Where did the months go? I can’t believe that I am writing my last blog for 2021. How quickly the year flew by.

It was another extraordinary twelve months. We started the year still in lockdown but things were looking reasonably good, especially when the first vaccines were given in February. Some outdoor events took place during the summer months and by September, 90% of the population was fully vaccinated. It looked like that this coronavirus was well under control.

Unfortunately things started to go downwards by the end of November with the Omicron strain being discovered. Alas, we now find ourselves being restricted, once again, as we head into Christmas. The timing of the Service Dealer Conference and Awards was very fortunate. Had it happened a week later, things may have been very different. I know, from a personal point of view, that I may not have been able to travel to the UK, due to the restrictions that were put in place by the Irish government.

However, one thing that stood out for me, this year, was how well people adapted during the pandemic. Within our own industry some dealers were particularly innovative in coming up with different ways of trading. Some of the many ways businesses adapted included creating virtual showrooms; developing online trading, especially for spare parts and accessories. One such business even created QR codes to make it easier for many of their older customers to access spare parts on their machines.

2021 was a year that focused a lot on climate change and recycling. World leaders gathered for almost two weeks discussing ways of reducing global warming. Our own industry was at the forefront of this issue with more electric and robotic mowers being sold. New EU regulation on engine emmissions was introduced. One Irish sportsturf machinery hire company did their bit to become carbon neutral by introducing a rule that every diesel machine must be replaced by an electric vehicle. The same company now collects and stores their own rainwater which they use in their wash bay.

Sadly, the recent new Omicron variant has forced new restrictions. As recently as last Friday new restrictions were announced and will take effect from today. These include pubs and indoor events to close by 8pm each day. One large company has already pulled out of Lamma ’22. LAMMA is due to take place at the NEC, in Birmingham from the 11th – 12th of January and will be celebrating their 40th year exhibiting,. Also last Friday the organisers of BTME, which was scheduled to take place in Harrogate from the 24th – 27th of January, announced the postponement of the event to the 22nd – 24th March 2022. Agritechnica, due to take place in February, has been cancelled. For those of you who are willing (or will be allowed) to travel abroad, the GCSAA are to host their Conference and Trade Show in San Diego from the 5th – 10th of February.

I still remain hopeful that we will get back to near normal life sometime in 2022. I am particularly looking forward to returning to attend exhibitions and demonstrations, both indoors and outdoors.

Finally, I want to wish you, your family, friends and customers a very enjoyable Christmas and I hope that 2022 will be a successful year for you and your business.

The organisers of the Agritechnica ag machinery exhibition that was due to take place in Hannover, Germany at the end of February 2022, have confirmed that the show will not go ahead as planned.

In an official statement the organisers said, "Over the past two years and with a great deal of energy and optimism, we have been preparing for the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural machinery in order for us all to put on a very special Agritechnica 2022.

"Unfortunately, due to the deteriorating pandemic situation in recent weeks and the resulting current official regulations, a situation has arisen which makes the trouble-free execution of Agritechnica no longer possible. Together with the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and the trade fair’s exhibitor advisory board, we have therefore come to the decision that Agirtechnica 2022 cannot take place in Hanover under these conditions. The health and safety of visitors, exhibitors, partners, members and staff have the highest priority in this situation.

"We are very saddened to have to inform you of this cancellation."

Organisers have confirmed that the next edition of Agritechnica will now take place from 12 to 18 November 2023 in its regular cycle.

Based in County Meath, the newly built state of the art Karlswood Stables has been a major project for owner and Olympic show jumping medallist Cian O’Connor.

Setting the John Deere machines at Karlswood Stables to work

These grand equine facilities extend to 20 stables for his own horses, and another 24 are under construction for others. On top of that the complex boasts its own indoor arena and outdoor grass ring, sand ring, gallops, hacking trails and spa facilities for horses.

With the grounds extending to a total area of 68 acres, the Karlswood team required a reliable range of machinery and equipment to maintain the grounds and keep the grass well-trimmed. Being familiar with the benefits of the John Deere brand, Karlswood farm manager Derry McIntyre contacted Noel Bennett of local professional turf dealer Dublin Grass Machinery with a shopping list of the equipment required.

The John Deere equipment delivered to Karlswood Stables in County Meath by Noel Bennett from Dublin Grass Machinery

The machinery now supplied includes a new John Deere 4066R compact tractor, 1600T wide area rotary mower, X950R commercial rear-discharge, rear-collect diesel lawn tractor and an electric TE Gator utility vehicle.

Derry explains the purchasing decision by highlighting brand reliability and ease of use. “As this is a brand new complex, we have a lot of lawn and grass areas that have to be kept meticulously presented to maintain the high standards synonymous with Karlswood,” he says. “The self-propelled X950R and 1600T rotary mowers are superb tools to cut the grass around our all-weather arena and lawns.”

Derry and his team have already been putting the tractor to good use, and praise its ease of use and versatility. “The 4066R carries out a number of tasks all over the site,” he says.

“For example, we spend around one and a half hours a day raking the arena, and there is a front-mounted mower attachment to provide extra grass cutting help around the hacks and the outside of the farm. We also have a scarifier for maintaining the grass areas, so the tractor has a real multitude of uses."

Gary Deakins and Derry McIntyre from Karlswood Stables with the new John Deere Gator

Derry continued, “The Gator is a fantastic tool to transport various pieces of equipment such as grass strimmers, hedge trimmers and other hand tools to various parts of the farm. This vehicle makes it easier for us to travel around the site, and with the load bed space on the back to carry materials as well as tools, it is another reliable workhorse here at Karlswood Stables.”

BIGGA has announced their decision to postpone its major exhibition and trade show, the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), which was due to take place in January 2022 in Harrogate, UK.

In an official statement BIGGA said taking into consideration the uncertainty regarding the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the National Board of Management of the association convened on the evening of Thursday 16 December and made the unanimous decision to delay the exhibition and associated education programme, Continue to Learn, which are held at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire.

The new dates for BTME 2022 will be Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 March 2022, with Continue to Learn taking place from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 March 2022.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton will take to Facebook Live at 2pm this afternoon (Friday 17 December) to provide further clarification regarding the decision and to answer any questions relating to the postponement. Head to the BIGGA Facebook page, to get involved.

Jim said, “The uncertainty regarding the Omicron wave of coronavirus has led us to engage in consultation with key stakeholders and consider contingency courses of action for our flagship event, BTME. We know all sides of the industry are keen for the show to take place and after due consideration of all options the BIGGA National Board of Management, working closely with BIGGA’s team of staff, has taken the decision to postpone BTME until March 2022.

“It is heartening to see the success of the booster vaccination programme, but we are committed to running a safe show for all attendees and with all the information available to us, we do not believe this would be possible in January 2022.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and has involved an incredible amount of logistical organisation to make a postponement possible. I am grateful to all of the key stakeholders that make BTME possible for their rapid responses to our decision, which has enabled us to confirm the postponement as early as today.

“Our thanks go to those who have supported BIGGA in this decision and we are excited to be hosting the full BTME and Continue to Learn experience in March 2022.”

Attendees who have signed up for the show will automatically be registered for the new dates. Continue to Learn bookings will also be carried over and BIGGA will be in contact with everyone who has booked a place on the education programme in the coming days to discuss arrangements further.

BIGGA acknowledges that this postponement will present challenges to many exhibitors and visitors to BTME and say the team is committed to assisting all those who need support to transfer their commitments.

The BIGGA National Board of Management is the elected body of BIGGA members from across the country whose voluntary role is to provide strategic direction and ratify key decisions on behalf of the association. They are supported by a network of volunteers at all levels of BIGGA and the core BIGGA staff team.

Anyone who requires further information or assistance as to the postponement of BTME is encouraged to contact BIGGA.

The management of New Holland Agriculture’s UK and Republic of Ireland business has announced they have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the 2022 LAMMA show, due to be held at the NEC, Birmingham, on January 11-12.

“This has not been an easy step to take, but the safety both of show visitors and of our staff has to be foremost in our minds,” says Pat Smith, business director for New Holland UK and ROI.

“LAMMA is an excellent event, and its organisers have done a very good job in difficult circumstances to plan a show for 2022. Given the way things continue to rapidly evolve, though, we owe it to our employees, those planning to attend the show, and others involved in the event, to make this decision now. We are very grateful to the organisers and our suppliers for their efforts, and we look forward to returning to LAMMA in the future.

“For now, we hope that the situation calms during 2022 and we can meet customers and suppliers at our proposed schedule of spring and summer events and shows."

Deere & Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire majority ownership in Kreisel Electric, Inc, a battery technology provider based in Rainbach im Mühlkreis, Austria.

Kreisel develops high-density, high-durability electric battery modules and packs. Additionally, Kreisel has developed a charging infrastructure platform (CHIMERO) that utilises this patented battery technology. 

Since 2014, Kreisel has focused on the development of immersion-cooled electric battery modules and packs for high-performance and off-highway applications. The company is described by Deere as having " . .a differentiated battery technology and battery-buffered charging infrastructure offering." Kreisel serves customers in markets including commercial vehicles, off-highway vehicles, marine, e-motorsports, and other high-performance applications. 

John Deere say they see demand growing for batteries as a sole or hybrid-propulsion system for vehicles. Products in Deere’s portfolio such as turf equipment, compact utility tractors, small tractors, compact construction, and road-building equipment could rely solely on batteries as a primary power source. Deere say their intention is to continue to invest in and develop technologies and work towards a future with zero emissions propulsion systems.

The majority investment in Kreisel Electric will allow Deere to vertically integrate vehicle and powertrain designs around high-density battery packs while using Kreisel’s charging technology to build the infrastructure required by customers. 

Pierre Guyot, senior vice president, John Deere Power Systems said, “Kreisel’s battery technology can be applied across the broad portfolio of Deere products, and Kreisel’s in-market experience will benefit Deere as it ramps up its battery-electric vehicle portfolio. Deere will provide the expertise, global footprint, and funding to enable Kreisel to continue its fast growth in core markets.

“This is an opportunity to invest in a company with unique technology that’s designed for the demanding conditions where Deere customers work.

“Furthermore, building an electrified portfolio is key to John Deere’s sustainability goal of pursuing new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of new products and work toward zero emissions propulsion systems on equipment, while increasing our customers’ efficiency and productivity."

Kreisel Electric will retain its employees, brand name, and trademark, and continue to operate from its current location in Austria to serve its customer base. The company was founded by the brothers Johann, Markus and Philipp Kreisel and has approximately 160 full-time employees. 

“The Kreisel team looks forward to expanding our base business, leveraging the Deere channel to accelerate adoption of battery-electric vehicles and charging stations, and working with Deere’s vehicle design teams on product advancements,” said Markus Kreisel, who serves as managing director, along with his two brothers, at Kreisel Electric. 

The transaction requires final regulatory approval in Austria, with closing expected to take place in approximately 60 days. Financial details are not being disclosed. 

The Kubota Corporation has announced their latest investment is in Bloomfield Robotics Inc, a US startup company that uses image analysis technology and AI to assess plant growth and detect pests on grape, blueberry and other tree crops.

Bloomfield Robotics Inc

Bloomfield Robotics uses speclilised proprietary cameras to capture images of tree crops and AI to process the data before proposing optimal farming methods.

The Bloomfield cameras can be mounted on any vehicle used on farm to collect image data such as the colour, maturity, size of fruits and leaves. AI processes, analyses and assesses such image data to recommend anti-pest measures and the optimal time to harvest crops.

Bloomfiels says short-term performance assessment from the data collection enables growers to take timely actions based on pest detection and yield estimation at an early stage, helping to improve yields and reduce costs.

Kubota says this latest investment continues their programe of building alliances with AgTech startups and other companies for the purpose of delivering solutions to enhance the efficiency and productivity of tree crop farming.

It was made possible through collaboration with the THRIVE Accelerator Program, a startup accelerator program operated the US venture capital company SVG Ventures.