John Deere adds to its DB Series planter lineup with the DB60 Split-Row Planter. The DB60 combines the flexibility to plant one crop at 30" rows and a second crop at 15" rows with the productivity of a bulk-fill planter. The planter configurations include 47-row 15" and 24-row 30" planting capabilities. Long parallel arms stagger the rows so they can be locked up and out of the soil during 30" row planting. The machine is equipped with John Deere’s Central Commodity System (CCS) seed delivery and Pro-Series XP row units. List price: $235,355 with CCS, SeedStar2 monitoring and ProMax40 flat disks and soybean disks. Contact: a John Deere dealer; www.johndeere.com/ag.

The Great Plains 40' Yield-Pro Planter combines versatility with efficiency. It is a 40' stack planter with a transport width of 25'. The 25 Series ultra-narrow row unit is capable of planting single-row spacings from 15" to 40" and twin-row spacings from 30" to 40". The down-pressure springs provide up to 500 lb. per row. Hardened cast-iron blade separators and 15" 4-mm offset blades further contribute to the penetration and accuracy. The Yield-Pro planter can use a standard bulk seed container or an 82-bu. ploy hopper. Base price: $125,900. Contact: Great Plains Manufacturing; P.O. Box 5060; Salina, KS 67402; (785) 823-3276; www.greatplainsmfg. com.

The Case IH 24-row Early Riser 1250 planter has a 60' planting width and a transport width less than 12'. The 1250 has all the features of the Early Riser planter line and the Advanced Seed Meter design, which allows one recommended seed disk and vacuum setting for planting all corn seed shapes and sizes. Designed for consistent seed spacing and depth control, the row units have narrow 10.5° angle offset double-disk openers with an inverted double-disk closing system. The gauge wheels are pulled, rather than pushed, which reduces inconsistent movement across rough ground. The bulk-fill seed hopper has a 120-bu. capacity, and the hopper lid and fill platform are larger to maximize time in the planting window. Price range: $118,307 to $155,784. Visit your Case IH dealer or www.caseih.com/na.

At its annual dealer meeting, Kinze Manufacturing introduced planters that are geared up for more corn acres with larger planting widths, twin-row settings and technology to maximize production. Options abound with Kinze largescale row-crop planters.The 3700 SDS offers five sizes: 16 row 38", 24 row 20", 24 row 22", 24 row 30" and 36 row 20". The seed delivery system (SDS) features two 55-bu. seed hoppers that feed seed to individual seed meters through 31/2"-diameter poly augers encased in steel tubes. The hydraulic auger system is powered by two hydraulic motors and controlled from a cab-mounted 12 VDC console. Base price range: $89,994 to $148,377. Kinze Model 3600V Twin- Line planters are the first machines from the manufacturer to feature the Kinze Vision System.

The 3310 ParaLink hoe drill from Bourgault Industries provides precision seed placement and consistent packing across the width of the unit. Parallel arms ensure a constant opener angle relative to the field, and a hydraulic cylinder on each assembly regulates opener actuation, trip force and packing force. The three models are available with 10" or 12" row spacings: 40' three plex, 48' five plex and 55' five plex. Price for the 48' unit: $132,000 to $140,000. Contact: Bourgault Industries Ltd., P.O. Box 1118, Minot, ND 58702; (701) 852-8800; www.bourgault.com.

For the first time, Landoll introduces a full line of grain drills. The 5530 Series is designed for use in conventional to no-till conditions and features a planter-style seed tube. The drill has an air-spring-opener down pressure system to provide consistent down pressure. A fully hydraulic opener bar allows operators to lift the openers at the end row without having to lift the entire drill. The 5530 Series is available in 30' and 40' widths, 7½" or 10" spacings. The box is designed so you can use it 60/40 split for dry fertilizer or flip the damper for 100% seed, 3.25 bu. per foot. Patent pending soil hold-down strips discourage moist soil from sticking to the sides of the blades. Contact: a Landoll dealer; www.landoll.com.

The John Deere DB 120 takes planter widths to a new level. The 120' 48-row machine is built on a Bauer Manufacturing frame. With 30" row spacings, the row units are equipped with ProMax 40 flat disk seed meters. Plant up to 100 acres per hour with a seed carrying capacity of 125 bu. The planter does not have markers, so it has to be matched with guidance on the tractor. To deliver seed 60' in both directions, the planter has four vacuum motors—one for every 12 rows. The planter has a Category 5 drawbar and should be paired with a John Deere 9230 tractor or larger. The transport width is 14'8" and 50' long. List price: $345,000. Contact a John Deere dealer; (866) 993-3373; www.johndeere.com/ag.

At the 2008 National Farm Machinery Show, Kinze rolled out its Air Seed Delivery (ASD) system on the 3660 model. This year, the company displayed the 3800 ASD model, which will be available for the 2010 planting season. This 24-row 30" spacing planter is built with two centrally mounted 55-bu. hoppers with the ASD system. The planter can be used with the Kinze Vision or Kinze Cobalt monitoring systems. It features a dual motor variable-rate hydraulic driveline. The toolbar frame is segmented with three sections, and the machines have a dedicated transport axle with four Super Single transport tires. An optional 500-gal. liquid fertilizer package is available as well as air-actuated single row clutches for automatic or manual shutoff of rows. List price for a popular version of the 3800 ASD: $162,676. Contact Kinze Manufacturing, P.O. Box 806, Williamsburg, IA 52361-0806; (319) 668-1300; www.kinzemfg.com.

Case IH has launched two new precision seeding systems. Two air hoe models, the Case IH ATX700 and ATX400, range from 27' to 70'. The ATX models have a variety of trips, openers and press wheels for different configurations. Both drills are built on flexible frames to travel over varying contours and terrain. Price ranges: ATX400: $72,400 to $87,500; ATX700: $132,950 to $148,250.

The Case IH Precision Air 2280 and 2330 feature two polyethylene rotational molded tanks. The Precision Air 2280 has a capacity of 280 bu., and the 2330 has a capacity of 330 bu. Both have an optional high-capacity load/unload auger with a fill rate of 55 bu. per minute. Mechanical or variablerate hydraulic meter drive systems are optional. Prices: Precision Air 2280: $52,666; Precision Air 2330: $56,986. Visit your Case IH dealer or www.caseih.com/na.

Kinze Manufacturing unveiled its latest technology with the 3660 SDS Twin-Line Planter Series available in 2009. Each row is fed by the SDS Seed Delivery System providing continuous seed flow and recirculation. The exclusive variable-speed seed metering with air lock eliminates pressurized bulk hoppers. Built on a three-section toolbar, the 3660 SDS has 13° wing flex (up or down) and hydraulic wing down pressure. The planter can be outfitted with mechanical or EdgeVac seed metering. Integrated on the toolbar are vacuum manifolds, an air compressor for pneumatic down pressure and air-actuated single-row clutches. An onboard PTO-driven two section hydraulic pump and oil reservoir power the vacuum and seed recirculation. Available in 12-row and 16-row models, the series has transport widths as narrow as 11'2". The Kinze Vision planter control system is available.

The Sunflower 9530 fertilizer/grain drill is designed to execute exact seed and fertilizer placement in one pass. Suited for any field condition from no-till to conventional tillage, the machine features a staggered grain box design and Heads Up Opener assembly. The drill’s divided hopper is designed for a 60% seed, 40% fertilizer ratio (2.4 bu. and 120 lb. of fertilizer per linear foot). The hopper can also be converted to a single unit for a capacity of 3.75 bu. per linear foot. Available in 30' and 40' widths, the drill folds to a 14' transport width when the left and right wings pivot forward and up. List price range: $69,960 to $109,029. For more information, visit your Sunflower dealer or www.sunflowermfg.com.

The YP40 is the most versatile planter the company has ever offered. This Yield-Pro planter is available with a choice of three openers and seven row spacings. Seed hopper options include the platform for a seed company bulk box, an 82-bu. bulk hopper and a 150-bu. bulk hopper. Operators have the option to pull a 1,600-gal. cart or a 1,600-gal. plus 400-gal. cart for starter and/or highrate fertilizer. The floating hitch and a wing flex of 20° up and 20° down allows this versatile machine to handle versatile terrain.

The new lineup from Great Plains includes two drills. The Model 3007HD air drill has a 30' planting width and folds to just 10' for transport. The HD in the model name stands for heavy duty, which is backed by the 07HD Series openers. The two 100-bu. hoppers carry a total of 200 bu. of seed or a combination of seed and dry fertilizer. Another addition to the company’s heavy-duty drills is the DF4010HD no-till drill. This 40' drill features the 10HD openers. The 3.2-bu.-per-foot seedbox comes with the standard configuration of 60% seed/40% dry fertilizer split, but it can also be ordered in 68/32, 55/45 and 100% seed configurations. Row spacing options include 7½" or 10". The machine folds to just under 15' for transport.