If you are in the market for a new tractor and are maybe still using an older model – be prepared to learn some new tricks with your new ride.
Jerry Griffith, marketing manager for the John Deere 9030 series ag tractors, was at the 2008 Commodity Classic last week in Nashville talking with growers from all over the country interested in purchasing new machinery this year or next. He says some precision features are now standard on new tractors.
“Couple of years ago we started offered all of our AutoTrac integrated components as a free promotion,” he says. “Beyond that, all you really need is the receiver, the display and the software to do the AutoTrac system.”
Griffith says their dealers provide excellent support for growers to meet their precision needs. “A lot of them anymore have specialists who work with our AMS components to provide the solutions that our customers need in the farming world in the precision ag applications,” Jerry said.
One of the benefits of guidance systems and other precision features is helping farmers work longer hours with less fatigue and Jerry says one of the features on the new 9030 series lets them do that more comfortably with an air cushion suspension system that provides “the best ride in the industry.”
You can listen to my interview with Jerry here: 
Jerry Griffith Interview (3:40 min. mp3)
Al told me how the PrecisionAg Institute was founded in 2006 as a way to foster technology transfer, wider adoption and increasingly effective use of precision agriculture technology worldwide. “The first year we had 13 what we call founding partners,” Al said. “We used that to fund grower research on wheat, corn, soybean and cotton on precision ag acceptance.”
Lee Madden is product manager in the sprayer marketing group with John Deere and he was busy at the 
It’s the first anniversary for Precision.AgWired.com, which was launched last year at the 
One of the people I spoke with at the National Farm Machinery Show was Kayla Reynolds, John Deere AMS. I asked her to give us an overview of the Ag Management Solutions division at John Deere. It’s a bigger operation than I thought. For example she says they’ve got about 250 people working in AMS in Des Moines. That includes engineering, testing, supply management, marketing, customer support and accounting. 
Service after the sale is something you hear a lot about and at the National Farm Machinery Show, John Deere Ag Management Solutions Representative, Kim Fletcher (left), says it’s something that she’s been talking to growers about.
At this year’s National Farm Machinery Show farmers were asking lots of questions about the new Swath Control Pro for planters according to Kyle Collins, seen here with Tommy Johnson, a grower from Hopkinsville, KY. Kyle works in John Deere’s Ag Management Solutions division. He says that what growers are really interested in is how they can save on seed costs by using a precision planting system that reduces overlap just like it has with sprayers.