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.
First previewed by Krone at Agritechnica 2019, the company has release further details of its folding front mower cutter-bar.
Described as a world first for a disc mower, the maximum working width of the EasyCut F400CV Fold is 4.04, said to be suitable to complement mounted/trailed rear mower or a butterfly combination set-up.
The novel layout sees a hydraulic slewing gearbox folding the two outer discs into the space between the tractor wheels to reduce the width of the mower below 3m for transport. The driveline remains connected and the discs stay in the cutting position. In the paddock, the discs fold back to the working position, are hydraulically locked and the side guards are lowered.
It is easily folded from the tractor seat and the wider working width eliminates the risk of the tractor running on previously cut grass, but also provides a large degree of overlap with rearmounted mowers, so eliminates uncut strips of grass, particularly on turns or curves.
In other Krone news, the Krone EasyCut TC Connect is a new development aimed at broadacre Australian and American farms, allowing two trailed mowers to be coupled to the same tractor, knocking down 13.08m of crop in a single pass.
It is developed for use with the company’s EasyCut TC 400 and TC 500. When the TC 400 is matched to the company’s F320 CV/CR front mower, the working width of the combination is 10.3m. This increases to 10.7m with a F360 CV/CR and 11.1m with the F400 CV Fold.
Suitable for Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF), the cutting width of the EasyCut TC500/F 320 CV/ CR is 12.2m. Wider widths are also available, namely 12.6m with an F 360 CV/ CR and 13.08m (40cm overlap each side) with an F 400 CV Fold.
It is also said to be particularly beneficial in sensitive crops such as alfalfa.
Krone says Australian and American farmers often operate the front mounted EasyCut F 400 CV Fold together with two EasyCut TC 400 rear mowers, producing three identical swaths for uniform wilting. Each model can also operate as a solo machine.
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.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.