Combine manufacturers are trying to make one of the most intimidating jobs on the farm — driving and setting the machine — easier and more efficient by automating the process. Take New Holland’s new automatic combine setting system, for example. The Intellisense system, designed for CR Revelation combines, uses programmed data (past yields, field topography, combine… Read more »
Category: Agritechnica
Vaderstad introduces small seed kit for Tempo planters
Tempting as owning new machinery may be, for many producers, the decision is made easy when a machine that offers limited functionality. It’s easier, and often more economical to rent or hire a custom farming outfit to attend to once-in-a-while jobs. But, when it comes to planter versatility, Väderstad is trying to make the decision… Read more »
GPS beacon tracks equipment activity, and maps where bales are dropped
Using technology from a sensor made by Fliegl, Austrian farm machinery company Pöttinger has debuted a GPS beacon designed to track the location of pulled farm implements, detect whether or not they are working, and even save maps of their progress. The technology in the PötPro Guide is surprisingly basic. GPS and 3D sensors inside the small… Read more »
TechTour: Culti Cam system offers automatic cultivator positioning in row crops
In another move towards automation, Claas has unveiled a system for automatic steering of cultivators in row crops. The Culti Cam uses a high-resolution camera to detect rows, and then adjusts the position of the implement, centring it between rows, independent from the tractor’s steering. Using colour and 3D surface information, Claas says the camera software… Read more »
TechTour: Automatically adjusting spread patterns for wind, terrain, and fertilizer type
Spreading fertilizer can feel like a bit of a guessing game when it comes to knowing just how wide of a spray pattern is produced. Coverage depends on the type of fertilizer in the hopper, the terrain, and also, how much wind impacts the spray pattern. But Amazone claims it offers solutions to each of… Read more »
Soil sensor designed for real-time changes to seeding rates and depths
German farm equipment company Köckerling, together with Austria-based Geoprospectors, have paired their technology to build seeding equipment designed to automatically account for variable soil conditions. The Geoprospectors’ Top Soil Mapper, which is mounted on the front of a tractor (and profiled here), scans the soil and measures three main parameters from above ground: soil moisture,… Read more »
Is this the cab of the future?
13 companies that supply equipment manufacturers with components for their cabs have partnered on a project in Europe to develop what they see as the cab of the future. The CAB Concept Cluster unveiled its “Smart Cab” and caught the attention of machinery engineers at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, back in November. A multifunctional cabin… Read more »
TechTour: An electric tractor built for CTF
Designed for controlled traffic farming (CTF), the Multi Tool Trac built in the Netherlands offers a unique look based on a series of farmer-driven ideas. The electric tractor was developed for use in three-metre CTF, but takes transport into account with an on-the-fly adjustable gauge system that takes it down to 2.25 metres for the… Read more »
Sensor brings new wavelengths to crop scanning for needs-based nitrogen
It only makes sense to apply fertilizer where it’s needed, and only where it’s needed. For a long time, agricultural machinery and technology companies have focused on achieving this goal, including German company Fritzmeier Umwelttechnik. The company’s technology, called the ISARIA Crop Sensor, uses four different wavelengths delivered with LEDs and up to 2000 measurement values per… Read more »
TechTour: Using camera technology to automate uniform seedbed preparation
It can be difficult, if not borderline impossible, to create a uniform seedbed out of a highly variably field. But Austrian equipment manufacturer Pöttinger is offering a new tool, with a camera-supported seedbed preparation system. Cameras mounted between a power harrow and the seeding equipment take real-time footage of the surface of the soil, measuring… Read more »
Remote-controlled robots steal the show working in steep terrain
For a long time, remote control ‘toys’ were just that — something for little ones to find under the Christmas tree, or beside their birthday cake. But, remote control technology is growing, in both size and scope. Italy-based MDB offers remote control technology to help with processes like shredding, mulching, and stump grinding, among others…. Read more »
TechTour: Compensating for sprayer boom sway right down to each nozzle
When spraying it’s inevitable that there will be some swaying along the boom, where parts of the boom move faster or slower relative to other parts, resulting in uneven application rates. German agricultural machinery company Amazone, together with Dutch spraying company Rometron, have developed a precision spray application system that compensates for changes in horizontal… Read more »
TechTour: Drones and robots working together to target weeds
It sounds like a futuristic farming scene, but researchers in central Europe are working on developing an autonomous farming system where drones and robots work together to control weeds, starting in sugar beets and sunflowers. Seven partners across four European countries are involved in the Flourish Project, an effort to create an autonomous, robotic system… Read more »
Rotating cab gives tractor operator an owl’s-eye view
Hovering 350mm (~14 inches) above its base, the tractor cab definitely stood out as it sat perched atop a Deutz-Fahr 9340 tractor on display at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany. So why would a tractor cab need a lift kit? No, it’s not for aesthetic appeal, but for a practical reason: tasks that require the driver… Read more »
TechTour: Väderstad’s ultra-shallow disc cultivator in action
In recent years we’ve seen dramatic shifts into the areas of low-till and no-till. And now, Väderstad is offering another option with its Carrier lineup of disc cultivators — ultra-shallow tillage. “The idea behind this is when the farmer has done his combining, especially after oilseed…if he do a very shallow tillage then (and with that we… Read more »