John Deere Unveils New Engines at ConExpo Las Vegas
The recent ConExpo construction show held in Las Vegas, said to be the largest exhibition of its type in the world, saw John Deere Power Systems (JDPS) preview two new mid-range industrial engines.
Technology used by farmers to maximise harvest capacity in difficult conditions has earned John Deere’s HDR Cutterbar Draper Series a 2021 AE50 Award.
It was one of six John Deere products named by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), which each year recognises innovative product-engineering designs in the food and agriculture industry.
Winning products are selected for ingenuity in product development and for their ability to save farmers time, costs and labour while improving safety.
The HDR Rigid Cutterbar Draper Series was recognised for its ability to maximise harvesting capacity for small grains, canola and pulse production across changing conditions and uneven or rolling terrain while capturing more grain.
Featuring a new hinged frame, the HDR provides terrain-following capability and uniform cut height when harvesting on curves or uneven terrain.
“This reduces crop losses and increases hectares harvested per hour,” says JD’s Australia and New Zealand production system manager Ben Kelly.
The HDR will be available in New Zealand in time for harvest 2022.
Further 2021 AE50 Awards were picked up by the JD X9-1000 and X9-1100 Combine Harvesters.
The latter offers the ability to harvest up to 12 hectares (30 acres) of wheat per hour, or 182 tonnes per hour of corn. The X Series will arrive in New Zealand in August 2021.
Likewise, John Deere’s CF Folding Corn Heads help reduce operating costs by offering fold cycle time of less than 40 seconds, when fitted to X Series harvesters. Or less than 60 seconds when connected to an S700 Series machine.
The folding corn head helps reduces a farmer’s costs by eliminating the need to purchase a header trailer to transport between paddocks.
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.

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