Farms and Farm Machinery Issue 406

Vanderfield’s brand name will be retired after RDO Equipment announced its branches and staff would come together under one name. The move means Vanderfield, along with construction equipment dealer Vermeer Australia, will now be known as RDO Equipment. For Vanderfield, a Queensland-based John Deere agriculture dealer, it is the end of a brand name that had existed since 1963. Vanderfield CEO Bruce Vandersee, who held the role for 28 years and will remain a director and shareholder of RDO Equipment, says the Offutt family, who own and founded RDO, has been an ideal business partner. “Since they invested in Vanderfield nearly 10 years ago, the Offutt family have shared our values and have been great partners to me and my family,” he says. “They understand agriculture, take a long-term view, and are committed to investing…

An impending AdBlue shortage could have major implications on Australian transport and supply chains, with farmers to be affected both directly and indirectly. The issue stems from China stopping exports of urea, one of the main ingredients in the emissions reduction additive. AdBlue, or diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), is used to reduce emissions from diesel engines and has become particularly popular in Europe with emissions requirements becoming stricter. Farmers will be directly impacted if their tractors require AdBlue, while urea is also used in fertilisers. The biggest impact for Australia will be on the trucking industry and getting goods, including farm produce, distributed. Transport industry groups held a roundtable conversation about the issue and Australian Trucking Association chair David Smith says he has been told the nation’s AdBlue supply is “uncertain” beyond February, although some…

With Australian winter crop production in 2021–22 forecast to reach a new national record (see p46), Coolamon spreaders NSW and Victoria regional sales manager Shane Cummins says demand for the company’s innovative spreader chaser bins is at a new high. “We are 80 per cent sold out for next year at this stage, which is unprecedented for the company’s history,” he says. “We still have several 36-tonne units available but that is the only size in stock. “The 24-, 30-, 45- and 60-tonne chaser bins have completely sold out. There is nothing for immediate delivery but we do have a few spots for delivery after June 30, 2022.” Coolamon spreader chasers range from the SC2416 model with a 16,000-litre capacity up to the SC4026 model at 40,000 litres. The spreader chaser features a self-cleaning hopper,…

Almost 50,000 dairy cows were genetically tested during 2020–21; a result of faster turnaround times for genomic data, favourable industry conditions and a Dairy Australia/DataGene genomic testing campaign, according to DataGene CEO Matthew Shaffer. Shaffer reported this advancement in herd improvement at DataGene’s virtual annual general meeting held on November 18. DataGene is an initiative of Dairy Australia and the herd improvement industry that uses genetic testing, software for herd testing, and herd recording and data systems. Another highlight of the year, says Shaffer, was the co-development with herd test centres of a new service, HerdPlatform, that allows dairy farmers to interact with their data online and gain new insights into their business. DataGene’s HerdData App for smartphones allows farmers to access information about their animals without need of a PC, as well…

Fruit orchards outside Shepparton, Victoria will, this summer, play host to a pilot program that is using technology to detect and forecast pest levels on crops. The collaboration is between global agricultural sciences company FMC Corporation and RapidAIM, an agtech start-up, which delivers region-to-farm pest analytics. The aim is to “deliver state-of-the-art regional pest forecasts” for farmers, which can be incorporated into FMC’s Arc farm intelligence platform. It will involve RapidAIM’s patented smart sensors and traps, which are both instrumented and wirelessly connected, remotely detecting pests in the orchard in real time. “We believe that the future of agriculture lies in targeted crop protection based on comprehensive, digital pest monitoring and forecasting,” says RapidAIM co-founder and CEO Nancy Schellhorn. “Together with FMC, we’re helping growers in Shepparton, and soon the world, take the guesswork out…

A brand new range of front end loaders has been designed and launched for Case IH tractors, ranging from the Farmall C to Puma models. Now being built in France, the new loader series is split into three ranges, and dealers can order a tractor and loader together for the customer to ensure the process is more efficient. The new A, U and T front loader ranges, comprising 27 models, can be ordered through the Case IH dealer configurator digital software, making possible a single purchase of selected tractor and matched loader, along with any attachments. The flagship T range is aimed at high-output work, with premium specifications including hydraulic self-levelling, and in sizes that match Case IH tractor models from the Farmall 55C to the Puma 240. Next comes the U range, aimed…