Farm safety issues remain very much in the spotlight, with the Health and Safety Executive recently issuing a warning after a spate of farm deaths. With this in mind, we caught up with Aberdeenshire farmer Marc Skivington about his popular safety app Smart Farmer, and how it could help to reduce deaths and injuries on farm.
The latest HSE figures, published in July, show there were 41 deaths in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries in 2020/21 – almost double last year’s figure of 21. In August, the HSE urged farmers and farmworkers to prioritise farm safety after four fatalities were reported in just two weeks.
With these sobering statistics at the forefront of our minds, simple technology to help farmers improve safety has never been more essential.
The Smart Farmer app was created by Marc Skivington, who manages a 1,800ha business at Slainspark Farm, growing combinable crops, seed potatoes, turnips and daffodils; milking 400 dairy cows and fattening 52,000 pigs a year, as well as managing a 300-head beef herd. The farm also has a 400kW anaerobic digester, a 500kW wind turbine and a 400kW biomass plant.
When Marc wanted to improve safety and make machinery checks easier on his own farm, he found the available technology was lacking and decided to create his own app, which launched at Lamma ’20. Since then, it has seen numerous updates and now offers not only a simple way of completing machinery checks, but also features to improve lone worker safety, field hazard identification, training, risk assessments and more.
As a result, it was voted as one of the top five must-have safety apps by farmers during Farm Safety Week last year. It has also picked up a range of other awards, including Agri-Tech Innovator of the Year at the British Farming Awards and a Royal Highland Show Silver Award for Technical Innovation.
Marc is now investing £40,000 into various additional updates over the coming months, to meet various requirements following feedback from users. Further information will be revealed in due course.
The software explained
The app and cloud-based software uses a simple traffic light system to help operators complete checks on machinery and equipment before starting work, as well as keeping up-to-date with maintenance, servicing and training. Checklists are easily customisable, so you can opt for just a few checks, or a more comprehensive list. Farmers and other users can record pre- start checks on their mobile phones, with QR codes used to identify machines quickly, while the app’s traffic light system shows the state of machinery at a glance. Users can also view ongoing raised and resolved issues, adding a photo to make a raised issue easier to identify.
The app works with all types of machinery and is available on Apple and Android phones. It can be used by unlimited users and machines, and with the industry becoming increasingly aware of farm safety, it can be used as a tool for planned preventative maintenance (PPM).
As well as helping farmers to comply with the law, it enables employers, managers and operators to better communicate and take responsibility for machine safety.
Other features of the app include risk assessments, training documents and the ability to record and print service reports and daily usage of machinery. This means risk assessments are easily accessible from the user’s phone – saving paper and avoiding them being hidden away in the back of a cupboard. The app can also give reminders when a service is due.
As a cloud-based service, data is shared with everyone on the farm, so that all team members know the status and condition of the equipment.
Recent updates
Lone working and field hazard identification were recently added to the app to further improve its safety benefits.
The lone working feature allows administrators to set how often the system checks workers’ latitude and longitude coordinates, so if they are the same as on the previous reading, an alert will be sent to the operator and administrator. The administrator will receive a link to the operator’s location so they can check on their safety.
Lone working is commonplace in agriculture and comes with the potential for higher risks and more severe consequences if workers are not able to summon help quickly. Those responsible for farm businesses have a legal duty to themselves and their workers to put in place reasonable safety measures – so this new feature will be a welcome addition.
Meanwhile, within the Smart Farmer web portal, fields can now easily be added by the admin of the site, creating a field boundary and utilising the simple key to plot all hazards on the map. Additional hazards can be added to the key for future reference. When the operator enters the field boundary, they receive a notification providing a map to highlight all of the hazards within the field.
For more information contact Smart Farmer or sign up for a free 28-day trial via www.smartfarmerapp.co.uk.
A new fully integrated tyre pressure control system for John Deere 8R Series tractors equipped with independent link suspension (ILS) can now be ordered ex-factory.
Using an on-board compressor, this John Deere manufactured system allows the tractor driver to continually monitor and adjust tyre pressure with just the push of a button. Constant optimisation of tyre pressure can increase efficiency both in the field and on the road, making overall tractor performance better than ever before.
Low tyre pressure in the field helps to prevent soil compaction, protects soil structure by reducing fuel-sapping wheel slip and bulldozing effects, and increases pulling performance. On the other hand, high tyre pressure on the road improves driving behaviour, while rolling resistance and tyre wear are reduced.
Additionally, fuel consumption is significantly lower. The environment therefore benefits from lower CO2 emissions and farmers benefit from higher yields and lower operating costs.
Tyres can be deflated for field work to increase their footprint by nearly 25 per cent, with a reduction of up to 3psi in ground pressure, giving two to four per cent less wheel slip. This also helps to increase field speed while reducing soil compaction and smearing. Back on the road, the simple button press reinflates the tyres to optimum pressure for travelling and transport operations.
John Deere’s new central tyre inflation system (CTIS) can be easily adjusted using the tractor’s CommandCenter display and features uniquely quick inflation and deflation times.
For example, the internal pressure of a large tyre combination (710/75R42s with 650/60R34s) can be increased from 0.8 to 1.8 bar in less than six and a half minutes, while less than four minutes is needed to release the pressure from the tyres. This is ensured by the inside diameter of the air lines, which are 33 per cent larger than other solutions.
An external compressed air connection allows even faster inflation, for example by taking air from a slurry tank compressor. It is also possible to connect an air gun for cleaning purposes, if required. Instead of the usual standard plastic air lines, strong fabric hoses are used, which are safely secured to the tractor’s front and rear wheels.
John Deere is also responding to customer demands for higher performance tyres and is increasingly offering a wider choice of VF (very high flexion) options. Consequently, this allows operators to work with the lowest tyre pressures even when using higher ballasting weights.
Heavy-duty build, individual features and a wide range of products to suit different applications are among the factors underpinning the growing reputation of TMC Cancela’s mulching machinery in the forestry sector.
Since 2017, the machines have been distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Lincs-based Spaldings Forestry, a division of the direct sales specialist Spaldings, focused on tools and equipment for forest managers, contractors and arborists.
Hefin Evans, who leads Spaldings’ forestry equipment sales, explains TMC Cancela’s pedigree: “The company isbased in the heavily forested north- west of Spain and has many years’ experience producing this type of machinery.
“They also have a very accessible engineering team; when contractor Roger Glennie had ideas for a bespoke machine, TMC Cancela was the only manufacturer to respond positively by arranging a meeting with the design engineers who came up with the two- speed MPK-225 mulcher with finishing roller he operates today.”
Based near Methlick in Aberdeenshire, Mr Glennie uses the TMC Cancela mulcher for clearing spent Christmas tree plantations and pockets of land after felling, situations in which it leaves a clean, firm finish ready for sowing or re-planting.
“After our prototype was returned from the factory following a strip- down inspection and rebuild, it’s been used pretty much non-stop, not only on land and plantation recovery but also for track renewal, which it handles very well,” he says.
The MPK-225 is just one model in a wide range of TMC Cancela forestry mulchers supported in terms of service, parts and repairs by the Spaldings after-sales team or local service agents.
Hefin Evans highlights the strategic use of high-strength steel for durability without excessive weight, the hard- wearing Hardox steel used for the double-skin hood structures, and the different tungsten tooth designs.
“The mulching teeth, which are all secured by two bolts set into deep recesses to protect them from wear, work in conjunction with up to six rows of Hardox steel counter blades to thoroughly shred and mulch vegetation,” he points out.
Bi-rotation PTO on selected models provides the versatility to operate on the front or back of a tractor, while oil-filled hydrodynamic couplings on the biggest machines provide load-free PTO start-up, vibration damping and shock/overload protection.
Another feature – the pivoting gearbox and parallel linkage hydraulic top link on selected models – ensures that the correct PTO shaft angle is maintained at all times for reliable power delivery.
There are mechanical drive versions for all sizes of tractor up to 400hp and hydraulic drive models for skid-steer and other compact loaders, excavators, radio-controlled vehicles that work on sites with challenging access and other prime movers.
Flexibility is an important driver for Suffolk farmer Harry Middleditch, in implementing a rotation regime that maximises his options for producing a seedbed on difficult Hanslope soils.
The tool of choice now is a 4m Karat 9, which gives Harry the confidence to practice minimum tillage techniques without compromising crop yields or soil quality.
D F Middleditch is a 340ha, heavy clay arable farm at Belchamp St Paul, which supports feed wheat and rye, a flock of 70 sheep and 40,000 free range broilers, as well as a wood chip biomass boiler. Poultry muck is used on the farm as fertiliser and to help reduce fixed costs, such as labour.
The plough-based tillage system has been replaced with minimum tillage cultivation tools.
Harry, who took over the running of the family business six years ago, aims to reduce input costs by 25 per cent over the next five years. Simplifying the cultivation regime has already made an impact on taking out input costs, by reducing the number of passes as well as burning less diesel and keeping spare parts replacement to a minimum. In the first year he has already reduced input costs by 10 per cent without compromising yields, which average 9.8t/ha.
Greater versatility and flexibility
There is potential in the future to go one step further and change to direct drilling. Replacing the plough required a cultivator which would offer maximum versatility and cost-effectiveness. The 4m Karat 9 is able to cultivate soil from 5–30cm and move the soil across the full working width of the machine.
The business previously operated two disc and tine cultivators from another manufacturer. One was replaced with the 4m Karat 9, which offers greater versatility and flexibility in the rotation, while the other has been retained for cover crops.
“Last year the Karat really came into its own,” he explains. “The wet weather exposed some deep compaction but by dropping the legs down to 22cm, we were able to lift it and help the water drain away.”
Harry calculates that seedbed preparation costs around £22.40/pass. Build quality of the Karat and minimal wear on the points means depreciation is very low too. It is now the main cultivator on the farm.
“The quality of the Karat is excellent. The original tungsten points have not needed changing, so by the end of this season they will have covered over 800ha. We might look to change them at the end of the year.”
But when the points do need changing, it is a very easy and fast process, he says.
“A quick release system means removing points is simple, so there is no need for hammers and spanners,” he says. “It should take about 20 minutes to change a full set of nine points and wings. We have a narrow and a wide set of points, which gives us greater flexibility and versatility to cope with most situations. Despite the Karat 9’s robustness and build quality, it is not a heavy machine.”
Light, quick machines
Reducing the weight of machines on the land is a top priority. “Compaction can be a problem on our heavier soils,” Harry explains. “It’s critical we are off the land if it turns wet. But, when it’s OK to travel we want to be using light machines and covering the ground quickly.”
The plan is to mount a Stocks applicator to the Karat 9 to drill cover crops in the spring as part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
“We plan to keep the Karat 9 for at least seven years because there’s nothing really on it that can go wrong. The rear packer has sealed bearings and there are no discs, so moving parts are not a problem.
“Improving our soils by minimal movement, and by reducing the need to cultivate at depth, should result in our seedbeds improving,” says Harry. “Each field is considered on its own merit according to rotation and what crop is being grown.
“I stereotyped the Karat as a light land cultivator, but it changed our mindset having seen it work. Of the three machines we tried, it was head and shoulders above the competition in terms of build quality, seedbed finish and levelling. Being able to move as much or as little soil as possible is so important to us. It gives us maximum flexibility. If you’re not measuring it, you’re not managing it, and so if it’s not essential to go deep then don’t.”
Satisfactory seedbed in one pass
By removing one of the packers on the Karat 9, Harry can produce a satisfactory seedbed in one pass, even in challenging soil and weather conditions. Being trailed rather than mounted, the Karat has proven an excellent tool for re- levelling fields.
A ram attached to the 3-point linkage of the machine helps to reduce draught and wheel slip on the tractor, which causes soil damage and compaction. It also helps cut diesel usage and therefore brings down establishment costs.
“We must look after our soils,” he says. “Rotation is key to maintaining soils and keeping them in good condition. Cover crops will improve soils and harness the sunlight while ensuring nutrient retention.”
The company currently has 56ha of cover crops, but the aim is to increase this to 80ha and, when all spring cropping is down to a cover crop, the total acreage will be 130ha.
Harry says the Karat will be integral to rotation planning going forward, because it will help eliminate the risk of poor seedbed management by being able to move the tilth when drilling in drier periods.
Versatility is the name of the game for Matt Solley of J S Crop Management, a joint venture between neighbouring arable farms in Kent, established to reduce overheads and make the most of machinery.
The business employs the labour force and supplies machinery for both farms, as well as contract farming for other landowners.
With 2,000ha in hand and 850ha on contract, productive, reliable machinery is key, as is flexibility; while soils near the business’ Deal base are mainly free-draining brick earth over chalk, much of the contract farming is on heavier land. To meet their own needs and those of customers, they decided not to limit themselves to no-till.
Mr Solley explains: “We’ve got a Vaderstad TopDown and Carrier cultivators in the armoury to give us plenty of min-till options, or can go straight in with a Biodrill on the TopDown and establish oilseed rape; we’re also seeing a return to the plough in certain situations, so need to be able to work on ploughed land.”
The ability of the Vaderstad Carrier 925 disc cultivator to work at different depths really comes in here. Featuring conical discs to produce a fine tilth and mix residues evenly, it uses a strong frame to withstand high weight on the discs, improving penetration and maintaining working depth in tough conditions.
“We can use the Carrier as a shallow cultivator to give a quick chit in the autumn, or work deeper to pull down plough in the spring. The discs are really effective for shallow work in hot, dry conditions, and we’ve always got the option of the TopDown to put a tine through if needed. We can also use the Carrier in front of the drill – there are so many possibilities.”
The CrossBoard on the Carrier has been especially useful for Mr Solley this spring, when an unusually cold snap produced a ‘frost tilth’ which settled naturally. A pass with the disc cultivator was the ideal tool to freshen up ahead of a Vaderstad Rapid RDA drill.
“We had a RexiusTwin press but wanted to try Vaderstad’s latest designs and the Carrier gives a high output with its 9m working width, so productivity is that much greater.”
With some contract farms in a 30-mile radius, there’s plenty of road work, and the Carrier’s neat push back folding system and double axle means that it travels exceptionally well.
Mr Solley says the Carrier can be easily adapted, making it even more versatile. “The CrossCutter discs look like a really good option for working in residues or on plough, and would be a useful addition in some seasons.”
Working with a 440hp Fendt MT943 tracklayer, he says the Carrier rides very level and can be easily adjusted in varying conditions, making for a high-speed operation that covers some 10ha/hr.
“There are plenty of wide, fast shallow cultivators on the market but many of them are no good for anything else. The Vaderstad Carrier is a real all-rounder that works very well forus.”
BvL is this year celebrating 21 years of sales and service for its range of feeder wagons in the UK. A key element in the company’s success, both in the UK and over the 41 years since BvL launched the first diet feeder onto the market, is that no two farms are the same.
It’s important that a wide range of specifications and options are available, BvL says, so its UK dealers and specialists can look at the farm’s needs and tailor a machine to meet those requirements.
The BvL V-Mix range of trailed diet feeders covers a wide range of machines, available in single, twin and triple auger variants and in capacity from 3.5–46m3. Also increasingly popular is the BvL V-Mix Maximum Plus range of self- propelled single and twin auger diet feeders, available in capacities from 11–21m3. Instead of cutting, these use a combing action to loosen the silage from the clamp, which helps avoid damage and preserve feed quality.
At the heart of all BvL mixers are powerful mixing augers, with Hardox leading edges and adjustable knives. Twin and triple auger versions incorporate mixing wedges for a thorough and consistent mix, while the patented EDS (Exact Dosing System) discharge ensures an even forage discharge.
Available as an option and suitable for retro- fitting onto older BvL diet feeders is the V-Connect mixer control. Using the control, the operator can easily monitor both auger speed and total revolutions, in addition to displaying and controlling mixer time. So instead of relying on PTO speed, by being able to monitor the actual auger speed, the operator is able to achieve improved repeatability and ration consistency.
Other options include features such as doors on both the left- and right-hand side of the feeder for feeding flexibility and even simultaneous discharge to both sides. Additional discharge door options are available, as are discharge conveyors or elevators and new, highly powerful magnets to avoid metallic objects contaminating the ration.
Unique to BvL is the availability of special coatings and hardened components for use with compact rations, or for more abrasive, higher dry matter rations, making this option particularly suited for beef cattle rations and large dairy herds.
For further information, contact BvL’s UK specialists directly.
Agriweld is introducing its new min-disc cultivator, featuring its IP-protected Snap-Bar, Agri-packer roller and Easy Clean Scraper Bar system.
The all-new min-disc cultivator allows the worthy top layer of tilth to be cultivated, combining the stubble and soil to create a positive environment for seed growth prior to drilling.
The 2021/22 model is currently available as a 3m, 6-leg option, but a 4m folding model will be the next addition to the range.
Features include:
- 3m 6-leg rigid mounted
- Agriweld’s innovative Snap-Bar shear leg protection
- New Agri-packer roller
- Easy-clean scraper bar system
- Two rows of concave, serrated 508mm diameter discs, in pairs to prevent disc slip
- Road lights
- Hydraulic packer depth control
All models include the standard Snap- Bar shear minimum disturbance leg and GLS point that work up to 300mm deep, shattering and aerating the sub- surface; while the two rows of concave, serrated discs cultivate the surface tilth, combining organic trash and soil to create a cultivated seedbed prior to drilling, and a prosperous environment for seed growth post drilling.
The Snap-Bar shear system has transformed the shear process and offers advantages not possible when using traditional shear bolt or bar methods, Agriweld says. Benefits include: quick and easy replacement, no tools required, three uses per Snap-Bar, varying strengths available and broken piece remains attached to the leg socket.
Meanwhile the new Agri-Packer and Easy Clean Scraper Bar is fitted as standard to firm the soil surface and leave a weatherproof finish. Other roller options are also available if preferred. The shallow profile of the shoulder assists with achieving consolidation across the whole packer width. The roller also crushes and breaks up any soil clods whilst retaining drainage under the surface. Roller shoulders create drainage channels and drive teeth penetrate the channel bottom to allow for water and nutrient ingress. In addition, an efficient, cost effective roller option with replaceable shoulders and stub axles is fitted throughout Agriweld’s range of cultivation equipment.
The Easy Clean Scraper Bar system enables quick and easy displacement of soil and other organic matter from the scrapers, ensuring these are not transferred to other fields or dropped on the road in transport.
The operator is able to slide the adjustment bar out of the end of the scraper through the simple removal of two pins, allowing it to be repositioned into the tube situated on the scraper bar. This makes it easy to lever and pivot the scraper bar into the ‘unload’ position. Simply reverse the process to return the scraper bar into work position once all soil and organic matter is displaced.
The easy clean system is available across the range of subsoilers and packer options.
Standen Engineering has welcomed two new Europe-based brands into its fold in the last couple of months.
The first of the two brands, AVR, allows Standen to increase its harvester offering by supplying the popular Puma series of self-propelled harvester to the UK market. In addition, Standen can also supply AVR’s range of both in-line and off-set bunker harvesters, filling a gap in the company’s current product range.
Not only does AVR allow Standen to increase its harvester range, it also helps to build its offering in the ‘in- store’ market. AVR receiving hoppers, store loaders, twin conveyors, belt elevators, pick up loaders, and stone and clod separators are now also available from Standen.
Standen has also welcomed VHM products to the UK. VHM offers smart and effective crop handling machinery, designed to make customers’ in-store, grading, line and pack house more efficient. The range includes box and bag fillers, fully automatic box stackers, discharge conveyors, and box rotators. Designed with protection of the harvested crop in mind, all VHM machinery ensures as little impact as possible on your crop as well as ensuring optimum storage conditions.
Commenting on the addition of the two brands, Edward Gilbert, sales and marketing director at Standen, said: “We are very happy to be able to widen our harvester range with the addition of AVR machines. They are very popular on the continent and we are confident that our UK growers will like what they see. We realised that we can offer our UK growers more in terms of crop handling equipment and, adding VHM in combination with AVR in-store crop handling machinery, we are really building a strong portfolio in this area.”
Grimme started 2021 with a bang by announcing its 160th anniversary celebrations. The milestones didn’t stop there – since then, Grimme has announced the sale of its 2,000th destoner and now the 1,000th Varitron potato harvester.
To celebrate the 1,000th Varitron sale, Grimme is building a limited run of special edition Varitrons. These limited-edition machines will be loaded with all sorts of valuable extras at a significantly reduced price.
With a focus on operator comfort and productivity, the list of extras includes the Premium Comfort Cab, which has optimised noise insulation plus a high-backed leather seat with air suspension, seat heating and active ventilation; Grimme’s Speedtronic system that automatically matches the speed of the main webs to driving speed and crop load – a key component of gentle crop handling; additional LED work lights that virtually turn night into day and Auto Pilot that automatically keeps the machine on track, which leaves the operator free to focus on the ideal settings for the conditions and the crop.
Plus, the limited-edition Varitron 470 models will come with even more features including black rims, a special drivers’ package, unique doormats, a mobile phone holder and LED beacon lights.
Grimme started making self- propelled potato harvesters back in 1969 and since then has developed multiple innovative harvesters to meet the needs of specialist growers. With over 50 years’ experience of self-propelled harvesting, it’s easy to see why so many growers trust Grimme machines to harvest their valuable crops.
Michelin has expanded its TrailXBib range of agricultural tyres for trailers, spreaders and slurry tankers with the addition of seven new sizes.
Initially launched to market in two key sizes in June 2020, the TrailXBib has been developed in close association with farmers and benefits from Michelin’s Ultraflex technology, helping to limit compaction and protect the soil.
Designed with a robust VF (Very High Flexion) casing and a deep tread for greater endurance and longevity, the tyres feature excellent self-cleaning capabilities thanks to an advanced tread pattern with wide inter-lugs, meaning fewer closed areas for dirt and soil to accumulate.
Gordon Brookes, customer engineering support manager for Michelin’s agricultural division, said: “When the TrailXBib was launched last year it was the result of discussions with our agricultural customers in many countries. It has proved very popular in the UK and we are happy to now introduce these additional sizes, meaning more machinery can benefit from the tyre’s qualities.
“The TrailXBib offers great longevity and endurance and will help our customers keep ground compaction to a minimum, protecting their crops and ultimately improving their yields.”
Michelin’s Ultraflex technology allows for greater flexibility – meaning the tyres can work with a larger footprint, reducing the impact on the soil. The TrailXBib can carry more load than the same dimension of its predecessor, the CargoXBib, and at a reduced pressure. The reduction in pressure lessens the stress into the structure of the trailer, reducing mechanical strain and wear.
The range also now enables farmers to equip their entire tractor and trailer combination with Michelin Ultraflex technology VF tyres, with the choice of AxioBib 2, XeoBib and YieldBib ranges for the tractor, and now TrailXBib for the trailer – meaning users can optimise the efficiency of their operation throughout the crop cycle.
The TrailXBib’s robust VF casing and a deeper, specially-designed tread now offers a significant improvement in tyre life compared to the CargoXBib range, while a strong central RIB ensures regular wear and improves handling and endurance on the road.
The tyres are fully compatible with Central Tyre Inflation Systems (CTIS), allowing them to run at the optimal pressure for the precise ground they are working on, helping to reduce fuel consumption and improve agronomic performance.
The seven new sizes – VF 500/60 R22.5 160D, VF 600/50 R22.5 164D, VF 710/45 R22.5 170D, VF 600/55 R26.5 170D, VF 710/50 R26.5 176D, VF 650/65 R30.5 181D, VF 750/60 R30.5 187D – are immediately available on both the original equipment and replacement markets. They join the two original sizes of tyre launched last year – the VF 560/60 R22.5 166D and VF 650/55 R26.5 174D.
