GEA unveils DairyRobot milking system at Fieldays
New Zealand farmers get their first opportunity to experience the future of pasture-based dairy automation in action this week at the National Fieldays.
Increased efficiency has been a key driver for New Zealand’s farmers to meet the challenge of increased demand with fewer resources.
In addition, farmers are dealing with variable climate conditions that impact water accessibility – some regions having more than enough rainfall while others are more prone to drought. Increasingly, they are looking to precision ag technologies to be more efficient in how they manage and deploy natural resources, including water use.
Land-forming is an often-under-utilised strategy that can deliver value by enabling the use of water more efficiently, to positively impact return on investment (ROI) via increased crop yield and reduced irrigation costs.
PTx Trimble’s recently launched water solution, WM-FieldForm, enables farmers to control the movement of water onto, off and within fields. The solution moves land-forming capability into GFX Series Displays by utilising the Precision-IQ software platform and offers much of the same functionality of FieldLevel II with a new feel, improved visualisation and enhanced tools and features.
From a simple topsoil levelling project, right through to complex multi-plane land-forming, grading, levelling or terracing projects, the system offers optimised water distribution. For those with excess moisture, this might mean reduced erosion and nutrient leaching or yield-loss prevention from ponding. For those in drought prone regions, optimised water distribution offers reduced moisture run-off and improved management of expensive irrigation water.
Typically, in the first year after land-forming, users report an increase of up to 30% in crop yields, greater positioning accuracy through top-of-the- line GNSS corrections and more uptime to get the work done quicker.
By simplifying every stage of the process, including design, execution and verification, WM-FieldForm enables farmers to form and/or maintain fields on their own, removing the need to hire contractors to manage such projects, offering cost savings on labour resources.
As part of PTx Trimble’s commitment to a retrofit-first, mixed-fleet strategy, WM-FieldForm integrates with the GFX-1260 display and the NAV-900 guidance controller. Users simply need to add a NAV-900 and hydraulic machine controls to a bucket scraper to achieve greater positioning accuracy and more uptime to get the work done faster. Learn more at www.ptxtrimble.com.
Six livestock industry groups have signed a new agreement with the Government on how to prepare for, and respond to, a possible outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Farmers are welcoming a $17 million, seven-year collaborative science and research programme to lift pasture persistence and productivity.
Maize and sweetcorn pest fall armyworm has defied initial assessments regarding its ability to survive over winter in some parts of New Zealand.
A report released this morning at the National Fieldays, Mystery Creek shows dairy farmer confidence growing, but challenges remain.
Supporting farmers to build great workplaces is a focus for DairyNZ, which is why they say they have relaunched the self-assessment tool, Workplace 360.
Around 97% of New Zealand pet owners value the care provided by their vet teams, but the broader contribution of animal health professionals to society often goes unseen, a new study has revealed.