Headland news issue 27

Issue 27

Headland news

In this issue: Smart farming solutions Siloking goes electric Tungsten parts reduce downtime

WHEN FARMING MEANS BUSINESS

Welcome to Issue 27

Smart farming solutions iM Farming is at the core of many new Kverneland products being introduced this year.

SX seeding units

It is apparent from our own sales experiences that our customers are continuing to invest in new machinery that offers clear benefits and efficiency gains, for their farming operations.

Productivity is at the heart of the new SX seeding units, developed for TF Profi and Optima precision drills, to enable high-speed seeding. Using a pressurised seeding system in place of a vacuum, the SX can operate at speeds of up to 18kph without impacting on seed placement accuracy. SX seeding units can also be used with section control for precise row management.

And whatever the future may hold, UK farmers are preparing themselves and their businesses to be viable, through equipping themselves with farming systems that will protect their future profitability.

As you can see from many of the stories in this latest issue of Headland News, our customers are making the most of machinery equipped with our innovative iM Farming control systems.

With improved precision, this technology is proving cost effective and importantly, contributes to improving output.

Our strong, and well-trained dealer network remains one of the most important areas of the modern agri-business.

It can ensure our customers extract the maximum benefits from investing in new Kverneland equipment, which continues to be available with a two-year warranty.

iXtra LiFe front tank Fertiliser placement is now much easier and more precise with the development of the iXtra LiFe front tank. This 1,100-litre capacity ISOBUS controlled tank features its own hydraulicallydriven pump, filtration and regulation systems. It combines with electrically controlled liquid fertiliser nozzles that can be mounted on the drill’s seed coulters.

i-Plough auto transport The innovative i-Plough will be available with hydraulically controlled locking pins, which allows fully automatic changeover from transport to work modes – all from the comfort of the cab. In addition, the plough can be equipped with a framemounted depth wheel which is positioned within the plough’s working width. It suits those who want to plough as close as possible to the field boundary.

Joe Bell Managing Director

2018 Show Dates LAMMA Show, East of England Showground - Jan 17-18 Grassland UK, Shepton Mallet, Somerset - May 05 Royal Highland Show, Ingliston, Edinburgh - June 21-24 Royal Welsh Show, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells - July 23-26 UK Dairy Day, The International Centre, Telford, Shropshire - Sept 12 All Wales Ploughing Champs, Croesgoch, St Davids – Sept 22 Scottish Ploughing Champs, Bettyfield Farm, Kelso - Oct 27-28 AgriScot, Ingliston, Edinburgh - Nov 21 CropTec, East of England Showground – Nov 27-28

Turbo boost Following the recent introduction of the 8m Turbo, the seedbed cultivator range has now been extended to include rigid and hydraulic folding models from 3-6m. With the ability to work from 3cm to 20cm deep, the Turbo suits primary and secondary cultivation roles thanks to its narrow tine pitch and generous under-beam clearance.

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DTX The Kverneland DTX is an all-new deep loosening cultivator, with a 3m working width, and it joins the range following the recent acquisition of Great Plains. Built at Kverneland Group’s LLG factory in France, it gets a host of upgrades including the Qualidisc’s cultivation disc assemblies and hydraulic depth adjustment. DTX retains the Pro-lift tines with either shearbolt or auto-reset protection, and the DD roller option, but now benefits from headstock improvements and better frame durability from the improved manufacturing processes at the LLG facility.

Flatliner Flatliner is a new V-format sub-soiler in 3m and 3.5m working widths, offering three or five-leg options. The Pro-lift tines use bolted clamps, allowing adjustment of tine spacing across the main frame to suit different farming systems. Pro-lift tines are available with three different wing sizes, to achieve different fracturing among many soil types. A 600mm DD roller affords depth control and consolidation.

Tellus PRO IsoMatch Grip Extended ISOBUS functionality is now available with the introduction of IsoMatch Grip – an advanced joystick that can be used to assign and control up to 44 implement functions. It achieves this using four coloured work buttons and 11 function buttons. A trigger on the back of the grip provides protection against accidental activation.

An updated version of the IsoMatch Tellus ISOBUS terminal is now available, called Tellus PRO. With advanced hardware and software features, Tellus PRO benefits from quad-core processing power, boosting capacity and capability, enabling the terminal to handle much more demanding applications including automatic steering guidance. Tellus PRO has a higher definition display, and a shorter start-up time – typically less than 30 seconds.

GEOSPREAD Precision Farming Edition TL GEOSPREAD and TLX GEOSPREAD are new fertiliser spreader models with advanced features, delivering an even greater level of precision. Features include a greater number of smaller spreading sections – up to 54, one-metre sections are possible; and the ability to handle individual left- and right-hand side variable rate applications is also available.

Smart auto-calibration and warnings for disc speed rpm variations are also part of the advanced specification of these two new implements.

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u-drill refines seeding accuracy Switching to a 6m u-drill, David Stennett & Son has found greater refinement and productivity for the 2,700-acre farming business it operates from Culford Lodge Farm near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

With stubbles made available for slurry and digestate to boost soil fertility, Culford Lodge Farm chooses to incorporate manures and sow its next crop immediately after an application.

“A change of drill had to bring more output, without sacrificing performance,” explains Oliver Stennett who heads up the family business, growing sugar beet, oilseed rape, winter wheat and winter barley.

Output and precision were key requirements. So the farm’s nineyear old 4.8m MSC was replaced by the wider, more efficient u-drill.

“Having tried a u-drill on demonstration from TNS, we knew how easy it was to pull, and how much better it travelled on all our soils,” he says. “It was the best choice to move our business forward with productivity and seeding efficiency.”

“Our spot work rate is up to 14 acres/ hour, and a three-tonne hopper means simpler logistics at the more remote locations where we farm,” he says. “Our old 4.8m drill meant long days to plant 100 acres. Our window of opportunity was tight now, it’s effortless to keep up.”

Power comes from a Fendt 828 with VarioGrip on-the-move

tyre pressure adjustment. It is a combination said to tread lightly across soils, and enables the drill to be used via ISOBUS through the tractor’s 10.4in terminal.

“We can pull the drill with our Fendt 724, but it’s good to have a bit up your sleeve and a forward speed of 14kph is where we like to operate.”

He says that the drill is easy to set up and convenient enough to tweak settings and seed rates on-the-go.

“We are very pleased with the drill’s performance,” he says.

“We’ve bought a useful increase in productivity without any of the disadvantages of going wider.”

“6m u-drill has brought extra productivity and improved timeliness to Culford Lodge” Oliver Stennett | Grower

A better finish with i-Plough JF Cobb & Sons based at Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester, ploughs around 1,500 acres each season for maize and combinable crops.

It is a task now handled by a five-furrow i-Plough supplied by local dealer GCS Agricentre.

The new plough has made transport as efficient as field work, thanks to an innovative headstock and steering cross-shaft enabling the fullymounted plough to be towed like a trailer.

“Once I’ve slid the locking pins out, it is very easy to swap between work and transport,” explains operator Nick Chinnock.

“And towing the plough like a trailer lets me move safely on the road without a large rear overhang when turning.”

“Towing the plough also keeps most of its weight off the back of the tractor and that also improves stability when in

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transport mode,” he says.

In the field, soil inversion of the new model complete with No.28 bodies, continues to impress, as 1,500 acres go over the mouldboards each season, mostly for maize and combinable crops.

“We want a high-quality finish and a Kverneland plough gives us exactly that,” says Nick. “Moving to the i-Plough with its extra technology has made it much easier and more convenient to make on-themove adjustments. And this means a better finish across all our different soil types.”

Equipped with furrow control,

Nick makes the most of output potential while maintaining a neat, straight set of furrows on every pass. And the ability to tweak the plough’s angle to suit rolling fields has also contributed to a better finish.

“The i-Plough is brilliant at turning soil uphill,” he says.

“You can tweak how far the plough leans into the furrow from the Tellus PRO control box.

So I can optimise the plough’s performance on every single slope, on the move, from the cab. It is brilliant.”

Field sizes extend from 20 acres upwards, and on the back of his MF7726 Dyna 6 tractor, the five-furrow i-Plough is giving

consistent outputs of around 40 acres/day.

“On lighter soils, I can run at 16in furrow widths, but on heavier clay ground, we close down to around 12in,” he says.

“This makes the most of overwinter conditions, which gives us a really good head-start for spring cultivations.”

“i-Plough delivers a better finish on a wider range of soils and topography” Nick Chinnock | Operator

Match plough success for Essex young farmer Essex-based young farmer Billy Purkiss will represent England at the 2018 European ploughing championships, using his Kv ES85 reversible match plough.

In only his third season competing at national level in the young farmers class, he finished third overall during 2017, earning a place at the 2018 EC. “I’m absolutely delighted,” says the 23-year old who runs the 600acre Hawkell Hall Farm, Hockley near Southend-on-Sea, with his dad Mick. “I’ve been taking part in ploughing matches since 2011, but the turning point was buying the Kverneland ES85 from Tuckwells in 2014. It was quite a step-up and gave me a lot more adjustability.”

“Since then, Dad and I have been putting in a lot of hours tweaking,

practicing and constantly learning in-field,” he says. “There is no instruction manual, so you’ve got to put the time in.”

His John Deere 5100R ploughing tractor has been permanently attached to the ES85 for three years, complete with vital accessories to make that winning mark.

“Skinny tyres and a narrow track protects the furrows and the furrow wall, but the turning circle is ridiculous,” says Billy. “But it’s a stable platform for the two-furrow match plough.”

He has high praise for match ploughmen who have offered help and guidance, sharing their experiences, and helping to pass on this addictive craft to the younger generation.

“I never expected to get this far, so quickly,” says Billy. “It is a great community to be part of, and to learn from. But you do need to be dedicated to the cause.”

With back-to-back wins in the 2015 and 2016 young farmers events, he has already started to build a trophy collection. So what tips can he pass on to others who are thinking about taking part in ploughing matches.

“Don’t be frightened to change settings,” he says. “It’s useful to

learn from your mistakes, but it’s also essential to understand what happens when you make adjustments. And when you get it right, the end result is extremely satisfying.”

“There is no instruction manual, so you’ve got to put the time in.”

Billy Purkiss | Ploughman

Tackling blackgrass head-on With blackgrass becoming more difficult to control, Bradley Farm at Cumnor near Oxford, has opted for the Qualidisc Farmer 4000 to create stale seedbeds between harvest and autumn drilling.

“As a high-speed shallow cultivator to encourage a flush of weeds, the Qualidisc is a really useful piece of kit,” says operator Martin Rockall, who runs the 950-acre farming operation for his employer, the Bowden family. “The Qualidisc really does encourage a lot of growth.”

Growing winter wheat, spring barley, maize, grass, stubble turmips and mustard – the latter as a cover crop - the farm operates a mix of min-till and rotational ploughing. And winter ploughing suits spring-sown cereals and maize.

“Our soils range from sand to heavy clay, so we need to make

full use of different cultivations systems combined with sprays, to stay on top of grass weed control across the farm,” he says.

“If time allows between, I’ll make two passes with the Qualidisc then spray ahead of the drill,” he adds. “But there’s only me doing fieldwork at Bradley Farm, so I have to choose kit that is going to be productive and efficient.”

“There is space between the discs to deal with any amount of trash and stubble. It sets up the seedbeds really well for cereal

drilling, for which I use a 4m Kverneland s-drill Pro and NG-S power harrow combination. And I also have a 6m ts drill for stubble turnips, mustard and grass seed,” he adds.

Supplied by Lister Wilder, the 4m hydraulically folding Qualidisc affords good output from a high forward speed, while encouraging a flush of volunteers and weeds, post-harvest. Yet the cultivator is equally as competent at deeper work, ahead of maize drilling, as Martin explains.

“We plough through winter,

ahead of maize, to let the weather help for us on heavier soils,” he says. “And then I’ll run the Qualidisc through but at a much deeper setting ahead of the maize drill. This loosens the soil nicely, while leaving a firm finish on top ready for the drill.”

“I have to choose kit that is going to be productive and efficient.”

Martin Rockall | Operator

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Siloking goes electric

The eTruck 4.0 Compact 8 selfpropelled feeder is 100% electrically powered, but with an eight cubic metre capacity. This zero emissions, almost noiseless feeder relies on electrical power for its single auger mixing, plus driving functions.

Power comes from an 80-volt DC battery system, with the powertrain drawing on components and experience from within the industrial vehicle electrification industry. As a result, a single battery charge is said to be sufficient to complete three mixes, enabling herds of up to 100 cows to be fed.

Said to be suited to low, narrow buildings, the eTruck measures 2.25m high and 2.28m wide, with an overall length of 6.35m.

Elsewhere in the Siloking line-up, the SelfLine 4.0 range offers a host of updates, with around 70% of the vertical mixer series being new.

Central to the changes are an allnew cab and a revised powertrain.

Vertical mixers boost efficiency Since starting his dairy herd in 2005 with just 120 cows, Cheshire dairy farmer John Hocknell has embarked on a herd expansion and efficiency programme to help his business run smoothly.

“We’ve now reached the farm’s physical limit with 530 cows and 270 young stock on 700 acres,” he says. “And our attention has recently turned to making life simpler so we can manage our daily activities more efficiently.”

Part of that process involves a Kverneland Siloking Classic Duo

22 trailed mixer wagon. Bought three years ago from former Ravenhill - now Battlefield Machinery - with help from local machinery specialist Nigel Darlington, the 22-cubic capacity machine offers a volume increase that has boosted efficiency at Sunnyside Farm, Brassey Green.

Importantly, it matches the available infrastructure, where traditional buildings and yard space can often determine the size of equipment in use.

“We couldn’t use anything

larger,” says John. “It’s a good fit in and around our buildings – but it offers the right sized tub to make feeding different rations a very efficient process.”

During the spring and summer months, when the herd is making the most of grazing for up to seven months of the year, the mixer wagon is used for buffer feeding with a supplementary summer ration.

But in winter, it prepares up to 30 tonnes/day comprising four mixes to suit high yielders, low yielders, dry cows and freshly calved cows. The herd gets a mostly grass and maize silagebased ration, with the addition of feed blends and minerals.

Equipped with weigh cells, and a single front door with conveyor, the feeder is powered by a New Holland T6.180 tractor.

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“We chose a very simple machine – it’s tough, robust, reliable and makes a good mix in a very short period of time,” he says.

“It’s mixed over 20,000 tonnes in three years and we’ve only replaced a conveyor belt. The tub looks like new, as do the blades and the two vertical augers.”

Milk yield is a consistent 9,500-litres, supplied to Muller, with cows accessing their rations through portable one-tonne capacity bunkers.

“It’s a simple system that means we don’t need to push feed up to a barrier,” he says. “We’re giving the cows a light, fluffy mix and it all gets eaten. If you don’t put rubbish into the bunkers, you don’t need to shovel anything out – and this is where the Siloking scores highly, because it does not over-mix.”

Tungsten parts reduce downtime “We’ve always had a plough,” says Will Streeter of contract farming business T S Arable. “It’s one of those essential items that is used on a rotational basis – usually every five years. But it’s also why we don’t have any unmanageable black grass problems.”

The 5,000-acre contract farming business that Will runs for farming partnership T S Arable with his brother Tom and business partner Dave Tinney, is one that operates with a keen eye for detail.

With over 200 fields ranging in size from 3.5 to 95 acres and working on heavy clay land around Bishop’s Stortford, Essex, it demands a considered approach to cultivations.

Depending on the rotation, around 1,500 acres are ploughed each year. And equipment for the task includes a nine-furrow RN 100 and a six-furrow LO. “We aim to plough as early as possible after the combine,” says Will. “We want a good finish that provides aeration and drainage, so this heavy land can be left to bake out. A pass with a cultivator then levels and firms the seedbed ready for winter, ahead of spring drilling.”

“Our intention is to make a seedbed to flush out the weeds and let mother nature do the rest.”

Summer ploughing keeps pressure on labour and equipment. And with the emphasis on productivity, Mr Streeter has recently switched to tungsten carbide-tipped metal for his two ploughs.

“We had been getting through four to five sets of plough metal every year,” he says. “And changing metal was costing us too much time - typically five days of downtime each summer.

With 15 furrows in total, it was the equivalent of delaying 500 acres of work, which impacts on our critical timings for early ploughing.”

The answer to lost productivity has been found with original metal using tungsten tipped wings and points.

“The metal might have cost around £10,000, but the productivity gain and improved timeliness is worth more to us,” he says. “Every day that the ploughs are stopped is a day lost for flushing out blackgrass. And while we can’t buy time, we can improve the timeliness of field work.”

“We also took advantage of Kverneland’s interest free finance on original metal,” he adds. “And we’ll get at least two years’ use from the tungsten - it was a nobrainer.”

Tungsten Carbide for Monopill The range of Kverneland tungsten tipped original parts continues to grow. And now you can protect your Monopill precision seeder from abrasive soils with a tungsten carbide reinforced coulter.

Packed with durability from four tungsten carbide studs equally spaced along the cutting edge, it provides a constant depth and v-furrow profile to further improve seed placement accuracy.

A longer life time and smoother performance are achievable with new component.

Did you know?

Kverneland’s UK parts operation is accessible to dealers 24/7, and 365 days/year.

A 98% first-time pick rate is achieved on express orders.

There are 17,000 different parts lines at Kverneland UK. It’s not all about the metal, it’s also about the people.

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Hirsty’s 2017 maize maze was designed on computer and sown using a Kverneland Optima TF Profi precision drill. | Photo: www.Mike-Page.co.uk

Maze precision from GEOSEED Profi on a John Deere 6150R tractor, and the maze was enjoyed by over 30,000 visitors.

The crop was planted automatically, seed-by-seed, using a maze plan created by Mazescape and converted into a seed map through Gatekeeper software, by local John Deere FarmSight consultant Carl Pitelen.

“It’s a remarkable achievement, though I never doubted the drill’s ability to deliver” Jamie Hedge | Operator Technology continues to revolutionise cropping. And those with maize mazes can now take advantage of complex maze designs by specialists such as Mazescape, thanks to Kverneland GEOSEED.

“For the last three seasons, Richard Hirst had been asking me, and Carl Pitelen at his local John Deere dealer, if it could be done,” explains contractor Dickie Barnes.

“So Carl found a way to create a bespoke seed map that could be used by the precision farming software.”

Before filling the precision drill with seed, the team made a few practice runs following the seed map, while watching the seeding units operate.

Available on Kverneland precision drills, GEOSEED uses GPS for individual row control to follow a seed map. For growers like Richard Hirst, who operates Hirsty’s Family Fun Park at Hemsby, Norfolk, it eliminates the need to manually remove plants from the growing crop to create a complex maze.

“We’ve used the Optima TF Profi for three seasons, and knew from its section control that the drill could do the job,” says operator Jamie Hedge. “It was amazing to see individual seed units stopping and starting as they followed the map, but we did have a few sleepless nights over it.”

Hirsty’s Family Fun Park was one of the first to use this revolutionary seeding process for last year’s eight-acre mega-maze. It was drilled by Norwich contractor DH Barnes, using an 8-row Optima TF

Forward speed was reduced to 5kph, to allow the RTK signal, Greenstar terminal and Optima drill to react to the intense level of stop/start required to follow the intricate seed map.

“It took us all day to plant eight acres,” says Jamie. “Though we were all quite relieved to see the maze taking shape as the crop emerged from the ground. It was 100% correct – what a fantastic result.”

compared to a conventional forage maize crop.”

Without GEOSEED, field owner Richard Hirst had been using a hand-held GPS device to mark and then spray off unwanted plants, to create the labrynth of walkways and routes through the maze.

Typically, it was a five-day process.

The DH Barnes team sows three maize mazes each season, in addition to a 1,500-acre forage maize crop. But this was the first one they had sown directly from a seed map through the in-cab control box.

“We always sow a maize maze in two directions, using half-seed rate with each pass. The second pass is always at 90-degrees to the first, to fill space between rows of maize, adding density to the maze,” he says. “So it then takes twice as long to sow the field

“This ultra-precise, all-electronic planting process will save thousands in time and labour when compared to conventional planting techniques,” explains Dickie Barnes.

“There is no doubt this has revolutionised the process of creating maize mazes,” he says.

“It is a faster and more efficient way to create ever more complex patterns, to challenge the paying public.”

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