Smart seeding with Deere C650 air cart

Members of a South Australian grain farming family say they have slashed their input costs by trialling John Deere’s new C650 air cart at their 3000ha property near Barabba.

The Lush family trialled a C650 tow-behind cart with the liquid systems fertiliser distribution option during this year’s seeding.

Available in tow-behind or tow-between configurations, John Deere is promoting the C650 to growers seeking a mid to large size and smart seeding option with controlled traffic farming capabilities on the tow-between.

Paul Lush, who farms with his father John and son Nicholas, grows wheat, canola, lentils and faba beans across two nearby properties, Riverview and Adare.

Paul said he was confident the C650 was ideally matched to his seeding requirements, with John Deere Section Control delivering cost-saving benefits.

Section Control improves placement of agricultural inputs and reduces operator fatigue by automatically turning implement sections on and off.

“We had been using the John Deere 1910 tow-behind, however, this new and larger offering just suits the size of our operation, while the technology in this machine is simply fantastic,” Mr Lush said.

“Our calculations have shown us that we have reduced inputs by up to 10 per cent in some paddocks, and an average 5.5 per cent across the entire farm. When you add that up across seed, granular fertiliser and liquid inputs, that is a significant saving.”

John Deere production and precision ag tactical segment manager, Marko Koelln, said the C650 was available in tow-behind or tow-between configurations.

“This cart fills a need for producers and contractors who are looking for an air cart with a capacity of more than 550 bushel, without having to make the leap up to our 850 bushel cart,” he said. “The tow-between can also be configured for CTF 3m spacing, which we know is important to many Australian growers across key production zones.”

The cart’s 650 bushel capacity, high-flotation tyres and fill rate of up to 100 bushel per minute combine to bolster production efficiencies by allowing customers to seed more hectares per day, in less time.

“Key technologies include a durable, digital cart-side display to make filling and calibration push-button easy,” Mr Koelln said. “ActiveCal is an on-the-go feature that allows operators to automatically calibrate meters right from the Gen 4 Display in the cab.

“An integrated wiring harness provides connections for five camera locations, one in each tank and a fifth that provides a rear-hitch view.”

The C650 also offers a liquid capable centre tank for growers who choose to incorporate liquid fertiliser into their seeding operations.

While liquid fertiliser distribution systems are not factory-installed options, they are available through John Deere allied supplier, liquid systems.

Additional features found on the bigger John Deere C850 cart are also fitted on the C650 — including hydraulic rear disc brakes, in-tank camera mounts, in-tank lights, LED working lights, conveyor weather cover and digital tank air pressure monitoring.

To find out more, visit deere .com.au /en/our-company/ news-and-announcements/ press-releases/2020/ june/ 2020jun02-new-c650-air-cart/ .