Power-Seekers' delights at Cereals 2010

Whether you are researching options or come with cheque book in hand, the machinery exhibitors at Cereals 2010 are sure to give you a warm and well-fed welcome at Robert Law’s farm near Royston on the 9th and 10th June. Both dealers and manufacturers claim that the line up of working kit in the demonstrations will be the ideal place to compare and contrast the market’s latest and finest machinery.

The event will have 10ha of working machinery demonstrations and a line up of 52 trailed, mounted and self-propelled sprayers from over 23 manufacturers, one of the biggest and broadest demonstrations in Syngenta’s Sprays and Sprayers Arena.

Visitors will also be able to compare power, productivity and performance of many makes and models of machinery including tractors, cultivators, drills and subsoilers. A number of exhibitors will also be demonstrating GPS and vehicle guidance systems.

Syngenta Sprays and Sprayers Arena
In Syngenta’s Sprays and Sprayers Arena there will be a vast range of the latest self-propelled, mounted and trailed sprayers being demonstrated. Boom widths range from 24m to 40m, tank capacities up to 6,600 litres and forward speeds close to 50km/hr. There will also be a host of neat additions like Amazone’s distance control automatic boom height and GPS-Switch auto-boom and spreader shut-off. Syngenta will also be presenting the ever-popular Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year Award.

In the arena, Amazone is set to launch its largest trailed sprayer yet, offering 6600 litre capacity. The UX6200 Super is part of the new UX Super range which features extra tank capacity and are aimed at contractors and large scale farmers. Amazone will also be profiling the face lifted range of UX trailed sprayers. The company says that tank capacities have been increased by roughly 5% plus the addition of the new top of the range UX6200. The main difference on the UX Super is the improved valving system that increases filling speeds to around 800 l/min. This allows for faster turn round times and reduces the sprayer residual volumes. A new UX4200 Super 28m will be on show in the arena.

The much anticipated Challenger RoGator 600 self-propelled sprayer range makes its UK debut at the Cereals Event. The completely new machines have unique features in every area and set the new standard for the sector.
Micron Sprayers’ main focus will be the Varidome and WeedSwiper and Enviromist shielded sprayers. The Micron Varidome is a shrouded, low-volume, inter-row CDA sprayer for removing weeds growing in between row crops (e.g. volunteer potatoes in carrots, onions, leeks, parsnips, etc.) or other crops such as maize where row spacing is between 80mm and 800mm. The Enviromist low volume CDA sprayers have been used for inter-row weed control in UK top and soft fruit.

Fertiliser spreading, drills & cultivators
Simba will be launching 4.5m and 6.0m wide FlatLiner models this year, with a 4.5m model due to be shown for the first time at Cereals. "These new machines will appeal to people who already use our bigger machines, like the 10m CultiPress or X-Press and the SL700,” says Guy Leversha, Sales and Marketing Director. Also the Simba’s ProntoEX (3m mounted drill; launched at LAMMA 2010) will be on show at Cereals for the first time.

There will also be several new features and upgrades on Vaderstad’s Rapid, Spirit and Seed Hawk drill range and the TopDown and Carrier cultivators. The Spirit 600S XL is a standard 6m machine but with 160 litre extra hopper capacity, increasing it to 3,900 litres. New twin metering units and distribution heads will allow half-machine shut-off from the tractor cab for the XL. Additional upgrades on all Spirit models include a new packer wheel design positioned behind each double disc.

Opico says that visitors to their stand can “learn how to apply fertiliser in bands when seeding oilseed rape to boost yields by up to 0.3t/ha, and also save time and money with this one-pass cultivation.” The company now offers a full range of applicators for precision placement of fertiliser - from the Ferticast unit for granular fertiliser to the Nitrojet skid unit for liquid N, which can be mounted onto any make of cultivator.

Harvest and post-harvest
Amongst a number of products being displayed for the first time on the Claas stand will be the new 524hp XERION 5000. The XERION 4500 and XERION 5000, with power outputs of 483hp and 524hp respectively, were one of the highlights of last November’s Agritechnica Show, and named ‘Machine of the Year’ in the big machine category. Joining the XERION 5000 will be the new small AVERO 240 combine, the latest hybrid TUCANO 480 and the 12 metre wide version of the VARIO cutterbar for the LEXION 600. Claas says that the XERION 5000 and the 483hp XERION 4000 will be commercially available in the autumn.

The completely new Massey Ferguson 9280 Delta ‘hybrid’ combine will make its UK debut at the Cereals Event and will go on sale for the 2011 season. Mr Sherriff, Massey Ferguson’s Manager Powered Harvesting says “this is the first to feature the completely new HyPerforma threshing and twin-rotor separation as well as SCR engine technology. We are confident this combine will put us in the capacity stakes where it matters for large scale producers. Tests show the combine not only provides the performance, but uses 10% less fuel for the same output in equivalent conditions.”

For sugar beet harvesting, Grimme has launched a new six row trailed machine called the Rootster 604 as a viable alternative to a self-propelled machine on farms with a small to medium sugar beet acreage. Based on technology taken from the potato industry the simplicity of its design, an output of double that of a three row trailed harvester and a price tag of between £120-£130,000, the Rootster is expected to be a big draw.

Tractors to see
With horsepower ratings from 245 to 345hp, increasing to 380hp with intelligent power management, John Deere’s new 8R & 8RT Series tractor range includes the industry’s first ever tracked models with an infinitely variable transmission. There is a choice of 16/5 automatic PowerShift or AutoPowr infinitely variable transmissions on all models except the top of the range 8345R and 8345RT, which are AutoPowr only – both transmissions allow a 24 per cent increase in transport speed to 42kph.

New Holland’s ‘stop at nothing to keep the customer moving’ Top Service Privilege and Service Plus after-sales product range will be a core focus of their exhibition. The company’s Marketing Manager, Richard Spencer, explains: “Our aim is to make the process of getting the customer’s machine up and running again quicker. Sometimes it’s essential to use all means necessary: we’ve been known to stop the production line or send tractor parts by taxi.” Also on display will be a wide range of Precision Land Management (PLM) equipment, including the first public showing of the ‘passive’ implement steering system used in conjunction with the FM-1000 Touchscreen Monitor.

Massey Ferguson’s two new MF 7400 models, the 240hp (max), MF 7499 and 225hp (max), MF 7497 also make their Cereals debut. Described as “powerful and versatile” by MF, both tractors are powered by the latest 7.4 litre capacity AGCO SISU Power engine, which is renowned for its “excellent economy” and for producing high pulling power at low speeds.

Two new ranges of Fendt tractors make their debut at Cereals. The new 819 to 828 Vario models, with powers from 200hp to 280hp, popular in the 200hp+ sector offering additional features and controls. In addition, the new 200 Vario range, from 70hp to 110hp, will also be on show.

Attendees will earn two NRoSO CPD or four BASIS points for attending either day of Cereals.  Tickets can be purchased in advance via the website.  Adult tickets are £15 in advance and £20.00 on the day. Student concessions are also available. The Cereals website at www.cerealsevent.co.uk has information about exhibitors, what to see and how to get there.