Krone EasyCut B1250 fold
In 2024, German manufacturer Krone introduced the F400 Fold, a 4m wide disc front mower, featuring end modules that hinge rearwards to reduce the transport width to less than 3m.
Anyone who has been round baling and released a completed bale on a slope will remember the feeling of dread as the bale gathers speed and rolls off down the hillside, hopefully to be stopped by the hedgerow or the paddock levelling out.
In some cases, that dread is shared by passing motorists as the bales clear the boundary and roll across a road. Yep, been there, done that.
German manufacturer Krone has developed a clamp for its VariPack and VariPack Plus Series balers to prevent bales from rolling down slopes.
The speed of bale ejection with the VariPack, with the rear door opening and closing in less than five seconds, allowing operators to achieve high daily outputs, is viewed as a big plus.
Unfortunately, the drawback is that bales can roll away quickly if the operator is not paying attention. The hydraulically operated clamp is designed to prevent this by securing the bale and removing its momentum as it leaves the chamber.
In operation and before the tailgate opens, the bale clamp is closed hydraulically so that the round bale is braked and fixed in place within in the clamp, before being opened in a controlled manner to set the bale down safely.
Presented as an option at the Agritechnica 2023 Event, the system has been met with great interest, especially from customers operating in the mountainous areas in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Krone is now offering the bale clamp as an option for all Vari- Pack and VariPack Plusmachines, with a retrofit kit available on request for existing machines.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.
Going one better than a frustratingly close second place finish at last year's event, the country's top axeman, Jack Jordan of Taumaranui, last weekend won the Stihl Timbersports World Championship individual event in.
Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show president Brent Chamberlain says a big development for this year is the Wool Zone, first introduced two years ago as a showplace for everything produced from wool, but now greatly enlarged with its own Wool Marquee and more than 30 trade sites.
Salmonellosis is a serious disease in cattle.
Drench resistance is already hitting farm profits; it's not just a future problem.
Applications are open for Horticulture New Zealand's (HortNZ) 2026 scholarship programme, with 20 funding opportunities available.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…