IMPLEMENTS EDITION
www.kubota.co.uk |
Let’s talk...
Non-stop Baling
The silage specialist
O
n his return to full-scale agricultural contracting in 2023, Geraint Jones made significant investment in machinery to ensure clamp and baled silage are produced with the best quality, and with the highest efficiency.
It is why he invested in a Kubota FB1000 nonstop baler wrapper combination from JE Rees to accompany his self-propelled forager, and to accommodate chopped and baled silagemaking options for customers. “I used to provide a round baling service, but this time around I wanted an advantage over my competitors,” explains Geraint Jones from West Wales. “I really wanted a non-stop
machine, because this gets the job done much sooner. And all the time I’m making bales, I’m not filling clamps.” Based at Pantydderw, Nanternis in Ceredigion, Mr Jones, pictured with operator Lewis Evans, provides hay and straw to local farms, in addition to being an owner-operator with his own tractors and a loading shovel. Since scaling back his own 4,000-acre contract silage operation in 2012, he has been ploughing, lime spreading and buck-raking while working with another contractor. “Circumstances change, and when the contractor I was working with unfortunately passed away suddenly at the start of the 2023 silage season, I faced a choice – take on his customers or lose the work that I had with him.” So with a sense of urgency, he set about
expanding his machinery fleet. “Once I had the forager sorted, I could look into round baling and wrapping,” he says. “Baling had been on my mind for a year or two, but it was always a hassle, and always ran late into the night. If I was going to get back into baling, it had to be a slick process.” With a demonstration of an FB1000 organised, and the ability to get stuck into a 90-acre baling workload, an extended test saw the deal done. “There’s a lot of other combi machines in this area, but they require the baler to stop and apply net, then move the bale onto the wrapper,” he says. “It wastes so much time.” In his experience, Mr Jones says that balers can lose anything up to 30 seconds from stopping to apply the net, to emptying the bale
Hydrogen engine revealed Kubota engine technology continues to evolve, and this new 3.8-litre engine runs on hydrogen, producing 114hp at 2,600rpm. The four-cylinder power unit is based on the existing WG3800 spark-ignition engine, but with hydrogen being a decarbonised fuel, it takes clean burning to a new level. Working to achieve carbon neutrality through its engines, Kubota is seeking to further improve the fuel efficiency of its engines for industrial machinery. This includes research into the application of
2 | Let’s talk Kubota
alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biofuels, and synthetic fuels. Kubota believes that the internal combustion engine is just one of many solutions for industrial machinery, which has a wide range of applications across many industries. Hybrid technology also includes the D1803 P1, D1105 P2 and V3307 Micro-Hybrid engines. All offer integral motor-generator systems that produce various levels of hybrid power to supplement or substitute diesel engine operation.
chamber and closing the rear door. “If you’re on a 500-bale day, that’s up to four hours of time lost, just from stopping,” he says. “Stopping wastes too much time.” “With small fields that are typically 3-15 acres, baling and wrapping non-stop means I can finish the job much sooner,” says Geraint. “With the FB1000, my productivity is far better.” Applying six layers of film in the process, he says non-stop baling and wrapping is superb. “I do like the automated processes, but having manual over-ride is also helpful when you need to carry the wrapped bale for safe drop-off,” he says. “I can just sit there, and drive.” Operator Lewys Evans agrees.
I really wanted a non-stop machine, because this gets the job done much sooner.” “It’s effortless when you don’t have to keep stopping to transfer the bale onto the wrapper,” says Lewys Evans. “And the bales are much heavier than expected, they do keep their shape.” Both have high praise for JE Rees’ back-up and support, with the dealer understanding the importance of keeping the contractor’s wheels turning. “When we’ve needed some assistance, JE Rees has been faultless,” says Geraint. “It’s been a steep learning curve this season, but we’re pleased to have bought a non-stop combi to help develop the business.”
FB1000: Non-stop fixed chamber baler-wrapper combination. The highly compact, innovative baler integrates a pre-chamber with a main chamber and a wrapper. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ■ Non-stop baling and wrapping ■ Saves 15-18 seconds for every bale made ■ High-capacity intake rotor and extra wide pick-up ■ High-density bale ■ New wrapping concept
Kubota launches FarmCentre Telematics There’s a new telematics solution from Kubota, and it’s called IsoMatch FarmCentre. The platform allows remote transmission of tractor and implement information, with real-time reporting and monitoring of operating hours. Kubota’s telematics tool is able to send and receive tasks wirelessly, along with alerts and comprehensive reporting. Access can be from a desktop computer or mobile device,
■ Smooth bale transfer from baler to the wrapper ■ Gentle bale discharge ■ Compact size: easy field access and stress-free road transport ■ Fully automatic operation, with animated real-time display ■ Available with a film-on-film applicator option
so operators can stay connected to their equipment. Its capabilities include machine tracking, geofencing and operating data, providing comprehensive fleet management of tractors and tasks.
■ Two-year parts and labour warranty
Scan to find out more. www.kubota.co.uk
Let’s talk... Baling
In pursuit of quality DM3000 Series: Centre mounted disc mowers. With an extensive working range from 2.8-4m, DM3000 disc mowers are the ideal solution for farmers with smaller tractors, who need to cut large areas. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ■ 2.8-4m working widths ■ Can be operated from only 50hp tractor ■ Available with hydraulic spring adjustment ■ Up to 125° vertical transport solution ■ Centre suspension ■ 540/1000 rpm gearbox
F
or M&A Agricultural Services, timing is everything during the pursuit of high-quality hay for livestock and equestrian markets.
operation has gone from strength to strength.
Each year, the Kent-based firm aims to
DM3028 at the rear.
produce 20,000 conventional bales of hay,
And with it, the machinery fleet has expanded to suit. Grass is cut and spread using a front/ rear combination comprising two plain disc mowers - a Kubota DM4032 up front and a A twin rotor RA2072 Hydro rake takes care
supplemented by a further 1,000 round
of swath production, while baling falls into two
bales of hay. “We have to take full advantage of summer weather patterns, to take one exceptional cut of grass each year, to produce our stock of high-quality hay,” explains Matt Greengrow, pictured, who runs the business along with his wife Alix. “It’s an intense workload for a short period of time, though timing is everything if we’re to produce the highest quality,” he says. “And that requires a focus on machine reliability, which is why we’ve put our trust in Kubota, through Lister Wilder, for our tractor and equipment needs.” Over the last 10 years in business, the
formats – conventional bales are produced using an inline baler in combination with a Bale Bandit to produce small bales in packs of 21; while round bales are produced using a variable chamber Kubota BV5160. “I like to be different, and that is reflected in our equipment choices,” says Matt. “Service and backup is important to us, but so is having the right kit for the job. We make superb swaths and with the hydraulic adjustment on the rake, there is flexibility to produce a narrow swath for the inline baler, or push the rake out to its maximum width to make bigger swaths that suit the round baler.”
■ Fully welded Kubota cutterbar with triangular discs ■ Paired with the DM4032 front mounted mower offering joint working width of 6.8m ■ NonStop BreakAway protection ■ Two-year parts and labour warranty
Scan to find out more.
4 | Let’s talk Kubota
The M6 is a physically smaller tractor than the M7, but it still packs a punch; same engine, and its 122hp boosts up to 142hp.”
BV PLUS: Variable chamber baler with TIM technology. BV5160 Plus and BV5200 Plus balers have multi-crop capability and combine high-output performance with marketleading bale density. KEY HIGHLIGHTS
“Having lump-free swaths also leads to optimum baling performance, with consistent bale density, and you can see that particularly with the shape of our round bales,” he says. Matt explains that his switch to Kubota tractors and implements followed the need for better reliability along with the need for a bit more power. “I first saw the M7 at a local ploughing match, and after having a demonstration, we settled on an ex-demo M7-153 with 7in K-monitor, MX loader, front linkage and pto,” he says. “The front pto has let us add a frontmounted mower, doubling our working width to 6m.” “It’s important to get grass mown quickly, so the crop dries evenly to produce consistent quality,” he says. “With two mowers, output is good, and the three-bladed discs leave a clean cut, which encourages regrowth.” He says the farm has enough power, with the M7-153 boosting to 170hp. “It’s a relatively short tractor, and that helps with manoeuvrability, making the M7
a great loader tractor in some tight spaces,” adds Matt. Having been impressed by the M7, Matt says it wasn’t long before M&A Agricultural Services swapped one of its older tractors for a Kubota M6-122. “The M6 is a physically smaller tractor than the M7, but it still packs a punch; same engine, and its 122hp boosts up to 142hp,” he says. “It’s a pocket rocket.” He says the M6’s eight-speed powershift gearbox is smooth and quick on gear changes. “The auto-shifting function is a great
■ 14-knife SuperCut crop chopping system ■ Intelligent Density 3D with three pre-selected bale density settings ■ Drop floor for faster unblocking ■ 2.2m pick-up reel with twin cam tracks and five tine bars ■ Combination of three rollers and five heavy duty belts capable of lifting heavier crops ■ Long-life HBC specification main drive chains ■ ISOBUS TIM (Tractor Implement Management)
the M6 is just the right size to run our inline
■ Techno Pack for continual crop moisture level monitoring displayed on the baler terminal
baler and the Bale Bandit.”
■ Two-year parts and labour warranty
feature,” he says. “What we’ve found is that
Matt is pleased with his purchases, and points out that M&A Agricultural Services now has the right kit to get the job done smoothly and efficiently. “On top of that, we’ve got the reassurance
Scan to find out more.
of having our tractors covered by a comprehensive warranty,” he says.
TIM (TRACTOR IMPLEMENT MANAGEMENT) Kubota’s TIM offers an innovative ISOBUS solution which enables the implement to automatically control certain functions of the tractor to optimise the quality and efficiency of the overall system. Kubota is the first manufacturer to receive the renowned AEF certification for the combination of the M7003 Premium KVT tractor and the BV Series TIM round baler.
Scan to find out more www.kubota.co.uk
Let’s talk...
Diversification
Growing fun on The Patch
O
ver the last four years, Joseph Gurney and his family have been on a journey of diversification at Mill Mount Farm, Buckinghamshire. Alongside the mixed farm’s traditional enterprises are wild flower, sunflower and pumpkin patches, all geared around having fun. Known as The Patch MK, he says the venture has gone from strength to strength, after under-estimating demand in its first year. “We started with five acres of pumpkins, which sold out within eight days,” recalls Joseph. Keen to avoid a repeat of that premature closure, The Patch MK, located on the edge of Milton Keynes, has expanded year-on-year.
Last autumn, visitors could access 22 acres of pumpkins, nine acres of sunflowers and an extensive area of wild flowers – all for Pick Your Own (PYO) consumption. In addition, the farm had a further 12 acres allocated to maize mazes, split into three themed zones. These included a Lost World maze involving dinosaurs; a music maze packed with outdoor instruments; and in a tieup with nearby Bletchley Park and its infamous World War II code-breaking capacity, The Patch MK had an Enigma maze with puzzles, cyphers and riddles to solve. “We believe The Patch MK is now one of the most diverse selections of any PYO which is aimed at growing fun,” he says. “We want visitors to have a positive experience that they’ll never forget.”
Topcon auto-steer options Fancy adding accuracy and convenience to your M-series? Your Kubota dealer can now equip M-series tractors with Topcon’s sophisticated auto steering solutions. There are a variety of kits available to suit the steer-ready M7 Premium models, and non-steer ready tractors in the M-series. These include Topcon’s AGS-2 receiver, and where required, Topcon’s AES-35 motorised steering wheel which is used to replace the
6 | Let’s talk Kubota
tractor steering wheel for non-steer ready tractors. In addition, customers can choose from a range of guidance screens including the X25 and X35 terminals, or XD and XD+ terminals. Depending on the chosen kit, customers can also customise the task control options available, or choose from pre-configured bundles. Headland Turns is a new feature that lets the operator carry out an automated headland turn without needing to physically steer the tractor. Topcon auto steer can be fitted to any M-series tractor, from the 66hp M4-063 through to the 170hp M7-173 KVT Premium. Installation is through the Kubota dealer network, and includes warranty, service and support of the auto-steer kits, along with access to the complete Topcon portfolio.
And mindful of any end-of-season food waste from The Patch, he works closely with London-based charity operation the Felix Project, to ensure surplus crop is redistributed among soup kitchens, schools and homeless shelters. “In four years, we’ve supplied the equivalent of 30,000 meals,” he says. Managing the rapid growth of the business has not been without its challenges. With a very limited number of pesticides available to manage pumpkins, the farm has relied on casual labour to hand-weed the many areas of crop. And depending on growing conditions, this can be up to three times per season. “It is essential for us to produce clean, attractive, weed-free crops for self-pick and photographic opportunities with paying visitors,” he says. “And with casual labour, we never knew how many people would turn up to go weeding.” With drilling carried out by a 30-year old Stanhay five-row belt planter, the seed placement accuracy would only support mechanical weeding between the rows. “I could only hoe 25% of the area around the crop,” he says. “I needed to find a more efficient weeding solution, to produce more attractive crops without relying on casual labour.” Mr Gurney turned to local dealer George Browns, for a one-stop solution, comprising a Kubota M7-173 KVT Premium and a fiverow Kverneland Optima R precision drill. The tractor was equipped with Topcon RTK steering guidance, while the drill brought the ultimate in seed placement accuracy through GEOSEED level II. “My aim was to hoe across the rows, in addition to between, improving weed control,” he says. “We may even be able to hoe diagonally next year, but we’ve certainly increased our productivity. We’re currently
weeding around 75% of the non-crop area with a tractor and hoe.” He says that getting the tractor and drill from one supplier meant direct service and product support for the whole package. “I wanted to avoid compatibility issues, or one dealer blaming the other when kit refuses to communicate with the tractor and viceversa,” says Joseph. “And after a few teething issues, we had a great crop last year that we could manage with the mechanical hoe.” “We sow 60 varieties of pumpkins and squashes comprising different sizes, shapes and colours, to broaden the in-field experience – and the drill has handled them superbly,” he says. “And one metre row spacings provide each pumpkin with a square meter of growing space, so two units are not used when sowing pumpkins.” “When we switch over to sunflowers, we’re back to 50cm row widths using all five seeding units,” he says. “We plant sunflowers in batches, and to make the most of the crop’s short flowering window, we’ll also use two types of sunflower, but now planted on different dates.” Joseph says that using RTK accuracy and technology, he can offset the drill by 25cm, to sow again, between the first crop’s rows.
I don’t miss the six-cylinder engine from my previous tractor.” “This prolongs the PYO season and maintains a strong visual appeal for much longer,” he adds. “We had previously put them in with a combi drill, but this is much more efficient with RTK on the tractor and high seed placement accuracy from the Optima. It’s an impressive outfit.” He says the decision to opt for a onestop solution has been justified by the level of support available through the dealer and its manufacturers, along with the remote support from LH Agro, in trouble-shooting and assisting with RTK set-up. “Remote screen access and on-screen tuition has been superb,” he says. “And I can make use of this precision on a variety of field tasks around the farm, not just for The Patch.” He adds that coming from a six-cylinder tractor to the M7’s long-stroke, high torque four cylinder engine has been above expectations. “I don’t miss the six-cylinder engine from my previous tractor,” says Joseph. “The M7’s shorter wheelbase makes it more manoeuvrable, and I can add or remove frontend weight to suit those heavier draft jobs.” “I really like the quick steering function and the hydraulic swap valve function makes it very easy to just plumb in pipes and assign the services from the cab, to suit my preferences.” Long-term, Mr Gurney is eager to make the most of the new-found accuracy and precision from the M7 with Topcon auto-steer. “We will be upgrading to a wider mechanical hoe, so I can use the Kubota for weeding with its RTK guidance,” he says. “I have the row crop wheels at the ready, and this will bring more accuracy, output and efficiency to what we’re already doing.”
M7003 Series: The powerful high performer. Powerful and fuel efficient, Kubota’s M7003 Series features ISOBUS technology with innovative features for precision farming - designed for exceptional year-round productivity. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ■ M7-133 (130hp)/M7-153 (150hp)/ M7-173 (170hp) ■ Kubota Stage V 6.1 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine (+ extra power boost 5-20hp) ■ KVT or Powershift transmission (30F/15R up to 54F/27R) with creeper 9,400kg rear linkage CAT III / 3,900kg front linkage (option) ■ CCLS (Closed Centre LoadSensing) hydraulic system ■ Class-leading 360 degree visibility ■ Spacious cab with enhanced suspension ■ Autosteer ready/RTK capability ■ 100% ISOBUS compatibility ■ Multi-Speed steering control ■ Headland management system ■ TIM (Tractor Implement Management) ■ Five years/6000 hours Kubota Care extended warranty available
Scan to find out more.
www.kubota.co.uk
Let’s talk... Spreading
Spreading with precision DSX-W GEOSPREAD: High precision spreading. A high-speed twin-disc fertiliser spreader that’s ideal for accurate spreading in all conditions. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ■ GEOSPREAD 1m section control (max. 45 sections) ■ Electronic weighing system for automatic application rate (kg/min) ■ Hopper volumes range - 1,5003,900 litres / maximum spreading width - 54m ■ RotaFlow spreading system with eight spreading vanes for a perfect overlap ■ ISOBUS compatible and AEF certified ■ Can be operated with the IsoMatch Tellus PRO, IsoMatch Tellus GO+ or any other ISOBUS compatible tractor terminal ■ Two-year parts and labour warranty
Scan to find out more.
F
or Wiltshire farmer Henry Spencer, applying fertiliser with the best possible accuracy ensures that every kilo counts. “Since switching to the GEOSPREAD, we’re putting everything on so much better,” he says. “And logistically, we never run short or end up with half a bag in the hopper – it’s so much more accurate.” The majority of what the 2,250-acre family farming business grows is a source of forage for the JD Spencer 500-cow Stavilands Holstein herd, based at Manor Farm, Langley Burrell. This includes around 1,200 acres of grass leys that are cut and grazed frequently through the year. A further 250 acres is allocated to maize, and 800 acres of winter wheat provides both a source of straw for bedding, and grain for livestock consumption. “We’re putting on around 180 tonnes across the farm each year to supplement muck and slurry, to make the most of yield potential,” he says. “And the GEOSPREAD has transformed our spreading accuracy. This year’s maize was on 14 fields, and the whole area received a total of 25 tonnes at 250kg/ha – we were accurate to within 1.4%, which is incredible.” He says that low rates are used to rejuvenate blocks of paddock grazing, and the spreader’s auto section control makes this a quick and easy job. “With auto section control and auto start/ stop, there’s no over-dosing or under-dosing,” he says. “Our spread width matches perfectly, and we’re getting more consistent growth in all
With autosection control and auto-start/stop, there’s no over-dosing or under-dosing.” crops across the farm.” The DSX-W GEOSPREAD was supplied with an IsoMatch Tellus GO terminal and as such, is not tied to any specific model of tractor. Henry reports that the machine is easy to set-up and use, thanks to the spreading chart app, and it’s also easy to clean. “The shaker box and app make spreading effortless,” he says. “It does exactly what it should. And when I’ve finished for the day, it’s also easy to clean, which all helps with longevity and protection against corrosion.” Henry says that spreading is achieved using 20m bout widths. “We could easily spread wider, but operating at up to 20kph with three hopper extensions gives us plenty of output,” he says. “The spreader handles unbranded fertiliser and urea with ease, and I’d have another one without hesitation.”
UPCOMING SHOWS: Lamma 17–18 January NEC, Birmingham Royal Highland 20–23 June
Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston
Royal Welsh 22–25 July
Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells
AgriScot 20 November Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston
Issue No.3 January 2024 Find out more about Kubota agriculture visit www.kubota.co.uk
To find your local dealer: www.kubotadealers.co.uk