D6—Lancaster Farming,-Saturday, May 26,1984
BUSINESS NE
Harvestore announces
TMR feed plan
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, 11. - A
complete management program
for total mixed ration (TMR)
feeding has been introduced by
A.O. Smith Harvestore Products,
Inc., it was announced here by Jim
Schaap, executive vice president
marketing.
Dubbed Tech Master, the
program includes all the elements
required for dairymen, beef
feeders, and pork producers to
make the transition to TMR
feeding, including a laboratory
testing service, computer ration
formulation, and batch mixing and
feed handling equipment needed to
produce and deliver total mixed
rations.
TMR feeding offers many ad
vantages for livestock farmers
because it helps eliminate feed
waste while assuring that animals
get the nutrients they need for
optimum performance. Other
feeding methods particularly
those involving “guess-timation”
generally require the farmer to
feed more of some nutrients than
animals actually need, just to
assure they will not be under-fed.
The TechMasteß program is
coordinated by Agri-Services
Laboratory, a division of A.O.
Smith Harvestore Products. This
up-to-date agricultural testing
PennAg personnel changes
EPHRATA Donald Green of the
Farmer’s Supply Company in
Maryland has resigned his position as
Third Vice President of Penn Ag
Industries Association to accept a
promotion with Cargill in South
Carolina. Michael Zapach of the
Farm Bureau in Souderton has been
elected to take Green’s place.
Also, Dean Nelson of Stauffer
Is the tractor
CHICAGO, 11. - How much
power will you need 17 What kind of
drive will fit your operation best'’
Farm power experts tackle these
tough questions . and others
In times like these, the future is
truly a moving target and no
one’s more aware of it then a
farmer trying to plan his farm
power/machmer> mix for the next
few years.
There’s more horsepower to
choose from. More drive systems
More hydraulic and electronic
options. And to confuse matters
even more, major changes in
tillage, weed control, fertilizers and
management practices are in the
works.
To help you get a handle on
things, IH Farm Forum contacted
several leading farm power ex
perts to get their views on where
we’re headed; in general,
guidelines for planning your farm
power needs and what major
changes are likely in the next few
years.
Horsepower race
“The next era for tractors, in my
judgment, is going to have to be
something other than just raw
power," says Howard Doster,
Purdue University farm
management specialist In his
• ••
facility provides TechMasteß
participants with an on-going
program of feed test reports and
computer ration recom
mendations.
A one-year enrollment in the
program comes free with the
purchase of an A.O. Smith Har
vestore brand batch mixer. Three
models are available, offering an
ideal choice for livestock
operations of all sizes. All three
models feature reliable Toledo
mechanical scales and three-auger
mixing to assure accuracy and
complete blending of feed
ingredients. When the one-year
enrollment expires, participants
can renew their membership for a
modest annual fee.
“We feel that with TechMasteß
we have bridged the gap that has
caused some farmers to hesitate
about making the switch to TMR
feeding,” said Tom Martus,
automation products manager for
the company. “We’re giving our
customers the complete package
of hardware and management
‘software’ they need for a suc
cessful TMR feeding program. ”
The TechMasteß program is
offered by participating U.S. and
Canadian independent A.O. Smith
Harvestore system dealerships.
Chemical Company has resigned as
chairman of Penn Ag’s Agricultural
Chemical Committee. He has ac
cepted a promotion mvolviong
regional duties. Nelson has been
responsible for the development of
numerous ag chemical-onented
meetings and workshops. John
Harman of Rohm and Haas Com
pany has been named to succeed him
as chairman
view, the excitement will come
from fine tuning tillage systems to
make more efficient use of
available horsepower
That’s a view shared by Leonard
Bashford, University of Nebraska
ag engineer T’m not sure the
horsepower is going to increase as
fast as we may have thought
several years ago," says Bashford
There's just so much power you
can get out of these machines, and
we may be reaching some of these
j: -"v-v
V . '•V**
„ >* • - -
The trend to conservation tillage is affecting how farmers
are looking at their power tram needs of the future
MF debuts compact tool line
DES MOINES, la. - Compact
tractors equipped with an assort
ment of implements can be real
workhorses around the farm, field,
yard and garden for a wide variety
of projects.
Massey-Ferguson Inc., offers a
full line of compact implements for
tillage, planting, material han
dling and moving, mowing and
other tasks.
Each implement is equipped
with a Category I hitch for use on
MF 205 through the new MF 1020
and MF 1030 compact tractors. The
tractors and implements provide
low cost operation with high
maneuverability and a quality of
work equal to larger, more costly
units.
Tillage and Planting
Compact tillage implements
include the MF 1011 moldboard
plow, available in singel or two
furrow versions. The MF 1021
tandem disc harrow with a one
piece welded main frame for
rigidity features aggressive
harrowing and even soil
penetration. Both implements are
designed for use on 15 to 35 hp
tractors.
The MF 1042 and MF 1041 row
crop cultivators and the MF 1031
field cultivator, designed for
compact tractors from 12 to 40 hp,
are ideal for operation in gardens
or small to medium sized fields.
With all the features of larger
units, the MF 39 planter can be
equipped with either half of full
Machinery upturn scaled down
WEST BEND, Wise. - Farm
machinery manufacturers still
believe there will be an upturn in
sales but less than expected
numbers of fanners going into
dealer showrooms so far this year
has led to a slightly lower estimate
of the size of that upturn.
The new 8% increased projection
comes from a recent survey of
Farm and Industrial Equipment
Institute members reported in the
State of the Industry Update, here
at the annual FIEI Spring
Marketing and Management
Conference by John W. Snead, vice
president of marketing, North
American Division of Sperry New
Holland. The expected 8% increase
in dollar volume was down only
slightly from the 10% increase
predicted last January
The bthef in the modest
horsepower race over?
practical limits ”
In fact, Bashford goes one step
further "even with what’s
available now, I think there’s little
doubt but what many farmers are
over-powered," he suggests
Washington, lowa, farmer Bill
Vittetoe puts it even more bluntly
The way tillage is changing, I
think the days are numbered for
some of these really big, expensive
monsters ’’
There’s some agreement on this
■~- t * *
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W
Massey-Ferguson has introduced a full line of compact
implements for tillage, planting, material handling and
moving, mowing and other tasks
bushel seed hoppers and a 250-
pound capacity fertilizer hopper.
Row spacing on the planter can be
adjusted from 28 to 42 inches.
Handling and Moving
The MF 1026 front dozer blade
and the MF 222 rear blade, are
both available in five and six foot
widths. Both feature adjustable
angle blades and can be used in
and around buildings where larger
equipment cannot operate.
For carrying chores, the MF 1061
utility carrier has angular steel
fork tines with tapered ends which
act as a fork lift. For other moving
duties, Massey-Ferguson offers
the MF load**'' with it« 4R-inoh
recovery, according to Snead’s
report, is still based on the fact
that most sectors of the
agricultural economy are expected
to be better than last year. Hog and
beef prices have strengthened;
income from feed grams and oil
seeds is expected to continue a
slow run-up to harvest, and there is
still some money left over from
last year’s government set-aside
and PIK programs.
On the negative side, of course,
is the constant upward creep of
interest rates, the threat of another
crop glut that could result in lower
prices by year’s end and an ab
sence of strength in foreign
markets. Apparently there has not
been enough good news to make
farmers optimistic enough to go
into debt for new farm machinery
While respondents to the survey
did not predict a return to the
point from the manufacturing
industry ‘ln our view, the hor
sepower race has pretty well
peaked,” says Bill Stover, IH
market planning manager for
farm tractors "We don’t foresee
anything too drastic going on in
this area because of several major
trends in the ag sector ”
Most manufacturers' attention,
in Stover's view, likely will focus
on three key areas of tractor
design 1) improved reliability and
durability, 2) comfort and con
venience features, and 3) making
more effective use of horsepower
from a dollars-and-cents stand
point to the farmer "The area ot
improving fuel consumption and
overall cost/performance will gel
a lot of attention, for sure, ' says
Stover
Purdue’s Doster basically
agrees. “The real opportunities in
tractor design seem to be in
electronics, hydraulics and the
overall subject of measuring per
formance,’ he says Making
your tractors fit with your overall
management system will be a lot
more important from now on
Reliable enough''
Hut lon. ■ olvin, ag engmeei
with USDA s icsearch Sen no at
lowa State I’mveisity, question*
• 3%
-r
wide bucket or the MF 1 216 loader'
with its option of a 48 or 60-inch
bucket.
Snow drifts can be easily han
dled with either the MF 751
snowblower, with a 51-inch cutting:
width, or the MF 763, with a 63-inch
cutting width. Both can be at
tached at the front or rear and are
suited to two or four-wheel drive
compact tractors.
Rotary Mower
The MF 1018 rotary mower is
avilable in three cutting widths
54, 60 or 72 inches. Cutting heigths
range from two to five inches, plus
six-inch transport clearance.
record high sales levels of 1979 any
time in the next five years, the
mood of the respondents for the
near term was basically op
timistic The State of the Industry
Update forecasts reflect the
median of the responses from a
total of 84 FIEI member com
panies.
Unit figures for certain types of
equipment and all the forecast
percentages are charted in the
State of the Industry Update
booklet, available from the FIEI
office in Chicago
The Farm and Industrial
Equipment Institute, founded in
1893, is one of the oldest national
manufacturers trade associations
in the nation, serving its members
in the areas of engineering,
equipment safety, statistics,
government and public relations
how much more reliable farm
tractors need to be 'ln terms of
mechanical systems, U S tractors
have been extremely reliable over
the years,” notes Colvin, also a
farmer himself Their reliability
now is at that top-end percent
which takes a lot of input cost to
make even a little improvement ”
John Siemens, University of
Illinois ag engineer, is in a good
position to observe tractor
reliability, and he s noticed an
improvement in recent years "We
used to have quite a tractor
maintenance program here with a
lot of participation, he says Not
so, anymore The way tractors are
designed and built anymore, there
just isn't much that goes wrong
with them on a large scale Our
maintenance program has been
pretty well phased out
Even though engmeer/farmei
Colvin seems happy enough with
U S tractors reliability, he s not
convinced everything is being done
in the way of basic design which
might be When you look at that
they re doing in Europe, there--
certainly some potential toi in
novative design in tiactois hi
i.ivs Mam items ot inti lest n
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