SIMA 2022: Focus on the big trends
This year, the SIMA was somewhat smaller. There were three halls less as several manufacturers did not take part or had reduced their stand size considerably. However, the new date in the middle of November was well chosen. In the gap year between two Agritechnicas significantly more innovatons were exhibited. Given the 30 % drop in visitors, the question arises if the format still fits the requirements of the farmers. Despite the lower number of visitors the HORSCH stand was extremely busy.
The first international show after Covid 19 also was an opportunity for a restart. Therefore, the HORSCH stand concept was adapted and the Café HORSCH was granted more space. “We wanted to place the customer relations in the centre of our stand as they are very important for us in our everyday business life, too”, Judith Ehmann-Leeb confirmed. With more than 3000 contacts we definitely noticed trends where the journey is going to take us according to the French farmers.
Costs for resources, optimisation of the use of plant protection agents
The issue of the costs for agricultural resources becomes more and more important and significantly influences the changing of the methods. A lot of questions were asked about the spraying quality: nozzles with a 25 cm spacing, spot spraying and band spraying. There is a strong trend in this direction and we have the feeling that the demand for conventional low-tech sprayers is decreasing. With regard to band spraying, the producers of potatoes and sugar beet were very interested in our new nozzle holder system. Spot spraying, too, was a topic that was intensively promoted by some manufacturers. We pursue this development, but we think that the current solutions do not yet work precisely enough and thus are not yet ready for the market. The success rate actually does not exceed 60 %.
Ultra-shallow tillage is on the rise
The questions around the topic of weed management, of course, also concern the products of hybrid farming. The manufacturers increasingly market precise hoeing harrows with individual springs and heavy frames. Surface cultivators are very popular and were exhibited on many stands. Why? Fighting blackgrass and ryegrass is an important issue for the farmers. The methods are moving towards a superficial cultivation to prepare the seedbed and encourage the germination of the weed seeds without burying them too deeply. In the direct seed sector, straw distribution is experiencing a revival. With the Cultro TC we offer a tool that can work in cereals, rape, sunflower and maize stubble at high operational speeds and that perfectly distributes the straw due to the 3-row harrow. Due to its versatility it can create a false seedbed with a depth of 1 to 2 cm or in autumn break the cover corps.
Flexibiliy, simplicity and opportunism in the seeding sector
The interest in direct seeding seems to decrease – among the manufacturers as well as among our customers. There rather is an interest in tine seed drills. Thus, some farmers buy machines together to be able to cover a wide range of seed drills that are adapted to all conditions. This also explains the enthusiasm for front tanks. The possibility to mount a lot of light and easy to handle machines like the Finer SL or the Sprinter SL behind the tractor and thus to manage in difficult conditions and all that at a more favourable price than for machines with a rear tank is rather tempting.
Because of the labour shortage, the short optimum windows for sowing and the pest problems farmers buy fast machines that are easy to handle and that allow for applying several products while sowing. Thus, the conversations at the stand centred on the Pronto DC with several tanks and the single grain seed drill Maestro TX with its telescopic chassis.
At the SIMA 2022, we finally were able to meet the farmers personally again and to present more than 12 innovations.