The top US agricultural innovations of 2021 have been named, with a few smaller players matching it with the big names
A list of the top agricultural innovations of 2021 in the US has been announced, and while the major household OEM names dominated it, several smaller technologies have also caught the eye.
John Deere, Case IH and Kuhn were among the larger players that received multiple nominations in the list of the most innovative designs in engineering and technology for agricultural, food and biological systems.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ (ASABE) AE50 list honours the 50 best products judged as having the greatest impact in the industry.
John Deere led the AE50 list, receiving eight awards for innovations released commercially into the US in 2021 – the 1775NT 24Row30 planter, C770 cotton harvester, NDF hinged frame flexible cutterbar draper, integrated Exactrate liquid fertiliser system, the 9R Series MY22 tractors, a quick change blade feature for ProSeries opener, See & Spray select, and the W200 Series self-propelled windrowers and platforms.
The new 9R Series tractors – which includes the wheeled 9R, two-track 9RT and four-track 9RX models – underwent several upgrades including a new PowerTech 13.6L diesel engine, a larger, updated cab and reinforcements to undercarriage, axle and front-frame components.
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Case IH Patriot 4450 sprayer
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Case IH won three of the awards for its products including the Fast Riser 6100 three-section front-fold planter, Patriot 50-Series sprayers and WD5 Series self-propelled windrower.
The new sprayers feature a new cab, new display and Case’s new AIM Command Flex II advanced spray technology, which provides operators with increased accuracy and precision spraying through on and off controls for each individual nozzle.
Case IH global president Scott Harris says earning recognition at the awards is reflective of the manufacturer’s continued innovative direction.
“We pride ourselves on manufacturing high-quality equipment and solutions that help producers increase profitability,’ he says.
“Case IH equipment is designed, built and tested by farmers. This recognition from the ASABE reflects our commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet today’s farmers’ needs.”
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New Holland’s horizon cab
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New Holland also received an award on the AE50 list for its Horizon Ultra Tractor Cab. The Horizon cab has been expanded by eight per cent in size compared to previous models, however, it’s the quietness of the cab that turned heads. New Holland says the cab is the quietest in the industry, registering no more than 66 decibels while in operation.
“It is always an honour to be included in ASABE’s AE50 annual award winners,” New Holland Agriculture brand president Carlo Lambro says.
“These awards are a testament to the strength of the New Holland teams around the world: from the engineers who design our latest innovations to our field teams who work in the field side by side with our farmers to identify our next opportunities, and every step of the journey in between.”
Kuhn, meanwhile, earned three awards for its hydraulically adjustable windrow merger on the Kuhn FC 9330 D RA mower, the OptiWrap OWR 6000 wrapper and the SB 1290 iD TwinPact baler.
Kuhn’s TwinPact system uses a lower power requirement than other balers, yet can produce bales with up to 25 per cent higher bale density compared to other large square balers, while still saving on fuel.
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Kuhn SB 1290 iD baler
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Agco rounded out the major manufacturers with six awards – three of which were awarded for Fendt innovations such as the Rogator 900 Series applicator and two for Massey Ferguson, including the 8S tractor.
Yet, while the big manufacturers dominate the list, the judges also identified agricultural innovations from other innovative companies within the field.
Raven Industries – which was acquired by CNH Industrial last June, earned one award for its OmniDrive technology – the first driverless ag technology for grain cart harvest operation.
OmniDrive is an aftermarket system available to install on several current tractor models and allows operators to create a field plan, adjust speeds and command grain cart pulling, as well as other functions, on the go.
Amity Technology’s Crop Chaser 1000 dump cart won an award, with judges impressed with the cart’s use of four hydraulic remotes and live wall chains used to lift the cart and deposit harvested crops into wagons.
Smart Guided Systems won an award for its Permanent Crop Analyzer – an attachment used on ATVs and side-by-sides that maps crops in a field. The system uses LiDar technology to capture 120,000 points per second that identifies data such as field density, tree number and height, and historic scan comparisons.
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Macdon FD2 FlexDraper
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Harvesting specialist MacDon earned two awards for its M1170NT self-propelled windrower and FD2 FlexDraper. The M1170NT (narrow transport) allows the wheels to be widened or made narrower between widths of 382cm (180 inches) and 346cm (136 inches) to better manoeuvre in tight spaces and roads.
Precision Planting’s Reveal row unit innovation was one of two awards picked up by the precision ag expert, along with its adjustable SmartDepth apparatus. The Reveal technology rethinks conventional unit-mounted row cleaners, which can negatively impact row unit ride and downforce on the soil.
Using Reveal, row cleaners are frame-mounted and features its own gauge wheel to precisely control the depth of cleaning tines for ideal seeding in the field.
All AE50-listed innovations will be considered for a further shortlist of 10, as selected by a panel of international engineering experts, to go in the running to be named as one of up to three winners of ASABE’s Davidson Prize.
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Precision Planting’s Reveal row cleaner
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