Norfolk Show competition yields crop of farm inventions

The long-running machinery innovation competition run by the Norfolk Farm Machinery Club (Normac) returned to last month’s Norfolk Show. Here are some of the highlights.

See also: Farmer saves cash by 3D printing parts for home-built drill

Charlie Bateman’s fertiliser applicator © MAG/Oliver Mark

After deciding to switch from liquid to granular fertiliser, 24-year-old Wisbech farmer Charlie Bateman embarked on a £9,000 project to build a bespoke boom applicator.

Decked out in Amazone livery, the front-mounted system is designed to run in combination with a power harrow, and before a pass with an AVR bed former, to give the fertiliser a thorough vertical and horizontal mix in the soil.

To his home-built, 1.4t-capacity hopper he added an RDS Artemis metering system paired with a Topcon Isoscan rate controller. Maximum application rate is 1.5t/ha, giving the potato crop all the fertiliser it needs in a single pass.

Granules are distributed by a hydraulic fan along flexible wide-bore hoses to the 5.4m (three bed) boom. Here they are transferred to repurposed irrigation pipes, separate lengths of which serve 12 spreader-plate outlets.

These are spaced at 45cm centres – two for each crop row – and the outer pair on one side can be closed via pneumatic slides for tramlining.

Charlie plans to rebuild the applicator over winter, primarily to increase carrying capacity and front-mount the booms to reduce the risk of corrosion on the tractor.

He also intends to fabricate the boom, tank and brackets using stainless steel to improve longevity.

Harry Wiseman’s seed harvester © Oliver Mark

Harry Wiseman adapted the stripper header concept for his telehandler attachment, which is designed to harvest grain from environmental margins and collect the potentially valuable wildflower seed in a box at the back.

Sam Hill’s traction unit © MAG/Oliver Mark

Extra tractor power needn’t cost the earth – in fact, only £5/hp in the case of this front-mounted traction unit.

Power to the drive wheels comes from a once-redundant Sands sprayer engine of 70hp, and it can be lifted out of work for headland turns – provided it’s mounted on a front linkage capable of lifting the 2.4t total weight.

William Weeks’ log splitter © MAG/Oliver Mark

A scrapped Toro greens mower cost William Weeks just £300, and he transformed it into a self-propelled log splitter.

The three-cylinder Mitsubishi diesel engine runs a hydraulic pump to power the two front wheels and steer the rear one – both via a handheld controller.

It also drives the splitting mechanism, which will chop timber up to 600mm in length.

The operator can work this manually using a small joystick or engage the auto mode that returns the splitting head to the raised position, the height of which is set by a moveable sensor.

Chopped wood can then be slid off a chute at the side of the platform and into a bulk bag.

Julian Pearson’s bale handler © MAG/Oliver Mark

A do-it-all telehandler attachment has simplified bale handling for Julian Pearson. His design incorporates four bale spikes, silage sleeves and a hydraulically telescoping headstock into one attachment, resulting in a versatile tool for handling bales of all types and sizes.

Ed and Henry Stanford’s tree planter © MAG/Oliver Mark

Carbon incentives could make the tractor-mounted tree planter devised by Ed and Henry Stanford a sought-after tool, having slashed labour requirements, improved tree survival rate and doubled output for its owner.

The single-row planter was built from scratch using common components.

The renovated subsoiler frame carries a trash-cutting KRM disc assembly, Sumo subsoiler leg, and closing wheels are from a John Deere direct drill, plus packer wheels from a Cousins cultivator at the back.

Two operators sit onboard, taking turns to drop bare root stock down the central slide and into the slot below.

A trailing length of rubber helps them maintain the typical 2.4-3m (8-10ft) intra-row spacing, and working speed is 7-8kph.

They estimate that building another unit, with a few improvements, would cost about £10,000.

A potentially time-saving device, Ron Giles’ simple-but-useful ball hitch adapter slots over the telehandler forks and is clamped by pinch bolts, allowing the operator to quickly manoeuvre a trailer into position.

Ron has also developed a bolt-on angle indicator, which can forewarn operators of any inclines prior to tipping a trailer.

This straightforward workshop accessory allows tools or parts to be stashed on the ply top and dragged into the open on the castor wheels below. A neat idea that can be replicated by anyone with a few spare minutes.

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