Post*Hwrvcst Itcvicwr —-
li ••1
New Tools
MOLINE, HI. Effi
ciency, control, and accuracy
are virtually cliches around
the corporate water cooler,
but the themes of good busi
ness ring as true in a farm
field as they do in an urban
business park. Some of the
latest equipment to hit the
market takes these corporate
buzzwords to new levels.
Typically, gaining effi
ciency means sacrificing con
trol and accuracy to a certain
extent. But John Deere re
cently unveiled several new
products that it says accom
plish all three goals.
One of these products is
the 2700 Mulch Ripper,
which mulches with a disk,
shatters with a ripper, and
levels soil with a conditioner
all in one pass. Performing
multiple field operations on a
single pass saves fuel, limits
hours un equipment, reduces
soil compaction, and per
haps, most importantly,
saves time.
John Deere Tillage Divi
sion marketing manager
Matt Weinheimer said the
new mulch ripper tool is flex
ible as well as efficient. “This
tool allows growers to adjust
their tillage for specific field
conditions and precisely con
trol the amount of residue left
behind.”
In addition to improved ef
ficiency, new tillage tools
offer options to greatly im
prove the control of the tool
and the depth of tillage. Au
tomatic implement control
systems take the guesswork,
and cost, out of field opera
tions, allowing farmers to
FULL LINE DE
• AGRICULTUR
• LAWN & GAR
• SKID STEER
Old Wisdom
adjust implements from the
tractor cab all with the
touch of a keypad.
“The ability to adapt to
changing field conditions on
the-go by accurately control
ling tool depth from the cab
helps the operator manage
soil moisture reserves and in
crease operating speed and
efficiency,” said Wein
heimer.
The new 2400 chisel plow
from John Deere combines
depth control technology
such as AccuDepth, a float
ing hitch and True Position
cushion standards in one
piece of equipment. The Ac
cuDepth system’s in-cab digi
tal display shows the depth in
inches for each frame seg
ment and provides auto
matic, on-the-go correction
for primary and intermediate
chisel depths and side-to-side
leveling.
New electronics also play a
role in tillage accuracy, be
cause though some people are
blessed with an inherent
sense of direction, most ev
eryone else could use a little
guidance. In addition, even
the best driver can get a little
off track after hours in the
cab. That’s where parallel
tracldng guidance systems
Can hiake a difference.
Parallel tracking systems
use GPS signals to keep a
tractor on course throughout
a field, reducing passes and
saving time and money.
According to Terry Porter
of John Deere’s Agricultural
Management Solutions
(AMS) group, John Deere
machines utilize the Star Fire
ADVERTISEMENT
New tillage tools perform multiple field operations on a single pass, saving
fuel, limiting hours on equipment, reducing soil compaction, and, perhaps most
importantly, saving time.
GPS receiver to support par
allel tracking, helping the op
erator through both visual
and audible signals main
tain a perfectly straight path
Fall Tillage Promotes
Good Soil Management
MOLINE, 111. Fall soil
management using proper
tillage techniques can reap
significant benefits when
spring rolls around.
Generally there are three
Best Selection In
Pennsylvania
©CHRISTMAS
GIFTS
JOHNDeSHE
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 4, 2000-A25
relative to the first pass down
the field.
“Using this system, opera
tors can apply fertilizer or
chemical day and night with
out worrying about skips and
objectives for fall tillage pro
grams, said John Deere til
lage division marketing
manager Matt Weinheimer:
(1) eliminate compaction, (2)
enhance incorporation of nu
trients and chemicals, and (3)
manage surface residue.
“Fracturing the upper soil
layer in the fall promotes
water and nutrient infiltra
tion and facilities root pene
tration, and mechanical
incorporation promotes uni
form and efficient distribu
tion of residues and
nutrients,” said Weinheimer.
When selecting a primary
tillage tool, Weinheimer sug
gests that producers consider
several factors, including soil
type, residue preference, con
servation tillage require
ments, and tractor power.
Noninversion tillage tools
such as disks, chisel plows,
mulch tillers, V-rippers, and
disk rippers offer the most
flexibility.
“These tools are designed
to till deep, but disturb as
little as possible on the sur-
fray.
X Power
overlaps. Or they can hook
up the widest implement and
drive straight down the field
without having to constantly
pivot in the seat to check the
tool’s position,” said Porter.
face, which is ideal when you
want to leave the surface
rough to absorb moisture or
warm the soil,” said
Weinheimer. “With adjust
ments and optional attach
ments, you can control the
amount of residue left in
place after the tillage pass.”
To limit soil compaction
and enhance operational effi
ciency, Weinheimer recom
mends using a combination
tool such as the John Deere
2700 Mulch Ripper, which
mulches with a disk, shatters
with a ripper, and levels soil
with a conditioner all in
one pass.
“This tool does three jobs
in one pass and gives the op
erator complete control of the
soil profile. It mulches using
fully adjustable disk gangs at
the front. The ripper stand
ards maximize soil-fracturing
and enhance residue flow,
and the rear disk conditioner
provides soil leveling and op
timal residue sizing,” said
Weinheimer.
\ •* /• y
1 <«. y> /