This year marked the first of the Lamma show’s new era at Birmingham’s indoor National Exhibition Centre. 

The event is showcasing not just large machinery manufacturers, but also smaller agricultural engineering and machinery firms from across the UK.

We look at the best fencing, spreaders and grain store management kit.

See also: Lamma 2019: Plenty on offer for livestock farmers

See also: Lamma 2019: Tractors and telehandlers steal the show

Global Track Warehouse

Global Track Warehouse has been offering track units to the construction market for more than 20 years, but it has now turned its attention to the agricultural market.

The firm is offering units for most of the main tracked machines, including the Case-IH Quadtrac, Challenger/Fendt and John Deere twin track machines, as well as some trailed implements like chaser bins.

Apparently prices are going to be fairly keen, but the firm says it hasn’t scrimped on quality.

That means it has opted for a good-quality rubber compound, and uses jointless technology to make sure there are no inherent weak spots.

Inside, there is four-layer 6.5mm cable reinforcement that should more than compensate for the power any current tractor is going to put through them.

The tread bars, drive lugs and track carcass are also formed using a one-step vulcanisation process that minimises the risk of tearing or punctures.

The firm is also offering a four-year warranty on friction-drive units and two on positive-drive versions.

Versalok fencing

The pathetic lifespan of many wooden fence posts these days has prompted UK firm Hampton Steel to come up with a more durable steel version.

The Versalok system uses high-tensile steel posts that are protected by a magnesium, aluminium and zinc alloy coating.

This prevents the tin worm wreaking havoc and means the firm can offer a 30-year guarantee.

Unlike some other metal post systems, Hamptons has designed the Versalok so it is compatible with all woven wire mesh fencing patterns.

A series of holes down the post allow stainless steel clips to be inserted to hold the wire in place. These clips can be inserted anywhere, making it easy to lock the wire in the right place.

The holes are cleverly shaped too, allowing multiple clip positions as well as the option of adding two clips if required.

For added strength, the posts are formed in a delta profile and buyers get the option of a standard 1.5mm version or a heavier-duty 2.5mm.

Standard post heights of 1.8m, 2.2m and 2.9m are available, but there’s also the option of ordering custom sizes.

Prices vary considerably depending on specs and quantities ordered, but as a rough guide, a single post has a list price of £4.

Herdwatch farm medicine scanner

Livestock farmers who struggle to keep on top of their medicine records might like the look of the latest tool from Herdwatch.

The Farm Medicine Scanner is a recent addition to the Herdwatch farm management app and it includes a barcode reader that, when pointed at medicine, will automatically store its details.

On top of that, it will record the VMD (UK) or VPA (IRE) and if there is a QR code available, it will automatically pull in the batch number and expiry date.

The app will also remember the withdrawal period and tell the farmer which animals are in withdrawal every day.

As each medicine is scanned, the app will note the quantity purchased, allowing the farmer to see how much medicine they have in their cabinet at any time.

They then quickly see where that medicine was used, what animals were treated with it and how much they received.

A basic version of the Herdwatch app is available to download free of charge and the full version costs £69/year.

Robydome grainstore monitoring

Robydome’s new WTM-1 smart grain store monitoring and control point allows remote management of temperatures and ventilation in flat-floor stores via a phone or tablet.

The WTM-1 is a self-contained, dust-proof box that is linked to temperature probes and ventilation system sensors.

Users can access all the vital information for managing store conditions in real time by visiting a web browser page to check and make changes.

The system is linked to ambient humidity and temperature sensors, and it can automatically decide if and when fans operate.

Records track progress at individual points across the store to help target any hotspots. The system will also send an email alert if there are any major problems.

A single WTM-1 control point can manage up to eight stores, with a maximum of 32 sensors in each store.

All the store’s historical records and data are held on the farm’s own box, rather than a remote server, which has eliminated expensive monthly data storage and access costs associated with server-based systems, says Robydome.

Sulky DX30 fertiliser spreaders

There was a new fertiliser spreader on the Sulky stand that the firm says brings precision control technology to its mid-range DX30 models and allows smaller farmers to achieve fertiliser savings of 8-10% through improved accuracy.

Key to the savings is GPS shutter opening/closing to avoid overlapping at gateways and headlands, along with a six-section control system that works to a crescent-shaped pattern.

These precision options from the so-called Eco#6 pack add to the bumper standard kit list, which includes electrical border mapping, proportional forward speed spread control and variable-rate application via precision farming maps.

The DX30 models have spreading widths from 18m to 36m, with the smaller DX30 W offering hopper sizes from 900  to 2,700 litres, weigh cells and slope sensors for automatic rate adjustment.

The larger DX30 +W has the same features, with hopper sizes from 1,500 to 3,000 litres.

On-farm prices start at about £13,000.

Shropshire Quads

Suzuki Jimny conversions have been all the rage of late as farmers look to more robust and comfortable transport for nipping around the farm.

Shropshire Quads has been converting the lightweight Jimnys for a few years, with modifications including floatation tyres, suspension lifts, bull bars, rear canopies and light bars, using a kit that was developed by Suzuki.

There is a similar payload to a standard UTV of 500kg, but towing capacity is much improved at 1,300kg.

At about £12,500, starting prices are competitive with a lot of the UTVs on market.