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New technology that eases labour with regards to baling, raking and orchid care, was showcased at the EIMA International 2024 Exhibition in Bologna, Italy, from 6 to 10 November 2024.
Around 350 000 visitors and 700 journalists from around the world attended the event that was organised by the Italian agricultural machinery manufacturers’ association, Feder Unacoma.
Spray technology
A volumetric double-stranded straddling sprayer, OCLL SRL by Zen-Eco Bliss, was one of the innovations that caught organisers’ attention.
The sprayer features fans with laminar air flow technology without blades to replicate the benefits of a tunnel type sprayer, but with lighter and simpler structures.
The foreseen advantage of this is to reduce drift.
Another piece of spraying equipment, the Zephiro from Caffini Spa, was also on display. This bush and tree sprayer is fully electric and features eight fans, each of them carrying two pulse width modulation (PWM) nozzles. It also has a computer vision system equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and communicates with the tractor through ISOBUS protocol.
This machinery could be beneficial because it uses less energy and has a smaller impact on the environment.
Variable balers
Japanese multinational, Kubota, showed its innovative skills with a variable-chamber baler, the Kubota BV6160-6190, featuring TIM Pack 2.0.
Among the baler’s mechanical optimizations to reduce complexity and increase reliability, is Tractor Implement Management (TIM) ISOBUS functionality. TIM ISOBUS is an ISOBUS-based solution for a barrier-free and cross vendor agricultural technology system.
Compared to similar solutions, this baler can automatically correct the drawbar alignment to achieve the optimum bale shape. The system can also automatically manage blockages in the crop flow to avoid the release of the baler on a slope.
The potential advantages of this machine are increased traceability and operator comfort and safety.
Another variable-chamber baler, Kuhn’s Baler Automation on VB 700, also caught organisers’ attention. This round baler has an ISOBUS Task Controller GEOlocation and Task Controller Section Control. The first functionality allows the baler to add geolocation data to the other output data collected in the field, like bale size and weight, as well as moisture. The second functionality automates sequences, such as lifting the pick-up at headlands and doing all the operations to clear a blockage.
The foreseen advantages include increased traceability and operator comfort and safety.
Another piece of baling equipment, Annovi Aldo&C.Srl’s front-rear bale loading grab, was also of great interest to EIMA’s executive team. This piece of equipment can be mounted on either the front or back of the tractor. It also does not require the tractor to stop. Speed reduction is enough to successfully load the bale. The grab can transport two bales simultaneously. It also avoids the typical maneuvers needed, for example the use of bale forks.
This bale lift is seen as advantageous, because it can increase productivity as well as operator safety and comfort.
Efficient tilling
Maschio Gaspardo SPA’s jumbo rotary harrow was another piece of innovative technology that was honoured at EIMA 2024, because of its potential to increase productivity.
The rotary harrow has a working width of up to 10 metres that is obtained through folding and telescopic elements. – Susan Marais, Plaas Media
