One of the advantages of having a dedicated team of specialists at Horizon Ag & Turf is the insight they bring back from industry events and customer conversations across the Prairies. After attending Ag in Motion, Precision Technology Manager Kevin Peyre came away with several observations on new John Deere equipment and technology releases. Here are Kevin's thoughts on some of the products and innovations that stood out most during his time at the show.

The Newly Released John Deere C1450T Air Cart

The first, and obvious, thought is that this cart is huge. It’s 5 tanks that total up to 1460bu capacity, and that's heaped capacity, not complete product volume if product is crammed into all of the corners.

Once you start to get into the details though it proves to be more than just a large cart, similar to the C1100T released earlier this year. The new 16” conveyor allows for shallower load angles and easier access to the tanks to improve the possible fill time to under 30 minutes and has a stainless steel intake. The EZLift bag lift and platform improves the ability to load bags of product. The AccuRate electric drive meters provide accuracy with turn compensation and primary run level variable rate capabilities. The high floatation tire options (Dual VF1100/60R42 rears and Dual 800/70R38 fronts) spread the weight over a large footprint to minimize compaction

Overall, it’s not going to be the right cart for every county in Western Canada, but it’s a major  release by Deere for open areas where large acres needed to be covered efficiently. Paired with the P600 series tools, it signals a continued focus from Deere in the Western Canadian marketplace. The C1450T will be available for order in spring of 2027 for the 2028 crop season. The C1100T was available for order this spring for delivery next year.

8R 540

This show was the first time I have seen the new high horsepower 8R 540 in person. It is a pretty impressive unit, both from the size but also the visibility it provides. These new larger 8Rs also come in 440 and 490 horsepower tired options, and three track options in the 8RX 440, 490, and 540.

The Electric Variable Transmission (EVT) combined with the CommandX Pro controller allows for precise control of your speed, all the way up to 60km/hr. When fully weighted up, this tractor comes in at 52,910 lb, which means it will be plenty capable in a variety of fieldwork situations.

One of the amazing things about this tractor is that for as large as they look, they maintain tight turn radiuses. An 8R 540 with row crop duals have a turn radius of 27.3’, which is comparable to an 8R 370.

We will have the 8R 540 bouncing around our stores for the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for it.

See & Spray Gen 2 Dual Product System

The new See & Spray Gen 2 system was released at the commodity classic this year and builds on the previous See & Spray platforms to provide 2 distinct modes:

•             Targeted Herbicide: Either green on brown (fallow) or green on green (in crop) application.
•             Variable Rate: Allows operators to vary rates based on living biomass sensed in the field, enabling usage for fungicide and desiccation passes.

Major changes with Gen 2 are updates to the cameras and processing units, resulting in faster spray speeds (16mph instead of the previous 15mph), and 24hr fallow application when sprayers are equipped with the boom lighting package.

Gen 2 and See & Spray Premium (the retrofit option for MY26 and older sprayers) also now allow for in-crop targeted application in wheat and barley (broadleaf weeds only at this point), and canola (no weed limitations).

The dual tank option with 120’ carbon fiber truss style boom provides enhanced ground following and allows for the flexibility to broadcast and targeted spray at the same time.

It’s exciting for us in Western Canada to have an in-crop See & Spray option for small grains, even if there are some limitations at the moment. The Gen 2 system also sets the groundwork for new functionality through software updates in the future.

SurePoint, a Deere-owned company, also had one of their Arsenal spray trailers there. With the focus on keeping sprayer efficiency up, this spray trailer provides the ability to accurately and quickly fill up and get back to work. It’s an impressive unit overall, and the QuickDraw cabinet at the heart of the trailer automates the mixing process to ensure that the right amount of each product is added to the tank mix, both reducing fill times and potential errors.

New F9 500 Forage Harvester

This one was announced last summer, but it was still nice to see it at the front and center of the Deere booth at the show.

An all-new electrical architecture allows for new tech options. The new cab features a G5Plus CommandCenter display and an optional ultimate lighting package that provides 360 degrees of LED visibility. An updated Active Fill Control system automates spout aiming to detect the trailer and move the spout accordingly to fill it evenly. Ground Speed Automation controls speed to keep the machine at optimal engine load for maximum efficiency.

The JD18X engine, specifically in the F9 500, 600, and 700 models, provides 690 to 809 rated horsepower without the need for DEF.

The model at the show also happens to be one of our inventory units. So if you’re interested in taking a closer look let us know.