NEWS RELEASE February 1, 2024
Redekop's New Seed Control Unit for X9 Proven in Heavy Crop Conditions
Crestmead, Queensland (1 February, 2024) — THE power and capacity of John Deere's X-Series Combine Harvesters can now be complemented by the advanced weed control capability of Redekop's Seed Control Unit (SCU) which destroys harvestable weed seeds in a single pass.
The Redekop SCU mounts to the combine chopper and injects processed chaff directly into the residue stream for excellent distribution over the entire cutting width. In doing so, it destroys weed seed, helping to manage weed resistance for the next seasons.
SCU for X-Series will be available from 1 February, following three years of testing on X-Series working in Canada, Australia and Germany, where it performed with flying colours.
John Deere Production System Manager, Ben Kelly, said all the benefits already enjoyed by customers with SCUs on S-Series Combine Harvesters could now be enjoyed by the owners and operators of X-Series.
"The SCU is already a proven performer on the S-Series and we are excited to have worked collaboratively with the team at Redekop to adapt the technology to be suited to the power and capacity of the bigger machines," Mr Kelly said.
"This will also open the door to the X9 being an option for more farmers, knowing they can fit this highly effective weed control system, further allowing them to grow the efficiency of their small grain and cereal cropping operations."
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John Deere's X-Series Combine Harvesters can now be complemented by Redekop's Seed Control Unit (SCU).
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Redekop's Seed Control Unit destroys weed seeds in a single pass, enhancing harvest efficiency.
Collaborative design
Redekop's Trevor Thiessen said the trials of the past three years clearly demonstrated the combined John Deere and Redekop design team had created an iteration of SCU that could handle the additional volume presented by the X-Series, without compromising harvester throughput.
"The X9 has significantly more capacity, including cleaning shoe capacity, than the John Deere S-Series, so we had to make sure that the mills taking the material off the back of the harvester could handle that," Mr Thiessen explained.
"We tested the SCU in Australia and Canada, but we were most concerned with the amount of straw and material it would encounter in European conditions. Being able to prove the X9 SCU in German wheat crops that were pushing eight to nine tonnes per hectare, and some barley running at eleven-and-a-half tonnes per hectare, gave us confidence the unit could perform anywhere."
Redekop worked closely with John Deere engineering departments to fine tune and adapt air flow, shoe pressure, load limits on the drive line and other components in the new iteration of the SCU.
"To ensure the technologies work together, John Deere provided us with a pre-production X9, so we did our fit-up, fabrication and design work with that," Mr Thiessen said.
"We had drawings for the back end of the combine that we could modify in the CAD system before we tried the physical prototypes, so that made it easier to develop a solution that integrates seamlessly with the X-Series."
How it works
The Redekop SCU, mounted behind the cleaning shoe of the X-Series and fully integrated with the machine, is designed to work in all crop conditions with one set of mills, negating the need to swap mills in response to crop or harvest conditions.
The reversible mills can destroy up to 98% of harvestable seeds before the material is directed back to the residue stream, mixed with straw and spread evenly over the entire cutting width, to ensure minimal weed pressure and better crop establishment in subsequent seasons.
The SCU is fully integrated with the G5PLUS CommandCenter™ and can be easily engaged or disengaged as required.
"The integration with CommandCenter was flawless, there were just some tweaks to the software to make it all work and we have a great relationship with the John Deere engineering departments making it easy," Mr Thiessen said.
In Canadian trials, farmer co-operators were very pleased with the ability of the X9 SCU to handle crops when running side by side with X9s that weren't fitted with the unit."
Mr Thiessen is quick to give credit to Australian innovators for pioneering the systems that have led to the development of Harvest Weed Seed Control practices of today.
"Australian farmers were some of the first to understand the preventative benefits of this type of weed control and the good news is that others around the world, in the US, South America and Europe, are seeing what they're doing, so Australia should be proud of that."
To find out more contact your local John Deere dealer.
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
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0432 748 837
