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.
Austrian grassland specialist Pottinger has launched Harvest Assist, a new, innovative app that helps to simplify and optimise logistics while harvesting forage.
It optimises forage harvesting by taking into account harvesting volumes, the distance from the paddock to the stack (or clamp, in Europe), alongside optimising compaction performance in the stack to achieve the best quality forage. In addition, the app enables real-time communication using existing hardware.
It is available for iOS and Android, in English, German, French, Polish and Czech, so every member of the harvest team can install the app on their smart device free of charge to provide an intuitive overview for control of all the grassland harvesting machines.
The app allows farmers, managers or contractors to add paddocks and assign them to each of the machines.
This provides a clear overview of the paddocks to be harvested and their current status, for example whether they have been tedded, raked or the crop collected.
The integral algorithm calculates the optimal harvest sequence, displaying volumes, distance to the stack and the compaction performance, providing the drivers with information so they can deliver crop to the stack at regular intervals and avoid delivery peaks. In addition, it is also making it easier for those unfamiliar with the farm to find each paddock and the directions to the stack, using the integrated navigation system.
In the app, a machinery portfolio consists of loader wagons, rakes, mowers, tedders, mergers and round balers. Each member of the harvest team gets an overview of the work progress in the field. As soon as each stage of the process is finished, the tractor driver can change the field status.
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.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait is showing no sign of bouncing back from its financial doldrums.
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.