New Pottinger Novacat comes with automated curve control
Triple 'butterfly' or dual mower combinations have become increasingly popular, offering increased output and better utilisation of tractors that keep gaining horsepower.
Pottinger has introduced upgrades from the large trailed HIT tedder series to smaller 8-rotor models with working widths of up to 8.86m.
The headstock is a sturdy three-point pivoting unit with absorber struts as standard and the best tracking performance prevents the tedder from jolting during operation, working well on slopes. The horizontal headstock guidance provides high clearance at headland turns and prevents under-running on slopes.
A newly designed DynaTech rotor unit and tine arm has been introduced, using smaller rotor diameters and either five or six curved tine arms. And a new tine design ensures optimum tedding quality and ground tracking for a superior spread pattern, giving faster and more uniform wilting of forage.
This rotor geometry ensures forage cannot snag or wrap around the tine arms, and a gentle uptake by the trailing, sweeping arms ensures the crop is subjected to less damage between the tine arms, reducing crop losses.
Spreading angles can be adjusted on each rotor in three steps without tools.
All rotors have 16 x 6.5-8 tyres, better protected from contamination by a newly designed axle. An optional front jockey wheel system is available which ensures optimum ground tracking for protection of the sward and forage.
The new HIT 8.91 T trailed version has transport wheels that fold up hydraulically over the rotors during operation, achieving an optimal centre of gravity and preventing oscillation during work. These make it ideal for use with smaller tractors.
Operation is straightforward, activated using a double-acting connection with sequential control. Fence line tedding systems are available for all models to clear the crop from fence lines.
Avian flu getting into New Zealand's poultry industry is the biosecurity threat that is most worrying for Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.
The annual domestic utilisation of wool will double to 30,000 tonnes because of the edict that government agencies should use woollen fibre products in the construction of new and refurbished buildings.
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.
OPINION: In the same way that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, economists sometimes get it right.
OPINION: The proposed RMA reforms took a while to drop but were well signaled after the election.