For over 35 years, members of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) have recognized and honored the most innovative advancements in engineering in the areas of agriculture, food and biological systems with the AE50 Award. The Products selected save producers time and reduce cost and labor, all while improving safety.
To be eligible for the award, each development — which could be a component, machine, structure, system, end product or procedure — must embody the application of new technology or the innovative application of an older technology. The technology must be new to the entire industry, not to an individual company. Each year, an international panel of industry experts in technology, design and product development gather to evaluate the entries and select up to 50 products for recognition.
Yokohama TWS Trelleborg TM1 ECO Power
The TM1 ECO Power is a new cutting-edge tire solution that combines sustainability, low rolling resistance, superior comfort, and high traction on hard soil. With its components sourced from sustainable materials, this product not only meets environmental needs but also delivers exceptional performance, says Yokohama’s Norberto Herbener. As agriculture evolves, the demand for greater efficiency and sustainability is growing. The new TM1 ECO Power tire, with its unparalleled and ultra-low rolling resistance, maximizes battery usage and reduces fuel consumption. “The advanced tire design ensures superior traction on hard soil, enhancing stability, tractor control, maneuverability and operator safety,” Herbener says. “This results in 26% lower slippage compared to premium standard agricultural tire. This also results in a fuel consumption savings of 3%.
Yokohama TWS, Wakefield, Mass.
New Leader NL720 Fertilizer Spinner Spreader
The NL720 is a high efficiency, high precision, high output, widespread fertilizer spinner spreader. Precision and accuracy are achieved by controlling the granular product from the bin to the patented material delivery and spinner system. The spinner system is composed of multiple independent chutes to precisely control the material to the spinner disc. This allows for better control of the pattern shape and width. “The 120-foot spread produces a 33% increase in acres covered per hour while throughput increases 25% over leading spreaders for unrivaled efficiency,” says New Leader’s Benjamin Boelter. A new advanced and intuitive control system allows the focus to be on spreading not setup. No manual adjustments are made anywhere on the spreader. Maintenance is low with zero grease points and tool free removal of components. The entire spreader was a ground up design to ensure no compromises were made when looking at the precision or performance of the spreader.
New Leader, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Salford Precision Row-Crop Cultivator
Salford’s Row-Crop Precision (RCP) Cultivator combines Salford durability with the most advanced row-crop cultivator technology, says Kendal Doerksen. The RCP’s innovative sweep design allows for cultivation speeds of up to 12 mph which significantly reduces the time required to complete each cultivation pass. The RCP features cutting edge camera row guidance technology to accurately detect crop rows, working with the 20-inch side shift system to avoid crop damage. The RCP offers section control as standard feature that automatically lifts rows based on a coverage map. This reduces potential crop damage on headlands and point rows. The RCP row units easily adjust to adapt to changing crop conditions. Hydraulic down pressure ensures each row remains engaged, and separate down pressure adjustments can be made for wheel track rows to combat compaction in these areas. All adjustments can be controlled through the in-cab display, giving operators complete control over their cultivation practices.
Salford Group Inc., Salford, Ont.
Precision Planting ReconBlockage for Strip-Till
A blocked run on your strip-till bar can cost time and money. Using acoustic sensors to detect flow variance by section, ReconBlockage instantly alerts you of blocked runs, preventing skips and associated yield loss. Acoustic sensors work like a stethoscope, preventing issues with buildup that can plague optical sensors; the acoustic sensors signal is processed and sent to an iPad app, alerting the operator to issues with fertilizer flow. The sound that the sensor hears travels down an auditory tube to an ECU, where the sound is interpreted. From there, the gateway wirelessly connects to an iPad in the cab. “When applying banded fertilizer, farmers need to know that they are applying properly on each row,” says Precision Planting’s Bryce Baker. “A row that is not applying properly has a direct impact on the yield potential of the seeds planted in the row. With optical sensors used to sense fertilizer, there is the possibility that dust in the fertilizer mix or other issues in the sensing area can cause the optics to read incorrectly and cause erratic and/or incorrect readings, leading the operator to either a false confidence or chasing issues that do not exist.”
Precision Planting, Tremont, Ill.
MacDon FC Series FlexCorn Header
MacDon’s FC Series FlexCorn Header brings the industry-leading one-pass residue management of the OctiRoll Residue Management System to a flexing corn header platform. “Harvesting corn in terraced fields can be very challenging. The operator needs to be extremely vigilant to prevent missed corn or digging into the ground,” says Mark Zastrow. “Ground-engaging skidshoes force the wings to respond to ground fluctuation, and customers report reduced stress while operating.” The FC Series FlexCorn Header uses 2 pivoting wings with more than 15 degrees of movement to independently track steep terraces and uneven ground conditions for a more thorough and even cut so you can use a wider header without leaving corn in the field. Featuring MacDon’s FluidMotion Hydraulic Flex, the FC Series provides fluid, ground following flex, ensuring operators get the most from your corn harvest. Operators can adjust the flex cylinder pressures to support over 98% of the header’s weight on the go from inside the cab using integrated ISOBUS control. Available for John Deere, New Holland, Case IH and Claas combines in 12 and 16 row 30 inch spacing.
MacDon Industries, Winnipeg, Man.
Salford Valmar AB640 Pull-Type Air Boom Applicator
Salford’s Valmar AB640 pull-type air boom applicator pairs the newly designed 90-foot stainless steel booms with the industry’s leading high capacity 640 cubic foot hopper. Achieving application speeds up to 14 mph, the AB640 covers up to 137 acres per hour, significantly boosting operational productivity vs. the industry standard 70-foot booms. The AB640 features a 100 cubic-foot micro bin with dedicated metering to increase the versatility of the applicator. This allows for consistent, low-rate, application of grass seed, canola or a wide range of granular products with the option to apply 2 products in the same pass. Incorporating the Raven RCM ensures accurate coverage with variable rate and section control capabilities, says Salford’s Kendal Doerksen, reducing overlap and minimizing excess fertilizer application. The efficiency of the AB640 offers significant return of investment, covering more acres per hour with fewer field passes which reduces yield impacting compaction and lowers fuel consumption.
Salford Group Inc., Salford, Ont.
Firestone Ag Bridgestone VX-TRACTOR Tire
The VX-TRACTOR tire from Firestone Ag was engineered for operations traveling significant distances or constantly hauling between field and storage, plus custom operators and delivers 45% more wear life. This is due to up to 20% more lug volume and a new triple-defense compound, for excellent wear resistance, protection against stubble and durability, according to Bill Durivage with Firestone Ag. Wide, overlapping lugs increase stable contact and reduce travel vibration at the 40-mph speed rating, crucial for fast on-road transport. “The robust casing is rated at 32 psi, to carry heavy loads, while the flexible, durable sidewall provides smooth travel for operator comfort through varied terrain or road conditions,” he says. “Patented Involute lug design reduces slip and energy loss, for reliable traction in various soil conditions plus effective cleanout.”
Firestone Ag, Nashville, Tenn.
MacDon R1 FR
MacDon’s R1 FR offers the industry’s widest front-mounted rotary disc header to a tractor 3-point hitch system. This design matches current production systems by maintaining 16- or 13-foot cut widths to maintain operational logistics with common raking and merging practices. The R1 FR also allows for doubled productivity of a single power unit when paired with a MacDon R1 pull-type rotary header to provide up to an impressive 32 feet of cutting width. MacDon’s R1 FR is offered with the industry’s widest steel inter-meshing rollers to handle crop dry-down requirements, says MacDon’s Garrett Malkowich. With a full-width baffle mounted to the conditioner and protective forming shields, the FR can provide a narrow 5-foot windrow fitting under the tractor’s tires.
MacDon Industries, Winnipeg, Man.
Lindsay FieldNET Advisor Whole Farm Water Management
Lindsay’s FieldNET Advisor digital irrigation scheduling product has been updated to 1) use remote sensing to calculate crop evapotranspiration and 2) allow growers to easily enroll their entire operation in 30 seconds or less. This benefits growers as they can easily adopt a digital water management solution for their entire operation that provides satellite imagery, weather, soil moisture predictions, and an irrigation recommendation that they can easily execute via their cell phone, says Lindsay’s Justin Gibson. Grower feedback has been extremely positive with this new update and we’ve seen significant growth in adoption due to the ease of use and increased confidence now that the product uses satellite imagery directly in the calculation of evapotranspiration.
Lindsay Corp., Omaha, Neb.
Bondioli & Pavesi E.D.I Driveshaft
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) driveshafts are equipped with sensors and ECUs that can monitor the working parameters of the driveshaft, and transmit that data in real-time to improve productivity, reliability, maintenance and the operation of the complete tractor — driveshaft — implement system, according to Jon Cox with Bondioli & Pavesi. PTO driveshafts are now compatible with IoT and ready to communicate with the implement and the tractor. Sensors for torque, rotational speed, axial force and vibrations are available. The ECU can transmit and record this data, along with calculated power and joint angles. The data can be used for predictive maintenance or diagnostic functions. Operational limits can be set and monitored for improved efficiency and reliability. Communications to the tractor’s display can be done via CAN/ISOBUS connection. Mobile devices can connect via NFC or Bluetooth. Data may also be transmitted to a remote cloud service for remote access and storage.
Bondioli & Pavesi Inc., Ashland, Va.
Walkabout Mother Bin 6000+
A Walkabout Mother Bin is a fast discharge 6,000 bushel in-field mobile surge tank used to increase daily grain harvest productivity. A WMB is the difference between harvesting crop at near 100% efficiency vs. the accepted efficiency of just 60-70%. Typically, the combine with a full tank is stopped numerous times waiting for trucks whose arrival is unpredictable because of frequent delays at the elevator, says Layla Wieseler with Walkabout Mother Bins. On arrival, trucks are loaded via the WMB 900 bushel/minute auger and are back on the road within minutes, quickly clearing space for more freshly harvested grain. A new generation of high output combines (2,000+ bushels per hour) now stop regularly during the peak harvesting period because no empty grain trucks are present. A WMB breaks a long accepted grain harvest productivity bottleneck.
Walkabout Mother Bins LLC, Faulkton, S.D.
TeeJet FM9380 Electromagnetic Flow Meter
With industry-leading flow range, the TeeJet FM9380 flow meter offers tremendous flexibility, accuracy and reliability for field sprayers and fertilizer application equipment, says Rich Gould with TeeJet. Electromagnetic flow measurement offers high precision and requires no moving parts, which means no wear or maintenance. The advanced design of this flow meter results in an industry-leading flow range of 0.6-150 gallons per minute (GPM). The practical result of the wide flow range is the ability to accurately measure flow from a single nozzle to a full boom. The FM9380 offers convenient flanged liquid connections and convenient LED indicators to confirm power and flow status. Constructed from polypropylene and stainless steel, the FM9380 is compatible with most crop protection products.
TeeJet Technologies, Wheaton, Ill.
Claas of America Earlage Adapter
The New Claas Earlage Adapter couples a combine corn head to a Claas forage harvester. “This innovative product contributes lateral side to side contour of the head for precise ground following with large heads,” says Tyler Roucka. The drum on the earlage adapter is extra wide so it can more effectively move crops from the combine corn head into the narrower feed rolls of the forage harvester. The drum is bigger in diameter and closer to the feed rolls than others, which greatly reduces ear throw, but also tremendously increases capacity. The drum also floats up and down to move the crop more effectively to the feed rolls on the forage harvester. The adapter also converts the combine auto pilot so the Jaguar can read the signal. Deck plate adjustment can be adjusted from the multi-function handle from inside the Jaguar. Roucka says it has increased the capacity of the forage harvester by an average of 30% compared to other systems.
Claas of America, Omaha, Neb.
Innotag Distributors ISOBUS Row-Crop Cultivator Depth & Swath Control
“The need to provide a mechanical weeding alternative to farmers has become a reality with the newer weeds resistance to pesticide,” says Innotag’s Vincent Machabee.” In cases of high resistance, mechanical weeding will become the only option for weed removal.”
The row-by-row depth and swath control an innovative active force and swath control for row-crop cultivators. This system brings force control for maintaining ideal depth at high speeds, while also allowing for quick lifting of individual row units at the end of the row. The system can be installed from the factory on Innotag row-crop cultivators and also installed as an aftermarket upgrade on multiple models of existing row-crop cultivators. The user interface is compatible with ISOBUS displays and supports the task controller for automatic swath control. Control is done on a row-by-row basis, with each row unit having its own force measurement and adjustment. The system supports cultivators up to 24 rows with 25 row units.
Innotag Distributions Inc., Beloeil, Que.
Claas Lexion 8900TT
The class 10 Lexion 8900TT offers enhanced performance and productivity, over the current class 10 Lexion combine, for farmers and custom harvesters wanting to maximize their grain harvest potential in even the most challenging and adverse conditions. The 8900TT’s enhanced performance results from an impressive 89 (13%) horsepower increase from its 16.2 liter MAN Tier V engine that is equipped with the Claas designed Dynamic Power management system, which enables the 8900TT’s engine to automatically adjust its power output (on demand) to continually maintain optimized power and fuel consumption while ensuring maximum power when unloading on the go. “Daily maintenance is reduced by 50% compared to nearest competitors, which translates into faster up-time for a more timely and efficient harvest and faster ROI, especially when combined with the convenience of standard in-cab controlled grain tank extensions for easier and safer transport up to 25 mph transport speed,” says Claas’ Jeff Gray. He adds, the 8900TT is also compatible with competitive precision farming displays to enable customers to maintain their preferred agronomic data viewing, format, management and sharing capability.
Claas of America Inc., Omaha., Neb.
PTx Trimble OutRun
OutRun enables a tractor pulling a grain cart to operate without a driver during harvest. It comes as a self-contained kit, supports existing decade old tractor models, and allows farm operations to maintain or increase productivity when labor is hard to find. “OutRun lets farms maintain or improve productivity despite the unavailability of labor,” says PTx Trimble’s Dinen Subramaniam. “For example, one person harvesting a field (driving back to the headlands to unload) is expected to be close to 65-75% less efficient than that person harvesting with the help of OutRun. Similarly, a 2-person operation harvesting with OutRun is expected to be 40-50% more efficient than those two people harvesting by themselves.” Using an intuitive interface, a combine operator can stage or position a grain cart around the field. When summoned to unload a combine, the grain cart autonomously comes to, matches speed and distance to the combine, allowing for unloading on the go. The combine operator can send the grain cart to a predefined truck unload zone, where the unload is performed. OutRun navigates around the field avoiding unharvested land, reusing previously traveled paths to reduce compaction. OutRun uses its own communication infrastructure to reliably operate regardless of available cellular coverage at the field, ensuring high uptime during the critical harvest period.
PTx Trimble, Westminster, Colo.
