Press release: John Deere innovations honoured at AGRITEHNICA 2017
John Deere's annual investment in the development of state-of-the-art agricultural machinery and equipment has been recognised by the Innovation Committee of the German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft - DLG) with two silver medals and one gold medal. John Deere's award-winning innovations will be on display at this year's edition of the world's largest agricultural equipment trade fair Agritehnica, which will take place from 12-18 November 2017 in Hanover, Germany.
Kemper's Kemper has received a gold medal for its StalkBuster innovation
Kemper's new StalkBuster for Kemper forage harvesters are designed with a system that ensures that stubble is destroyed in a single pass with the self-propelled forage harvester, destroying over-hulled maize pest habitats and reducing the risk of fusarium in the soil. This eliminates the need for additional mulching.
The StalkBuster is integrated into the basic frame of the Kemper harvester. A special knife crushes each row of stubble before the harvester wheels and transport vehicles can flatten it. As a result, the stalks are not only cut, but also broken into small pieces.
A special gearbox allows for optimised coulter adjustment for each individual row, while a pneumatic pressure system provides additional ground contour following. This allows each stalk to be cut completely at ground level. The knife has been manufactured from wear-resistant material to ensure long life.
StalkBuster's low cutting action and complete destruction of the stalks eliminates the habitat of the maize larvae in the stalks and thus reduces the risk of fusarium wilt. In addition, bulky crop residues will not result which can make further tillage difficult.
The StalkBuster's power consumption is surprisingly low. With the direct drive and ground-optimised tuning of the individual units, no more than 4 hp are needed per row. Also, in areas affected by field mice, StalkBuster reduces the number of chemical applications for crop pest control. The total economic benefit of using the system is estimated at around €84 per hectare compared to the best available solution (i.e. mulching).
John Deere EZ Balast Wheel system awarded silver medal
John Deere's new EZ Ballast wheel system from John Deere offers a versatile ballasting solution for tractors without the use of front or rear tie rods. The flexible weight distribution in the system is designed to provide more traction and less soil compaction.
Flexibility when ballasting is important for different applications, but often the process is time-consuming and labour-intensive. The EZ Ballast wheel system allows operators to change front and rear wheel weights very quickly, without the need for additional tools. It only takes five minutes per wheel to add or remove weights and no second person is required.
Each front wheel can be fitted with a 250 kg weight, while the rear wheels can be fitted with two 250 kg weights, meaning up to 1.5 tonnes can be added and removed in total. The operator is able to easily adjust the weight and overall weight without hindering the front and rear lift capacities.
This is supported by the John Deere Ballast Assist system running on the tractor's CommandCentre display. Once the required front and rear implements have been selected, the system recommends the most appropriate weight distribution and wheel weights.
On-road the EZ Balast Wheel system allows operators to avoid unnecessary weight on the tractor and reduce fuel costs by up to 3%. In addition, a lower overall tractor weight allows an increase in trailer payload, so haulage capacity can be boosted by up to 9%.
AutoTrac Implement Guidance - the AutoTrac guidance system on the tractor was awarded the silver medal
John Deere's new AutoTrac Implement Guidance (AutoTrac Implement Guidance) system steers both implement and tractor, combined with a camera and GPS steering system for high speed and crop control.
The time window for optimal mechanical weed control is very limited. Therefore, John Deere and its subsidiary Monosem have developed an active, integrated implement control system for inter-row mowing. The system allows very high working speeds of up to 16 km/h without harming the crop.
All information is displayed and settings are entered on the CommandCentre 4 tractor display. The mechanism is controlled by an electro-hydraulic control unit on the tractor. Unlike other complex positioning units, this system operates with a hydraulic lateral stabiliser on the lower links, while the top link position of the three-point linkage is continuously monitored.
The AutoTrac guidance system implements not only in straight rows, but also on slopes and around corners. Corrections and passes of more than 500 mm are possible with the dusting tools, while two hydraulic disc coulters ensure good tracking accuracy, especially at high speeds. The patented track eradicators are fixed to the tractor's tie rods and absorb shocks from the tractor and attached implement.
The tractor is controlled in the same way with both the camera and the cab-mounted StarFire GPS receiver. In hybrid mode, both systems complement each other perfectly. When used in combination with the John Deere iTEC Pro management system, full automation of weed control is possible.
IPSO - market leader in agricultural machinery in Romania
Present on the Romanian market since 1996, IPSO, part of the French group Monnoyeur, one of the largest distributors of agricultural machinery at international level, with a network of offices in 9 countries, most of them in Europe, is the market leader in agricultural machinery in Romania. The company offers integrated solutions to agricultural producers in Romania, spare parts, field service and operator training to the highest quality standards.
IPSO is the sole authorised importer of John Deere machinery, the world's largest agricultural machinery manufacturer, and its range of suppliers also includes other leading brands in the agricultural machinery market such as Manitou, Kuhn, Bednar FMT, Fliegl, Pichon, Pellenc, Perard, Kemper, Zurn, Geringhoff, Grasdorf, Laforge, etc.
