There was plenty of new kit to see at this year’s Cereals Event. Here’s a round-up of some of the latest machinery.

German plough manufacturer Lemken was showing a hybrid VariTansanit plough that, it says, requires significantly less horsepower than conventional versions and, therefore saves, fuel. It uses an electronically sensing hydraulic top link to transfer extra draft from the tractor’s front wheels to the rear wheels to boost traction. Like a typical semi-mounted plough, the ground wheel never leaves the ground, but in common with mounted ploughs, the VariTansanit features a familiar linkage arrangement except for the advanced top link. Sensors in the hydraulic ram collect data over 100 times a minute while a control box in the cab allows the operator to set pressure anywhere between 40 and 160 bar depending on the ground conditions.

Sumo launched new additions to its line-up of mounted and trailed cultivators. The D-Spec Trio is a primary cultivator made up of sub-soiler discs, angled discs and consolidation rings, fitted with seed coulters and seed distribution head. It’s available in widths from 2.5-6.5m. Also launched at the show was the company’s new V-Spec Trio with the option of front discs ahead of the tines. The 3.5m machine can be specified with a demountable drawbar to allow operators to attach the machine to the tractor’s three point linkage. The basic 3m V-Spec is available for £15,522.

Gravity-fed drills remain popular with many farmers, particularly those with smaller units. Pöttinger’s latest model has an interesting innovation in the form of a counter which records the number of handle turns during calibration. As the operator completes the task a speaker emits a “beep” to counts down the last five turns. The last turn of the handle of is marked by an extended beep. The 3m version pictured above costs £10,235.

SMS/Willow Farm

SMS machinery launched a range of Czech cultivation machinery through its UK importer Willow Farm Machinery. The company, which exports to 14 countries across Europe, makes a wide range of primary cultivation equipment. The SMS Master SK S1 600 incorporates an Accord seed hopper and metering unit. The 6m version is available for £67,500 and a 4m version for £48,000.

Canadian firm AerWay drew plenty of attention with its aerator, available in working widths from 1.2-12m. Heavyweight construction and tines that are adjustable from 0-10° mean the machine also performs as a cultivator. A slurry injector unit is also available, allowing users to aerate, break up compaction and inject slurry at the same time. AerWay UK says it already has bookings for over 100 demonstrations this summer.

The latest series of high-capacity trailed fertiliser spreaders from Amazone have capacities ranging from 5500-8200 litres and spreading widths up to 48m. The machines are aimed at those with fragmented holdings or large acreages. An automatic calibration system takes account of changing factors like temperature and flow rates. Prices range from £30,745-£38,710.

GPS navigation is now being applied to grain stirrers, removing the need for the grainstore to be fitted with heavy and expensive infrastructure. The Grain Butler self-propelled stirring auger has been available for some time from BDC Systems, but the addition a navigation control system allows the on-board controller to be programmed with a route and left unsupervised. A receiver post is placed in each corner of the grain heap to establish boundaries and the twin units follow a programmed route in any shape or configuration desired. A temperature sensor records grain temperature and a moisture sensor is under development. Each unit costs £2995 plus an additional £7600 for the navigation system. Augers are available in 2, 3 and 4m lengths.