The Future Is Here

A John Deere quad track is now on the market as many green lovers have anticipated for years.

This video shows the newest tractor in the John Deere line up. The link will take you to a video John Deere has created to give you full insight on why the new 9RX tractor has all the bells and whistles a farmer could ever want.  

Informative video of the John Deere 9RX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKtEQJ3HuXA

Example of benefits:

• Larger Footprint-more flotation
• Mud and debris rejection
• Doesn't require daily oil inspections
• E-18 transmission with efficiency manager adds to ease of driving
• JD Link Connect and AutoTrac ready
• Wireless data transfer

These are just a few examples of the new benefits, it even includes a refrigeration system.

In August of 2015, John Deere released the exciting news for a new tractor. John Deere has been missing a piece of their puzzle with not having a quad track but the 9RX is here to fill in that missing gap.

An article in Successful Farming by Jessie Scott, explains the heart of the 9RX, the smooth ride, and the available options.

“When we designed the undercarriage, we wanted good reliability and ease of maintenance,” explains Jerry Griffith of John Deere. “Around reliability, one of the first things you notice is the taller undercarriage and larger components used compared with competitors'. One of the main benefits of a larger undercarriage is that the belt is 20% longer, which should provide 20% longer life.”

These benefits alone can improve a balance sheet for a farmer. Most farmers buy new equipment every few years causing debt to increase. Having the time to actually pay off this tractor will only increase income for the farmer in the long run.

Jessie Scott also talks about the ease of maintenance. The new 9RX is lubed-for-life, mid-roller design allows you to go up to 1,500 hours before checking the oil level and never requires an oil change.

With this kind of technology, a farmer will be able to go longer in the field. This can maximize yields by having the seed get into the field as soon as possible. 

For more information check out these sites:

http://www.agriculture.com/machinery/tractors/new-tractor/john-deere-9rx_199-ar50011

http://JohnDeere.com/9RX

Benefits of Variable-Rate Seeding

http://www.precisionag.com/guidance/variable-rate/a-doubeshot-of-precision-ag-services/

A practice many farmers are starting to consider on their farm is variable-rate application (VRA) seeding.

This new technology is used to increase bushels in low areas, eroded hillsides, or even wet areas by increasing or decreasing the amount of seeds planted in an acre. Farmers utilize satellite images, and soil and yield maps to take a closer look at the productivity of their land.

http://www.sstsoftware.com/products/imagery-services/field-examples/

The image above is a field that shows areas where variable planting is needed. The red areas are where yields were lower and could be increased with VRA seeding.

In an article by Lon Tonnenson of Prairie Farmer, he shares the benefits of VRA seeding. On a farm in South Dakota, the most noticeable differences in yield and profits has come from the eroded hilltops. The seeding there was cut from 30,000 seeds per acre to 24,000 seeds per acre. Data collected after harvest showed yields increased by 20 to 30 bushels per acre.

Increasing bushels is the key to increasing profits in this low price market.

Reducing the seed population reduces the cost of seed per acre on the low productive areas. This increases the yields, therefore, increasing profits. Corn is a crop that on lower productive and drought prone areas will benefit from lowering the seed population to increase yields.

South Dakota State University and North Dakota State University have also been conducting research on seeding rates.

"The interaction between corn, soil, fertilizer and the weather is extremely complex, making it difficult to scientifically predict yield increases from variable-rate planting," says Kurt Reitsma, South Dakota State University Extension precision farming specialist, Sioux Falls.

Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University soil specialist has worked with variable-rate technologies, says "growers should investigate all parts of the planting process; make sure that seed spacing is as uniform as possible, as well as be able to vary seeding rates."

He also encourages farmers to work with their seed supplier when varying seeding rates with soil characteristics. This will ensure the right hybrid is placed where it is needed at the right seeding rate.

For more research information from NDSU Extension: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/cpr/plant-science/soybean-row-spacing-and-seeding-rate-05-08-14

Or, to read the full article from Lon Tonnenson from Prairie Farmer: http://farmprogress.com/library.aspx/does-variablerate-seeding-pay-2/12/1783