July 08, 2010
Hay Bales Communicate Data Through New Holland CropID™ Technology
New Holland Agriculture today reaffirmed its leadership in hay and forage technology with the launch of CropIDTM, an individual bale identification system for large square balers.
Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the CropIDTM system gathers detailed information about each separate bale and 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 specifications that best meet the clients' needs. Identifying quality, moisture content, or other 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.
"The wealth of data provided by the CropIDTM system offers a vast array of benefits that have a great value to both the grower selling the bale and the customer purchasing it," said Tony Peters, New Holland Product Manager for Hay & Harvest products. "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 customized records for customers."
In addition to helping growers keep shipments and stacks consistent, the CropIDTM system also has several other uses, such as tracking the amount of hay on hand from each field and cutting.
The CropIDTM 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.
CropIDTM bale tags can then be read by a hand-held scanner that shows information on a screen when held within 1.8m of a tag. The scanner can also be fitted on a Front End 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 3m 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 information to a computer.
For hay producers, the verifiable records provided by the CropIDTM system provide paybacks including increased customer satisfaction and the potential for higher sale prices for quality hay. Mr Peters added 'CropIDTM will also benefit those livestock industries who require full traceability of purchaser fodder. For quality assurance programs in the dairy, beef & many other industries, declarations on purchased fodder are required. The information provided from CropIDTM will enhance this the reporting process."
