Seed depth tail 40mm deep holding the seed at correct depth and placing seed on either side of
Seed depth tail 40mm deep holding the seed at correct depth and placing seed on either side of
and
Triton launched its unique deep soil engagement direct drill in 2018 to give plough based yields from direct drilling. 6 years later we are consistently achieving higher yields from the Triton than from ploughed trials on our own land. The Triton is the only all weather seed drill on the market that gives the flexibility to grow maximum profit autumn sown crops whilst reducing blackgrass from late drilling... several manufacturers are now also claiming all weather capability... if these are false claims then the farmer’s new approach will be thwarted. Twin hold roll pin blade removal system and backward leaning
Next Generation Patented Drilling Blades
SOIL SURFACE
Drilling at
Buying a blade drill is now an open and shut case. Why? Because only the Triton drill has a slot closer
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‘Take Five’ to stay alive this harvest
• Safety pledge at busiest time
• NFU wants farmers to lead by example
• Promises to make our farms safer
NFU leaders have made a unanimous pledge to take personal action on farm safety – as part of the union’s long-running #Take5StayAlive campaign.
Each member of the NFU’s ruling council was anonymously asked to pledge to do one thing differently this harvest to make their farm safer – including taking five minutes to pause and think before key tasks.
Safety pledge
With almost 600 farm-related incidents reported last year, farming remains one of the UK’s most dangerous sectors. The #Take5StayAlive campaign aims to reduce the number of accidents where lives are still lost or changed forever.
Essential Farm Machinery
Editor: Johann Tasker | T: 07967 634971 E: johann@ruralcity.co.uk
Advertising sales: Danny Lewis | T: 01502 725862 E: danny.lewis@micropress.co.uk
Essential Farm Machinery is published monthly for farmers and growers in the eastern counties and the Midlands. It is mailed with Anglia Farmer and Midland Farmer magazines and is also available at selected farm machinery and supplies outlets.
Now, the NFU is calling on farmers and growers across the country to take part and make their own farm safety pledge – whether it’s checking machinery, wearing a helmet on an ATV or looking out for a neighbour.
NFU deputy president David Exwood said he himself had almost been killed three times during his farming career. “Let’s lead by example, speak up when something’s not right and make sure everyone gets home safe,” he said.
Farming families
“Farm safety is something we must all take personally. Too many people are suffering serious or fatal injuries while doing their job, and behind every incident is a family left to pick up the pieces.
“This unanimous commitment by NFU Council members is a powerful
statement that we can, and must, do better. Whether it’s changing a routine, replacing worn equipment or simply taking a moment to think, small actions can save lives.
“ Make sure everyone gets home safe
“It’s easy to think farm safety is something for someone else to worry about, but the reality is it can happen to any one of us. We all need to lead by example by making one change on our farms because that one change could save a life.
“I know from personal experience how quickly things can go wrong4 and how vital it is to not become complacent. Safety has to be our first thought, not our last. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our families and our staff to make smart choices.”
Beet harvester gets upgrade for 2025/26 campaign
A2025/26 campaign.
proved cab, a range of technical im provements and refreshed styling –including fully electric mirrors for optimal visibility, says Vervaet di rector Jonathan Hoekman.
ers, the Q-616 is hugely popular in the UK, outselling both its siblings in the Vervaet range. With almost a decade of performance since its launch in 2016, demand is also strong for re furbished used machines.
Worthy successor
“The Q-616 has proven itself in the UK as a worthy successor to the leg endary Vervaet 17-T and Beet Eater 617,” says J Riley’s managing director Matt Carse, who supplies a considerable number of new and used machines to new owners annually.
gives the operator a complete overview of the machine and work area, contributing to more efficient operation and reducing the risk of damage.
The Polly acoustic sensor measures insect and pollinator activity
“Its versatility makes it well-suited to both farmers and contractors lifting across the full range of soil types, it has consistently outsold the competition since its introduction.
“The large UK population means we can also offer good-quality refur-
Hydraulic upgrades include new valves and pumps. These improvements provide better responsiveness and greater efficiency. An extensive software update ensures better performance, greater ease of use and even more reliability.
farm. They will remain in place to two years providing real-time data on pollinator health to sugar beet grower Ali Cargill.
Information gathered will enable accurate and value-added insight into pollinator activity where sugar beet is part of the crop rotation. It will also demonstrate any impact of wildflower borders, hedgerows and nearby water sources.
Baseline data
Mr Cargill said he wanted to find out what sort of bee species were on the farm – and how they interact with the crops and wildflower margins. “Enabling us to see a baseline which we can then improve and build upon year on year.”
This detailed and accurate information will unveil opportunities for sustainable land and pest management activities across the beet growing area which spans across the East of England, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
British Sugar agricultural sustainability manager Charlie Curtis said: “This project presents a significant leap forward in our long-term ambition to enhance biodiversity across our agricultural operations.”
AgriSound chief executive Casey Woodward said real-time monitoring would provide invaluable information to support data-driven decision making by farmers in how to manage their land to protect pollinators and biodiversity.
“It is vital that more British businesses and producers look to monitor the pollinator activity at their sites, to enhance the protection of our ecosystems across the UK, and we are thrilled that British Sugar have taken this step.”
The two-year pilot project runs until 2027.
Triton is now accepted as the goto direct and conventional drill for extending the drilling window in catchy conditions whilst increasing yields through deep soil release. The Triton uses the patented self cleaning side presses to close the seeded slot in all conditions. As one heavy soil farmer said ‘If the field will hold the tractor the Triton will drill’ The Triton gives the grower the ability to grow the most profitable crop sequence which is vital in the current climate.
Continuous Winter Wheat with occasional early drilled spring wheat for grass weed control is the most profitable simple low cost cropping solution.
Please call us to discuss why we are so sure of this ‘rotation’ and why the Triton is essential to getting the spring wheat tillering by mid March to ensure a yield more akin to to winter Wheat and less vulnerable to spring seed bed drought.
Potato store defeats local council in noise row
Agricultural lawyers have secured an important victory for a Lincolnshire potato storage operator, overturning a local authority abatement notice.
The notice was issued after the determination of a statutory noise nuisance caused by a fan installed in a potato storage facility, which was allegedly affecting the residents of a neighbouring property.
After a four-day trial, the district judge ruled that the council acted unreasonably in serving the notice, finding no statutory nuisance and determining that the council failed to properly engage with the potato facility during the investigation process.
‘Ordinary use’
The determination of no statutory nuisance was due to the noise not being of a sufficient level to cause significant interference, said Rebecca Ironmonger, associate at Roythornes Solicitors.
The judge agreed that and Roythornes’ client had been exercising ordinary use of its land – undertaking agricultural storage activities on land historically used for agricul-
Spreader showcased at Royal Highland Show
Norfolk manure spreading specialist G T Bunning & Sons showcased a range of machines at last month’s Royal Highland Show.
Kit included a trio of Twin Vertical Auger (TVA) single axle machines, showcasing the flexibility of the range. The Lowlander 75 has a carrying capacity of 9.5t and features the same robust build quality as the larger models in Bunning’s range.
Modest dimensions
The smallest spreader is a Lowlander 75 MK4, which is suited to small farms and contractors who require a machine with modest dimensions to access tight gateways and yards.
The Lowlander 120 HBD is capable of spread widths up to 24m, while the Lowlander 120 TVA is a hybrid machine, offering increased output and improved material shredding compared with standard TVA models.
The hybrid uses a widebody auger design, increasing auger width from 1500mm to 1830mm. It includes large-diameter bottom blades. Wider augers improve the flow of some
120 HY TVA boasts improved shredding and increased throughput compared to the standard model
All Bunning spreaders, in both TVA and HBD design, are available weigh cell ready, with an optional Isobus rate controller system to improve application accuracy, allowing monitoring and live rate adjustment. Variable rate application of manures in accordance with prescription maps is also possible. Operators can monitor field requirements and
generate as-applied maps following applications, helpful for compliance and job recording.
Bunning says its iD1 screen provides more options for recording work outputs, offering users greater flexibility and improved accuracy for both job recording and variable rate application. All Bunning models are built in the UK at the company’s modern Norfolk factory and sold with a three-year warranty as standard.
Hugh Pearl Lane Drainage has over 60 years experience of contracting, and can supply all of your drainage and trenching requirements from design to construction.
Business growth aided by trailed applicator investment
• More control over crop management
• Better timed autumn establishment
• Additional revenue stream for farm
Launching a contract farming enterprise while doubling the size of his pig herd has al lowed fourth generation farmer Jack Bosworth to expand his business.
Trading as FJ Bosworth and Sons and based near Chelmsford, the success ful diversification and herd expansion has put the business on a firm footing with a positive outlook for the future.
“We currently farm 350ha of combinable crops with the main focus on growing both win ter wheat and winter barley as feed for our 7,500-pig herd split across two sites in Essex and Norfolk.”
Running a competitive pig business is all about controlling feed and other input costs. Milling and mixing our own grain for feed has ensured the enterprise is as competitive as possible and has certainly helped speed growth on our herd numbers.
Mr Bosworth says he began looking into contract farming five years ago. Demand is high in Essex for both umbilical application of slurry and digestate, along with an increased demand for specialist services, he says.
Crop establishment
This includes Avadexing, over-seeding and cover crop establishment, particularly for farms already under pressure through congested spring and autumn work windows, labour challenges and uptake in environmental stewardship schemes.
In September 2020, Mr Bosworth invested in a new 12m Multicast 400 trailed unit to run behind his John Deere UTV. It gave him much more control over application timings during busy work windows.
“I’d always been interested in buying a lightweight, multi-use applicator for the farm to reduce our own reliance on contractors. But the new applicator opened up another revenue stream because it meant we could offer our services to other farmers.”
The trailed unit comprises a 400l capacity tank along with a 12m man-
ual folding boom, both mounted on a single axle trailer chassis that uses high quality load rated tyres and suspension units.
Product is applied through the machine’s distribution head via a Honda engine driven fan unit to outlets spaced at 500mm intervals across the width of the boom. Work rates are controlled and monitored via a cab mounted GPS Garmin rate controller.
We offer our services to other farmers
“The real beauty of the Multicast is its versatility. By simply changing the metering cartridge and recalibrating the application rate you can broadcast grass seed, cover crops, granular fertiliser, Avadex granules or even slug pellets accurately and easily.”
It can be used to perform different tasks simultaneously reducing the number of passes and lowering fuel costs.
Challenging autumns
The Multicast is very light, weighing less than 250kg – a bonus for the many Essex farms which have experienced very wet weather during the last two autumns, making successful establishment of crops increasingly more challenging.
Farmers have also started to favour later autumn drilling in recent years, when ground conditions tend to be much heavier anyway, so using a very light machine, such as the Multicast 400, that is still able to travel
without damaging the soil.
With, what now seem to be, shorter dry weather windows, drilling decisions are also often made at the last minute. So, with key tasks, such as Avadex application that requires a 48-hour window post-drilling to maximize its effectiveness, its critical for farmers to either have their own applicator, or use a reliable, locally based contractor.
Light work
Working at optimum speeds of 12-14 kph, in good conditions we can readily achieve up to 80ha of Avadex application or cover cropping per day, with the machine’s light footprint making it almost unnecessary stick to tramlines.
“Combining both the contracting work and our own use of the applicator, we’re now using the Multicast to apply product across 600ha of land per year, with additional capacity to increase that workload as the contracting business grows.
“In terms of the economic benefits of a multi-purpose applicator, we retain more money in the business each year by reducing our reliance on contractors and generate additional revenue from the contracting business.
“This brings a positive balance of circa £10,000 per year, comfortably justifying the set-up we have,” Mr Bosworth concludes.
Jack Bosworth (right) with arable and contracting manager Ed Hodson and the Multicast 400 trailed applicator
Left: The cab-mounted Techneat rate controller integrates with the Topcon GPS system
Wartime tractors make high prices at Suffolk sale
Several wartime and vintage tractors achieved high prices at last month’s Roger Desborough sale in Suffolk. Hosted by auctioneer Cheffins, the sale on Saturday 21 June attracted over 300 bidders – both online and on site at Church Farm, Wenhaston, Halesworth.
The collection on offer was amassed by the late Roger Desborough, a wellknown vintage tractor and machinery enthusiast – and the auction took place on the family farm.
The highlight of the sale was an iconic 1917 Holt 75 tractor, which was one of only four examples known to exist in the UK – mainly used to supply the British, French, Russian and US armies during the First World War.
In production from 1914-1924, the current example was originally part of the famous Heidrick Tractor Collection, which today forms the nucleus of the California Agriculture Museum.
It was purchased by Roger Desborough from the Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale in October 2016 and was sold for £75,040 against an estimate of £50-60,000, to a Belgian collector.
Other highlights were a 1919 Saunderson Model G, which sold for £46,096 against an estimate of £45,000; and a 1963 Doe Triple-D which achieved £43,942, sold to a Suffolk-based collector.
Cheffins chairman Bill King said:
“As a testament to Roger Desborough’s reputation as one of the leading vintage tractor collectors in the country, this sale attracted a huge amount of interest from enthusiasts worldwide.
Global interest
“We saw bidding from Holland, the USA, Belgium, Ireland and throughout the UK. The auction presented some of the rarest British pre-war tractors as well as iconic American machines, most importantly the Holt 75.
“While the headline lots all achieved well within their pre-sale estimates, we also saw a number of the classic tractors sell for incredible prices, such as the early 1960s Massey Ferguson 35X Multi-Power which made £12,864 to a local enthusiast.”
American tractor
Other top prices included, £37,520 for the 1919 Overtime Model N, one of the oldest examples of this important American tractor in existence in the UK; and £34,304 for a 1917 Rumely Oil Pull.
One of the more unusual lots on offer was a Howitzer decommissioned artillery field gun, which sold for £16,080 against a pre-sale estimate of £10-12,000.
The Wenhaston sale attracted interest from enthusiasts worldwide, with the rare 1917 Holt 75 tractor topping the day’s bidding at £75,040.
Mr King said: “This sale reaffirmed that the collectors of vintage tractors are still going strong and looking for rare British and American examples, and particularly those which have been as meticulously cared for as those offered at this sale.”
Prices recorded are totals, including buyers’ premium at six per cent and VAT. The next Cheffins Vintage Sale will take place on 18-19 July at Cheffins Machinery Saleground at Sutton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire.
Automobilia market ‘burns red hot’
Over 550 collectable automobilia items went under the hammer at the Cheffins Machinery sale ground at Sutton, near Ely, on Saturday 14 June.
Cheffins automobilia and early advertising sales offer a wide range of items relating to motoring, motoring history and motorsports; including mascots, illuminated signs, petrol globes, petrol cans, enamel signs, models, accessories,
Highlights including a National Benzole Refuel Service original hanging light box which achieved £9,204, Wood-Milne Steel Rubber Motor Tyres enamel sign fetching £2,832 and a beautiful Clarke’s Melox enamel sign achieved £4,720.
Cheffins Machinery Sales director Tom Godsmark said popular primetime TV shows such as Salvage Hunters and Shed & Buried had fuelled interest in automobilia. He added: “The market for automobilia is red hot right now.”
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Royal reveal for innovative hydrogen engine
HRH The Princess Royal was given an insight into JCB’s innovative hydrogen technology when she visited last month’s Royal Highland Show.
The princess was shown around the engine at the show in Edinburgh by
years. The engine delivers the same power, performance and efficiency as the diesel equivalent, but with zero emissions.
More than 150 evaluation units have been built for exhaustive testing and a number of those engines – and refuel
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2014 McHale V660 Baler - Used, in good working order
Teagle Toppers - Available at great prices!
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TP 200 PTO
3yr warranty. Simple, flexible and e cient chipping of branches and trees up to 200 mm in diameter. The obvious choice for park and golf course maintenance and for municipal and agricultural grounds
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MultiOne 5.2K Multifunction Loader + 130CM General Bucket 25HP Kubota D905 Diesel Engine, 36 L/ Min Auxiliary Oil, Flow (for attachments) 1,110KGS Max Tipping Load, 2.75 Metres Max Boom Height, 23x8.50-12 Skid Tyres (Can be upgraded) 1,020KGS Gross Weight, Comes with a free bucket!
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TP 176 Chipper
Only 5hrs use! 3yr warranty. Lightweight, high-performance machine, auto start-up, auto-reverse feed, adjustable discharge & advanced monitoring, designed for easy transport & e cient chipping.
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Farmtrac 26 H Compact Tractor
4WD. Ex-demo. Multitasking, versatile & reliable. Perfect for gardens, orchards, tunnels & shelters. Equipped with foldable ROPS frame as standard, with possibility of retrofitting a cabin/specialised wheels.
AS Motors AS 73 4T Mower
Ex-demo. B&S Series 3 INTEK 5-speed manual engine, inclines up to 35°.
Powerful meadow mower with dual blade speeds, 73cm cutting width. Can handle steep slopes & tall, dense grass with ease.
FOR HIRE: FSID30 Stump Grinder
Economical 35L diesel engine. This robust machine generates torque at low RPM, minimising noise & increasing comfort
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Grasshopper Zero Turn Mower
Ex-demo, very low hrs, excellent condition. 124V. 54” 4XRD cutter deck. 24hp engine. Extra comfortable seat. Fast cutting speed. Still with full manufacturers warranty. Available immediately.
AS Motors 65 4T Mower
£3,950
Ex-demo. B&S Series 3 INTEK 5-speed manual 13HP engine, inclines up to 35°. Powerful, slope-capable mower designed for tough terrain & grass up to 150cm, o ering reliable performance.
FOR HIRE: AS Sherpa 920 2WD Ride-on mower, 90cm cutting width, 27HP engine, designed for mowing dense grass & vegetation up to 1.5m tall
