Airpro joins seeding drill lineup
Power Farming has added the Aitchison Airpro AP 30-24T to its drill lineup.
Aitchison AirPro zero-tillage seed drills have a loyal following, with the 4.8 and 6.0m units forming the backbone of sales for ten years.
Now comes the new ASP-8140, a 6m folding version fitted with European sourced distribution and a locally designed e-drive monitoring system offering 150mm spacing. Also in view is a 3.0m rigid unit configured to drill 24 rows at 125mm spacing.
As with previous models, the drilling unit/toolbar takes the form of a leading disc gang to promote entry and cut trash, followed by double-coil spring tines with a slimline point and an inverted tee boot.
The vibrations induced by the spring coils are said to create a shattering action that leaves a tilth behind each leg for zero-till operations.
The toolbar has a three-section chassis that allows contour following as each section works independently to follow its own course.
Twin seed and fertiliser bins mounted on the forward chassis allow the unit to be configured for seed-only or seed and fertiliser. A third bin can be added for small seed or slug bait.
Twin fans for air supply allow each tank to modulate air flow independently to suit the task in hand.
A hydraulic drawbar assembly is easy to set up, a transport width of 2.9m allows easy moving, and large trailing wheels carry the 4400kg tare weight; power requirement is 160hp.
Seed rate and monitoring is by the e-drive system that offers easy calibration and seed rate adjustment on the move. Displays show the operator details of area sown, sowing rate, ground speed, bin levels and fan speeds, and jobs-done data can easily be transferred to the farm computer.
Options include a rear tyre packer for consolidation, a rear chain harrow for covering, and a mounting point for a crane to lift bulk bags.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.