Technology

One of the main advantages of the new wheel positioning is the lower centre of gravity which allows the plough to be subjected to lower rotational forces, in turn resulting in less strain on the rear lift. (Image source: LEMKEN)

Following the launch of the LEMKEN Diament 16 that was launched six years ago, the new Diament 18 model was presented at EIMA 2024 that took place from 6-10 November in Bologna, Italy

Being a key tool for large agricultural businesses, semi-mounted reversible ploughs, are increasingly used for both traditional in-furrow and on-land ploughing. Often used either as a stand-alone machine or in combination with a furrow press, the Diament series has always offered a wide range of applications to meet individual farm requirements for shallow or deep tillage.

To demonstrate that the Diamant plough series continues to stand for power and reliability, LEMKEN presented a new model at EIMA in Bologna: Diament 18 which enables the plough specialist to address an additional target group. 

With its 5 to 8 furrows and a solid 180 x 180 x 12.5 mm box section frame, the robust Diamant 18 is specially designed for large tractors up to 650 hp and extreme operating conditions. Thanks to its optimum soil penetration and stable design, the new LEMKEN plough exhibits exceptional performance particularly on dry soils. The position of the support wheel has been conveniently updated in order to ensure ideal usage of the extra frame weight, thereby allowing reliable soil penetration and maintaining desirable and consistent working depth.

One of the main advantages of the new wheel positioning is the lower centre of gravity which allows the plough to be subjected to lower rotational forces, in turn resulting in less strain on the rear lift. The protects the plough components, while also ensuring high tipping stability of the tractor/plough combination and a smooth ride. In comparison to the Diament 16, the new model also offers agility and comfortable handling, owing to the innovative steering system for the transport wheel.

The transport wheel also has a hydraulic steering which automatically adapts the steering angle to the turning manoeuvre. In combination with the 90 degree steering angle on the plough headstock, this feature enables the smallest possible turning radii at the headland. Moreover, the transport wheel can be actively controlled and manually steered for manoeuvring work.

The Diament 18 will initailly be available in small quantities from next year and will begin full series production in 2026.

The new Case IH Quadtrac 715 and STEYR Plus models won the 2025 EIMA Tractor or the Year awards. (Image source: CNH)

CNH brands Case IH and STEYR have been chosen as the winners of the 2025 EIMA Tractor of the Year awards 

The jury for this contest which was held in Bologna, Italy comprised a panel of farm machinery journalists from across Europe. 

Following are the winners of the contst:

1. Case IH Quadrac 715: Winner in the HighPower category for models over 300 hp. Assessments were carried out by the judging panel based on areas including engine performance, fuel efficiency, transmission smoothness and reliability. Designed to help the largest farm businesses cover ground as efficiently as possible, while minimising fuel use, labor hours and soil compaction, the new Quadtrac 715 features an FPT Cursor 16 TST twin-stage-turbo engine.

2. STEYR Plus: Launched last year, the 4120 Plus 70-150 hp model has a range of features including a four-cylinder FPT Stage V 3.6-liter engine and S-Control 2 24F/24R powershuttle transmission, that impressed the judging panel. The cab features the familiar STEYR Multicontroller for fingertip operation. For the first time at this power level a full precision farming package can be specified, including STEYR connectivity features for remote recording and monitoring, and S-Guide auto-steering.

“It’s a great honor for our Case IH and STEYR brands to be recognised with these awards," said president, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Carlo Alberto Sisto. "At CNH we are focused on bringing our customers cutting-edge products that boost their productivity and deliver greater profitability. These awards are recognition of our great iron and tech.” 

PH-sensitive chromic COF-based sensor powders developed by SMART DiSTAP researchers that exhibit visual colour changes upon early detection of drought stress in plants. (Image source: SMART)

Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have pioneered the world’s first Covalent Organic Framework (COF) sensors that provide an early indication of drought stress in plants

These sensors are integrated within silk fibroin (SF) microneedles that are capable of detecting pH changes in plant xylem tissues. This advanced technology can detect a reduction in acidity in plant xylem tissues, providing early warning of drought stress in plants up to 48 hours before traditional methods.

A number of agricultural challenges – including those posed by climate change, rising costs and lack of land space – continue to escalate and adversely affect crop production and yield, due to which farmers are often unable to implement proactive measures or pre-symptomatic diagnosis for early and timely intervention. This underscores the need for improved sensor integration that can facilitate in-vivo assessments and timely interventions in agricultural practices.

SMART’s breakthrough addresses a long-standing challenge for COF-based sensors, which were - until now - unable to interact with biological tissues. COFs are networks of organic molecules or polymers - which contain carbon atoms bonded to elements like hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen - arranged into consistent, crystal-like structures, which change colour according to different pH levels.

This novel COF-based sensor allows early detection of drought stress in plants through real-time measuring of pH levels in plant xylem tissues, thereby helping farmers optimise crop production and yield amid evolving climate patterns and environmental conditions.

DiSTAP researchers designed and synthesised four COF compounds that showcase tunable acid chromism – colour changes associated with changing pH levels – with SF microneedles coated with a layer of COF film made of these compounds. In turn, the transparency of SF microneedles and COF film allows in-vivo observation and visualisation of pH spatial distributions through changes in the pH-sensitive colours.

In a paper titled, 'Chromatic Covalent Organic Frameworks Enabling In-Vivo Chemical Tomography' recently published in Nature Communications, DiSTAP researchers documented their groundbreaking work, which demonstrated the real-time detection of pH changes in plant tissues. Significantly, this method allows in-vivo 3D mapping of pH levels in plant tissues using only a smartphone camera, offering a minimally invasive approach to exploring previously inaccessible environments compared to slower and more destructive traditional optical methods. 

“SF microneedles are robust and can be designed to remain stable even when interfacing with biological tissues. They are also transparent, which allows multidimensional mapping in a minimally invasive manner," said senior postdoctoral associate at SMART DiSTAP and co-first author, Dr Yangyang Han. "Paired with the COF films, farmers now have a precision tool to monitor plant health in real time and better address challenges like drought and improve crop resilience.” 

With the KDS 255 Muck Control, Fliegl offers a versatile solution that meets the needs of modern farms and sets new standards in terms of performance and efficiency. (Image source: Fliegl)

Leading manufacturer of innovative agricultural technology, Fliegl has announced the launch of its latest chain manure spreader, the KDS 255 Muck Control

This vehicle closes the gap between the large tandem spreaders and the more compact KDS 140 and thus Fliegl now offers the ideal solution for farms of all sizes. The KDS 255 has a permissible total weight of 18, 19 or 20 tons and a stable tandem chassis that ensures excellent driving characteristics and can optionally be equipped with a steering axle. Thanks to its low design, filling with the front loader is particularly easy and efficient. The conical body of the KDS 255 having the dimensions of 1200 mm. 

An outstanding feature of the KDS 255 is the proven wide spreading unit 'Muck Control', which enables a spreading width of up to 26 m. The internal milling drums are cardanically driven and guarantee a consistent loosening of the material and an even distribution to the spreading discs. For individual adaptation to different working conditions, the KDS 255 has a hydraulic tailgate with a mechanically adjustable drop angle. Another special feature is the design of the tailgate which consists of a frame on which plastic panels are mounted. These are less susceptible to damage from stones or rocks and corrosive materials than a steel rear wall.

The robustness of the KDS 255 is also evident in the scraper floor, which is equipped with V2 chain links and has an impressive breaking load of 50 tons per chain strand. The scraper floor bars are continuous across the entire width of the body. A stone guard is mounted on the front wall to protect the tractor unit from falling stones.

For the longer term, logistics operator Transnet has begun implementing the strategic replacement and refurbishment of equipment and machinery at the Port of Cape Town, as well as contracting maintenance and related services and appointing additional staff. There is expected to be improved productivity as a result, but Hortgro is nevertheless preparing for challenges such as downtime on equipment and wind delays, and is contingency planning for alternative modes and nodes of shipping such as the use of specialised reefer vessels and other ports in the Eastern Cape and Durban.