CEREALS EDITION Issue 26
Efficient adjective
1. performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. 2. utilising a particular commodity or product with the least waste of resources or effort.
GRASSLAND EDITION
p4 - u-drill grain and fert p7 - GEOspread saves money p8 - 12 furrows in Dorset
Welcome to Issue 26 So far so good. Commodity prices across most farming sectors have stabilised at acceptable levels. And while we would all like a bit more, there is now at least, willingness from customers to invest in machinery that delivers improved efficiency and profitability for their businesses.
We are very pleased to announce that with effect from April 2017, the entire range of Kverneland machines is now covered by a full twoyear warranty. While this is subject to an annual service, and maintenance check, this new warranty does offer the potential to lower the cost of machinery ownership for those choosing Kverneland for their implements.
And where better to start than the Cereals event, where we will be showing a new addition to our fertiliser spreader range, plus the very latest in precision seeding technology with the HD II seeding unit. We also have some great news for spare parts too, with parts finance now available to help you spread the cost of buying original parts to keep your Kverneland implements working at their most efficient.
Industry leading two-year warranty All new Kverneland machines purchased through the UK dealer network are now offered with a twoyear parts and labour warranty.
This impressive warranty offer extends across the entire range of new Kverneland implements including ploughs, drills, cultivators, mowers, rakes, tedders, forage wagons, fertiliser spreaders and precision farming products, including Tellus control boxes. “We are pleased to introduce the
best implement warranty in the industry, as a result of the high quality of Kverneland equipment and the extensive level of service and back-up we provide,” explained Joe Bell, Kverneland UK managing director.
“Those taking advantage of this new warranty offer will enjoy the security of lowering the cost of ownership when they buy Kverneland machines, and this will also add value to their farming business,” he said. The second year’s new machine warranty is based on Kverneland’s standard one-year parts and labour warranty. To qualify for the two-year warranty
offer, customers must register their machine online through http://my.kverneland.com and also have their machine serviced before the first year’s warranty expires.
Servicing must also be completed by a Kverneland dealer, and at the customer’s expense. Terms and conditions* apply, and wear parts are excluded from this offer.
The two-year warranty offer is available on all products in the Kverneland range with the exception of the Kverneland Siloking diet feeder range - the latter can already be specified with an additional two-year parts-based warranty, available at extra cost at the time of ordering. *A full list of terms and conditions is available from Kverneland dealers.
Over 12,000 More dealers join the network likes!
Make sure you drop onto the Kverneland stand at the shows listed below, to find out more about these new developments. Joe Bell Managing Director
2017 Show Dates Cereals 2017 Boothby Graffoe, Lincs June 14 & 15
Royal Highland Show Ingliston, Edinburgh June 22-25
Royal Welsh Show Llanelwedd, Builth Wells July 24-27
UK Dairy Day The International Centre, Telford, Shropshire - Sept 13 Tillage Live Wickenby Airfield, Lincs Sept 14
Scottish Ploughing Champs Ellon, Aberdeenshire Oct 28-29 AgriScot Ingliston, Edinburgh Nov 15
Thanks to you, the Kverneland UK Facebook page continues to grow. We now have over 12,000 likes, from many of you who like to watch and share what’s going on.
If you’ve not seen what we’re up to, simply visit Facebook and type Kverneland UK into the search box. You’ll find us easily, just look out for the green Kverneland arrow. Like our page and share our posts.
You can get involved too - if you have any interesting photos or videos of your Kverneland kit in action and you’d like us to share or post, send us a message and we’ll spread the word. You could even find yourself featured in the next issue of Headland News.
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Kverneland has added to its dealer network after signing an agreement with new dealer Battlefield Machinery, as it takes a frontline approach to machinery sales. The Shrewsbury, Shropshirebased dealership opened its doors this spring, after taking over the premises formerly occupied by Ravenhill.
Additional dealer announcements include C&O Tractors at its Funtington depot
and JG Plant in Hereford.
C&O Tractors recently replaced its Midhurst, West Sussex depot with new premises just a few miles south at Funtington, adding the Kverneland franchise from this new location. The new site offers improved facilities, increased workshop space and a parts department. JG Plant’s Hereford depot, at Beech Business Park, has also added the Kverneland franchise to its portfolio.
Optima to get HD II units After 10 successful years of precision seeding, the Optima’s HD unit is to make way for a new version - the HD II. This updated and revised seeding and fertiliser placement unit now offers easier access to the seeding heart, simpler adjustment and easier maintenance, without compromising on functionality or accuracy.
It starts with cast iron mounting brackets, with pivot points that are 50% larger; a revised fertiliser coulter now offers five depth settings; and the main body is now a cast iron single-piece construction, which allows unobstructed access to the left-hand side to access the seeding heart. In addition, press wheels are now a three-spoked design rather than solid centres, and offer an improved scraper design with greater adjustment.
HD II options also include 25mm and 50mm V-press wheels, 100kg/
row ballasting kit, trash wheels or clod deflector, 55-litre or 33-litre hopper, e-drive and mechanical drive options.
The Optima TF profi II now gains extra sophistication from wheel assemblies that are linked hydraulically to aid contour following. This latest model offers greater accuracy from a hydraulically powered fertiliser metering system, with on the move rate adjustment via the in-cab IsoMatch Tellus universal terminal. A new 2,000-litre fertiliser hopper adds to productivity, and it can be equipped with four weigh cells, allowing the hopper’s weight to be shown on the in-cab display. Hydraulic or pneumatic brakes are an option, allowing the TF profi II to be transported at speeds of up to 40kph.
HD II will bring improved seeding and fertiliser placement to the Optima precision seeder.
High-speed spreading with the TLX GEOspread The Exacta twin-disc fertiliser spreader range continues to evolve, and a new model now heads up the range. Called the TLX GEOspread, this new flagship represents further development of the Kverneland Exacta series.
With high output, high speeds and high flow rates as the goal, TLX GEOspread benefits from a much larger CentreFlow distribution system, which sees the maximum flow rates boosted from 320kg/min up to 540kg/min.
Typically a flow rate of 540kg/min can be achieved at a forward speed of 16kph while spreading at a 40m working width. A narrower spread width affords access to even higher forward speeds, boosting output and productivity. CentreFlow manages the way fertiliser is distributed to the eight spreading vanes, accelerating material up to disc speeds through the dosing cup, preserving material quality. This technique improves upon the Exacta’s already
successful spreading patterns, and affords an even higher degree of accuracy with the TLX model, which remains intact when spreading at high application rates and at high forward speeds.
Equipped with GEOspread, the TLX also provides automatic section control, dividing the spreader’s working width into two metre sections. As the spreading width is automatically adjusted to compensate for irregular field shapes, the application rate is automatically adjusted to match the change in spread width. TLX GEOspread maintains the proven four weigh cells and a reference sensor monitoring system, and the spreader is ISOBUS compatible - the later affords automatic start/ stop on headlands when linked with IsoMatch Tellus or IsoMatch Tellus GO universal terminals. Hopper capacities extend from 1,875 to 3,900 litres, and the working width is from 24-40m.
TLX GEOspread is the latest addition to the Exacta range.
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Grain and fert for Hampshire grower
Ian Clarke is pleased with the performance and accuracy of his u-drill Plus. Over 30 years ago, Hampshire grower Ian Clarke moved away from grain and fertiliser in favour of a grainonly drill, to seek higher output when planting crops. But advances in technology have put this technique back under the spotlight, and it is now available with the Kverneland u-drill Plus.
“For us, this is all about kick starting oilseed rape and our spring crops,” explains Ian Clarke of I&S Clarke, Home Farm, Grateley. “We had been putting fertiliser on our seedbeds but broadcasting does feed the weeds.”
“This new drill gives us much better fertiliser placement, right where the seeds are placed, and this has got our spring crops off to a flying start. Plants are up and away from any form of competition.” He recalls that first time around, grain and fert was a much slower system, which
led the 2,500 acre farming operation to go wider.
“We’ve sacrificed 2m of working width from our old drill, to switch to a 6m u-drill Plus,” he says. “But it has turned out to be a no-brainer.” Mr Clarke tried the 6m u-drill Plus on demonstration through local dealer R Hunt and eventually bought the demonstration model.
“It was quite noticeable how those crops planted with the u-drill Plus came up,” he says. “And we’re also carrying out a cultivations role with the drill too, so we can go straight
on top of ploughing and effectively save two passes.”
Pulled by a John Deere 7930, he says output is comfortably 100 acres/day, at speeds of up to 12kph. The ISOBUS controlled drill is plug and play compatible with Mr Clarke’s tractor, using Deere’s in-cab 2600 terminal.
“We’re getting accurate and consistent planting depth from good coulter pressure, and that means even germination,” he says. “The two hoppers are generous in capacity and easy to fill, and I have the flexibility to use both tanks as seed-only for autumn sowing.”
TS success for Leicestershire firm “Since we’ve had a TS drill, we’ve been able to carry on drilling late into the season, when we would not have been able to get on the land with any other drill,” says John Oakley of JS Oakley & Partners.
It is this all-round capability that has led the family-run Leicestershire farming and contracting business to increase its workload and satisfy the demands of customers looking to beat black grass with late autumn drilling dates.
“It is a heck of a tool,” says John Oakley, who oversees the business while grandson Lewis Harrison handles most of the dayto-day operations. JS Oakley & Partners is no stranger to the Kverneland tine seeder format - it has progressed from first generation TS to the TS
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Evo and has just swapped its Evo model for the very latest, third generation ts-drill.
Based at Poplars Farm, Great Easton near Rockingham, the farm comprises 300 acres, plus a contract workload that extends to around 3,000 acres of combining.
“We had a demonstration of a 6m model from Sharmans in the spring, and we kept the drill,” says Lewis. “It is such a leap forward from the TS Evo, that we couldn’t let the drill go.” He has high praise for the ELDOS electric seed metering system.
“Accuracy is tremendous, and the ease with which I can swap metering rollers and change seed types is brilliant,” says Lewis. “It’s a marked improvement over the previous TS Evo, and that was a good bit of kit.”
Lewis Harrison (left) and John Oakley see the tine seeder as a great all-rounder and are just changing over to the third generation ts-drill. The drill’s versatility means it can be used on almost all of the farm’s JD tractors, with Lewis preferring the plug and play convenience of ISOBUS through the JD2600 terminal.
“The calibration system could be a little easier, but it’s bang-on for accuracy,” he says. “It’s a great all-rounder for the type of work we do.”
TF profi delivers with precision For Wiltshire contractor Tom Carter, maize planting is all about precision.
“I have a lot of pride in my work and I like to do the best job I can for my customers,” he says. “That’s why I use a TF profi.”
“Seeds have to go into the right quality seedbed at a consistent depth and at the correct spacing, so every plant has the best chance to get up and away.” Based at Billhay Farm, Semley,
Mr Carter is three years into running his own niche business, Tom Carter Contracting, having gained years of experience working for another contractor.
“I’ve spent many a year sat on different maize drills, and this one is the best I’ve used by a long way,” he says. “Seed placement depth is much more consistent, and the semimounted headstock delivers great stability compared to using a pickup hitch.”
“On heavy or stony soils, the new coulter system is far better at getting seeds sown at a consistent depth.” Equipped with the very latest HD II seeding units, he says the drill’s fertiliser coulters now offer a greater range of adjustment to suit different soil types.
“I also like the PTO fan drive, which guarantees a constant airflow to all eight seeding units
regardless of hydraulic load on my JD 6930,” he says. “It just does a much better job than the previous version.”
Mr Carter hires his maize drill from Wincanton, Somersetbased Martin Haskett Agricultural Contractors, who operates two TF profi precision seeders supplied by Edwards Machinery. A flexible workload affords some elasticity with equipment, and enables the business to provide a machine on short-term hire to Tom Carter Contracting. As a sub-contractor, Tom Carter provides relief driver duties for Martin Haskett’s second forager when required, and helps out with additional field work and maize drilling, during peak demand.
Tom Carter is pleased with the performance and precision of the latest TF profi II maize drill equipped with HD II seeding units.
One-pass clean up with Qualidisc After each day’s harvesting of spring onions is complete, Will Woodhall sends a 5m Qualidisc through the harvested areas to tidy up the surface.
“It’s a two-fold process,” explains Will, who manages Woodhall Growers farming operation for its owner Richard Shropshire, based at Codsall Wood, Wolverhampton. “The remaining crop is at risk of a mildew attack which can be caused by residues left on the surface, so this needs rapid incorporation and dispersion.” Will Woodhall reckons the Qualidisc cultivator provides rapid incorporation and dispersal of trash immediately after harvesting spring onions.
“And giving the empty onion beds a good scuffling also leaves a level, firm surface from which the next day’s harvesting team can operate safely when packing and transporting produce from the field.” Woodhall Growers produces spring onions and organic red beet as a co-operative member
“As my business continues to grow, the opportunity to hire is a far more cost-effective solution than buying,” he says. “With only 1,000-acres of maize work, the only viable option would be a secondhand purchase, and that wouldn’t get me into the latest precision seeding technology, to give my customers the best service possible.”
5m Qualidisc offers versatility through deep or shallow cultivation. of G’s Growers. Spring onions are harvested on a daily basis from May to September to meet pack house orders, which means the cultivator is used to tidy up small areas each day post-harvest. In addition to spring onions, the 1,200-acre farming business grows grass and potatoes, and produces spring-sown organic cereal crops too.
“We choose to lightly cultivate cereal stubbles in the autumn with the Qualidisc to encourage a flush of weeds, so we can cleanup mechanically,” he says. “Its output is tremendous, and this is where the Qualidisc’s versatility shows up, with either shallow or deep cultivations.”
Replacing a 3m disc harrow, Mr Woodhall says the Qualidisc has brought effectiveness to the onion harvest, and convenience to cereal stubbles, and it was financed by G’s Growers using funding from the EU fruit and veg regime. “Generous spacing between rows of discs makes it easy for trash to be chopped and incorporated, and for soil to flow through the machine rather than clog-up or bull-doze,” he says. “And this makes it easy for the flexi-packer roller to reconsolidate ground. It does such a good job in one pass, that we’d struggle to work so effectively without it.”
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Original Parts We Keep Your Machine Running!
THE ORIGINALS
The original, and the best now at 0% With harvest and cultivations getting ever closer, have you got enough Kverneland original parts in your workshop to keep soilengaging tools working to their full potential? If not, now would be a good time to contact your local Kverneland dealer to order and stock up on original wearing parts for your ploughs and cultivators. Why? Well, there are some outstanding offers available on parts finance - you can now take full advantage of 0% finance offers on original parts, so you can spread the cost to help with cash flow.
Long-lasting quality, guaranteed. Every time.
There are three offers available until the end of the year, though terms and conditions apply; Buy now, pay six months later at 0% flat rate, with a single payment to clear the balance; Buy now, then make 12 monthly payments to clear the balance using a flat rate of 3%; Buy now, and make two
half-yearly payments to clear the balance using a 4% flat rate.
“The natural assumption is that original parts might cost you more - but the real story is far from it,” explains Rob Williams, Kverneland parts sales. “And with 0% finance available on original parts, there’s never been a better time to get ready for harvest.” Original metal gives the correct balance between hardness and toughness, giving your Kverneland ploughs, cultivators and drills impressive wear characteristics.
The latest plough parts leaflet highlights some of the tough processes Kverneland metallurgists have developed to give you the best steel. And there is a wide range of points to suit your field conditions - choose from flush fit, reversible fit, Knockon and Quick-Fit point solutions. “We’ll send you a copy of the plough parts leaflet - just email us at info-uksales@kvernelandgroup. com and we’ll get one sent,” he adds. “Kverneland original parts are also guaranteed to fit, which will save you downtime and reduce frustration when the pressure is on.”
Kids - win a pair of Kverneland overalls Simply colour in the Kv ploughing and drilling sytem, take a photo and email it to info-uksales@kvernelandgroup.com The best one gets a pair of Kv overalls - don’t forget to include your name, address, age and your size.
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GEOspread is saving customers thousands of pounds through increased accuracy and fewer overlaps with fertiliser. This is what they have to say about it…
everything I need. With auto stop/start at headlands, it is simply brilliant.” Ian Clarke, Home Farm, Grateley, Hampshire.
“My GEOspreader is the only machine I’ve got that saves me money every time I use it.” George Heywood, Bowden Farm, Buckland Brewer, Bideford, Devon.
“It does exactly what it says on the tin and is 100% accurate.” Sandy Norrie, AJ Duncan, Muirden Farm, Turriff, Aberdeenshire.
“We are no longer over- or under-applying at headlands. Everything goes on exactly where it should.” Andrew Symonds, Lincomb Farms, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. “We spend around £50,000 per year on fertilisers and I want to apply them as efficiently and accurately as possible. I can’t afford not to have such an intelligent spreader.” Andy Bowley, Old Hall Farm, Ragdale, Leicestershire.
“By reducing overlaps, we see the spreader as a means of improving efficiency and saving money for our customers. And it’s brilliant on grassland.” Andy Fraser, A&R Fraser, Braeside Farm, Shaftesbury, Dorset.
“It is amazing to watch the screen and see which of the spreader’s sections are switching on and off, with 40m tramlines. It’s all about the detail.” Darren Palin, DL Lemon, Manor Farm, Marlborough, Wiltshire. “GEOspread is so accurate, that it is saving me several tonnes of fertiliser over the course of a season. I’m still applying at the same rates, but the improved accuracy and reduction in overlaps is making all the difference compared to my previous spreader.” Trevor Medley, Harby, Newark, Nottinghamshire.
“You have to see the GEOspread working to believe what it is capable of. In narrow strips, you can actually see a band of fertiliser being thrown exactly where it needs to go. This spreader is absolutely amazing.” Emma Foot, Haywards Farm, Milborne St Andrew, Dorset. “It really shines in small, awkward shaped fields, and you know every bit of fertiliser is going exactly where it should. And my customers like that.” Phil Strout, Phil Strout Contractors, Bradridge Farm, Boyton, Cornwall.
“I had been looking for much more control of the spreader for variable rates, and the GEOspread machine delivers
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More power brings extra furrows to North Farm “We currently plough around 1,000 acres for spring cropping, and carry out a further 600 acres of work for an organic farm,” he says. “Ploughing ties in with applications of chicken manure at around 8t/ha, which reduces our reliance on boughtin nitrogen.” Peter Snell is pleased with the decision to move up to a 12-furrow plough. A change in frontline tractor power has created the opportunity to go big for one Dorset grower.
Where Peter Snell once used two smaller ploughs, he recently switched to a PW100, 12-furrow reversible - the largest plough in the Kverneland range. It is proving a suitable match for his frontline beast, a John Deere 9620RX. Running 3,000 acres from North Farm, Horton, comprising the farm’s own land, plus two contract farming customers and an organic farming operation, Mr Snell and his team are aware of the need to be timely and productive, without compromising on seedbed production.
“We had been ploughing infurrow with five furrow and seven-furrow units on Fendt 724 and 828 tractors,” he says. “But running in furrow with wide tyres wasn’t ideal - I wanted to get on-land.” A change in tractor power from a 410hp Claas 95E twin-track machine to a 620hp 9RX was the catalyst for change, and with the farm hungry for growth, the opportunity to buy capacity was also a key consideration. Having tried a 10-furrow demonstration model from GCS Agricentre in a small field to assess the practicalities of a larger plough, Mr Snell settled on 12 furrows with slatted mouldboards and integral Packomat units. It is a specification that suits the predominantly chalky land around North Farm.
“We do get a very level, clean finish from the PW100 plough,” he says. “And ploughing on-land
Integral Packomats leave a finish ready for drilling. is so much better than running in the bottom of a furrow.”
Working at a depth of 10in and a forward speed of 10kph, the 9620RX sits happily at 1800rpm, with muscle in reserve. And at 16in furrow widths, Mr Snell can invert 4.55m of soil with every pass. Integral Packomat units means the inverted soil is pressed, saving a pass and leaving the surface ready to be drilled.
“We can now plough 100 acres/ day, with around 120 acres/day possible in our largest fields,” he says. “There are places where the tractor could easily handle a couple of extra furrows.” Working on-land, RTK steering
guidance makes the most of productivity, and affords time to watch what’s going on behind.
“There’s plenty to look at,” he says. “Though it’s not an awkward rig to handle. Moving from field to field in the butterfly position, the plough’s height can be reduced, which helps stability on its transport wheels.” “And better traction from the 9RX means we can start earlier in the season and finish later, which has helped to widen our working window.”
“Compared to operating two different ploughs, we’re so much better off now, with greater output and a higher quality finish,” he adds.
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