Which harvesters will we use in the future?
Harvesting in Lithuania, as well as in Europe, is causing farmers to worry and to discuss more and more about the efficiency of combine harvesters and alternative crop production. As rotary combine harvesters and flexible mowers become more and more common in the Baltic States, there are more opportunities to rent or buy these machines. Representatives of „Dotnuva Baltic“ and „Case IH“ claim that the machines they represent ensure harvesting of both traditional and less commonly grown crops.
2023 was a challenging season in many parts of Europe with difficult harvesting conditions. In the Baltic šals, spring drought threatened crops, and hail devastated some regions as the harvest began. In our šaly, the time to harvest is becoming extremely short, and harvests that have been nurtured all year are often saved by new combines and reapers.The increasing frequency of extreme climatic events is likely to continue and will have an increasing impact on crop yields. Farmers have no choice but to ensure efficient and cost-effective harvesting, and to invest in farm machinery to provide for alternative crop harvesting options.
Lithuanian farms rely on rotary combine harvesters
![Paulius Račiūnas](https://agrobite.lt/files/2024-02/28289_post.jpg)
The popularity of motorised combines is due to the fact that the design of the combine is adapted to the high weight capacity of the harvester and any crop can be cultivated in the most difficult conditions. Thanks to the design of the combine harvester, grain breakage and šiukšlusibility are minimal and below 0.5%. In wetter conditions, the machine is protected from slipping and the soil from severe compaction by a shock-absorbing chassis. The MacDon flexible band saw ensures good performance, with its smooth feeding into the combine, its perfect ground contour and the ability to cut up to 3 cm high. In addition, MacDon mowers are designed for a wide range of combine harvesters and for specific crops and very difficult harvesting conditions.
The professionalism of the service company is important
„We place great emphasis on the training of our agents. The professionalism of the technician and the competence of the technician's representatives are important for the success of the customer. Case IH organises annual training for sales and service specialists from three „Dotnuva Baltic” companies to ensure that everyone has the best possible knowledge of the machines and the ability to advise farms. We are all working hard to make the farm a success," says Niels Petersen, Case IH combine harvester and baler specialist.
The highly experienced dealer says combine harvesters are being improved every year and there is already talk of using artificial intelligence in them. This year sees the introduction of many new Case IH harvesting solutions and the renewal of the „Axial-Flow" range. Combine harvesters need to best meet the needs of the modern farm, and Case IH aims to be one step ahead in this area.
Case IH's harvesting specialist N. Petersen says that in some countries, such as Denmark, the impact of climate change on traditional agriculture has been a topic of debate for several years. It has been argued that Danish farms will not be able to live on wheat and other conventional crops alone, and that they need to look for new, alternative crops. Of course, this will require new machinery to ensure crop production and quality harvesting.
P. Račiūnas also notes that farms in Lithuania are trying to diversify their crops, to bring forward the harvest, increasingly choosing not popular crops, but, for example, grasses for seed, and increasing the area of early crops. The aim is to reduce tillage inputs by sowing seeds that are harvested in the second or third year, and by moving towards organic farming. In these cases, the Case IH rotary combine's threshing and separation process is not dependent on speed and weight. This makes it easy to adapt to all types of crops and conditions.
Innovation for even greater efficiency
Case IH has introduced the largest Case IH Axial-Flow series ever. The AF Series giant will have a 775hp engine and a 20,000 litre grain hopper. The 50% longer rotor and other technologies of the new Case IH combine increase the separation area by 32% compared to the current largest model. The more powerful engine requires a larger fuel tank, which on the new flagship is over 1,500 litres.
At the „Agritechnica 2023“ exhibition, an Innovation Silver Medal was awarded for the new Axial-flow harvest weight management system on Case IH combine harvesters. Unlike previous solutions, which required adjustments to be made as the crop was fed into the combine, Case IH's patented „Advanced Feedrate Control“ system uses forward-facing sensors to scan and assess crop density as it enters the combine, rather than during threshing. The advanced flow control system allows for higher travel speeds, which can increase productivity by up to 20% compared to combines equipped with automatic harvesting mode. The increased speed speeds up harvesting, reduces losses and improves grain quality, while the reduced risk of snagging improves safety and reduces inconvenience and downtime.
CASE IH combine harvesters and MacDon flexible mowers are represented by UAB „Dotnuva Baltic“, which has branches all over Lithuania – in Dotnuva, Šiauli, Pasvalys, Plunge, Vilkaviškys, Vilnius and Utena. The company's professionals can advise and consult you on the purchase of new and used combine harvesters, rental and various financing solutions. Contacts for enquiries: +370 615 29352, paulius.raciunas@dotnuvabaltic.lt![](https://agrobitenews.com/assets/images/Facebook_Logo_Primary.png)