Technology is the "middle name" of most of the major equipment firms these days. Every visit to an exhibit or call with a company is a discussion of new technology. Case IH is upping the ante for customers with some new high-tech tools, but the company also rolled out some iron recently as well.

First up is AccuTurn which is automated headland turning technology. Case IH isn't the first to this party, but the new product offers a range of features for maximizing equipment use in the field. Ryan Blasiak, AFS marketing specialist, went over the key features of the new tech.

"This is a retrofit software upgrade for Tier 3 and newer machines," he said. "We used technology from our autonomous vehicle project to develop this product."

He explained that the technology is designed to maximize equipment turning in headlands. The system uses path-planning logic using inner and outer width dimensions of equipment to make the best possible turn. It can also handle skip passes - which avoid lightbulb turns for bigger machines - and can track and avoid overlap. "I know few do this but it can keep track of a turn on one side of the field and a return on the opposite side, keeping track of coverage on those two passes," Blasiak said. "And for that skip pass, the machine will drive on in the headland only avoiding marked obstacles."

The rising need for operators has challenged the ag industry. Today, this technology can help make inexperienced operators run like pros.

Drone ahead

The unmanned aerial vehicle is coming into its own as more farmers turn to them to gather in-field information. And Case IH is along for the ride too. The company has entered into a partnership with Drone Deploy to market drones with DroneDeploy providing after-sale support.

CaseIH is teaming with DroneDeploy, a California firm, to provide unmanned aerial vehicles for customers; and support them in the field.

"You can go to your dealer and purchase a drone package from us, but it will be supported by DroneDeploy," Blasiak explained.

Drone Deploy is a leading software supplier for DJI Phantom airships. The company offers training videos and will support Case IH buyers through email, chat and phone support. Adds Blasiak: "We have a program - zero to hero - that can get a person up and running with a drone quickly."

The DJI Phantom 4 available through Case comes with an RGB camera, a hard-shell carrying case, extra battery and a one-year subscription to the DroneDeploy software. As farmers turn to UAVs for information Case IH has found a way to provide the system and support.

High speed iron

The AccuTurn system and the UAV solid tech additions to the Case IH lineup, but what about the iron? Turns out the company's been busy there too with the launch of the Nutri-Placer 930 fertilizer applicator. This unit is designed to operate at speeds up to 11 mph.

The CaseIH Nutri-Placer 930 HSLD unit is designed to run at higher speeds than the shank-designed version. The 22.6-inch disk cuts into soil, allowing for precision in-season fertilizer placement.

"We've come up with a whole new configuration," says Dave Long, Case IH pull-type fertilizer applicators, marketing manager. "We have a 22.6-inch disk at the front at a 4-degree angle. That create a narrow 4 to 6-inch slot at 6 to 11 mph."

Normally top speed for the Nutri-Placer 930 with its conventional shank is 7 mph. But farmers need to cover more territory at application time, hence the new Nutri-Placer 930 HSLD coulter option. That HSLD stands for high-speed low disturbance. In addition to the 22.6-inch disk up front there's a shark-tooth closing wheel to cut through residues followed by a rubber press wheel to level the surface.

You can also change downforce pressure without tools, to match machine to conditions. The new Nutri-Placer 930 HSLD row unit is available for the 2017 season. Learn more about the HSLD, AccuTurn and the drone program at caseih.com.