No.8 Wire: Wheat harvesting record broken

Keith Satchwell is still trialling winning dogs at almost 92 years old.

New Holland Agriculture has reclaimed the Guinness World Records title for harvesting wheat with a single machine.

According to Farming UK, 797.656 tonnes were harvested in eight hours on August 15, with the world's most powerful combine - the 653hp CR10.90. It took just six hours to break the previous record of 675.84 tonnes.

It happened at HR Bourn and Sons Farm in Grange de Lings, near Wragby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. The target field had been sown with Santiago wheat last northern autumn, but it was not until May that it was chosen for the record-breaker, because it represented real-world growing conditions.

The record-breaking day's harvesting, which started at 11.17am, was characterised by changing weather conditions, with the ambient temperature ranging from 18-21C and light showers from 5.30pm onwards.

The CR10.90's average throughput was 99.7 tonnes/hour and peaked at 135 tonnes/hour in a crop yielding an average of 9.95 tonnes/ha and an average moisture content of 16.2 per cent.

The record was achieved using a mere 1.12 litres of fuel per tonne of grain harvested, with the straw chopper engaged throughout the day.

Dogtrialling, at 92

Hawke's Bay sheep dog triallist Keith Satchwell is planning another season, by which time he will have turned 92.

Satchwell, a Monte Cassino veteran who first competed in the nationals in 1954 and who won a national title at Blenheim in 1960, entered two dogs for the Hawke's Bay Show last week, one being 12-year-old Sue, with which he won the short head and yard run at the Waikoau club's trial north of Napier in February. He also has Glen, which won a South Island title with Raupunga farmer Tom Manson this year.

Satchwell, who lives on a small block near Hastings with his wife, the dogs and a small number of cattle, turns 92 next month.

Wanted: Investment advisors

The Ministry for Primary Industries is seeking members for the new Primary Growth Partnership Investment Advisory Panel (IAP).

A partnership between the Crown and the primary industries, the partnership will invest in programmes to drive substantial economic growth and sustainability.

Its role is to determine which proposals should become business cases, and provide recommendations to the MPI director general on the investment of Crown funds, and to monitor existing investment programmes.

Young guns' shear challenge

Young shearers in the South Island have started a series that will see two of them winning entry, travel and accommodation for the New Zealand Championships in Te Kuiti in April.

The circuit, which is based on points for placings in the intermediate and junior heats at six competitions, started at the Ellesmere A&P Show on October 18 and ends with finals at Sefton, in Marlborough, in March.