John Deere makes 4 announcements ahead of 2020 National Farm Machinery Show

This week, hundreds of farmers will attend the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. John Deere made a number of announcements regarding its tractor, seeder, and planter offerings in anticipation of the 2020 event.

1745 MaxEmerge 5 Planter

The simple design of the new 1745 MaxEmerge 5 planter from John Deere is compatible with older tractors. It was created for farmers who have planter-applied fertilizer, a split-row configuration, and narrow transport in mind.

"The 1745 is an economical planter in a split-row configuration that's capable of planting soybeans on 15-inch rows and corn on 30-inch rows. Customers told us they want to be able to apply dry or liquid fertilizer while planting corn, a technique that can boost yields by approximately 10 bushels per acre when compared with the conventional method of broadcasting nitrogen fertilizer. The 1745 planter addresses these requirements," says Ryan Hough, marketing manager.

Farmers can choose between two configurations of this planter – an eight-row/30-inch or 15-row/15-inch.

Orders for the 1745 planter will open in June and will begin to ship later in fall 2020.

ExactRate Liquid Fertilizer Application System

ExactRate is a new factory-installed planter option that precisely monitors and controls liquid fertilizer application during planting. It is designed to compensate for both commanded rate changes and speed changes. Turn compensation is also a key feature.

"ExactRate gives operators row-by-row section control to help reduce fertilizer costs and the amount of chemicals applied by shutting off application in areas of overlap and nonapplication," explains Hough.

This technology is compatible with a limited number of electric-drive John Deere planters including the 1775NT, 1795, DB60, DB44, and DB66 planters. ExactRate has a hydraulic-driven pump and can be operated up to 10 mph.

Orders for ExactRate will open in June and will ship later in fall 2020.

C650 Air Cart

The C650 Air Cart has been added to John Deere's lineup of air-seeding equipment. This seeder was designed to help small grains producers and custom farmers cover more acres with less time. Both tow-behind and tow-between configurations are being offered.

The C650 has a capacity of 650 bushels, is equipped with high-flotation tires, and has a fill rate of up to 100 bushels per minute.

"This cart fills a need for producers or custom operators who are looking for an air cart with a capacity of more than 550 bushels, without having to make the leap up to our 850-bushel cart," says Hough.

Orders for the C650 Air Cart open June 1. Shipments are expected later in fall 2020.

4M Heavy Duty Compact Tractor

The company unveiled a new compact tractor designed for commercial customers and large property owners.

"With this unit we had three main objectives – increase visibility, provide industry-leading maneuverability, and reduce downtime related to changing attachments," says DeMark Cole, product manager.

Two models of the 4M Heavy Duty are available. The 4052M HD offers 52 hp. while the larger 4066M HD has 66 hp. They each have a 73-inch wheelbase, which allows operators to turn tightly in small spaces.