There will be great relief and joy for our UK neighbours today (19th July) as the pandemic restrictions are finally lifted there. The date for allowing indoor dining of pubs and restaurants in Ireland should have happened today as well but, yet again, it has been delayed for another week. 

The Festival of Turf will be taking place this Wednesday and Thursday at the Warwickshire Event Centre. I hope it will be a great success, especially for the organisers within BIGGA. This will be BIGGA’s first real life trade show since BTME in January 2020. The following week, from July 27th – 29th the Sports & Grounds Expo (SAGE) will take place at the Three Counties Showgrounds in Malvern. Alas, no sign yet of such events taking place here in Ireland.

I am always amazed at how engine technology has evolved over the years. It all began during the  industrial revolution with the development of the steam engine in the mid to late late 1700s. Over one hundred years later, in the late 1800s, the internal combustion engine was invented which has brought us to the engines we know of today.

However, there are changes on the way. Pressure is being put on governments to reduce their carbon footprint, forcing engine manufacturers to come up with alternative ways of reducing carbon emissions. I read with interest that the European Parliament has allowed the use of transition engines built in 2019. This came about because of the COVID-19 crisis, which the parliament adopted a text to extend the transition provisions of certain machinery and tractors fitted with engines in the 56kw - 130kw power range.

All these new regulations will no doubt lead to the development of alternative engine types. It is possible that diesel engines will soon be a thing of the past, after being invented in the 1890s by Rudolf Diesel. It’s hard to imagine a farm or horticultural enterprise operating without using diesel engines. They have been with us for well over one hundred years. 

Some tractor manufacturers are already working on different fuel types. For example Case New Holland (CNH) is making a tractor that runs on methane gas and hope to have it on sale later this year. Deutz has produced a prototype hydrogen engine as an alternative to fuel cell technology and AGCO Power will be manufacturing a range of engines that are capable of burning a wide variety of fuels.

There are already battery operated machines on the market but, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, producing electric tractors in the higher horse power range is proving problematic. It is difficult to store electricity for future use, especially for machines that require high energy outputs. Carbon-based fuels, such as diesel gas and petrol, are far more efficient at storing energy than batteries. For that reason battery operated tractors are a long way off as there is little appetite for them among the major tractor manufacturers.

The next twenty years will see a big change in engine types on the market. Dealers and workshop technicians will need to keep abreast of the changes and adapt to the technology needed to repair and service them.

Almost 1,500 new tractors were registered between the start of January this year and the end of June, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The figures are based on the National Vehicle and Driver File compiled by the Department of Transport.

There were 180 new tractors registered in Ireland last month, compared to 154 in June 2020. In the six-month period from January to June 2021, there was a 17% increase in new tractor registrations compared to the same period for the year before.

While there has been a slight increase in new tractor registrations in June this year, compared to June 2020, second-hand tractors are still proving popular.

Briggs & Stratton announced last week that it has acquired a minority stake in Accelerated Systems, Inc. (ASI) which develops complete traction and control systems for vehicles and has in-house design capabilities for electric motors, controllers and battery systems.

The agreement includes the option for Briggs & Stratton to acquire additional equity in ASI over the next five years.

In a statement Briggs & Stratton said the advanced electric drive systems that ASI develops complement their own strategic focus of being power application experts for its customers, which includes internal combustion engines, electrified products and technologies and hybrid solutions.

“This is an important technology investment for Briggs & Stratton as we continue to expand our capabilities as a power application company,” said Steve Andrews, Briggs & Stratton’s President and CEO. “This acquisition provides meaningful capabilities that will significantly accelerate our electrification strategy.”

BOSS ORV has announced they have been appointed as the sole Ireland & UK distributor for all Air-Rops products.

The company says Air-Rops offer a range of rollover solutions for the outdoor power equipment industry. In a statement the company explained, "ROPs on ATVs has always been a contentious issue but BOSS believe that in certain applications, and after a thorough risk assessment, they do offer additional protection for the operator. Air-Rops have the advantage over traditional ROPs of not raising the centre of gravity of the machine as it sits lower than the operator when not deployed."

The first Air-Rops product BOSS ORV has introduced is the AR Quad safety bar, for ATVs and agricultural machinery.

The company says this product uses Air-Rops technology in a fully automatic Roll Over Protection System. They base the technology on what they describe as "state-of-the-art automotive components, including safety electronics and proven and reliable airbag gas inflators".

The AR Quad electronic control unit continuously monitors the behaviour of the quad and warns the rider with acoustic and visual signals when the vehicle is about to reach a state where stability is compromised. The system automatically evaluates the rollover condition until a tilting state is reached and, only when the tilt takes place, activates the rollover bar. The electronic control unit operates the inflator, and the gas is fully released, extending the bar and the mechanism locks. The system only operates when the rider enters and cannot avoid the full tilt. The final position after deployment of the ROPS is limited to a maximum 90°, preventing full rollover which BOSS says not only helps minimise personal injury it also reduces damage to the quad. 

The company says the universal AR Quad design fits most ATVs with independent suspension using bolts on the luggage carrier and towbar. Installation is easy as the system comes fully assembled and only requires the ATV dealer to perform simple electrical and mechanical actions. It requires no scheduled maintenance and is reusable after a rollover. It requires inspection and approval by an ATV technician, and the gas generator can be replaced to return the bar to its original condition. The system is SGS Certified and CE marked, adhering to environmental and regulatory standards. 

Air-Rops will only be available through specialist approved dealers and regional distributors and will not be available by mail order or directly online. This, says BOSS, is to ensure that every unit is correctly installed and able to be monitored by the supplying dealer.

On June 9th, the European Parliament adopted a text extending the transition provisions of certain machinery and tractors fitted with engines in the power range between 56kW and 130kW, in order to address the impact of COVID-19 crisis. The vote paves the way for the final adoption and publication in the Official Journal of the amended version of Regulation (EU) 2016/1628. 

The European industry associations representing agricultural machinery manufacturers, dealers and contractors, namely CEMA, CLIMMAR and CEETTAR, warmly welcome the support received from the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union in tackling the pandemic through extraordinary measures. The industry had jointly urged European Institutions to complement Regulation (EU) 2020/1040 – which rightly amended the most urgent aspects of Stage V Regulation last year – and also address machinery fitted with transition engines between 56kW and 130kW (built up to 31/12/2019).

Commenting on the vote, CEMA Secretary General Jérôme Bandry said: “Our industries continue to face supply chain and production disruptions caused by the COVID-19 second and third waves. But to ensure the resilience of our agri-food chain, farmers and contractors need the machines using transition engines between 56kW and 130kW, planned and produced before the pandemic. Slightly postponing the deadlines avoids that transition engines can no longer be fitted in the machinery in time and are then scrapped.”

CLIMMAR Secretary General Jelle Bartlema underlines this statement: “although producers are first in line facing problems in production disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in second line these problems hits dealerships who are responsible for bringing the right machinery to the customer. Dealerships are in direct contact with their customers and are responsible for the final registration of the machinery. This extension of the deadlines for using transition engines built in 2019 into machinery makes it able to fulfil the needs of the customers which ensures a continuation of a healthy European agri-food chain and thus production”.

“Contractors are among the largest customers and direct users of machinery equipped with transition engines. The extension ensures a smoother transition for the entire value chain until its end-users towards a greener and more sustainable agriculture”, said Jérôme Roche, Secretary General of CEETTAR.

Kubota recently announced that its chairman and representative director, Masatoshi Kimata, has been awarded the prestigious National Order of Merit Medal by the Republic of France, an award which is usually reserved for French citizens.

L-R: Consul general Jules Irrmann, chairman Masatoshi Kimata, ambassador Philippe Setton, consul for trade and investment director Pascal Gondrand

The Kubota Group established in France in 1974, at the same time that Kubota Europe S.A.S. was founded to export its tractors to European countries.

More recently, in 2014, in an attempt to make a full-scale entry into the European upland farming market, Kubota established a manufacturing plant for upland farming tractors in France. Today, about 1,000 employees are working at five local subsidiaries, which are responsible for research and development, production, sales, and after-sales services. 

So, in recognition of Kubota’s long-standing services to economic development and the creation of jobs in the country, and on behalf of the company, its chairman, Masatoshi Kimata, has been honoured by the Republic of France.

The National Order of Merit was founded in 1963 and is usually awarded to people who have made remarkable contributions to France in the areas of cultural and economic activities.

During the award ceremony, which took place on June 30th at the French Embassy in Tokyo (Japan), Mr Kimata said, “It is a wonderful honour to be awarded this decoration, which would not have come about without the dedicated efforts of everyone concerned. Ever since 1974, when Kubota first made inroads there, France has hosted our core operations in Europe, allowing us to increase our presence in the region by distributing tractors, construction machineries, and industrial engines.

"For us, France is, and shall remain a vital location for the Kubota Group.” 

Attendees of GIE+EXPO this October 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky. have the opportunity to learn arborist techniques from certified arborists who will be aloft in a 50-foot tree set up inside the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Melissa LeVangie and Bear LeVangie, of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop along with their team, will present eight in-tree demonstrations and two new classroom workshops. The LeVangies developed the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop in 2009 with a mission “to create a safe, encouraging, and empowering learning environment for women to climb trees” and have hosted workshops across the United States for both women and men."

Ken Osberg, director of marketing for Echo, one of the sponsors of the activity, said, "GIE+EXPO is the industry’s family reunion as Kris Kiser refers to it, and we at Echo can’t agree more. The tree climbing and workshop program is yet another innovative way the show is engaging attendees in fun and educational activities."

The in-tree demonstrations throughout the day Wednesday-Friday will cover a wide range of topics, including tie-in points, the use of drones, fundamentals of pruning cuts and static vs dynamic rigging. These sessions are included with trade show registration.

In addition, two classroom workshops will offer Certified Arborists the opportunity earn CEUs.

• Wednesday, October 20, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Gear Inspection for Tree Climbers
• Friday, October 22, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: How to Grow Your Green Business and Why?

There is a fee of $85 per workshop, and registration is required for these.