Lemken making parts last longer
Wearing parts for soil engaging implements are a hefty cost for any farmer or contractor, so selection should be based on factors such as prevailing conditions and areas to be covered.
Dutch implement maker Tulip is known for delivering quality arable products, and its Multidisc series is proven cost effective, a minimum tillage tool with unique disc suspension.
Minimal moving parts, heavy duty bearing housings and a shock absorbing rubber mounting system lowers the power requirement and removes the need for increased frame weight to get penetration.
In work the aggressive action of the serrated discs and large inter-gang clearances allow the machine to form one-pass seedbeds in stubble or cover crops, as it is able to deal with lots of crop residue.
Available in working widths 2-12m, the Multidisc range is now bigger: the XL and XXL versions have discs of 56cm and 61cm, respectively.
Also, the Multidisc Vario S offers five cultivator tines over a 3m working width, laid out in a vee formation.
This is said to ensure rapid residue flows through the machine and lower power requirement than machines with tines fitted in straight banks.
Accumulator based overload protection guards each tine against damage from hitting junk in the ground.
For operators wanting cultivation and seeding in one pass the Polymat Compact airseeder has offered the answer, but until now this suited only rigid machines. The recently launched H version has a folding seeder bar that can be used with wider cultivators that fold for transport.
Seed hoppers come in a range 400-750L to match 8-24 outlet setups.
The hydraulically driven system is controlled by an in-cab electronic terminal and offers users the opportunity to cultivate and establish crops at speed: a 6m unit typically covers 8ha/h.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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