SOTA Tractor’s agronomist and small farms guru, Mark Crakanthorp, explains the importance of knowing your tyre configurations, to suit your farming needs.

Traction is integral to safe and efficient tractor operation as the name tractor suggests. As a ready rule of thumb, the bigger and heavier the machine, the more stable it will be. However in the hobby farm market, outright size and power output are often less desirable due to size of the farms, the intended application and very often the topography – the relief or slope of the land. A configuration to improve stability of these smaller machines is often a suitable trade-off.

When trying to tailor a tractor to suit a customer’s needs, the ultimate decision very often boils down to a trade-off. In other words, some functionality of the machine is reduced to the advantage of another function.

A classic example that I see all the time is the need for a front end loader that can lift 500kg, but at the same time slash the front of a block without ripping up the lawn. Which trade-off or compromise the customer makes is based on the weight he/she puts on the relative importance of these requirements.

With tractors, there are several configurations with regard to tyres, track and stability but with hobby farms, where sloping, less commercially productive blocks have often been subdivided from larger farms, stability is the big one!

Turf Tyres

Often called flotation tyres, these types of tyres typically run lower pressure and spread the weight of the tractor. Although running higher pressures in the front is necessary when used in conjunction with a front end loader. You often see turf type tyres on machines working on turf farms and golf courses for their softer impact on those manicured areas. The trade-off? They wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding!

SAFER With DUAL Wheels

For real mountain goat country, we have fitted rear, dual-wheel (duals) setups, using the standard R1 Ag tyres. This makes for a seriously stable machine. Duals probably originate from the power farming machines of the early sixties, where development of 100+HP tractors began exceeding what could be delivered to the ground, at the drawbar. Culminating in the eighties, before zero till caught on, some seriously big tractors with massive tyre configurations operated on these shores.

Almost without exception, at the 35HP/45HP end of the market, duals are particularly useful for taking on steep areas. So, for the soft, muddy hillside example, the duals would minimise slippage because of the more aggressive tread, while still having the benefits of a wide stance.

When we set up duals at SOTA, we like to have the inside tyre on its narrowest bias. Why? It is to do with the levering action that is exerted on the axle bearing for every inch you increase the track. The narrow inside bias counteracts this to some degree because it distributes some of the weight behind aforementioned bearing.

We have seen some folk reverse, or bias outwards the front rims for a wider track. You’d probably get away with it if there wasn’t a loader, but the stresses of a loader on the smaller front axle bearing makes it a no-no for most applications. It is a serious trade off to consider as loaders are such a handy feature.

The popularity of front end loaders (FELs) also adds an extra dimension to safely operating tractors on gradients. As they are raised above the front axle, the centre of gravity of the tractor also rises, exacerbating the likelihood of rollover. FELs can also block vision, increasing the risk of encountering depressions, pot holes and stumps.

Ballasting Tyres

Water ballast is very useful for increasing stability. The trade-off here is that it is less than ideal for road travel speeds and can cause more soil disturbance. Water ballasting would also need regular checking to make sure weight is roughly even between the tyres. Uneven weight distribution can exacerbate the propensity for slippage or rollover. It would also unsettle FEL operation.

Ballast will further bias weight to the rear of the machine. Hence, always go downhill forwards. The same principle applies to traversing up hills. If in doubt, reverse the tractor up the hill. If control of the tractor is lost, the danger of rolling or flipping the tractor is minimised (flips can occur if you roll backwards and suddenly brake or let out the clutch). The added traction and added front end weight of FWA tractors certainly improves safety.

To have full control of the machine, you need to be familiar with its operation and mechanical soundness. Always make sure the skid brakes are locked together. Uneven brake pressure can literally force a tractor to slip or roll over. It is also important to use low gear, allowing the engine to brake the tractor when going down steep hills. It is counter intuitive, but tractors need to be driven down hills. Reducing power (or worse, freewheeling) to the transmission and relying on brakes have some very real risks. Likewise, going uphill – plan ahead! Again, you are in low gear. Gear changes, once the climb is started should not be necessary and are dangerous. If the clutch is engaged during ascent (or descent for that matter), you only have miss a gear to freewheel a couple of feet and the tractor’s speed will be more than the gear’s theoretical limit. This will cause the wheels to lock up and the tractor to slip/slide/lose control when the clutch is released. Engage 4wd and lock the diff to maximise traction.

A Safe Gradient?

I don’t like the idea of prescribing a safe gradient for operating a tractor. Once an operator believes he or she is safe, operating a tractor on steep country, there is potential for danger. Being in control of the tractor is the number one priority. Avoid crossing steep slopes. If you are traversing across a hill and you begin to slip or even feel unsafe, always turn downhill.

If you are interested on exploring the benefits of a tractor and dual-wheel option, please contact SOTA Tractors.

Published as an editorial in Farm & Farm Machinery.

Presently, we are having one of the coolest, wettest summers I can remember. It could be a good time opportunity to consider top dressing your pastures to boost pasture growth at a time of the year when it is traditionally pretty risky. By acting early you will be better set up for autumn and winter. Like any farming endeavour, it will require an outlay of time, labour and money, so ensure you are set up to reap the benefits, whether it is conserving fodder or increasing your stocking rate.

I’ve mentioned in earlier columns the importance of utilising what’s already there in your paddock by encouraging existing grass species. Top dressing with chemical or organic fertilisers is a fantastic way to boost pasture growth, but there are a few tricks to ensure you are playing your strongest hand. Most grasses become reproductive, (ie. go to seed – and hence become less nutritious) by day length. So even though growing conditions are unseasonably favourable, you have a whole heap of feed that is still relatively unpalatable. Topping your pasture with a slasher or mower prior to top dressing will ensure a flush of palatable, high quality regrowth.

If you are top dressing with inorganic fertilizers like granulated urea, you need to apply before a significant rainfall event to maximize the uptake of nitrogen by the individual plants in your paddock by allowing it to dissolve into the soil. Another option is a granulated sulphate of ammonia, commonly sold as Gran-Am. Many Australian soils have not had decent amounts of sulphur applied since the super phosphate subsidies were wound up decades ago. A one-off application of Gram-Am can do wonders.

High analysis nitrogen fertilizers need 15mm of rain for most soils to get it into the root zone. If there isn’t adequate moisture to wash it off the leaves and/or inadequate moisture in the soil it will dehydrate the plant. This is what causes burned pastures. Beneficial pasture plants like clovers and medics can be particularly susceptible to high soil temp/microbial activity. These may need to be reintroduced. On the plus side, it’s a double edged sword – acting as both a booster and a herbicide (most weed’n’feed type lawn herbicides are based on sulphate of ammonia, so they can be very effective in reducing the survival of weed seedlings).

I’d recommend hedging your bets by applying these in test strips (fenced off if possible, and in areas where you think there is already good fertility) and gauge for yourself how they respond. With the wet season, you could look at higher application rates of a bag to the hectare using the ‘N’ analysis of urea as the benchmark.

I have only limited exposure to organic fertilizers, but if all things are equal, you would be looking at significant applications of animal manure to realize the same amount of nitrogen. If considering organic growth boosters, encouraging N fixation from legumes in the pasture is probably more in line with the farm’s management style.

I think it is important to remember that top dressing isn’t really about building the nutrients in the soil. It is about providing nutrients instantly available to the plant for a rush of growth. In the warm moist conditions we are experiencing, the soil biota is at its peak activity and I have certainly seen excellent responses to different animal and plant based emulsions when applied as a top dressing. There are also products that introduce and/or stimulate the interaction of enzymes, bacteria and invertebrates in the root zone of pastures. As a rule, they also provide nutrients to the soil that are very accessable to the plants. The prevailing weather should provide near optimum conditions in the soil for these to work.

Put in a test strip and give it a go, I say.

There is literally another world in the root zone, which is still not fully understood by soil scientists.

Published in Tasmanian Country Newspaper.

There are about as many types of small tractor owners as there is makes and models on the market it would seem. Some owners practically live on their little machines, while other owners dust off their tractor at certain times of the year, or put on a few hours here and there.

I would daresay that the majority of small HP tractors sold still have an old style dry clutch type arrangement for changing between gears – as well as forward and reverse. This is for good reason. The basic design has been around nearly as long as the internal combustion engine. It is an old yet proven design in tractors and certainly keeps the manufacturing and maintenance costs down compared to the more sophisticated wet clutch and clutchless hydrostatic transmissions.

A dry clutch, however is a wearing component; and as such is not covered by warranties. Misuse can severely shorten the life of the clutch plate, necessitating costly repairs. The abundance of grass from the warm, wet weather means many tractors will be wheeled out for slashing duties over Christmas. It is a timely reminder to investigate your tractor’s clutch and revisit some simple procedures to maximize the life of your clutch.

I think modern manual cars with their smooth-shifting and forgiving, synchromesh gearboxes let us to forget that all that momentum stored in a tractor’s heavy flywheel is constantly in contact with the clutch plate. It is just the amount pressure that varies. In other words, the clutch is slipping and therefore wearing, even when the clutch pedal is fully depressed. This is why internal oil leaks from the engine or transmission can cause the clutch to burn out – they are lubricating the surfaces. You can also imagine that by even resting your foot lightly on the pedal is causing slippage even if you can’t notice it in the tractor’s performance. If you add to the equation a heavy front end loader work you can understand why I’ve seen clutches burned out after 4 hours on a brand new tractor!

Do not ride the clutch. Keep your foot off the clutch pedal when not using it. The extra weight from your foot will cause the clutch plate to slip and the clutch plate to burn. Not desirable. Quick disengage, slow reengage. Depress the clutch speedily to disengage the clutch and return the pedal slowly to reengage it. This simple tip minimizes a lot of clutch plate wear. Do not drop the clutch. Do not use the clutch to jerk a load or to abruptly put the tractor under load. Do not drop the clutch to rock your tractor if you are stuck (engage your diff lock). Ease a clutch, do not drop it!

It’s either in or out. Don’t try to feather the clutch when scooping up loads in the bucket for that extra inch forward. Really, if you need to do that you are in too high a gear. Select a lower gear.

Keep it in one gear when PTO engaged. In many small tractors the PTO is also run off the same clutch plate. If you need to change up or down a gear, range or select forward or reverse with the PTO engaged/under load, then bring the tractor to a stop. Disengage. Select drive/gear/range. Engage PTO. Proceed, bringing up the revs as you go.

Maintenance. Maintain or have your clutch serviced at the appropriate intervals as per your operator’s manual. As it is a wearing component it will need to be adjusted to take out any excessive free play that develops as a part of normal use.

If you are in a situation where you need to replace the clutch, make sure you get the flywheel and pressure plate machined as well. They are designed to accommodate this. It is quite an expensive proposition to have a professional replace a clutch plate in a tractor, as they need to be split to access these power-train components. (The bellhousing, traditionally, is an integral part of the tractor’s chassis). If you are going to the expense of replacing the clutch, it is cheap insurance to have these other components in tip top order as well.

When used correctly a dry clutch should give many, many hours of trouble free service.

Mark Crakanthorp answers readers’ questions.

Lantana is a noxious weed currently covering more than 4 million ha of Australia’s east coast.

“I have Lantana on my property, how do I control it and is it hazardous to livestock?”

Lantana is one of the worst weeds in the world. In Australia, it ranks high on the list of Weeds of National Significance. Lantana earned this infamous title through their ability to colonise prime agricultural land and also strangle the understory of some of our most valuable remnant bush and forest.

For the hobby farmer, as well as degrading land, lantana is highly poisonous to stock – particularly cattle, horses and sheep. Animals raised around lantana innately know not to touch it. But new stock can be susceptible. Stock may also ingest lantana if no other feed is available. An easily identifiable symptom of lantana poisoning is photosensitivity. In suspected cases of poisoning, veterinarian assistance must be sought quickly. Lantana poisoning is often fatal without treatment.

Controlling lantana is hard work, particularly where tractor access is difficult, like creeks and gullies. But, when found along fences and in isolated clumps, mechanical control is very cost effective.

The best time to get stuck into lantana is when the soil is moist. If using manual or mechanical controls, the roots will pull a lot more easily from the soil. It also generally ties in with good growing conditions. This means an integrated approach incorporating herbicide or even fire can be aded to your arsenal. Lantana is very persistent. It is a prolific seeder and new suckers establish quickly from the roots. The success of any eradication plan will depend on effective follow up in subsequent years to weaken the suckers, kill the seedlings and prevent flowering to exhaust the seed bank in the soil.

Tailor your control methods to suit your goals. Many customers want to preserve remnant vegetation or encourange back wildlife by replanting forest tree species. Others wish purely to reclaim farming land. If using a tractor, the best plan would be to ‘scalp’ the soil surface with the bucket to try and remove as much of the plant as possible – roots and all. The jaw action of the 4-in-1 bucket is ideal for grasping the stems and pulling out the large, established root clumps with it. The result will be a lot of biomass, which needs to be pushed up into rows or stacks for burning.

The next step would be to unearth as many of the remaining root clumps as you can. This is known as grubbing. Our AGMAX box scraper is a perfect candidate for the task. The rippers are well designed to bring the deeper, more entrenched roots to the surface. Pile the roots up to dry and later, burn them. It is inevitable that you will encounter vigorous regrowth. A cost effective tip is to sow the area down to a few fast growing pasture to compete for nutrients and sunlight, further weakening remaining root clumps.

Now that lantana is more manageable, you can keep it under control with regular flail mowing/slashing to weaken the remaining root clumps and prevent seeding.

Herbicides can be part of your integrated approach. The most effective strategy following removal is painting remaining stems with a concentrated herbicide. This is a time consuming method, but if done correctly, works very well. High volume spraying and low volume splatter spraying have their place as well, but be aware of your proximity to waterways and sensitive flora, particularly if you are using a penetrant or surfactant in combination. There are a number of herbicides registered for use to control lantana. Please seek professional advice on which herbicide best suits your goals.

For herbicide applications, aim for healthy, growing plants that have not flowered. When using foliar herbicides, leave the poisoned plant intact. Some herbicides are active in the stems and soil for a relatively long time, so let it translocate to the roots.

CAUTION: Always refer to the manufacturer’s label for correct usage and application rates. The label will bring attention to other constraints to usage, like applying herbicide to stressed plants.

Published in Blues Magazine.

The carrying capacity of your farm is likely to change with the seasons as well as the age and condition of your stock. It is likely that a supplementary feeding regime will be required. In many parts of Australia, there are regular autumn feed gaps. Even areas coming off a good season will notice shortfalls of high quality feed. This will be even more pronounced once the first frosts hit. Joining (and subsequently lambing/calving) and turning off your stock at the right opportunity are also good justifications to supplementary feed at certain times of the year. Ideally you are looking for a supplement that has a high nutrient density, minimum management inputs and low wastage.

As a good, all-round feed supplement, high quality lucerne hay fulfils this requirement admirably. At its best it rivals grain based, manufactured rations in terms of protein and energy per kg. Likewise, it is also has a good balance of essential vitamins and minerals. It is highly digestible to ruminants and high in fibre. Compared to manufactured meals and pellets it is also very practical – as there is no risk of grain poisoning. If there is an abundance of dry grass, you should not encounter problems with bloat either.

However, unlike bags of cereal based supplements, there is no tag on a bale of lucerne hay to tell you the amount of protein or energy contained within. Furthermore, it is a probably not a reasonable expectation for the layman to know what quality indicators you should be looking for. An experienced person will look, feel and smell the bale.

Its age and how it has been stored have a major bearing on the quality. For instance, the maturity of the plant when it was cut or whether it rained while it was drying. Even if it was a sunny or cloudy day when it was cut will affect its nutritional value! To make lucerne hay just right is no mean feat. If lucerne hay is made too dry, it is likely that a lot of the leaf material has shattered during baling and handling. Most of the energy and protein is located in the leaf, so the nutritional value of the bale will be reduced. If lucerne hay is made too moist it is apt to go mouldy and become degraded by microbial action causing hot temperatures. In severe cases it can cause spontaneous combustion. The lucerne farmer may only have a very narrow window in a day where conditions are suitable for baling.

As a result, high quality lucerne hay is not always easy to obtain. Or if it is, it may not be convenient for you or an experienced person to inspect it. There are instances of a small element in the hay supply business that has preyed on the situation and novice farmers, or people looking for small quantities have been targeted. Fortunately, national standards and grading do exist and were developed by the industry peak body: the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA). There are also specialist lucerne producers who guarantee their product.

It is important to buy lucerne hay in the right sized bale to suit your farm and equipment. Small squares can be easily handled and fed out to cater for a small number of animals. They are a more expensive way to buy hay and can be laborious if they’re required to be fed out in any volume.

In my game, the tractor industry, the most common enquiry is for a machine that has large bale capabilities. A big round or a big square bale of lucerne hay is going to weigh upwards of 450kg, so a substantially sized tractor and front end loader are required to handle these. In our line up, the heavily built APOLLO 5504 50HP tractor is a perennial favourite for this duty. Large square bales are increasingly popular with large scale haymakers, because the shape is more efficiently transported.

To take advantage of buying hay in bulk, you need to weigh up the costs of storage. Shedding is best, but unless you have existing facilities it is very expensive. Hay stored outside will deteriorate quickly in an east coast environment. It would be preferable to cover it with a well fastened tarpaulin unless you are in a lower rainfall environment.

Spoilage and wastage can readily occur when feeding out. It is a good idea to spread out or rotate your feeding locations. This reduces bullying behaviour and also prevents localised degradation and concentration of nutrients. It also gives you an opportunity to examine what you are feeding out. It is not unheard of for bits of wire, twine and other objects that could cause damage if ingested to find their way into imported hay.

Since moving back to NSW, I’ve had quite a few customer enquiries about purchasing tractors and implements to undertake remedial works to what sounds like some pretty run down blocks. In these circumstances, I am quick to recommend a soil test as a good starting place.

Nowadays, most produce stores have a sales agronomist who can walk the block with you and take samples. These samples are quickly sent away and analysed at the laboratories of the fertiliser company. The results are processed through some pretty nifty software packages. Naturally, the results tend to recommend generous amounts of their products be thrown around with abandon. However, they do offer worthwhile snippets of information on improving your soil fertility and structure over a long period. This information is golden; it’s a matter of cherry picking through it and matching it to your budget and perhaps your philosophical allegiance to alternative or organic farming methods.

The software will only be able to make recommendations based on the samples and local insights of the agronomist (agro). If the agro has exposure to the more intensive commercial farms in the area, it’s a good bet they have seen and dealt with similarly affected paddocks.

The history of your block will give further hints about the condition of the soil, as can a few other telltale signs such as rocks brought to the surface with mouldboard ploughs and evidence of old furrows. Sometimes these blocks have been overgrazed and compacted. I have seen blocks that have been ploughed up in the 60s and 70s for the most precarious reasons and have never fully recovered. These soils can have structural problems such as hard pans, and are often low in organic matter.

We have been blessed with some good rains and some are predicting continued above average rainfall as we move into La Nina phase of sea temperatures. This augers well to undertake some tractor powered soil amelioration techniques.

Soil ameliorants basically condition the soil, enabling it to optimise plant growth rather than just adding nutrients. Fine tuning things like pH and water infiltration are relatively inexpensive ways of making existing nutrients better available to plants, although some ameliorants add nutrients as a bonus. Integrating these ameliorants deeper into the soil profile with a ripper can speed up the remediation process. Not only are you getting the material into the soil but are also busting up any restrictive soil layers deep in the profile. Your soil test will suggest broadcast rates of ameliorants like lime (to increase pH) or gypsum to break up clay (if your soil type responds).

The benefit of rain is that it will make it easier for you to physically rip up the soil with the tractor and also allow the ameliorant to react with the soil and leach down deeper into the profile; at once improving drainage and taking various mineral salts away from the root zone. These chemical ractions do take time, so you may not see results until the following growing season. A three point linkage fertiliser spreader can be used for broadcasting, but make sure it’s equipped with an agitator for finely milled products such as ag. lime and dolomite. Remember that plasterer’s lime can be very corrosive and requires protective equipment to be worn.

Using a rotary hoe will speed up the soil preparation process.

From here, I would recommend you put the area down to a good regional pasture/clover mix to begin building up the organic matter in your soil. If so inclined, you could cultivate and put it down to a green manure crop like sorghum or lablab, rotary hoeing it back in before sowing it down to an autumn pasture; speeding up the process.

Every paddock has something limiting its production. Run down soils tend to have poor structure and low organic matter as major limiting factors. However, before a remedy can be prescribed a diagnosis must be made. A soil test is like a stethoscope. The interpretation and execution of the recommendations need to be sound, safe, considered and consistent.

After such a prolonged period of drought, many pastures have taken a real beating. Currently, conditions are ideal to renovate your pastures. Not only will you have abundant feed for your stock, but a thick, agressively growing pasture is great for strangling out weeds that may have taken a foothold during the drought.

With significant rainfall across eastern Australia, many people are seizing the opportunity renovate their pastures. Most permanent grass species are active in the warmer months. However, annual and biennial ryegrasses and clovers can be planted in the Autumn and used to bridge the winter feed gap while most permanent species are less active. The reasoning behind planting in autumn is that the soil temperature is still sufficiently high to encourage quick establishment. There is also less competition from weeds at this time of the year. Ryegrass and clover are a great option as they are easy to establish.

A super spreader behind your SOTA Tractor is a cost effective way of of sowing. This method of dispersal is advantageous because you can cover a lot of ground in a narrow time frame – especially handy when expecting rain. It also allows you to spread a starter fertiliser, aiding quick development of the establishing pasture.

To give your seedlings the best start, remove as much vegetation as possible before sowing. This may be done by heavily grazing a paddock or slashing. Better still, integrate it into the soil with some light offset disc harrows. Once the seed and fertiliser are on the ground it is a good idea to try and integrate it. Harrowing or rolling is a good way to do this, as is running your stock over the paddock to let their hooves push the seed in.

You cannot have stock on the emerging seedlings as they will favour them, rendering the sown area of the farm off limits for some weeks. Because of this, it may be a good idea to sow one area at a time. It is important that you do not have constant grazing pressure until the grass forms an established sward. Seedlings will not persist if overgrazed.

Fencing – and especially good fencing – is like a freemason’s handshake in a traditional farming community; without it, you can’t join the club. Tree lined avenues and quirky mailboxes hold no stock I’m sad to say. The eye that expertly finds a culler in the flock has also been trained to analyse your fence. The judgement that is made of you from a casual glance can be grave indeed. Good, bad or indifferent – the fence is the yardstick by which all is measured.

Good equipment and materials mean good fences.

Firstly, you need an offsider. It is their job to assist with lining up the posts and generally sharing the burden of lifting, shoveling, ramming, bleeding and swearing. Two people also make the job safer, which, as I will discuss, can be very dangerous.

Secondly, there is the crowbar – its high lustre an unwholesome shellac of blood, sweat and epidermis. Only slightly less reviled is the post hole shovel, with a handle usually sufficiently disintegrated to reward its user with 3 or 4 eyewatering splinters per day.

Next is a tractor and front end loader. This is no joking matter. There are some awful statistics involving tractor accidents on farms so always use a mature, experienced offsider and ensure you understand the safety issues; read your SOTA tractor safety manual regularly.

A 4-in-1 front end loader is brilliant for handling posts. If you don’t have a 4-in-1 loader, a suitably attached snig chain is useful for manoeuvering posts into position. Working as a team, your offsider becomes your dogman and is completely in charge of giving signals, standing well clear for safety.

Attach a post hole digger with auger to your tractor to dig the holes – or alternatively you could use a shovel.

Realistically, you will be continually hopping on and off the tractor, nudging forward and back and working with and around the front end loader. It is very easy to get blasé or accidentally brush a control; your concentration is paramount to avert mishaps.

You need to drop a strainer post in at the corners – or where you want to break the fence or swing a gate. These should be big, solid and buried deeply. Due to their size, it is likely that the post hole you’ve created with the digger will have to be widened, cleaned out and deepened. A system of stay posts is usually employed to further reinforce the strainer posts. It is undoubtedly a good idea to investigate different straining techniques on fences that are bearing similar weights and select uniformly sized strainers, stays and posts for ease of measurement.

The strength, height and design of the fence should reflect the type of stock you wish to keep. Although cheap and easy to work with, a 6” treated pine log will easily snap if a 700kg bullock gets pushed into it.

The next step is to run a guide wire between the strainer posts. Upon tightening, you’ve got a perfectly straight line. Calculate your distances between posts and clearly mark with your post hole shovel where you need to bore a post hole, directly under the wire. Don’t forget to move the wire out of the way before sinking the post holes. Having dealt with the strainer posts, you will better understand the importance of getting your post holes just right. It’s a good idea to mark a suitable depth on the auger.

The less you have to clean out the holes or backfill, the better. Having an appropriate sized auger will also help. Once the post is positioned, you don’t want to have to ram a great pile of dirt back in with the crow bar; an arguably worse job than cleaning to hole out.

It is best to back the tractor 90 degrees to the fence line. This enables your offsider to line you up whilst maintaining a clear view of the fence line. To fine tune the auger’s position, someone will have to physically move the implement. This is where there is potential for serious injury. If in doubt, turn the tractor off. Great care should be taken to remain well clear of the auger when it is operating. Again, let your offsider control the signals. Verbal commands are pointless when using a noisy tractor.

Devising methods of adding weight to increase the post hole digger’s down force are not recommended. If you are experiencing difficulty in penetrating the soil, use the crowbar to break it up. The same goes for encountering submerged roots and rocks. Continue to align your posts as you begin refilling the hole and ramming the earth. Once you are satisfied, ram it home. As you progress you’ll become expert at it – so much so in fact, that one day – after your fence is finished, as you pass through a farm gate, you’ll inexplicably glance down the fence line, marvel at the fading callouses on your hands and think………..did I really do all of that?

Autumn has come around again and its time to think about renovating your pastures for winter. Here’s some handy tips to set you up:

Take a walk over your property and assess it for things like discolouration (nutrient deficiencies), grass species and densities as well as weeds. If everything looks OK, and it has had a history of renovation there is a good chance that some of the desirable winter active perennial species still persist. A good slashing at this time of year can do wonders for re-establishment, particularly if you have a predominance of summer growing grasses that have gone to head and died off. They will continue to shade the emerging seedlings if not removed. If the grass is particularly long and rank, it is a good idea to rake it up and remove it from the paddock after slashing, as it will continue to hinder establishing winter-active grasses as the windrows of slashed material rot down.

‘Winter-active grasses’ is actually a bit of a misnomer. They are really frost tolerant grasses that can survive and grow modestly through the cooler months where others do not. Their most prodigious output will be in spring, however they should be encouraged now to help get you through the winter feed gap. If they can establish vigorously in autumn while the soil is still warm, they will be ready to bolt as soon as spring arrives, out-competing weeds and less productive grasses that have been lurking idly by. Never fear, the old established summer grasses will return as the winter-actives peter out.

When slashing, the accepted wisdom is to do the fenceline first. When negotiating fencelines it’s best to do it in low gear, looking out for fallen wire, branches and being wary of damaging it. Also keep an eye out for repairs. Now that the cooler days are here, you can get your teeth into some fencing as well. If you have fenced off tree lines or shelter belts, it is necessary to remove some of the bigger branches before slashing. A stick rake can be employed to good effect, however many people utilise indolent teenagers under the auspices of character building.

Another reason to proceed slowly around fences is because the momentum of a slasher can push the tractor forward – particularly when the clutch pedal is depressed at operating RPM. Remember, no matter how user friendly your tractor is, the best way to brake the slasher is by reducing using the engine RPM. Your tractor and slasher operate best at the recommended RPM/PTO speed; so keep it there. Reversing and changing gears and ranges is bothersome as well as causing unnecessary wear and tear. Do as much as you can in one forward gear. Over-revving the machine to increase speed is not desirable, but nor is under-revving, or labouring the tractor. If the grass is heavier in one area, simply take a narrower cut to maintain speed. To make the job easier, always cut in the direction that expels to slashed grass (windrows) away from the next pass, cutting slowly in from the perimeter fence. If the shape of the paddock does not allow this, slash it in appropriate sections.

As with all tractor jobs there is no need for haste. Operating the machine sensibly and safely takes priority. And, if any parts are missed, you can do them afterwards.

At SOTA, we often field enquiries from folk who are only in the very early stages of investigating which tractor best suits their small acreage requirements. Here are a few things you might like to consider:

The term ‘Horsepower’ (HP) gets bandied around a great deal. So much so, in fact, I think it needs to be clarified as it pertains to small tractors. Diesel engines have several advantages over other internal combustion engines. But the most relevant to small tractors is that they can deliver much more of their rated HP on a continuous basis than a petrol engine. Also, for partial loads, the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine remains nearly constant, as opposed to petrol engines which will burn proportionally more fuel with partial power outputs. Diesels are long lasting and robustly built by design. They are also less apt to stall under load. For these reasons, particularly at the smaller end of the tractor scale, a diesel powered machine is superior. There is simply no comparison between, say, a larger 20HP petrol driven lawn tractor and a small compact diesel tractor with a similar HP rating.

So, to roughly formulate what size tractor you need, you probably need to think in terms of which duty is going to require the most power. Now, slashing heavy grass (if you have it) is probably going to be the most taxing duty a hobby farmer’s tractor will see. I would arrive at a decision by considering the area that requires maintenance and the speed at which the machine will travel.

Most PTO driven small tractor implements, such as slashers, utilise an industry standard 40HP rated gearbox. Any small tractor is not going to unduly stress it. What you need to do is match the size of the implement to the HP of the tractor. As a rule of thumb, an 18 – 22HP tractor is best suited to a 90 – 100cm slasher. A 25HP – 28HP tractor is suited to a 120cm slasher. 28HP suits 130cm. 30HP – 40HP suits 150cm. Basically, this is prescribed, so that the tractor is moving at a suitable speed – and the implement, a slasher in this case, is operating at its optimum cutting speed.

Although a fairly rough and ready rule, it basically boils down to every additional centimetre in width requiring an exponential increase in the amount of HP. It is important not to fall into the trap of believing an oversized slasher will get the job done faster. You run the gambit of unnecessarily labouring the engine and power-train, or worse still, you’ll end up driving yourself mad crawling along in low range.

Arguably more important is weight, particularly if you require a front end loader (FEL). As the name tractor suggests, traction, a function of weight, is a rudimentary design feature. Obviously, part of the attraction of a small tractor is it’s relatively lightweight, so it becomes quite an important consideration in small tractors – especially when on steep country, or when using a FEL.

Another reason weight should be given consideration is because farmers and industry people talk in HP. There has been a noticeable move to bigger HP in small tractors across the board. You need to be a little bit cautious, because if you asked what sized tractor you needed for a given FEL job, you will be given an answer in HP. Some new compact tractors are up to 10HP more than 10 – 15 years ago. Remember, a 35HP tractor back then could be pretty big, perhaps approaching two tonne with a loader. By comparison, a compact 35HP tractor would be a lot lighter and the safe working load (SWL), or capacity of its FEL would be a good deal less.

To compensate for their light weight, 4WD is a must for adequate traction with these tractors, but also consider tyres. If you are contemplating a small tractor for predominantly FEL oriented duties, such as major earthworks, you would be well advised to opt for a tractor that has bigger tyres as well as a bit of extra weight. Turf tyres are next to useless for traction which is why they are so good at keeping your lawn looking untouched.

Finally, consider today’s market. The current global economic woes have certainly impacted sales in this area. The smart people have already picked over the showrooms for bargains. Once this stock is exhausted, prices will most certainly rise.

Happy hunting!

Slashers, finishing mowers and flail mowers all have their particular field (pardon the pun) where they excel. However, one of the biggest factors influencing the performance of these machines under any given circumstances is their mechanical condition.

For the purposes of maintenance, this can best be broken down to four main areas: – PTO shaft, clutch/gearbox, shafts/belts and blades, bolts and washers. When you purchase a machine, it is necessary to familiarise yourself with the operator’s manual regarding its proper use. Most premature wear or machinery failure can be attributed to incorrect operation. If it is a new machine, the dealer should have performed a pre-delivery check. I would still advise you give it the once over with a spanner before using it, though. Needless to say, a demo or secondhand unit needs to be thoroughly inspected. The following are some tips for maintaining your machine.

PTO Shaft

As the mode of power transmission from tractor to implement, it is vital that the shaft is in good serviceable condition. It is important that the shaft is correct for the implement, as per the manufacturer’s instructions, and is the correct length. Most PTO shafts are telescopic, allowing them to adjust sympathetically to the implement’s level. If it is not the correct length, some fairly catastrophic events may ensue. It’s very important to check the upper limit of the TPL hydraulics as well. This ensures the PTO shaft is not crushed when the implement is lifted.

Grease is your ally when maintaining the PTO shaft. Grease the shaft every 20hrs or monthly, depending on usage. For the universal joints, hit them with the grease guns fairly regularly, again, depending on use, say every 8hrs. When carrying out maintenance, check the uni joints for slop or excess play. If they display these symptoms, they are on their way out. Get them replaced or repaired. Another place to keep well lubricated is the PTO output on the tractor and gearbox stub shaft on the implement. Regular applications of grease will reduce friction, and hence wear, on the splines and shaft as well as keep the spring loaded locking pins in good condition. Most manuals recommend every 20hrs. Also, keep an eye on the condition of the PTO shaft guards and replace them if they fall into disrepair.

Clutch

Clutches are installed on the PTO driveline to allow the rotating blades to slip when they encounter heavy load bearings or upon colliding with a solid object. Mostly, these are set by the factory/ dealer when purchased, but some adjustment may be necessary under some conditions. To adjust, remove the PTO and turn each of the adjusting nuts on the clutch springs one half turn. If the clutch is slipping under light loads, tighten (clockwise), or increase pressure on the springs. Reinstall and test for slippage. If it continues to slip, repeat the step. It is important to do these adjustments evenly and in small increments. Over tightening is not desirable, as it may result in gearbox or PTO shaft failure.

Gearbox

As gearboxes are sealed units, the oil shouldn’t need changing. The best thing is to check levels as per the operator’s manual recommendations. Commonly, there are two bungs – one for filling, and one to indicate the optimum oil level. If you remove the level bung and no oil flows out, it could do with a top up. Add the recommended gearbox oil until it begins overflowing and quickly replace the bungs. It is now ready to fight another day. Please beware that the gearbox can get rather hot after prolonged use.

Shafts & Belts

For finishing mowers and flail mowers, power from the gearbox is transmitted to the blades via V-belts and pulleys. These will need checking as part of your maintenance routine. Assess the condition of the belts and replace as necessary. The desirable level of tension is attained when about an inch of movement can be achieved by pushing and pulling on the belt at its mid point between the pulleys. Refer to your manual to correctly operate the tensioning mechanism. By blowing out any trapped material with compressed air, and regularly greasing the pulleys where applicable, you can extend the life of your belts. If you do not have access to compressed air, hose the clippings out. A top idea is to run the machine stationary after hosing it out. This allows the fanning effect of the blades and heat of the moving parts to dry it out. This will prevent corrosion.

Blades, Bolts & Washers

As you are commonly beneath the machine to work on the blades, never trust the hydraulics of the tractor to keep it raised. Chock it solidly on even ground prior to inspecting it.

The blades, (and the nuts, bolts and washers that keep them there) are subject to the most wear and tear and should be inspected every time you wish to operate the implement. To increase their efficiency, the blades are purposely designed to flail on the rotor. When the machine is operated below its optimum RPM, the lower centrifugal force has the effect of causing continual friction and pressure on the blade, bolt and/or washer, hence prematurely wearing them.

Tussocks and tough grasses can dull blades very quickly. With finishing mowers and slashers, you can resharpen the blades if everything else looks serviceable. I think for flail mowers however, given that they have 30 – 40 blades, you are better off replacing the blades than painstakingly resharpening them.

If experience has taught me one thing, it is to invest in some lock-tite when replacing bolts. Wear, accumulated material and corrosion can make removing worn components nightmarish. You will thank yourself when it comes to servicing the blades next time around.

Make sure you use good quality ring spanners and/or a decent breaker bar and socket to get a good purchase on the bolts. Grazed knuckles and stripped threads are a precursor to percussive maintenance. Not listed in manuals, percussive maintenance is one of the less productive arms of mechanics.

Fine particles of pulverised plant and soil material will aggregate underneath and around the cutting area. When it dries it can set like concrete. Apart from causing corrosion, excessive build up around the bolts and blade can prevent the flailing action of the blade, increasing wear by concentrating friction to a limited area. The best shot is to blast it with a high pressure hose. Take care to store it away when dry in the aforementioned manner.

When replacing bolts and blades, ensure you check for any vibrations that might indicate loose bolts or imbalance by slowly bringing it up to operating RPM. You may have to retighten bolts and ensure the installation procedure was followed correctly. Blades, bolts and washers should be replaced in sets to keep the rotors in balance.

With October fast approaching, it’s time to think about putting down a veggie patch for those delicious summer veggies like pumpkins, squash, beans and watermelons. Small scale horticulture is the domain of these tractors, so let’s dust off your rotary hoe and get busy!

First thing is to pick out a spot with good sun and get about preparing it. Have a think about the size of your patch. Ideally, you want to measure it out so that the rotary hoe can travel between the rows for scuffling weeds as they emerge. The accepted wisdom is to also space the establishing rows to be able to pass under the belly of the tractor for watering, spraying and chipping hard to get weeds. The type of earth will dictate to a large extent what preparation needs to be done, but the easiest thing to do in the first instance is to hit it with some Roundup.

If your soil is very clayey, move in with your ripper to roughly cultivate the soil and break up clods and clay pans. This will also bring up undesirable roots and rocks that can be removed prior to rotary hoeing. Next add plenty of organic matter. Chook and cow muck are full of vital nutrients and are a great source of organic matter to improve the soil structure.

Assess whether lime, gypsum or horticultural blend fertiliser applications are necessary. Gypsum can assist in breaking up clay. It will also prevent the newly formed seed bed form cracking and setting. It’s also a good source of sulphur. Lime can be used to sweeten up acidic soils and unlock nutrients already present. Your local produce store can probably organize a soil test, but as a rough rule of thumb use a handful to the barrow-load as far as application rates are concerned. In recent years, zeolite based soil conditioners have come onto the market. The fine crystals are able to lock up some of the more volatile nutrients in the soils and make them available to the plant. Some of the better brands have other mineral wetting agents that, combined, give magnificent results. Another positive is that because there is better nutrient and water utilisation there is better yield and less erosion and seepage into waterways.

Before you are ready to hoe it in, it is wise to throw the grease guns and spanners over your hoe and inspect the blades. You might also consider turning-in your wheels to their narrow setting so that the hoe is in line, or slightly proud of the tractor’s rear track. Adjust your speed and depth to create the desired seed bed. It might be a good idea to leave some or all of the plot fallow. This lets the ameliorating effects of the manure and gypsum to do their work. It will also allow weed seeds to germinate. Simply hoe them back in before they flower. This will exhaust the seed bank and save you using chemicals to control weeds. By staggering your plantings, come harvest time, a more constant bounty can be enjoyed over a longer period.

You can rotate your veggies with manure crops like peas in winter and sorghum in summer that you can hoe back in. They are great for adding organic matter, nutrients and improving soil structure. Rotations like this are also important in breaking the life cycle of disease pathogens and undesirable insect pests. Intensive cultivation will, however, take its toll on on fertility and particularly, the soil structure. If space permits, it’s a good idea to rotate your garden to a fresh patch of dirt.

As small holdings become less commercially viable, little or nothing is spent on them. As a result, weeds move in. Many of our customers are attracted to these types of blocks, although their rundown condition is reflected in their value, the block is purchased more for its rural ambience, rather than carrying capacity. A really positive aspect of hobby farmers taking up the deed is the impetus, imperative and enthusiasm they bring to mitigating the effects of vermin and invasive weeds.

Blackberries are an obvious and very invasive weed that grows abundantly in most hobby farmer hotspots. In fact, it is estimated they infest over 8 million hectares, choking waterways and degrading agricultural land. They also strangle the understorey of some of our most valuable remnant bush in high rainfall zones. They are a well known for coexisting almost symbiotically with some of our most maligned vermin, such as foxes, rabbits and starlings.

Controlling blackberries is hard work, particularly where tractor access is difficult, like creeks and gullies. But, when found along fences and in isolated clumps, they are fair game for some good, old fashioned mechanised mayhem. Many of our customers investigate a SOTA Kubota and 4-in-1 loader with taking on blackberries high on the hit list.

Winter is a great time to get stuck in to them. Because they become dormant in the winter, they won’t come back too ferociously – at least till it warms up a bit. This gives you time to plan an integrated approach to eradicate the thickets. Blackberries have an interesting biology. The canes have a biennial growth cycle, where in the first year they sprout from seed or the perennial root system. Eventually, the canes tip over and touch the ground. From here a new cane will sprout the next season. This is why they are so invasive and difficult to control. The eradication of an established thicket may take several years as they reshoot from clumps of roots.

Approach the thicket tentatively first. Be wary of concealed agricultural flotsam and other abandoned iron detritus that might entangle or spear a tyre. The best plan would be to scalp the soil surface with the bucket to try and remove as much of the canes and roots as you can. The jaw action of the 4-in-1 bucket is ideal for grasping the spiny stems and pulling out the large, established root clumps with it. This works a treat, particularly in hard to get places.

The next step would be to unearth as many of the root clumps as you can. This is known as grubbing. Our AGMAX box scraper is a perfect candidate for the task. The rippers are well designed to bring the deeper, more entrenched roots to the surface. Pile the roots up to dry and later, burn. It is inevitable that, come spring, you will encounter vigourous regrowth. A good tip is to throw some fast growing winter ryegrass on the disturbed site without fertiliser. The pasture will be established by the time the blackberries are ready to shoot and should compete well for sunlight and nutrients, impeding seedlings and further weakening remaining root clumps.

Now that the thicket is more manageable, you can keep it under control with regular mowing/slashing to weaken the remaining root clumps and prevent seeding.

Herbicides can be part of your integrated approach, but shouldn’t be applied in the same growing season as mechanical control. Applying herbicides too soon in the growing season can lead to ineffective and/or inconsistent results. The most effective strategy following removal is to allow regrowth to about 500mm before herbicide treatment. This also allows biological controls like fungal rust to infect the vulnerable new shoots. High volume spot spraying is preferable. Be aware of your proximity to waterways and sensitive flora, particularly if you are using a penetrant or surfactant in combination. My preference is for metsulfuron herbicides. It is slow to act, but if you adhere to the label, most reliable. I’ve always had good results without adding penetrants. Metsulfuron tends not to harm pastures, but clovers and annual ryegrass are susceptible.

In the season after treatment, you with notice minimal growth, but because of its biennial growth cycle, will come back hard in the second year. Don’t be tempted to remove the poisoned canes, leave them on. Metsulfuron is active in the stems and soil for a relatively long time, so let it translocate to the roots.

CAUTION: Always refer to the manufacturer’s label for correct usage and application rates. The label will bring to your attention other constraints to usage, like applying herbicide to stressed plants. Don’t apply herbicide when fruits are mature. There is every chance of birds, animals and humans feasting on the berries. Also, while the plant is flowering, remain mindful of our little honey making mates, too.

Our normally peaceful and cohesive workshop resonates suddenly with some colourful language. The office staff glance at me as we roll our eyes and prepare for an onslaught from a harassed-looking head mechanic. He is clutching an air filter, which he deposits on my desk; the air filter and canister are full of dust.

Dust is the sworn enemy of engines – and our head mechanic is turning the air around him blue because what should have been a routine service has just become an expensive repair.

A front end loader is our most popular implement request, here at SOTA Tractors. AGMAX 4-in-1 loaders are versatile units and a must-have for small acreage. However, utilising the bucket to move soil, shale and other dusty material can readily overwhelm the air intake filter to the engine. All SOTA Kubotas utilise a dry element filter. Please don’t confuse these with the oil type air cleaners…never put oil on a dry element filter!

The cover for the air cleaner contains a dust cup. All dry element air filters would have a similar setup. This cup is designed to catch the heavier particles of dust centrifugally, whereas the fine dust and vegetative matter is trapped in the filter cartridge itself. The danger is that this system has a threshold, whereby if the dust accumulates beyond the inner baffle of the cartridge, the engine will suck a gutful of dust and grit into the intake manifold. From here it gets into the liners, where it becomes suspended in the oil – it is here that the damage is done. The oil changes from being a lubricant to an abrasive and it will very quickly act like emery cloth and wear the piston rings away. Power loss will be noticeable and other essential parts of the engine that require lubrication, like the main bearings, will also prematurely wear. We are talking an engine rebuild here, folks, very expensive. It doesn’t take long to do serious damage.

It is imperative that those new to tractor ownership understand that tractors are not turnkey propositions. Whilst all engines need regular servicing, ignore checking your filters and fluid levels at your wallet’s peril. Furthermore, there is no warranty anywhere in the entire tractor world that will cover failure to check filters.

In A Nutshell

• Empty the dust cup at least every week, or every day if you are using the front end loader.
• Be sure to remove vegetative matter from the filter.
• It is essential that the unit is well sealed by ensuring that all nuts and retaining clips are tight.
• Double check that everything is reinstalled correctly as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

A handy idea that I would recommend to anyone is to purchase a small air compressor. In recent years they have become incredibly cheap. Use it to blow the fine dust out of the air filter every 50 hours. Always use compressed air on the inside of the element. Blow it out at 30 psi and keeping a reasonable distance between the nozzle and the element. Replace filter after 6 cleanings or 12 months, as they will break down eventually.

SOTA Kubotas are true stalwarts of small acreage. We regularly hear tales of these plucky little fellows, boxing well above their weight. Kubotas rightly deserve their reputation for longevity and by keeping on top of basic maintenance, like your air filter, it’ll possibly outlast you.

Annual and biennial ryegrasses and clovers can be planted in the autumn to help bridge the winter feed gap, while most permanent species are less active. I suggest ryegrasses, because many advances in plant breeding make this an excellent option. They are easy to establish and grow well in winter and there is usually a variety suited to your area. They can produce prodigious quantities of highly palatable feed, too. With the correct management they can last right through to early summer.

The reasoning behind planting in autumn is that the soil temperature and day length encourage quick establishment and there is less competition from weeds. They can be ready to be grazed in as little as 4 weeks in ideal conditions.

An improved pasture, ideally, should have a perennial grass species as a base. One or two permanent grass species is all you need. Investigate what grass species are already present. If there are some pasture species present that are well regarded in your district, encourage them buy slashing and topdressing with a suitable fertiliser blend. This should also help you get rid of weeds and native species. If your block is bit run down it may take an integrated approach and several slashings and topdressings to culture a desirable permanent pasture base.

When renovating, timing is crucial. Make sure there is not a possibility of a late heat wave as summer fades. Hot temperatures will burn off seedlings. Timing really is a trade off between maximizing your growing period and getting a good seedling strike, while all the time, you are at the mercy of having enough rainfall to get you underway. There are, however, a few management strategies you can do to increase your chances of a successful strike.

Because we are not using specialised sowing implements we are going to use high sowing rates. A good rule of thumb for your sowing rates is a bag of ryegrass (25kg) to the hectare or 10kg to the acre, in the old money. This is a pretty generous rate. Most seed companies do a renovator blend that has some clover seed mixed through – a good idea. The best way to distribute your seed is to throw it out with some starter fertiliser. A bag (50kg) to the acre is a good all round figure. If you have already identified your paddock as being nutrient deficient it may be a better strategy to lime and/or topdress at least 4 weeks before sowing, as potassium salts and nitrates found in fertilisers can burn seedings. Otherwise topdress after seedlings have been established, say 6 weeks.

A Silvan super spreader behind your trusty SOTA Kubota is a simple method of sowing. This method of dispersal allows you to cover a lot of ground in a narrow time frame. This is especially handy if you are expecting rain. To get an even distribution of fertiliser and seed, it is well worth putting extra effort into blending the fertiliser and seed properly as it goes into the super spreader hopper. Use a face mask if you’re a bit squeamish about inhaling allergens and heavy metals.

To give your seedlings the best start possible, remove as much vegetation as possible before sowing, as this reduces competition from established grasses, particularly the effects of shading and strangulation. This may be done by heavily grazing a paddock or slashing. Rake if necessary to remove windrows and excess material. Once the seed and fertiliser are on the ground it is a good idea to try and integrate it. Harrowing is a good way to do this, as is running your stock over the paddock, letting their hooves push the seed in. Sow one area at a time. Given that the stock will be denied access to part of the farm, you may have to supplementary feed to compensate. You need to remove your animals, otherwise they will select these delectable little morsels as they emerge. The result of which is that the establishing plant is completely removed or it hasn’t got the reserves to grow back. In both cases, the plant is lost.

To ascertain the best time to introduce your stock back onto the pasture, you can use your Blundstone boot. The cattle go in when the ryegrass is at the top of the elastic of your boot. You can judge the time to move the cattle off when the pasture is grazed down to the bottom of the elastic.

To give your pasture the best chance, continue to evaluate how much pasture to ration and/or how long the duration of the grazing should be through out the establishment phase. It is important that you do not have constant grazing pressure until the grass forms an established sward.

A good trough is nearly as good an investment as a SOTA Kubota! And, just as you would invest time and research into getting the best tractor for your needs, your watering system is deserving of similar attention. When developing a block, put some thought into your watering points.

Good, clean, fresh water is vital for raising animals. Having worked on dairy farms, I have seen grazing inefficiencies, where cows are spending unnecessary amounts of time in lanes walking back and forth for a drink. I realize the average small acreage owner is not trying to set productivity records, but, there has actually been a lot of research done on the subject showing worthwhile gains in productivity are attainable. Plus, I might add anecdotally, I have come to the conclusion that cattle, like teenagers, are either eating or up to no good. They also drink a darn lot, too.

It is possible for a lactating cow to drink 200L of water per day in hot weather.

So, what trough should you use? Well, you can probably work out what size is required with a pretty simple formula, using paddock size and stocking rates. But to truly understand what type of trough to use one must know thy enemy. Please indulge me as I give you an insight into cow psychology.

Now, all cattle are essentially vandals. Nothing warms their black little hearts more than making a mockery of our feeble agrarian structures. Tree guards, fences, races and crushes are all fair game. Cows view troughs as particularly arrogant, and deserving of more focused vilification. (I guess anything with a ball, a cock and a leaky, intermittent valve is just asking for it, in a female hierarchy).

When selecting a trough, be sure it is sturdy and the ball and cock is located where cattle can not damage it. Overflowing and wasting water is to be avoided, particularly if the herd is left unattended for extended periods. A valve mechanism that is easy to maintain and adjust is thoroughly recommended. Your next consideration is getting water to the trough.

Leaky water pipes and troughs are the bane of a farmer’s life. Digging holes is unpleasant and one usually finds the elusive pipe at the exquisite moment when pipe and shovel intersect.

You are probably better off laying some new poly. An AGMAX ripper/pipe layer is just what the doctor ordered, here. Your mighty SOTA Kubota loves nothing better than throwing itself into some real low range graft. If and when your pipe goes under roadways, or up to the trough itself – anywhere sharp stones, road-base or blue metal can be compacted by traffic, extra care needs to be taken. A good idea is to cut a length of wider diameter poly, and run the waterline through it. This gives it a bit of protection.

When dealing with poly pipe and associated fittings it is important to use the grade of fittings that match the pipe. Beware, there are lots out there. Selecting the wrong fittings usually requires a return trip into town. As far as possible, use the same grade and diameter poly pipe for the whole farm – this makes maintenance much easier in the long run. The liberal use of thread tape is also important. Your future sanity will depend on it. For tightening and undoing the poly fittings, I’ve found that those fabric or rubber oil filter removers do an excellent job.

Leading up to the trough, the final few metres of trench will have to be done by hand, most likely. It might be a good idea to lay the water pipe inside some larger diameter pipe, because, as mentioned before, material may be put there in the future. Cattle, being the environmental terrorists they are, will eventually chop and hollow out around the trough. Before you start filling the trench, it is a good idea to start filling the trough to check for any leaks.

That, my friends is just about it. Done properly, it should give years of good service. Until cattle evolve opposable digits, we should have no worries, – and peace of mind when we’re off the farm too.

For the small acreage owner who wishes to increase the carrying capacity of their acreage, subdividing paddocks and managing grazing is essential. By organizing your grazing regime and better managing the pasture resources, you can realize worthwhile gains in productive capacity that are greater, in terms of cost and labour input, than alternate strategies.

The outlay of capital in developing the infrastructure is the initial cost. Do it once, do it right is the mantra here. I’d suggest a SOTA Kubota with a 4-in-1 bucket is a good place to start! Seriously though, put some thought into paddock size, roadways and watering points. Also think about gate size and stock handling facilities. We supply a full range of implements to help get the job done, including post hole borers, rippers, slashers, graders and box scrapers.

At this time of year, a good way to manage your pasture is by trying to keep it as palatable and nutritious as possible. Like all good farming techniques, an integrated approach is often the best. During the summer months, this can be achieved with grazing management and a method of tractor powered pasture management called topping. Most permanent grass species are active in the warmer months; they also become reproductive. When grasses mature and flower they become less nutritious. After they flower, many species tend to go into a senescence phase, or, if they are an annual variety, die. Topping can extend the useful grazing period of many grasses by prolonging their vegetative state.

The trick to topping a pasture is getting the cutting height right. Basically, grasses keep a lot of their energy stores in their lower stems (crown). If they are grazed off or slashed too low, the energy store is lost and they struggle to regrow. Similarly, if they are continually preferenced by stock, they are unlikely to develop into an established sward, and unwanted grasses and weeds begin to establish.

You should aim to limit the area of pasture to graze. This discourages selective grazing, and the grasses present are better utilised. By removing stock, once grazed to the desired level, the grasses send up vigorous new shoots that will be highly palatable when the rotation returns to that particular strip or paddock. Topping should be used to assist this aim.

Set your slasher up to a height that is above the crown of the grass sward. Ensure that the slasher is going to remove mostly the mature, less digestible leaves. Your slasher is probably going to be sitting relatively high, so be aware that this may send material flying longer distances. Also make sure the PTO shaft is not excessively akimbo. Your blades must be sharp and it is also necessary that the slasher operates at the optimum RPM.

A good tip is to incline the slasher so that the rear is higher than the front cutting height. This negates, to some extent, the tendency for slashers to blow the long grass over. It also creates an aggressive cutting angle for the blades.

I raised the point about the benefits of subdividing and better utilising your pastures. You might find that you can increase your stocking rate by these means alone. By using educated guesses and a bit of trial and error, you may be able to find a balance where, in an average year, you can sustain your stock with minimal supplementary feeding. Management techniques like pasture topping are a very cost effective way of increasing the productivity of any small acreage pasture.

There comes a point where the old ride on mower reaches its limitations in terms of the workload that is expected of it in maintaining those rambling, park-like lawns. Not to mention the huge number of hours that need to be dedicated to performing this task when the lawns are actively growing.

Many of our customers come to us in this situation. They have a few options available to them. One is, of course, a larger mower; an out-front or mid mounted mower deck on a purpose built machine. Usually, these specialised machines represent quite an investment to purchase brand new, and second hand machines, with their heavy work history and myriad of wearing parts, are a bit of a gamble. Hobby farmers and small acreage owners can see the benefits and functionality of a small tractor. Firstly, with a grass cutting implement attached, a small tractor can replace the ride on mower; greater speed, power and cutting width being the main advantages. Combined with an AGMAX 4-in-1 front end loader and the ability to add other implements in place of the mower, a tractor is not just limited to cutting lawns. With the right attachments, it offers a complete landscaping and general small acreage maintenance package.

So, you’ve decided on a small tractor. But which grass cutting implement will best suit your purposes? Well, here are your options, folks.

Slashers

There is no reason why a well set up and maintained slasher can’t produce an excellent lawn. What I like about them is that they are robust, simple implements that are easy to maintain and service. Size does matter! It is important to have a slasher that suits the size and HP of your tractor. Angles are important, too. Having your slasher set on a mild decline allows the slasher two cutting heights. This tends to put less load on the tractor and slasher, makes a low cut easier to perform. Having said this, slashers are limited as to how low they can cut and the quality of the finish, in lawn applications. They are primarily suited to cutting taller, heavier grass.

Often lawns need training. If they are repeatedly slashed higher up than usual, then, eventually they will bulk up and form crowns and will look very nice at a distance. So the ride on could be continued to be used for around the house and other key areas and the slasher used for the rest. A bit like a golf fairway, I guess.

View SOTA’s range of AGMAX Slashers here…

Finishing Mowers

This is just like having an out-front or mid mounted mower, except it is attached to the tractor’s three point linkage. An advantage of this over other styles of mower is ease of adjustment, maintenance and servicing. They allow easy access to hard to get places and grease nipples. These machines do a beautiful job of lawns. Once properly set up they can be removed and put back on without adjustment. They are light and easy to attach/detach. They are a specialised machine though. They are unsuited to long, rank and/or heavy grass. There is, however, a machine that has the best of both worlds, and other applications to boot.

View SOTA’s range of Del Morino Finishing Mowers here…

Flail Mowers

Introducing the flail mower – a large number of blades and high revolutions make for a beautiful cut when using a flail mower for lawns. They can cut very low for that manicured look. Flail mowers destroy and mulch grass or weeds and cut brush up to 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter. Flail mowers also leave an even mat of mulch, which, due to its pulverized state, decomposes quickly. At least 25 hp is recommended for tall weeds and intermittent brush.

For thick brush, the front end loader (FEL) with a 4-in-1 bucket is useful. The jaws can be used to pull thick brush out by the roots or push it over with the blade. A slasher could probably handle some of the lighter stuff, but if you have an abundance thicket of 3/4” diameter or less, a flail mower is ideal.

These implements are outstanding for clearing undergrowth and fire breaks for bushfire management. This is particularly useful when fire bans are enforced. It additionally creates an anti-erosion mat that prevents water run-off problems. The removal of the fuel load from the land does more than just protect buildings from the risk of bushfire. It actually helps keep bush fires out of the crown of trees, reducing severity and hence, many deleterious environmental impacts that result from hot burns.

When making a decision on what grass cutting implement best suits your needs, remember the flail mower. Priced between a slasher and a finishing mower they offer a good compromise. For blocks with private bush, they could prove to be an invaluable tool for reducing the risk of bushfires.

View SOTA’s range of Del Morino Flail Mowers here…

How often has a hobby farm sprung up where there was once a dairy? An old market garden? Or even an orchard – long neglected. The legacy of scattered out-buildings and established trees remind us of days gone. But what about the soil?

Well, the history of a farm can give us a few hints about the condition of the soil, as can a few other tell tale signs. It might be worth getting to know a few local old timers around the place who can fill you in on what happened there in past generations. Sometimes these farms have had years of neglect, where they were agisted and overgrazed. Heavy hoofs have compacted the ground and opportunistic caretakers have taken a few cuts of hay.

Hay paddocks, old dairy day paddocks and other blocks used for intensive agriculture can often have nutrient deficiencies. Repeatedly cultivated soils can have structural problems and are often low in organic matter. These nutrient deficiencies can manifest themselves in many ways as I will discuss later, but it’s often a case of removing nutrients, usually in the form of meat, milk and plant material, and not replacing it. Even when there is a history of fertiliser application, often it was done “the way Dad did it”, with key nutrients being overlooked.

One nutrient that often gets overlooked on these blocks is potassium (K). This is probably because deficiencies may not appear if it is in combination with a phosphorous (P) or nitrogen (N) deficiency. But potassium is very important for plant growth and it also helps legumes (clover and lucerne) fix nitrogen to the soil. Potassium deficiencies can often be mistaken for nitrogen deficiencies, with grasses appearing pale and yellowing, with retarded growth. Weeds are generally abundant, and lush green growth is observed where stock has urinated.

If you think your pasture could be potassium deficient, now is a good time to test it. Pastures need potassium the most when they are actively growing (i.e. spring). A test strip is a useful tool in evaluating this. Simply buy a garden sized (1kg) bag of muriate of potash, and throw it out in a strip based on a 125kg/ ha. application rate. (That’s a bag to the acre, in the old money). My maths says a strip 50cm wide and 2.5m long would give the right area for 1kg.

Keep your strip away from troughs and fences (where nutrients tend to accumulate) and pick an area that you believe best represents the average of the paddock. Steer clear of urine patches too, if they are evident. If you see a result in the ensuing weeks and months, you might consider a one-off application. A Silvan super spreader hooked up behind the trusty SOTA Kubota would fit the bill here.

A bit of advice, before you engage the PTO – muriate of potash can burn establishing seedlings, so if you are renovating your pastures, apply well before or after you sow. High applications of potassium can increase susceptibility of stock to grass tetany and other metabolic disorders in some circumstances. For those who are organically inclined, poultry manure is an excellent source of potassium, as well as phosphorous, sulphur and organic matter. Application rates are usually a lot higher. Stock may be exposed to botulism if not removed from the paddock.

One of the best ways to get rid of weeds is an aggressive pasture. Having a soil in good condition provides the best medium for pasture plants to grow vigorously and outcompete undesirable plants. Combined with sustainable stocking rates it is possible to have a pasture that compliments the rest of your farm’s improvements.

Born into a dairy farming family, Mark Crakanthorp’s expertise in pasture agronomy and animal husbandry is invaluable in assisting those who are new to farming and require expert advice. Mark has had considerable first hand experience working on commercial animal and horticultural farms. He has tertiary qualifications in agricultural economics and post graduate qualifications in rural science.

As a trained agronomist, he is licensed to test and evaluate soil samples.

For several years, Mark provided agronomic sales advice in the diverse agricultural hubs of the Hunter Valley, NSW as well as his native NSW south coast. His customers included dairy farmers as well as an ever increasing number of hobby farmers.

Mark still insists that he is a farm boy at heart, learning on the job, despite his formal qualifications and his working in the big smoke. His  easygoing, approachable nature is typical of Australian country folk and as SOTA’s Manager for NSW, Mark is highly regarded for his down to earth advice on farm machinery and farm practices.