One-man army on the farm

Farming enterprise n.a. Ponomaryov located not far from Rzhaksa Tambov oblast, possesses over 2.6 thousand ha of farmland. One of the fields of this farm is of particular interest to us on this sunny afternoon.

The MF 6713 tractor, the main character of our special coverage, is making a turn in the distance and heading towards us leaving behind 18 rows of planted sugar beets.

Half an hour prior to that, we had a talk with Viktor Chernov, the Chairman of the cooperative, in his office. Under his leadership, Farming enterprise n.a. Ponomaryov has been using state-of-the-art machinery to cultivate land for about 10 years now. Approximately 90% of the machinery fleet has been supplied by Tambov branch of AgroCentreLiski. The farm’s fleet includes machines manufactured by Challenger, Vaderstad, Massey Ferguson, Kverneland, etc. Now the management has made a new addition: an hour after AGCO had unveiled its new tractor MF 6713 at a trade show, Tambov branch of AgroCentreLiski and Agricultural enterprise n.a. Ponomaryov concluded a delivery agreement.

‘We have been cooperating with AgroCentreLiski since 2008’, says Viktor Chernov, ‘and when the company’s representatives told me about a new tractor, I had no doubts as to its reliability. The need for a machine of this type was evident, so we did not waste any time.’

For a decision-maker, the terms ‘reliability’ and ‘time’, naturally, come first. Land loves consistency, and a good farmer strives to deliver it. It is for the field that machinery is created, not for repair shops. In this respect, Viktor Chernov does not have to worry about either his inventory in general or the new tractor in particular.

Let us also take a look at the MF 6713 from a different angle. Excellent performance is the result of efficient cooperation between the operator and the machine. That is why Massey Ferguson engineers put a lot of effort to ensure maximum driver comfort in the tractor cab.

‘The new model is pure joy to operate’, says Aleksandr Vetrov, a tractor operator. In the meantime, the tractor is already standing by the headland, picturesquely parked at a half-turn, and we take a series of pictures. ‘It has the most spacious cab in its class, providing all-round visibility. Besides, an air-conditioner comes as standard equipment.’

The design of the cab and the controls is carefully thought-out enabling the machine operator to focus on the job at hand.

‘The model definitely surpasses the МТ З1221, its competitor in the power range’, says Sergey Kuznetsov, Agronomist. ‘Currently, our MF 6713 model is coupled to an 18-row Kverneland Monopill beet drill. After that, the machine will be used to tow the Kverneland iXtrack A28 sprayer.’

We have not kept the MF 6713 from its work long. The engine, developed jointly with Porsche engineers, is resuming its thoroughbred roar, adding a harmonious tune to the music of the wind and the silence of the fields.