Growers who doubt whether grain prices will see much improvement are looking to more radical crop establishment techniques to drive down costs - including direct seeding and controlled traffic operations.

Farmers could face more problems with blocked fuel filters when red diesel is replaced with ultra-low sulphur gas oil at the end of the year.

Bobcat has introduced three new models to its lineup - the S630 (pictured) and S650 skid steer loaders and the tracked T650. All three are powered by four-cylinder, turbocharged Kubota engines rated at 74hp and have transmissions offering an infinite speed range up to 19.8kph for the wheeled machines and 10.6kph for the tracked.

A new series of poly gatherer shields called the Corn Saver series is now available from GVL Poly. The Corn Saver features a totally new design that allows a smooth flow of cornstalks, ears and kernels so that a maximum amount of corn is saved during harvest, according to GVL.

Tractor registrations reached 7772 units in the first six months of 2010, a decline of 15.7% on the same period in last year, according to the AEA.