Anyone who has purchased — or even looked at — new farm equipment lately is plainly aware of one thing: every brand has incorporated a host of advanced features that take over some tasks from the operator, and they do them much better than even the most skilled driver could. At John Deere, introducing specific […] Read more
John Deere inches toward autonomy
Is a driverless machine in your farm’s future?
X-Steam-inator moves closer to commercial release
Inventor partners with Honey Bee to produce prototypes
How much longer will glyphosate be a viable weed control option for producers? The question itself seems a bit jarring, but the loss of this herbicide could eventually affect production methods globally. Consumer mistrust and weed resistance could eventually spell the end for it. If so, what then? The combination of magnetism and electricity creates […] Read more
Where is the DOT?
Under Raven ownership, DOT continues on “validation program”
In 2019, SeedMaster’s DOT autonomous implement carriers (or power platforms as they’re now named) started work in paying customers’ fields for the first time. A handful of these machines were sold to farmers in Saskatchewan, all within driving distance of the SeedMaster manufacturing plant in Regina. When the company began commercialization of these units, they […] Read more
Fendt’s 200 series tractors bound for North America, eventually
During a global online press conference last October, AGCO’s Fendt brand introduced a second-generation 200 series line of tractors. The original 200 series has been available in Europe for more than a little while and accounts for about 20 per cent of the brand’s Marktoberdorf assembly plant’s output, but it’s now been given a rethink […] Read more
Could FieldMicro run your farm?
Australian tech company offers whole-farm digital operating solution
As producers come to fully recognize the opportunities offered by today’s wide-ranging offerings in digital technology for agriculture, an Australian company, FieldMicro, is adding to those possibilities. Last June, the company announced the introduction of its FieldBot remote-sensing and control devices and the SmartFarm online command-and-control, cloud-based system they pair with. Together, they offer a […] Read more
Fendt’s Xaver robotic project continues to evolve
Second-generation field robot debuts at global event
Last October, AGCO’s Fendt brand had a lot it wanted to talk about publicly, and it wasn’t about to let COVID-19 prevent that from happening. The brand live-streamed a digital press conference online. A few European farm machinery writers and editors were physically present at the event held at the Marktoberdorf, Germany, brand headquarters and […] Read more
New compact tractors from Massey Ferguson
Five new models range from 24 up to 57.3 horsepower
Who would argue that having a compact loader tractor around the yard to help load or unload small but heavy equipment wouldn’t be useful? Those jobs like lifting an air compressor into the back of a pickup to head out to a field repair or even unloading and precisely placing fluid totes in the farm […] Read more
AGCO updates the MT800 Challenger tractors
Tracked Challengers an updated Fendt alternative
Last December, AGCO gave its Challenger dealers a bit of a Christmas present. It announced an updated line of MT800 Challenger tracked tractors that mirror its Fendt 1100 MT series brothers. The four new Challenger models, with 511, 564, 618 and 673 horsepower ratings, match the Fendts’ power outputs exactly. A spec sheet comparison between […] Read more
Uncertainty dominates this year’s farm equipment show schedule
Many in-person events expected to cancel, while some still plan to go ahead
In January, the Sioux Falls Farm Show in South Dakota went ahead with its annual in-person farm machinery show. In a press release, the organizers said it expected 18,000 visitors to come to the event this year to wander past the 320 exhibits. That despite published statistics showing South Dakota — at that time — […] Read more
New DeltaCut shares available for Lemken’s Karat 9
Shares allow for tillage as shallow as 1.5 inches
Germany-based Lemken introduced its Karat 9 cultivator to Canada several years ago, and last November it announced Canadian farmers would be able to expand the Karat 9’s range of tillage capabilities with the new 35-centimetre (13.7-inch) wide DeltaCut Shares (or shovels, if you prefer). The DeltaCut shares are designed to allow for tillage operations as […] Read more