The Roll-Belt round baler with the Goweil Kombi bale wrapper gives haymakers the ability to bale and wrap in one operation without the need to make a second pass, or enlist another operator, tractor and bale wrapper. Time, labor and fuel costs are reduced. Bales are wrapped as they are made, before they ever touch the ground, so there’s no contamination from soil. This decreases the chance of bad fermentation and spoilage that can impact weight gain and reproductive performance.

Hay Testing Tool launched by BioZyme

BioZyme Inc. has developed and launched its Hay Testing Tool. The online tool is just one way that producers can help calculate the supplements they will need to accompany their forages, with the ultimate goal of saving producers money.

The online tool is simple and free to use. Once a producer has had his or her forages tested and knows the nutritional values, he or she will enter three pieces of information into the calculator: crude protein, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and the month projected to start calving. Then, the online tool will make calculations for the producer.

Once the producer’s data is input, line graphs are generated to give the producer a visual aid showing the percentage of protein and energy his or her hay is currently providing versus the recommended amount for optimal performance, based on the “Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle” from NRC. Then, bar charts are created to show what months since calving producers should supplement with protein or energy to achieve maximum performance goals. Green bars on the charts indicate that the forage is at or above recommended NRC levels, and those months, no alternative protein or energy supplements are needed, saving the producer money.

Lemken launches new compact disc harrow

Lemken has launched the Rubin 10 compact disc harrow, which delivers a wide range of improvements. Most striking is the new disc arrangement on both implement sides. This not only ensures directional stability, without lateral pull, and thus reduces fuel consumption, but also allows precise pass alignment, also using GPS.

The discs are arranged to produce symmetrical forces on both implement sides. The three central discs on the new compact disc harrow have been offset along the longitudinal axis to ensure that they are able to work collision-free across the full width. This solution optimizes the flow of soil and results in even cultivation across the full working width. The discs engage across their full surfaces from a working depth of 7 centimeters (2.76 inches). An undercut maintains optimal penetration and boosts mixing efficiency even further.

The new tool features surface-hardened DuraMaxx discs with a diameter of 645 millimeters (25.39 inches) as standard. The new legs are 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) thick and therefore substantially more robust than in the previous range. Their design with multiple bends provides plenty of clearance to prevent blockages. Each concave disc is now equipped with an overload protection with damped return to minimize frame loads. The overload protection pockets are welded to the frame to keep the discs perfectly on track.

The new compact disc harrow with working widths of 2.5 to 7 meters (8 to 23 feet) will go into series production in 2019.

AGCO markets new toolbars for precision planting

AGCO is bringing to market the new 9500VER and 9700VER (Vacuum Electric Ready) precision planting-ready toolbars within its White Planters line. The new toolbars meet the growing demand for precision planting technology in narrow- and wide-row configurations.

The harness-free frame, 9500VER precision-ready toolbar is available in three sizes – 23-row, 15-inch row spacing; 24-row, 20-inch spacing; and 24-row, 22-inch spacing. The 9700VER toolbar is available in five sizes – 12-row, with 30-inch, 36-inch, 38-inch or 40-inch row spacing, and a 16-row with 30-inch row spacing.

Both toolbars consist of maintenance-free, all cast iron 9000 Series row units, but don’t include the drives or seed meters, so components aren’t duplicated when a White Planter is converted to include the latest precision planting components and systems.

The new 9500VER toolbar is equipped with a durable three-section, flex-and-forward-fold, 7-inch by 7-inch frame; a two-tank, 90-bushel, central-fill seed-delivery system (CFS); hydraulic lift and fold systems; and folding marker selection. Two 45-bushel polyethylene hoppers are standard for the CFS on all 9500VER toolbars. The 9700VER toolbar features durable three-section, flexible, 7-inch by 7-inch hydraulic stack-folding wings and hydraulic fold system.

Reinke introduces the Annex pivot controller

Reinke introduces RPM Annex pivot controller, a device that wires into main control panels allowing growers to upgrade to the latest technology by “annexing” their existing panels.

This device can provide the user interface and controls of the company’s RPM Preferred, RPM Advanced Plus or RPM Connect. In addition to providing the functionality of this newer technology, the new pivot controller allows growers with standard-type main control panels to utilize telemetry. And, because it is compatible with all center pivot brands, growers can upgrade any of their existing units to a Reinke panel.

Annex is ReinCloud-Ready, which includes remote access for monitoring and controlling pivots, the ability to manage multiple systems from one dashboard and notifications when there’s a change in the system’s status.  

—Compiled by Progressive Forage staff

PHOTOS: Photos courtesy of New Holland, AGCO and Reinke.