have been proven in the field and are cost-effective and efficient so they can help you maximise your return on investment.

From crop binding materials like twine and netwrap to silage stack covers and silage bags, Webbline has you covered.

Webbline has a large stock holding across its four branches in Waikato, Manawatu, Canterbury and Southland. Their highly experienced team of product specialists can help you choose the products best suited to your operation.

WEBBLINE BRAND Webbline Bale Wrap has high

puncture and tear resistance properties combined with 70 percent stretch rating and superior tack structure. This gives you an airtight bale and reduced tails in all weather conditions.

High UV stability makes the Webbline Bale Wrap ideal for New Zealand conditions offering protection and peace of mind that your bales are safe and secure.

Webbline Supercover Netwrap is UV stabilised and it provides full edge-to-edge coverage. It is suitable for balage and straw.

Webbline black/white silage covers offer high UV stability, which is ideal for New Zealand conditions. It is made from 100 percent virgin raw materials and offers excellent perforation resistance and distortion.

MIMARAP Mimarap is a triple-layered film that is made from 100 percent virgin raw materials. It is among the toughest stretch plastic on the market. This product has been tried and proven on New Zealand farms for more than 15 years and

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74

comes with a 12-month guarantee against UV degradation.

Mimarap also offers extended rolls that still have the excellent puncture resistance of the standard Mimarap while achieving 20 percent more bales per roll.

Net replacement film (NRF) is the latest significant development in the production of quality balage. Its elasticity and strength hold the bale together better than using netwrap, which is an important factor in the production of quality balage.

RANI RaniWrap is an advanced bale wrap designed to safeguard the nutritional value and quality of forage crops. Its unique oxygen barrier technology effectively reduces the risk of spoilage, mould growth and nutrient degradation making it more valuable for livestock feeding.

UV stabilisation ensures its longevity, even when exposed to harsh New Zealand conditions.

The RaniWrap Xtra Easy Pack offers longer roll lengths. This is a great benefit to contractors and large-scale farmers who can wrap more bales per roll, do fewer roll changes, and achieve higher hourly throughputs.

RaniBind is a high-performance NRF designed to complement RaniWrap by securely and uniformly covering bales. This ensures their structural integrity and protection from the elements.

Because RaniBind NRF is made from the same material as Rani bale wrap, there is no need to separate out the two materials when recycling - another feature that gives time savings to the farmer.

RaniSil02 green/grey silage covers are 100 times more efficient at keeping out oxygen than regular polythene film covers.

This ensures optimal conditions for silage preservation.

With their unique design, RaniSil02 covers combine different layers into a single product, and it is among the thickest oxygen barrier silage covers currently available. By using a single product, the silage stack is easier to cover, but it still delivers an oxygen barrier to create effective silage preservation.

COTESI Webbline stocks a wide range of products from Cotesi. This includes X-Pand netwrap and also the Cotesi range of baling twine.

Cotesi X-Pand netwrap has a double weft construction that can handle higher bale pressures. It also ensures better protection of crops and less bale damage during transit.

Webbline stocks several baling twines from Cotesi that are suitable for a variety of square balers and crops.

For more information, contact Webbline on 0800 932 254, visit their website (webbline.co.nz) or email sales@webbline.co.nz. RC

0800 336 334

or visit our website: www.trstyreandwheel.co.nz

EQUIPMENT

EASYDRILL LIFTS DRILLING POSSIBILITIES SKY-HIGH EARLY THIS YEAR NORWOOD ADDED SEEDING EQUIPMENT FROM FRENCH COMPANY SKY TO ITS AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT LINE-UP. AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE SKY RANGE IS THE EASYDRILL.

With its precise seeding depths, flexible row shutoff, four hoppers and electric drive, the EasyDrill delivers the accuracy and flexibility needed for today’s farming systems.

EasyDrills come in working widths of 3m, 4m, 6m and 8m and all have 16.6-cm row spacings. The 3m model has a 2250 litre hopper, the 4m model has a 3100-litre hopper, the 6m model has a 4100-litre hopper, and the 8m model has a 5100-litre hopper.

All models feature the EasyDrill tandem seeding unit. It delivers highly accurate seed placement using a front and rear wheel to control the seeding depth on each coulter. This is the same system that precision planters use and it also delivers very good seed covering.

The EasyDrill can work in a

SKY EASYDRILL’S E-DRIVE ALLOWS YOU TO SOW UP TO FOUR DIFFERENT SEEDS OR FERTILISERS AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS AND DIFFERENT RATES. 76

range of conditions thanks to its ability to apply from zero to 250 kg of downforce on the coulters.

With this range of downforce options, versatility is a major attribute of the EasyDrill. It can seed in cultivated soil, direct drill in stubble or sprayed out pasture, or drill into a live cover crop.

Its versatility is boosted by its HD disc coulters, which allow operators to drill two different products (seed, fertiliser or insecticide) at different depths in the same seeding row. This is a major reason that the Sky EasyDrill is a favourite of farmers and contractors practicing

WITH ITS ABILITY TO APPLY UP TO 250 KG OF DOWNFORCE ON THE COULTERS, THE SKY EASYDRILL CAN DIRECT DRILL IN STUBBLE, SPRAYED OUT PASTURE OR A LIVE COVER CROP. regenerative agriculture.

It makes it easier to deliver seed and fertiliser at the same time or to establish a crop and a cover crop in the same pass.

MULTIPLE HOPPERS The option to specify an EasyDrill with four hoppers makes

GROUND PRESSURE ON THE SEEDING UNITS CAN BE ADJUSTED TO SUIT THE TYPE OF SOIL AND LEVEL OF MOISTURE PRESENT. this possible. The main hopper can be divided into two. These two large hoppers can be used for the main crop and fertiliser, or for one or two types of seed.

Two additional 120-litre Pro hoppers can be used to apply cover crops, slug bait or micro nutrients. The Pro hoppers offer sowing rates from 0.5 kg/ha to 30 kg/ha and they can direct the product into either of the main tank hoppers’ distribution circuits.

Two separate air circuits deliver the seed to the coulters, which also helps handle different products with different densities.

This reduces the risk of clogging fertiliser or seed and makes it easier to manage two different seeding depths.

Options include using the disc coulters to sow the main crop, while the cover crop is broadcast behind it using a boot set above ground level. The height of the boot can be adjusted to change the spread of the cover crop.

Or the EasyDrill allows you to drill more than one seed at a time. You could, for example, sow a companion crop that will attract beneficial insects and reduce your insecticide use.

Precise distribution is another drawcard. The EasyDrill has a precise stainless steel distribution system that can handle seeding rates from 1 to 450 kg/ ha. The flow test is automated and requires no dismantling to change from a small to a large seed.

Another useful feature is fast, easy emptying of the hoppers at the end of a job. A two-part folding system allows you to quickly empty the hopper into a big bag. This design also gives easy access to the seed rows, which is very useful for maintenance or disc replacement.

When used as a direct drill, the EasyDrill can reduce fuel use by up to 60 percent versus traditional drilling. It eliminates additional passes using the plough and other tillage tools.

Direct drilling does not turn the soil over, which reduces nitrogen leaching and retains carbon in

LIKE A PRECISION PLANTER, THE EASYDRILL ACHIEVES ACCURATE SEED PLACEMENT USING A FRONT AND REAR WHEEL TO CONTROL THE SEEDING DEPTH ON EACH COULTER. the soil. By sowing a cover crop when drilling the main crop in autumn, you can gain the additional benefit of reducing nitrogen leaching in spring.

Other benefits of direct drilling in a regenerative farming type system are better water retention, higher levels of soil organic matter, and more earthworms.

ELECTRIC DRIVE EasyDrills are ISOBUS compatible and can be specified with electrically-driven metering units operated by a Mueller Quartz 800 electronic control box.

Electric drive gives the latest EasyDrills their accuracy, flexibility and ability to carry out sophisticated operations such as section control and variable rate applications.

With E-Drive, each outlet has an electric valve, so every row can be controlled individually on each bout. The drill no longer has a fixed configuration

because individual rows can be turned off and on.

You can program any number of rows depending on the crop or what you want to achieve.

This gives you the ability to sow different crops or even use the EasyDrill in situations where you would otherwise use a precision planter.

For example, you can sow two rows of maize and skip four rows and then sow two more rows of maize. Or you can sow single rows of maize or fodder beet on 50 cm spacings by shutting off two rows between each sown row.

E-Drive can also be used in conjunction with a satellite signal to do section control. With section control you can use

auto shut-off to avoid overlaps or skips in headlands or oddshaped paddocks.

An ability to work with GPS guidance and section control reduces stress on the operator.

Once the system is set up, the operator’s job is easier and you can skip passes so you don’t have to turn so sharply when you get to the end of a row.

E-Drive and the Quartz 800 controller can also be used to do variable rate operations. You can sow at different rates based on soil maps or yield maps.

Sky EasyDrills are ideal for sowing in flatter or gently sloping paddocks. They have about 10 cm of up and down movement in the direction of travel (+/- 5 cm in each direction). RC

THE SKY EASYDRILL CAN BE CONFIGURED TO WORK WITH FOUR HOPPERS BY DIVIDING THE MAIN HOPPER AND ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL 120-LITRE HOPPERS TO APPLY COVER CROPS, BAIT OR NUTRIENTS.

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EQUIPMENT

KVERNELAND MOUNTED SPRAYER MAKES LIGHT WORK OF SOUTH CANTERBURY HILLS FARMING IN THE HILLS OF SOUTH CANTERBURY IS A DEMANDING BUSINESS WHERE SUCCESS DEPENDS ON EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY, AND WELL-THOUGHT-OUT INVESTMENTS. FOR PHIL MCEWAN, WHO RUNS A BEEF AND CROPPING OPERATION IN GORDON’S VALLEY, HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT IS CRUCIAL TO MAINTAINING HIS FARM’S PROFITABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY. Kverneland’s iXter B mounted sprayer has been one such essential investment. It has provided Phil with a level of innovation and reliability that supports the challenging nature of his farming environment.

The iXter B is Kverneland’s biggest and most sophisticated mounted sprayer range.

It is available with four tank volumes – from 1000 to 1800 litres – and boom widths of 15m to 30m. Phil’s sprayer is 1800 litres and has a 24m boom.

Phil’s farm is at the steeper end of Canterbury’s cropping region and can be difficult to navigate with traditional equipment. When he decided to purchase the Kverneland iXter B sprayer in February 2024, it was because he wanted an advanced machine that could meet the demands of his challenging landscape.

As it turns out, the Kverneland iXter B has exceeded his expectations. In particular he is impressed with its boom guide system, which is designed to handle uneven terrain.

“Some people said that the boom guides

SOUTH CANTERBURY FARMER PHIL MCEWAN SAYS THE BOOM GUIDE SYSTEM ON HIS KVERNELAND IXTER SPRAYER REACTS QUICKLY ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT SPRAY PATTERNS IN STEEP COUNTRY.

78

wouldn’t work properly in these hills because of the undulating ground and the steepness of everything,” Phil says. “But they do. It is all adjustable and the quickness of how it works is awesome.”

The iXter’s adaptability has been a major advantage because it has allowed Phil to maintain consistent spray patterns in his steep country.

Its boom guide minimises vertical movement and ensures that the sprayer remains at the correct height relative to the crop, whether he is moving through hollows, over ridges, or through valleys. This ensures even crop coverage and protects the equipment from wear and tear.

Phil is particularly impressed with how smoothly the boom operates in tough conditions.

“When you go through a big hollow or over the top of a hill or through a gully, you want the boom to work efficiently. You don’t want it to beat itself on the ground, and you don’t want it to lift up and down so quick that it shakes everything and wears all the pivots out,” he says.

The smooth and steady operation of the iXter B’s boom guide on hilly terrain allows him to spray with confidence, knowing that his equipment can handle even the most challenging parts of the farm.

Because it is ISOBUS compatible Phil can control the iXter B through the same tractor terminals that he uses for other operations on his farm.

“They are all GPS, and it’s done through ISOBUS. We can use our implements’ monitors, ISOBUS monitors or terminals in the tractors. We didn’t require any other switches or anything like that to guide the boom.

We do it all through our tractor terminal,” he says.

By leveraging the existing monitors in his tractors, Phil can control the sprayer’s functions without additional hardware or complicated setups. Simplified controls help

him stay focused on the task at hand, reduce downtime and increase the overall efficiency of his spraying operations.

A standout feature for Phil is Kverneland’s iXclean system, which makes cleaning the sprayer between tasks fast and effective.

Switching between chemicals during the spraying season can be a time-consuming and potentially risky process if not done properly.

The iXclean system allows Phil to choose between cleaning just the boom and the tank, and performing a full clean of the entire system with just the press of a few buttons.

This convenience is especially important when switching between powerful chemicals like glyphosate and fungicides. Phil regularity moves from spraying herbicide in one paddock to spraying fungicide in a wheat paddock without any concerns about residue or contamination.

“I have been changing from spraying glyphosate in one paddock and then going into a wheat paddock and spraying a fungicide. I have never had any problems with the glyphosate burning the wheat paddock so it is a really efficient cleaning system.”

The iXter B has also given Phil peace of mind when approaching headlands. In his experience with other sprayers, navigating headlands in hilly terrain can result in damaging the boom or fences if not managed correctly, particularly when the ground is wet and there is risk of slipping. The iXter B automatically lifts the boom to a predetermined height when approaching the headland, ensuring that it is clear of obstacles.

“When you turn off the spray or it automatically turns off when you get to a headland, you just hit a button, and it lifts everything up. So if you do have a slide out of a spray line, you do not do any damage.”

Phil says he receives great backup and support for his sprayer from his local Power Farming dealership in Timaru and particularly from sales rep Hamish Wallace.

DURABLE BVL MIXER CAN LIFT YOUR HERD’S PRODUCTION DESIGNED TO REDUCE COSTS AND MAXIMISE FEED CONSUMPTION, BVL MIXER WAGONS CAN HELP DAIRY FARMERS ENHANCE THEIR HERD’S HEALTH AND BOOST FEED EFFICIENCY. Built in Germany, BvL mixer wagons are strong and durable.

Their high-quality build includes 20-mm floor plate and 8-mm sidewalls, which are lapped and fillet welded at the joints.

This gives double thickness at the highest wear points of the bowl, which significantly boosts wall strength and extends the wagon’s lifespan.

BvL has also addressed the most common weakness in auger flight joins by overlapping each connection. This provides additional strength and durability.

An anti-spill ring effectively prevents feed spillage during mixing, particularly with dry and fibrous materials. It maintains pressure on the feed and allows the augers to mix more efficiently and consistently. The anti-spill ring also reinforces the bowl against impacts from the loading tractor.

Equipped with four independent weigh cells – one in each corner – BvL mixer wagons provide consistent and accurate weighing.

They have a non-symmetrical arrangement of counter knives which ensures optimal mixing in the chamber. This results in efficient material flow, the capacity to handle high volumes, quicker mixing times, and reduced power demand.

BvL’s Exact Dosing System uses this asymmetrical design and shark bite auger to ensure full use of the bowl’s capacity. It can evenly mix trace elements so they do not settle at the bowl’s bottom.

And it delivers a consistent stream of feed through the wide

door opening, which ensures a loose, even discharge.

Its V-shaped, self-tracking and self-cleaning cage rollers are central to BvL’s conveyor system. They prevent build-up and maintain true tracking. The 6mm double-layered rubber belt further enhances durability and quality.

Because a BvL mixer wagon improves feed consistency, the feed’s digestibility is improved, which means better feed intake and a higher feed conversion ratio to milk solids and weight gain.

BVL MIXER WAGONS THOROUGHLY MIX THE FEED, AND A MORE CONSISTENT FEED IS MORE DIGESTIBLE. The mixer wagon provides a balanced ration throughout the day, promoting a healthy rumen environment for cows and boosting their efficiency, productivity and profitability.

For more details on BvL mixer wagons, contact Webbline Agriculture at 0800 932 254, email sales@webbline.co.nz, or visit the website webbline.co.nz.

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EQUIPMENT

MAIZE OPERATION UP AND RUNNING WITH ‘MAGNIFICENT’ ALPEGO TILLAGE TOOLS TWO POWERFUL ALPEGO IMPLEMENTS HAVE HELPED A WAIKATO FARMER MAKE THE JUMP FROM DAIRYING TO CROPPING. Graeme Disher has converted his 100-ha dairy farm at Paewhenua, near Otorohanga, to a purely maize growing operation.

“I had grown some maize over the last 10 years so two years ago I stripped out some of my fences and converted the whole farm. Last season we grew 80 ha of grain and 20 ha of silage,” he says.

Graeme does all of his own groundwork for the maize operation and uses contractors to do his spraying, planting and harvesting.

“I start with the Alpego subsoiler around the middle of August.

We aim to plant on the 1st of October, give or take five days,” Graeme says.

“The farm is not what you would call flat. We are on rolling to steep country. In a lot of areas the combine has to put on duals to harvest the grain.”

To prep his ground for planting he bought a new 5m folding Alpego DK-Top power harrow.

He was so impressed with its performance that when he decided to replace his subsoiler this year, he went with a seven-leg

Alpego K-Evo model.

“I absolutely love both of them,” he says. “They are very, very good quality machines. They are so heavy duty you might think they are more for contractors and a bit of overkill for a farmer, but they do a magnificent job.”

Alpego’s DK-Top power harrow has patented Twin-Force rotors with self-lubricating tapered bearings and gears that get the most from the transmission. This enables it to work at depths of 280 mm (11 inches) and get the most out of the available tractor power.

The two sides of the folding DK-Top float independently to follow contours while a levelling bar and rear packer roller crumble the soil and leave a level surface.

Graeme’s Alpego subsoiler is a rigid, mechanical 3m-wide K-Evo model. Its seven shanks can work to a depth of 580 mm (24 inches) and are protected by mechanical shear bolts. At the rear of the K-Evo are two Franter spiked rollers, which give hydraulic depth control and leave a smooth finish.

He operates both machines with a 200-hp John Deere 6195M

tractor. He says it has all the power he needs to drive both implements but he would not want anything lighter to operate them in his hilly country.

“The Alpego power harrow does a beautiful job and creates a lovely finish. It weighs about three tonnes, which helps its performance. We run it at 6 inches deep and it takes out any humps and hollows.”

His K-Evo subsoiler also gets top marks. Not least because it has eliminated one whole pass from the steps he takes to prepare ground for planting.

“Normally we would disc first, then use the subsoiler and finish with the power harrow. With the Alpego we only have to use the subsoiler and the power harrow.

It has a double roller system that pushes the trash into the ground and leaves a flat surface.

“The subsoiler is very heavy duty and built to last. It is 3m wide and we would not be able to handle anything bigger in our hills. We only work at 330 mm which is about half its full potential depth. With its hydraulic depth adjustment we can easily adjust the working depth and

THE 5M FOLDING ALPEGO DK-TOP POWER HARROW DOES A BEAUTIFUL JOB AND CREATES A LOVELY FINISH, GRAEME DISHER SAYS.

80

GRAEME DISHER IS USING TWO HEAVY DUTY ALPEGO TILLAGE TOOLS TO TRANSFORM HIS FORMER DAIRY FARM INTO A SPECIALIST MAIZE CROPPING OPERATION. lift up a bit if we come into wet ground.”

Graeme says he already had a subsoiler but there are lots of rocks on his farm. If he ever hit a big one and broke the shear bolt on a shank, “it was a mongrel to change”. He had to drill it out but with the Alpego it is a five minute job to replace a shear bolt.

“Our other subsoiler left the ground in waves, like a potato patch, but the Alpego leaves it perfectly flat. It is amazing.”

Origin Ag is the New Zealand Alpego distributor and Graeme’s local dealer is Brandt Cambridge.

He says both have been great to work with.

“I am a farmer, not a mechanic.

Liam Hines from Origin Ag came out and set up both machines to start with. He was absolutely magic. He put them on the tractor and set them up in the paddock. The job he did setting them up properly is partly why they have done such a great job.”

There have been no teething problems for either machine. A Brandt service technician came out and did the 50 hour service on the power harrow when it was due.

“I just grease them daily,” Graeme says. “The subsoiler has eight grease nipples and the power harrow has a few more than that. I just whip around and grease them when I am filling up with diesel.”

For more information call (07) 8237582 or visit the website originag.co.nz.

MAGNON 11 OFF TO A FINE START AT AGRITECHINCA 2023, STRAUTMANN SHOWCASED THE NEW MAGNON 11, ITS FIRST FINE CHOP SILAGE WAGON. WITH 84 KNIVES, THE MAGNON 11 DELIVERS A THEORETICAL CUTTING LENGTH OF 22 MM. In comparison, Strautmann Magnon 10 loader wagons, which have the same carrying capacity as the Magnon 11 range, have a cutting length of 35 mm.

This means the Magnon 11 offers 37 percent shorter chop length for only 20 percent more power, an energy-efficient way to improve quality.

With its short chop length, the Magnon 11 gives tighter packing in the wagon and noticeably higher carrying capacity.

It also gives better compaction at the pit.

Therefore it offers contractors lower transport costs and the ability to provide a loader wagon service to farmers who prefer a shorter chop length.

Both the Magnon 10 and 11 Series prove that size does matter. The three models in each range have carrying capacities of

42m3, 46m3 and 52m3.

Under medium loading compression they can carry 78m3, 86m3 and 97m3 of crop respectively. The ability to carry loads of this size gives more time in the paddock and less on the road.

This is reinforced with fast loading and unloading, which can make any contracting or farming operation more efficient and cost effective.

All Magnon models have the hydraulically driven Flex-Load pick-up. It is 2.25m wide and its speed can be automatically or manually controlled depending on the conditions.

Flex-Load pick-ups have six rows of poly-

STRAUTMANN MAGNON 11 LOADER WAGONS’ FAST LOADING AND UNLOADING CAN IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF CONTRACTING OR FARMING OPERATIONS. urethane plastic tines arranged in a helix.

These flexible tines adapt to ground contours to ensure the crop is collected cleanly. At the same time, they are strong enough to minimise wear, which reduces the cost and time spent replacing wear parts.

Flex-Load tines do not penetrate the ground, which minimises contamination. If a tine does

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81

EQUIPMENT

MAGNON 11 CAN PROVIDE A CHOP LENGTH OF 22MM, WHICH GIVES TIGHTER PACKING IN THE WAGON AND BETTER COMPACTION AT THE PIT.

get damaged, simply undo one easily accessible bolt to change it within a minute.

The Flex-Load pick-up is camless and it achieves an even intake of crop across the width of the rotor. It then feeds the crop into the rotor, which has the proven Strautmann Continuous Flow system.

A Continuous Flow rotor conveys even heavy swathes of crop consistently through the cutting unit into the cargo space.

The rotor has eight rows of tines and a working width of 1.9m. It sends the crop at a fast speed into the cargo space across its full width. This stops fodder from piling up and gives consistent filling of the wagon.

Strautmann’s knife bar hydraulically swivels in and out to give the operator easy access. The knives are two-sided, which doubles their lifespan and makes it easy to do a quick change during work if necessary. The knives retract on contact with foreign objects and then automatically return to work position when the crop load decreases.

Side panels on the Magnon 11’s wagon have reinforced side posts. Extensions are available to increase the height by 90 mm. A side door gives safe access inside for inspection or maintenance.

The front panel moves hydraulically. During loading it pushes back into the cargo space to help compact the crop. As the wag-

on approaches full, the panel automatically swivels towards the front. This creates space for the final 5m3 of crop.

The front panel moves hydraulically. During loading, it holds the normal loading position as a fixed headboard wagon. As the wagon fills, the headboard can come all the way forward or it can be set up on a timer in three different stages, which allows the operator to modify the speed it comes forward to suit the conditions. This creates space for the final 5m3 of crop.

Load-protection bars prevent the crop over-flowing. The level of filling required may be pre-set.

During unloading, the front panel pushes back into the crop, accelerating discharge.

For even faster unloading there is the option of a dosing unit. It has three horizontal beaters that extend across the rear of the wagon.

The beaters have aggressive ripping tines that speed up unloading.

The tail gate is one solid piece and has a mechanical lock. A wide-open option is available for quick discharge, and the opening angle is adjustable.

Options on the Magnon 11 include a folding mesh cover that folds into place hydraulically and overlaps to ensure no losses. Other options are a camera in the cargo space and a rear-view camera.

ALL STRAUTMANN MAGNON LOADER WAGONS HAVE THE 2.25M-WIDE, HYDRAULICALLY-DRIVEN FLEX-LOAD PICK-UP. 82

A hydraulic tandem chassis is standard on the two smaller Magnon 11 models. It gives a legal axle load of 20 tonnes and an even load distribution between all wheels. This gives a smoother ride at higher speeds. For an even nicer ride, hydraulic suspension is an option.

The tandem axle is a passive steering axle, which protects the sward and reduces tyre wear. It has a steering angle of 18 degrees and automatically locks when reversing.

A hydraulic tridem chassis is standard for the largest model in the Magnon range, the Magnon 11-530, and is an option on the Magnon 11-470. It also has optional hydraulic suspension.

Both the tandem and tridem chassis can be specified with an electronic forced steering axle. The steering angle is adjusted according to the speed travelled. It provides a high degree of driving stability and excellent manoeuvrability.

The Strautmann Magnon 11 is ISOBUS-compatible and can be controlled with its own Smart 570 touch screen or through the tractor’s monitor. For most tractors, the Magnon’s function may be controlled with the tractor’s joystick.

The Magnon 11-430 requires a tractor from 230 hp, the 11-470 needs a tractor 250 hp or bigger and the 11-530 can be operated with tractors from 285 hp.

Strautmann has made the Magnon a multi-tasker. It comes with a plate that can be used to close off the conveyor duct to use the wagon as a trailer during maize harvest.

The Strautmann Magnon 11 is a true contractor’s machine. It has capacity, reliability and will do more than one job, so it extends its working season.

Strautmann Magnon 11 loader wagons have now completed their first full year of commercial operation in Europe. They are available in New Zealand through Strautmann Hopkins and their nationwide network of dealers.

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MICHAEL AND ANGELA

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KUBOTA PLAYS PART IN FAMILY’S DRIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING

Post Code:

DAIRY OPERATION, JERSEYHILL FARM, IN THE ROLLING GREEN HILLS NEAR MATAMATA IS IN THE “CREAM OF THE COUNTRY”.

The 65-hectare dairy farm runs just over 230 head of cattle. This small operation enables Michael and Angela to tend closely to their animals.

“Being a smaller farm, we have the ability to form a personal connection with each cow. Animal wellbeing is an important focus on our farm and we have ended up with a few pet cows,” Angela says.

“I know it sounds very cheesy, but we like to work by the saying ‘healthy happy cows and people’.

Michael always makes sure the cows are tended to before feeding himself.”

Angela and Michael have been in charge of operations for more than a decade, after buying the land off Angela’s parents in 2012.

Angela says it was a great move for their family.

“It provided our kids with a fantastic space to explore. They ride horses, raise cattle, and have built all their childhood memories, just like I did.”

A shared love of farming has enabled the couple to push the boundaries of traditional dairy

farming and adopt more sustainable farming practices. Core to the operations at Jerseyhill Farm is sustainable environmental management.

“The water and soil on our land are our biggest assets,” Michael says. “The water we recycle back onto the land via the effluent system is filled with nutrients. We don’t plant any crops but rather focus on growing quality grass for the cows.”

To do better for the environment, Angela and her son Edward have taken on further studies. They are researching the best ways to boost soil health with less nitrogen to enhance their farm environment and sustainability plans.

“We want to move away from the conventional fertilisers and find what the plant and soil needs,” Michael says.

“This year we have moved to foliar spraying nutrients and apply fertiliser directly to the plant leaves rather than putting it into the soil. The plants can absorb liquid fertiliser faster than conventional granular fertilisers and it prevents leaching and volatilisation. This technique is more fitting with our sustainability goals.

“These little changes add up and help to reduce our impact on the environment. We would like to think we are setting up the farm to be better for the next generation.”

THE ROSKAM FAMILY ARE DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THEIR WATER, THEIR SOILS, THEIR COWS AND THEMSELVES.

EQUIPMENT

Michael and Angela have passed their devotion to sustainable farming onto their three children, Patrick (22), Edward (20), and Victoria (15).

“The kids love being out on the farm, particularly Edward,” Angela says. “The last few years were quite challenging for us as Michael underwent seven major knee surgeries, leaving me to run most of the operations.

“I was so thankful Edward wanted to come home after a year away and took on a huge responsibility helping me to co-manage the farm.”

Edward took out the DairyNZ Practical Skills Award in the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards at the age of 19.

“The award Edward won is a testament to his capabilities. He has the ability to manage farms much bigger than ours, so it brings us great joy that he’s chosen to continue his work alongside us,” Angela reflects.

“I hope to see him take over the farm in the next 10 years so Michael and I can take a step back from the operations, just as we took over from my parents.”

Until then, Angela and Michael keep on-farm operations

THE KUBOTA M7-152 DELUXE TRACTOR DOES THE HEAVIER JOBS ON JERSEYHILL FARM, INCLUDING MOWING, BALING AND FERTILISER SPREADING. smooth and efficient, and to do this they rely on top quality machinery.

“We have had a long history with Kubota,” Angela says. “We purchased our first tractor in 2008 and we have never looked back. The reliability the products offer for the price is outstanding.”

The Roskams have a number of Kubota machines including an M105 S tractor, an M7-152 Deluxe tractor, a KX057-4 digger and an RTVX900 utility vehicle.

“We use the M7 for the big-

ger jobs like mowing and baling silage on our support block and fertiliser spreading.

“We bought the RTVX900 just after Michael’s surgery and it has been an absolute lifesaver. It helps him move the cattle between paddocks and he can just jump on and off much more easily.”

When they need to upgrade their equipment, Angela and Michael turn to the dealer, Agrilife.

“Agrilife is the dealer we trust.

We are old school. We care

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about great customer service the most. We love them because of the after sales service. It is not just about the money for them.

They really care for their customers.”

Angela and Michael strive to uphold the great work dairy farmers do every day across New Zealand.

“We should all be proud to be in this industry. We work hard and provide families with food to put on the table. It is an amazing opportunity and lifestyle for all of us.”

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TIM CURRIE DIECI PRODUCT SPECIALIST 021 221 5016 www.webbline.co.nz

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@webblineagltd

WAIKATO • MANAWATU • CANTERBURY • SOUTHLAND

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EQUIPMENT

THIRD GENERATION ENGINEERING FIRM NOT AFRAID OF A CHALLENGE ASHBURTON-BASED BUSINESS ENGINEERING REPAIRS LTD IS SOLVING PROBLEMS ALL OVER CANTERBURY AND BEYOND. With its staff of 23 engineers, fabricators, machinists, apprentices and vital people in the office, Engineering Repairs tackles all sorts of projects in agriculture, earthmoving, transport, and waste management.

It is a family business, going back three generations of engineers. Gavin Hunt was the second generation. He named the business Engineering Repairs Ltd in the 1980s.

Gavin’s nephew Matt Hunt is now a co-owner and managing director, alongside his father Colin Hunt.

Matt grew up surrounded by engineers and joined the firm when he left school. He has now been there 27 years.

Colin, with over 40 years’ experience in the industry, joined the firm in the early 2000s.

The company has had many family members helping the business along, employing Colin’s brothers, sisters and nephews, alongside a great team who they like to think of as family.

Most of ERL’s work is in Canterbury but they go where the demand is. For example, they used to do repairs at Stockton mine in Buller.

The work can be challenging, but it brings lots of variety.

An interesting example was building a foot bridge for a Mt Somers walking track.

“It was a cool project. Another company was involved from the start and they had a certified engineer do the design work for the bridge and we built it to their plans,” Matt says.

Another example was designing and building a two layered cattle ramp for in-coming cattle for a Hakatere feed lot. This is also another case of being able to work well with other companies so the client gets what they want as efficiently as possible.

Colin has a background in heavy earthmoving, maintenance and manufacturing. He started making attachments for earthmoving gear decades ago and this service is a speciality.

Their range includes root rakes, power clamp thumbs and trenching buckets. And they can make them for any brand.

They also manufacture and repair tree sheers and mole ploughs and thumbs up to 50-tonnes.

“We began the service providing forestry frames. We have designed our own forestry spec-ed operator protection. It gives a cost-effective option between a standard cab and full ROPS frame, for people doing light tree work. It matches what’s needed,” Matt says.

With plasma cutting they can make glorious art works, but more importantly supply engineers with metal plates cut to any shape.

ERL makes custom-built Hardox truck and trailer bodies. The trailers include three-, four- and five-axle tippers. This truck skill has developed to include building traffic management trucks.

Another interesting line of work is building stationary compactors for waste management. These compactors are working around the country mainly for councils. Either rubbish or materials for recycling, such as cans or plastic, are loaded into a hopper and compacted into a bale.

The downside of this work is they are so well built that there is a large time lag between repeat business.

“We sent one to Raglan recently. It was replacing the first one we built 20 years ago.”

During that 20 years the design has stayed pretty much the same, but the latest versions have a lot more electronics and safety features. For example, the door will not open when under load.

An ERL rubbish compactor is working in Rarotonga. Another compactor works on the Chatham Islands.

ONE OF ERL’S SPECIALITIES IS PRODUCING HEAVY-DUTY STATIONARY COMPACTORS TO BALE WASTE OR RECYCLED MATERIAL.

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Another sideline is building hedge cutters.

One of their clients wanted a custom-built one for heavy trees that was bigger than what was available on the market.

The client provided a Moxy dump truck and ERL turned it into a hedge cutter that would inspire fear in a Mad Max character.

Most of the ones they have built since then are on a normal 6x4 truck chassis and reach up to 9m-11m. They typically have a wider, more stable base.

Building fertiliser spreaders is another speciality. Both Gavin and another uncle, Pete, have been building them for 30 years.

Until recently most were truck-based and they are built for contractors. They range in size from a 2-tonne orchard spreader to a 12-tonne on a 6x6 truck. Clients provided the truck and ERL adds stainless steel bins, twin spinners and full hydraulic control.

The spreaders can do variable rate applications and work off ground speed so they will adapt to whatever speed the driver chooses to go at. Orchard spreaders usually have a conveyer to place fertiliser up against the plant.

A new addition is a trailed fertiliser spreader, which is usually ordered by farmers.

“We built a few many years ago, but now we’re getting demand from clients about putting our bins on trailers and decided to look at it again,” Matt says.

The trailed ERL fert spreaders can go up to 10-tonnes, but the target market is 5-7 tonnes. They can spread any powder or granular fertiliser. The spread width for urea is 24m up to 36m, but mostly clients want 26m to 28m so the spreaders are set up to suit this range.

Trailed spreaders need to run with a tractor around 120 hp. They are single axle on flotation or crop tyres.

ERL fertiliser spreaders are found throughout the country, but predominantly in the South Island.

THE RANGE OF ATTACHMENTS FOR EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT THAT ERL MAKES INCLUDES TRENCHING BUCKETS.

Mechanical Strip-Tills

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EQUIPMENT

AWARD-WINNING NEW HOLLAND SPECIALTY TRACTOR CREATES A BUZZ NEW HOLLAND UNVEILED ITS NEWGENERATION T4.120 F SPECIALTY TRACTOR IN NEW ZEALAND AT A SPECIAL EVENT IN SEPTEMBER. New Holland dealer Agricentre South in Cromwell hosted the event, which gave customers an opportunity to take a close-up look at the tractor that took out the Best of Specialised title at the international Tractor of the Year Awards in 2023.

The NH T4.120 F is the flagship of New Holland’s premium specialty tractor offering. It delivers a powerful performance putting out up to 88kW (118 hp). It can meet the hydraulic and engine power requirements for PTO applications and can work with multiple implements.

It is ideal for viticulture and horticulture applications, and Agricentre South welcomed dozens of customers from Central Otago vineyards at the event.

Agricentre group sales manager Richard Clapperton says there has been strong interest from vineyard owners, managers and operators. They were impressed by what they saw.

“Customers have been waiting to see an upgraded model in this range. Technology has moved ahead, and we are seeing some great updates in this new model,” Richard says.

AGRICENTRE SOUTH STAFF HOSTED THE UNVEILING OF NEW HOLLAND’S FLAGSHIP T4.120 F.

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They were impressed with the T4.120 F’s operator comfort, ergonomics and visibility.

They also appreciated the new flat deck and features from the cabs of New Holland’s higher horsepower tractors.

“It is easier to get in and out of and with the new armrest design, it’s a lot more user-friendly,” Richard says.

A new multi-functional display positioned above the dashboard provides live information about the tractor and makes it easy to control.

An optional suspended front axle ensures a smooth ride and it has SuperSteer as standard, which gives the tractor a turning radius as low as 3.5m.

With a cab height of just 1.9m and cab width of just 870 mm, the NH T4.120 F can pass under low branches in narrow groves without interfering with the valuable crop. The hood height is also very low and compact, which improves visibility and safety.

The optional Blue Cab 4 system offers category 4 protection with enhanced filtration against dust, aerosols and vapour.

Engine Speed Management (ESM) precisely fuels the engine so that it meets prevailing loads and maintains a constant speed. This is ideal for spraying.

New Holland NZ product specialist for tractors Karl Harvey says the T4.120 F is the perfect tractor for contractors and small to medium-sized orchards and vineyards who want

CUSTOMERS VIEWING NEW HOLLAND’S AWARD-WINNING T4.120 F SPECIALTY TRACTOR. high performance, comfort and reliability.

He says the legendary manoeuvrability of New Holland’s T4 specialist range is enhanced in the T4.120 F thanks to its new hood, which has been entirely redesigned.

“The engine layout has been entirely reconfigured so that the new hood comfortably houses the complete after-treatment system.

The low height and compact size of the hood improves visibility and safety. It reduces potential damage to branches when working under a fruit tree canopy, where a compact profile is critical.”

The New Holland T4 range offers cab and ROP models with power outputs from 74 to 107 hp. A suspended cab option is available, which can reduce vibration by up to 60 percent on road and 15 percent in the field.

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