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While it is difficult to predict outcomes, John Deere's Startup Collaborator program does offer a peak into the technology avenues Deere is examining or even developing. Deere does offer that its Startup Collaborator program deepens its interactions with startup companies whose technology could add value for John Deere customers in the future.

The year-long program enables John Deere and selected startup companies to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship.

For 2022, Deere has brought seven companies into its Startup Collaborator program. Here's quick summary of them.

-- Burro. Provides people-scale robotic platforms to help farm laborers work more productively today, while laying the base for comprehensive automation of labor-intensive on-farm tasks.

-- CropZone.com. CropZone is the electrifying solution available to every grower looking for a sustainable and reliable solution to control weeds and desiccate crops without residue.

-- Four Growers. Offers robotic harvesting and analytics for high-value crops, starting with greenhouse tomatoes.

-- SeeDevice. Provides enhanced image sensing capabilities and performance, using quantum-based photodetector technology for smart devices in automotive, biomedical, and machine vision applications.

-- Ucropit. Brings farmers and companies together to create, aggregate and share "Crop Stories" with verified sustainability traceability.

-- ViewAR. Company has more than 10 years of experience in creating Augmented Reality (AR) business solutions that address many customer pain points and use cases, like indoor navigation and AR for service and allows them to easily create their own high-quality AR-apps and start their augmented reality journey.

-- Yard Stick. Develops low-cost, instant, on-site soil carbon measurement technologies to enable gigaton/year carbon removal via agriculture.

DEERE PULLS IN 8 AE50 AWARDS

Each year, the America Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recognizes the 50 most innovative product-engineering designs in the food and agriculture industry with AE50 Awards.

John Deere was presented with eight 2022 AE50s. ASABE recognized Deere for:

-- See & Spray Select. See & Spray Select is a factory-installed solution for spot spraying weeds on fallow ground. See & Spray Select uses advanced camera and control technology to differentiate color on fallow ground, detects weeds, and spot sprays them.

-- MY22 9 Series tractors. Powered by an all-new John Deere PowerTech 13.6L engine, 9 Series tractors can pull wider implements faster and more precisely.

-- Integrated ExactRate Liquid Fertilizer System. The ExactRate Liquid Fertilizer System includes integrated ExactRate tanks on an 8RX four-track tractor, integrated plumbing, and integrated factory-installed fluid tanks on the planter. When full, customers can use ExactRate to cover up to 80 acres per fill when applying at 20 gallons per acre. In addition, tracks on the tractor and planter minimize soil compaction.

-- 1775NT planter. The 1775NT 24-row planter has higher capacity for seed and fertilizer -- a 30-bushel increase for seed and 150-gallon increase in liquid-fertilizer capacity compared to previous models. The 1775NT also offers a mainframe tracks option that reduces ground pressure under the center section by 70% compared to tires.

-- Quick Change Blades for ProSeries Openers. Quick Change Blades for ProSeries Openers help farmers reduce labor costs required to change the blades on no-till air seeding tools.

-- HDF Hinged Frame Flexible Cutterbar Draper. HDF drapers provide ground-following capability for on- and off-ground harvesting. The HDF header merges a flexible cutterbar, hydraulic suspension between combine and head and between center frame and wings; a hinged frame with vertically articulating wings; and in-cab, on-the-fly float pressure and cut-height adjustment.

-- W200 Series self-propelled windrowers and platforms. W200 Series self-propelled windrowers are available with optional new features that include TouchSet in-cab push-button controls operators can use to adjust swath flap and forming shields from the cab.

-- C770 cotton harvesters. Last August, John Deere introduced its new CP770 cotton picker and new CS770 cotton striper. The CP770 cotton picker can harvest more than 10 acres per hour while reducing cotton losses. The CS770 cotton stripper can harvest up to an extra 100 acres per day in dryland cotton.

For information: www.JohnDeere.com

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

Follow him on Twitter @DMillerPF

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