Reading Time: 5 minutes One evening a year or so ago I sat in a hotel lounge in rural England with a couple of other ag machinery writers. We were gathered there for a machinery event and were all staying in the same hotel. We spent part of that evening discussing the differences between farmer perceptions of machinery in […] Read more
The heart of the deal
How significant is the local dealer in determining what you buy?
Deere strengthens its tractor promise
More models and a unique fuel guarantee to boost Deere’s European presence
Reading Time: 3 minutes Several years ago, John Deere was one of the earliest brands to give the digital component of its equipment a strong emphasis. Without a doubt they were ahead of all the major brands, which have since recognized the growing importance of that technology. Now, Deere is again getting ahead of curve by using the data […] Read more
Conventional thinking
Machinery manufacturers are offering European farmers new options for in-crop weed and pest control
Reading Time: 5 minutes Walking the 15 kilometres or so of aisles at Agritechnica in November, one trend was hard to miss. It was in the tillage segment, where the number of options and the sophistication of that technology is obviously on the rise. Efficiency has always been the driving force behind farm machinery evolution, but it’s clear that […] Read more
And the Oscar goes to…
Brands claim top design awards at home and abroad
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Agritechnica machinery show in Germany, which takes place every two years, has its own set of Tractor of the Year awards. A group of European journalists pick what they collectively think are the best tractors in each of four different categories, including best field tractor, best utility, best speciality and best overall design. This […] Read more
Re-energizing electric drive
Today’s concept tractors may never get beyond the prototype stage, but that isn’t going to stop electrification
Reading Time: 6 minutes It was one of those great opportunities that I savour. I was with two very senior executives from one of the full-line manufacturers, and we were having a casual and candid conversation over lunch. We were in a private dining room on the grounds of the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany. Eventually the conversation drifted […] Read more
‘Xaver’-ing success
AGCO’s MARS project lands a new name ahead of its market release
Reading Time: 3 minutes Several months ago Country Guide reported on the field robot project called MARS, which is an acronym for Mobile Agricultural Robot Swarms. It began as a joint research project between the European Commission and AGCO’s Fendt brand. At the Agritechnica machinery show in Hanover, Germany, in November, AGCO revealed the project has moved beyond the […] Read more
It’s a new market
Get ready for some repair bills, says Case IH vice-president Jim Walker, who predicts farmers are going to have to change how quickly they cycle new machinery through their operations
Reading Time: 5 minutes When Case IH invited farm writers to Ames, Iowa to see their new line of equipment for 2018, the company’s vice-president Jim Walker was also there. At an evening dinner on the last day of the event, he presented his thoughts on the state of the ag equipment industry, and hinted at his strategy for […] Read more
Amazone sprayers go high tech
Is this the next brand you should look at in sprayers?
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s no shortage of short-line ag implement manufacturers, and in almost any of them, the corporate executives will tell you they are now playing in a crowded marketplace. But the head of Germany-based Amazone is more bullish, saying his firm has the recipe for growth, and that he’ll be able to continue finding new markets […] Read more
The 80 per cent solution
Automated equipment and big data will go a long way in agriculture, but not the whole way
Reading Time: 5 minutes At an official dinner prior to Agritechnica in Germany, I had the good fortune to be seated next to one of the conference’s guest speakers, Dr. Hans Griepentrog. He heads up the School of Agricultural Technology at Hohenheim University in Germany, and his vision of farming technology is definitely a futuristic one. Over dinner, I […] Read more
New C Series RoGators
AGCO re-engineers its sprayer line with LiquidLogic technology
Reading Time: 2 minutes If there’s one word that’s taking up a lot of air in the room when it comes to herbicide discussions this year, it’s “resistance.” The growing threat from herbicide-resistant weeds has become a reality in nearly all regions and threatens to get much worse. Everyone in the industry is looking for solutions, and AGCO thinks […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
