Tractor, harvester IT comes of age
Over the last halfdecade, digital technology has appeared to be the “must-have” for tractor and machinery companies, who believe that bringing IT to tractors and farming will offer its customers huge benefits.
Cultivation, seeding and fertiliser application specialists Amazone, claims its new AutoTS spreading system can increase yields along the borders of the paddock by up to 17%.
Accurate, tailored fertiliser application plays a critical role in reducing costs and protecting the environment. The proven, disc-integrated system uses shortened blades for more accurate, flexible spreading along borders. This allows the machine’s settings to be adjusted to a specific spreading situation – such as a crop edge, boundary or water course, from the tractor cab.
“For example, if a paddock borders onto land with a similar crop, 100% of the application rate can be spread right up to the edge of the field using the side spreading function,” explains CLAAS Harvest Centre product specialist – Amazone, Steve Gorman.
“If the paddock borders a road or public footpath, the boundary spreading function reduces the maximum throwing distance and prevents fertiliser from being thrown across the border.”
Large-scale field trials, conducted over several years, have compared the performance of AutoTS system to conventional border spreading techniques under real-time, practical conditions.
Comparing calcium ammonium nitrate being spread at 24 metres, over three separate passes, the average yield of the five-metre border treated using a conventional border spreading system was only 68% of the main body of the paddock.
This increased to 85% when using the Amazone AutoTS system.
“This improvement can really add up in small or irregular-shaped fields because they have a higher proportion of border area,” Gorman adds.
The value generated by the AutoTS system, compared to conventional border spreading systems, can be estimated using an Amazone’s online calculator: www.amazone.net/border-spreading-calculator
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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