The VB 3155-3185 balers are ideal for baling dry materials such as cornstalks and hay, but can also handle alfalfa and some silage. The VB 3160-3190 premium, all-around balers are ISOBUS balers designed for a wide range of forage materials, including silage.

The VB 3165-3195 premium XD balers are designed to work in the heaviest conditions across the world and are also available as baler-wrapper combinations (VBP 3165). Higher bale pressure settings on the VB 3165-3195 can provide up to 10 percent more bale weight in drier crops.

The wide, hybrid pickup on all these balers provides maximum ground adaptation during baling. The pendulum capabilities of the pickup keep the pickup wheels in constant contact with the field surface, providing more stability in all swaths. With Integral Rotor technology, an enormous throughput capacity is guaranteed at all times to better meet your operation’s specific needs; there are four different intake options available on the these new round balers. Select from an OptiFlow open throat intake design, an OptiFeed non-cutting rotor or a 14- or 23-knife OptiCut integral rotor. All cutter models also have Group Selection and Drop Floor technology.

American Robotics unveils fully autonomous drone system

American Robotics, an industrial drone developer specializing in agricultural automation, unveiled its flagship product Scout. It is a self-charging, self-managing drone system capable of autonomously carrying out daily scouting missions.

To improve agricultural decision-making, optimize inputs and maximize yields, automation must be delivered in a reliable industrial solution. Scout delivers this automation in a turn-key package consisting of an autonomous drone with visual and multispectral cameras, and a weatherproof drone station, which handles housing, charging, data processing and data transfer. Once installed within a farmer's field, it requires no manual intervention to plan, fly and manage the drone operations. Health reports and analysis are seamlessly sent to the farmer.

Krone introduces new bale accumulator – BaleCollect

New this year from Krone North America: BaleCollect. This new bale accumulator enables faster bale pickup – collecting up to three bales together (five bales with the Krone BiG Pack 890 baler). It’s a perfect fit for the high-productivity-minded hay producer who is looking for faster baling and collecting more bales per hour.

This new bale accumulator also features the Krone telescoping drawbar for safer, easier transport – at speeds up to 30 mph. This telescoping drawbar breaks the connection between the bale accumulator and the baler, allowing the accumulator to track behind the baler like a second trailer. Thus, the operator enjoys improved in-line trailering while turning corners and during transport. And there is no bouncing, because the brake on the BiG Pack baler has been designed to handle the extra weight from this bale accumulator.

Here’s how BaleCollect works:

• In the field, the hydraulic drawbar is retracted and the bale accumulator runs in line with the bale chamber. When a bale leaves the bale chamber and moves on to the bale accumulator, it passes over a detecting sensor, which signals to push the bale to the side. The next bale is then pushed to the other side. Once the third bale arrives on the bale accumulator, all bales are pushed off the machine together.
• In transport position, the sides fold onto the table, thus reducing transport width to just under 10 feet, with a transport length of just under 13 feet. The bale accumulator pulls like a second trailer behind the BiG Pack Baler, a big advantage when traveling around bends or through narrow gates.
• BaleCollect features a weighing system, which captures and stores the weight of each bale on the machine.

RKW agricultural portfolio hits U.S. market

RKW, a German manufacturer of film solutions, is launching its streamlined agricultural portfolio in the U.S. The crop-packaging portfolio meets all kinds of requirements in manufacturing of silage covers, tubes and round bale nets. Most recently, RKW has expanded extrusion capacities in agricultural films.

The Performance+ products include well-established film solutions in a new guise like the Polydress O2 Barrier 2in1, which was the first combination of a sealing and protective film. Compared with traditional cover systems, the solution features a six- to 10-times higher oxygen barrier. Easy handling is another advantage: Customers can cover the silage in only one work step. The material is available in widths ranging from 20 to 60 feet and 5-mil thickness.

Hytidouble is also part of the Performance+ category: The combination of cover and vacuum film is folded together on one roll, with a patented folding pattern and makes the coverage of the silage quick and easy. Hytidouble increases work efficiency and saves storage space. The film is available in widths from 20 up to 60 feet.

In the Performance category, the company offers the new Polydress SiloPro films, with different thicknesses and widths in white or black. The material also offers high UV resistance for 15 months.

In the Classic category, the company offers cost-efficient film solutions for standard applications in a variety of colors, widths and combinations of thicknesses. The product range includes underlayer films such as Polydress and Hytibarrier for different applications. These kinds of films are available in widths from 40 up to 65 feet. Hytibarrier films feature an excellent six- to 10-times higher oxygen barrier. In combination with the company’s silage films, the product sustains the fermentation process. It is available in a range from 40 to 65 feet.

In addition to the silage portfolio, RKW presents its Rondotex round bale nets and film solutions for the harvest and storage of hay, straw and silage bales, as well as maize and sugar beet pulp. These round bale nets have been well-known for more than 35 years. The product family encompasses the Rondotex Evolution and Rondotex Strong quality.

The round bale net is suited for all balers with net intake for silage, straw and hay. For powerful and heavy harvesting goods, the company recommends the Rondotex Strong round bale net, which offers special safety through thicker threads and a particular knitting technology. The material is available in roll widths of 48 to 67 inches with a rolling length of 13,000 feet and offers high UV resistance.

BAG ALL, a high-quality tube for the storage of grain, maize, sugar beets and various other forage sources, is suited for long-time conservation. The company’s silo bags meet all international market requirements. They are available in 8 to up to 14 feet and different thicknesses up to 9.5 mil.

Krone North America introduces the new pull-type disc mower

Krone introduces the new EasyCut TS 320 pull-type disc mower (without conditioner). Growers benefit from many new improvements that provide a clean, closer cut, tighter turning radius, easier servicing and overall increased reliability.

Features of the new mowers include:

• The cutterbar hugs the ground, enabling a clean, closer cut, all made possible by an improved, center-of-gravity suspension.
• Make tighter turns on headlands thanks to a swivel gearbox.
• Fewer moving parts mean increased reliability and easier servicing.
• New folding end curtains make for easy maintenance and narrow road transport.
• Rounded corners allow cutting up close to fences without snagging.
• Cutting width: 10 feet 4 inches; transport width, just 9 feet 10 inches.  

—Compiled by Progressive Forage staff

PHOTOS: Photos courtesy of Kuhn North America, American Robotics, RKW and Krone North America.