Below is a round-up of some the latest kit being demonstrtaed at the show.  For comprehensive guide to the new kit on offer see Farmers Weekly on Friday, 30 May.

Case IH round balers

Case launched its newly numbered round balers at Grassland, featuring the RBX344, 454 and 464. Production of the balers has moved from the US to Plock, Poland cutting delivery times to the UK from 5 to 3 months. The closer production-to-customer link will also allow any modifications to be made quicker. Prices for the variable chamber balers range from £21,000-£24,500 whilst the fixed chamber RBX344 retails at £19,500. 30 bales per hour are achievable when powered by a 80-100hp tractor.

Case IH – Blue and Me

Case will be offering parent company Fiat’s Blue and Me mobile phone hands-free kit later this year in Maxxum, Puma and CVX tractors. This can link up to 3 mobile phones to the radio/cd player, relaying the sound through the existing speakers and allowing the user to talk hands-free. Registered phones connect to the system automatically when the driver gets in the cab and Case says the 69dB sound levels in the tractors mean it should be no problem hearing the other person’s voice.

PowerWrap – PW17

Latest PowerWrap PW17 bale wrapper engine-on system has a Lombardini engine and hydraulic drive system that can be bolted on to any wrapper on the market without interfering with the three point linkage. Big fuel savings can be achieved from using this smaller engine as opposed to tying up a high-hp tractor, says the company. Labour costs are also reduced as the whole wrapping and stacking unit can be undertaken by one operator. The engine can be controlled remotely from the tractor cab within a range of 20-30 metres. Cost is £3300 to £3600, including fitting.

Tanco 1400

Tanco 1400 bale wrapper has a clever split-turntable system. The front and back of the turntable drop down independently allowing the wrapper to pick up a new bale whilst dropping off the wrapped one. This not only increases output, says the company, but also allows round bales to be dropped on their ends in stalky crops or on rougher ground conditions. The new turntable also gives the wrapper a lower centre of gravity and makes for a more compact machine. A workrate of 80-90 bales/hour is typical. The 1400 will be available next season with prices announced later in the year.

McHale – Fusion 2

Grassland provided a first chance to see the new McHale Fusion 2 integrated baler and wrapper. This has higher thoughput thanks to an additional 18th roller in the chamber which improves rotation in drier crops and also allows the door to open higher, giving better kick-out of the bale. The chopper unit has been upgraded with a beefed up knife bar and cutting unit and the weight of the machine has been reduced by 500kg thanks to a new tubular steel frame. Price is £47,695 with 120-150hp required.

McHale – F560

latest McHale F560 baler comes with an automatic opening and closing tailgate system, a 2m pickup and a 23-knife chopper unit as standard. The chopping unit gives a cut length of 50mm and the knifes are protected hydraulically from foreign objects. If a blockage occurs, a drop floor can be activated to allow the grass to pass through. Price for the F560 is £32,300.

Profitable Farming Company – preservative Application System

Recent big jumps in the price of silage wrap mean that film now accounts for nearly 35% of the total cost of making round bale silage. That, says the Profitable Farming Company, has boosted demand for its pH-adjusted, low-corrosion proprionic acid-based haylage preservative system by 40% in the last 12 months. Bales are stored unwrapped in a barn and the system eliminates the risk of heating or mould. The application system can be fitted to any round or square baler, using a fully automatic or manually controlled system. Prices for the applicators range from £3280 for conventional bales to £3500 for round bales and £4500 for big square bales.