Despite the major pressures on agriculture at a global scale, Italy’s EIMA International event drew record numbers of visitors – 346,800 – and showed that demand for innovative solutions remains high in the industry. We picked out some of the highlights from the event.
Apollo Vredestein
Initially hinted at two years ago, Apollo Vredestein has announced a new range of crop care tyres for trailed and self-propelled sprayers.
Engineered with very high-flexion (VF) technology, the Traxion CropCare will be initially offered in two sizes, VF 380/90 R46 and VF 380/105 R50, both featuring a steel-belted radial carcass, a stabiliser ring in the central portion and a bead stabiliser.
According to the company, the combination of the ring and the bead stabiliser enhances the lateral stiffness by 30% compared to some competitors. A variant of the Traxion tread pattern has also been introduced to better handle high-speed roading and four-
wheel steer.
Case IH
A newly designed flagship range for the Axial-Flow combine series was launched at the event. The AF9 and AF10 are powered by FPT Cursor engines, with 635hp and 775hp, respectively. Grain tank capacities are 16,000 litres, with an unloading speed of 159 litres/sec, and 20,000 litres and 210 litres/sec, respectively.
At the centre is a brand-new 3.67m- long AFXL Axial-Flow rotor, with a total threshing and separation area of 5.1sq m. The rotor has been redesigned with six modules instead of four, with 40 standard raspbars, 12 spiked units and eight HX raspbars. A range of chopping solutions are available at the rear and a suite of precision farming systems are included.
Ceat Specialty
An interesting point was made on the Ceat Specialty stand, with the company – which has previously specialised in agricultural tyres – stating that tracks would eventually replace the use of radial tyres. This coincided with the launch of two track ranges from the company, said to be constructed from eco-friendly materials.
The Agri Track range is available in 610mm and 762mm widths, built around a flexible steel structure and containing a newly developed compound to reduce cuts and scrapes. According to Ceat, the shift to tracks will not only improve traction and reduce compaction, but will also make maintenance easier compared with tyres.
Maschio Gaspardo
Following customer requests for a wider power harrow, Maschio Gaspardo introduced the Jumbo X, offering a working width of 10m and suitable for tractors from 450hp.
According to the company, the increased working area will not only boost productivity, but also reduce fuel consumption. It features a central 3m harrow, with two 3.5m units mounted on telescoping arms.
To ensure safe and legal road transport, the machine folds up in two stages for a maximum width of 3m and a transport height of 4m. The machine enters pre-production next year.
Massey Ferguson
A finalist in the Tractor of the Year competition, Massey Ferguson debuted its 5M-series, with six models running from 95hp up to 145hp. Each model is fitted with the Dyna-4 transmission, with the option of AutoDrive for automatic shifting in both Power and Eco modes, and Brake-to-Neutral for clutchless stopping.
At the rear, open-centre 58-litres/min hydraulics are fitted, with the possibility to upgrade this to a 100-litre system. It’s possible to specify the new range with the full MF Guide package, with a Fieldstar 5 terminal included and the possibility to upgrade to variable-rate and section control, or as MF Guide ready.
Matermacc
Matermacc, now operating as part of Pöttinger, showcased its range of pneumatic vegetable drills, which it hopes to integrate across its dealer network in the UK. The MSO is available in single- or dual-row (MSO Duo) specifications, with working widths extending to 6m. The Easy-Set system is said to make inter-row changes quick and easy, which, when combined with the metering unit, enables a wide range of crops to be planted with the machine.
Rounding out the MSO range is a choice of rubber, stainless steel or grid-patterned consolidation wheels mounted on each row.
New Holland
New Holland announced a series of updates for its 2025 Forage Cruiser. This includes fitting a hydraulic cylinder to the feed roll module to avoid the rollers jumping when working in short, dry maize crops with large cobs. A new DuraCracker roll set has also been introduced, with a tungsten-carbide coating to extend the working life.
The company was mentioned in the EIMA Innovation Awards for its crop stop sensor, which is also fitted to 2025 machines.
This monitors the crop speed from the spout and proactively warns the operator of potential crop blockages. If the crop speed becomes too low, the feed rollers will stop. According to the company, this will enable users to run at full capacity for longer.
Quicke
Designed for tractors between 80hp and 180hp, Quicke showcased the new N-series front loader, available in both mechanical self-levelling and non-levelling variants. It features a low-positioned parallel bar to maintain visibility and has been designed to provide toolless attachment, with a hydraulic multicoupler for easy connection.
Other standard features include SoftDrive for smooth operation, a third hydraulic function, with the option of a fourth function, and a combi-tool carrier for multiple attachment options.
Control of the machine is through either the QM-command or the QE-command systems, with accessories including Live 3, LoaderLight, Q-Lock and SelectoFix.
Tafe
After making the shortlist in the Utility category of the Tractor of the Year competition, Tafe showcased its latest generation of tractors, running from 55hp up to 74hp.
The engine feeds into an HML transmission, with four synchronised gears in each range. At the back is a 2,400kg-capacity rear linkage, with two spool valves offering an output of 40 litres/min.
The company also highlighted the Tafe Terra system, which has a user-friendly on-board and off-board interface, with scalable features starting with simple task management and extending to a full farm management system.
While it is designed to fit Tafe machines, it is brand agnostic and can be fitted to any make of tractor.
VitiBot
A robotics start-up that has been part of the Same Deutz-Fahr group since 2022 announced a series of new attachments for its Bakus vineyard robot during the event.
The first of these is an electric trimmer attachment, said to provide more precise operation due to its electric power source, with a reduced environmental impact and energy consumption.
For managing grass between vines, a new inter-vine disc mower has been introduced, alongside an inter-row mower for vineyards operating with wider spacings.
The company also showcased a Bakus machine with electric inter-vine blades; a mechanical weeding solution that is electrically powered for greater precision
and which is said to reduce the amount of chemicals needed for a clean crop.