Metering moisture
Accurate, consistent and repeatable measurements of moisture content in grain samples are obtained easily and quickly with Grainmaster meters, manufactured by Protimeter PLC, a British company.
Two models, the 900 and 900E, use electronic technology to measure moisture using a hand-turned grinder-compressor. Grinding eliminates the day-long wait for a sample to get into moisture equilibrium by evenly presenting the sample to the measuring electrodes, allowing readings to be taken immediately.
The compressor ensures constant pressure of samples for good repeatability of results. It also eliminates inaccuracies resulting from uneven packing of samples and allows moisture measurements in wet crops and large seeds.
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Calibrations for 10 types of grain are built into the meters and extra calibrations can be added with the aid of a personal computer.
Automatic temperature correction eliminates inaccuracies due to grain-temperature variations. The quantity of grain required for a sample is small enough to be rubbed out in the field. No weighing is necessary
Once the sample is ground and compressed, buttons on a keypad are used to select the grain type and to activate the measurement process. A “% moisture” reading appears immediately on a liquid-crystal display and a second display shows crop calibration and grain temperature. Both models accept an optional temperature probe.
Contact: Ms. O. Bloor, Protimeter PLC, Meter House, Fieldhouse Lane, Mallow, Buckinghamshire, England, Sl7 1LX; tel. 011-44-628-472722; fax 011-44-628-474312.
Managing residue
The new Summers Superharrow Plus is designed with 1.4 by 66 cm ( 9Ú16 by 26-inch) teeth made of high-quality, oil-tempered wire. The Superharrow can be used for minimum or no-till residue management, or for seedbed preparation, light tillage, granular incorporation and to break-up and spread crop residue after the combine. The 1.4-cm tooth, the largest diameter tooth on the market, ensures aggressive actions and working pressure.
Other features include 1.8-metre (six-foot) sections, top-mounted pressure spring on the torsion bar for optimum trash clearance, 20 by 20-cm steel-tubed drawbar, 6.8 m hitch with auto-fold and on-the-go hydraulic depth adjustment. The Superharrow is available in working widths of 11, 14.8, 18.5, 22.1 and 25.8 m (36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 ft.). Contact: Summers Mfg Inc., Lisbon, N.D. 58348; tel. 701-438-2855.
