The culmination of a year-long project, the forward-control JCB Fastrac was built by Lincs-based Knight Farm Machinery, hence the presence of a 4,000-litre Knight demount on the rear. Will this intriguing looking combo be the star of this week’s LAMMA show when it opens tomorrow? Well, it’ll certainly be in the running. Based on a standard 217hp JCB Fastrac 4220, Knight has essentially just shifted the cab from behind to in front of the tractor’s AGCO Power engine, which, as on the standard Fastrac 4220, continues to drive through a Fendt-sourced Vario transmission. Does this make the Fastrac FC the first self-propelled sprayer with a CVT? We’re not aware of many others. The FC unit on the stand at LAMMA was put together for the Agrii applications fleet, and the firm is due to take another. After that, Knight is hoping to push the concept to a wider audience.  “The main advantages,” says Knight’s David Main, “are the configuration’s improved carrying capacity and weight distribution over a standard Fastrac demount. And, against a more conventional hydrostatic self-propelled, the user gains the benefits of a mechanical gearbox, mechanical four-wheel drive and diff locks – a major plus when working on very hilly ground.” Prices for an FC Fastrac/Knight 4,000-litre/24m self-propelled are expected to start from £198,000.