The revolutionary GUSS made its debut to the world in 2017 and immediately received awards and rave reviews for its precision and efficiency giving farmers, growers, and orchard spraying businesses the ability to lower labor and overhead costs as well as increase precision, efficiency, safety, and profitability with this autonomous machine. Customers throughout the world asked for this technologically advanced machine in a smaller version to make autonomous spraying in vineyards and high-density orchards possible.

GUSS Automation jumped into action to design, develop and debut mini GUSS. This progressive machine uses a combination of GPS, LiDAR and the latest technology to autonomously roll down each row spraying with precision and efficiency. A single operator can monitor up to eight mini GUSS machines from a vehicle, office or home while the nurse truck supplies the spray product when mini GUSS signals for a refill.

“Since debuting GUSS in 2017, the number one request we consistently received was to build a smaller version to fit in vineyards and other high-density permanent crops. Mini GUSS was designed to fit these tight spacings, while still providing the high performance our customers have come to expect from a GUSS sprayer,”

said Gary Thompson, COO of GUSS Automation.

Mini GUSS is 6-feet wide, 5-foot 4-inches tall, and 20-feet long, has a 400-gallon tank and a 3.8-liter Cummins diesel engine to tackle the most strenuous terrain. GUSS Automation offers two-tower options for mini GUSS: a vineyard tower for two-row applications and an apple tower for high-density trellised orchards.

GUSS was developed out of necessity. Orchard spraying business owner, Dave Crinklaw dealt with the shortage of agricultural labor in his own business and he found himself looking for answers and the solution came in the form of a driverless orchard sprayer. After developing and introducing a fleet of GUSS sprayers into his own custom application business, Crinklaw decided to make GUSS sprayers available for any grower to own. GUSS Automation just recently announced the delivery of their 100^th GUSS sprayer.

Mini GUSS is the next evolution of this technology, allowing many more crops to be sprayed autonomously. Its compact design makes it the right fit for vineyards, high-density orchards, berries, hops, and other high-value crops with a tight row spacing. Mini GUSS will be making its debut in the spring of 2022.

The post GUSS Introduces Autonomous Vineyard and High-Density Orchard Sprayer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The precious grapes of the Vigna La Rosa cru, which yield a Barolo included in the Wine
Spectator Top 100, will be harvested with the aid of the first prototype New Holland TK
Methane Power crawler vineyard tractor with biomethane-fueled FPT Industrial F28
Natural Gas engine.

Launched in February 2021, the partnership between FPT Industrial, the world’s top producer of low environmental impact engines, and Fontanafredda, the historic winery founded by the first King of Italy in 1858, which currently has 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards, forms part of the Green Renaissance project, launched to promote best-practice grape cultivation with no environmental impact.

Recently named “Engine of the Year 2020” thanks to its modular, multi-propulsion approach, the FPT Industrial F28 engine, already at work at the Fontanafredda estate in its biomethane configuration, has a carbon footprint of zero, since the biomethane that powers the engine is not a fossil fuel but is produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste.

Everyone attending the Grape Harvest Festival will enjoy a close-hand view of both the FPT
Industrial F28 NG biomethane engine and the prototype New Holland TK Methane Power
crawler vineyard tractor, the star of the first zero-emission Barolo harvest, at the brand’s stand, set up on the estate for the occasion.

“We are very proud of our partnership with Fontanafredda and to be working with them on this project, which brings together Italian products of excellence: Barolo wine, constantly rated one of the world’s best, and the leading-edge sustainable technology of our Italian-built engines. While we wait for the first zero-emissions Fontanafredda Barolo to age in the wood so we can drink to this truly unique project – it will take about four years – I’d like to underline that our biomethane engines are available as of now, ready to reduce environmental impact not only in agriculture but also in short, medium and long-range transport applications,”

comments Carlo Moroni, Head of Communication at FPT Industrial.

The three-year partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda is supported by the Piedmont Region’s Tobias Project with contributions from New Holland Agriculture, CNH Industrial, and local businesses.

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The global challenge of energy transition demands not only widely shared solutions on a large scale but also targeted actions in specialist sectors, which must be able both to deliver concrete results and to attract the interest of a broader public, through the high intrinsic value of the projects themselves. Both can be achieved by projects involving partners with a long-standing commitment to environmental accountability.

Implementing these guidelines, a core part of its brand identity from the outset, FPT  Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial, and the world’s largest producer of low environmental impact engines, has joined forces with Fontanafredda, the historic winery founded by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of  Italy, in 1858. Fontanafredda produces Barolo and other great wines from the Langhe region, which currently has 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards and promotes a new Green Renaissance in the form of best-practice grape cultivation with no environmental impact.

The heart of the partnership is the supply of two New Holland TK Methane Power crawler vineyard tractors with biomethane-fueled FPT Industrial F28 Natural Gas engines, which will work in the Vigna La Rosa cru that produces the grapes for the legendary Barolo of the same name, a wine which has been included in the Wine Spectator Top 100 of the world’s best wines.

Recently awarded the title of “Engine of the year 2020” for its modular, multi-propulsion approach, the FPT Industrial F28 engine is designed to be compact, productive, and environment-friendly. In fact, it ticks all the boxes in terms of power, performance, and low environmental impact for specialized applications such as orchard and vineyard tractors where compactness and small overall dimensions are an essential requirement. The F28 is able to operate on diesel or natural gas and is hybrid-ready.

The biomethane model designed for Fontanafredda was developed on the basis of a New Holland Agriculture crawler vineyard tractor. It can provide a power output of 75 hp with peak torque of 330 Nm and therefore ensures, in complete safety, a performance that is absolutely identical to that of its diesel equivalent, even when working on the steepest slopes and on the slippery terrain typical of the finest vineyards in Italy’s Langhe wine-growing region.

This is all with a zero-carbon footprint, as the biomethane that powers the engine is not a fossil fuel but is produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste. Fontanafredda has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, both on the land, by implementing organic growing methods, and in the cellar, through the use of autochthonous yeasts. In 2020 these decades of evolution culminated in a fresh perspective: the Green Renaissance.

The new Renaissance will create a great global community, united around respect for the land, which will also be expressed through respect for people. These values have led to the “greening” of all daily procedures, from the reuse of water to the choice of healthy, natural, environment-friendly packaging, and the use of clean energy for the Village inside Fontanafredda farmstead. Thanks to FPT Industrial, from the 2021 vintage onwards, mobility in the vineyard has also become sustainable. The arrival of biomethane-fueled tractors will enable Fontanafredda to cut vineyard emissions to zero and make growing operations ever more sustainable.

The three-year partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda, supported by the Region of Piedmont’s Tobias Project, with contributions from New Holland Agriculture, CNH Industrial, and local businesses, proves once again that complex projects of this kind can provide a virtuous example of networking for a common objective. The partners involved in the supply chain project are DIMSPORT S.r.l., HYSYTECH S.r.l., S.T.C. S.r.l., STEMS-CNR, and T.C.E. TORINO CREA ENGINEERING S.r.l.

“After being the ‘heart’ of the vehicles named Sustainable Tractor of the Year and Sustainable Truck of the Year. Getting to grips with the needs of the prestigious, delicate, sustainable top-quality wine-growing sector is very exciting to challenge for us. In fact, the partnership with Fontanafredda will enable us to again demonstrate our full support for the European Union as it guides the green transition. Our biomethane engines are as efficient and high-performing as diesel, and this renewable, sustainable fuel is the real, immediately available alternative for eliminating emissions from agricultural vehicles.”

FPT Industrial CEO Annalisa Stupenengo declares,

“We have the great good fortune to live in a unique part of the world, and we have to care for our wonderful land. We need a new Renaissance; otherwise, a tomorrow that is like today is unthinkable. Obviously, we have to change and renew ourselves. For us, this renewal means making our land central to everything we do; this must be our overriding aim and must lead to the creation of a great worldwide community, based on trust in others. This community will have many tools at its disposal for safeguarding our planet: ours will be wine, “green” wine. Our partnership with FPT Industrial proves that together we can do more, and do it better.”

Fontanafredda grower Andrea Farinetti states.

Technical specifications of the F28 engine for Fontanafredda
– Displacement: 2.8 liters
– 4 cylinders and 2 valves
– Maximum power output 55 kW / 75 hp
– Stoichiometric combustion technology and multipoint injection to guarantee excellent
performance and very low emissions
– Designed without EGR and with a maintenance-free 3-way catalytic converter (without
DPF or SCR)
– Sustainable solution that guarantees a virtually zero carbon footprint when powered by
biomethane

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RipeLocker’s containers are produced using an injection mold, designed for reuse within the existing cold chain.

“We were extremely pleased with the quality of the blueberries that had been stored in RipeLocker containers for eight weeks. They looked like they came right out of the field,”

said Jeff Weijohn, owner of Blueberry Hill. If the company decides to adopt the technology, it expects to be able to use each container four to five times each season.

Reusability is not the only element of RipeLocker’s containers that lends itself to sustainability. The product’s capacity to slow the decaying process, reducing the amount of produce that needs to be discarded due to decay while in storage. A reduction in food waste means less need (and subsequent use of resources) to produce additional crops. The containers enable produce and flower growers to ship via land or ocean instead of relying on air freight – resulting in, according to RipeLock, 44 times fewer carbon emissions. Lastly, RipeLocker containers enable bulk shipments, so the packaging can be reduced with larger product increments.

The technology behind the containers

RipeLocker containers manage the atmospheric pressure, humidity, and gas composition (oxygen and CO2) within the vessel to extend the life of fresh produce and flowers. Suppressing pathogen growth, considerably less decay will occur during storage – and RipeLocker containers can also provide the vehicle for delivering organic fungicide vapors to kill the pathogen.

Based on the specific needs of each type of fresh produce or flower, RipeLocker tailors operating parameters, such as internal pressure, oxygen, and CO2 levels to optimize longevity and freshness. The system responds to changes in the storage or shipping environment, making automatic precise adjustments to prevent damage and reduce decay.

Not just for blueberries

RipeLocker has proven its storage method for a variety of applications in partnership with major growers and agricultural universities:

• Pomegranates: After five months in storage, pomegranates held in RipeLocker containers remained in prime condition. Inspection comparisons resulted in data indicating the fruits’ respiration rate was slowed by up to 50 percent. Implementation of a storage product like RipeLocker could extend the North American season.
• Papayas: In spite of being highly perishable, tree-ripe papaya held in RipeLocker containers lasted 30 days at peak quality, which could lead to slower transport being a viable option for shipments.
• Hops: Tests during the fall of 2020 resulted in fresh hops from CLS Farms maintaining fresh-picked quality six weeks later. With fresh hops selling at higher margins than dried varieties, hop dealers will be able to sell to markets that are further away in a way that was previously too costly.

The post RipeLocker Container Trial Shows Promising Storage Results for Blueberries appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Available in 2 versions, F (orchard) and GE (low orchard), the Rex3 has 3 engines delivering 55, 68 and 75 horsepower, with torque reserves of 50%, 45% and 32% respectively.

The choice fell on the new 4-cylinder, 16-valve, 2.5-litre Kohler engines because of their compactness and the solutions offered, which allow Stage V emission limits to be met, thanks to DOC systems without regeneration that in no way affect the productivity and efficiency of the machine.

Super-compact size for narrow and low rows

The biggest advantages of the new Rex3 F are undoubtedly its manoeuvrability, its easy handling even on slopes and its ease of use thanks to its ultra-compact dimensions:

● the extremely short wheelbase of 1950 mm,
● minimum ground clearance of 213 mm,
● external width ranging from 1350 mm to 1617 mm,
● minimum height of the steering wheel from the ground on the GE platform version of 1,256 mm
● weight without the ballast of 2,200 kg

These features make the range an ideal solution for use in vineyards and orchards, as well as vegetable and greenhouse operations.

The Rex3 F is an extremely versatile range, allowing the use of different types of accessories, even front-mounted. The tractor can be equipped with a front lift with a maximum lifting capacity at the ball-end of up to 1,000 kg, while the geometry of the under-cab frame is specially designed for ventral installation.

Low Profile cab for working between rows

The Rex3 F is now available with an optional Low Profile cab, specially designed for sloping operations and low passages. Built with a single body structure, it is 1.16 m wide at the base, which reached 0.86 m at roof level, for a minimum overall ground clearance of 1.87 m. The wide-opening door provides easy access to the passenger compartment, for maximum comfort, also thanks to:

● the single body cab structure
● minimum overall ground clearance 1785 mm
● tiltable steering wheel,
● the multifunctional digital dashboard,
● no levers on the central tunnel,
● air conditioning
● rear cab working lights with LED technology
● low-profile rotating beacon with LED technology

The Low-Profile cab offers wide visibility in all directions, even for lateral operations, working on slopes and in greenhouses, maximising the possibilities of use for this range of tractors.

Rex3 F transmission and hydraulics

The transmission built by Argo Tractors has 4 gears and 4 ranges: using the mechanical reverse shuttle with control at the steering wheel with creeper, it can reach up to 16 forward and 16 reverse gears, for a speed range of 0.4 to 40 km/h.

The front axle with electro-hydraulic engagement maximises traction on any terrain and offers a steering angle of up to 55°, while a 50-litre diesel fuel tank ensures a full all-day operating range.

The hydraulics have been designed to handle professional use and offer 30 litres/min for steering and 50 litres/min for spool valves, up to 3 and with the possibility of bringing an outlet to the front. The mechanically controlled rear hydraulic hitch can be equipped with ELS (Ergonomic Lift System) and anti-dumping system, reaching a lifting capacity of up to 2700 kg at the ball-ends.

The 24-inch rear wheels are also available with Waffle-type rims, which are ideal for high loads while at the same time guaranteeing the best concentricity between rim and tyre to minimise vibration, thus maximising comfort when travelling on the road with equipment in tow, also thanks to a maximum allowed tractor weight of 4,000 kg.

New technologies

The new Rex3 F is equipped with the Engine Memo Switch for engine speed management, allowing you to store and quickly recall settings when passing from one activity to another.
This extensive overview of the Rex3 F Series’ specifications is completed by its perfect compatibility with Landini’s fleet management protocol.

In fact, the Rex3 F Series can be fitted with the Landini Fleet Management system, which guarantees telemetry data, remote diagnostics, efficient integration with the after-sales system, a direct connection with the service department and a reduction in downtime for maintenance, as well as a preferential lane for the operator to maximise the farm’s operations.

Rex3 F applications

All these features make it a versatile and resourceful machine, particularly suitable for working in narrow spaces and between rows. These are the applications for which the Rex3 F was designed:

● Orchards: the Rex3 F was specifically created for specialised crops starting from orchards, where it moves with agility among the rows with a span of 2.2 to 2.5 metres.
● Vineyards: the Rex3 F is suited for all operations in traditional vineyards, and the Low-Profile cab version can even be used in vineyards with pergola and trellis systems thanks to its minimum ground clearance of 1785 mm with LP cab.
Its versatility is also due to the fact that it can be equipped with ventral tool holders and front hitch and PTO.
● Vegetable growing: the Rex3 F can also be used in greenhouses in the Low-Profile cab version, even with specialised crops where manoeuvrability is limited.
● Farms: the Rex3 F is an extremely reliable and versatile tractor that is also suited for everyday applications at farms which need vehicles with power between 55 and 75 hp and for road travel, where it offers excellent driving comfort.

Source: Landini

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The goal of Campagnola is to use its know-how and experience in order to create advanced tools, characterized by increasingly high performance and great handiness. Being battery operated, they turn out to be more and more lightweight and user-friendly. Moreover, the company constantly expands its range of products by patenting innovative solutions.

As for facilitated harvesting, the 2020 season has seen well-known as well as new products, all designed to meet the needs of the most demanding operators. A new version of Alice has been proposed, namely Alice 58 Premium, the best-known professional product among the harvesters by Campagnola, enhanced to be used by professionals and to meet their necessities. It has an extremely high harvesting capacity on all types of cultivars thanks to its flexible teeth and its opposed elliptical movement, patented by Campagnola, which allows it to operate limiting the fall of the leaves without damaging the plants.

Another great novelty is the Icarus 58 universal harvester. Extremely powerful and fast with its opposite horizontal movement, it has an excellent penetration capacity. The continuous evolution of the international agricultural needs and contexts has led Campagnola to invest in recent years both in the optimization of its pneumatic products and in the expansion of its electromechanical range.

Among the latest-generation cutting products, there are the Green Line cordless shears, powered by plug-in batteries, which allow the user to prune without cables, in full freedom of movement. They are the ideal tool for horticulture, viticulture, fruit growing, olive growing, and citrus growing, and for pruning ornamental plants.

The latest accessory designed to further improve the use of these tools is the cable for the Green Line shears with a plug-in battery, which allows the operator to keep the battery in his pocket or to hang it on his belt. It guarantees the necessary cutting power for excellent performance, a considerably reduced weight, comfortable handling, and very easy use.

The desire to go on finding new solutions to facilitate the farmers’ work and the long experience are the driving forces that push Campagnola in a continuous search for innovative products and solutions to ensure excellent performances.

Among these, there are 4 new electric pruning tools, which Campagnola was pleased to present in Absolute Preview at the EIMA Digital Preview a few days ago.

T-REX and T-FOX are the two new electric pruners with plug-in battery, designed to facilitate cutting activities. Lightweight, powerful, multitasking, and highly performing, T-REX, and T-FOX will revolutionize the pruning operations.

KRONOS is the electric pruner dedicated to the professionals. Operated by a Li-Ion 700 battery, it is very powerful and carries out quick and precise cuts on any type of plant.

NEXI is the new tying tool designed to facilitate tying activities. Equipped with a plug-in battery, NEXI perfectly combines comfortable handling and excellent performance.

The post Campagnola updates Its Harvesting Line Up appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

These implements are those that farmers already use on a daily basis on conventional tractors. In addition, its hybrid engine (diesel and electric) allows for silent work while providing it with a large autonomy. Trektor is CE-certified and guarantees safe operation on fields.

An agricultural assistant in everyday life

This tractor is a real work assistant for farmers. Trektor has been thought and designed by and for farmers in order to cope with the lack of manpower, to reduce the drudgery of work, and to adapt to climatic changes.

This driverless tractor stands out thanks to its design, ease of use, and intuitive control software. Thanks to Trektor, farmers can duplicate or upgrade their working methods with great precision and repeatability. Trektor optimizes the energy required for agricultural work and contributes to the change necessary nowadays. Trektor can easily help you to move towards an eco-efficient production or using less or even zero phytosanitary products.

Trektor proven reliability within an ecosystem

Trektor deploys in all regions of France and abroad through selected and trained distributors for the sale, maintenance, and after-sales service of Trektor’s. These distributors have demonstrations of Trektor’s and spare parts lots to ensure first-level maintenance. Come and discover the many possibilities and services of Trektor. Sitia also works with leading implements makers to combine the intelligence of the implements and Trektor.

In addition to its physical versatility, Trektor has a software versatility that allows it to handle a wide range of applications.

Trektor Lab, come and speed up your innovation

SITIA has also developed Trektor Lab, an open robot to welcome innovations at all stages of their development. Sitia offers a whole range of collaboration services.

Source: Sitia

The post Sitia presents Trektor, the hybrid autonomous tractor appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Already on trial since 1 July 2020 amongst Naïo Technologies’ long-standing partners – the Maison Hennessy and Bernard Magrez company – this new version will enhance user experience. Thanks to the feedback provided by about twenty winegrowers having used Ted for the last 3 years, a set of specifications was defined to help finalize this brand new version, now ready for mass production.

Ted, recently fitted with new functionalities, will considerably improve user experience during the mechanical weeding of vineyards. Ted is now equipped with a tool-holder in the middle, boasting a parallelogram lift. A wide array of machine tools can be hitched onto a multi-purpose pole, and two tools can be combined at the same time. With its robust frame, increased engine power, and speed ranging up to 3 miles/h, its hauling capacity in sloped vineyards was boosted – yet it still weighs much less than standard tractors and high-clearance machines. Ted’s new modular arches mean it can adapt to various vineyard typologies (narrow or high vines, etc.).

“We are delighted to launch this new version of Ted. Naïo Technologies has always moved forwards side by side with its users and makes a point of offering robots that meet practical needs. The improvements made to this new Ted version ensure more reliability, and mean this vineyard robot can be used as a truly autonomous tool.”

Underlines Marie Luce Fournié, COO of Naïo Technologies.

The conception and design of the platform were thought-out whilst maximizing the machine’s safety features. Safety devices were indeed included (slowing down before an obstacle and halting immediately if touched), and a remote operational monitoring system was installed – thus ensuring maximum security.

This new Ted version will be introduced mid-October during a roadshow throughout France, stopping off in several French vineyards and will be available for sale in 2021.

The post Naïo Technologies reveals the new version of the Ted robot for working in the vineyards appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Mordor Intelligence released an overview of orchard tractor market growth, trends, and forecasts for 2020-2025, segmenting the market by horsepower and geographical location.

Market Overview

Scope of the Report

For the purpose of this report, the tractors used in agricultural operations, especially Less than 20 HP, 30 HP, and 30-40 HP tractors are considered. Tractors used for orchards and garden purposes are included in the study.

• By Horsepower
  • Less than 20 HP
  • 20-30 HP
  • 30-40 HP
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
    • Rest of North America
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • Australia
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Rest of South America
  • Africa
    • South Africa
    • Rest of Africa

Key Market Trends

Rise in Technological Advancements is driving the market growth

North America is Dominating the Orchard tractors market

The continuous rise in farm labor wages due to labor shortage, especially in fruits and vegetable plantation has had a positive impact on the demand for tractors in this region, as farmers are increasingly adopting agricultural mechanization including tractors as a substitute for manual labor. The wave of modern technology has already been witnessed in orchard tractors with the application of Artificial Intelligence-based tools for data transmission, for precise decision-making processes in cultivation. The rise in technological advancements in orchard tractors coupled with the decline in farm labor shrinkage is driving the demand for orchard and garden tractors sales and is expected to grow further during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The global Garden and Orchard type tractors machinery market is fragmented with the presence of many of regional players. Deere & Company, CNH Industrial N.V., Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd and Tractor, and Farm Equipment Limited are some of the global players who are operating in this market. Product Innovation and expansion are the key strategies adopted by these players to strengthen their presence in the global garden and orchard type tractor machinery market.

Major Players

1. Deere & Company
2. Kubota Group
3. CNH Industrial N.V.
4. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
5. Tractor and Farm Equipment Limited

Source: Mordor Intelligence

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