Robotic vineyard tractor gets a business boost

Same Deutz-Fahr has taken a majority stake in vineyard robotics start-up VitiBot. Based in Reims, in the heart of the Champagne region, the French company makes a 100% electric and autonomous straddle tractor called the Bakus.

Described by SDF as an innovation accelerator, the move will allow VitiBot to accelerate its commercial development in vineyard equipment, and the two companies plan to develop a new range of precision farming solutions for a market that is expected to grow in the future.

SDF already owns the grape harvester and sprayer manufacturer, Grégoire. VitiBot will operate like this French subsidiary in that it will remain independent within the SDF Group. SDF top man Lodovico Bussolati said that after a thorough search of available technologies, the company realised that VitiBot was the best solution for vineyards.

“It allows us to enrich our tractor offer with self-driving and zero-emission electric vehicles,” he comments. VitiBot was founded in 2016 by French wine grower Dominique Bache and his son Cedric, a robotics engineer. It took them five years to develop the roughly 2,4 t Bakus tool carrier, which is available as the Smodel, for straddling 1,75 m high x 60 cm wide vines, and the L-version for 2,20 m high x 80 cm wide crops. The Bakus can be equipped with a range of electric and non-electric tools, including mowers, sprayers and mechanical weeders. More than 50 of these machines are already working in vineyards around the world. (Source: SDF)

Remote controlled Case IH Maxxum

Dutch Case IH and Steyr dealer Van der Werf Mechanisatie have developed a remote control unit that allows cabbages and cauliflowers to be harvested without a driver in the tractor cab. Mechanical harvesters continue to make inroads, but most Dutch growers continue to cut cabbages and cauliflowers by hand, placing them on conveyors and a packing platform carried behind a tractor. Covering just 130 m/h, the tractor drives in the slowest creep speed. Most growers have long used a cable behind the tractor to operate it remotely. Van der Werf has gone a stage further and ditched the cable for a dedicated remote control unit.

Shown on a Case IH Maxxum 115 at the Bejo Zaden Machinery Show at Warmenhuizen (north of Amsterdam), the Dutch dealer has offered the conversion for some years now and has sold more than 100 systems, mainly to cauliflower growers. “It is a normal job for us,” comments Sander Klabbers of Van der Werf. Activating the system is easy in three steps; start the tractor, engage the creeper and then turn on the remote unit (receiver connects to it). Engine speed is always set in idle for this type of work. The remote could be programmed to start the tractor and reverse it, but most growers opt for the six functions of stop, forward, gear change (up/down) and steering (left/ right). The tractor is always turned manually at the headland.

The remote is only used when crossing a field. The Maxxum is the most popular tractor for conversion, but the dealer has also installed the kit on a number of New Holland and Steyr tractors. The Dutch dealer reckons it is difficult to convert a CVT to remote control. The easiest is a mechanical transmission. It depends on the tractor and required functions, but the cost of the conversion is usually around €4 000. (Source: profi)

Fendt is back with new powerful Katana

Fendt has returned to the 588 kW (800 hp+) self-propelled forage harvester market with the Katana 850. The new model is available to order now for the 2023 season in Europe. Main features of the new machine include the redesigned CropFlow 2.0 system to maximise throughput and chop quality. Claimed as the largest on the market, the 720 mm diameter of the chopping cylinder with its high flywheel mass is said to ensure very smooth running and increased operator comfort. Optional chopping cylinders with 20, 28 or 40 knives are available to cover chop lengths from 2,6 to 41,4 mm. The Katana 850 can be matched to the Kemper 490 Plus 12-row header to fully utilise the power of the 18-litre six-cylinder 623 kW (847 hp) Liebherr engine. The Liebherr block meets Stage V emissions with SCR, but there is no diesel particulate filter or exhaust gas recirculation. If the full power of the engine is not required, it can be operated in eco mode, which maintains the speed of the chopping cylinder, but then at reduced engine rpm. Metal and stone detectors on the first of the six pre-compression rollers of the feed intake prevent damage to the chopping cylinder, and crop volume data recorded by a sensor in the rear area of the feed intake is available for yield monitoring and documentation. Three different 300 mm diameter roller crackers are available. The standard R cracker with sawtooth profile is suitable for chop lengths of up to 20 mm.

The optional RS cracker with V-spiral groove has been developed for longer chop lengths. The speed difference of 30 or optionally 40 percent ensures thorough processing of the crop. The loading height of the revised discharge chute is extended to 6,2 m. The Fill Control filling assistance option automatically controls the discharge flap if the discharge chute swivels, to ensure trailers are filled more evenly. A camera is positioned next to the discharge flap. Other options include a fully integrated silage additive system with 215-litre tank, the intelligent all-wheel drive BalancedGrip system, and an interface for an NIR sensor. This allows the dry matter content of the crop to be measured. An ISObus interface enables the use of different sensors. (Source: AGCO)

Lightweight plough completes Juwel range

Slotting in below the LEMKEN Juwel 7, 8 and 10 mounted reversible ploughs, the new Juwel 6 replaces the longstanding EurOpal and VariOpal 5 and 6 ranges. Suitable for tractors from 51 to 95 kW, the new low-draught model will be available early next year. With a 110 mm box section frame and an underframe clearance of 80 cm, the Juwel 6 is available in versions with three to five furrows. The M version provides four mechanically adjusted working widths per body, while the 6MV provides infinitely variable hydraulic working width adjustment (hydraulic frame swivelling is optional). LEMKEN says that when combined with the iQblue Connect electronics kit, the implement can easily be transformed into a smart plough with ISObus control.

All LEMKEN mounted ploughs are equipped with the new pendulum wheel, the height of which can be adjusted without tools via a series of holes. For material protection and greater working comfort, hydraulic suspension is also fitted to the depth wheel. A simple conversion kit is available to upgrade to a Uni wheel for road transport. Standard equipment on the Juwel 6 includes the tried-and-tested Dural bodies (DuraMaxx optional). Mechanical non-stop overload protection is recommended for stony soils, and as with all the company’s mounted reversible ploughs, the Juwel 6 comes with the Optiquick adjustment system for side draught-free work. (Source: www.world-agritech.com)