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.
The latest Horsch Versa KR includes several new concepts and ideas to offer a range of benefits to users.
A major focus of the mechanical drill is the electrically-driven seed rate control on the countershaft. The SmartClip system offers maximum flexibility with tramlines that can be individually easily changed without tools.
Row spacings can be set at 12.5 or 15cm, with seed dosage adjusted with a slide valve between the cell wheel and cam wheel. Featuring a seed hopper of 900 litres capacity in the base machine, this can be expanded in two stages to offer 1,500 litres. Implement control is taken care of by ISOBUS connection, using touch terminals for individual, personalised settings of the display options.
The DuoDisc double disc coulter, specially developed for the Versa series, has proven components of the TurboDisc coulters and offers precise and even seed placement.
Available with a rear toothed packer roller or trapezoidal ring packer, the latter is offered with 50cm diameter. This is said to be suitable for heavy soils. Meanwhile, the larger 60cm diameter unit is intended for changing soils from light to heavy and with high load-bearing capacity requirements.
As an option, the Versa 3 KR can also be equipped with the WorkLight Pro working light. This guarantees optimum lighting of metering devices and the machine when sowing – even when working in the dark.
In other Horsch news, the Avatar 12.25 SD gets new operating logic based on ISOBUS allowing easier set up, operation and monitoring technology.
A newly developed seed tank holds 6,500 litres and can be ordered as a double tank, split with a 60:40 ratio, while the MiniDrill G&F can be selected as an option offering an extra 400 litres capacity to extend range – especially when sowing rapeseed or canola. This additional tank can also be used for other fine seeds, granules or slug pellets, allowing a total of three products to be applied in one pass.
It is offered with various tyre widths and types from 520 to 900mm, or dual tyre set-ups. Ground pressure is minimised even in wet soil conditions and enables soil-friendly work, while double support wheels on the wings also ensure small tracks and the best ground tracking. This also maintains a 3m transport width.
Equipped with singlerow, single disc coulters and 25cm row spacing, the Avatar 12.25 SD lends itself to mechanical crop care, as well as to a wide variety of sowing conditions such as direct sowing, mulch sowing, or into standing catch crops.
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.
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