A Century of Claas Quality

Claas is a farm machinery manufacturer known worldwide, now having its base in Harsewinkel, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. This year they are celebrating 100 years of success.

Claas was founded in 1913 and since then it has been gaining more and more popularity every year. Even though the company originally focused on producing reapers, nowadays they are considered to be the leader manufacturer of combine harvesters in the world. Soon the company began spreading and developing and these days the company’s products, especially Claas tractors and harvesters, can be seen all over the world. Their offer – besides harvesters and tractors – also include combines, mowers, rakes and tedders.

The most common among Claas tractors is Claas Xerion 3800. it is an impressive machine – big, strong and powerful, that can be used on most difficult grounds. Under the hood we can find a Caterpillar 8.8L 6-cyl diesel engine that can reach up to 379 hp – that speaks for itself. Besides, one of  Xerion 3800’s greatest advantages over other tractors of this class is innovative intelligent all-wheel steering that comes in as many as six different programs. This steering system makes rear axles respond directly to driver’s turns of the steering wheel.  The cab is spacious and comfy, hydraulics and performance hydraulics are comfortably controlled. Claas Xerion 3800, along with other Claas tractors, can be undoubtedly recommended to people who appreciate making life easier.

International Harvester and John Deere on National Farm Machinery Show

49^th National Farm Machinery Show took place last month starting February 12^th through February 15^th in Louisville, Kentucky. This annual happening is considered one of the biggest shows of this kind in the whole world where all attendees  and exhibitors anyhow connected or interested in farm machinery can explore the newest innovations, tools, latest trends and technology.

46^th Championship Tractor Pull was also held during National Farm Machinery Show. The competition is undoubtedly impressive – five different categories, strong machines, exciting pulls, great prizes. This year in one of the categories – 9,300lb Super Farm Tractors the unquestionable leaders were two vehicles: Dreamin Too (IH 7220) from Kentucky and Jd 4430 (John Deere 4430) from Ohio. Both machines are generally considered one of the best products of these companies, with only favorable opinions of satisfied customers.

It appears that both John Deere 4430 and IH 7220 are not only great, irreplaceable machines on farms, but also prize winners on competitions. Worth considering.  

John Deere 4520 – the one then, the one now

John Deere machines have come a long way since the first steel plow invented by the founder of the company who gave his name to this spectacular mark. It did not take much time for the company to become one of the most successful manufacturers of machinery all over the world. And it is no exaggeration to say that Deere produces legends.

Let’s take a look for example at John Deere 4520. It is not the only case where two machines go by the same name. The first model of 4520, a farm/agricultural tractor was produced from 1969 to 1970 and was a huge success back then. Of course, reality changes and many of then-innovations are simply outdated nowadays. The new version of Compact Utility Tractor John Deere 4520 entered the market in 2005 and its popularity has been growing rapidly ever since. It is definitely not a later version of 1969 model – it’s a completely new machine that poses absolutely no such problems as the previous one. New John Deere 4520 is strong, durable and reliable and for sure worth considering when we’re looking for a new addition to our farm. 

The one then

Source: http://static.mascus.com/image/product/large/axwayna/john-deere-4520,2239072-1.jpg

The one now 

Source: http://img1.findthebest.com/sites/default/files/1915/media/images/John_Deere_5075E.jpg

John Deere tractors

John Deere is one of the largest corporations manufacturing agricultural machinery, construction and forestry equipment. It is also a leading supplier of drivetrains such as gearboxes, transmissions and axles used in heavy equipment, and diesel engines. John Deere manufactures a wide range of products, which in many cases come in several models. In all of these fields John Deere either is or has a great chance of becoming a leading manufacturer due to a great confidence the users place in the company.

There is no field or particular machine that John Deere specializes in, but for sure the company is usually associated with tractors. Everybody has seen them – yellow-green machines working hard on the farm. Let’s face it, the brand has even entered popculture – there’s a computer game “John Deere Drive Green”. The list of models of John Deere tractors is almost endless, starting from lawn tractors, utility tractors, residential tractors – we can go on and on.

John Deere tractors have proven to be almost irreplaceable when it comes to any agricultural work to be done. And with a huge variety of models and products it is sure that everybody will be able to find a machine perfect for his needs.

John Deere 9630: powerful and reliable

Nowadays, John Deere 9630 agricultural tractor is one of the most powerful heavy-duty machines there were available on the global market upon its release in 2007. The whole series was produced between 2007 – 2011. The models that followed belong to the John Deere 9560R series.
John Deere 9630, a four – wheel drive tractor is a true monster, powered by John Deere 13.5L 6-cyl, turbocharged aftercooled  diesel engine featuring 530 hp, with the large wheels featuring all -terrain rubber tracks or eight equally – sized tires. The tracked model is called the 9630T and is quite different from the standard John Deere 9630 tractor. First and foremost: it is not articulated. The design slightly varies as well.
Manufactured in Waterloo, Iowa, USA, the standard  John Deere 9630 tractor comes equipped with a 530, 6-cyl diesel engine, tested at 427 drawbar. It is the articulated tractor, weighing over 25 tons. Deere& Company, more often referred to simply as John Deere, is the leading producer of agricultural machinery in the world.  The company’s slogan “Nothing Runs Like a Deere” is a deliberate play on words, basing on the similarities between Deere, which is the surname of the company’s founder,  and deer, the animal. John Deere products can also be identified easily by the standard combination of distinct shade of green and yellow, used to paint the machines.

Future’s Now: The New Generation of No-Driver Tractors

Finally it’s there!

The prototype Spirit autonomous tractor, presented  at the Big Iron Farm Show in West Fargo, ND in September, breaks the convention and avoids of the necessity for a driver to operate the vehicle from the cab. Actually, with the driver aside and the machine’s rectangular shape, it looks like rubber-tracked yellow LEGO block, more than a modern tractor. “That’s the look of the future” says Terry Anderson, the president of the Autonomous Tractor Corporation and the Spirit designer at the same time. 

Anderson makes a point that not much has changed in tractor design for the last decade, except that the machines got bigger and more sophisticated. Being the entrepreneur, with some knowledge of communication technology, industrial machine design and manufacturing, Anderson decided that some changes are inevitable. The most conspicuous difference between the Spirit and the any traditional tractor, that you spot instantly is the lack of the tractor cab. The company’s design objective was to build a low – cost and durable tractor, featured with the safe, no-driver navigation system. The Spirit model is going to have long, 25.000 – hr. service life, a 500 – hr. service interval and a maximum 2-hr. repair time, with the selling price of $500 per horsepower. That includes a hybrid laser-radio navigation system, eliminating the chances to stray outside field boundaries.

Transgenic Trees May Boost a Green Revolution for Some Forest Crops

It seems that the same “green revolution” ideas that have given the incentive for the crop agriculture revolution and helped to fight the malnutrition in many countries all over the world may now prove equally useful in forestry. 

Scientists claim that “green” concepts once used, could work again to the benefit of wood biomass production or even greenhouse gas mitigation.
The researchers at Oregon State University have recently launched their latest findings concerning the reduced height growth in trees (as a result of genetic modification) and the positive influence it could exert on bioenergy or serve for more efficient water use.
That’s an important news for the agriculture: it turns out that the methods which made crops (i.e. wheat and rice) produce more food on smaller plants, could be applied in forestry. The research has made it obvious that genetic modification of height growth is within human’s reach and the genes that control plant growth are also responsible for the growth of trees. The semi –dwarf trees that were produced by conventional tree breeding techniques already remain the important part of the horticulture industry, enabling easier  fruit harvesting and higher yields.

New Holland Trade Centre at World Dairy Expo for the First Time

The largest new commercial space that has ever been seen at World Dairy Expo since 1995 was shown on 2^nd October at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.
The 26,000 – square - foot- indoor space of New Holland Trade  Center, named after its sponsor, allows the room for 130 exhibitors, and the waiting list has been full so far. The additional space enables displaying more technology and management tools to be viewed by the customers. It’s the enormous tent on the Outdoor Mall, which makes it impossible to miss. The New Holland Trade Center is willingly used by all kinds of manufacturers, including those producing farm machinery and equipment, dairy products and accessories among others. The exhibitors are pleased with the new space to explore as so much extra room gives better exposure and provides better flow of traffic.

Protecting Ecosystems Proves Beneficial for the Society

We all know that ecosystems are extremely important to the general well-being and integrity of the human race as they provide people with whatever they need  to live: food, clean air and fresh water. Apart from that, ecosystems can also be considered as some fine sources of the outdoor recreation opportunities.
The PEER Research on EcoSystem Services initiative brings closer the idea of how various EU policies can contribute to the increase of the benefits provided by ecosystems and  supports the inclusion of the ecosystem services approach into the European policy measures which affect the use or the condition of natural resources.
The outcomes of this research initiative were presented in September in Brussles to the international board of experts, helping DG Environment of the European Commission to introduce the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.
That plan includes, among others, giving the incentive to the Common Agricultural Policy and restoring wetlands, thereby improving water quality. Moreover, as bees and bumblebees are so important being the main pollinators, high resolution data of forests were used to map the ecosystems in which bees and bumblebees build nests and localize the flowers. The information of that kind is crucial to persuade farmers to protect these areas as they increase their agricultural output. The mapping and evaluating the possible ecosystem services are essential, yet not sufficient enough to obtain the ecosystem service targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
The rational and cost-efficient management of ecosystems should be also focused on those EU policies which influence ecosystems (both, directly and indirectly) i.e. the policies created to cause social and economic changes  (referring to agriculture, international trade, nature conservation and land use).

Experts Reluctant to Blame Pesticides for the Honeybee Decline

It seems that general conviction on pesticides being responsible for the gradual annihilation of honeybees has to be revised as the UK scientists deny there’s the immediate connection between pesticides and the bees colony collapse.
Now, a more thorough research has to be conducted to predict the impact of the popular agricultural insecticides ( often referred to as neonicotinoids) on honeybee population.
The scientists from the University of Exeter and Food and Environment Agency point out that there are several inconsistencies in the report published in Science, April 2012 which predicted that neonicotinoids could be the main reason for the honeybee colony collapse. The neonicotinoids are commonly used in agriculture as insecticides. Unfortunately, honeybees ingest residues of the pesticides while gathering nectar and pollen from treated plants. The April report has been widely cited by scientists and politicians who claimed the impact of these pesticides on honeybees is detrimental. As a result, French government has decided to put a ban on the use of thiametoxam, the active neonicotinoid included in Cruiser OSR, the pesticide produced by Syngenta, the Swiss company.
Yet, the new research underestimates the findings of the previous one, arguing that the calculations in April report were wrong as they failed to reflect the rate at which honeybee colonies recover from losing its individuals. The previous research indicated that bees died more often having drunk nectar laced with neonicotinoid pesticide, which is thiamethoxam. Now, the recent research published in September proved that the calculation may have used an inappropriately low birth rate.
It seems that neonicotinoids do affect honeybees, but there is no infallible proof that it puts bees colony at the risk of a collapse. Still, there is an urge to introduce a proper plan that would protect bees from the exposure to chemicals used by humans to boost their crops.