A chef and a team of scientists are the first to have domesticated the plant Zostera marina with the intention of using it for food products because of its high nutritional benefits. The growth of this plant is associated with great subaqueous biodiversity and a decrease in ocean acidification.
One hundred years ago, Heinrich Lanz unveiled the first Bulldog, laying the foundation for tractor production at the Mannheim factory. The Bulldog was an important pioneer in the mechanisation of agriculture. Its name became synonymous with the tractor.
In eastern Croatia, between the rivers Sava and Drava, 80% of the country's agricultural products are produced. Welcome to Croatia's agricultural heartland – Slavonia.
The conversation around environmentally friendly tractors is gaining momentum in the agricultural industry. However, it's difficult to move away from heavy dependency on the traditional fuel, diesel. In the meantime, ideas which could help reduce CO2 emissions from agricultural machinery have been put forward.
Farmer Thomas Björklund in Sköldinge, Sweden, previously pioneered farm practices which have become established trends. Now, he has teamed up with medical doctor Kerstin Fredlund to turn indigenous grain varieties into superfood via a hydrothermal process.
A passion for soils has seen one farmer achieve net zero without sacrificing yields, using techniques which could cut input use drastically.
Automatic steering systems and site-specific field management are finding their way onto farms as the options become wider and more diverse. Precision farming can make businesses more efficient, more sustainable and more economically viable.
Three farmers who dared to step into precision farming talk about their experiences.
Have a look at this infographic to see how precision farming supports farmers at different steps of the cropping cycle, from planning to harvest.
How the digital modernisation of farms opens new opportunities for livestock producers to cope with upcoming challenges.
Agricultural has a stake in climate change, and at the same time the soil is a powerful tool against warming. This will lead to new regulations for farms - and hopefully new opportunities.
A good content of organic matter not only helps the environment, but also the fertility of the soil - for Henning and Arne Beecken, the two aspects cannot be separated from each other. Following this principle, the young farmers have completely converted the family farm's cultivation system.
The job of contractor Martin Georgs is to make his customers happy. With his John Deere machines, he presses and wraps bales in one step. He works quickly, reliably and is always accommodating.
Field crops are gaining recognition because of the important climate benefit they offer: Storing carbon in the soil by increasing its organic matter content. This creates new expectations of agriculture, but also new opportunities. Visit to a French farmer who markets his CO₂ storage.
In his guest article, Markwart von Pentz, president of John Deere's agricultural machinery division, outlines the biggest challenges facing agriculture and shares his outlook on how to overcome them.
Nowadays, when it comes to weed control, farmers have a number of new, sustainable and efficient agricultural technologies at their disposal. Apply the agtech correctly, and farmers can strike the perfect balance between meeting their legal requirements and economic targets as well as improving agricultural sustainability.
Wastewater minus water and contaminants equals a very potent, and more importantly, recycled, fertiliser. The Swedish company EkoBalans aims to capitalise on this as it develops a more sustainable NPK fertiliser.
The HarvestLab 3000 Near Infra-Red (NIR) sensor tells the farmer exactly what their slurry consists of. Alexander Berges, productions systems manager at John Deere, explains how this facilitates better fertiliser planning and reduced diesel consumption.
It supplies biomass, promotes soil fertility and biodiversity and helps with water protection – the perennial cup plant has quite a few aces up its sleeve. According to recent studies, it is an alternative to maize for biogas energy production. Dr Siegfried Schittenhelm from the Julius Kühn Institute tells us what this plant is all about.
What started as a hobby has turned into a bustling business for Dutch John Deere fan Guus van Daele and his son Stanny: The two collect and trade in old spare parts and in so doing ensure that a piece of history is preserved.
Visit your John Deere dealer and ask for a subscription of The Furrow.
The cattle industry is under increasing scrutiny for its contribution to climate change, but with adversity comes innovation and agriculture has risen to the challenge by developing methane inhibiting supplements.
Twins Tom and Will Carlisle were pleased to have an addition to their fleet during harvest season - the S790i Hillmaster.
Humus loss, erosion, nitrates, pesticides in flowing waters and groundwater, as well as the desire for greening and the onset of climate change are giving broad support to intercropping. We present a portrait of twelve important types of catch crops.
The Agraset agricultural co-operative in Saxony farms over 5000ha. This spring, it equipped a Jaguar SPFH and five John Deere tractors with Data Connect for the first time.
UK growers are investing to produce food in the most sustainable way, using technology to save energy, water and carbon emissions. Natalie Noble visits a world-first low carbon greenhouse project in East Anglia to find out how they are putting ‘home’ back into ‘homegrown’.
The strict legislation on fertilising with slurry is causing quite a stink for many farmers. Farmer Stefan Vogelsang explains why it's still useful and how it can be done without stress.
In Italy, Europe's leading rice producer and exporter, farmers are searching for more stable prices and better crop rotation planning. On top of the challenges from international competition, they face restrictions on pesticide use and an almost total lack of industry contracts.
Heavy does not always mean high pressure on the ground. Simon Schowalter, product marketing manager of large tractors at John Deere, explains why this is the case and how the 8RX tracked tractor makes use of it.
If you always fight weeds with the same herbicide, you will probably soon be faced with a resistant population. Arable farmer Wilhelm Heine from Baden-Württemberg knows that this is not fun. Four types of sustainable herbicide resistance management helped him to get blackgrass, which had become resistant on some of his farmland, under control again.
Soil compaction can reduce yields by up to 20%. Mathias Stettler and Roger Stirnimann from the University of Applied Sciences for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Economics explain what happens during this process and how it can be mitigated.
Pollinating bees could provide an effective way to apply fungicide to strawberries.
Prof. Peter Pickel, responsible for future technologies at John Deere's European Technology Center in Kaiserslautern, explains new ways of combining efficient agriculture and environmental protection.
Swedish vineyards are growing in number and in quality, despite unfavourable climatic and commercial conditions. With warming climes, winegrowers intend to put the Scandinavian country on the map of European vineyards within a few years.
Catch crops expand crop rotation, enrich soil life and ensure sufficient nutrient supply. After several decades of neglect, arable farming has rediscovered them. Their selection, whether as a monocrop or a mixture, depends on many factors.
The European Bee Award aims to protect pollinators through technical innovation and the implementation of new agricultural practices. The award is based on a joint initiative by John Deere and the European Association of Professional Beekeepers. Gilles Dryancour, one of the founders of the award, shares his thoughts about the importance of bees and showcases some of the winning ideas.
Geothermal, solar and wind energy, methane extracted from manure to produce high-quality natural gas and electricity - there is plenty of green energy in a valley in the middle of the US desert.
Targeted N fertiliser application in wheat using NIRS technology on slurry can boost yields by up to 5%, with additional yield after just one application. Holger Huffelmann attended a practical test at Haus Düsse and explains the setup and possibilities offered by NIRS technology.
This is life at Moellerup Estate: Hemp in the field and in a variety of foods, and the development of proprietary technology for the use of hemp and other raw materials. The estate was run as an ordinary farm for almost 800 years, until the owners discovered the possibilities of hemp as a crop.
Agriculture is generating more and more data, and more and more farmers are engaging in precision farming. Insightful facts and figures on the topic of digitalisation.
Working grapevines on steep slopes is as traditional as it is demanding. Three students are looking to simplify the process, and to save winemakers time and effort with the help of "Bacchus" software.
Introducing precision technologies into day to day farming practice can be a challenge. However, no one needs to start out alone. We place the spotlight on two stakeholders in the green sector, who are playing a central role in the adoption of digital agriculture: Dealerships and agricultural contractors.
They often occur without warning and tear life apart at the seams: Major crises. The Hübl family – a farming family from the Black Forest in Germany – had such an experience when a fire destroyed most of their property. Strong commitment and unexpected help carried them through the catastrophe.
Agricultural contractor AIS Schier has been focusing on core fertiliser and lime applications for many years. General manager Holger Schier describes how they even out the pH value of a field and why this approach is a good starting point for precision agriculture.
In France, on the island of Noirmoutier, the tradition of harvesting early potatoes stretches back over two centuries. We meet with the producers of tubers which have a sophisticated taste and high added-value.
Through its support of the Rayuwa initiative, John Deere is helping farmers in Nigeria improve their profitability to better weather the times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lick the salt, take a shot, bite the lime. Tequila! This might be a more typical association with the alcoholic derivative of the agave plant, but in the continuing search for alternatives to fossil fuels, one research project has grown it to produce bioethanol.
Jørgen Audenaert is an expert in spraying technology. For almost 25 years he has contributed to many technological breakthroughs like data collection, artificial intelligence, sensor technology and pulsing nozzles. He expects spraying technology to further advance in the future, "but regulations will be decisive."
Agriculture is a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, but the adoption of low carbon practices can turn this around.
The right food makes both animal and farmer happy Contractor Andreas Feil knows this well. Thanks to the HarvestLab™ 3000, he can analyze the corn harvest down to the last fiber while still in the field, thus harvesting only the best silage.
Biostimulants are growing in popularity, with increasing scientific evidence to prove that they work. But for many farmers, the concept remains myth and magic - so what are they really all about?
Buying a tractor can be a challenge - keeping sight of operational requirements and budget while being wowed by shiny new kit. But with farms shelling out on average £83,300 on a new tractor (Defra, 2019), how can farmers be sure nothing runs like a Deere?
Technology has boomed in popularity over recent decades – its advancement hailed as the making of a fourth agricultural revolution. But while precision technology has a sleekness in design it is far from vanity gadgetry and offers producers an insight into sustainable data.
While conducting his field doctorate research, Dr Mohammad H A Ibrahim came across an interesting bacterium at a poultry farm in Egypt. Now it is part of a process producing high-grade feed protein and bio-degradable plastics from waste organic matter.
Controlled traffic farming and minimum tillage are increasing crop yields and profitability in Ukraine.
Some plants absorb the metal in impressive quantities. In certain cases, this phytoextraction can be put to good use.
At John Deere's site in Kaiserslautern in Germany, Torsten Kreutzer works on developing mobile apps for modern agriculture and precision farming. At the family business based in his hometown, he personally tests the applications in the field.
How to get started with precision farming, and how quickly does it spread in practice? An interview with Peer Leithold, the managing director of Agricon, a consulting firm he founded in 1997.
The cloud-based Operations Centre offers solid base functionalities plus more than 180 third-party software products to serve special requirements. In the South West of France, one farmer has put this feature to the test.
Variable rate application can now be used in almost all work areas. However, the focus is not on tools, but on the agricultural goal. Here is a current overview of data sources and their practical use.
Precision farming can make farms more efficient, sustainable and economic. But with the multitude of possibilities, the question often arises: "Where to start? We show examples of three farmers who have dared to take this step and tell you how they did.
Heliotropic sunflowers (which follow the sun’s movements) are resilient to scorching summer weather. And high yielding varieties which are rich in oleic acid are the prime material in healthy and sustainable vegetable oils.
The US firm Ocean Reef is experimenting with underwater cultivation in the Italian Riviera. The goal of the project is to develop a technique for using the ocean for irrigation in arid regions.
Cameras, algorithms, drones, and other new ideas: Intelligent technology can make plant protection much more efficient. We explain how it works, what John Deere is working on and why the farmer still plays the decisive role.
Zambian farmer Stephen Chinyama depends on several means to make a good living. We offer a sneak peek into a day in the life of a man running his family business with acumen, good risk management and a talent for improvisation.
There are few places in the British Isles as remote as the Outer Hebrides; 24 miles off the west coast of Scotland with little between them and Newfoundland, these islands are truly unique. Breathtakingly beautiful but with notoriously volatile weather, farming here is challenging – yet these resilient people are not only surviving but thriving.
A lot has happened on farms in recent years in terms of digital modernisation. Although it is difficult to predict where all these complex developments will lead, new options are emerging for many farms to meet future challenges.
Brazil is known for its soya cultivation and rainforest, however agriculture in this economic superpower involves more than that. A lot of Brazilian farmers also look at the longer term and work on ensuring healthy soil.
Water is one of the essential foundations of agriculture. How will its availability in Europe develop in the future? Our infographics provide an overview.
Being interviewed for a job by the Prince of Wales would set anyone’s nerves on edge – so when he asked David Wilson whether he would be prepared to try some biologically sustainable farming, Mr Wilson did what anyone else would do - say yes and find out what it is later.
The European LIFE "AgriAdapt" project has been working on the topic of climate adaptation for four years. Patrick Trötschler from the German project partner “Bodensee-Stiftung” speaks about the prospects in the cultivation sector and efficient drought prevention.
Farmers in Sweden, France and Germany are striving to retain water when there is plenty available so they can use it during dry summer months. Water is stored in ponds, marshes, or in the ground. The Furrow reports.
During the corona crisis, farmers are seizing the opportunity to open up new business areas. We have collected three examples from three countries.
The family-run organic farm Bio Alberti combines traditional farming with modern processing techniques – and produces goods both for the nearby village and the global marketplace.
With Connected Support, John Deere sales partners can actively support their customers from afar. Matthias Steiner, responsible for customer support at John Deere, explains how exactly it works and what benefits it offers during the corona crisis.
On a test site at the University of Halle, crop cultivation endurance tests have been running for more than 140 years. Created by Julius Kühn in 1878, several plots of the 'eternal rye crop' have been grown in a field ever since, providing guidance for future agricultural practice.
What would an electric tractor look like if we didn't have to think about the power supply anymore? Simon Pfaffmann from John Deere's ETIC invites us to take part in a thought experiment – and explains how real this idea is.
Søren and Helle Svennesen run the only farm on Barsø in the southern part of the Little Belt, Denmark. Summers are busy here with lots of activity and visitors, and there are challenges all year round, both inescapable and self-imposed.
Kakheti in Eastern Georgia is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world. The peculiar geographical region on the border between East and West has always enjoyed ample water supplies, fertile soil and bright, warm summers - a God-send for wine-growers, fruit-growers and farmers
Merve Wollweber, biophysicist at Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (Hanover Laser Centre) is developing a laser-based weeding system.
The traditional freehold is no longer the only form of ownership in Danish agriculture. One alternative consists of the Go-Gris I/S partnership in eastern Jutland, which is owned in equal shares by three young and two senior farmers.
In Egypt’s traditional farming regions on the alluvial soil of the Nile, there is hardly any good farmland left. Multiple projects are therefore trying to transform the desert into arable land. Can that work, and is it sustainable?
Lavender and einkorn wheat are a dream team. This pairing makes the farmers of Provence happy, as well as their customers all over the world.
In southern Mexico, researchers have discovered giant maize with astonishing properties. Other varieties can benefit from this.
Deep below the suburban streets of London, beneath the feet of hurried commuters, lies something unexpected – a farm, in a converted World War Two air raid bunker.
The sound is both exhilarating and deafening. This is Switzerland at its traditional best: Hundreds of brown cows – complete with cow bells - returning from the alpine pasture to their winter homes, creating a festival for tens of thousands of people. Welcome to the Alpabfahrt - the Alp Descent.
A technological revolution is changing the face of modern dairy farming in the form of a bolus that can detect temperature, activity and pH, sending early alerts of heats, calvings and illness to the producer.
The autonomy level of European animal husbandry varies depending on the protein group. Fact is: Europe will remain dependent on imports. However, in the long term, breeding and technical advances will increase independence. See our interactive graphics to find out what is happening where.
Alexander Döring, secretary general of FEFAC (the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation), on reducing the protein gap.
Making Europe less dependent on imports of protein raw materials is a challenge for the future. We meet two producers who are doing their bit to improve Europe’s protein production.
Only a small fraction of farmers, gardeners and winemakers use the rainwater falling on their farm and roof surfaces to irrigate their crops or as drinking water. The mindset plays a greater role here than economic calculations.
Halters, twine and rope: Farmers from across the world rely on products spun from the natural fibre, sisal. Until the late 1960s, Tanzania was the leading producer of sisal worldwide. But then the successful advent of synthetic fibres resulted in a prolonged slump. Now this versatile natural fibre, and thus northern Tanzania, is experiencing a new boom.
A modern farm is no place for children, it’s often said. So how will they discover and understand the joys and challenges of rural life? Peter Grimshaw met some farming champions who are dedicated to inspiring the rising generation.
Cuba is allowing more and more private enterprise and is seeking normality in its relations with the US. Agriculture is also changing as a result.
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious public health concern and livestock producers are increasingly under pressure to reduce antibiotic usage in animals. In the UK, the poultry industry is leading the way.
Turkish agriculture has lots to offer. With products such as hazelnuts, figs or sultanas, Turkey is a global leader in production. Looking at the whole industry shows an impressive variety of products, whereas many regions concentrate on growing only one specific crop.
Methane, biomass, solar panels: there is no shortage of resources on farms for producing energy locally. From Picardy to Provence, things are picking up steam.
When Russia is mentioned, most people think of chernozem soils and vast wheat fields. Few people are aware that buckwheat reveals a great deal about the Russian soul. This becomes clear at the very latest when you sit down to eat. Because Russian cuisine without buckwheat is unthinkable.
The countryside is a space to live and to work. And thus often an arena of conflicts of how to use that space. A challenge that needs to be tackled by farmers themselves.
What was previously only possible with different individual software tools, the John Deere Operations Centre is combining into one easy-to-use solution: All work operations in the palm of your hand – on your desktop, tablet, and smartphone.
John Deere has over 100 years of experience with harvesters – and the first combine is already over 90 years old. To date, we have produced over 750,000 combines, including over 120,000 single rotor machines. This is a short story about a long tradition.
Each spring truckloads of cattle from as far away as Mexico are brought to the Flint Hills, the last remnant of tallgrass prairie in North America to graze on the rich early-growth grass – a major logistics effort for farmers and forwarders.
It is particularly hard to assess the damage caused by compaction in deeper soil layers. But research data and statistics indicate a considerable impact on agricultural productivity.
Farmers are no strangers to challenges, but realising how it affects their mental health is not easy. With more than one person in UK agriculture committing suicide every week, it’s a subject that cannot be avoided.
The Columbia River is the largest river in North America in terms of the volume of water flowing into the Pacific. With over 26m tonnes of grain moving through it, it is the third largest transport corridor for grain.
With the Expert Check, service technicians like Thomas Merkel help to avoid expensive repairs and ensure peace of mind. The most important pre-requisitions for this: A lot of experience and structured work.
Researcher Andrew Leakey is simulating atmospheric conditions for the next half of the century. The data obtained is supposed to mitigate the consequences of climate change.
Albanian agriculture has plenty of challenges, but the sector still has great potential. It is one of the largest producers in the world of medicinal and spice plants. But while many farmers are hoping that the country joins the EU, if and when that will happen is still uncertain.
In 2016, Alexandru Haita started to use John Deere’s web-based farming platform MyJohnDeere.com and the associated tool “Operations Centre” to manage his farming operation. And he has not looked back since.
Soil compaction is a well-known problem, but its impact is often underestimated and difficult to assess. And it is a growing concern for farming stakeholders.
Fresh players in the market and new factors influencing pricing mean grain prices are fluctuating significantly more than in the past. When selling their grain, farmers therefore need to focus on good risk management.
High welfare pig production isn’t always about free-range systems. With growing demand for ethically produced but inexpensive pork, high welfare indoor systems could be the way forward for the industry.
Prof Rainer Horn qualified as a professor of soil science in 1981 and from 1998 to 2017 he held the chair for soil science at Kiel University, Germany. His scientific interests are soil physics and soil ecology with a particular focus on physical land degradation.
The Mekong Delta is one of the most fertile regions in the world. Its farmers produce for both the Vietnamese and the global market. However, climate change and intensive cultivation are threatening its future.
Milk producers are under pressure from persistently low producer prices. At the same time, demand for more natural foods is rising. One solution could be to focus more on grazing management. But just "opening the cowshed door and let the cows out" is not enough.
Jan Peters is the founder of the information service agrarfax.de (today owned by Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH). He is a correspondent for the specialist publication Agrarzeitung and provides agricultural information on a daily basis to Reuters Hamburg, Dow Jones Newswire London, and VWD Frankfurt.
Many farmers consider contracting as an option to spread their overheads and generate additional income. It’s also a potential route into agriculture for new entrants. But it’s not easy, so what should prospective contractors know to make them top of their field?
There are many types of hunger. If we want to feed the world, we should not only pay attention to the quantity but also to the quality of food.
Charlie Morgan, Director of Grassmaster Ltd, a grassland consultancy in the UK, gives advice on how to optimise grassland management.
The pumpkin is a special crop that has a long-standing tradition in Styria. Now, the fruit with its seed oil is also making an international name for itself. Local farmers and also the region are benefiting from this.
Compaction is an issue that is often discussed in relation to arable land – but it can also be a problem in grassland. Olivia Cooper speaks to soil expert Philip Wright to find out more.
Do you drive a John Deere 6 series tractor from the Mannheim factory? Then you will be particularly interested in this article, because we are going to take you on a tour of the factory and show you how our tractors are built.
