Launched in 2019, the program pairs Deere with hand-selected startups for year-long, project-based collaborations designed to test how emerging technologies perform in agricultural and construction use cases. It is not primarily an acquisition or investment vehicle.

“We’ve intentionally designed it that way,” said Colton Salyards, who manages the program within Deere’s corporate development and strategy group.

“The program was never designed to be an investment or an acquisition vehicle.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Emerging sensing and AI technologies could eventually improve soil analysis, equipment uptime and precision decision-making on farms.

Instead, Deere and each startup define a joint project, outlining objectives on both sides and evaluating how a given technology might perform in agricultural or construction use cases.

With the addition of this year’s five companies, Deere will have worked with 42 startups through the program.

Each year, Salyards said, public announcements of the cohort generate significant inbound interest from startups hoping to participate. The response can be “overwhelming,” but the companies selected stand out.

“There’s a key reason why we’ve selected them,” he said.

“There are use cases across agriculture that we believe could be of tremendous customer value.”

Sensor sensibility

Among the 2026 cohort is Australian firm resonAg, which is adapting miniaturized MRI-based sensing technology — technology originally developed for medical imaging, and later adapted for industries such as mining and oil and gas — for use in advanced soil sensing.

Deere is exploring how that sensing capability could support precision agriculture applications.

“This is of huge importance for precision agriculture,” he said.

“Imagine a planting system that can sense and act in real time to conditions across the field.”

Another company, AIRS ML, is developing edge-AI systems that combine machine sensor data with on-device machine learning to predict equipment failures in real time. The goal is to improve uptime by identifying potential maintenance issues before they lead to breakdowns.

The remaining companies in the cohort include:

• IoTag, which focuses on telematics and mixed-fleet performance insights.
• TorqueAGI, which is developing AI foundation models for robotics.
• Aerobotics, which applies drone imagery and computer vision to specialty crop production.

While not designed as an acquisition vehicle, the program has, in two instances, led to investment or acquisition when the strategic fit aligned. Salyards emphasized that integration into Deere equipment is not the default outcome.

“This is one vehicle among many that we use to understand what innovative companies are out there,” he said.

“Ultimately, it helps us determine how well those technologies could fit for our ag and construction customers.”

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The standard Gold Star Customer Care program for tractors offers buyers a three-year, 3,000-hour warranty. During that period, all factory-prescribed regular maintenance is included, meaning such things as fluid and filter changes.

As well, the company will provide a similar tractor within 48 hours if yours goes down for an extended period.

Now, Agco has just announced it will offer a similar maintenance program on S Series Massey Ferguson tractors. The MF Always Running maintenance program will offer the same basic features as its sister line’s Gold Star program.

MF Always Running combines a three-year, 3,000-hour factory warranty, scheduled maintenance and a 48-hour loaner commitment into one standard program.

”(It’s) designed to simplify ownership and help ensure consistent uptime without additional contracts or up charges,” Agco says.

Updating the MF tractor line to the S Series has been a multi-year project for Agco, culminating this past year with the flagship 9S Series models finally being delivered to Canadian dealers. The 9S Series offers tractors up to 425 horsepower.

“MF Always Running helps take the guesswork out of tractor ownership,” says Derek Reusser, senior marketing manager of tractors for Massey Ferguson North America.

“By building warranty coverage, maintenance and dealer-managed support into the tractor, we are giving operators confidence that their equipment is ready when timing matters most.”

Maintenance and service through the MF Always Running program is co-ordinated through a local MF dealer.

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Three new wheeled and three new tracked models have been added to the top of the 8 Series, pushing rated horsepower to an eye-popping 540, with a power bulge to 634. And all of that comes from a 14-litre engine, which is a first for the 8 Series.

To handle that bigger engine, Deere’s engineers had to do a ground-up redesign of the chassis, beefing it up and making it larger.

READ MORE: What’s new for 300-plus-h.p. tractors in 2026?

“The JD14 engine has been used in a lot of other machine forms, including the 9Rs and 9RXs, but it’s new to the 8Rs,” says Michael Porter, marketing manager for large tractors and tillage.

“It’s not just about putting that engine into an 8 (Series tractor). It’s a completely new frame and design from the ground up, even a new assembly line at Waterloo (Iowa), to make this package work. We basically built a new tractor around that engine.”

The new models are rated at 440, 490 and 540 horsepower and are available in wheeled (8R 440, 8R 490, 8R 540) and four-tracked (8RX 440, 8RX 490, 8RX 540) versions.

Deere’s Intelligent Power Management has been been updated to the new Peak Power IPM system, which unlocks the power bulge on a wider range of load demands, allowing the 8R 540 and 8RX 540 model to hit 634 peak ponies in more situations.

“We’ve enabled that to be unlocked in a lot more opportunities: in steep hills, pulling electric planters, hydraulic loads as well as transport speeds,” says Porter.

“We’re enabling it to still have that 10 per cent power bulge to the tires and still get through those tough scenarios.

“We’re going to have to work with our customers so they fully understand all the opportunities Peak Power IPM is unlocking. It’s a big deal for these tractors. It punches way above the (model number) sticker on the side.”

Power supply, power demand

Bolted to the back of the JD14 engines is Deere’s Electric Variable Transmission, which replaces internal hydraulic motors with electric.

The green brand has been offering a version of that transmission in the line’s existing 410 model. Electric motors allow the transmission to run quieter and reduce the time it would take mechanics to diagnose a problem than on a conventional hydraulic IVT.

There are other features that improve servicing as well, including making daily checks easier.

Building on the model year 2025 enhancement of ground-up serviceability changes on high-horsepower 9RX tractors, the engine oil, coolant and hydraulic oil sight gauges are at eye level so fluids can be quickly checked. Air filter servicing, fuel and DEF fills can now be done from the ground.

One of the key differences the EVT provides is an outlet for off-board power supply. However, it isn’t supplying the 700-volt current that the agricultural engineering world has set as standard for implement supply.

“One of those electric motors is always taking electrical power from the drivetrain, using it for another function,” says Porter.

“We’ve had a couple of different OEMs work with us to find uses for that power in the 700-volt range. This model year tractor is the first time we’re able to use a 56-volt system, which is what our planters run on today.

“Instead of having a p.t.o. or generator to run that planter, we’re able to just plug straight in to the back of the tractor. This is a step our customers have been waiting and asking for. A lot of detail went into looking at what these tractors are being used for and building up that feature set to give value back to customers.”

That electric power supply can be controlled directly from the in-cab terminal.

When it comes to hydraulic capacity, the previous maximum 87 g.p.m. (329 l/mn) in the existing 8 Series models gets boosted to 110 g.p.m. (416 l/mn) in the new tractors. The steering system gets its own dedicated hydraulic pump so implement supply won’t get disrupted.

“The cab on the 8RX is the same cab we introduced on the 9RX, the CommandView 4 plus,” says Porter.

“We are giving them more space, exclusively on the 8RX. The 8R cabs are the same as today’s 8R cabs, but the inside is completely new. It starts with a new CommandArm. We’re calling this our next generation of John Deere operator experience. This is the first machine from Deere that will adopt this.”

There is also a new display screen under the G5 display that controls tractor functions and programmable features on the control arm.

There are now three options for transmission control: the CommandX, CommandX Plus and CommandX Pro.

“Some of the improvements will come over (to existing smaller 8Rs) when we talk about the cab and controls,” says Porter.

“I would say there are a lot of things that are exclusive to these (bigger) 8s.”

Don’t think the old standard red John Deere key will fire up one of these new models. For improved security, the tractors get a push-button start with increased security features, such as requiring a PIN if an owner wants.

“It’s the first from Deere on the Ag and Turf side,” says Porter.

“It also uses a PIN number or code, if the customer wants to, to prevent someone from starting the machine.”

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Feed costs are easy to spot in a beef cattle operation, but what about the other expenses quietly chipping away at your bottom line? This is where yardage comes in; it’s a crucial part of managing winter feeding costs in cow-calf operations.

What is yardage?

Yardage refers to the overhead and non-feed costs incurred while maintaining cattle during the winter feeding period. These costs include day-to-day expenses such as labour, equipment and building maintenance, fuel, utilities, manure handling and other general expenses such as farm taxes and accounting fees. They also include non-cash costs, such as machinery and facility depreciation, which represent the graduate loss of value in assets over time.

Yardage is typically expressed on a per-head per-day basis.

Why does yardage matter?

Yardage may not grab attention like feed costs, but it significantly impacts profitability. These costs, especially non-cash costs like depreciation, often remain unnoticed but can erode profitability over time. For example, underestimating yardage may lead a beef producer to assume their operation is more efficient than it truly is. Ignoring yardage also makes it difficult to identify areas where costs can be optimized. For example, the exclusion of machinery maintenance and repair costs may make the cow-calf enterprise look more profitable than it is.

Yardage insights can mean better decisions

Yardage is more than just a line on a spreadsheet — it’s a key component to understanding and controlling costs, and can be a powerful tool for improving financial outcomes. Here are some examples:

Pinpoint cost driver: Identify the most significant contributors to yardage and pinpoint opportunities for savings.

Evaluate resource utilization: Determine if equipment and facilities are underutilized or can be used for other farm tasks.

Explore alternatives: Yardage insights can highlight opportunities to lower non-feed costs through alternative feeding methods.

Assess economies of scale: Knowing yardage costs can help assess whether expanding the herd could lower costs per head. Overhead costs are often considered fixed, because they don’t change significantly with the size of the herd — up to a point. This means increasing the herd size can spread these costs over more animals, reducing the per-unit expense and improving cost efficiency. However, as the herd grows beyond the capacity of existing resources, additional expenses for equipment or labour may arise.

Keeping track of yardage

Accurate yardage calculations start with diligent record-keeping. Keep detailed records of cash expenses, such as utility bills, equipment maintenance costs and labour hours.

Many overhead costs are incurred at the whole-farm level, making it necessary to allocate these costs across different enterprises and production stages to calculate yardage accurately.

—> READ MORE: Rethinking yardage costs by Sean McGrath

Overhead costs include machinery maintenance and repairs, building repairs, utilities, insurance, property taxes and salaries.

For farms with multiple enterprises (say, cash crops and cattle), allocating whole-farm costs to the cow-calf winter feeding period can be complex but essential. Various methods can be used for this allocation:

Time-based allocation: For assets like machinery or facilities, costs can be divided based on the proportion of time these resources are used for winter feeding.

Revenue-based allocation: It can be difficult to track or estimate the use-time of each fixed asset used on a diversified farm. In this case, costs can be divided based on the cow-calf enterprise’s share of total farm revenue. For instance, if the cow-calf enterprise generates $40,000 in revenue and the crop enterprise generates $60,000, the total farm revenue is $100,000. The cow-calf enterprise’s share is 40 per cent, so 40 per cent of overhead costs would be allocated to it.

Alternative methods: Costs can also be allocated using the percentage of gross margin or total expenses contributed by each enterprise. For example, if the cow-calf enterprise incurs 45 per cent of the total farm expenses, 45 per cent of the overhead costs would be allocated to it.

The BCRC cow-calf yardage calculator

The Cow-Calf Yardage Calculator is designed to help producers estimate their yardage by providing a clear template and streamlining the calculation process. It requires data input on herd size, winter feeding days, whole-farm cash overhead costs and the values of machinery and buildings allocated to the cow-calf winter feeding period. This tool calculates the total yardage cost, including a breakdown of cash expenses and depreciation on machinery and buildings.

In this calculator, non-feed variable costs — such as veterinarian services, medicine and bedding — are treated separately from yardage. However, they can be entered in a supplementary section to calculate the combined total of yardage, bedding and veterinary and medicine costs.

Making other yardage-related calculations

While yardage is commonly expressed on a per-head per-day basis, the calculator also provides results in cost per animal unit day (AUD) when animal weights are entered. Production cost and feeding capacity can vary significantly with animal size. Yardage on a per-AUD basis helps allocate overhead cost or shared resources based on cattle size or type.

This approach is useful when calculating profits, as both costs and revenue can vary with cattle size and type. For example, a larger 1,500-lb. cow may have a higher yardage cost but could also wean a heavier calf compared to a smaller 1,300-lb. cow. Calculating yardage per AUD also provides a standardized measure for comparing costs across farms with different herd compositions or within the same farm as herd composition or cattle sizes shift over time.

Bottom line

Understanding yardage is vital for identifying inefficiencies, managing resources and improving profitability. By tracking yardage, producers can better navigate challenges and create opportunities for growth.

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While it’s easy to remember to pull the big machines into the shop for that, don’t neglect other pieces of critical equipment on the farm. That includes grain handling equipment. Something as simple as a problem with a grain auger can stop an entire harvesting operation.

And permanent grain handling facilities, too, need regular inspections and maintenance to ensure they’re operating properly and safely.

Recently, GSI sent out a reminder to producers to give grain handling systems a thorough inspection while things are relatively quiet.

“If they haven’t already done so, now is the time to check their grain bins, dryers and grain handling equipment,” GSI district manager Dave Ellis says. “An ounce of prevention can help save farmers tons of problems next season.”

For those growers with permanent grain handling setups, here are some tips from GSI.

First, if there’s a delivery pit, be sure to clean it out and keep it from filling up with debris or allowing any remaining grain to rot, which could attract rodents or other pests. Keep water out.

Next, inspect the bearings on grain legs and conveyors to make sure they’re in good working order. Check that grain elevator belts and buckets are intact and that belts are tight — and, of course, replace as needed.

Grain augers, too, should get an inspection to make sure their bearings are holding up. Also, cleaning any leftover grain out of them will reduce rust.

Cleaning up any spillage around bins will help reduce rodent problems. It’s also a good time to repair any damage to bins that might allow water infiltration.

Lastly, clean fans, removing debris or any other obstructions that could reduce performance. Inspect the motor and electrical connections to determine if any repairs or replacement parts are required.

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Dealerships looking to keep their mechanics busy in the off season typically offer discounted inspection rates for machines through the slower late fall and winter period.

“A lot of dealers will have inspection programs going,” says New Holland’s parts product marketing manager Aaron Booth. “There’s 15 per cent off (NH) OEM filters until the end of this year.”

While many farms have fully equipped shops and employees capable of doing mechanical work, having a dealership inspect a machine could still offer a benefit, Booth says.

“Because they’ve had so much experience with different models, they know where to look. They know this model machine in conditions around here is going to have these kinds of issues. They’re going to be able to go a little deeper with the equipment they have.”

When it comes to catching wear on components early, brands may offer kits such as auger liners for combines to extend component life and postpone major repair costs.

“Even if you’re doing your own repair work, connect with the dealer to see what options are out there,” he adds.

Often machines will develop small problems during peak seasons that don’t force a stop to operations — and those minor defects can often go forgotten.

“The big thing for combines at the end of the season is having a checklist of what went wrong,” Booth says. “It’s not just mechanical issues: it’s software, your precision, and making sure all those little things that weren’t big enough to stop you, you take care of those right away. They tend to get put to the back of your mind and not get fixed until you realize a year later it hasn’t been done.”

Giving machines, particularly combines, a good bath before they get parked for the season is also a good idea.

“All the dirt that gets packed in there is going to attract the wrong type of animals,” says Booth. “It’s going to get mice. The more you clean it up, the better off you’ll be.”

Greasing components and changing engine oil before long-term storage will help prevent damage.

“Engine oil does have those contaminants (from combustion) and the cold weather makes it a little thicker, which doesn’t help,” he says. “So it’s a great time, particularly if you’re using a semisynthetic that has a longer oil change interval, it’s going to be better for the engine as it’s sitting there.”

Protecting batteries from discharge during storage is also key. Typically machines always have a small amount of amperage draw which can discharge batteries over time, making them more susceptible to freezing in the winter.

“Make sure you disconnect it and put a maintainer on it,” Booth says. “They have smart (maintainers) now that let it draw down a bit and charge it back up. You don’t want a battery to sit in a reduced (charge) state.”

Leaving maintenance and repair until machines roll out of the shed in spring could end up hitting farmers hard in the wallet. And as dealership service departments get busy, that could also cause delays.

“If you’re in the group of farmers that call a month before you want to use (a machine), it gets pretty hectic,” says Booth. “And that’s where you’re going to pay a premium.”

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However, dry and warm conditions increase the risk of combine fires — especially when harvesting sunflowers.

In 2024, North Dakota is expected to harvest an estimated 320,000 acres of oil sunflowers and an estimated 72,000 acres of confectionary sunflowers, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Crop harvest progress reporting through NASS indicated that sunflower harvest was 28 per cent complete in North Dakota on Oct. 21, which is ahead of last year’s 19 per cent harvest completion progress.

North Dakota’s northern neighbour Manitoba, meanwhile, is estimated by Statistics Canada to have put about 44,900 acres into sunflowers this year with an expected total yield of over 36,000 tonnes. As of Oct. 22, the provincial ag department estimated Manitoba’s sunflower harvest at about 39 per cent complete.

(Total Canadian sunflower acres seeded this year were estimated at almost 60,000, well down from the previous two crop years.)

Warm and dry weather conditions have allowed harvest to progress quickly, with limited precipitation-related delays. However, warm, dry and windy conditions increase the risk for combine fires, warns Angie Johnson, North Dakota State University Extension farm and ranch safety co-ordinator.

“Mix warm, dry harvest conditions with a high wind speed, and you have a recipe for harvest fires, especially when combining sunflowers,” Johnson says.

According to Daryl Ritchison, North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) director and NDSU state climatologist, autumn in North Dakota is one of the windiest seasons.

“The high wind speeds we are experiencing and the large amount of extremely dry plant material in our fields and grasslands creates perfect conditions for fire when provided with an ignition source, such as the hot exhaust from the combine’s turbocharger or exhaust manifold, or even from an electrical malfunction in a plastic wiring harness on the combine,” Johnson says.

Combine fires can occur at any time with the right conditions. Sunflowers, however, pose a greater risk because of the large volume of dust and particulate they produce while being harvested, she adds.

Research from South Dakota State University shows the white portion inside the stalk, known as the pith, breaks down into very small, tiny particulate pieces with large surface areas that easily get sucked into the fan that is pulling air through the machine’s radiator to cool down the engine. That pith dust and particulate easily stick to engine and exhaust components and can ignite when coming in contact with the turbocharger and exhaust system of the combine.

“Believe it or not, there was a time when producers quit raising sunflowers because of the fire risk and loss of combines due to fires,” Johnson says. “Fortunately, we have improved prevention tools and strategies to help mitigate and reduce the risk of combine fires during sunflower harvest.”

Johnson shares the following tips for reducing the risk of combine fires while harvesting sunflowers:

Pre-operational checks. Take time to walk around the combine before the start of each day during harvest season. Use an air compressor or leaf blower every day when the machine is off and cooled down to remove dirt, dust, chaff and other plant reside that has accumulated. Always wear hearing protection, eye protection and respiratory protection such as an N95 mask when using an air compressor or leaf blower to remove plant dust and reside. While blowing off residue, look in high-risk areas, such as the engine and engine compartments, exhaust systems, and fluid systems, such as hydraulic pumps, pump drives, and fuel lines. In addition, monitor electrical systems, such as fuse boxes, as well as gearboxes, batteries and cables. When cleaning, take time to look for any issues that require repair, such as leaking hydraulic hoses that can cause chaff to stick and build up, creating an easy fuel source for a fire.

Take time to service the machine daily based on the combine’s operator manual. Grease and lubricate bearings and chains and continue to look for areas that have excessive wear or damage.

Watch for wiring issues. Today’s combines are controlled by many sensors and electrical components that are extremely complex. Take time to glance through wiring systems to see where wires appear to be unrestrained or if wires appear to be damaged from rubbing or making contact with moving parts.

Monitor gauges and warning signs. If you begin to notice increased fuel consumption, loss of hydraulic pressure, fuses that continue to fail or blow out regularly, or increased temperature gauges on your machine, take the time to stop and determine the cause, as these warning signs indicate a malfunction of the machine.

Use an infrared thermometer. Warm up your combine before taking it to the field and use an infrared thermometer to determine the operating temperature of your combine’s bearings. Safely open the combine’s shields, and from a safe distance, point the infrared thermometer at a bearing to read the measured temperature. If a bearing is at a higher temperature than the others, it is time to replace that bearing, as it may be worn or damaged. Infrared thermometers are inexpensive (less than US$50) and can be found at many hardware and farm stores. Hot bearings are a combustion source.

Install an air intake kit. An air intake kit allows clean air found above the combine’s “dust cloud” to enter the combine’s air intake screen, instead of taking in the dusty, dirt-filled air produced from harvesting the crop. Take the time to consider an option that will work best for you and your combine.

Avoid combining during fire danger conditions. Relative humidity values are low in the fall, increasing the risk of fire, especially in the late afternoon hours. Keep an eye on the air temperature and wind speeds. Shutting down when conditions are hot, dry and windy could prevent you from losing your combine to a fire.

Shutting down for the night. Always allow combines to cool down before parking them inside a shed for the night. Also allow the combine to cool down before refueling the machine. Make it a safety practice to shut the combine off before refueling.

Carry two fully-charged fire extinguishers. Ideally, you should have two 20-lb. charged fire extinguishers on your combine. Have them ready and operational and review with workers how to use them when needed.

Create a soil perimeter. If you choose to harvest during high wind and temperature conditions, make a tillage pass around the perimeter of the field to prevent the possibility of a fire spreading to other areas on the landscape should a combine fire occur. If possible, consider having a water truck nearby.

“Good machine maintenance, cleaning and monitoring can help reduce the incidence of combine fires during crop harvest,” Johnson says. “Make farm safety a priority on your farm this fall. Combines and crops are replaceable – you are not.”

More information on crop harvest fire prevention is available on NDSU’s ag extension website.

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Bill C-244, an amendment to the federal Copyright Act, allows Canadians access to vehicle, machinery and equipment data for diagnostics, maintenance and repairs. This change enables qualified individuals to conduct on-farm repairs, which provides cost savings related to equipment transfer to a dealership, labour, and operational downtime.

Of course, it’s crucial to remember the hazards linked to farm machinery, whether it’s during operation in the fields or while carrying out maintenance. According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, between 2011 and 2020, 66 per cent of agriculture-related fatalities involved machinery, including rollovers, runovers, and entanglements.

Before undertaking any maintenance or repair, consider these essential safety points:

Competence

• Are you familiar with the machine or equipment?

• Do you have previous experience fixing it?

• Are you trained and do you have the correct tools and parts for the job?

Supervision

• Does the maintenance process require supervision to ensure the correct use of tools and parts?

• Is the owner’s manual being followed?

Owner’s manual

• Are you using the owner’s manual to learn what oil and filters are needed to change the oil, and when?

• Are you referring to it for all repairs and upkeep?

Inspections

• Do you have a daily checklist to inspect the equipment for damages, fluid leaks, burnt-out lights, and other necessary repairs? Remember: checklists serve as reminders of what to look for.

Record keeping

• Have you gathered service records for reference?

• Are the records up to date with details of on-farm repairs, maintenance, and recurring issues?

Stored energy

• Have you controlled stored energy, such as hydraulic fluid, electricity, and springs?

• Are you using a lockout system for stored hydraulic energy, like the red block on raised skid steer lift arms?

• Have you unplugged battery cables to release electrical energy, and released pressure in springs before starting repairs?

Professional help

• Do you know when it’s time to seek professional assistance? (Hint: It’s when you don’t know how to fix it, don’t have the right tools or parts, haven’t been trained, or if you haven’t done it before.)

Always consult your provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation to understand specific maintenance and repair requirements for your equipment and machinery.

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“That’s where I come into the scene, with 16 years of accumulated knowledge at Aricks,” says John Deere drill specialist and technician Logan Wemyss. “I’m here to teach guys about their drills, what to look out for, and how to ideally operate the drill.”

Wemyss has come to Canada from Australia for the summer to work with Thunderstruck Ag Equipment at Winkler, Man. That business is the North American distributor for Aricks Australia, which is an engineering firm based in that country specializing in designing and building aftermarket parts for 60, 90 and Pro Series John Deere drills.

The company also has expertise in maintaining those drills for farmers in Australia, where growing conditions are often similar to those here on the Prairies.

VIDEO: Learn how to maintain your John Deere drill

“I’m here all summer, based out of Winkler, Manitoba. And I’m offering free drill inspections to anyone in the Winkler, Manitoba, area. What I’m doing is giving an honest evaluation of the condition of your drill. I’m teaching you what to look out for, and everything you need to know about that drill so you’re set up for success in the future.

“So far, we’ve had high engagement and people are loving it.

‘There’s a lot of drills out there, and when they run right, they’re the best planter out there. The problem is once they leave the showroom, that’s it. People don’t know how to look after them. People don’t know how the moving parts wear down. And people are really struggling with calibration.”

Wemyss was on hand at the Thunderstruck Ag Equipment booth at the Ag in Motion farm show at Langham, Sask. in July. He spoke with Grainews about the upgraded aftermarket components Aricks Australia offers in Canada through Thunderstruck in Winkler.

“All of our parts are designed for the harsh, dry Australian conditions. Guys need parts to last. So we’ve essentially looked at every component on the opener and said ‘How can we make this better? How can we make this heavy-duty? We need it to last longer.’ And that’s what we’ve done.”

One of the parts offered by Aricks is not just an upgrade, but an add-on feature that further improves opener performance: a leading residue clearing wheel.

“The first big ticket item that improves performance significantly is a residue manager,” he says. “The job of a residue manager is to eliminate hairpinning, one of the most common problems (disc) drills face in adverse conditions.

“You’re increasing seed-to-soil contact, which increases emergence rates and increases yield. It’s a win-win on all fronts. We’ve got guys back home that won’t run drills without them. The difference is they come out stock, with no residue manager.

“The residue manager deflects the residue in between the rows. It gives you a nice bit of soil for the drill to create the furrow and completely eliminates hairpinning. You need to drive at the ideal speed of six to eight miles an hour. Drive too fast and you’re going to throw the trash straight into the next row.”

For those openers following in the tractor tire tracks, Aricks offers a spacer ring to add compression to the spring, increasing downforce to better penetrate compacted soil.

A heavy-duty seed boot made of hardened steel makes it more resistant to wear. An available thicker cover plate and T handle also provide for a longer service life.

“It’s significantly thicker than OEM,” he says. “There’s nothing else like this out on the market. This is the thickest, heaviest cover plate. We’re seeing guys get 100,000 acres out of this, easily.”

Aricks also offers a a hardened main pin and bushing kit with a larger washer to eliminate side-to-side play in the opener arm. There is also a complete non-greasing pin and bushing kit, using hardened material that eliminates the need for any greasing on the openers.

“If you install these three components, you don’t have to crawl under your machine and grease it, ever,” he explains.

Wemyss also recommends upgrading to some other components offered by other manufacturers, such as the Copperhead Ag closing wheel, which uses a toothed design to more aggressively move soil to close the seed trench. The OEM version is a smooth wheel, which he says is much less efficient.

“It is essential to have a cruiser wheel with these teeth. Standard 90 Series come with a circular, smooth closer wheel and it just doesn’t do the job. In hard conditions it won’t close the furrow. They bounce. They’re not ideal. By having a heavy tooth wheel it allows us to purchase the soil and close that furrow effectively.”

Wemyss can be contacted by growers in the Winkler area to arrange for a free on-farm drill inspection through Thunderstruckag.com. That website also has a detailed listing of the upgraded components offered by Aricks Australia.

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“When a combine sits there for two minutes it feels like three hours for the farmer,” says Marcel Kringe, founder and CEO of Bushel Plus Ltd., which has established the Bushel Plus Harvest Academy in Canada. It will start conducting training sessions for growers and ag professionals this year on how to get the most out of a combine and, importantly, how to keep it rolling when it counts.

“We can teach them how fast and quick this is. They can do a ton of stuff before harvest even starts. That’s really the eye-opening thing, I think. It’s easier to fine-tune in the field once the understanding of the machine is there, which is what we train, and the pre-harvest setting is done.

“It’s all about value and how to make a combine work no matter what kind of combine you have. It’s really understanding the inner workings of a combine and how one change creates a chain reaction throughout the machine, and how different harvest conditions can influence that. You cannot just compare settings with other people and hope for the best.”

VIDEO: Setting up combines to limit harvest loss

Kringe, who has a background in agricultural engineering, says he has spent most of the last two decades working with custom harvesters and grain growers in many different regions of the world, getting combines to operate at peak performance. His firm also operates a similar combine consulting business in Europe, and is working with Assiniboine Community College at Brandon, Man. and Lakeland College in Alberta to help train students in combine operation.

“We’ve been doing training in Canada and the U.S. for a little while,” he says, “but at the same time we were able to continue a business in Germany where someone wanted to retire. He had been doing combine clinics for over 25 years all over Europe. We’ve taken over that company. We now combine all the knowledge from Europe and North America and made one big Harvest Academy out of it.”

Bushel Plus is taking bookings from grower organizations, seed growers, equipment dealers or anyone who wants to arrange a seminar on how to properly set combines.

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“We got a lot of questions from farmers about these training programs,” he says. “We’ve done a lot of keynote speaking on it. We can customize the program, depending on the customer. We can be very specific, for example, for seed growers that are very conscious about grain quality.

“We can customize a half-hour to one-hour speech about problems inside the combine through the threshing and separating system, all the way up to a full day where we go through the entire combine front to back.”

‘Myth-busting’

While he acknowledges many growers are pretty good at setting combines, he has found there are still many persistent misconceptions.

“We get the very same questions in Europe that we get here. We get the same misconceptions in the different countries where we work. We’re doing a lot of myth-busting.”

Much of the training Kringe’s firm offers can be applied across all different brands of combines, but he is also able to address the different models available and the setting considerations that are unique to each one.

“There is a lot of stuff that applies to all brands, but there are a lot of things we have to point out that are different in the different machines or sometimes even different models within a brand.”

To find out more about the Bushel Plus Harvest Academy or arrange a training event, Kringe can be contacted through the company’s website.

“This is kind of filling a need,” he says. “We got a lot of feedback from the industry, seed companies, grain associations and farmers that asked us if we would do more of this.”

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