Case IH has given the new 2000 Series Early Riser® planter its first public showing at Nampo 2018, the four-day agricultural show near Bothaville, following successful pre-launch trials of the machine on four farms in South Africa last year.
Case IH also chose Nampo 2018 (May 14-18) to introduce the new AIM Command FLEX® advanced spray technology for the Patriot sprayer range. Both new products were showcased by Case IH and its South African distributor, Northmec, alongside the brand’s full line of agricultural solutions, including combines and tractors.
“The high level of interest in our new 2000 Series planter at Nampo showed this was the perfect place for its launch,” said Daniel Bordabossana, Marketing Manager for Case IH Middle East and Africa. “More than just seeing the new planter, the visitors appreciated the opportunity to hear first-hand how well the machine has performed on the farms here in South Africa, proving its advantages over the competition.”
Nampo 2018 attracted more than 700 exhibitors and more than 82,000 visitors from nations throughout the African continent. Organised by Grain South Africa and spread over 24 hectares of Nampo Park, 19 kilometres north of Bothaville, the annual event is billed as the largest show of agricultural machinery and livestock in the southern hemisphere and this year had the theme ‘technology in agriculture.’
South African farms demonstrate new planter’s precision and productivity
As with all Case IH products, the new 2000 Series Early Riser® planter was subjected to rigorous trials before launch. These included field tests in South Africa, planting 200 hectares at Islardu Boerdery farm in Middelburg, Mpumalanga; 40 hectares at Charfontein farm in Vrede, Free State; 1300 hectares at Cairo Group’s farm in Koppies, Free State; and 400 hectares at the Du Preez Landgoed farm in Northwest Province.
The Du Preez Landgoed farm, located between Koster and Lichtenburg, presented particularly tough working conditions. This third-generation family business, run by 49-year-old Andre Du Preez and his sons, farms cattle and grain on 676 hectares of land with irrigation and a further 550 hectares without irrigation. The farm grows potatoes, maize, sorghum, soya beans, and dry beans, as well as wheat and dry green peas as winter crops.
All this takes place in a challenging climate, where Andre says “rainfall can’t be expected when you need it and every now and then nature throws a curveball. Planting seasons always vary and this can make the preparation for crops difficult. And my sons and I try to do all of the work ourselves – everything from the soil preparation to planting, spraying, and harvesting the crop.”
Andre acquired his first machine from Case IH, a 2388 combine harvester, in 2004, and is now also familiar with the brand’s Steiger tractors, Axial-Flow® combine harvesters, and sprayers. Andre said: “We know that we can depend on Case IH equipment and customer support, and we’ve seen how the more sophisticated planters have changed farming methods in the last 10 to 20 years.”
Even so, Andre and his sons were surprised with the effectiveness of the new, 16-row, 30-inch Early Riser 2150 planter. This is the first planter to factory-integrate industry-leading seed placement technologies from Precision Planting® into a system featuring an all-new, rugged row unit. As well as being extremely accurate, this machine is robust enough to deliver placement across all terrains and can be customized to a range of seed and soil types, fertilizer/chemical application needs, and crop residue management practices.
The main benefit of this technology is faster and more uniform crop emergence, and this was clearly evident in the trials at the four South African farms. Andre confirms: “Our crop germination, with crops ready to grow, was on day six – three days earlier than the competitive planters. That’s an advantage worth having!”
Another, practical everyday benefit of the 2000 Series planter is its streamlined design, with the facility to make tool-free crop changes and adjustments. “There are times when we have to work quickly,” said Andre, “and the last thing you need is delays or distractions with machinery. This was true towards the end of last year, when there was late rainfall and we had a very short window of opportunity to utilize the planter.
“We pushed the Early Riser 2150 planter to its limits to get all the hectares done. Planting maize, soybeans, sunflowers, and white kidney beans, we were happy to find the planting process was fluid and fast, with no problems or delays. We could reach planting speeds of up to 15kph and with the latest Precision Plant technology we could adjust the plant population, depth and down-pressure of the pressure wheel. Even when working in a hurry, we could maintain 99 percent singulation, with 99 percent of the seed being placed with exactly the right position, spacing, and depth.”
Case IH also showcased new spray technology and full product range
The new AIM Command FLEX® advanced spray technology also made its debut at Nampo 2018. This enables operators of the Patriot self-propelled sprayer range to deliver consistent, flexible and accurate application, regardless of speed and terrain. The Patriot® 250 Extreme sprayer, introduced to the market at Nampo 2017, was also displayed at the show.
Case IH additionally displayed at Nampo 2018 its Axial-Flow® 140 Series and 240 Series combines. Both these models – featuring the Axial-Flow single-rotor technology which revolutionised combine harvesting with its simplicity, grain quality, grain savings and crop adaptability – were wrapped in an American flag and attracted a lot of attention. Interested visitors to the Case IH stand included one of South Africa’s most famous sports stars, rugby player Bakkies Botha.
Case IH also showcased its wide range of tractors, from the popular, 36 kW JX45T Compact utility tractor all the way up to the mighty 447 kW Steiger 600 and tracked Quadtrac 600.
NORTHMEC is the Case IH distributor for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, selling and supporting the full range of Case IH agricultural equipment through 13 branches and 37 dealers, within those territories. Dedicated to farming and agricultural growth in these countries, it supports farmers in reaping the benefits of Case IH agricultural equipment, forming a solid foundation for long-term growth and production.
