Getting good seed-to-soil contact is critical in ensuring a high germination rate when seeding. On most air drills with independent row openers, the job of ensuring that contact happens falls to the trailing packer wheel. But there are some conditions which can cause a fixed packer wheel to run slightly off the seed row, such […] Read more
Furrow-finding packer tire
SeedMaster offers an optional pivoting opener arm
The key to organization
A couple of weeks ago I decided that the rusty old truck tool box that’s been cluttering up a corner of my workshop needs to either get fixed or taken to the dump. It was just occupying space that would be better taken up by some kind of shiny new workshop tool. And Christmas isn’t […] Read more
Rise of the ag-robots
Two major brands will soon be ready to introduce autonomous tractors
The sight of Case IH’s 400-horsepower robotic Magnum tractor built without an operator’s station at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in August had show goers talking — and talking, and talking. There was a virtual non-stop crowd of onlookers around it from the time the show gates in Boone, Iowa, opened in the morning until […] Read more
Bourgault offers smaller TransFold drill
An 80-foot, centre-folding model joins the 100-foot version introduced in 2015
This is what we call the little brother to the 100-foot we released last year,” said Rob Fagnou, marketing specialist at Bourgault, as he stood beside the brand’s new 80-foot, centre-folding 3420 paralink hoe drill during Canada’s Farm Progress Show in June. “The demand for the 80-foot was strong with this type of folding system […] Read more
Flex fertilizer applicator expands use of Nova carts
With more and more farmers looking to apply fertilizer blends other than during seeding, spreader boxes and floaters are garnering more interest in the marketplace. But SeedMaster engineers think they have developed a product that allows producers to do that job without making another relatively large machinery investment. The brand introduced its Nova Flex applicator […] Read more
Legalizing autonomy
I had a chance to speak with Jim Walker, VP of Case IH, during the U.S. Farm Progress Show last August. As we stood in front of his brand’s autonomous Magnum tractor we discussed the factors that were bound to affect the widespread introduction of robotic field tractors, just like that Magnum. One of the […] Read more
XeedSystem and “tuneable” towers improve distribution
New features even out product delivery on SeedMaster Nova cart bulk metering system
Walking through the SeedMaster R&D shop, company president Norbert Beaujot stops beside a group of distribution towers that includes one of his company’s along with some competing models currently on the market. He explains the testing work company engineers have done on them to determine how well they distribute product to openers. “The thing we […] Read more
A look behind the scenes
Grainews was invited into the SeedMaster R&D shop
The seeding equipment industry saw a flood of innovations come to market in recent years when farm commodity prices were hitting all-time highs. But this season, many brand exhibits at ag shows seemed pretty tame compared to what was on display two or three years ago. Some companies had a few new features to show, […] Read more
And the award goes to…
While channel surfing with the TV remote control this week, I noticed that the American Music Awards were on. And now the news, and the other fashion programs my wife watches, are busy doing a forensic analysis of the gowns worn by all the celebrity women attending it. I’m sure just some of the shoes […] Read more
The orange wave
The upcoming December issue of Grainews will take a look at what’s new in tractors this year. There’s a lot to report. And just when we thought we could probably cram it all into one issue, along comes today’s announcement of another new model from Kubota. The new Kubota M6S-111 tractor is being unveiled at […] Read more