Equipment

If an equipment malfunction or power outage occurs in an agricultural facility when nobody is there to notice, the environment can quickly become deadly to animals or plants. For example, failure of a greenhouse heater on a cold winter night could freeze plants. Ventilation failure on a hot summer day can kill animals. To help prevent such losses, a monitoring system can be installed and programmed to send an alert if critical environmental parameters reach dangerous levels. With the right sensors, alerts can also be sent out in the event of ruptured water lines, power outages, and/or other equipment failures. A monitoring system will hopefully never be used, but if it is, could easily pay for itself the first use. Functionality, reliability, safety, false alarms, and costs should be considered in selecting an alarm.

Alarm functionality

An alarm can be a stand-alone device or an integrated part of a plant or animal facility’s environmental controller.… Continue reading

Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc. announces the addition of the Model 1400 with 1400 gallon capacity to its NutriMax liquid fertilizer applicator line. The NutriMax applicator helps ensure optimum crop performance through the precise placement of nutrients during the growing season when most needed by the plants.

The NutriMax applicator optimizes the grower’s equipment investment for liquid application with a durable, long-lasting design for years of high-speed application accuracy. The Model 1400 toolbar is manufactured with 7”x7” tubing on the mainframe and wings and is available with a 40-foot toolbar that folds to 30 feet for dual-width application with a variety of row spacings from 22” to 36”.  Its patent-pending folding design provides a narrow 13’4” transport width and height for safer road travel and the 36” toolbar clearance enhances the application window.

The exclusively designed 1,400-gallon tank is constructed of thick-walled polyethylene for long life and a containment tank sump that functions like a sump within a sump for holding the last 20-30 gallons of liquid on sidehills and inclines to maintain a primed pump.… Continue reading

Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc. announces its new 55 series Seed Runner self-filling seed tenders for enhanced operator ease and gentler seed handling. Seed Runner seed tenders are ideal for the widest variety of bulk seed handling including corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts and wheat.

The original patented, self-filling dual-compartment Unverferth Seed Runner bulk seed tender set new standards for functional design innovation when first introduced in 2006. Seed Runner seed tender innovation continues today with a new lower profile tank design and gentler conveyor design for easier and smoother filling.

The exclusive patent-pending rubber belt design features U-shaped rows of cupped, offset cleats for gently carrying seed at up to 40 percent higher capacity. The rounded discharge chute is fitted with a rubber lining for even-gentler seed handling. Two standard downspouts are included – 4-foot flexible for central fill planters and drills; two-stage telescopic with 34-foot reach on XL models and 30-foot reach on others.… Continue reading

The John Deere Operations Center provides value to growers with tools and features that enable them to easily access farm information to better manage their operations. They are able to see and analyze performance and collaborate with partners to gain insights, increase profits, and direct their plans with more precision in the field.

Now, just in time for fall harvest, the new software release for the Operations Center offers a more complete solution with the addition of valuable features like Variety Locator, which automatically detects the crop variety being harvested and Harvest ID, Cotton Maps which make it easy to identify module locations and track cotton quality back to where it was grown.

Also, introduced are the new Tillage Maps and Speed Maps which offer insights into which variables affect yield and help to round out operational data layers for performance analysis.

“This latest release is a big step forward for our precision ag solutions,” says Ryan Borcherding, Product Manager, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group.… Continue reading

Challenger®, a global brand of AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), introduces an entirely new category of tractors to North American agribusiness operations. Challenger 1000 Series tractors are the industry’s most versatile standard tractor and the ‘must-see’ innovation for 2016. Designed to deliver lower cost of ownership per acre, advanced connectivity and world-class Challenger performance, they are available in four powerful models ranging from 396 to 517 engine horsepower. Producers will get their first look at the tractors during the 2016 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, Aug. 30-Sept.1.

“The needs of producers in North America continue to evolve as operations become larger and require more efficiency,” says Josh Keeney, tactical marketing manager at AGCO. “The Challenger 1000 Series tractors bring an entirely new solution to the market. These tractors combine the power of a small-frame, articulated 4-wheel drive with the flexibility and speed of a lighter-weight, fixed-frame row crop machine.

“Using what we call the new Accu™ platform, the 1000 Series tractors are built to be smarter, more intuitive and efficient, to help producers reduce input costs, increase productivity and ultimately be more profitable,” Keeney adds.… Continue reading

AP (Automated Production Systems) is launching advanced new heating, feeding and ventilation equipment used in pork production.

VariFlame variable rate heater

VariFlame is the industry’s first modulating heater that can work with any control system in the world. It seamlessly synchronizes and adjusts with the temperature curves set in the controller to maintain desired room temperature.

Brian Rieck, AP product manager, said VariFlame connected to AP’s EDGE™ controller also provides remote access, giving producers control of their heaters and many other inputs from a single system. “Producers can access diagnostics and adjust barn settings remotely from any web-enabled device,” he said.

Other unique features of VariFlame connected to EDGE include:

• LED temperature probes, which provide flexibility to not only operate the heater, but also control curtains, fans and other equipment.
• Stir-fan mode, which allows producers to continue circulating air through the heater without turning on the burner as the animals grow and the heater is no longer needed.

Due to concerns for production costs, safety, and the environment, it is important to maximize the pesticide deposit on the target. One of the major problems challenging pesticide applicators is spray drift, which is defined as movement of pesticides by wind from the application site to an off-target site. Spray drift accounts for about half of all non-compliance cases investigated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Spray drift not only result in wasting expensive pesticides and pollution of the environment, it may damage non-target crops nearby, and poses a serious health risk to people living in areas where drift is occurring.

Although complete elimination of spray drift is impossible, problems can be reduced significantly if you are aware of major factors that influence drift and take precautions to minimize their influence on off-target movement of droplets. The factors that play a role in either the creation, or reduction of spray drift are: a) Spray characteristics, such as volatility and viscosity of pesticide formulation; b) Equipment and application techniques used for spraying pesticides; c) Weather conditions at the time of application (wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity and stability of air around the application site); and most importantly, d) Operator care, attitude, and skill.… Continue reading

Faced with finding tires to support today’s heavier farm equipment, farmers are also looking to protect the integrity of the soil, improve productivity and enhance crop performance on their farms. One of the most effective ways to improve yield is to minimize soil compaction by using tires that are designed to operate at lower air pressures compared to standard radial tires. Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom completed a three-year study involving Michelin’s Ultraflex Technology IF (Increased Flexion) and VF (Very High Flexion) tires that demonstrated a yield increase of up to 4 percent compared to standard radial agriculture tires.1

To this end, Michelin is introducing three new tires for North American farmers that are designed with Michelin Ultraflex Technology, an innovative tire and casing design that promotes soil protection, fuel savings, longer service life and greater endurance. At the Canada Farm Progress Show, June 15 ? 17 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Michelin will feature the following new tire models, designed for sprayers and harvesting equipment, in Booth 70420 (Hall 7) in the Credit Union EventPlex:

MICHELIN® SprayBibTM VF 480/80R46 177D
The new VF480/80R46 177D MICHELIN SprayBib is one of the latest additions to Michelin’s VF sprayer line.… Continue reading

Julian Sanchez and Howard Gerwin, both from John Deere’s Technology Innovation Center in Champaign, Illinois, shared details of a new app developed to help farm operations direct their fleets efficiently this harvest season.

GrainTruckPlus helps farmers manage their grain harvesting fleet from their field to their preferred elevators. They’ll know where team members are, where the nearest elevators are, and get information about wait times at those elevators.

Get the free app for Apple devices or for an Android platform.… Continue reading

To help corn and soybean growers improve planting accuracy, reliability and uptime during this critical time of year, John Deere introduces the MaxEmerge 5e row units. Available in time for use next spring, the variable-rate MaxEmerge 5e row units can be used on a wide variety of John Deere planters, including popular mini-hopper and DB planters.

Brian Boelens, product specialist John Deere Seeding, says the new MaxEmerge 5e row units provide significant improvement in seeding population accuracy across the full width of the planter, especially when operating on curves. “With planters equipped with the electric meter drive for each row unit and related technology, customers can achieve up to a 20 percent improvement in population accuracy and eliminate a potential one to two percent yield loss due to seeding inaccuracies.”

While the MaxEmerge 5e row units still utilize a seed tube, an electric drive meter on each row unit replaces traditional shafts and drivelines, allowing each row unit to work independently.… Continue reading

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) has entered a multi-national allied distribution agreement with 360 Yield Center to sell and support 360 Y-DROP and 360 UNDERCOVER application products through the John Deere dealer channel in the U.S. and Canada.

“This innovative application technology from 360 Yield Center,” says John May, president, agricultural solutions and chief information officer, John Deere, “helps to improve timing and placement of nutrients with John Deere and Hagie application equipment, including self-propelled sprayers and toolbars. John Deere dealers will be able to provide sales and service support for these application products to help producers apply in-season nitrogen and plant health products where and when it’s needed.”

With the recent announcement by Deere of the joint venture with Hagie Manufacturing to sell and service Hagie high-clearance sprayers, the distribution agreement with 360 Yield Center will bring more alignment and innovative technology to the Deere and Hagie sprayer line-up.

“Demand for the 360 Yield Center nitrogen utilization products is tremendous.… Continue reading

For model year 2017, John Deere T670 model walker combines will have significant enhancements to boost productivity, threshing capacity, and straw quality for baling while making service and maintenance much easier and less time consuming. These are all benefits that U.S. and Canadian small grain producers will appreciate when it comes to harvesting during often tight windows and tough conditions.

According to Terry DeMay, senior marketing representative for John Deere Harvester Works, the newly updated T670 Combine will lead the industry with several new features, helping to make it the most productive walker combine available.

“The new model year T670 combine has one of the largest active separation areas and largest cleaning shoe of any walker combine on the market today,” says DeMay. “We’ve increased productivity by 15 percent in wheat and increased unloading rates by 50 percent. We’ve also made it easier to switch between small grains and canola, and improved the service points to allow producers to spend more time harvesting and less time waiting.”… Continue reading

Nearly 16 years ago, John Deere changed farming when it introduced the StarFire guidance system. Improvements were made in the following years with StarFire iTC and StarFire 3000 receivers. Now, the company takes satellite-based guidance to even higher levels of accuracy, repeatability and signal pull-in speed with the introduction of the StarFire 6000 receiver and SF3 signal.

According to Mike Moeller, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, the new StarFire 6000 receiver has been designed to give customers greater precision capabilities, accuracy and uptime. “The StarFire 6000 Receiver offers a full range of differential correction levels, from the base SF1 satellite-delivered signal to the premium RTK option,” Moeller explains. “And to optimize the performance of the StarFire 6000 receiver, we’re offering the all-new SF3 correction level, which delivers 40 percent greater pass-to-pass accuracy, new in-season repeatability and 66 percent faster pull-in time than the previous SF2 correction level.”

With the combination of the StarFire 6000 Receiver and SF3 signal, customers can get RTK-like accuracy without having to invest in an RTK system, or if they are operating in fields without an RTK network.… Continue reading

It was more of the same in May for U.S. retail sales of ag tractors and combines, with under 40HP tractors leading the way and sales of larger tractors and combines continuing to lag, according to data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the leading trade organization for off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers.

U.S retail sales of farm tractors under 40HP were up 9.4 percent in May 2016 compared to the same time period last year, and up 15.5 percent January through May. For 2WD tractors 40-100HP, sales were up slightly for May compared to last year – plus 1.4 percent,  and year-to-date are tracking at minus 2.1 percent.

May sales of 2WD 100+HP tractors in the U.S. declined 3.5 percent, with year-to-date sales down 24.3 percent, while 4WD tractors dropped 26.1 percent year-over-year and dipped 30.6 percent year-to-date.

Combine sales declined 40.2 percent year-over-year for May but for January through May dropped 28.8 percent compared to 2015 year-to-date sales.… Continue reading

Company introduces more rugged, comfortable, high-volume variable-rate applicator

To help ag service providers and large-scale producers apply fertilizer and lime to more acres per day during short, busy application seasons, John Deere introduces the F4365 High Capacity Nutrient Applicator.

This new machine offers increased capacity with a 330-cubic foot New Leader dry spinner spreader that can apply fertilizer at rates up to 1,100 lbs. per acre and lime at rates up to 6,600 lbs. per acre. Another important feature is the machine’s ability to variable-rate apply up to four different products during a single pass, with spreader widths of 60 to 90 feet.

The F4365 High Capacity Nutrient Applicator is powered by a John Deere PowerTech™ PSS 9L engine and features an IVT transmission. These machines integrate the latest in technology, including a new Generation 4 CommandCenter™ Display with SpreadStar™, AutoTrac™, and Section Control at your fingertips.

These machines are also equipped with JDLink™ Connect with Service Advisor Remote and Wireless Data Transfer to connect your fleet.… Continue reading

Small grains and oil seed producers can now plant more acres quickly and accurately with the introduction of the 76-foot. 1870 Air Hoe Drill from John Deere. This latest addition to the 1870 Air Seeder lineup, which includes 40-foot and 56-foot models, incorporates many new industry-leading features designed to improve seed and fertilizer placement and increase productivity.

John Peters, marketing manager for the John Deere Seeding Group, says this wider air seeder integrates the latest in precision placement, depth and pressure control, and other enhancements into one of the most rugged, dynamic air seeders on the market today.

“The new 76-foot model 1870 offers a time-saving 36 percent increase in seeding width, better residue flow capabilities, and improved seeding and fertilizer placement and control. Also, with the new retractable openers for easier servicing and improved transport, customers will gain more productivity when seeding small grains and oil seeds,” Peters explains. “When combined with a John Deere air cart and used on rolling, undulating terrain, this is one of the most accurate, productive air seeding systems available.”… Continue reading

Scale-Tec is excited to offer an iOS App designed to integrate with Digi-Star scale systems and a Bluetooth device for collecting and organizing grain cart yield data directly out of the field.

The new Scale-Tec system called “REAP” is designed to connect to any Digi-Star scale system 2011 and newer with an available serial port connector. The REAP app is designed to facilitate long range wireless Bluetooth connectivity to the indicator, further enhancing the capabilities of the scale system already in place. The REAP app is designed specifically for grain cart applications and is further enhanced by the Digi-Star Autolog capabilities.

Users of the REAP app will be able to program an unlimited number of growers, farms, and fields to keep track of grain harvested. Integration of the new Digi-Star GT560 and moisture sensor will allow the user to directly convert their grain cart weight to dry bushel. Producers will also be able to inventory their storage capacities and deliveries as well as keep a record of truck loads being taken directly out of the field.… Continue reading

Two new AutoTrac products are available to help row crop producers and ag service providers more accurately navigate row-crop fields when making postemergence sprayer applications.

AutoTrac Vision utilizes a single-lens camera to detect crop rows and help steer the sprayer down the center of the row for early postemergence applications. AutoTrac RowSense uses a row sensor similar to that used on combines to detect crop rows and steer the sprayer to the center of the row for later season post applications.

Doug Felter, product marketing manager for John Deere, says the introduction of these two new AutoTrac guidance products is designed to help large-scale row-crop producers and ag service providers work more quickly, cover more acres and reduce run-over damage to crops when spraying in the fields.

“Because of field terrain, planter drift, or irregular planting without guidance, spraying in row crops can present challenges for sprayer operators making post emerge applications,” Felter explains.… Continue reading

Bane-Welker Equipment, LLC was recently recognized as the large business of the year at the 2016 Crawfordsville/Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.

The nearly 50 year-old company is planning a special 50 year celebration which will kick off in January of 2017.

“Getting the award is an honor,” said Phil Bane, CEO of Bane-Welker Equipment.  “Our family worked very hard to start this business and we continue to work very hard to stay current with the ever-changing technologies and environment within the ag industry.  We have terrific employees who share our ideals and we are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish for our customers.”

Bane-Welker Equipment is an agriculture equipment company representing Case IH and other complimentary brands.  Bane-Welker offers new and used equipment, parts, sales, service, precision farming, and customer support.  The 49-year-old company operates 10 stores in Indiana including Crawfordsville, La Crosse, Lebanon, Remington, Terre Haute, Pendleton, Plymouth, Winamac, and Wingate, and three stores in Ohio, including Eaton, Wilmington and Georgetown.… Continue reading