AMES, Iowa — Ag Leader has reached an agreement with Deere to obtain the technologies and licenses necessary to manufacture and sell the Precision Planting SpeedTube and related technology, including vSet, vDrive and DeltaForce. The agreement is contingent on Deere acquiring Precision Planting from Monsanto Co.

Ag Leader will integrate Precision Planting's vSet, vDrive, SpeedTube and DeltaForce with Ag Leader's existing SeedCommand planting technology and industry-leading InCommand displays. Additionally, Ag Leader intends to build upon this technology to deliver future planting equipment innovations that support higher planting speeds. By expanding its planting offerings and enabling higher planting speeds, Ag Leader will provide farmers with an additional choice for maximizing their productivity and efficiency.

"Ag Leader is continuously looking for opportunities to expand our already impressive line of precision farming technologies. When this prospect arose, we knew it was worth looking into for our customers and dealers, as high-speed planting is an emerging precision agriculture technology," said Al Myers, president, Ag Leader Technology.

Ag Leader will remain an independent competitor in the precision agriculture industry, and will offer planting equipment products with higher speed capabilities as an integrated piece of its planting line, SeedCommand.

Myers said, "The licensing agreement will add cutting-edge precision products and technologies, including SpeedTube, to Ag Leader's product line, expanding upon our year-round, best-in-class solutions from planting through harvest."

Source: Ag Leader