NEWS RELEASE December 12, 2023
Bale Doc Brings New Efficiencies to Hay Harvesting
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Bale Doc gathers information from a series of sensors on John Deere large square and seamlessly feeds data into John Deere Operations Center™.
Crestmead, Queensland (12 December, 2023) — John Deere's precision agriculture technology, purpose-designed to markedly enhance the efficiency and profitability of hay and forage growers and contractors, is now being tested in Western Australia, before being rolled out across Australia and New Zealand.
Bale Doc gathers information from a series of sensors on John Deere large square and seamlessly feeds data on crop yield, moisture and weight into John Deere Operations Center™.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Product Specialist, Hay and Forage, Roberto Scheidt, said Bale Doc aligned hay and forage producers with their grain growing colleagues in gaining access to a suite of precision ag tools.
"We developed Bale Doc because unlike in grains, hay and forage is not a commodity, so we lacked precise information from the field on the actual specifications of the crop such as yield and moisture levels, as well as productivity and fuel usage," Mr Scheidt said.
"The benefit is having all the agronomic information coming into the one place seamlessly, which is something we've been doing in grain for a while, so it's quite exciting to see Operations Center working so smoothly with a baler, to help growers and contractors improve field and bale performance, cut after cut."
"By linking hay and forage harvesting to Operations Center, we provide farmers with the tools to improve field and bale performance, cut after cut."
Grower 'impressed' after trials on oaten hay
Mr Scheidt said Bale Doc had performed well when tested in oaten hay production in Western Australia, where the crop ripened early in dry conditions.
"The cattle producer doing the trial was impressed with Bale Doc's ability to provide data on which parts of the field were high yielding, how many cuts he'd completed and whether he needed to re-seed or fertilise," Mr Scheidt said.
While Bale Doc currently encompasses large, square balers manufactured in the US, the technology is available to order currently on US 1 Series round balers with plans to expand to the European round balers in the next few years.
"So far we have been testing Bale Doc in oaten hay but there's potential to trial it in straw as well, and we will soon have another baler arriving on the east coast of Australian and one in New Zealand," he said.
"It's not only field productivity that will improve — Bale Doc and Operations Center assist with planning and logistics. You can view equipment location and work updates in near-real time, as well as receive updates every 30 seconds for moisture and yield.
"This technology is a reflection of John Deere's commitment to continually investing in innovation that drives efficiency and profitability."
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
Media Contacts:
Stacey Wordsworth
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
0438 394 371
Grace Wickson
grace.wickson@bluehillpr.com.au
0432 748 837
