“sustaining farms to sustain the world” - k-line agriculture · 2018. 9. 2. · “sustaining...

PANTONE 390 PCR:188 G:203 B: 50C:31 M:6 Y:99 K:0

PANTONE 349 PC R:0 G:103 B:62C:90 M:34 Y:90 K:27

70% PANTONE Process Black PCR:101 G:98 B:99C:60 M:53 Y:51 K:22


PANTONE Yellow PCR:255 G:238 B:0C:3 M:0 Y:96 K:0

PANTONE 1595 PCR:234 G:103 B:32C:4 M:73 Y:100 K:0

“Sustaining farms to sustain the world” ISSUE # 27

THE K-LINE BULLETIN

Field Day season is upon us both in Australia and in North America – read on for more on AgQuip over the page, and the US shows on pages 7-9. At AgQuip we showed our prototype Disc Chisel which generated a lot of interest… but more on that later!

The results of our Agricultural Survey 2018 have now been received and collated – and they have been awesome! We had a lot of positive feedback on the bulletin which was great. This included a lot of feedback on what our readers want to hear! We can’t print it all in this issue or we’d be writing an encyclopaedia, but definitely watch this space & we’ll roll out information on what’s of most interest to our readers!

We’re currently running some MaxxRipper & other product trials, so keep an eye on the next Bulletin issue for these results!

Thanks everyone for your support, and enjoy your read!

The Editor

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome back to our loyal Bulletin readers, and welcome to those who have joined us recently! This is the 27th issue of the K-Line Bulletin; we’re glad to have you on board, and hope you find it an interesting and relevant read.

We know our Bulletin readers like to be kept up-to-date with customer stories, new inventions and products in the pipeline… and that’s what the Bulletin continues to bring to you!

Maybe this issue we refrain from a weather update - we all know it’s dry and the majority of farmers in this area are doing it pretty tough at the moment. We also know it hasn’t just happened upon us all-of-a-sudden, as the amount of media coverage lately might suggest. The dry is real, tragic and devastating for those facing it and affected by it, but it’s also a fact of life on the land.

We hope that this time, the crisis will inspire the implementation of a water management plan that we can utilise the copious quantities of flood waters we get in a wet season, to help protect our properties from drought in a dry season. Read on to page 4 where we’ve included some stories that resonated with us – we thought you might be interested as well. On the positive side, the support and generosity that the crisis has brought out for people in need has been amazing – there’s so many people and organisations supporting drought relief initiatives – really brings out the Aussie spirit!

The good news is that the dry is not nation-wide; areas in WA and QLD have had a great season! And the even better news is the rainfall down the east coast which has been gratefully received; while it doesn’t exactly save the day, it sure is a temporary lifeline. With warmer longer days on the way now, the feed will start to respond in these areas very soon! We pray and have faith that there will be a break in the weather conditions shortly.

IN THIS ISSUE…

AUSTRALIA ............................................................................................................... PG 1-6

NORTH AMERICA ................................................................................................. PG 7-9

GENERAL ............................................................................................................... PG 10-12

Newdegate Field Days WA

Sept 5-6

Visit the Staines Esperance Stand #155-156 to see a 12.5m Powerflex, MaxxRipper and a TrackAttack on display.

WANTFA Live Machinery Demo, Newdegate WA

Sept 10

Live demos of 12.5m Powerflex, 3.5m MaxxRipper & 4m TrackAttack

Henty Machinery Field Days

Sept 18-20

Cadmac Stand will be displaying a K-Line Ag Powerflex, Maxxripper, Track Attack, Delta Hay Pro and the new Disc Chisel!

Elmore Field Days

Oct 2-4

The Echuca CIH Stand will be displaying K-Line Ag equipment. Stay tuned for further details!

UPCOMING EVENTSVisit the events page on our website or follow us on Facebook to keep in the loop about what’s happening near you!

k-line.net.au/events Facebook: @KLineAgricultureAUS

ISSUE # 27

AGQUIP FIELD DAYS

Well, AgQuip has come & gone, heralding the start of Field Day season in Australia! We showcased a range of K-Line machinery over the week: a Speedtiller Powerflex, MaxxRipper, TrackAttack & a Delta HayPro. In addition, AgQuip was the debut of our prototype Disc Chisel… but read on for more detail on that one!

Members of the K-Line team flew up to Gunnedah each day to attend. The landscape is terribly dry and barren, and as you can see in the image above, this area is very much feeling the effects of the drought. Most of NSW is in drought right now, but we were surprised at how positive the vibe was at the field days. A lot of farmers and contractors called in for a chat and to see our new products and prototypes on display, keeping our sales team on their toes all day!

We also did a special AgQuip Draw – the prize being a family camping pack!

Congratulations to Chris Job, of Tooraweenah for winning this cool giveaway! It’s sure to come in handy on your next family BBQ or camping trip!

6.25m Powerflex, Cowra NSW

AgQuip from the air

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH!RELEASING THE LATEST MODEL POWERFLEX!It’s official - our newest model Speedtiller Powerflex® is now available in Australia! With an operating width of 6.25m (20.5ft), this model embodies all the award-winning Powerflex advantages in a smaller machine. The smaller operating width means it suits smaller tractors, making it available to more Australian farmers.

Combines all the Powerflex Advantages you know about...

• Selective Dual Mode Weight Transfer System• Wing Down Pressure• Quick Adjust Lateral Disc Positioning• Proven Extreme Duty Disc Arm & Hubs• Roller Shock Protection

...in a smaller model to suit more applications!

Smaller size machine suits a lower horsepower tractor, making this machine a great option for all farming operations. Ideal for cotton and mixed vegetable growers! It’s narrow transport width makes for simple road travel & easier accessibility on the farm (no more squeezing through those gates!)It’s been successfully trialled and running in the US for a year, and has passed in-field testing in Australia with flying colours. View video footage of the 6.25m at work in America on our USA website: www.k-lineag.com/video

Contact our sales team on 1800 194 131 for more information on this model, or to request a copy of the updated brochure!

Innovation

MaxxRipper & other products on display at Stand #GH39

PRODUCT IN THE PIPELINE: K-LINE AG DISC CHISEL

We all like to hear about the latest & greatest… here’s an update on our newest product in the pipeline: the K-Line Ag Disc Chisel machine! It’s still in prototype stage at the moment, but watch this space for when we launch it to the mainstream market!

The new disc chisel is the latest addition to our ever-expanding tillage range. This one is a super exciting new development: a combination of discs, chisel points and a finishing roller, which will be able to work soil up to 10 inches deep. It’s a cost effective option for lime incorporation and soil management, and we can’t wait to launch it to the market!

We took the prototype machine to showcase at AgQuip this year, and gave our stakeholders the opportunity to submit their names for an idea for this machine. Thanks for all your great suggestions, and we’ll keep you posted for more updates as the disc chisel is readied for its official launch!

The jigsaw finally coming together in the assembly shed!

The disc chisel showing off at AgQuip

Prototype hits the paddock for the first time, with great results!

AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 2018

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our Agricultural Survey over the last couple of months. We received an incredible number of 663 responses - beating our target by a few hundred percent! The feedback received was invaluable and we are currently working through the results to implement back into our company strategy.

We know it’s the people that farm or work with farmers each day, who know best what Australian farmers and contractors need, and that’s why your feedback is so important in helping us to understand how we can improve our service and provide solutions to the agricultural market.

Now as you’ve likely all been waiting with bated breath for the winners…. Here they are!

Congratulations to:

Stuart Buller of Murrami NSW

Andrew Hermiston of Deniliquin NSW

Darren Curry of Leeton NSW

We hope you all enjoy your Driza-Bone… and that you’ll have reason to use them very very soon!!!

You can view a few insights on the trends we found, in our blog article online. See what others said in relation to new products, innovative ideas, the most popular tractor and the most used farm implement from our respondents. We found it fascinating and we are sure you will to! (And don’t worry, no individual response names are mentioned). Visit: https://goo.gl/8MMSKc and watch our funny little video!

Weed resistance, drought, rain, tractor types, most used on-farm implement, irrigation and deep-ripping were just some of the questions asked. We’ll publish a quick overview of the stats in our next Bulletin, so keep an eye out for this along with the content that our readers are looking for. Thanks again for your help in making K-Line Ag a more-informed company and for helping us to take another step towards accomplishing our mission!

Our mission is to partner with farmers to create advanced agri-tech solutions and care for the land. Our aim is to provide

exceptional service and cultivate trusted relationships for life.

ISSUE # 27

Precision

THE DRY – FROM A FARMER’S PERSPECTIVE

We mentioned the dry in the Letter from the Editor. The media is humming at the moment with drought stories, but here are a few from the eyes of the farmer which might be of interest.

“View from the Paddock: Media Circus Consequences”

Bryce Camm, of Wonga Plains Feedlot – article in the QLD Country Life: https://goo.gl/QaPhJz

“It’s time to change our conversation around drought”

Article by Tim Burrow on LinkedIn: https://goo.gl/X3PKm6

DROUGHT ASSISTANCE - DPI DROUGHTHUB

If you’re suffering from drought conditions, check this out:

The NSW Department of Primary Industries DroughtHub website contains current information on government initiatives and emergency packages as they become available. It has links to the available drought assistance in NSW and application forms and resources.

Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/climate-and-emergencies/droughthub

RAPID RELIEF TEAM: OPERATION DROUGHT RELIEF!

As part of the Rapid Relief Team’s ongoing commitment to raising funds to supporting those in need in our community, have rolled out an initiative to assist the drought stricken farmers in NSW. Funds raised from this initiative will be used for hay for livestock and food for farming families, providing much-needed relief and support to those affected.

RRT organised convoys of hay to be delivered to over 200 drought stricken farmers in western NSW, as well as supplying food vouchers to families in need. 23 road trains of hay from Western Australia and more trailers from Tasmania were delivered to Condobolin NSW in mid-August, to be dispersed to nearby areas of Tullamore, Tottenham, Nymagee and Lake Cargelligo.

News reporting of the delivery of these loads is very affecting; you can watch some of the coverage here:

theland.com.au/story/5584452/half-a-million-dollars-of-hay-on-its-way-from-wa/

westernmagazine.com.au/story/5592255/hay-trucks-roll-in-to-condobolin-with-drought-relief-from-wa-photos-video/

For more information on the Rapid Relief Team, visit their website: www.rapidreliefteam.org

HOW CAN YOU HELP?To support this initiative by donating funds, visit the RRT website www.rapidreliefteam.org, and follow the prompts to ‘Operation Drought Relief’. Download a donation form or submit it online using the links provided.

IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF HELP:If you are in need of hay or food coupons, please email: [email protected]

SUPPORT THE CRRMH: EVIDENCE BASED SOLUTIONS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

People living and working in rural and remote regions face serious barriers when it comes to seeking and accessing mental health services. As we all know, they experience extreme weather events, financial uncertainty, economic & social change, and relevant isolation. The CRRMH is an organisation which exists to provide leadership in rural and remote mental health research, and is committed to improving the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of rural and remote residents.

The CRRMH recently published a blog highlighting the need for targeted support for farmers affected by drought related stress. For more information or to access their services, visit their website: www.crrmh.com.au

The work that these types of organisations do is especially important at a time like this, when Australian rural communities need all the support they can get.

Customer feedback you’ve received on K-Line products:

Customers love the approach that the K-Line team take when it comes to working field days and on-farm demonstrations. We often find sales for Speedtillers and Delta Rakes are repeat customers who have had a good experience with K-Line, where other manufacturers did not support their products in-field as well as K-Line.

Promotions running in September:

In conjunction with K-Line, CadMac are always doing good deals on their great range of equipment available at Henty field days.

Thanks CadMac team for your support, it is greatly valued!

To our Bulletin readers from the Southern Riverina and north-east Victoria areas, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the friendly CadMac team for your farm machinery needs! You can read more about them on their website: www.cad-mac.com.au

We hope you enjoy finding out about the companies in our dealer network; they’re a big part of our team & we couldn’t do it without them.

If you’d like to participate in the reseller spotlight section of our Bulletin, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we would love to hear from you!

Call the office or email [email protected]

RESELLER SPOTLIGHT: CADMAC

For the first time in this issue, we’re including a spotlight on one of our valued resellers: CadMac, our dealers in the Albury-Wodonga and the Riverina. CadMac have been our dealer in this area for 2.5 years, and for 4.5 years prior to that under previous owners. We greatly value their team’s support and commitment – thanks team!

Company: CadMac (short for Cadman Machinery)

Where: Wagga Wagga and Wodonga

Who: Nick Cadman, Managing Director

What’s your favourite part about dealing with K-Line?

The absolute strength in every design! That and the way the team stands behind their products.

What is the most popular K-Line product you sell, and why?

The 2960T 6m Speedtiller because it is the best performing high speed disc on the market and at 6m it is the right fit for many of our customers, small enough to get into tight areas and big enough to cover some serious ground in a day.

Update on the drought situation in your area:

The drought situation is patchy. Speaking to a dealer from Goondiwindi recently broke our hearts. Most producers close to the Murray River have seen reasonable amounts of rainfall. Other areas such as the west and North West of our zone have seen low levels of rainfalls, with farms that usually strip crop looking as though they will be lucky to make hay.

The CadMac team celebrating the company’s second birthday earlier this year

ISSUE # 27

The one-size-fits-all approach almost never works. Imagine if all the shoe manufacturers in the world only made one size of shoe in one style? Very few people would be happy because that size or style would not fit their unique needs. Think if they were all size 40 high heels – not a good fit for most farmers!

The ability to customise to need, soil type, crop rotation, season, and other considerations factors into a producer’s choice of one type of tillage point over another. Winged cast points and ripping points are popular options with strong use cases. Understanding the benefits of both can help address your unique soil or tillage issues and provide noticeable impacts on common crop production concerns like crop cultivation, seed germination, and soil conservation.

Choosing the correct tillage point for a particular soil type or application is the first step in controlling the aggressiveness of the tillage for that paddock. Point selection also allows a producer to fit the point’s strengths into his or her strategic tillage plan, taking into account the variables mentioned above, as well as any additional mechanical means or chemical applications scheduled for deployment on the ground.

Winged cast points are designed to help establish the crop in the soil medium while still minimizing the chances of erosion.

These small points, with their slightly triangular shape and channelized appearance, are best suited for mixing soils or inverting soils of differing types. Soils flow up over the tips, with the channel and wing combination helping to turn them as the implement is propelled forward by the tractor. Winged cast points have been shown to reduce rill erosion in sandy and loamy soils in university tests.

Conversely, ripping points are designed to not mix soils like their winged cast cousins, but rather to disturb them at a sub-surface level. The straight design and bevelled tip of a ripping point is meant to break up hard pan deposits beneath the soil while leaving the surface, and any residues there, largely undisturbed. This point is a good option for farms with harder packing or sticky soils like clays.

Since these points are usage-specific, choosing an implement that accommodates both drives down costs and improves efficiency. K-Line Ag’s MaxxRipper implement offers both point types, giving producers the opportunity to select the point that’s best-suited for the soils within their acreage.

K-Line Ag MaxxRipper Point Options:

Reliability

Minimum soil disturbance point - Ideal for breaking that hard pan

Cast wing point - Ideal for soil mixing and inversion

Minimum Soil Disturbance Point at work!

View MaxxRipper videos online: Rippin Up the Red Dirt with a MaxxRipper in Cowra NSW” https://goo.gl/vn2FQb

GET TO THE POINT: WINGED CAST & RIPPING POINTS FOR TILLAGE APPLICATIONS

NO

RTH

AM

ERIC

A

We are currently preparing for the Farm Progress show in Boone Iowa and then will move on to Big Iron ND and Husker Harvest, Nebraska.

Our production team has been busy all summer, getting caught up for the fall. With increased sales of spring rollers on the machines going into rice country, machine build time has increased & required considerable overtime from our production team. The ability to load the trucks indoors has been an added benefit for the team.

We hope to try out the Trashcutter in hemp this fall which will be interesting – watch this space for updates in the next issue!

FROM THE SALES TEAM…

We have had a very busy summer here in America; the season started out with a nice spring in most cropping areas and the crops came up nicely. A hotter than normal summer has pushed harvest ahead of schedule, so we are currently getting rolling with the fall tillage a month early. We are hoping for the corn to come off dry this year which would be a help for saving drying costs.

The K-Line Ag team have been attending farm shows all summer! We displayed Speedtillers at Regina Farm Progress and then went to the Ag In Motion show in Saskatoon where we ran a 31’ Speedtiller in the field demos. These were very successful, showcasing how our industry-leading heavy arm and bearing system does a superior job of penetrating and leveling at variable speeds. We then displayed at the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days and generated good interest that has kept the team busy doing field demos around the state. This is great to see, it’s always exciting work entering new areas!

The FarmFest show in Minnesota also went very well (except for the weather!) Rain the first day made for a bit of muddy walking, and then attendees sweltered in the heat for the following 2 days.

Our Chairman worked the field demos at Empire Farm Days in NY. There again, the Speedtiller was able to demonstrate in the field show. As they had had an inch of rain on the second day made the tillage demo interesting! We were able to highlight the dual operating mode of the Speedtiller. By taking the weight off the roller, therefore not packing the mud down too tight, the performance was excellent and really caught the eye of the crowd! Thanks to the team at Rangeline Group for your hard work!

We have just finished up the MI AgroExpo and again ran a 31’ Speedtiller in the field demos. The machine’s adjustable blade tracking allowing for 4 inches of blade wear, the class leading narrow transport width, and the disc blade bearing warranty created sales on the spot!!

NORTH AMERICAN UPDATE

YOUR CHANCE TO GET A YETIAt Wisconsin Farm Technology Days this year, we ran a competition to win a YETI Cooler, which was great fun & generated lots of interest. Congratulations to Joshua Kohn of Medford WI, for winning the prize!

And… it was such a “cool” promotion that we’ll be running it again at the Big Iron Farm Show in West Fargo, North Dakota (home country this one!). Please come along to visit us at Booth W1, from September 11-13. We’ll have a 31’ Speedtiller Powerflex on display; this is your chance to come & check out the machinery at close quarters.

Remember to download your voucher from the Blog page on our website and bring it to Booth W1, for your chance to enter the draw! We look forward to seeing you there!

ISSUE # 27

NO

RTH

AM

ERIC

A

NO

RTH

AM

ERIC

A

Respect

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING SHOWING OFF ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!As mentioned, we’ve been showing off all over America and Canada at most major agricultural shows and events.

Ag In Motion Show, Saskatoon

21ft Powerflex working in manure in rye stubble. Demo with Mast Farm Equipment in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Booth # 565 at Farm Progress Show, Boone Iowa

31’ Powerflex showing off at MI AgroExpo - thanks to AgroLiquid for providing the awesome footage!

Demo in Upstate NY - 31 ft Speedtiller Powerflex mulching and incorporating pea residue - view video footage on our facebook page!

Excellent demo of 31’ Speedtiller Powerflex at Ag In Motion, Saskatoon

Mast Enterprises 21’ Powerflex demo in eastern Wisconsin, powering through heavy pasture in dairy ground

Minnesota FarmFest Show (on one of the sunny days)

Paraphrasing Shakespeare’s Danish Prince Hamlet, the first question many US producers have when defining vertical tillage and compact discs is “To dig, or not to dig?” The purest definition of vertical tillage is “a tool that enters and exits the soil on a vertical plane.”[1] Adding a digging component to the traditional coulter blades of a vertical tiller upends the classic definition of the term, sowing confusion amongst both soil-conservation-minded farmers and the equipment manufacturers trying to effectively market their products.

To many crop producers, that vertical plane definition, first coined in the 1970s, hasn’t kept up with the times and the changes in technology within the equipment industry. When viewed in a contemporary light, the definition of vertical tillage is vague at best, and most producers – and most tillage equipment manufacturers – would argue a better definition would include standards for soil disturbance, tillage depth, and/or primary method of engagement (blade versus harrow). But what exactly those standards might be is a contentious topic, adding to the confusion in terms.

POSSIBLY THE BEST SUMMARY…

Probably the best summary of the vertical tillage complexity comes from DeAnn Presley, Soils Specialist at Kansas State University, “Vertical tillage has been sold as a low impact form of tillage that helps farmers break down tough corn residue more quickly so they have a better seedbed to plant into the next season. But at best, the lines are blurry when it comes to what constitutes vertical tillage, whether it be with products available in the market today or the degree of soil movement deemed acceptable.”[2]

LEAVING TRADITIONAL VERTICAL TILLAGE IN THE DUST

The advent of new tillage technologies and more complex, multi-function equipment like compact discs has, therefore, left the traditional vertical tillage definition in the proverbial dust. A large reason for the shift away from the traditional vertical-plane-only approach in agricultural equipment design N

OR

TH A

MER

ICA

NO

RTH

AM

ERIC

A

and manufacturing, is the demands of producers themselves. New multi-function machines like the K-Line Ag Speedtiller are driven to market as a direct response to the needs of producers for more labor and fuel efficiency in the operation and greater soil stewardship in the field. These new machines accomplish multiple tasks like digging, residue sizing and seedbed levelling with a single pass, reducing economic and operational functions like fuel consumption and operator costs while simultaneously improving soils and combating compaction.

VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL

Because many compact discs include not only vertical coulter blades, but also blades or rippers that run at various angles, soil disturbance happens both vertically AND horizontally. This two-way movement puts the implements at odds with the traditional definition of vertical tillage as a “straight down,” columnar tillage, encouraging the need for a new definition within the market space. Compact discs also integrate baskets and soil levelers onto additional gangs behind the coulters. These subsequent gangs redistribute mounded or uneven soils, further contributing to the horizontal soil movements. This means both subsurface and surface disturbances take place – something that goes against the almost unseen, primarily subsoil changes effected by traditional vertical tillage.

INNOVATION IN A GROWING WORLD

As soil conditions, producer needs, and manufacturers’ designs change, the definition of vertical tillage will continue to evolve. Equipment manufacturers, like K-Line Ag, who are responsive to producer needs will always pursue R&D on tillage equipment and other implements, in order to keep up with their core audience’s demands, regardless of definitions or the current state of the industry. Without that kind of consumer-driven innovation, the agriculture industry would stagnate. Important measures of modern farming – things like soil health, yield growth, production efficiency – depend on innovation to keep supplying the food and fiber a growing world requires. Far be it for a definition to hamper that forward momentum. And as for the modern farmer’s answer to Prince Hamlet’s question, “To dig or not to dig?” It’s simple – whatever works in your operation!

Resources:

[1] http://www.wallacesfarmer.com/story-understand-different-degrees-vertical-tillage-9-132477

[2] Farm Equipment ebook ‘What is Vertical Tillage Anyway?’ https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/10122-what-is-vertical-tillage-anyway

BLURRED LINES: VERTICAL TILLAGE AND COMPACT DISCS

ISSUE # 27

Integrity

DRIVING TOWARD DRIVERLESS

We hear quite a bit in the popular media about driverless vehicles – Tesla’s futuristic driverless lorries, Google’s driverless cars. But less media attention is spent on driverless agricultural implements, despite some very innovative progress in that area.

THE PUSH FOR DRIVERLESS AG TECH

Getting to driverless vehicles is a challenge for designers, engineers, and manufacturers. Regardless of the type of vehicle or the developer, the successful operation of all driverless technology hinges upon a complex combination of sensors, cameras, and scanners, and the potential for issues with this technology is significant. Even though driverless cars and lorries operate in the less harsh and somewhat more controlled conditions of city streets, both cars and driverless tractors are influenced by environmental factors like heavy dust and adverse weather. Adding these environmental impacts to the developmental challenges of technology, safety, and regulation and you can begin to understand the long road ahead for driverless tech.

This long road hasn’t deterred manufacturers from chasing the dream of driverless tractors, however. Major international manufacturers like John Deere, Case New Holland (CNH) and AGCO Fendt are all actively developing solutions, as are a few small ag tech start-ups. Each company is approaching the driverless challenge from a unique angle, modifying their vision as technologies change or innovations create new opportunities.

Technological approaches vary by manufacturer and reflect industry trends or producer needs. The three main approaches are relationally-guided autonomy, swarm technology and self-guided autonomy, and we’ll look at some innovations in each type.

RELATIONALLY-GUIDED AUTONOMY

AGCO Fendt started the relationally-guided autonomy style of driverless tech with its GuideConnect product,

originally developed in the 2000s. This tech was an upgrade of autosteering technology, and based itself off of two tractors operating in proximity to each other within paddock utilizing a single operator. The single operator ran one tractor, called the pilot tractor. The second tractor functioned driverlessly, taking its cues for turning at headlands and maintaining row spacings from its position in relationship to the operator-driven pilot tractor, hence the “relationally-guided” name.

Despite being called a driverless technology, this approach still required a driver/operator. Getting away from an onboard operator was a key goal of driverless, so this type of driverless technology has largely been abandoned.

SELF-GUIDED AUTONOMY

The path to self-guided autonomy is one chosen by major manufacturers John Deere and CNH. John Deere has had autosteer technology based upon GPS location and other embedded tech for years, allowing tractors and harvesters to operate in perfectly straight lines, but current autonomous offerings require an onboard operator. Deere engineers are working through the roadblocks to full autonomy , but haven’t yet released a prototype for public viewing.

Deere competitor CNH is a step ahead on autonomy from this perspective, making waves in the US and Australia in the past two years with their futuristic-looking, cab-less, driverless, self-guided tractor. While no production timeline is public or guaranteed, the tractor has been making the rounds at farm shows and expositions, giving the farmers a look at the future of their operations.

SWARM TECHNOLOGY

The rise of drones has contributed to the development of swarm technology as a “driverless” approach to production farming. Rather than relying on large, standalone tractors and harvesters, swarm tech is designed to utilize smaller pieces of equipment governed by a large central “brain.”

AGCO has developed swarm technology for sowing operations in the Fendt Xaver autonomous swarm model . The autonomous Fendt sowing units are small, with dozens of them being transported by a logistics unit capable of being pulled by a standard pickup truck. This logistics unit also helps direct the operations of the swarm units, functioning as a “brain” the sowing units access to receive information for and feedback on their work.

Independent researchers and drone operators are also utilizing this approach. The Hands Free Hectare, a barley production project headed by researchers in the UK, recently completed the world’s first hands-free harvest by implementing a swarm-based solution overseen by drones.

Cont/...

Trust

MEET AN EMPLOYEE!GEOFF WILTON

What’s your role at K-Line Ag?

My job title is Sales & Admin Assistant, so I provide support to the Sales team of Bill, Carolyn and Rob and assist Ashley in Spare Parts

What is the most interesting part of your job?

Every day is different you just don’t know who is going to call or ring in, where they’re from, what they are after. I really enjoy talking with farmers about their season, what they are doing and they are looking at etc

Describe your ideal weekend:

Sleep in have a big breakfast (love my food) just potter around our property

What makes you angry?

Disrespectful people and lack of manners

Craziest thing you have ever done?

I was of the opinion “why jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane” however I had the opportunity to do Skydiving. Never thought I would but I am glad I did. Absolutely loved it. Would recommend it to anyone.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

Straight to the tucker table (love my food)!

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

“Don’t put off what you can do today till tomorrow as tomorrow could be a bad day”

START-UPS BRIDGE THE GAP

American startup company Autonomous Tractor Corporation is also working in the autonomous space, but in a way unlike its big-name competitors. Rather than trying to design standalone equipment, the company is focusing on overcoming the challenges of autonomy. ATC’s focus has resulted more easily managed sensor arrays and artificial intelligence-driven navigation systems that allow autonomous tractors to “learn” the paddocks they cover, making them more intelligent and efficient with each season. Once ATC’s programs fix these autonomy challenges, they’re hoping to partner with manufacturers to integrate their solutions into new generations of equipment.

A true driverless tractor is still years away, but as in many facets of life, technology and innovation keep pushing us closer to an autonomous reality.

Resources:

https://qz.com/1042343/after-trying-to-build-self-driving-tractors-for-more-than-20-years-john-deere-has-learned-a-hard-truth-about-autonomy/

https://www.agriculture.com/news/technology/case-ih-moves-autonomy-project-forward

https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/machine/case-ih-autonomous-concept-vehicle-a-cabless-tractor-coming-to-agquip/news-story/d3dd4801be6b9bbb67ab16abb03f233f

https://www.fendt.com/us/xaver.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-02-26/hands-free-hectare-grows-barley-crop-drone-technology/9474830

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Life is difficult and those who make us laugh are angels.” - Wayne Gerard Trotman

ISSUE # 27

THE K-LINE BULLETIN

Australia Ph: 1800 194 131 +61 (2) 6340 0400 www.k-line.net.au USA Ph: 1800 445 6882 www.k-lineag.com

PANTONE 390 PCR:188 G:203 B: 50C:31 M:6 Y:99 K:0

PANTONE 349 PC R:0 G:103 B:62C:90 M:34 Y:90 K:27



PANTONE Yellow PCR:255 G:238 B:0C:3 M:0 Y:96 K:0

PANTONE 1595 PCR:234 G:103 B:32C:4 M:73 Y:100 K:0

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

31’ Powerflex showing off at MI AgroExpo - thanks to AgroLiquid for providing the awesome footage!

“I have observed with interest over the years, the development of K-Line – the company and products. Any K-Line implements that I have purchased or used in our farming operations have displayed the Three R’s: they have been thoroughly Researched, they are Reliable and are Rugged in construction”Keith Smith, Harden NSW

“Great gear, well built, and easy to set up. Keep building good gear and we will continue to purchase it”Mark Adams, Mt Barker WA

“We had K-Line Ag come and visit us to look at our machines. We were extremely happy with the help and backup support from K-Line. We were amazed how such a big company made time to listen to our opinions and kept in touch with us. It is a credit to the company to still be customer focused”

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING…

“

“

BULLETIN COMPETITIONENTER TO WIN A K-LINE BRANDED UMBRELLA – we have faith it will rain soon so it’s sure to come in handy ;)

Send in a photo of your K-Line machine to enter! Competition runs to the end of September, so plenty of time to get clicking!

Email your photo to [email protected] to enter – prize will be awarded for the most photogenic K-Line machine!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OSCAR WILSON

Congratulations Oscar, for winning a soccerball for his double find-a-word entry from our last issue!

“sustaining farms to sustain the world” - k-line agriculture · 2018. 9. 2. · “sustaining...

Documents