Equipment Roundup

In this Equipment Roundup, DTN/Progressive Farmer looks at Gibbon Fire adding new grain rescue capabilities, AGCO's Precision Planting winning the Davidson Prize, Polaris opening an equipment exchange, New Holland sending tractors to Tanzania, CNH buying a positioning tech provider and CLAAS electing a new CEO.

**

GIBBON FIRE ADDS NEW GRAIN RESCUE CAPABILITY

After conducting Minnesota's only successful grain bin rescue in 2019 of a farmer trapped up to his neck in corn, the firefighters of the Gibbon Fire Department, Gibbon, Minnesota, sat down with a question, said firefighter Nate Firle. "If we had the funding, what would we do or build to increase our success rate even more? And the R3 is the answer we came up with." Firle also is a full-time agronomist and farmer.

It was on Oct. 19, 2019, that Gibbon Fire was called to the site of a grain bin accident. The farmer was trapped up to his neck in grain, and his foot was entangled in the auger below. Rescuers deployed their grain rescue tube kit. "But the quick response of a neighbor with his grain vac was the key tool in getting him freed," Firle said in a department video about the incident. "The grain vac in conjunction with the grain rescue tube allowed us to be very strategic in how we moved that grain away from the victim."

That incident was the impetus for R3 or Rural Rescue Response trailer. R3 is a custom-built trailer 16 feet long and is, importantly, equipped with a 35-horsepower, self-powered grain vac capable of moving more than 1,000 bushels per hour. The trailer has also been fitted with compartmented spaces for grain bin rescue equipment such as 96 feet of 4-inch suction hose, a grain rescue tube, shovels, pails, power equipment, heavy-lifting bags, lights and other confined space stabilization tools.

Joining Firle in coordinating the effort to build R3 is Assistant Chief Jason Rettig and firefighters Andrea Wortz and James Theis. The group worked on R3's design and construction with Christianson Systems of Blomkest, Minnesota, (grain vac) and Alum Line of Cresco, Iowa (trailer).

For more information, visit the Gibbon Fire and Rescue YouTube channel or call 320-979-4835.

**

AGCO'S PRECISION PLANTING AWARDED FOR RADICLE AGRONOMICS SOLUTION

AGCO's precision technology brand, Precision Planting, has won the Davidson Prize for its Radicle Agronomics nutrient management solution for innovation and impact in agricultural systems. Radicle Agronomics provides growers with the world's first fully automated soil laboratory.

Radicle Agronomics is a new generation of tools that allows professionals to accurately test hundreds of unattended samples. The Radicle Agronomics tool includes the GeoPress collection module, mounted onto any field-ready vehicle. GeoPress eliminates record-keeping and bag handling by automatically blending and storing soil samples in geo-referenced, reusable containers. Then, by way of Radicle Lab, agronomists can quickly and accurately deliver nutrient management guidance to their clients.

The Davidson Prize, awarded by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), is presented to three top-scoring AE50 award winners, those awards for innovation and engineering advancement in agriculture.

For information, see https://www.precisionplanting.com/….

**

POLARIS OPENS EXCHANGE PLATFORM

Polaris Inc. has launched Polaris Xchange, a marketplace giving owners and shoppers an online store for buying -- but not trading or selling -- side-by-sides, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles and auto-cycles from participating Polaris dealers.

In the release announcing the exchange, Polaris said consumer shopping habits are evolving, and many are using online resources to research and buy powersports vehicles. Polaris Xchange gives consumers tools to find vehicles, view used vehicle history and condition reports, shop for accessories, determine values and prequalify for a loan. From there, the customer simply needs to complete the purchase and pick up the vehicle from a dealer or have it delivered.

For more information, visit www.polarisxchange.com.

**

NEW HOLLAND SENDS 200 TRACTORS TO TANZANIA

New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial, partnered with Equity for Tanzania for the acquisition of 200 tractors to assist small farmers in Tanzania.

The deal is the result of a collaboration between New Holland and Equity for Tanzania, with its mission of financing equipment without collateral for farmers who cannot access bank financing. The operation led to the delivery of 200 TT75 four-wheel-drive tractors in support of the nation's 2025 vision to increase agricultural production and improve food security.

**

CNH PURCHASES SATELLITE POSITIONING TECH COMPANY

CNH Industrial is purchasing for a reported $175 million Hemisphere GNSS, a leader in high-performance satellite positioning technology. Hemisphere is currently owned by Unistrong, a company incorporated in the People's Republic of China. This acquisition, CNH said in a release, advances its automated and autonomous solutions for the manufacturer's agriculture and construction.

"Having Hemisphere's technology in-house will enable us to accelerate a broad range of our precision technology programs, providing our customers with immediate productivity-enhancing solutions," Marc Kermisch, chief digital and information officer at CNH, said in the company's release.

Hemisphere's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) solutions provide accuracy for the agriculture, construction, mining and marine industries. The company's core technology capabilities include radio frequency signal processing, navigation algorithms and satellite-based correction designs.

Hemisphere will continue to operate as a standalone business with operations in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

**

CLAAS PICKS NEW CEO

The CLAAS Group Shareholders' Committee has appointed Jan-Hendrik Mohr as the new CEO effective April 1, 2023. Jan-Hendrik Mohr, a graduate engineer, has been with the CLAAS Group since 1984. He is currently responsible for the Business Unit Grain.

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @DMillerPF

(c) Copyright 2023 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.