The latest agricultural innovations from Danish (and some not-so-Danish) manufacturers were on display at the biennial Agromek show in Herning last week.

ACO Funki FarmerLight

A high-tech ultraviolet pig lamp promises to kill bacteria and increase vitamin D production, resulting in improved piglet survival rates and higher weights at weaning.

Made by Danish firm ACO Funki, the FarmerLight claims to do this by emitting several different wavelengths of light.

The first is high-intensity UV emitted from a series of lenses around the circumference of the lamp. 

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These are designed to kill bacteria and reduce the number of insects in the building without coming into contact with humans or pigs.

Meanwhile, a large downward facing lamp bathes sows and piglets in softer UVB rays that promote ND-3 vitamin production through photosynthesis, thus strengthening the immune system.

This is combined with a warm yellow “corrected daylight” that reduces stress by creating a more natural and comfortable environment.

According to the firm, it also significantly reduces the need for antibiotics.

The FarmerLight goes on sale in March next year and will be priced from €430 (£359). ACO Funki says the benefits of the light will pay back the investment in 12 to 18 months.

Hydrema 926G excavator

JCB might dominate backhoe digger sales, but there are a few other players vying for a share of the market.

One is Danish firm Hydrema, which offers a range of high-spec diggers, including the pictured 926G.

Like JCB’s CX machines, it has a front loader and rear digging arm, but that’s where the similarities end.

Steering is carried out by pivot in the middle rather than turning the front axle and, instead of a sliding mechanism for the back actor, it has a complex twin pivot.

Both of these can be operated during digging, giving 280deg of articulation without having to stop and readjust.

On top of this, operators can drive the machine in reverse, meaning there’s no need to spin the seat around when manoeuvring.

Hydrema says it can take time to master the multiple planes of movement, so these diggers aren’t well suited to inexperienced drivers.

Power is provided by a 147hp Cummins four-cylinder engine that drives the wheels via a ZF powershift transmission.

All this sophistication comes at a price, with the pictured model, complete with Engcon tilt rotator and Leica GPS levelling system, costing €268,000 (£223,738).

Jungby Maskin L11 electric wheel loader

Bespoke wheel loader maker Jungby Maskin has introduced an electric drivetrain that will be available throughout its product range.

Seen here is the electrified version of its popular L11 model which, like its diesel cousin, is fitted with a parallel loading arm offering a tipping load of 10t.

Propulsion is provided by a single electric motor attached to the ZF transmission with torque lock which, in turn, drives a pair of axles from the same maker.

Working time is claimed to be 11 hours, the cells take eight hours to recharge and it delivers comparable performance to the combustion model.

Speaking of which, this gets its power from a 6.6-litre Agco Power six-cylinder engine that puts out 227hp and 945Nm torque.

The electric version is still in the prototype stages and will receive its official launch later next year. Jungby Maskin doesn’t currently sell machines in the UK.

Noovall GPS Safe

As in the UK, GPS thefts are a huge problem on Danish farms.

So much so that designer Dan Bergmann has created a series of mechanical devices for locking units securely to tractor roofs.

Each of his GPS Safes is designed for a specific brand of receiver – he has a version to suit all common models – and they fit between the unit and roof using existing mounting points.

This means no extra holes need to be drilled in the tractor and the receiver doesn’t need to be tampered with either.

Though designs vary significantly depending on the brand, they all use thick steel plate to protect the receiver’s mounting points and are secured using a pair of concealed heavy-duty padlocks.

According to Dan, the only way of severing a GPS Safe-protected receiver from the roof is to break it, rendering it unsellable, or spend considerable time cutting through the steel with an angle grinder.

GPS Safes are sold through Dan’s company Noovall and he is currently looking for UK distributors. Each unit is priced at €800 (£667).

BoviWalk AI cow lameness detector

Cow lameness is one of the latest problems to be addressed by sophisticated artificial intelligence.

Using technology developed for analysing the progression and treatment of Parkinson’s disease in humans, BoviWalk has created a system that can detect cow lameness in its earliest stages.

This allows farmers to act before the problem takes hold, helping reduce the number of severe cases.

It works by filming cows every time they come into the parlour, scoring their movements against some clever computer models, and plotting how these change over time. If their lameness score starts to deteriorate, even by levels imperceptible to most humans, an alert will be sent.

All data is stored on a cloud server and can be accessed via a computer or smartphone/tablet app.

Minimal specialist equipment is required to operate the system, as it detects the cow using a regular ear tag reader and films it with an off-the-shelf security camera – albeit a high-specification model.

If the farm already has a suitable ear tag reader, the initial installation cost starts at about €1,000 (£835). There’s then an ongoing subscription for the service of €2 (£1.67) per cow.

Kramp synchronised flashing beacons

For those irked by the random flashing patterns of their twin cab beacons, Kramp has a solution.

Its synchronised LED units come with a series of modes that mean they can be set to deliver a single or double flash, either timed perfectly together or alternately.

One beacon acts as the master and has a button for adjusting the mode, which it transfers wirelessly to the other unit.

They attach using a regular pole mount system and are priced at €133 (£111).

Kvickfinn weed destructor

Armed with a set of soil loosening A-shares and a pto-driven rotor, the Kvickfinn rips up weeds and flicks them onto the surface where they’re less likely to survive.

The tool was originally designed for tackling couch grass on organic farms, but the firm says it’s suitable for cleaning up stubbles on any farm that’s keen to reduce its reliance on glyphosate.

All elements of the Kvickfinn are geared to maximise soil disturbance in the top 5cm.

Each of the pigtail tine-mounted A-shares measures 35cm wide, giving a healthy overlap that ensures all soil is moved.

The clockwise spinning tined rotor then takes over, flicking loosened material into the air, causing heavier soil to land first and the lighter weeds to settle on top.

Working speeds are generally 5-6kph on grass and 7-10kph on stubbles, and it has a relatively modest power requirement. However, the weight of larger folding models mean they’re best teamed with long-frame tractors of 200hp or more.

Several working widths are available, from a 2.2m mounted to 6.2m trailed, with the popular 2.8m mounted model priced from €25,000 (£20,857).

MSR Plant Technology self-adjusting potato weeder

Thanks to a new self-steering chassis, MSR Plant Technology’s finger weeder can clean up wonky and unevenly spaced potato ridges without causing damage.

Key to this function are front mounted guide wheels that run in the valleys between ridges. Via a pressurised hydraulic circuit, these trigger each ridge unit to precisely follow the same path.

As well as allowing mechanical weeding to be carried out on ridges established without using GPS, it means the planter and weeder can be different sizes.

For example, crops established with a four-row planter can be weeded by a six-row machine.

As with the firm’s fixed chassis models, two pairs of rotating rubber fingers are employed to flick out undesirable plants.

The first set work close to the crop, while the second dig into the sides of the ridge. Finally, a pair of wheels and formers reshape the ridge.

Prices vary considerably depending on spec, with the pictured fully loaded six-row model costing €201,000 (£167,300).