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AGCO's Fendt Rogator 900 Series Applicator has won a 2022 Davidson Prize, as have John Deere for its See & Spray Select technology and VeriGrain for its grain sampling and data management system.

The Davidson Prizes were announced at the 2022 Commodity Classic, which continues Friday in New Orleans and ends Saturday. The award is a joint program of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological engineers. It is named for JB Davidson, the father of modern agricultural engineering.

Read on to learn more about each company's award.

AGCO'S FENDT ROGATOR 900 SERIES APPLICATOR

The Fendt Rogator 900 Series is a self-propelled, rear-mounted boom applicator with one-button adjustable height -- up to 76 inches -- and the ability to transform between liquid, dry pneumatic, and dry spinner delivery systems in as little as two hours. It offers operators a full-season solution for applications of dry or liquid crop nutrients, crop protection products, and cover crop seeds.

Additional options include:

-- Automated rinsing controlled from the cab.

-- A variable fan with reversing function helps clear the engine cooling package of pollen and fine dust.

-- The cab features dual activated-carbon filters and a pressurization fan for protection from dust, aerosols and vapors.

-- The cab has 12% more glass than the previous Rogator, more shoulder room, Air-Ride seat suspension and a heated and cooled seat that provide maximum comfort for long days in the machine.

-- An EZ-Drops drop tube kit can be added for placing late-season nitrogen and cover-crop seed below the crop canopy.

The Fendt Rogator 900 Series has five models: RG932, RG934, RG934H, RG937 and RG937H, ranging from 315 to 339 horsepower. The RG932 and RG934, with 70-inch-diameter tires, have 56-inch standard clearance; the RG937 has 80-inch tires and 60-inch standard clearance. The two high-clearance, dual-position chassis models, RG934H and RG937H, change to clearance heights of 72 inches and 76 inches, respectively.

All models have AGCO Power 8.4-liter engines, with liquid capacities ranging from 900 to 1,300 gallons, or dry spinner systems with capacities ranging from 253 to 330 cubic feet.

Fendt offers steel booms of 90-, 100- and 120-foot lengths with 10-, 15- and 20-inch nozzle spacing. An optional aluminum 132-foot boom, 5% lighter than a 120-foot steel boom, is also available.

For an earlier DTN/Progressive Farmer story about the Rogator 900 Series Applicator go to: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

More information from Fendt about its Rogator 900 Series Applicator: www.fendt.com/us/sprayers/fendt-rogator-900.

JOHN DEERE'S SEE & SPRAY SELECT TECHNOLOGY

John Deere's See & Spray Select technology made its first commercial application in 2021.

See & Spray Select uses camera technology to detect color differentiations on the ground -- Select identifies weeds from soil background -- and sprays individual weeds.

The process is fairly remarkable. Thirty-six forward-facing cameras detect weeds and a processor activates the correct nozzle for treatment. See & Spray analyzes 2,112 square feet per second from a sprayer moving 12 mph. The entire process, from target detection to application, occurs in 200 milliseconds -- about the blink of an eye. See & Spray Select can detect weeds as small as 1/4-inch diameter, Deere says.

Deere says See & Spray Select has a hit rate similar to broadcast spraying while applying 77% less herbicide on average.

See & Spray uses John Deere's Exact Apply nozzle control technology that also enables farmers to use the sprayer for traditional broadcast spraying, making it the only OEM solution available with both targeted spraying and broadcast spraying in one integrated machine.

Deere initially marketed See & Spray Select to small-grains farmers who manage weed pressure on fallow acres as a part of their regular rotation. Since then, it has added a new See & Spray Ultimate weed solution.

See & Spray Ultimate provides "green on green" in-season targeted spraying for fields planted to corn, cotton and soybeans in 30-inch or wider rows, as well as broadcast spraying capabilities.

The factory-installed system will be available for model year 2023 John Deere 410R, 412R and 612R sprayers.

For a prior DTN/Progressive Farmer story about See & Spray Select, go to: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

For a recent DTN/Progressive Farmer story about See & Spray Ultimate, go to: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

For information from John Deere about See & Spray Select: https://www.deere.com/….

VERIGRAIN'S GRAIN SAMPLING AND DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

VeriGrain Corporation of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, earned a Davidson Prize for its VeriGrain grain sampling and data management system.

The VeriGrain system functions with an app that allows farmers to determine quantity and quality information about their stored grain. Farmers create a record on the app as grain is sampled -- while being loaded in or out of storage.

Farmers can add characteristics, analyze, track and share the information with potential buyers.

The app also allows for interaction with labs to receive an independent detailed analysis of the sample. Tests can be ordered directly from the app with results automatically added to the sample record, ensuring a third party is verifying the grade.

The intelligence feature shows growers the sampled layers in their bins with related characteristics and calculates a weighted average of the bin contents, stored grain quality and quantity.

For more information about the VeriGrain sampling and data management system, go to: www.verigrain.com.

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

Follow him on Twitter @DMillerPF

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