Huge Deere Launch Includes Combines, Beefed

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TECHNOLOGY/MACHINERY 44 www.IndianaPrairieFarmer.com - November 2007 Huge Deere launch includes combines, beefed-up tractors By WILLIE VOGT Key Points E ■ John Deere had the broadest launch in its 170-year history. ■ Line offers significant advancements for harvesting. ■ Bigger 9030-series tractors get innovative suspension. NGINEERS at farm equipment companies never stop working, and sometimes all the engineers at a major company reach a point where a lot of new equipment hits the market at once. For John Deere, the result is what Doug DeVries says is one of the broadest launches in the company’s 170-year history. “The breadth of this introduction may be our widest ever,” says DeVries, senior vice president of ag equipment marketing for North America, Australia and Asia. “We introduced these products in four waves to our dealers, and the responses have been very strong.” Dealers will get access to a new combine series, new high-horsepower four-wheel-drive tractors, revamped 6000- and 7000-series class tractors, a host of new implements, new zero-turn lawn mowers, small tractors (including a model with four-wheel drive and fourwheel steering), and new high-tech tools for precision farming. Here are a few highlights. More muscle for tractors The new 9030-series machines include eight new tire- and track-equipped models ranging from 325 to 530 horsepower. They’ve also added models built for job-site scraper applications in construction. All but the smallest machine get power from a new PowerTech Plus 13.5-liter engine that in its top trim offers 530 engine hp. The 9230 (325 hp), 9330 (375 hp) and 9430 Tire/Scraper (425) all offer either a 24-speed manual transmission as stan- Advertisement ® dard, or an optional 18-speed power shift. That 18-speed power shift is standard on the 9530 (475 hp), 9630 (530 hp) and the three track machines — the 9430T (425 hp), 9530 (475 hp) and 9630 (530 hp). Beyond the beefed up axles for wheeled machines or the Category V hitch, is the new suspension system for the track machines. To gain a smoother ride and faster speed, the Deere AirCushion system allows 6 inches of travel up and down for tracks, or a total of 13.7 inches. The design aims to boost ride comfort, increase travel speed and offer higher productivity. These tractors also feature a doublereduction axle that delivers maximum power even at low speeds. Boosting performance Purdue University Weed Specialist Encourages Good Stewardship of Roundup Ready® Technology The Roundup Ready Corn 2 System was planted on 50 million acres this season – making it the number one corn weed control program in U.S. agriculture. Growers are Dr. Bill Johnson encouraged to follow good Purdue University stewardship practices to effectively manage this technology. Purdue University extension weed scientist Dr. Bill Johnson offers the following advice for growers who use a rotation of Roundup Ready Corn 2 and Roundup Ready Soybeans to achieve effective weed control and minimize the chance of weed resistance on their farms: • Always add a residual herbicide into weed-control programs. If possible, use a residual in both Roundup Ready Corn 2 and Roundup Ready Soybeans. Incorporating a Roundup Ready residual rate (approximately two-thirds of the average residual rate) can be very useful in Roundup Ready Corn 2. • Know which weeds you have in your fields, and which ones are the most problematic to control. Understand weed-emergence patterns. INSIDE LOOK: Dealers got a dazzling show as new machines were rolled out at a Cincinnati event in August. Farmers got to see the machines at fall farm shows, including the Farm Progress Show. • Use full, labeled rates of glyphosate. Shaving rates will only serve to select out hardier weeds that might lead to the development of a weed population that is tolerant or resistant to some herbicides. • When using glyphosate, understand the product you’re using. Does it include a surfactant or other additives? How much active ingredient is in the formulation? • Understand the role that environmental conditions can have on herbicide performance. Hot, dry conditions, for example, can reduce herbicide effectiveness on some types of weeds, including lambsquarter and morningglory. • It is sometimes better to spray herbicides early in the morning instead of late in the afternoon. Weeds tend to be more stressed, and therefore more difficult to control, later in the day, especially when it’s hot and dry. • Don’t wait too late to make postemergence herbicide applications, especially in corn. In corn and soybeans, early-season weed control is critical to maintaining top yields. ® Since Deere rolled out the STS line of combines, farmers have been lining up. Now comes the 70-series version. These new machines — the 9570 STS (265 hp), the 9670 STS (305 hp), the 9770 STS (360 hp) and the 9870 STS (440 hp) — feature a broader spread in capability from their predecessors. The 9570 and 9670 are comparable to the machines they replace, but Deere claims a bigger boost in output for the 9770 and 9870 models. That top-end 9870 gets the 13.5-liter Tier III diesel engine that powers other big machines in the company line. For corn producers, the biggest news is the first major revamp in a Deere corn head since 1969. Its new 600C series has a more aggressive design to take on today’s varieties of tougher cornstalks. Video of this new series moving through the field shows less fluff buildup and faster travel speeds. The 600C series is available in five models: 606C, six row, 30 inch; 606C, six row, 36 and 38 inch; 608C, eight row, 30 inch; 608C, eight row, 36 and 38 inch; and 612C, 12 row with 20, 22 and 30 inch. The StalkMaster option is available as a trip-saving add-on for the 606C, 30 inch; 608C, 30 inch; and the 612C models. Midsize option The new 6030 and 7030 tractor series roll into the field for 2008. There are mid-specification versions for this new line, and a new 7030 premium series machine that joins the 6030 premiumseries released in 2006. The mid-spec machines will meet the needs of a wide range of operations from smaller farms (for the smaller 6030 line) to the larger farm with key chores to do (the 7030 premium). The mid-spec line will have limited options. Here’s a rundown of specifications for the new lines: 6230 (75 PTO hp); 6330 (85 PTO hp); 6430 (95 PTO hp); 7130 (100 PTO hp); 7230 (110 PTO hp); and 7330 (125 PTO hp). The 7430 is available in premium trim only at 140 PTO hp. ■ For more information, check out the series of stories and list prices under the “What’s new” tab in the shortcuts bar at www.IndianaPrairieFarmer.com. ALL-AROUND WORKHORSE: The 6030- and 7030-series tractors (at top) get a significant upgrade for 2008 with better cab visibility and improved operator controls. The 7430 is rolled out only in premium series trim. Introduced in 1992, the 6000- and 7000-series machines are big sellers for Deere. ® Always read and follow pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup agricultural herbicides. Roundup agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not glyphosate tolerant. Monsanto imagine and the Vine Design, Roundup and Roundup Ready are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ©2007 Monsanto Company. [31728-14 INPF-FP tip 10/07] ® ® ® MORE POWER: The new 9030series tractors are designed for higher productivity. During a field demo, Deere showed a four-wheeldrive machine pulling a new 2310 mulch-till tool at 9.2 mph, which is 2 mph faster than the previous model.