The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2019 - Issue 61 | Page 38

38 FARMSTAR OPEN DAY FEB/MAR 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk HIGH MOISTURE BALES – THE ENEMY OF PROFITABILITY AND QUALITY We have often seen round bales left in the field to “sweat” the moisture out before stacking as no one wants to risk a barn fire. Whilst that cooling period allows for piece of mind; has the loss of feed value as mould and yeasts consume the plant sugars or the cost of mycotoxins on livestock’s respiratory systems and reduced feed conversion been thought through? PFC is offering a new low-cost moisture meter option for round balers with precision levels only previously seen with PFC auto- matic applicator systems. The system designated as “H2O” is available for all makes and models of round baler and enters the market with a competitive RRP of £995. Whilst slightly higher priced than bale probes, this sys- tem is superior in precision and range. H2O allows the operator to achieve more bales per day through longer baling days, and importantly, not needing to stop to measure the bales’ moisture. This is achieved by sending an electrical charge through the outer 150mm of the forming bale 5 times/second and measuring the voltage drop. With an impres- sive working range of 8 to 60 % moisture and accuracy levels of +/- 1%.This is a level of flexibility that round baler operators have never had without utilising the Harvest Tec automatic applicator from PFC. Understanding the customers desire to keep the systems price competitive is shown by the flex- ibility of the information display. The data is transmitted from the moisture meter ECU via Bluetooth, after downloading the free app from either the Apple app store or Google play store, allowing a compatible iPhone or iPad, or an Android based phone to become the screen. Acknowledging smaller screen sizes, the system utilises an icon- based architecture keeping the display simple and easy to read. Two sets of moisture data are shown; the moisture of the bale being produced and the average moisture of the last bale while us- ing the moisture system. The op- erator can still make and receive calls, emails and SMS messages. PFC feels that the H2O moisture system integrates well into our current equipment line-up. PFC supply equipment with full baler integration through the AGCO and CNH dealer network, also available through other equipment dealer networks. These would operate through an iPad with a Bluetooth connection or through the tractor ISObus. WHEN YOU BALE, QUALITY COUNTS • Precision moisture meters for all balers • Precision high moisutre bale identification • Precision variable or fixed rate application equipment MORE BALES, BETTER MARGIN IMPROVED QUALITY Tel: [phone] | Email: [email protected] Visit us at www.pfc-eu.com