Deere rolls out advanced air drills for small grains

Small grain producers are set to benefit from John Deere’s latest release – the N500C series air drills that Deere claims answer to farmers’ demands for a more accurate and productive drill.

The N500C builds on the features of John Deere’s 1990CCS air seeder and features the latest technology such as new ProSeries openers for accuracy; as well as a number of improvements to the build of the machine to improve capacity and meter access.

"Easier meter access, improved seeding accuracy and increased capacity with less compaction were the most common requests we heard from customers," said John Deere Seeding marketing manager, Ryan Hough.

"The N500C Air Drill was designed to give operators much easier meter access, and the latest in integrated technology for improved seed placement accuracy, control and confidence, to help them do the best seeding job possible for cereals, canola, soybeans and other crops."

John Deere has made some improvements to the machine itself including have the blower mounted in the forward position and on a raised platform to give operators easier access to the meter to clear blockages. Unlike chain-driven air seeders, the N500C features electric-drive volumetric meters that John Deere said offer greater seed population control and four-section variable-rate seeding capabilities with SectionCommand.

Some of the new technologies that John Deere has added to the N500C Air Drills include ActiveCal tank scales for on-the-go seeding calibration from the cab; RelativeFlow blockage for row-to-row seed-flow monitoring; TruSet down force control from the cab, and the SeederPlus app for convenient calibration of meters and weight monitoring for tank scales.

"The N500C Air Drills may be the most advanced small grains seeders on the market, giving operators much more control of seeding operations and the ability to monitor and adjust seeding rates, down pressure and other machine functions on-the-go from the cab," Hough said.

"We've even made curve compensation available on air drills for the first time to reduce overlaps and skips around contours and obstacles in the field."

The N500C Air Drills also feature the new no-till ProSeries Openers for improved seed placement accuracy across a wide variety of soils and ground conditions, John Deere said. The ProSeries Openers are designed with a narrow seed boot and narrow, flexible press wheel that provides up to 40 per cent more consistent seed depth across the width of the seeder, Deere claimed.

The N500C Air Drill is available in 9.14, 11, 12.2, 12.8m (30-, 36-, 40- and 42-foot) widths with 3,523 or 4,228-litre central commodity tanks, depending on tool width. The machines have front and rear ranks – with either 190 and 380mm (7.5-inch and 15-inch) row spacings, or 250 and 510mm (10- and 20-inch) row spacings – that can be hydraulically raised and locked. Machines with a single rank with 190mm (15-inch) row spacings are available.

John Deere has also changed the naming conventions of its air drills. "N" stands for machine type, or no-till drill; "5" is the series number; followed by the two-digit tool width; and "C" or product differentiator at the end, stands for Central Commodity System.

"More importantly, the introduction of the N500C Air Drills with no-till ProSeries Openers is a continuation of John Deere's commitment to meeting the needs of cereal, canola, soybean and other crop growers," said John Deere Seeding product manager, Tyler Rumbold.

"These new tools offer significant improvements in seeding rate and placement accuracy, capacity, and other production benefits that provide real economic return."

The new N500C Air Drills are available to order now, with production starting in September 2019.

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