ALL ABOUT TRACTORS

BY PAUL WALLEM

 The Society of Automotive Engineers categorizes autonomous vehicles in a series of stages: no automation, driver assistance, partial automation, conditional automation, high automation and full automation. Here’s what that looks like.

Stage zero – no automation: The driver has full control of all tasks relating to the vehicle.

Stage one – drive assistance: The vehicle has a single automated system.

Stage two – partial automation: The vehicle can provide steering and acceleration automation.

Stage three – conditional automation: The vehicle can control most driving tasks.

Stage four – high automation: The vehicle performs all driving tasks under certain conditions.

Stage five – full automation: The vehicle performs all driving tasks under all conditions.

All these stages are currently in practice under various conditions.

AGCO news release

AGCO Corporation has announced that officially licensed equipment from its Fendt and Massey Ferguson brands will be featured in “American Farming 2,” the free-to-play mobile farming simulation game from developer SquadBuilt, Inc., and the sequel to the studio’s popular “American Farming” game. Appearing in the game is part of how AGCO builds awareness and engages the next generation of farmers, rural audiences, and digital consumers in the spaces where they increasingly discover brands, products and agriculture itself. Beginning Aug. 24, players could put true-to-life versions of the machines AGCO builds for real farmers to work across an Iowa-inspired virtual landscape.

National Antique Tractor Preservation Day news release

On Aug. 22, communities across America had the opportunity to celebrate Antique Tractor Preservation Day and honor the farmers, families, innovators and machines that played an important role in building our nation.

Preserving antique tractors and agricultural equipment keeps an important part of America’s agricultural story alive. These machines are more than historical artifacts – they are tangible reminders of the ingenuity, hard work, resilience, determination and strong family values that have defined American agriculture.

Each tractor has a story to tell. It’s about the people who worked the land, embraced innovation, overcame challenges, and passed their knowledge, traditions and way of life from one generation to the next.

The growing recognition of Antique Tractor Preservation Day reflects a broader appreciation for our agricultural heritage and the importance of preserving not only these remarkable machines, but also the stories, values and traditions they represent. In doing so, we help ensure that an important part of America’s farming history is remembered, appreciated and shared with generations yet to come.

Ursa Ag

A Canadian company believes the idea of high-tech farming has been carried a bit too far for many farmers. They feel this is evident when looking at the ongoing surge of sales within the older used tractor market.

Ursa Ag has noticed this is evident when looking at the industry, relying on basic fundamental operation over today’s complex structure, auto steer, GPS and connectivity features. It isn’t just smaller farms interested in investing in these basic machines, but also they think massive players in the U.S. dairy sector are  looking to equip their fleet with simple equipment. Ursula will triple production of their new no-frills machine to keep up with demand.

Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate IH in domestic and foreign assignments. He spent 13 years with corporate IH in domestic and foreign assignments. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH

and SUCCESSES & INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. Email your comments to him at pwallem9@gmail.com.