NEW HOLLAND PROPELS HAY BALING INTO 21ST CENTURY WITH RADIO FREQUENCY INDIVIDUAL BALE IDENTIFICATION
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RACINE, Wis. - (October 6, 2009) - New Holland Agriculture, a leader in hay and forage technology, today announced the launch of a new product that's designed to propel large square hay baling into the 21st century.
From the company that already has revolutionized agriculture with the sub-inch accuracy and repeatability of its Precision Farming equipment, New Holland is now breaking new ground for hay farmers with its CropID(TM) individual bale identification system for large square balers.
Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the CropID (TM) system gathers detailed information about each separate bale and then stores it in a microchip that attaches to the twine. This innovation enables commercial growers to uniquely tag and sort bales based on a wide range of criteria, so that shipments or storage can be arranged according to the hay types that best meet the clients' needs. In other words, identifying quality, moisture content, or other non-desirable characteristics of specific bales is now a simple process, allowing growers to easily decide which bales are the best match for specific customers, or need to be set aside for further curing.
"For hay growers, like all growers, quality control of their crops is crucial," said Eric Bippus, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CNH Parts & Service. "The CropID(TM) system from New Holland now ensures that quality, which allows hay farmers to not only keep their customers happy, but to also get the top prices for their crops."
In addition to helping growers keep shipments and stacks consistent, the CropID(TM) system also has several other uses, such as tracking the amount of hay on hand from each field and cutting.
The CropID(TM) system works by encasing a microchip and its antenna in a tag that's wrapped around the twine as the bale is tied. A precision information processor stores the bale?s information, which includes the bale number, the field number or name, the date and time it was baled, the high and average moisture content, the amount of preservative applied, if any, and the bale weight.
The CropID(TM) bale tags can then be read by a hand-held scanner that shows information on a screen when held within five feet of a tag. Or the scanner can be docked on a loader with the screen visible to the operator. The loader-mounted scanner has additional antennae and reads tags on up to three bales at a time at a distance of up to 10 feet without actually seeing the tag. The scanner creates lists of bales made in each field, and a removable USB memory device can be used to download the lists to a computer.
The wealth of data provided by the CropID(TM) system offers farmers a vast array of benefits such as accurate documentation of bales for resale, the exact weight of bales for loading and shipping purposes, the ability to monitor and manage inventory via computer as well as provide customized records for customers.
For hay producers, the verifiable records provided by the CropID(TM) system provide paybacks including increased customer satisfaction and the potential for higher sale prices. New Holland continues to work on further enhancements for the system.
"The CropID(TM) system is just the latest in a long line of innovations that New Holland is developing to keep our customers at the forefront of agricultural technology," said Bippus. "As always, we?re working to help farmers find success in every way we can."
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About New Holland
New Holland is a world leader in agricultural, utility and construction equipment. New Holland sells and services an innovative and diverse line of equipment, including a full line of tractors as well as hay and forage equipment, harvesting, crop production and material handling equipment. Sales, parts and service are provided to customers by New Holland dealers throughout the United States and Canada. There are more than 1,100 New Holland dealerships located throughout North America. New Holland is a division of CNH Global N.V. (NYSE:CNH), a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A (FIA..MI).
For more information on New Holland products, contact your local New Holland dealer or visit the New Holland Web site at www.newholland.com.