GEA launches AI-powered walkover teat sprayer
GEA says that its latest walkover teat sprayer is helping farmers save time and boost udder health.
An intelligent new Auto Mix + Spray unit from GEA’s FIL division is said to set a gold standard in teat spraying, providing farmers with an accurately mixed solution applied ‘fresh’ at every milking.
Accurately mixing and using teat spray to combat seasonal differences is the critical factor in maintaining teat condition, says FIL national manager Colin May.
“Farmers might be using the best products, but teat spray solutions can vary depending on who does the mixing and their understanding of what’s required to combat seasonal differences,” he says.
“Most teat sprays suggest a mix ration of maybe 1:6 or 1:9; that can be confusing, and adding extra emollient adds yet another level of complexity”.
May says the Auto Mix + Spray unit offers 97% accuracy, so removing the human error and guesswork inherent in manual mixing.
FIL can also help farmers tailor a teat care plan including recommended mix rates to meet seasonal changes. These rates can be loaded and locked into the unit’s memory for daily use until a change of ration is required.
When environmental conditions change, or a deterioration in teat condition is detected, the unit’s settings can be altered in single percentage points from 5% - 20% to counter changing patterns of teat condition.
Being pressurised, the system can be retrofitted into a wet-it or wand system, an ambic system or on-platform spraying systems (such as iPUD) or installed as a standalone unit in the dairy shed.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.