RADIO Frequency Identification (RFID) technology permits large square baler users to identify individual bales.
New Holland Agriculture says its CropID system (pictured) gathers detailed information on each package prior to storing it in a microchip that attaches to the twine used during the wrapping sequence.
Both the grower selling ‘tagged’ bales, as well as any customer purchasing one, enjoy “a vast array of benefits,” according to New Holland product manager for hay and harvest products, Tony Peters.
"The system provides accurate documentation of bales for resale, the weight of individual bales for transport, the ability to monitor and manage inventory via computer, and it provides customised records for customers," he said.
By encasing a microchip and its antenna in a tag permits the processor to store a wealth of information relating to each bale.
This ranges from its number, the field number or name, the date and time it was made, moisture content, also the amount of preservative applied, if any, plus overall weight.
CropID bale tags can then be read by a hand-held scanner that displays information on a screen when held within 1.8m of each tag. New Holland says the scanner’s screen is visible to an operator when fitted to a front end loader.
The loader-mounted scanner has additional antennae to read tags on up to three bales simultaneously at a distance of up to 3m without needing to ‘see’ each tag.
The scanner creates lists of bales made in each paddock, and a removable USB memory device can be used to download the information to a computer.
New Holland says its CropID system has the potential to deliver higher sale prices for quality hay based on verifiable records.
As well, it says the technology will benefit those livestock industries requiring full traceability of purchased fodder.
* Visit www.newholland.com
