Spaldings recognises need for parts innovation for low disturbance crop establishment

Spaldings recognises need for parts innovation for low disturbance crop establishment

With an increasing sector-wide focus on protecting the environment, growers are exploring new crop cultivation methods more than ever before.

With that changing trend comes the need for innovation from parts suppliers.

For over 65 years Spaldings has been providing farmers with durable, high-performance parts and machinery, and is looking to bring its expertise to this year’s Midlands Machinery Show.

“We’ve been attending the Midlands Machinery Show since it started 10 years ago,” says Jason Smith, Field Sales Manager for Spaldings. “It’s a great opportunity to see my own customers, but also other people’s customers and speak about what they’re doing, which helps us as a company move forward.”

With big changes happening across agriculture, Spaldings is having to develop the parts and implements to accommodate and help farmers with the change.

“Part of my job in product development is introducing new parts of cultivators, which might be lower disturbance, and for drills and even subsoilers as well,” says Jason. “We supply mainly wearing parts for agricultural machinery – if it touches the ground and wears out, Spaldings can probably provide you with a part for it.

“The biggest changes to farming have been from a drilling and seeding establishment point of view. The direct drilling and the very low disturbance nature of establishing a crop has led to having much more range of direct drill and min tillage drilling equipment that we’ve needed to either develop or make available.”

Jason also believes that the weather and its frequent volatility will influence change in the industry and influence what he can provide farmers.

“I think the way that farming has changed and will change is going to be led predominantly by what has to be done,” says Jason. “We’ve just come off the back of two pretty horrible planting and growing seasons, so the versatility of what we can offer and what farmers can do will influenced by what the weather allows them to do, which may not always be purely a direct drilling system or a low tillage system.”

But with all the changes and challenges, the Midlands Machinery Show still provides benefits and opportunities to not only farmers, but to companies like Spaldings.

“A benefit of the Midlands Machinery is the diversity of customers we get to see during the course of a couple of days,” says Jason. “Yes, we call it a local show, but we get people from all over the country coming to see us.

“It’s a really good event that farmers can go to and ask questions, see machines, and network and chat with other farmers and businesses as well.”

The Midlands Machinery Show will be held on 20 and 21 November at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire.

Entry and parking is free, but visitors should pre-register at www.midlandsmachineryshow.com.