EuroTier Show 2018

Chris McCullough trawls 15 halls of exhibits at the EuroTier Show in Germany to report on the latest innovations for livestock farmers

EuroTier can be quite a daunting event for the first-time visitor, with thousands of stands to explore showcasing what’s new in the industry.

Held every two years by German Agricultural Society DLG, EuroTier 2018 is classed as the world’s leading trade fair for animal production.

A whopping 155,000 visitors attended the 2018 event, with 2,526 exhibitors from 62 countries exhibiting modern animal production solutions in over 260,000 square metres of space.

Whether it was new machinery or tweaks to existing models, the latest software to help farmers manage their animals virtually, or new developments in feed supplements, EuroTier had it all.

Some of the latest trends at the show include the most luxurious and expensive cow mat in the world, on-farm dairy pasteurisers, and of course lots of robotics. 

If farming is to be sustainable in the future there is no doubt the industry needs to embrace new technology by the horns and put it into practice.

We look at some of the show highlights below.

 

TRIOLIET FEEDING ROBOT 

Available in Australia through Muddy River Agricultural, Trioliet expanded its robotic feeding range with the Triomatic WB 2-250, which travels on wheels instead of a rail.

It uses battery power to travel, discharge feed and when pushing up the feed in the passage, but docks onto a power rail in the feed kitchen to use mains electricity to charge and mix.

This gives the robot extra capacity and prolongs the lifespan of the batteries.

With a capacity of 2.5 cubic metres the WB2-250 model has two augers, is 1.25m wide and needs a minimum 2.4m wide passage to discharge the feed in.

For navigation, the Triomatic WB 2-250 robot uses an antenna that follows an induction wire or transponders on the floor. This makes it possible to operate without any need for a rail, even between different sheds across a farmyard.

The robot can be combined with all types of Triomatic feed kitchens that are already available. Depending on the route, this model can discharge up to 15 tonnes of feed per day.

 

AVANT E6 ELECTRIC LOADER

Finnish wheel loader manufacturer Avant is now in full production of its new e6 all electric wheeled loader with strong customer support. 

The new e6 is a sister model of the company’s already established e5 but is powered by a lithium ion battery instead of the lead acid battery in the e5.

Using this latest battery technology allows the loader to operate in normal working conditions for up to five hours with a one-hour charge time.

The e6 is designed for operators who need to use an electric loader continuously in emission sensitive areas and is priced around €45,000 (AUS$69,438).

Jani Kakela, Avant Tecno vice president as well as sales and marketing director, said: “Sales of the e6 are strong and we are in our fourth week of production now. We will be exporting it into most of our aligned companies with the US looking like early 2019, after sorting some approval issues.”

Marketing manager for Avant Equipment Australia Jessica Nedeski says that while the vehicle will be sold in Australia, the current lead time on the e6 is about six months.

 

SLURRY HOSE EXTENDS TO 800M

Canadian company Cadman says the Continuous Manure Applicator (CMA) it introduced at EuroTier will help reduce artificial fertiliser costs.

With a hose measuring 823m long and 14cm in diameter, the 32-tonne unit is designed to be a one-man operation and can apply slurry to growing crops up to one metre in height.

The CMA’s key innovation is its patented swivel arm attached to the injector, designed to pull the hose away from the CMA when the vehicle turns, while keeping it in the same row it was pulled out on and incorporating a 75cm–1m strip.

When the tractor gets to the opposite end of the field (up to 800m), it can turn 180 degrees and come back down the field, incorporating another strip of 75cm–1m.

While the operator is completing the return trip, the remote control automatically moves the CMA forward another 150cm or 2m in order to start another pass.

Currently for sale at a price of US$514,000, Cadman confirms that the product can be shipped to Australia but will require a six-month lead-time to build.

 

GRUB’S UP FOR LIVESTOCK

EuroTier also featured a number of livestock feeder and feeding devices yet to become available in Australia, including:

• Austrian company Wasserbauer’s Shuttle Eco, a battery powered feeding robot with a 2.2 cubic metre feed capacity and a new, unique lift for fully automatic feed removal in the bunker silo;
• Turkey’s Alper YK5000, with a capacity of 5 cubic metres and 1,500kg, the 1,900kg machine can be driven by a 60hp (44.7kW) tractor and has five fixed cutting knives;
• German company Patura’s mobile milk express unit can hold 500l of milk and is able feed up to 50 calves at once, while it also has a 5m dispensing nozzle at the rear of the feeder should the operator prefer to feed calves in single pens, dispensing the milk from the large tank; and
• The German-made eSilokamm electric-powered silage feeder developed by Siloking – designed with a top load capacity of 4.6 cubic metres and able to travel up to 20km/h. It can run for two hours on one full charge with a battery that can last for up to 10 years.