Parade of innovations

DemoRoadShow that took place at the premises of Novorossiyskoye farming enterprise (Rubtsovsk district) in Altai area constituted the culmination of the series of grand farming shows held by AGCO-RM and AgroCentre across Russia.

Agricultural producers from all over Altai area came to learn about cutting-edge farm machinery. They were welcomed by a Cossack folk ensemble, and straight after their performance, the latest generation farm machinery started the parade. The Challenger MT 765C tractor, courteously provided by Anatoliy Chubakin, the field owner, opened the show. This tractor is by right the leader in the tracked tractor segment not only in Russia but all over the world as well. It can be coupled with any wide-cut seeding or tilling implements. The farmers highly admired the Challenger 9830 Single Disc Air Drill designed to seed into any soil, in any climate and under a wide range of tillage practices. The drill can be towed by 300-hp tractors.

Each tool bar on the drill consists of two pairs of seeding discs mounted in opposition on a common strut, which prevents them from throwing soil onto the ‘neighbour’ at a high seeding speed. The down pressure of each toolbar can be adjusted as soon as the seeding conditions change. The operators are able to adjust the downward pressure promptly and easily, on the go, from the comfort of the cabin.

‘On the drills of other brands, each opener has to be individually adjusted’, explains Nikolay Gapon, Tilling and Seeding Product Manager of AGCO-RM. ‘This drill features 64 openers, so, having to set each of them individually every time we change the seed-depth would take lots of time.’

The Wireless Blockage Monitor ensures even seeding. The notification of blockage appears immediately on the display in the tractor cabin.

The seeder was showcased ‘in duet’ with the Massey Ferguson 8690 tractor. This tractor is designed for working with seeding and tillage implements, and it is also used for forage harvesting and hauling. The tractor is fitted with the continuously variable Dyna-VT transmission without clutch discs, which allows choosing the optimum work rate and reducing fuel consumption.

‘The Massey Ferguson brand’s history goes back 100 years’, says Mikhail Zbar, AGCO-RM Sales and Dealer Network Development Director. ‘Over 7.5 million Massey tractors are operating in the fields all over the globe. Today, the Massey Ferguson 7 and 8 Series tractors are assembled at the AGCO-RM factory in Golitsyno, near Moscow.’

The legendary Fendt 936 Vario and 724 Vario tractors were also presented at the show.

‘The machines of this brand are leaders by the number of innovations and efficient technological solutions’, comments Nikolay Ivanishchev, Director General of AgroCentre. ‘These versatile tractors are commonly employed for all types of farmworks.’

Another memorable participant of the parade was the self-propelled Challenger Rogator 1300 sprayer. Its spraying system is the industry benchmark ensuring the maximum precision. The 700 litre/minute centrifugal pump of the spraying system is capable of filling the 5000-litre tank in 8 minutes. The sprayer also features robust stable steel booms reaching the width of 36 metres. The operator has only to set the needed boom height, and the system maintains it automatically. Besides, the sprayer can be converted to a dry fertiliser spreader in less than 5 hours. After the parade, the guests observed the machines in action and were able to get behind the wheel of the machine they liked to test it on their own.

‘Our company has been working on the Altai land for a bit less than a year but already has a lot of partners here’, notes Nikolay Ivanishchev. ‘Over 600 units of our machinery are toiling in the Altai fields.’

Aleksey Kaluzhskiy, Deputy Head of Technical Policy Division of Main Department of Agriculture of Altai area, observes that the arable land of Altai exceeds five million hectares, and one has to be in step with the times to be able to cultivate such vast area.

‘Today’s showcase ensures promotion and implementation of state-of-the-art machinery in the fields of our region’, he continues.

And there were a lot of good machines, indeed.

‘Our machines are unique’, says Mikhail Zbar. ‘Our brands have always been the pioneers in the development of technological solutions that boost efficiency and performance of agriculture.’

Yuriy Grishchenko, Head of a farming enterprise, remarked that it was the first time that an event of such scale had been held in Altai area.

‘Apart from seeing the full AGCO line-up here, we have also received expert advice on a number of burning questions’, said Yuriy.