Precision Farming Dealer's editors attended all 3 days of the 2022 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Here are their top takeaways for precision dealers:
1. Autonomy was on full display.
The 2022 show featured multiple products in the autonomy space. Notable among these were:
- Case IH and Raven Industries' autonomous spreader, the Case IH Trident 5550 applicator, which debuted at the show.
- Solinftec's Solix Scouting robot, which uses cameras and artificial intelligence to spot spray weeds as it sees them.
- John Deere's AutoTrac equipped Gator Utility Vehicle, which the editors got to "drive" themselves at the show, as seen in the video below.
2. Precision agriculture technology was everywhere.
It seemed like around every corner, there was new precision tech to observe. One such example is Greeneye Technology's green-on-green spray system, which reduces herbicide usage by 90% (see video below). AGCO took a 2.9% stake in Greeneye last year.
3. New strip-till manufacturers were on the scene.
This year's show hosted several strip-till equipment manufacturers, including two new companies. As we've highlighted before, the growing practice of strip-till farming presents an opportunity for dealerships and their precision departments to establish authority and increase revenue.
First up, Aguru Machinery launched its Row Crop 500 Toolbar Chassis (see video below).
Second, BlackEagle Ag Solutions, an Australian/U.S. company which showcased its new trip-till unit, the BlackEagle Strip-Till.
Our editors also met with Lynx and Zimmerman, both strip-till manufacturers, at the show. You can watch videos of Zimmerman's offerings here, and stay tuned for a product tour video from Lynx.
4. Manufacturers showcased electric machines.
Two notable electric machines at the 2022 show were:
- The Solectrac e25 Compact Electric Tractor, which features 3-6 hours of runtime with a 22 kWh battery pack, depending on load. Solectrac recently announced a partnership with Nolan Manufacturing.
- The RYSE RECON, an all-electric ultralight vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that uses rechargeable battery packs, as seen in the video below.
With many manufacturers of autonomous machines and prototypes choosing electric power, Precision Farming Dealer's editors asked , vice president of product development at Raven, if the driverless OMNiPOWER platform was destined for electrification, too. Preheim said he didn't know if OMNiPOWER would become electric, but he said CNI is researching alternative fuels, as previously reported.
"We're largely letting our customers provide direction on where we go with the technology on those platforms," Preheim says. "If the customers are driving for electrification, we'll move in that direction, but autonomy, not alternative fuels, is the focus today."
