Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair released new products and awarded the best
This year, Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair (MaatalousKonemessut) 2024 awarded two products with gold medals and three with silver medals. Nine products received an honourable mention. A jury of agricultural journalists has selected the winner from among the new products entered in the New Product Competition. All the new products will be on display at the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair 17-19.10.2024 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
The main criteria used by the jury to judge the agricultural machinery innovations were the product’s relevance to agriculture, its impact on profitability and processes, environmental friendliness, energy efficiency and its impact on labour and safety. The winning innovation may also have been a functionality whose application brings a significant improvement to an existing product or service. Eemeli Linna from Koneviesti, Terhi Torikka from Suomalainen Maaseutu and Pentti Törmä from Käytännön Maamies have contributed to the jury. Nearly 90 products were entered in the new product competition at the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair.
Gold medallists
This year’s gold medal winners were the AgXeed Robotic Tractors and the ARA Ultra-High Precision Field Sprayer. The jury particularly wanted to reward new concepts that make use of automation, robotics and, to some extent, artificial intelligence.
The AgXeed Robotic Tractors (Hankkija Oy, 7a90) are fully autonomous machines with the front and rear lifting devices and hydraulics familiar from traditional tractors. This means that virtually any agricultural machine can be connected to the robot. Configuration, planning, analysis and diagnostics of the combination is done in the cloud, using a computer or a mobile device. Hankkija will start importing and selling AgXeed Robotic Tractors in autumn 2024 and will also be responsible for maintenance and spare parts. The start-up of the Robotic Tractors will be managed and reported on by the Smart Farm team (Älykäs maatila -tiimi) in collaboration with the machine centres.
ARA Ultra-High Precision Field Sprayer (Ecorobotix SA, 1d11) is an AI-powered sprayer that allows individual treatment of crops and herbicides, fungicides, insecticides or fertilisers. The sprayer has a width of 6 metres and 156 high-precision nozzles. It can cover an area of 4 hectares per hour and can save up to 95 % on pesticides. At the heart of the system is an easy-to-use app that selectes the crop and treatment type. The technology then adapts the spray pattern. Cameras embedded in three spraying modules transmit data to the system and the data is processed by artificial intelligence. The sprayer’s cameras detect a large number of plants with two leaves and weeds a few millimetres wide. Once it has identified the plant and mapped its location, it activates the relevant nozzle and sprays the target with one centimetre precision.
Five silver medallists
AgINTEL (Mtech Digital Solutions Oy, 3c31) is an agricultural AI solution that brings AI directly into production processes. Yield prediction accuracy and self-learning improve yield forecasts, which can have significant benefits when used collectively. In addition, this is the first application of AI in an operational agricultural environment.
The Antti X-Series Trolley Dryers (Hankkija Oy, 7190) are delivered in highly preassembled and electrified modules, making installations smooth and the dryer is quickly up and running. The new X-Series dryers use vacuum technology, which is familiar from other dryer models from Antti, but not commonly seen in trolley dryers.
The Elite Equipment on Junkkari’s Seed Drills (Hankkija Oy, 7a90) brings new technology not seen on seed drills before. Accurate measured data from the field is obtained via the vane system without anny additional work. As a new feature, ELITE machines also include rim-weighthing automation.
The Fendt 600 Vario model series (AGCO Suomi Oy, 7k100) is the right size to meet the demand of the Finnish tractor market. The cooperation between a Finnish engine manufacturer and a tractor manufacturer in the placement of components is new. The engine is tailored to the tractor’s design. The completely new generation VarioDrive continuously variable transmission is innovative and follows the same pattern as the new GEN7 700 Vario.
Triotrac X2 2800L VLX (Triolet, 7a90) is a renewed driveable compound feed trailer. The concept of the loading system is new for Finland and brings an alternative to the category of mobile compound feed wagons. The heavy-duty driven machine has a telescopic cutting/loading system with a loading and cutting height of up to 8 metres.
Nine Honourable Mentions
eBoost ®-hydraulic system (JAK-Metalli Oy, 1b29)
Hargassner MagNO VR600 (Hargassner Finland, 3d25)
ISOBUS-controlled Livakka slurry trailer (PEL-tuote Oy, 6h2)
John Deere 6M (Wihuri Oy, 6d11)
Kesla 165 (Kesla Oyj, 7k100)
Krone ZX 560 GL OptiGrass (Hankkija Oy, 7a90)
Norcar Power+ Edition (Hankkija Oy/Norcar Oy Ab, 7a90)
Spreader CAN (Happowa Oy, 3f12)
Valtra S6-traktori (AGCO Suomi Oy, 7k100)
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is organising Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair (MaatalousKonemessut) in cooperation with AGCO Finland, Agritek, Hankkija, Lantmännen Agro, NHK-Keskus, ProAgria and Turun Konekeskus. The even programme is produced by ProAgria in cooperation with the most important organisations and operators in the sector. Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair 2024 will take place from 17 to 19 October at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair will be open Thu-Fri 17-18 Oct. 9-17, Sat 19 Oct. 9-16 at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. On Thursday 17 Oct. there is FarmAlive organised by MTK from 17-22 at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
More information about the event, programme, and ticket sales: www.maatalouskonemessut.fi/en
Communications Manager Teija Armanto, tel. 050 376 0804, teija.armanto@messukeskus.com
Concept Developer Leo Potkonen, tel. 045 665 8577, leo.potkonen@messukeskus.com
Business Manager Anssi Rajala, tel. 040 843 3936, anssi.rajala@messukeskus.com
