Kubota to start field testing robotic tractor
Kubota has announced plans to start field testing the autonomous hydrogen powered fuel cell tractor it recently unveiled at Expo 25 in Osaka Japan.
OPINION: Good on Miraka for eschewing electric power for its future tankers, opting for the much more practical heavy-vehicle ‘green’ choice, hydrogen, putting NZ’s first H-powered tanker on the road.
It’s no accident that in the tractor and farm machinery industry, momentum is growing for a future switch from diesel to hydrogen fuel.
Kubota, Deutz and JCB, for example, are well down the road with hydrogen engines.
Not only does it require less re-tooling for manufacturers, and the fuel network, hydrogen is better suited to sustained heavy work.
And unlike battery power, it doesn’t require hours of downtime to recharge. In contrast to Miraka, Fonterra has an electric tanker on trial, which they only operate on flat land, for short trips, and takes three hours to recharge.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.