While most rakes or swathers are tine-based, over the last few years more and more manufacturers have been adding belt-based mergers to their product offerings.

The choice is brought about as some users believe that “raking” grass across the ground, particularly with larger machines, increases the risk of soil contamination and can also result in leaf loss.

The latest manufacturer to offer the solution is Pottinger, with its recently released Mergento VT 9220 belt merger. The company suggests it is better suited to ‘fragile’ crops such as lucerne, clover or alfalfa. However, it will also work equally well in conventional grass or straw crops.

Offering left, right or central delivery, the machine can also be set up to deliver two single swaths if required. Configured for central delivery, a working width of 9.2 metres can be achieved, while in side delivery, this reduces the overall working width to 8.7 metres.

An over-dimensioned, central-spine frame – fitted with rear wheel equipment – carries twin lateral frames that support the conveyor assemblies. Up front, the pick-up uses six rows of tine bars to lift the cut crop from the ground. With the aid of a roller crop press for short crops, it then drops the material from a point about 120mm above the conveyors.

Each conveyor assembly is centrally mounted, which is said to offer even weight distribution.

At the same time, the machine also delivers 3-D ground tracking – particularly on uneven ground or slopes. Carried on a chassis roller system, the conveyor units use three hydraulic cylinders to react quickly to ground adaption. It also offers vertical movement from +475mm to -195mm and lateral movement from +30 to -13 degrees. 

To facilitate a clean pick-up, inclination of the conveyor in the direction of travel can be adjusted from +11.5 to 0 degrees.

Overall control of the unit, including direction of travel and belt positioning, is taken care of with an in-cab terminal.

The machine has the added benefit of automated switch on/ switch off at the headland.

This is aid to increase the output with tidy swath starts and finishes as the operator does not need to clear the belt between bouts.

Production is scheduled to start in August, with availability towards the end of the year.

Fastrac fans will be breathing a sigh of relief knowing JCB has launched what it describes as an “all-new electronics infrastructure” offering on its latest Fastrac 4000 and 8000 models.

The need for vigilance in the digital age has become a reality for the agribusiness sector.

Said to be the widest mower produced to date by Kuhn, the recently announced FC 13460RA, when used in conjunction with a FC3125DF or FC 3525DF front mower unit, offers a variable working width of 12.4 to 13.4 metres.

India plans to double its budgeted 2021-22 fertiliser subsidies to a record of more than 1.55 trillion rupees (US$20.64 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, to avoid potential shortages amid a sharp increase in global prices of chemicals, fertiliser and fuels.

German tractor and machinery manufacturer Claas is to stop production of its Cargos self-loading forage wagons in response to a global trend towards what the company describes as technological harvesting technology and more reliance on self-propelled forage harvesters.

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