Jumbo X saves time and money
A winner of a prestigious ‘Technical Innovations 2024’ award by FederUnacoma at the EIMA show in Italy, the Maschio Jumbo X claims to be the world’s largest road compliant power harrow.
The use of subsoilers to break sub-surface pans helps moisture and air to permeate the soil strata to promote healthy root growth.
The new Maschio Attila distributed by Power Farming Wholesale looks a useful tool to tackle this problem.
Centred on a heavy-duty frame comprising four bolted-up beams, the machine spans 3m working width, carries seven subsoiler legs and suits tractors up to 200hp.
The legs work to a depth of 500mm, achieved by an angled design that pulls its way into the ground progressively. Each 30mm wide leg carries a quick-fit reversible point and works with 140mm wide side deflectors -- these started life as rotary hoe blades -- to lift and shatter the problem area but avoid any soil inversion.
Each leg is protected by a traction-bolt safety system that works longitudinally through the leg, effectively ripping the head off when an obstacle is encountered. This incurs none of the wear normally seen in lateral shear-bolt systems, where the 14.9 grade bolt is harder than the surrounding metal and so causes wear in the bolt hole, which can lead to premature breakage.
As an option, the Attila can be specified with an auto-reset, hydraulic break-back safety system.
An under-beam clearance of 800mm works in a similar amount between the tines to allow the machine to deal with high levels of plant residue without bulldozing or clogging, and operates at up to 10km/h.
At the rear, twin 220mm diameter spike rollers break down clods and chop and mix residues to deliver a uniform finish.
Manual adjustment of the rollers is used to control overall working depth, although an optional hydraulic control system allows on-the-move adjustment from the operator’s seat.
The Primary Production Select Committee is calling for submissions on the Valuers Bill currently before Parliament.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through its Growing Change project.
Lucidome Bio, a New Zealand agricultural biotech company was recently selected as one of fourteen global finalists to pitch at the Animal Health, Nutrition and Technology Innovation USA event in Boston.
Tractor manufacturer and distributor Case IH has announced a new partnership with Meet the Need, the grassroots, farmer-led charity working to tackle food insecurity across New Zealand one meal at a time.
The DairyNZ Farmers Forum is back with three events - in Waikato, Canterbury and Southland.
To celebrate 25 years of the Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship, Ravensdown caught up with past recipients to see where their careers have taken them, and what the future holds for the industry.