Today, German agricultural machinery manufacturer HORSCH follows two principles — protecting the environment and safeguarding human health. When developing new machines, the company asks itself: “How will we live over the next 20-30 years?”
One of HORSCH’s founders, Michael Horsch, says that in the future, a tractor operator should be doing different tasks: watching over the machine, monitoring how the work is progressing, travel speed, and the machine’s own condition. And such operators won’t need special training, since many of us already have ready-made specialists at home – they’re 6-10 years old, and most of them already spend their time playing with mobile phones.
“The days when a tractor operator sits in a climate-controlled cab listening to music are over,” — comments Michael Horsch.
We wanted to be first to market, and within 2-3 years, or even less, an autonomous machine will be driving across fields
The most important thing in an autonomous tractor is the software. “Take field planning, for example. That’s exactly what takes up most of the effort, since how well the robot performs depends on how precisely you map the field. Over ten years we’ve been learning, and now we’re slowly putting our knowledge into practice. Right now, in practice, we can see where our field boundary is, how the machine drives, and we correct our mistakes,” says the company’s founder.
Michael Horsch
The robot’s infrastructure – GPS, safety equipment, a camera, radars, special maps, computers that calculate all of this – comes to up to €30,000 combined. And a small machine weighing up to 500 kg, and an 18 m-long, 20-tonne machine – both need the same €30,000 worth of infrastructure.
This is the first version of the robot, but the company plans to build four more.
“Our goal is for the company to grow evenly, which is a very high bar for us. It’s important to manufacture, for every country, exactly the machinery its market needs,” says HORSCH Marketing Director Cornelia Horsch.
Presenting the company’s updated logo, Cornelia Horsch noted that it can be read as two people, or two machines, or a pair of working tools (or all of these at once), moving in the same direction. The circle means: being closer to the customer + cooperation + shared responsibility.
Cornelia Horsch
The company’s turnover has doubled over the past 5 years – to €500 million, growing 17% in 2020 alone. “I expect we’ll see an even bigger percentage figure this year,” notes Cornelia Horsch.
She adds that Ukraine and Kazakhstan are stable export markets. “Of course, our core market is Germany, but Ukraine, as well as France, are always developing in the same direction, they have skilled workers, and these countries’ markets are stable for us.”
€100 million in investment for expanding the company’s production capacity
This year the company opened a representative centre in Ukraine, and it’s now considering what further investments to make going forward.
HorschConnect
Among this year’s new products, HORSCH presented an updated app for managing machines (fitted with HorschConnect) via smartphone.
With the new App MobileControl, all the functions of seeding and crop-protection machines can be controlled intuitively and quickly. For example, a seeding machine can be conveniently calibrated via smartphone.
App MobileControl allows data such as the set seeding rate or the weight of calibration material to be transmitted to the smartphone. This saves the operator time when setting up the machine.
Alongside the ability to control the machine from a smartphone, a database on the machine itself and its current condition is also available. Users can view their HorschConnect-equipped machine in the HORSCH Telematics portal. Besides the machine’s current location, you can also find out its travel speed, application rates or area worked. This information serves to document work processes and can then be used for analysis when looking for the most effective solutions when planning further activities. Data such as software version, serial number, total operating hours or the machine’s error list are also available through the HorschConnect Telematics portal.
Leeb VL/VN sprayer
HORSCH also offers sprayers: the Leeb VN (Variable Narrow) with hydraulic adjustment, and the Leeb VL (Variable Large) with mechanical or hydraulic adjustment (your choice), for different conditions and different categories of farm.
The Leeb VN, among other things, has a transport width of under 3 m, making it very convenient for long hauls on public roads. The Leeb VL, by contrast, is built for markets where transport-dimension requirements for machinery aren’t as much of a concern.
The unique automatic Boom Control boom-guidance system, actively tracking the field’s micro-relief, makes it possible to work with great precision and at high working speed in fields, including on complex terrain. But there are variations here too.
Two standard tank options are offered, 5,000 l and 6,000 l. In this case the maximum working clearance is 2 m. With the optional 8,000 l tank, clearance is limited to 1.60 m.
Pronto DC
The HORSCH Pronto 3-6 DC is widely known as a universal seeding machine, delivering reliable emergence across various tillage systems (after ploughing, in minimum- and conservation-tillage systems, when seeding into mulch after intensive mixing, and so on). Alongside seeding classic crops (wheat, barley, rapeseed, etc.), the Pronto DC is widely used today for sowing grasses, cover crops, legumes and essential-oil crops.
The Pronto’s three-stage technological process (seedbed preparation, re-consolidation, seeding) has already become a classic of modern farming. The wheel packer’s special shape delivers uniform soil compaction by depth, with optimal porosity and restored capillarity.
For the Pronto 3-6 DC, HORSCH developed a new control concept. The Touch-Terminal’s optimized touchscreen work surface fully meets current ISOBUS-Standard requirements. Setting up, operating and monitoring the machine will be even more comfortable for the user thanks to the terminal’s updated functions.
The Pronto 3-6 DC will also be available with the HORSCH RowControl seed-flow distributor, allowing individual control of seeding in each row.
AirVac and AirSpeed metering units
HORSCH also offers the AirVac metering unit, standard equipment since 2020, and the high-speed AirSpeed metering unit, available in Ukraine as standard equipment since 2021.
High area output and adequate efficiency are possible with the AirVac metering unit at a working speed of up to 12 km/h, while with the AirSpeed metering unit, working speed can be increased even up to 15 km/h.
The company plans to expand the range of crops that can be sown with these metering units. New machine types and equipment options will already be available next season. Alongside well-known models such as the Maestro SV, CV/CX, DV, as well as RV, next year the line-up will be joined by the Maestro RX and other SX-series models. Other new Maestro models with both metering-unit versions are planned in the future.
Transformer
The Transformer VF (Variable Frame) is rightly considered the forefather of HORSCH’s family of machines for inter-row mechanical cultivation. The unique distinguishing features of the VF-series cultivators are a moving console with working tools integrated into the frame structure, and ultra-precise course tracking thanks to a video-tracking system.
An important advantage of the Transformer VF is its short frame design. The moving console with working tools, integrated into the frame, has a 450 mm side travel, allowing precise row-following of the crop. The compact design benefits linkage lift capacity, allowing it to work with smaller tractors. These advantages are fully realized when working on slopes, because the distance between the tractor’s rear axle and the Transformer VF’s working tools is minimal, and the machine is practically not prone to sliding sideways downhill.
The Transformer VF was previously produced with a working width of 6 m and 12 m. Now it will be joined by models with a working width of 9 m and 18 m.
Natalia Pomianska, AgroPortal.ua (opens in a new tab)
