b'PARTNER CONTENTData Driven Harvesting: Finally Available for Potatoes TooIN 1849, a man by the name of Pieterpotatoes. Every webs speed is Vansteenkiste founded a forge inadjustable and independent. Roeselare, Belgium, where he andWere making it easier and easier his family manufactured agriculturalfor someone to operate the machine and horticulture tools like shovels andwho maybe doesnt have as much garden hoes. For 175 years, that sameexperience or skill, Trifin says. company, based out of that same town and still wholly family-ownedYield data is just the startand operated, has serviced the needsThe biggest change in AVRs of farmersespecially (and nowinnovation in the last handful of years exclusively) potato farmers. Belgianis based on data: data collection, and Dutch farmers have trusted AVRdata storage and smart data-for decades as their go-to source ofbased decision making. AVR leads potato harvesters, which is why itharvesting equipment manufacturers was Belgian and Dutch immigrants toin data-collecting capacity and Canada who introduced AVR to thiseffective data usage. side of the Atlantic. Over the past 20 While tracking yield in above-years, the benefits of AVR machinesground harvested crops like grains have spread via word of mouth acrossand oilseeds is old news, yield Canadian potato fields. Today, AVR isThough designed and built in Europe, AVRsdata collection in potatoes has a top harvester option. If you haventequipment ideally suits Canadian production. traditionally been very difficult due yet had a look at AVRs Puma 4.0 self- to the challenge of separating out soil propelled harvester, heres why youworth considering, says Mathieuand green matter at the harvester. should check it out.Trifin, AVRs Business DevelopmentThats changed in the last handful Manager. of years, thanks to innovation from Whats new in the Puma 4.0 The Puma 4.0 delivers several keyAVR. For the past four years, AVRs AVR manufactures various pieces ofbenefits:newest generations of harvesters have potato-specific equipment, from fieldFirst, its the lightest self-propelledeffectively tracked yield.operations to storage equipment inharvester on the market. Next to the potato crop in storage, the bins. The company is most well- Thats important because soilwe want to bring quality data: all known, especially in Canada, for itscompaction is a big issue. Large- the details that answer exactly light but powerful, highly efficientcapacity harvesters are very, verywhat the farmer is harvesting and potato harvesters. Featuring thestrong, but they are very heavy asstoring. We developed this through gentlest handling in the business,well. The Puma 4.0 is significantlytalking to farmers and processing AVRs Puma line of harvesters arelighter than its North Americancompanies about what innovation and particularly popular in high-valuecompetitors, but it is also strong for itsinformation they need on our potato potato applications where qualitysize, Trifin says. harvesters so they can make better is more important that capacity.That lightness translates to notabledecisions at harvest, through storage, However, its newest Pumastheefficiency: at about 30L/hr dieselat shipping and into the next growing Puma 4.0is gaining attentionconsumption, the Puma 4.0s fuelseason, Trifin says. among processing producers as well.efficiency is dramatically higher thanYield data is just the start. The next While it doesnt feature theits competitors.major frontier in data collection is capacity of some of the highestIn terms of potato handling, thetuber sizing right at the harvester. volume processing-specific machinesPuma 4.0 is specially designed toIn 2023, AVR piloted a new camera-on the market, the Puma 4.0stake optimal care of high-valuebased AI technology in its newest line efficiency in fuel consumption, weight,tubers. Pressure sensors and otherof harvesters that assesses and sorts consumables, spare parts, ease ofcomponents adjust automatically topotatoes by size as they come out of service and more make it an optionmeet the changing flow of harvestedthe ground. 20SPUDSMART.COMSpring 2024'