Traditionally, manufacturers have offered flagship machines, and their associated big-ticket prices, to appease relatively small numbers of large-scale broadacre producers.

But rural labour shortages, plus the pressure of rising chemical, fertiliser, maintenance and repair costs, are sparking renewed interest in new-generation equipment able to deliver timely outcomes.

The underlying worry – that of fewer staff being available to look after more acres – is driving a rash of equipment designed to get seed, fertiliser and sprays onto paddocks with the minimum of fuss.

Increasingly, that inability to find a spare pair of hands to sustain busy farm operations looks to be the main challenge for farming's capacity to generate economic wealth down the track.

It's against this backdrop that a spate of Guinness world record bids for farming practices were headlined earlier this year.

Queensland's Meandarra-based Coggan family were in the limelight when they managed to plant a world record 905.48 hectares of wheat in 24 hours.

More recently, a New Holland CR9090 header harvested 551.6 tonnes of wheat in eight hours on an English farm where it averaged 68.95t/hour.

The point to make here is that these were not pre-production machines working in test situations, rather off-the-shelf equipment demonstrating their remarkable production capacities on commercial properties.

Interestingly, top flight farmers like Tom Woods, Billa Billa, near Goondiwindi, Qld, already can see the way ahead as the family constantly tweaks its approach to broadacre production.

Recently, the emphasis has been on reducing overlaps in a bid to improve yield percentages which, in turn, translates to "a little bit more" in the pocket at the end of the day.

"And it won't be that long before these tractors and headers will be driven from a control centre," Mr Woods prophesied.

That, according to the noted district grain grower, will be an especially welcome development because it should make for "one less hassle" in the business of growing quality seed crops.

* Look out for a special machinery feature in this week's Queensland Country Life.