During a press conference at the 2012 Commodity Classic, John Deere unveiled its final stage Tier 4 solution, the John Deere Integrated Emissions Control System.
Deere’s Barry Nelson said this is a major announcement that continues John Deere’s 175 years of innovation. “The past few years we have been spending millions and millions of dollars to develop new technology for the engines and the integrated technology we need in the vehicles to make everything work as a very productive package.”
John Deere Manager Worldwide Marketing Geoff Stigler gave an overview of how the technology was developed and why. “Engine technology is just one piece of the puzzle,” he said. “It’s really all about meeting customer expectations, delivering on the performance, durability, reliability and operating efficiency requirements.”
Geoff said the road to Final Tier 4 was a building block approach, starting with Tier 2 when the first electronic engines were implemented and moving through Interim Tier 4 which have been delivered for the past 18 months. “We have nearly 20,000 engines in the field right now that are Interim Tier 4 compliant,” he said. “We’ve been able to monitor those through our JD Link technology and have over 2 million customer hours on those engines already.”
Listen to or download the press conference here: John Deere Tier 4 Press Conference
Final Tier 4/Stage IV regulations for off-highway diesel engines begin as early as 2013 for engines 55 kW (74 hp) and below. Regulatory dates for engines 56 kW (75 hp) and above will be implemented in stages starting in 2014 and 2015, and require particulate matter (PM) levels established by Interim Tier 4/Stage III B regulations to be maintained while requiring an additional 80 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) from previous regulations.
Consisting of an exhaust filter and SCR aftertreatment components that are optimized and fully integrated, the Integrated Emissions Control system will allow John Deere engines to utilize less diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) than alternative Interim Tier 4/Stage III B SCR technology solutions. Lower DEF consumption means DEF tank size can be smaller — minimizing the impact on vehicle applications, extending DEF filter service intervals and reducing operator involvement. Monitored and controlled by proprietary electronics within John Deere’s enhanced engine control unit (ECU), the Integrated Emissions Control system also provides outstanding fluid efficiency without sacrificing overall performance.
For more information on John Deere’s Final Tier 4/Stage IV engine technology, go to www.JohnDeere.com/tier4.
2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album
BASF participated in both the American Soybean Association (ASA) and 
This year, for the fifth consecutive year, BASF partnered with the 
Melissa Schenck of Boston, Kentucky – pictured here with Paul and ASA president Steve Wellman – was chosen as the 2012-2013 ASA SOY scholarship recipient. Schenck, a senior at Nelson County High School, will pursue a degree in agriculture communications at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, beginning this fall.
I’d like to thank 
One of the many farmer leaders who stopped by the media tent at Farm Progress show was Steve Wellman, a soybean producer from Syracuse, Nebraska who is First Vice President of the 
This is the fourth year that the ASA Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship, sponsored by BASF, has been presented to an outstanding high school senior planning to pursue agriculture as a degree area of study in college. 
The 2011 Commodity Classic is one for the record books.
In a show of unity, the leadership of the National Corn Growers Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the American Soybean Association and the National Sorghum Producers issued a joint statement on the federal deficit and debt reduction following the conclusion of the Classic business sessions.
We’re talking commodity group unity here at Commodity Classic. Here’s the leaders of each of the participating groups, Bart Schott, NCGA, Alan Kemper, ASA, Gerald Simonsen, NAWG and Jerry McReynolds, NSP.
Along with the 
The ASA Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship, sponsored by BASF, is a $5,000 award presented to an outstanding high school senior planning to pursue agriculture as a degree area of study in college. 
The issue at the top of the list for the farmer leaders of the 
Approval of the pending FTAs was also one of the main issues NCGA president Bart Schott’s discussed during the corn growers press conference. “We were encouraged by President Obama’s mention of them in his state of the union address and we hope this means movement,” said Schott. “Frankly, we need quick action on these three agreements which have been languishing in Washington for years.”
In addition to 
We already met first place winners