A 10-degree sidewall flare provides greater capacity while still maintaining ease of loading and unit maneuverability. Choose between VertiSpread vertical beaters or the new, redesigned AccuSpread spinner discharge to best fit your spreading needs.

A two-piece, poly floor and dual apron ensure consistent and dependable material flow to the beaters, while the improved beater location provides an enhanced spreading pattern by streamlining material flow from the apron to the beaters. The new guillotine endgate provides excellent metering capability, regardless of whether you choose vertical beaters or the spinner discharge for your spreader. For precise monitoring and application tracking, an optional scale system is available.

Pocket-size NIR spectrometer transforms feed analysis

Chr. Hansen joins forces with Consumer Physics to use and distribute SCiO – a revolutionary feed analysis solution based on the smallest available pocket-size NIR spectrometer. The solution will be rolled out first in the U.S. – with the intention to roll out globally over time – to Chr. Hansen’s key account managers and distributors first and then to Chr. Hansen’s customers.

This device offers instant feed and forage analysis with a click of a button, enabling nutritionists and consultants to troubleshoot variations and adjust rations during farm visits. It allows real-time testing, and it is more accurate and simpler to use than the cumbersome on-farm alternatives.

With this device, nutritionists can instantly fine-tune formulation and proactively detect inconsistencies in a matter of seconds.

Empowering farmers, this feed analysis device is an innovative response to the dairy industry’s need to constantly strive for a more productive and efficient operation. It allows farmers to:

• Track dry matter on a daily basis and optimize TMR rations
• Control dry matter during the harvest season of corn, alfalfa and other forages
• Enable the farm nutritionist and feed consultants to monitor trends remotely to avoid unexpected milk yield drop due to feed inconsistencies

Mobile app to detect mycotoxins now available

“Mycotoxins,” a mobile app developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, can help corn growers spot dangerous mycotoxin issues and learn what to do about them.

The free, informational mobile app is intended for use by corn growers, crop consultants, county extension agents and others in crop production and seed industries, said Burt Bluhm, associate professor of plant pathology for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It was developed as a collaboration between the division’s department of plant pathology and the department of botany and plant pathology at Purdue University.

Mycotoxins like aflatoxin are dangerous health risks to human and animal consumers, Bluhm said, and under strict health regulations, they can cause huge economic losses for corn growers.

A 2015 USDA-funded study by researchers at Michigan State University and Iowa State University estimated that aflatoxin, the most problematic mycotoxin disease in the U.S., could cost growers $52 million to $1.68 billion each year.

A version of the app for Apple iOS was developed by Alex Zaccaron, a research assistant in Bluhm’s lab. Zaccaron collaborated with developers at other institutions to produce an Android version.

The app is self-contained in the download and doesn’t require an internet connection for use in fields where connections may be poor or nonexistent.

Modules in the app include “Ear Rot Identification,” containing descriptions and high-resolution photos to help growers identify the most common corn ear rot diseases. Other modules contain information about mycotoxins, on ear rot management and how to store moldy grain.

A fifth module has contacts and resources where growers and grain merchandisers can find expertise and assistance in their regions.

The app can be used on any Apple or Android smartphone or tablet.

Krone North America introduces the new Comprima Round Baler

Introducing the new Comprima Round Baler from Krone North America. The Krone 2018 Comprima Round Baler is the only round baler offering the exclusive Krone belt and slat system for building superior, denser bales in any crop, from straw, to dry hay, to wet hay for silage bales (baleage). This new baler features a new camless pick-up design that delivers better feeding and less wrapping, resulting in more uniform-shaped bales. Like earlier models, this baler offers the capacity for those who want to bale more tonnage per day.

Growers can expect great hay quality, thanks to the baler’s ability to build higher density bales, particularly ideal for silage bales. Choose from a variety of bale chamber sizes in both fixed, variable and the company-exclusive semi-variable model.

Red Rock Enterprises brings Tote-Top Mega Funnel drain oil collection system to market

Turn your tote into a drain oil collection system with the Tote-Top Mega Funnel drain oil collection system. The unit simply sits on top of the tote and holds oil pans, funnels, filters, etc., so oil can drain off the tools into the tote without a mess on the floor.

The tote top is made of a durable polyethylene plastic design with a metal screen on top and a large center hole for oil to drain into the tote. Weighing only 30 pounds, the tote top is designed to fit a 48-inch by 40-inch bulk fluid tote. It simply rests on top of the tote cage so it can easily be moved to another tote when full. It creates a clean, affordable drain oil collection center.

New precision moisture sensor for round balers

Harvest Tec is once again rolling out new technology for making quality hay. The latest product being introduced is the H2O Precision Moisture Sensor, specifically designed for use on variable- and fixed-chamber round balers. It is an efficient, cost-effective sensing system with accurate moisture readings.

It has been designed for round baler operators who want a system that reads moisture accurately in wet silage bales as well as in dry hay. It provides major benefits for producers and custom operators who bale at higher moisture levels as well as for dry hay producers and even those who bale straw.

The company’s side-to-side technology reads crop moisture from 6 to 60 percent, higher than any round baler sensor on the market. Moisture is measured consistently across the full width of the bale by dual moisture sensing discs mounted on the chamber walls, making these readings significantly more accurate than hand probing or pad-style sensors.

The company’s dual opposing sensors collect five readings per second through the outer 6 inches of the round bale as it grows for the highest accuracy. The operator has instant knowledge of the crop’s moisture as it is being baled, with continuous display on an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet connected wirelessly via Bluetooth through the free and easy-to-use H2O app. Conveniently, the operator is still able to make and receive phone calls while the moisture sensor is at work.  

—Compiled by Progressive Forage staff

PHOTOS: Photos courtesy of Kuhn, Consumer Physics, University of Arkansas, Krone North America, Red Rock Enterprises and Harvest Tec.