Crop production system gets plenty of looks

(A large equipment system from Terrakamp on display at this week's Farm Progress Show in Decatur)

DECATUR – The world’s first complete holistic crop production system was getting some stares at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur this week.

Terrakamp’s NEXAT system integrates ground preparation, seeding, nutrient application and harvest. It is basically a controlled traffic tractor from a company out of Germany.

“You drive it on the same tram lines,” explains Jason Faulkner, director of operations for North America at Terrakamp. “The machine has four different implements right now in the United States you can attach to it.”

Features include a high-speed disk and planter along with an impressive sprayer. It is efficient and helps improve soil in areas by driving on the same line throughout the field.

“The tram lines are 50 feet apart, so we farm on 50-foot paths. The planter is 18 rows and the harvester is 20 rows,” notes Faulkner.

The company has been running in South Dakota and things seem to be working well, although Faulkner says a few improvements are still being made for the American market.

Utilizing radar sensors, the company is working toward autonomy with this concept and can do close to fully autonomous operations.

“When it comes to harvest or planting, you’ve got to have a person there to watch the machine and make sure you’re getting seed in the ground or not plugging up the feeder house.”

The company plans to sell the equipment directly to farmers rather than to work with a dealer network although they plan to have service people in areas where machines are operating.

For more, visit www.terrakamp.com.