Among Bayer’s 11 sets of tanks, the measurement range varies from a maximum of 9 tons to a minimum of 4 tons. (Image source: Bayer)

Bayer Crop Sciences recently established a new supply centre in Hangzhou, which aims to expand the production of a variety of products such as fungicides, insecticides and herbicides 

The solution consists of load cells MP 79T, mounting kits, junction box, and weighing indicator, enabling precise execution such as solid-liquid mixing, high-speed agitation and homogenisation in Zone 2 hazardous area. The mounting kit has a built-in horizontal rod that effectively reduces the impact of lateral forces caused by stirring. The junction box employs a one-way breathable membrane technology, ensuring no condensation inside the box. These designs have enhanced the reliability under challenging environments.

Being certified with international regulations shows Minebea Intec's ability to comply with regulations worldwide and provide customers with the highest level of safety assurance. By utilising advanced digital technologies in alignment with German standards, Bayer's new supply centre aims to implement an integrated management system. 

Among Bayer’s 11 sets of tanks, the measurement range varies from a maximum of 9 tons to a minimum of 4 tons. Unlike traditional calibration methods that are time consuming, labour-intensive and often hindeed by structural limitations, the smart calibration allows for weightless calibration. Once the operator enters each load cell’s unique sensitivity coefficient (Cn), indicator will automatically calculate the loading data required for calibration. This feature simplifies operations and minimises downtime during subsequent periodic calibrations and can save around three days during installation and commissioning phase. 

From planning to commissioning and maintenance, Minebea Intec offers its customers support through every step of the way to ensure a smooth process. 

AGRIMAX PROHARVEST thus stands as a technologically advanced and cost-effective solution for all operators in the farming industry. (Image source: BKT)

Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) has recently developed a new tire for the purpose of tackling the challenges associated with harvesting needs by combining high performance, reliability and eco-friendliness

AGRIMAX PROHARVEST integrates advanced technical solutions to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability. Thanks to the VF (Very High Flexion) technology, the tire can carry up to 40% more load than a standard tire at the same inflation pressure, thus enabling a wider and more even weight distribution on the ground, significantly reducing the risk of compaction and promoting soil conservation, which is key to maintaining fertility and agricultural productivity.

For demanding operating conditions, AGRIMAX PROHARVEST features a reinforced polyester casing combined with three layers of steel belts that ensure greater resistance to deformation and superior protection against mechanical stress, extending a tire’s service life even in case of high and cyclic loads. Compound formulation has also been given additional attention to provide high cut and chip resistance, as well as against damages caused by residual stubble or other abrasive materials on the ground, thus minimising the risk of punctures and reducing maintenance costs.

AGRIMAX PROHARVEST's tread features an innovative open-shoulder design that improves traction on rough and wet terrain while enhancing self-cleaning properties. Moreover, it offers remarkable on-road handling, ensuring even wear, better steering control, as well as remarkable driving comfort. Another advantage is the CFO technology (Cyclic Field Operations) that enables the tire to tolerate temporary overloads beyond its capacity, as it occurs when the combine harvester's tank reaches maximum fill and then returns to standard operating conditions once the load is reduced, preventing structural damage and ensuring a longer product life-cycle.

Additionally, the tire has a long service life, owing to its targeted design choices that help reduce the overall environmental impact by limiting the need for frequent replacements and decreasing the quantity of materials and resources required for manufacturing and product life-cycle management.

"Thanks to its innovative design, AGRIMAX PROHARVEST tackles these challenges by reducing the pressure exerted on the soil since it has a larger footprint. Not only does this preserve soil health, but it also promotes higher and more sustainable farming yields". - says Dilip Vaidya, senior president & director technology at BKT.

Smart greenhouses utilise sensors responsible for heat control to modify in-house conditions based on the indoor climate. (Image source: Adobe Stock))

The continual development of AI technologies has opened up potential for their use in various farming systems, including greenhouses

As agriculture continues to be one of the top revenue generating sectors in Africa, the popularity of greenhouse systems has seen a significant increase in recent years. Various fruits, vegetables and high-value crops are now being grown in specially designed greenhouse systems throughout the year, irrespective of weather conditions in the region.

Greenhouses are a mode of controlled environment cultivation that aim to create micro-climates that are favourable for producing crops during any time of the year. One of the main advantages of greenhouse systems is their ability to regulate temperature, maintaining optimal conditions in both hot and cold climates. In addition, greenhouses offer protection against pests and diseases, owing to their transparent structures clad with flexible materials that provides excellent ventilation. Moreover, they also optimise the use of other humidification and energy saving technologies that facilitate climate management, thereby boosting overall yield and production.

Since these indoor growing environments mostly require manual operation, installing automation technologies help in maintaining the desired internal environment with reduced reliance on farm labour. Also known as IoT smart greenhouses, these automated systems utilise a wide range of technologies including sensors responsible for heat control that modify in-house conditions based on the indoor climate. Moreover, computer automation software is often used to adjust humidity and venting, while Co2 monitors are used to regulate gas levels in the atmosphere.

Other notable control systems include programmes that automatically dispense pesticides in calculated amounts; equipment control systems that handle the movement of installed lights and planting equipment; fertigation management systems that automatically dispense water through water systems and lastly, drip irrigation systems that use soil sensors to monitor moisture levels in the soil.

Moisture control is a key factor in ensuring the final feed is palatable, retains its nutrients, and is consistent. (Image source: Hydronix))

One of the big challenges in the animal feed industry is the number of different formulations that can be produced by a single plant

For each batch, it is essential to ensure that the quality of the product is correct so that the animals are fed a balanced nutritional diet optimised for their type and stage of development. For this reason, moisture sensors are often used in conjunction with a control system that manages the formulation parameters. Controlling and measuring the moisture enables the correct calibration for each of the different formulations.

Moisture control is a key factor in ensuring the final feed is palatable, retains its nutrients, and is consistent. Benefits of this include:

• Improved nutritional consistency
• Reduced spoilage and waste
• Improved shelf life
• Optimised pellet durability
• Increased plant efficiency
• Reduced process downtime

Where to measure moisture

Effective moisture control of the entire process requires the installation of online moisture measurement sensors in several different positions: 

1. Measurement between raw intake and storage silos allows unsuitable incoming materials to be managed.
2. Ensures raw materials are correctly proportioned, compensating for varying moisture levels in stored material.
3. Drying or Conditioning may be necessary in hot and/or wet climates to increase the moisture of materials for milling, as dry material increases breakage and dust.
4. Measurement in the mixer allows the addition of water to ensure material is sent for conditioning and extrusion/pelleting.
5. The measurement at the input of a dryer can be used as a process variable for feed-forward control.
6. Measuring at the output of a dryer enables feedback control from the setpoint error.
7. Measuring at output of cooler prior to packing/storage allows control of cooler parameters and a final quality control check prior to storage. 

The Hydro-Mix XT sensor is recommended to be installed in the mixer end wall to ensure the mix has the correct moisture, is mixed homogeneously, and is ready for the next process stage.

Animal feed comes in all shapes and sizes and has many different formulations. Moisture measurement is a vital element of the plant to ensure the efficiency of the process and provides precise process variables to the control system that can use stored calibration data for different formulations. Moisture measurement is also important for a quality controller to ensure the feed is palatable, retains its nutritional value and has a suitable shelf life. 

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