I am extremely excited to talk about the latest groundbreaking technology from John Deere, technology that I know will set our customers and their farming operations up for success. As always, our solutions are developed around agronomic benefits that aim to give you, our valued customer, control over more farming variables.
In many industries, the effect of a slight modification to a production system can be measured after a minute, a day, or a month. In agriculture, however, we do not have that luxury, and the effect modifications have on a crop production system can usually only be measured after the season. This is why I urge our customers to make use of our Operations Centre in order to record all actions, and, when the time comes, to measure the effect.
This data will then be available to support and improve your decision-making in the upcoming seasons. By combining and using third-party connections, all your most-loved applications can live on our platform to assist in seamless data sharing and ultimately unlock the actionable data that you need to improve your farming operations.
Our expertise is not just iron anymore, we are delivering agronomic solutions backed by groundbreaking technology.
While most of our range has evolved and expanded while including all the attributes that make the John Deere machines just as relevant as before, we are integrating more precision technology into our machines so that we can bring you the full turnkey solution. Precision technology is now no longer a mere bolt-on solution but forms a part of the machine’s DNA.
With the crop harvest around the corner, I am looking forward to more customer feedback on our S700 series Combine Harvesters and finding out the effect that this technology has on your farm’s harvesting experience. In previous seasons, the combine’s automated optimisation functionality and its ability to optimise the machine settings with remote display access were two major features that stood out to our farmers. These features allow the operator to adjust the harvester remotely and minimise losses.
In-field logistics can sometimes hold back your highly productive harvester. This is where Machine Sync eliminates the guesswork and ensures the grain cart arrives on time and automatically follows the harvester for uninterrupted unloading. The grain cart can be sped up or down from the harvester cab to ensure even loading.
In instances where the harvester has dropped any maize and the operator is unable to see the rows clearly, the John Deere industry-first AutoPath™ is able to guide the harvester so that it can pick up fallen produce and eliminate any further crop-loss. The AutoPath™ uses an implement receiver to record the rows at planting time. This technology simplifies all in-field operations from then until harvest time and ensures that implements with the same row spacing can now be used throughout the season without manually adjusting guidance lines, while the tractor display automatically generates guidance lines that are applicable to the implement’s row-unit numbers.
Like the S700 Series and its related technology, there are other existing solutions I want to see more customers benefit from this season. With weather patterns being as unpredictable as they are, anything that can save time and improve productivity will benefit crop performance. Connected Support™ allows your dealer technician to remotely access the machine and receive alerts. This shortens the troubleshooting process to ensure maximum uptime which allows all of your seed crops to benefit from a full growing season.
Another exciting development to look out for in the future is our See & Spray Technology. Since acquiring Blue River Technology in 2017, we have made it clear that our customers will have access to plant-by-plant application solutions.
See & Spray™ Select is our first product in the line-up that greatly reduces the use of chemicals. While other modes of action can be considered to prevent herbicide-resistant weeds from developing, this solution has been planned to be factory-installed so that it works with the machine and not on the machine.
All 36 cameras, on a 36m boom, detect a living plant and spray it at more than 19km/h. With the flip of a switch, the operator can change from See & Spray to broadcast spraying.
To round off the turnkey solution, you can view the recorded as-applied maps on Operations Center to have a better understanding of where the problem areas are on your farm.
All the above-mentioned products and technologies can be configured and customised to suit your needs.
To better optimise your entire operation, talk to your local dealer about your unique requirements when making your next purchase.
Jaco Beyers, Managing Director at John Deere Africa Middle East has spent 16 years with the brand, most recently as Sales Director Sub-Saharan Africa where he actively drove market share growth and Channel Development across Africa. With his extensive experience in African agriculture, Jaco is passionate about driving solutions for all farming segments on the continent.