The AE50 is an award like no other.
Engineers working in the field of agriculture determine the best new products or technologies to reach the agricultural marketplace in the past year.
This year, a lone Canadian company was selected as producing one of the 50 best innovations in agricultural engineering in North America in 2008.
“We’ve won a few (AE50 awards), but this one I think is very special for us,” Pat Beaujot of Seed Hawk in Langbank, Sask., said about the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers awards.
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“We’ve developed some technology that we feel really aids society while putting some money in farmer’s pockets. It’s unique.”
The company’s winning entry is sectional control technology, a seeding system that allows producers to shut off their drill’s seed and fertilizer tubes and pull up the shanks in banks of 10 as the machine passes over previously seeded land.
It results in less wasted seed and fertilizer, a savings to farmers and the environment and improved seedbed conditions.
It’s not the only 2008 AE50 winner that could benefit prairie agriculture:
- The Australian Glenvar Bale Direct System connects balers to combines for complete grain, straw and weed seed removal from the field in a single operation.
- The Frontpower power take-off system from California’s Laforge Systems creates a self contained, gear driven p.t.o. that can be added to a variety of tractors.
- Big Ass Fans of Kentucky received an award for its new one-horsepower Pivot fan, a large capacity, quiet fan that can be shifted through 73 positions for nearly any angle of operation.
- Harrison Ag Technologies of South Dakota won for its independent nozzle control for sprayers that cut off pesticides and fertilizers at the nozzle through GPS controlled application mapping.
- New Holland’s bidirectional tractor includes an eight range hydrostatic transmission with integrated hydraulics, and its Steiger and Quad-trac high horsepower tractors feature diesel-saving computer programming.
- Deere’s self levelling cleaning shoe was recognized, as was the company’s 600D draper header.
- Claas’ Cam Pilot steers self propelled forage harvesters using cameras rather than GPS or lasers.
For more information, visit www.producer.com. The Western Producer will feature several of the products in upcoming issues.
