Agri News - November 2022

GREAT IN A TIGHT SPOT

Introducing the new Ultra Light Manitou range. The ULM 412 H and 415 H both have a reach capacity of 4m, and a lift capacity of 1250kg or 1500kg. The ULM machines are very compact making them easy to tow on a trailer and perfect for working in tight spaces

Manitou’s newest towable Ultra LightTelehandler

TREATMENT AVAILABLE AS RISK RISES

An unseasonably early harvest and record-breaking temperatures have increased the yield loss from barley yellow dwarf virus

An unseasonably early harvest and recordbreaking temperatures have increased the risk of yield loss from barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). BYDV can cause yield losses of 30-40 percent in warm autumns and with the ban on neonicotinoids researchers have been trialling new ways to control the disease.

Orion Future Technology conducted a trial with NIAB, to investigate the effect of a range of treatments to protect winter cereals against BYDV. Trials using a silicon biostimulant foliar spray either with a pyrethroid or as a standalone alternative have shown encouraging results. NIAB agronomist, Dr Syed Shah explains,

“We applied three sprays on KWS Extase winter wheat that emerged September 19th, 2021, on a high-risk site in south Devon. One of the most successful treatments was a combination of Sirius, a silicon biostimulant mixed with a well-established pyrethroid product. However, for those looking to protect both crop and beneficials, the results from the silicon only treatment were very encouraging. More small plots and on-farm trials will be conducted to validate the results.”

Combining the biostimulant with the pyrethroid saw a yield increase of 17.2%, over the untreated area. Using Sirius alone improved yield over the untreated by 5.5%, compared to a 9.7% yield increase achieved with a pyrethroid.

plant available form and that is where Sirius has a unique advantage. Orion’s iNHiB™Technology makes silicon plant available in a monosilisilic acid form. It is very compatible and can be added to a tank with other products or used as a standalone alternative.”

Each application was made 170 day degrees (DD) from emergence, with applications on October 13th, October 21st, and November 9th. The trial found the use of Sirius helped to strengthen the plant’s natural defences against biting pests such as aphids. It strengthened cell walls and increased cuticle thickness, which reduced aphid feeding. This also reduced the risk of virus transmission.

James Kennedy, Managing Director, Orion FT explains:

“Silicon must be in a

Drilling later has been used as a means of minimising risk, but with such an early harvest caused by the dry summer, many growers have drilled earlier than has been possible in previous years. Warm autumn conditions across the UK are allowing aphid populations to increase rapidly. The first nine months of 2022 have broken the record to become the warmest on record, according to the Met Office, and September was 0.5°C higher than the long-term average for the month, with an average temperature of 13.4°C.

“Responding to these changes in climate is essential to stabilise yields. In a warm autumn it is advised to protect crops early and having a new biostimulant as an alternative or addition to a pyrethroid will be welcomed by growers should autumn temperatures continue in this way,” concludes Mr Kennedy.

UNRIVALLED EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN GREEN BEDDING

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WRAPS COME OFF HYDROGEN REFUELLER

AS JCB UNVEILS INDUSTRY FIRST

JCB,developer of the world’s first working construction machines powered by hydrogen, today unveiled another world first for the industry - a mobile hydrogen refueller.

JCB is investing £100 million in a project to produce superefficient hydrogen engines and has already showcased working prototypes of a backhoe loader and Loadall telescopic handler powered by hydrogen.

Today the company announced another industry first – a mobile hydrogen refueller, providing a quick and easy way for customers to refuel their machines on site. Around 97 per cent of construction machines have fuel delivered to them while working on site. This means customers are already used to

a transportable fuel, allowing refuelling to take place in a matter of minutes.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford, who is leading JCB’s hydrogen project, said: “Since we became the first construction equipment company to unveil machines powered by hydrogen, many have asked how they can be refuelled.

“Well today we have an answer with our new mobile hydrogen refuelling system, which allows hydrogen to be taken from on-site tube trailers and distributed to machines by our refueller as they work on the job site. This is no different to today when diesel is taken in bowsers to refuel machines.

“Fossil fuels are not the future and hydrogen is the practical solution to powering our machines in the decades to

come. Our British engineers are doing a fantastic job in developing this technology and there are many more exciting developments to come.”

A team of 100 engineers is working on the project. The first hydrogen powered machine to be unveiled was a JCB backhoe loader followed, a year ago, by a Loadall telescopic handler. The technology went on to be shown in the Green Zone at COP26 in Glasgow as world leaders debated measures to drastically reduce greenhouse emissions. JCB has manufactured engines since 2004, producing them at plants in Derbyshire and in Delhi, India. Last year JCB celebrated a major milestone with the production of its 750,000th engine.

Fingers crossed for dry weather this weekend for the British Ploughing Championships and Country Festival

KUBOTA ANNOUNCES FURTHER EXPANSION WITH GEORGE BROWNS

Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that George Browns Ltd has opened a new depot

Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that George Browns Ltd has opened a new depot.

Located in Witney, West Oxfordshire, this new site creates a wider spread of dealership locations across its sales area, that better meets the needs of its customers.

Essentially a depot relocation, the opening of the Witney branch has seen George Browns’ groundcare-only Haddenham depot close its doors to enable the development of this latest full-line tractor dealership in West Oxfordshire.

“Geographically, our new depot in West Oxfordshire puts George Browns and Kubota within easier reach for many more customers,” explains Steve Brown, managing director of George Browns. “This is another strategic move

for our long-term business partnership with Kubota, to grow the groundcare and agricultural machinery aspects of the business.”

As a result of good infrastructure in west Oxfordshire, the new site offers easy access for customers and more usable space for the workshopsboth internally and externally.

Longer term, the plan is to employ a total of 12 staff at the depot, and the business is keen to encourage an uptake of apprentices across the business, for parts and service roles.

“It’s great to be part of the local economy, by bringing business and job creation into the area,” says George Browns’ group sales manager for agriculture, James Gibbins. “And as a full-line depot, Witney will be providing sales, service, parts and

support for the Kubota tractor and implement ranges, in addition to Kubota groundcare equipment.”

Henry Bredin, general manager of Kubota (UK)’s Tractor Business Unit, fully supports the relocation.

“We’re delighted that George Browns continues to develop its partnership with Kubota,” he says. “This new depot is a tactical move that actively supports a wider customer base in both agricultural and groundcare sectors, across the Browns’ area,”

George Browns’ Witney location complements existing depots in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Essex, with the Chesham and Buckingham branches now supporting those existing groundcare customers who used the former Haddenham site.

HARDI PULSESYSTEM - THE NEWEST INNOVATION FOR DRIFT REDUCTION

Introducing the Hardi PulseSystemThe newest innovation for drift reduction

Withthe minimum amount of drift combined with the prevention of under and overdosing, the HARDI PulseSystem is set to revolutionize the application technologies.

Combined with the TWIN system, HARDI has developed an application system that has the potential to deliver the least amount of drift on the market.

Drop size control for less drift

With the ability to open and close the nozzles, the HARDI PulseSystem can keep the nozzles open from 30100% at the same pressure while ensuring the droplet size and spray quality are unaffected. Therefore, the same nozzle can be used

at several different driving speeds. At the same time, drift is minimised while the flow rate is optimised, as the selected droplet size can be maintained, unlike a conventional system where more drift will occur the more liquid you try to squeeze through the nozzles.

Together with the TWIN system, which already has best-in-class drift reduction and penetration characteristics, the HARDI PulseSystem is an essential additional step forward in controlling where pesticides are deposited directly from the driver's seat.

Reduce chemical consumption and environmental impact with CurveControl

Thanks to the CurveControl

function, chemicals are saved, and the environmental impact is reduced in fields with many curves or when spraying around windmill towers or remises. Here, a minimum of spray liquid is applied at the inside and full flow, where the boom runs fast at the outer wings. This automatically prevents over and underdosing.

Automatic switching on and off individual nozzles

In addition, the system works with a single nozzle on/off – at a 36 m boom, control of all 72 nozzles at a single nozzle level. This can be done, for example, via a digital field map. Thus, the total field map determines how much pesticide to apply –and savings of up to 90% are possible by treating only the areas with mapped pests in

SPRAY ASSIST ASSURES BEST PRACTICE APPLICATION

JCB today announced the appointment of a new global lead logistics provider with the five-year contract

Spray Assist, Syngenta Selecting farm sprayer settings with the Syngenta Spray Assist App will ensure operators are always following best practice and could deliver up to 40% better results for autumn grass weed control, compared to some on-farm techniques

Results of Spray Assist trials conducted last autumn showed an average 25% improvement in blackgrass control from the same herbicide treatment and application timing, by following the App’s recommendations for nozzle selection, speed and operating pressure in the prevailing weather conditions.

Syngenta application specialist, Harry Fordham, explained: “Spray Assist looks at the crop, the growth stage, treatment and weather forecast, to recommend the optimum nozzle selection that the sprayer operator has available, along with the advised water volume, pressure and speed, to achieve the best results possible.

“The algorithms used are based on a huge resource of Syngenta trials data and nozzle manufacturers information. The App can make recommendations for 17 different crops with over

100 different treatments and timings. It will only make a recommendation from the nozzles and equipment that have been pre-programmed by the operator, so every calculation is specific to that farm and cropping.”

Harry pointed out that Spray Assist can draw on weather information from multiple sources across the UK, Europe and the world to provide accurate predictions of wind and rainfall conditions up to five days in advance of an application. If the weather forecast changes, the App will adapt the advice provided.

In the black-grass trials, for example, Spray Assist advocated the use of a lowdrift Lechler ID3 05 nozzle to

apply 200 l/ha operated at 2.2 bar when spraying at 10 kph to achieve the best result (81% control), compared to poor farm practice using a flat fan 05 at 3.2 bar to apply the same water volume at 16 kph – which achieved just 58% weed control. In other plots sprayed at 100 l/ ha, the Spray assist recommendation of an ID3 03 at 1.5 bar and 10 kph outperformed a 03 flat fan at 2.1 bar at 16 kph by over 11% in blackgrass control.

“Spray Assist can make the difference in better targeting of sprays in the field and achieving the crucial extra few percent of control with every application. The way it can be tailored to each individual farm means that it is always giving the most up to date bespoke and advice.”

“It doesn’t replace the skills and experience of the farm sprayer operator, but it does provide an extremely quick, simple and free resource to support their decisions and help deliver consistently better results.”

Spray Assist is available to download now from the App Store and Google Play.

KVERNELAND PREVIEWS ECOMAT ONLAND SHALLOW PLOUGH

Kverneland previewed its Ecomat on-land shallow plough on plot 10 at Tillage-Live 2022

Kverneland

previewed its Ecomat on-land shallow plough on plot 10 at Tillage-Live 2022, Eweford Farm, East Lothian, ahead of its launch in 2023

Developed as an option for minimum disturbance seedbed preparation, the Ecomat provides mechanical control of pests and weeds through soil inversion, reducing the reliance on chemical methods.

“Ecomat is a half-way house between a plough and a cultivator,” explains Kverneland product specialist Adam Burt. “As a shallow plough, the Ecomat still turns soil over but without needing to work as deep as a traditional plough. This

means it’s much easier to pull, and it does a far better job of inversion than a cultivator.”

This latest version of the Ecomat enables highefficiency shallow ploughing, at working depths ranging from 6cm to 18cm. As a result, output is much higher than conventional soil inversion methods, while fuel consumption per acre, is also reduced.

As an on-land plough comprising 10-furrows, the Ecomat is equipped with short, high-speed bodies of either steel or plastic construction. By working on-land, compaction can be limited by the use of tractors with much wider tyres operating at lower

pressures than those typically used in-furrow.

Furrow widths are mechanically adjusted from 30-50cm creating a range of working widths from three to five metres, while its 65cm point-to-point clearance contributes to a compact overall size for a 10-furrow fully-mounted implement.

Plough length though, is safely managed during transport thanks to Kverneland’s innovative TTS – Trailer Transport System. This clever headstock design, found on many other Kverneland plough models, enables the Ecomat to be towed like a trailer.

PRECISION BREEDING BILL WILL SUPERCHARGE INVESTMENT

NIAB - Precision Breeding Bill will supercharge investment in UK crop innovation

Newlegislation to be debated by MPs in Parliament on Monday (31 October) could help unlock the UK’s global leadership in plant genetic research, and encourage innovation in agriculture to address the most pressing challenges of today –developing crops that are higher yielding, more nutritious, more resilient to climate change and less reliant on pesticides or fertilisers.

Crop science organisation NIAB has welcomed the return of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill to complete its Commons stages, and is urging MPs to support the Bill’s ambition to drive innovation and investment in our agri-food sector, and to open new opportunities for research organisations and businesses.

NIAB CEO Professor Mario Caccamo said the introduction of the Bill had already led to positive conversations between NIAB and prospective research partners and commercial investors.

“We are already seeing increased interest in UKbased research investment and strategic partnerships

as a result of the Precision Breeding Bill and the signals it sends that Britain’s regulatory framework is set on a more pro-innovation trajectory. Importantly, that interest is coming not only from investors at home, but also from overseas.”

“This could mark a turning point for UK-led innovation in plant genetics. For the past 20 years or so, the direction of travel for investment in crop science has been one-way – out of the UK to regions of the world such as North and South America which have adopted more favourable regulatory regimes.”

“Over that time, remarkably, the UK has retained its leadership in fundamental plant genetic science and gene discovery research. This new legislation could help supercharge the private sector investment needed to unlock potentially significant advances for more sustainable farming systems, improved nutrition, and climate resilience,” he said.

Professor Caccamo highlighted to a number of ongoing NIAB research projects involving gene editing whose prospects of commercial application would be boosted by the

Bill’s provisions, including coeliac-safe wheat, enhanced nitrogen and water-use efficiency in wheat, and flowering time variation in strawberry to extend the domestic growing season.

He added that greater access to technologies such as gene editing would boost NIAB’s ongoing efforts to unlock the genetic potential of neglected pulse crops, such as peas, faba beans and soya, to provide a home-grown protein source with benefits for sustainable farming, healthy eating and climate change.

“The focus for gene editing research at NIAB is to help develop crops and farming systems which are less dependent on chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and which reduce the climate change impact of agriculture. These are all important objectives shared widely across the political spectrum for which new breeding technologies can offer tangible solutions,” said Professor Caccamo. “I would strongly urge MPs to support the Bill. Given the pace of climate change and insecurity of global supply chains, there is no time to waste.”

PROXIMA - UNIVERSAL TRACTOR NOT ONLY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES

“In the past, local farmers used to help us with some work, but they weren’t always available and the cost of specialised compaies was high”

The small village of Světnov is located just a few kilometers from Žďár nad Sázavou, surrounded by beautiful nature, typical for the Vysočina region. Even though it has only around 500 inhabitants, there is more than enough work here. That is why the municipality acquired a new reinforcement at the end of 2020. It was ZETOR PROXIMA CL 100.

"In the past, local farmers used to help us with some work, but they were not always available and the cost of specialized companies was high. So, we decided to buy our own tractor for the municipality," explains Mr. Pavel Štefan, Mayor of Světnov.

Work of all kinds

So far, the tractor works mainly in winter. "The terrain in Světnov is very hilly. We have about 6 kilometers of roads in the village and they have to be gritted, otherwise, the garbage men won't even take the bins out. Sometimes we shovel snow from 5 am and the afternoon shift ends at 10.30 pm. So, with PROXIMA, it's up to whoever is on hand," says Mr. Štefan about the main job of the tractor. "We also sometimes use the tractor to pull out

cars stuck in the snow, because the winter here in Vysočina is hard and there is a lot of snowing," he adds with a smile.

Světnov Zetor Proxima CL 100 lukaskralphoto (3) Most often PROXIMA works with an arrow plow (which is highly praised by the locals because it plows snow on both sides) and a spreader in the back. However, PROXIMA is not only used in winter. In addition to the plow, the municipality has also purchased a container carrier, so that they can now take the containers away themselves, and a sweeper for cleaning the roads and pavements. "This is a really big help for us. The ZETOR also proved its worth last year when we asphalted the road to Stržanov and the PROXIMA helped to remove the cut trees," adds the mayor.

They are very satisfied with the tractor in Světnov. It handles all the work without any problems, is still under warranty, and has had no serious breakdowns. The village wanted the ZETOR from the very beginning. Mainly because of the favorable price and easily accessible service. After

all, the company Agrozet Havlíčkův Brod, where they bought the PROXIMA, is only 30 km away and it is easy to get there "on the wheels".

Světnov Zetor Proxima CL 100 lukaskralphoto (6) Plans for the future

In Světnov they are already thinking about how to use the potential of the new PROXIMA. The first step will be to add another pair of hydraulic sections forward and backward. In the future, they are considering buying a mowing arm to use in the maintenance of local roads and around Světnov. "We pay for the service now, so we would be self-sufficient in that as well. In addition, we can transport the mown greens to a nearby biogas plant and reduce our costs," says Mr. Štefan. Another possibility would be to use PROXIMA to take out the sludge from the local wastewater treatment plant. So far, they are outsourcing this service, but soon, it could be another way to save some money from the municipal budget.

And we wish the whole Světnov many satisfied motor hours and as much work well done with the ZETOR as possible.

CENTAYA 3000 PNEUMATIC HARROWMOUNTED SEED DRILL

For the SIMA 2022 exhibition. Amazone is extending its range of penumatic harrow-mounted seed drills with the Centaya 3000 special

For the SIMA 2022 exhibition, AMAZONE is extending its range of pneumatic harrow-mounted seed drills with the Centaya 3000 Special. The new model in the Centaya range replaces the AD-P Special harrow-mounted seed drill.

The Centaya Special is offered in hopper sizes of 1,000 l and 1,500 l and with a working width of 3 m. The pneumatic harrow-mounted seed drill can be equipped with the RoTeC single disc coulter or with the TwinTeC Special double disc coulter.

Compact, user-friendly and precise

The segmented distributor head on the Centaya Special is mounted behind the seed hopper directly above the coulters. This arrangement ensures a short conveying time for the seed. The hopper is positioned well forward and thus offers an optimum centre of gravity close to the tractor. The distributor head can be reached easily via the loading board and can then be regularly checked. Setting the tramline system is also easy to carry out as a result of the good accessibility.

The low profile of the hopper also gives the driver a better overview of the machine. The very large 2.30 x 0.84 m hopper fill opening enables a quick and convenient fill, not just from big bags, front end loaders, but also from small sacks. The deep hopper tip and steep hopper walls reliably guide the seed corn down to the metering unit. Furthermore, this design means that only small

residual amounts are left in the hopper.

The Centaya Special harrowmounted seed drill is controlled via ISOBUS. The in-house developed AMAZONE software allows intuitive operation by the driver. In combination with the TwinTerminal, the machine can be quickly and simply got ready for drilling.

Smart calibration

Calibration of the seed hopper can be carried out conveniently from the loading board. The easily-accessible metering unit on the bottom of the hopper ensures even seed metering. The seed is gathered in the collection bag supplied and is weighed using the scales that are included as standard.

For other seeds, or different seed rates, AMAZONE offers a variety of different metering cassettes for the Centaya Special. Only two bolts need to be released directly on the metering unit using the tool supplied, in order to change the metering cassettes.

In order to make pre-metering, calibration and residue emptying even easier, AMAZONE offers, for the Centaya Special, in conjunction with the AmaTron 4, the Comfort Pack with its TwinTerminal 3.0. This terminal is fixed in place with a magnet close to the metering unit.

Calibration is therefore carried out directly down on the machine and there is no need to keep getting up and down from the tractor. ISOBUS control of the

seed drill combination can be performed either by the AmaTron 4 or the AmaPad 2 ISOBUS terminals from AMAZONE, or by any other ISOBUS terminal from a third party manufacturer.

Single disc or double disc coulters

The Centaya Special can be equipped either with the RoTeC single disc coulter or with the TwinTeC Special double disc coulter.

RoTeC coulters are maintenancefree and work very reliably, even where large amounts of straw and plant residues are present. The sowing disc and a furrow former create the seed furrow profile and provide optimum seed placement into the soil. The Control 10 depth guidance disc or the Control 25 depth guidance roller prevent the soil from sticking to the sowing disc, thereby ensuring that the pre-selected sowing depth is precisely maintained. Row spacings of 12.5 cm and 15 cm can be chosen.

Equipped with the highperformance TwinTeC Special double disc coulter, the seed drill offers a precise and sturdy double disc coulter. With a disc diameter of 340 mm and a coulter pressure of 40 kg, the coulter provides very precise and neat seed placement, even at higher speeds and on inconsistent soils. Thanks to the trailing depth guide roller, there is always good contact with the soil, so that optimum seed placement is ensured.

ROBERT DAVIDSON & SON TAKE DELIVERY OF 75,000TH AMAZONE SPRAYER

It was way back in 1969 when the first Amazone sprayer made its debut onto the market

It was way back in 1969 when the first Amazone sprayer made its debut onto the market.

Designated the S range, those original 400 and 600 litre mounted sprayers started a journey towards the unbelievably comprehensive Amazone sprayer programme that we see today. That range includes UF mounted sprayers from 900 – 2000 litres (plus front tanks for up to a 3,500 litre wraparound combination), UG and UX trailed sprayers from 2,200 litres through to 11,200 litres, including the new UX 01-L in 8,000 and 9,000 litre tank capacities, plus, of course, the flagship self-propelled, the allnew Pantera 4504.

Today, the Amazone family business, and the two owners Christian and Dr. Justus Dreyer, see it as their task to continually increase precision through innovative crop protection technology in order to further protect the environment and to reduce costs. But as the machine was taking shape on the drawing board back then, the design team could not have comprehended the complexity and level of technology that would be found on an Amazone sprayer those 50odd years later - a case of from little acorns then major oak trees grow.

And it was that unique technology that first drew farmers and contractors, Robert Davidson & Son Ltd, to the Amazone sprayer range when they heard about AmaSelect, the unique electric individual nozzle control system that not only reduces chemical usage by the GPS

actuation of 50 cm boom sections in short work, but also automatically enables the operator to have the correct nozzle size always in use as well as being able to select the appropriate nozzle type from the cab.

Robert Davidson & Son Ltd has been farming in Essex since the 1920’s and settled in Peldon in 1946. The farm has grown exponentially since then with the current acreage at around 1350 ha with a mix of cropping that includes continuous winter wheat on the home farm plus, elsewhere, some marrowfat peas and then increasingly crops for energy, with rye on the lighter land and then maize grown for both foraging as well as for the combine. On top of this area, another 800 -1200 ha of maize and rye are foraged for neighbours as well.

At Robert Davidson & Son Ltd, different spray rates are utilised for different operations as well as an increased use of liquid fertiliser so the ability to select the right nozzle from the seat was going to be extremely useful. Having loaned a machine while they waited a year for the AmaSelect system to become a reality, September 2015 saw the new 40m-boomed, Pantera 4502 arrive at Brickhouse Farm, Peldon, Colchester. Now with 5,000 hours on the clock and 7 years later, that original machine has now made way to its improved successor, a brand new Pantera 4504 and, remarkably, the 75,000th sprayer to have rolled off the Amazone sprayer production line and thus a major

milestone in Amazone history.

‘We are delighted to take delivery of such an iconic machine’, adds Robert, the third generation and on the farm since the early 1970’s. ‘The out-going model has done sterling service and, although we looked at what else was on the market, its narrow road width, 50kph road speed and improved suspension makes it ideal for our further away contract farms plus the service support from Amazone and local dealer, R.W. Crawford contributed to our continuation with the Amazone brand’.

The decision to replace the old Pantera with a 36 metre option stems from the increasing acreage of maize grown on 75cm rows. James Faulkner, partner and next generation of the Davidson family, goes on to explain the rationale behind the reduction in boom width, ‘AmaSelect has evolved since 2015 and now, with the AmaSelect Row option, we wanted to supply liquid N targeted directly to the plant. The sprayer has the 25cm nozzle spacing option and is able to automatically choose the most appropriate nozzle above the plant and thus make better use of the reduced rate of fertiliser able to be applied.

The new ContourControl boom height guidance system keeps the boom on track above crop and automatically recognises the nozzle spacing and thus the nozzle spray pattern selected and the height above crop that is required.

ROSS AGRI REFLECTS ON 50 YEArS OF BUSINESS

This year marked a significant milestone for Fendt dealer Ross Agri Servcies Ltd

Managing Director

Martin Ross joined the family business to work with his parents in 2000. Reflecting on his 22 of the 50 years he explained: Farming has changed, machinery has changed, and technology has brought the biggest fundamental changes to agriculture in the 50 years we have been in business. I have had to adapt the service we offer our customers to react to the way technology is influencing the way they farm.”

Martin Ross, Ross Agri Services Managing Director, celebrating 50 years of the business. Pictured with a 1994 Fendt 512 C Favorit Turbo.

Working with Fendt, he has had to adjust to the speed of change faster than most. The AGCO group premium brand has been at the forefront of pioneering agricultural technology and has expected its dealers to keep pace.

“When I started, there were three questions I would ask a customer to specify on a new tractor. Do you want front linkage, how many spool valves do you need, and what tyres would you

like? Now I may as well be speaking a foreign language to some customers, if I were to list off all the various options that are available to them,” he says. There is no doubt in his mind that the development of new technology is helping agriculture to be more sustainable and productive. However, he also recognises the impact this has had on the business and how it has challenged him, and his staff, to deliver an ever-diversifying range of services to their customers.

“Our customers are having to run tractors for longer hours to see the return on the ever-increasing investments they are expected to make. It is our job to make sure these hours are as stress free as possible. We are fortunate to have the Fendt franchise that offers 8,000 hour warranties, but, with the cost of tractors almost doubling in 20 years, many are looking for fixed costs to help manage their farming enterprises.”

Used Fendt tractors with as many as 10,000 hours are supplied with 12-month warranties which Mr Ross suggests represents

a shared commitment between manufacturer and dealer to deliver on their promises.

The service level expectation has seen Mr Ross choose to invest in staff who specialise in the technology that has come to control the latest machines. However, this is not to the detriment of skilled engineers who offer welding and fabrication at Ross Agri Services’ St Cyrus base. “Selling premium brands is one thing. We are never going to be the cheapest and we are often unapologetic about being the most expensive. The value is in the aftersales service. We pride ourselves on being able to offer our customers a one stop shop, everything from manufacturer trained diagnostics to CNC precision engineering. It is a challenge to move at the speed that technology is pushing agriculture, but we have made it our mission to work with the best brands and give our customers the support they need,” he concludes.zx

FORWARD-THINKING SCHOOL INVESTS IN FUTURE WITH NEW MACHINERY FLEET

A prestigious college with a history of producing elite sporting athletes has marked its 100th anniversary

Aprestigious college with a history of producing elite sporting athletes has marked its 100th anniversary with a significant investment in its groundscare.

Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire has completely renewed its machinery in order to maintain a huge area of sports pitches, running tracks and amenity grounds.

A GPS precision sprayer has been added to the fleet, and combustion engines have given way to electric wherever possible in line with the college’s sustainability ambitions.

Founded in 1912, Lord Wandsworth left a generous bequest in his will to educate the children of agricultural workers and children who had lost one or both parents.

“The outdoors is still at the heart of the school, although the emphasis on farming has been replaced by sport, with notable former pupils including rugby stars such as world cup winner Jonny Wilkinson and British & Irish Lion Ugo Monye,” Alistair Cotton, Grounds and Gardens Manager, says.

Other notable alumni include Squadron leader George Johnson – the last remaining member of the 1943

Dambusters raid – HelloFresh founder Patrick Drake, and Claudia Gwinnutt, who created the beauty brand Circla.

Out of the total 1,200 acres on the site, the team is responsible for 150 acres which includes 14 winter pitches ranging from full size rugby and football to touch rugby and seven-aside football pitches.

“There is also a full-size and half-size astroturf pitch and in the summer there are six grass cricket squares, two artificial cricket grounds and a grass 400m running track,” says Alistair.

“It would be enough to keep 13 people busy – at the moment, we only have a team of five.”

With staff recruitment an issue, a common problem at present in the industry, ensuring that the kit is up to speed and efficient is particularly important.

The grounds team upgraded its fleet of John Deere kit this year, to better service the sports fields, some of which have increased in size, and to contribute to the college’s overall aim to reduce carbon emissions.

“The school was passionate about cutting carbon

emissions even before the current issues with power prices,” he says. “Opting for electric TE Gators was just one element of that –they’re also about to install solar panels on all the roofs to try and offset the utility bills.”

So far, the team have been pleased with the performance.

“They last a day and we’ve had no issues with battery life,” he says. “Compared to the combustion Gators we had before, they are not as fast, but if you’d never had one of the older models, you’d wouldn’t know – they do the job just as well.”

A significant investment in solar panels across the college’s buildings will see the Gators charged by on-site renewable energy in the near future, but the team continues to run a diesel TH 6x4 Gator.

This new collection of kit marks the school’s third deal with John Deere through their local dealer, Hunt Forest, in Blashford.

“Each deal has grown year on year to the point we’re at now,” Alistair says. “We’ve been with John Deere for 15 years – they’re always very competitive on price and the reliability of the machines is as good as any.”

JOHN DEERE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS TRAINING THE TALENT OF TOMORROW

John Deere is marking the 30th anniversary of its renowned apprenticeship programme with an open day to recruit technicians Honor Miles, an Apprentice Technician, stands in front of the new John Deere Training Centre.

John Deere is marking the 30th anniversary of its renowned apprenticeship programme with an open day to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business.

Well in excess of 1,000 apprentices have qualified since 1992, and the company is keen to showcase the exciting career path that lies ahead of those who complete the course.

On 6 October, John Deere and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will open the doors of its new training centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire, where candidates will be offered guided tours, practical demonstrations and driving experiences.

Classrooms and workshops will be staffed by instructors and apprentices, providing a unique opportunity to view the state-of-the-art learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programme.

John Deere’s apprenticeship programme sees technicians work within the company’s dealership network as a paid employee while completing either a two or threeyear course comprising onthe-job practical learning and classroom studies.

Three courses make up the programme; Ag Tech – focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech –focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech –focusing on parts service and support.

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries – they are evolving and becoming more technologically advanced than ever before,”

John Deere Branch Training Manager Allan

Cochran says.

“The job is so much more than just servicing and fixing things. The machines and parts our apprentices work on and with are some of the most advanced in the world, many capable of levels of automation or operating at capacities we could only dream of a few years ago.

“With exam results now known and young people planning their futures, we’re encouraging them to join us for our open day to find out how John Deere can ignite their careers.

“It’s not just for people who love tractors – if you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for groundbreaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”

The open day will be held on 6 October, with three sessions being run at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, and entry is free, although prebooking is a requirement as places are limited.

Booking is live at https:// JohnDeereApprentice. eventbrite.co.uk

NEW BRUSHCATTM & LOG GRAPPLE ATTACHMENTS FROM BOBCAT

Bobcat:

New attachments are designed for Bobcat Small articulated loaders

New attachments are designed for Bobcat Small Articulated Loaders -

Bobcat has expanded the company’s attachment range with the launch of two new BrushcatTM rotary cutter models and a new log grapple attachment for the company’s range of small articulated loaders (SALs).

The new Brushcat attachments offer cutting widths of 1118 and 1372 mm, respectively, and are the smallest models in the full line-up of Brushcat rotary cutters, which offers larger models with cutting widths of 1676, 1829 or 2032 mm.

Like the new smaller Brushcat attachments, the log grapple is compatible with both the Bobcat L23 and L28 SAL models. The log grapple meets the challenging demands of landscaping and site clearing jobs and is ideal for customers seeking maximum productivity by increasing the versatility of their machines. The log grapple can also be used on the new MT100 mini track loader.

New Bobcat Brushcat Attachments

Like the larger models, the two new smaller Brushcat attachments deliver powerful cutting and mulching action

in areas of untamed growth and can pass through gates and other narrow entrances to work in areas that are inaccessible to larger machines. They are designed to handle tough brush clearing jobs in a wide variety of applications, such as agriculture, forestry, landscaping, municipalities, parks and recreation areas. The light weight, short deck and superior oscillation of these attachments enable the brush cutter to follow ground contours in order to maintain a clean cut, even on slopes.

The new Brushcat attachments feature a highefficiency, direct-drive motor that maximizes hydraulic horsepower for optimal cutting and mulching of tall, thick vegetation in one pass. The high cutting speed and heavy-duty blades maximize momentum to cut and mulch vegetation up to 5 cm in diameter.

New Log Grapple Attachment

The new log grapple is the perfect attachment for any landscaping project, as it can easily clean up after cutting or trimming trees and bushes. Overall, the log grapple brings the best out of Bobcat SALs, increasing their versatility and providing savings in both time and money.

From cleaning and recycling

to discarding or collecting branches and logs, with its heavy-duty teeth there is no job the new log grapple cannot tackle.

The log grapple attachment also has reinforced tines, which with the heavy-duty teeth provides outstanding grip when managing unwieldy logs and brush. Rope bollards provide an additional anchor point, assisting in stability while at work. For increased operator control, the log grapple comes with an integrated tree pusher, ensuring material falls in the intended direction, allowing the operator to accomplish multiple tasks with the same attachment.

Operators will also appreciate the efficiency offered by the log grapple’s 143 cm wide opening and 360° rotation for increased productivity and ease of use. The open sides allow for easy clamping of logs and piles of brush, clearing areas - even in confined spaces - more quickly.

Bobcat Small Articulated Loaders

The Bobcat L23 and L28 SALs offer high lift capacities in confined spaces, ease-of-use with simple intuitive controls and low ground disturbance for working on any terrain.

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NEW DIGESTATE ADDITIVE REVEALS NITROGEN INCREASES

An unseasonably early harvest and record-breaking temperatures have increased the risk of yield loss from barley yellow dwarf virus

An innovative trial exploring if a new slurry additive can improve nutrient availability in digestate has shown a 20.3% increase in available nitrogen content and a 29% reduction in dry matter solids after the first year.

The new Digest-It slurry additive from Origin Fertilisers is a live liquid biological bacteria that has been used in digestate for the first time and has been well proven to significantly reduce ammonia emissions and increase ammonium nitrogen levels in slurry. The trial took place at a 1.2MW anaerobic digestion plant in Lincolnshire.

The 20.3% increase in ammonium nitrogen was shown after a 12-week period following the application of Digest-It. A further 29% reduction in oven dry solids has translated to the digestate being easier to pump, which in turn has reduced machinery wear and fuel use, along with shortening filling times.

As an outcome of reducing solid content, the digestate has a thinner consistency and is therefore easier

for the plants to absorb following application to the soil. Plants aren’t using as much energy to search for nitrogen, and nitrogen losses through volatilisation are reduced.

Callum Norman, speciality sales manager at Origin Fertilisers, who was involved in the trial, says that while the headline increases make excellent reading, the wider benefits of applying DigestIt shouldn’t be overlooked.

From a financial perspective, the Digest-It trial returned a 2:1 cost benefit and only requires one application so reduces the labour requirement compared with additives that need ongoing applications.

“The treated digestate had less nitrogen content than the untreated product. The upshot here is that the same amount of land can have 13% more digestate spread on it before NVZ limits are reached, which could be hugely beneficial for growers on smaller acreages with excess digestate to spread.

“We are really pleased with the results of the trial. The environmental benefits, such as reduced volatilisation due to the conversion of ammonia into ammonium, and supplying good microbes to the soil, will be a huge benefit to all farms and help contribute towards agriculture reducing its emissions,” concludes Mr Norman.

The results have been collected from samples taken every two weeks, during the closed period of the digester after application, and then compared with previous samples taken. The feedstock for the plant is a consistent mix of forage maize and rye, which translates into a 6kg/N/ tonne value.

POWER UP WINTER WHEAT PREEMERGENCE WEED CONTROL

With the winter wheat drilling window looming large - ADAMA has released new data that shows what additions can deliver

With the winter wheat drilling window looming large – but potentially still at least a few weeks away for those growers with a severe black-grass burden – ADAMA has released new data which shows the addition of pendimethalin and/ or diflufenican can deliver additional efficacy to some of the UK’s more popular herbicide co-packs offerings.

“As part of ADAMA’s remit to provide beneficial solutions to the problems faced by UK cereals growers, we recently commissioned a series of trials to assess the efficacy of two popular pre-emergence herbicide co-packs to determine how effective they are at controlling difficult grassweeds such as black-grass and ryegrass and to determine if their efficacy can be improved with the inclusion of additional tank mix partners,” explains ADAMA herbicide technical specialist, Dr Bill Lankford.

The power of pendimethalin

The first set of trials – to assess the impact of adding pendimethalin to an

alconifen plus flufenacet and diflufenican co-pack –clearly demonstrated that the inclusion of Anthem (400g/l pendimethalin) improved black-grass control by reducing heading numbers by an average of 16%, with the benefit ranging from +3% to +26%.

“The same five independent trials also showed that adding pendimethalin as a tank mix partner helped to reduce the variability of black-grass control,” Dr Lankford adds, “with all five trials showing a significant uplift and consistency in protection.”

Powering up with diflufenican

The trials also indicated that adding diflufenican to a tank mix of cinmethylin plus pendimethalin reduced the variability of blackgrass control.

“The addition of diflufenican to the mix also delivered a 10% reduction in heading numbers when used against flufenacet resistant ryegrass,” Dr Lankford explains.

“What we’ve shown is that the inclusion of an extra active ingredient provides a useful boost to a preemergence herbicide co-pack,” Dr Lankford summarises. “In a year when fuel and fertiliser costs remain high, and with crop values also remaining elevated, it makes sense for growers to provide crops with the very best levels of weed control, with relatively cheap actives such as pendimethalin and diflufenican offering a viable return on investment.”

PROCAM WELCOMES NEW AGRONOMIST TO ITS CULLOMPTON-BASED TEAM

Leading agronomy firm ProCam has extended its team in the South West with the appointment of a new agronomist

Leading agronomy firm ProCam has extended its team in the South West with the appointment of Kevin Knight to its Cullompton-based team of agronomists.

Kevin, who holds a BSc degree in Biological Sciences (University of Plymouth) and MSc degree in Applied Plant Sciences (Wye College), has worked in the UK’s arable and vegetable sectors since 2012 when he joined Agrii as a trainee agronomist and farm saved seed assistant. He subsequently joined Zantra Ltd. where he spent five years providing agronomy advice for the full range of combinable crops as well as potatoes, field vegetables, salads and protected crops, cover crops and regenerative agriculture. Most recently Kevin has spent three years working

as an agronomist for Pearce Seeds where his focus was on providing seed and profitable agronomic advice to growers of forage, fodder, arable and vegetable crops.

“I’m excited to be joining ProCam’s professional,

growers of arable, forage and vegetable crops in Cornwall, West Devon and the South Hams.

“In addition to helping farmers produce healthier, higher yielding crops, I’m also looking forward to providing bespoke crop protection, nutrition and management advice which will enable growers to protect their gross margins by keeping cropping costs to a sensible and sustainable level.”

friendly and knowledgeable team of crop protection specialists,” Kevin says, “and look forward to providing technical agronomic advice to

“We’re delighted to welcome Kevin to the ProCam team,” explains Diane Heath, ProCam’s UK Managing Director. “He joins us at an interesting time for UK food production and know that his specialist knowledge of crops as diverse as cereals, field brassicas, salads and herbs will be a huge asset

NEW ACCOUNT MANAGER AT ADAMA AGRICULTURAL SOLUTIONS UK LTD

Adama Uk: Has appointed Henry Passmore as a new account manager ADAMA Agricultural Solutions UK Ltd. has appointed Henry Passmore as a new account manager within its commercial team.

As the final member to join ADAMA’s extended commercial team, Henry, who is based in Norfolk, joined ADAMA on 1st October and is responsible for developing and delivering ADAMA’s commercial strategy by working closely with key buyers and commercial managers in the UK, notably with ProCam and Hutchinsons.

Henry’s agricultural career began eight years ago when he joined British Sugar via the company’s graduate programme: during his tenure there he held various roles including contracts manager where he was responsible for working with growers to develop the sugar beet production area. More recently he was the agricultural operations and logistics manager for the company’s Cantley factory in Norfolk.

Henry is BASIS and FACTS qualified and holds a BSc Hons degree (2:1) in Agronomy from Newcastle

University.

Commenting on Henry’s appointment, Ben Miles, ADAMA’s Managing Director, said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Henry to ADAMA and look forward to working with him to develop and grow our business with two of our key customers.

“Henry will provide important commercial and technical support to his contacts at ProCam and Hutchinsons and will play an integral part in the development of ADAMA’s strategy to expand the sales of its range of crop protection products.”

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Heightened weed burden could mean growers need to replace inundated crops

As a result of the summer’s prolonged drought, some early-drilled winter wheats are facing a heightened weed burden after the dry conditions have prevented pre-emergence herbicides from working effectively. That’s according to Mike Thornton, head of crop production for agronomy firm ProCam, who urges growers to assess affected fields to determine if the current crop should be retained or sprayed off and re-drilled.

“Despite being a distant memory, the summer’s dry and hot conditions are still having an effect on the new cycle of cereal crops,” Mr Thornton explains. “Some wheats which were drilled ahead of schedule or on lighter land have suffered from a lack of soil moisture, which has prevented soilacting pre-emergence herbicides from working to the best of their ability. As a result, some winter cereals are currently facing heightened competition from out-of-control weeds which, in the most severe

cases, could threaten the crop’s viability and profitability.”

Mr Thornton therefore recommends that each field should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to decide if the current crop, or part of it, should be sprayed off and re-drilled, either with a replacement winter crop, or with a subsequent spring crop.

“Where the weed burden is excessive or contains difficult-to-control competitors such as blackgrass, ryegrass and brome, it could be quite an easy decision to make. For example, if grass weeds have made it to the two-leaf stage or beyond, they will be very difficult to control as most contact herbicides have been rendered ineffective by mounting resistance.

“In the most severe cases, it will make sense to admit defeat sooner rather than later and to write-off the current crop so that weeds can be burned off ahead of a replacement crop being established.”

For many growers, Mr Thornton says it’s still

not too late to get a replacement winter crop into the ground. For others, deferring to a spring-sown cropping strategy might be the better option.

“In both cases, growers should be aware of the restrictions imposed by certain active ingredients on replacement crops. The best approach is to seek definitive advice from your agronomist and, where necessary, to implement a ‘plan B’ sooner rather than later.”

UK ATTRACTIONS ‘SERVING MORE BRITISH MEAT’

Family attractions in the UK are serving more British meat and local ingredients despite battling rising costs and staff shortages

Family attractions in the UK are serving more British meat and local ingredients despite battling rising costs and staff shortages, according to a Soil Association investigation.

The food and farming charity has ranked 16 of the UK’s leading attractions in a new league table after an army of “secret diner” parents helped to assess the quality of food on offer.

The Out to Lunch campaign found that nine of the attractions are sourcing

local ingredients and that half of them are sourcing 100% British meat compared to a third in 2018, when the investigation last visited.

Good examples of local sourcing included Cornish meat at the Eden Project, a large variety of Scottish produce at both Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and Kelvingrove, and Chester Zoo won points for sourcing meat and dairy from Cheshire and the Ribble Valley.

Soil Association head of food policy Rob Percival

said: “We are really pleased to see visitor attractions supporting local, British farmers. Some of these attractions are really leading the way in sourcing ingredients that are not only British but produced on their doorsteps in their local area. It is particularly encouraging to see this when we know caterers deal with rising prices, staff shortages and supply chain disruption. It is a testament both to the efforts of the attractions, and to the quality of British products.”

‘WE MUST CONSIDER ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS IN FARMED ANIMALS’

We must consider the ethical implications of not embracing genome editing in farmed animals

As the bird flu outbreak worsens in the British poultry flock, prompting further housing and biosecurity orders after the virus oversummered in the UK for the first time, it is distressing that animal welfare charities such as the RSPCA are campaigning against the use of genetic technologies, such as genome editing, which offer potential solutions.

And when the Covid pandemic, which has now claimed more than 6 million lives globally, is thought to have originated in animal to human transfer, it is concerning that ethical discussions about the use of genome editing in farmed animals appear to centre more on opposition to livestock agriculture than on the technologies themselves, writes animal geneticist Professor Helen Sang.

There is enormous potential for more precise breeding technologies such as genome editing, in conjunction with our rapidly increasing knowledge of the genes involved in infection and response to disease, to improve the health and welfare of farmed animals.

These technologies enable us to introduce valuable genetic characteristics more precisely than using standard animal breeding genetics, and so

accelerate the introduction of important genetic improvements that support sustainable, high-welfare livestock production, while retaining the valuable genetic characteristics of individual breeds.

UK scientists are leading a number of globally significant research projects using these technologies. The main focus of this research is to confer resistance to infectious pathogens, something that is a major challenge using conventional breeding techniques, to provide more effective and sustainable alternatives to prevention with vaccines or treatment with drugs.

The focus of my own research, for example, has been on the potential use of genome editing to develop chickens with resistance to bird flu.

Infection with the avian influenza virus is a major threat to farmed poultry worldwide, with severe strains killing up to 100 per cent of birds in a flock. In rare instances, variants of the virus can infect people and cause serious illness or death.

Researchers at Imperial College London and The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh) have successfully used genome editing techniques to stop the virus

from spreading in chicken cells grown in the lab. This is a very significant advance which suggests we may be able to use genome editing techniques to develop chickens with genetic resistance to bird flu.

The next stage in the research is to test whether this genetic change can be applied to confer resistance to chickens with no adverse effects on the health of the birds.

We have long known that chickens are a reservoir for flu viruses that not only threaten bird welfare but which might also spark the next pandemic. That is why efforts to control the spread of the disease are so urgently needed.

This year, the bird flu virus has over-summered in the UK for the first time, and outbreaks appear to be increasing in number and intensity as further housing and biosecurity orders are issued. The BBC recently reported that some 48 million birds have been culled across the UK and EU over the past year as a result of the largest outbreak of avian flu on record. Research to identify a route to genetic resistance to bird flu infection could result in protection of chickens, including free range flocks.

COMMENT: COSTS FOR TURKEY PRODUCERS UP BY 17.5%

Comment: Costs for christmas turkey producers at up by 17.5% in comparison to 2021

Septembersaw the start of the NFU’s annual turkey marketing campaign, supporting seasonal poultry producers in promoting their produce to customers and consumers in the run up to Christmas. Our regional turkey marketing meetings featured talks on cost of production and retail insights, as well as updates on feed and seasonal labour. The NFU update included estimated costs of producing a 5.5kg fresh turkey, illustrating the year on year changes. Our overall costings showed a 17.5% increase in the cost of production this year compared to 2021.

With the volatility in raw material markets, energy prices and currency over the last few months, it’s important to note that this will vary between different businesses and may not fully reflect more recent price fluctuations. Nevertheless, this is likely to be the biggest

annual rise in production costs that many producers will have experienced.

Avian influenza was a key area for discussion at the meetings, with turkey producers understandably concerned about the impact the disease could have on their businesses and birds, whether as an infected premises or being caught up in disease control zones.

I would urge everyone to take the time to review their biosecurity and take steps to minimise the risk of disease wherever possible.

Information on avian influenza, including biosecurity advice and guidance on disease control zones and licensing is available on NFU online. There is also further information about the ongoing work that the NFU is doing to support producers and the wider industry in this difficult

time.

On a more positive note, producers reported that sales are already off to a strong start, indicating that consumers are keen to make their Christmas a special occasion, despite the rising cost of living. Social media continues to be a vital tool in promoting seasonal poultry businesses and boosting farmgate sales.

With social media in mind, the return of #BuyMyTurkey day on Friday 2 December 2022 provides a great opportunity to encourage people to buy from their local turkey producer using the NFU Turkey Finder, and highlight why they should buy a high quality and high welfare British turkey for their Christmas dinner. More information on how to get involved will be available on the NFU website shortly –you don’t need to be a turkey producer to participate.

AVIAN FLU: HOUSING ORDER TO BE INTRODUCED ACROSS ENGLAND

Mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive birds are to be introduced to all areas of England

Mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive birds are to be introduced to all areas of England from Monday 7 November, following a decision by the United Kingdom’s Chief Veterinary Officer.

The housing measures legally require all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow stringent biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the disease, regardless of type or size.

The order will extend the mandatory housing measures already in force in the hot spot area of Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Essex to the whole of England following an increase in the national risk of bird flu in wild birds to very high.

Over the last year, the United Kingdom has faced its largest ever outbreak of avian influenza with over 200 cases confirmed since late October 2021. The introduction of the housing measures comes after the disease was detected at over 70 premises since the beginning of October, as well as multiple reports in wild birds. The Chief Veterinary Officer is now encouraging all bird

keepers across England to use the week to prepare, including taking steps to safeguard animal welfare, consult their private vet and expand housing where necessary.

Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer, said: “We are now facing this year, the largest ever outbreak of bird flu and are seeing rapid escalation in the number of cases on commercial farms and in backyard birds across England. The risk of kept birds being exposed to disease has reached a point where it is now necessary for all birds to be housed until further notice.

Scrupulous biosecurity and separating flocks in all ways, from wild birds remain the best form of defence. Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from Monday 7 November onwards you must keep your indoors. This decision has not been taken lightly, but is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.

Evidence shows that housing birds reduces the risk of kept birds being infected with bird flu. However, housing alone will not protect birds and all keepers must still follow the

other enhanced biosecurity measures mandated by the AIPZ at all times to protect their flocks and prevent the risk of future outbreaks which is circulating in wild birds. Housing combined with stringent biosecurity measures can provide even greater reduction in risk.

The new housing measures build on the strengthened biosecurity measures that were brought in as part of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) earlier this month. The AIPZ means that all bird keepers need to take extra precautions, such as restricting access for nonessential people on site, ensuring workers change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

The UK Health Security Agency continue to advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency advice remains unchanged, that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

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1988 KRAMER 312 SE LOADRAD SHOVEL £4500

MUIR HILL 2WD LOADING SHOVEL NEEDS TLC £745

MF 3303 DIGGER LOADER H REG £2750

KUBOTA KH 51 ME £4775

PETTIET TIPPING TRAILER £990

TRAILER SMALL 3 TON WOOD SIDES FLOOR £875

EX ARMY BOMB TRAILER £685

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LELY POWER HARROW 4M 1000 RPM £895

LELY POWER HARROW 4M 540 RPM £2450

VICON CHISEL PLOUGH HEAVY £525 BOMFORD CHISEL PLOUGH £675

MF CHISEL PLOUGH £695

TASKER TILL TRAINDISC/TINES DISK £2890

BOMFORD HEDGE TRIMMER T,P,L £4775

BOMFORD HYDRO MOWER BRACKETS £685

BOMFORD BUSHWALKER TRIMMER NEEDS TLC £520

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ECON HM2 HEDGE TRIMMER BRACKET £1645

BAMFORD 4 FURROW PLOUGH DISC SKIMS £475

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BUCKETS HEAVY DUTY LARGE MACHINE FROM £325 TYRES AND RIMS TO FIT MF/FORD ETC., SIZE 14.0-16 10 PLT £POA 12.5/80-18. 11.00/16 10-00-16SL 8 PLY15.0/70-18 PRICES START AT £170 TO £250 16.5/85-28 ON FORD RIMS 10 PLY £275

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TEAGLE 510 TOPPER OFF SET MACHINE £1385

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IFOR WILLIAMS 12FT TRAILER WITH SIDES £1745 WOOD BURNER £325

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SMALL CAMPING TRAILER NEEDS TLC £25

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TEAGLE FLAIR SHAFT FOR TOPPER £375 GRAYS 3,P,L SNOW PLOUGH £665

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TWO MORE CORVUS DEALERS APPOINTED

In the continuing expansion of their dealer network, Boss ORV has appointed two near Corvus dealers

In the continuing expansion of their dealer network, Boss ORV has appointed two new Corvus dealers. David Taylor Garages and Campey Turf Care are the latest dealers who will be selling the European manufactured Corvus range of 4x4 utility vehicles.

David Taylor Garages has been a constant presence in Crickhowell, Powys, Wales since the 1960’s where the business grew and expanded to include haulage, recovery and several petrol stations. All three of David Taylor’s children joined the business. In 1988 Gene and his brother Scott, with a travel journalist, drove from John O’Groats to Land’s End in an Isuzu, believed to be the first time a 4x4 did this trip, to raise money for charity.

Boss ORV Managing Director Phil Everett says, “we are delighted to welcome our second dealer in Wales and extremely excited to have someone join the Corvus network with such a reputation for customer service in this region. Really looking forward to working with Gene, Chris, Katherine and all the team at David Taylor’s.”

Corvus arrived in Cheshire to coincide with the opening of the Campey Turf Care retail premises in Bosley, Cheshire. Richard Campey originally

detected an untapped market when he realised there was a role for a specialist supplier of high quality purpose built equipment that would enable turf managers to meet the increased demands placed on modern sports turf surfaces.

The business has now grown to be one of the leading UK’s independent distributors, with machinery available throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the USA.

“I’m excited to announce our latest Corvus dealer partner is Campey Turf Care,” says Phil Everett. “It’s great to have Richard, John and all the team join us at this exciting time in our development. Their expertise in the Groundcare market combined with our developing product line-up makes a dynamic combination.”

Both dealers will be stocking the Corvus Terrain range of side-by-side 4x4 utility vehicles, including the exciting new 100% electric Terrain EX4 UTV. Corvus is the first European manufacturer of off-road and homologated 4x4 UTVs vehicles.

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01597 810188 E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk Web: www.bossorv.co.uk

ABA Groundcare LLP Unit 2, Grove Trading Estate, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1ST Tel 01305 257952

jamie@abagroundcare.co.uk

Mike Pryce Machinery

Greenfields Farm, Four Crosses, Llanymynech, Powys, SY22 6RF Tel 01691 830308

mike@mikeprycemachinery.com phil@mikeprycemachinery.com

Off Road Electric Stonesfield Manor, Combe Road, Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, OX29 8QB Tel 0773 453 0452

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www.barrus.co.uk

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Three-year 0% flat rate finance is available via Rural Finance Limited, a broker authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Finance is available on in-stock Sportsman 570, 570 EPS, 570 EPS AgriPro, 570 EPS Black Edition, 570 EPS Hunter Edition, 570 EPS SP, 570 EPS SP Öhlins SE and Ranger 1000 EPS, 1000 EPS Nordic Pro SE, XP1000 EPS, XP1000 EPS Hunter Edition, XP1000 EPS ABS, XP1000 EPS Nordic Pro SE.

The three-year 0% terms are 6+30 months. Finance is agreed on the final purchase price, including up to £1000 (excluding VAT) of Polaris accessories and minus any trade-in deductions.

*Terms and Conditions:

This finance offer is against the finance purchase price, including up to £1000 (exc VAT) of Polaris accessories, minus any trade-in deductions (excluding VAT) on in-stock Sportsman 570, 570 EPS, 570 EPS AgriPro, 570 EPS Black Edition, 570 EPS Hunter Edition, 570 EPS SP, 570 EPS SP Öhlins SE and Ranger 1000 EPS, 1000 EPS Nordic Pro SE, XP1000 EPS, XP1000 EPS Hunter Edition, XP1000 EPS ABS, XP1000 EPS Nordic Pro SE.

The offer excludes Sportsman XP1000 models, Touring, 6x6 and x2 models, All Youth, RZR, Scrambler and General Variants and all Ranger Crew, two-seat, Diesel and Electric variants. The finance offer cannot be used in conjunction with vehicle pre-orders.

The 0% offer is based on a 6 + 30 term agreement.

This promotion is available from 1st October 2022 – 31st December 2022. Alternative profiles are available on request.

Full VAT or VAT balance due on signing the finance agreement (hire purchase only), an administration fee will be charged at the time of signing.

Applicable for business purposes only based in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland (excludes Channel Islands).

All applications are subject to credit acceptance and approval.

All products are subject to stock availability. Financial agreement terms and conditions apply, further details and written quotations are available on request.

Terms are current at date of publication and available for a limited period only. Finance is provided through Rural Finance Limited, 5 Wilkinson Business Park, Wrexham, LL13 9AE. Rural Finance Ltd is an authorised credit broker and not a lender and can introduce you to several carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer finance for your requirements. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers and a commission may be received for this introduction.

Rural Finance are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct authority, FRN 630701

Full Terms and Conditions will be available from your lender via Rural Finance Limited.

ATVTRAC - PROVEN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RURAL CRIME

As farmers and landowners continue to fight the threat of rural crime, ATVTrac offers a line of defence

Asfarmers and landowners continue to fight the threat of rural crime, ATVTrac offers a proven and effective line of defence.

With multi-tier technology, ATVTrac offers real-time location information, using GPS, GPRS, GSM and RF technology to not only pinpoint vehicle location, but to inform owners of unauthorised movement via text, email and phone call.

With a 98% recovery rate and an

average recovery time of three hours, ATVTrac’s results speak for themselves, with additional features too.

ATVTrac’s extra features are designed to make life easier and safer, with live tracking and machine over, assisting with safety and duty of care, covering lone worker polices in the process.

On top of great safety features, ATVTrac offers other useful functions such as live battery information, with adjustable low-

level notifications and an all-new service notification facility, helping to keep track of oil changes and routine maintenance.

And if the unthinkable happens, the true benefit of ATVTrac’s service becomes apparent, thanks to the 24hr manned call centre, which tracks the device, directly liaising with police or Securitas for recovery, to recover the asset.

Preferential insurance rates available too. Find out more at www.atvtrac.co.uk

GAME FAIR WINNER PICKS-UP AN AWARDWINNING ISUZU D-MAX

Top clay shooter wins use of an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. Competition takes place at The Game Fair celebrating the British countryside

Winner of the competition comes out on top for a fourth year in a row 24th October 2022 – As the proud Automotive Partner to The Game Fair, Isuzu UK supports the event in a variety of ways. One of which includes the sponsorship of the The Game Fair Challenge Clay Shooting Competition, with an award-winning Isuzu D-Max up for grabs.

For the sixth year running, Isuzu UK have continued their established partnership with The Game Fair, the flagship country event, which takes place in the grounds of Ragley Hall and celebrates the great British countryside. With the event being driven by the great outdoors, the partnership couldn’t be more on target.

Ashley Cooper, Head of Sponsorship at The Game Fair commented, “Having Isuzu as the Official Automotive Partner to the event has always been a fantastic pairing, with the capable D-Max range being the perfect companion to all who are fond of outdoor pursuits. The Game Fair

Challenge is a brilliant way for us to celebrate the skills of those who attend our event.”

Billy Baughan, winner of the competition, commented “I am really pleased to have won the competition at The Game Fair. Working for the family business, in the construction industry, the Isuzu D-Max is the ideal day-to-day workhorse

fully equipped facilities for new and used vehicle sales, servicing & repairs, M.O.T’s, body and paint repairs and genuine replacement parts. The dealership was crowned runner up in the Customer Care Dealer of the Year category at the 2022 Isuzu Dealer Awards.

Isuzu UK Head of Marketing, George Wallis commented, “We are proud to be supporting The Game Fair and their flagship competition. Our partnership promotes the Award-Winning Isuzu D-Max to a key audience and is the perfect prize for this fantastic competition.”

no doubt be used in my leisure time for country pursuits.”

The vehicle handover was conducted at Mr Baughan’s local Isuzu dealer, Adams Brothers, located in Aylesbury. Founded in 1943, the dealership is a third generation family-run business. Servicing the local community, they offer

The Award-Winning Isuzu D-Max range caters for every need, coming in single, extended or double cab body styles. With shift-onthe-fly 4WD, hill-descent control and a rear diff lock available as standard the Isuzu D-Max is the ultimate outdoors companion. The prize vehicle is a top of the range Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, which offers class leading safety spec along with proven off-road ability, SUV-like levels of specification along with a 1 tonne payload and 3.5 tonne towing capacity.