Farming smarter with technology
The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry professionals from across the country.
German cultivation and seeding manufacturer Amazone has launched a new semimounted plough range, suitable for tractors in the 400hp class.
Available in seven, eight and nine furrow variants, the Tyrok 400 series features the Speed- Blade plough body. This incorporates a patented, extra-large front shinpiece that helps to reduce wear rates across the main body of the plough – thereby reducing wearing- metal costs.
Other new features include SmartTurn; where at the headland, the turnover cycle – which takes just nine seconds – is slowed at each end of the ram stroke to create a damping effect. This reduces stress on the frame of the plough.
Meanwhile, AutoAdapt automatically adjusts the front furrow hydraulically, after the overall ploughing width is adjusted, to accommodate changing soil conditions or sloping ground.
The machine offers mechanical furrow width and hydro-pneumatic suspension on the transport wheel as standard. There are also a wide range of options, including hydraulic working width adjustment, hydraulic overload protection and traction control. The latter uses a hydraulic cylinder to transfer weight to the tractor’s back axle, helping to reduce wheel slip and overall fuel consumption.
A selection of solid or slatted mouldboards are complemented by a range of skimmers, trash boards, landside protectors and sword landsides for stony ground. It also comes with a disc coulter assembly for the last furrow and a swivel press arm for working with packer assemblies.
As we go to press, Rural News understands that the NZ importer Landpower is reviewing the new range with regards to introducing it to the New Zealand market.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
OPINION: The Greens aren’t serious people when it comes to the economy, so let’s not spend too much on their…
OPINION: PM Chris Luxon is getting pinged lately for rolling out the old 'we're still a new government' line when…