The ExactEmerge row unit will be made available on trailed planters in North America early this year. More than 30 000ha of maize and soya beans have been planted so far with pre-production row units, in a variety of conditions, with extremely high customer satisfaction.
Field evaluations are planned in due course for additional seed species (sorghum, sugar beet, sunflower and canola). A mounted version is currently being developed for Europe. unit will be made available on trailed planters in North America early this year. More than 30 000ha of maize and soya beans have been planted so far with pre-production row units, in a variety of conditions, with extremely high customer satisfaction.
Field evaluations are planned in due course for additional seed species (sorghum, sugar beet, sunflower and canola). A mounted version is currently being developed for Europe. the enemy of quality and precision, and this applies as much to planting as any other human activity. But it seems as if John Deere’s SIMA award-winning high-speed precision seed drill is bucking the trend. It is now possible to plant at up to 16km/h while still achieving extremely accurate seed spacing and placement.
The main innovation of the ExactEmerge row unit for maize and soya beans is the way the kernels are carried from the singulation device down to the trench. This is normally done by gravity, with varying accuracy. With the ExactEmerge, the kernel is forced from the singulation device into the patented BrushBelt bristles, which transport it down to the trench.
Here, it is then released rearward with zero ground speed, which eliminates all risk of bouncing or rolling, even at 16km/h. Two independent maintenance-free electric motors drive the singulation device and the BrushBelt at speeds corresponding to the forward speed. The Fast Start device eliminates skipping when planting is restarted after a stop. The adjustable pneumatic downforce system maintains ground contact at a high speed, and provides uniform depth for uniform emergence, row by row.
In short, the ExactEmerge doubles planting productivity in all conditions from full tillage to no-till with virtually perfect seed spacing. The system can be integrated into JD FarmSight, enabling wireless data transfer to anywhere in the world.
Speed and accuracy
At a speed of 16km/h and a row spacing of 750mm, with respective seed populations of 80 000/ ha and 450 000/ ha, a
row unit has to deliver, with perfect spacing, 35 maize kernels or 160 soya bean seeds per second! Planters that use gravity to take the kernels down the seed tube to the trench cannot achieve the necessary accuracy above 6km/h to 8km/h.
The way ahead
The ExactEmerge row unit will be made available on trailed planters in North America early this year. More than 30 000ha of maize and soya beans have been planted so far with pre-production row units, in a variety of conditions, with extremely high customer satisfaction. Field evaluations are planned in due course for additional seed species (sorghum, sugar beet, sunflower and canola). A mounted version is currently being developed for Europe.
