John Deere has unwrapped a big bunch of new goodies including new spraying equipment, improvements to its 9 Series tractors and updates to its air seeding tools.
The company's biggest simultaneous launch in a decade was announced by John Deere Australia and New Zealand managing director Luke Chandler.
He said See & Spray Select advanced spraying technology would be available on the new John Deere 400 and 600 Series sprayers.
As well, a new lineup of Hagie self-propelled sprayers would include three models.
Mr Chandler said the new John Deere 9 Series tractors would deliver more power and technology and superior operator comfort.
Key updates had also been made to air seeding tools including the addition of the John Deere Relative Flow blockage detection system, TruSet in-cab downforce adjustment and quick change blades.
"The 9 Series tractors can be ordered from late March while the (updated) 8 Series tractors, sprayer offering and seeding tools will be available to order by mid-2021," he said.
Mr Chandler said three new 400 (408R, 410R and 412R) and two new 600 (612R and 616R) Series sprayers had been introduced to deliver enhanced operator comfort, high-quality application and the most machine uptime possible with tank sizes ranging from 3000 to 6000 litres, depending on the model.
A new boom re-circulation feature ensured liquid solution was kept in suspension so the boom was always primed and ready to spray while the air purge system enabled improved clean out to save time and reduce waste.
Factory-installed John Deere AutoTrac kept the sprayer in the row for precise product placement while John Deere ExactApply technology meant operators could more accurately control droplet size, spray pressure and individual nozzles, he said.
Optional BoomTrac Pro 2 further honed spraying accuracy by maintaining the boom's position.
Mr Chandler said the 400 and 600 Series sprayers had fuel-saving CommandDrive powertrains that reduced engine revolutions to save fuel while maintaining a consistent speed and spray pattern.
The sprayers came standard with a JDLink connection, integrated StarFire GPS receiver, Generation 4 CommandCenter display and free access to the John Deere Operations Center.
John Deere was also offering See & Spray Select, an integrated camera technology that treated weeds only when they were detected.
The technology was developed in partnership with the University of Southern Queensland and allowed farmers to apply more expensive and complex tank mixes more efficiently as well as being able to switch from targeted to broadcast spraying without leaving the cab, he said
See & Spray rapidly detected only green plants in fallow ground and triggered an application to those plants which could cut herbicide usage by 77 per cent.
"Research has shown that weeds sprayed with complex tank mixes with more than two modes are 83 times less likely to develop resistance," he said.
An all-new lineup of three Hagie self-propelled sprayers (STS12, STS16 and STS20) were available with tanks sizes ranging from 4500 to 7500l capacity.
The sprayers were powered by John Deere PowerTech nine-litre engines that generated (223.7 kilowatts (300 horsepower) to 298.2kW (400hp).
The Hagie sprayer cab included JDLink, integrated StarFire GPS receiver, Generation 4 CommandCenter display, AutoTrac guidance as well as free access to the John Deere Operations Center.
CommandDrive monitored wheel slip and also came as standard while all wheel steer technology kept tyres in the same set of tracks while turning on headlands to reduce crop damage.
Deere's model year 2022 9 Series tractor lineup included wheel 9R, two-track 9RT and four-track 9RX machines equipped with more power, more technology and a larger, more comfortable cab.
Mr Chandler said low-end torque and lugging ability came from the all-new John Deere PowerTech 13.6l diesel engine on models with (290.8kW (390hp) to 439.9kW (590hp).
The larger 9R 640 and 9RX 640 were powered by a Cummins 15l engine.
To accommodate the added horsepower and ballast of the articulated 9 Series tractors, several undercarriage, axle, and front-frame components had been strengthened and improved.
This had increased the weight of the tractor and the maximum available ballast from 27,200 to 30,300 kilograms to put the enhanced power of the new lineup to the ground.
New 9 Series tractors come equipped from the factory with JDLink connectivity, plus an integrated StarFire GPS receiver, Generation 4 Command Center display, AutoTrac guidance and free access to the John Deere Operations Center.
The updated Deere 8 Series tractors included the wheel 8R, two-track 8RT and four-track 8RX.
Mr Chandler said Deere offered a number of models across the 8R, 8RT and 8RX lineup ranging from (171kW (230hp) to 305kW (410hp) along with multiple transmission options.
A central tyre inflation system saved time when adjusting the pressure required for field and transport operations by changing tyre pressure when "road" or "field" settings were engaged on 8R tractors equipped with Independent-Link Suspension.
New integrated 3750l capacity ExactRate tractor tanks on the 8RX tractors provided additional liquid capacity for tasks such as liquid fertiliser application while seeding and planting, enabling more time in the field and greater productivity by reducing the number of fills required.
All 8 Series tractors came standard with JDLink connectivity, plus an integrated StarFire GPS receiver, Generation 4 CommandCenter display, AutoTrac guidance, and free access to John Deere Operations Center.
Key updates for the model year 2022 lineup of air seeding tools included the addition of the John Deere RelativeFlow Blockage detection system to help farmers ensure product is being accurately and evenly distributed during seeding.
TruSet in-cab downforce adjustment allowed settings to be changed from the Generation 4 Display and eliminated the need for the operator to make manual downforce adjustments.
It improved seed-to-soil contact, plant emergence and maturity and helped operators to maximise uptime in the field compared to manually adjusting downforce at the tool, he said.
John Deere will offer an enhancement to its ProSeries openers with the addition of new quick-change blades which can reduce the time it takes to change opener blades by up to 45pc.