Claas’ new Axion 9 series, the successor to its Axion 900 large series tractors, is the Germany-based brand’s tractors with horsepower ranging between 330 and 450.

WHY IT MATTERS: The latest in farm machinery was on display in Germany in November during Agritechnica.

Five new wheeled tractors and two new Terra-Trac models complete the lineup.

The new Axions are fitted with FPT’s latest generation Cursor 9, six-cylinder engine. A new Auto-Droop function adjusts engine power to the task being performed — such as power take-off demands and hydraulics — so power delivery and efficiency are maintained at all times.

The new engines are also approved to run on hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) that, when used, can reduce the tractor’s carbon footprint by up to 90 per cent.

Cab comforts

Vasily Badya, Claas product manager for Axion tractors, said operator comfort and a driver centric approach was a key aspect in the development of the 9 series tractors.

“It’s an all new design,” said Badya.

“It’s wider, longer, taller … so much more space for the operator to work in.”

To help deliver a high level of comfort, Claas claims that the new 9 series has the widest cab in its class.

The premium rotating driver’s seat includes ventilation, a heater and massage function and will likely be a plus for operators as well.

Badya said the controls inside the cab were also redesigned to make them as intuitive as possible for the operator.

Award-winning tractor

The new Axions received a nod from judges at the show, picking up Tractor of the Year for 2026 in the HighPower category.

Badya said driving comfort, suspension and the low decibel rating inside the cab — a mere 66 decibels — were just a few of the things that caught the judge’s attention.

Not only did the Axion win Tractor of the Year at Agritechnica; it was also recognized with a silver Innovation Award for its predictive powertrain management system.

The Axions’ electronic drive management system is optimized to balance comfort, performance and efficiency.

The new vehicle drive controller offers a smooth delivery when changing direction of travel or when switching between pedal mode, joystick mode or operating the p.t.o.

“The tractor will recognize itself, the engine speed, the transmission ratio and make it as efficient as possible … to save fuel, also to (deliver) as much performance as possible,” added Badya.

On the hydraulic delivery side, the Axions offer a two-pump system — a standard pump that pumps 220 l/m and an additional optional pump delivering 150 l/m — that can pump a total of 370 l/m to help when connecting larger, heavier implements.

Axions can be equipped with an optional tire pressure control system on both front and rear axles to optimize traction and help reduce soil compaction.

On Terra Trac models, there are four track widths to choose from, ranging from 457 mm (17 inches) to 890 mm (35 inches).

The post VIDEO: Claas Axion 9 tractors showcase comfort features appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The HighPower category is limited to tractors over 300 horsepower. Claas’ Axion 9.450 comes in at 450 horsepower.

“Tractor of the year, it’s really, really huge honour for us,” said Vasily Badya, Claas product manager for Axion tractors. “It’s all brand new class tractor with a completely new design.

Badya also pointed out that operator comfort was a main focus when designing the Axion. For example, noise levels inside the cab come in at a mere 65 decibels.

Read: More Agritechnica coverage with the Western Producer.

“It’s really, really going to be the benchmark,” said Badya.

Tractor of the Year is an international award ‘recognizing excellence in agricultural mechanization,’ showcasing the best tractors on the European market.

Related: Check out the CLAAS AXION 9.450 Tractor Specifications on AgDealer.com

The post Claas Axion 9.450 tractor wins ‘Tractor of the Year’ at Agritechnica 2025 appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Read: More coverage of Agritechnica with the Western Producer.

The new Optum tractor series comes in three models: the 440, 390 and 360. The new Optums are rated at 435, 390 and 360 horsepower, respectively.

Case’s new Optums come equipped with the new Cursor 9 engine and a CVXDrive transmission, allowing it to travel at faster road speeds of up to 60 km-h.

The new Case IH Optum tractors are also designed to work in tight spaces and have a tight turning radius of 6.1 metres, while Adaptive Steering Control reduces the effort it takes to maneuver the tractors when in the field.

Related: Check out the Case IH OPTUM 440 Tractor Specifications on AgDealer.com

The post Case IH reveals new Optum tractor at Agritechnica 2025 appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Versatile has introduced four new widths — a 15-foot, 18-foot, 21-foot and 24-foot — to its high-speed disc lineup for model year 2026.

One of the new units, the HS150, was on display at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2025 in Woodstock, Ontario.

“What sets us apart is the tilt angle on the Fury HS,” said Leo Reznik, product manager with Versatile. “It has 20 degrees tilt angle, and in combination with the disk angle, creates more disturbance on the soil.”

Reznik added that the new design allows the Fury HS series to chop crop residue better and bury it more into the soil than its competitors.

The disc sizes are 22 and 24-inch on the new HS series of high-speed discs. Reznik said that the combination of disc size and disc orientation creates a very smooth seedbed.

Alongside the HS series, Versatile has also released the Fury R which has a 10-degree tilt angle and is comparable to other high-speed discs.

Reznik said that the Fury is one of the heaviest implements in its class, delivering a down-force of about 1,000 pounds per foot.

“This creates a situation that we don’t need to use a hydraulic pressure on the wings,” said Reznik. “The weight of the implement is enough to keep it engaged with the soil.”

Reznik added that the transport width is about three metres.

Versatile is accepting customer orders for the new Fury models now and will begin manufacturing the units in October 2025.

The Fury is designed and made at Versatile’s manufacturing facility in Winnipeg, Man.

See more Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show coverage on Farmtario’s landing page.

The post Versatile brings updated Fury line of high-speed discs to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

But according to Spencer Harris, senior vice-president of global ag retail for Nutrien Ag Solutions, biologicals are not all that new for Nutrien — the global ag retailer has been researching biological crop inputs for nearly two decades.

“We’ve invested over a half billion dollars in research and development of biologicals and bio-stimulants … and we’re excited about how biologicals have really increased over the last couple of years,” says Harris.

He said there is consistent interest outside of North America for these products and growers around the globe have been benefitting from their use.

“We’re seeing these products being used around the globe … on specialty crops, corn, soybeans in the United States and having terrific results,” says Harris.

He predicts the market for biological crop inputs will grow to $11 billion by 2030, up from his current estimate of about $4.5 billion.

So far the company has focused its market development for biologicals on major oilseed crops such as canola and soybeans, and major cereal crops such as corn, wheat, barley and oats.

For example, Nutrien’s biologicals are being trialled in 300 locations and its biological products are being sold and used by grower customers throughout 1,500 locations in North America and 300 locations in Australia.

It’s a solid uptake in interest that Harris takes note of.

“I think growers are looking for solutions, and they want maybe safer solutions, and ones that are more naturally occurring,” says Harris.

“So biologicals have really taken off on that front, and so the past four or five years we’ve seen the uptake really increase.”

It’s fair to say that challenges that existed for growers 20 years ago have become more pronounced, particularly when it comes to dry conditions on the Prairies.

Harris said Nutrien has a new biological product to address this issue.

“We’re launching a product called Terramar to help mitigate abiotic stress by slowing down the respiration of the plant,” says Harris.

According to the company’s website, the product enhances microbial activity in the soil around a plant’s roots to better withstand stressful conditions. It is currently pending registration in Canada and will be available for sale in 2026.

With all the talk of alternative production methods, it can be challenging for farmers to adopt new practices on their farm.

Harris sees this as a changing dynamic.

“Growers are just looking for new solutions,” he says.

“When you talk about soil health and the stress that plants are under, either from drought or too much water, we have the products that really help plants with stress. What we’re trying to do is maximize the return on investment for those growers,” Harris says.

“In some cases, that’s a biological alone. In other cases, that’s using a biological in conjunction with a synthetic to get that real synergistic approach.”

*Note: This article has updated been updated from its original version to reflect the accurate number of ongoing trials and product location numbers, and the dollar amount of investments Nutrien has made in biologicals.

The post Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The new FD2 Plus FlexDraper has two inches of extra flex at the cutterbar allowing it to follow the contour of the ground more efficiently to harvest more crop.

Follow all our Ag in Motion coverage at the Western Producer.

In 2020, MacDon released its FD2 FlexDraper design with increased capacity, deeper drapers and a new cutting system.

“Now we’re adding to that with the Plus where we’ve brought out a flexible cutter bar,” said Russ Henderson, product manager with MacDon.

“A lot of competitive flex drapers have a very large flex range,” added Henderson, “But that drops the cutter bar away from the reel, and if the reel and cutter bar aren’t working together, you can be leaving crop in the field.”

The new FD2 Plus FlexDraper comes in widths from 30 to 50 feet.

Watch for a video of MacDon’s new FD2 Plus FlexDraper coming soon to AgDealerTV.

The post MacDon shows new FD2 Plus FlexDraper at Ag in Motion appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Today we have these electric drive meter upgrades where we can take an existing planter, say back to 2015 – a MaxEmerge 5 planter – and we can add these meter upgrades without having to replace that entire row unit,” said Taryn Fischels, precision upgrades product marketing manager for John Deere.

The move allows growers to increase their efficiency and accuracy when it comes time to put seed in the ground, and keep costs down if their current John Deere planter still has a few years left on it.

Fischels said that John Deere will start taking orders in June 2025 and kits will be ready for the 2026 planting season.

PowerStar gets revamped with four new models

At the show and getting plenty of attention from visitors at the New Holland booth was the latest PowerStar tractor. The new PowerStar comes in four models: 90, 100, 110 and 120 and range from 87 to 117 horsepower. Engine power is driven down to the wheels with New Holland’s FPT Industrial 3.6-liter four-cylinder engine on all four models.

“The PowerStar line has been with New Holland for decades. It’s really become synonymous with power, utility and comfort,” said Mike Sevick, business manager for New Holland North America. “What we’re really launching here is the next generation of those features and those benefits for customers with this tractor line.”

Want to learn more? Watch for full video interviews on John Deere’s planter upgrades and New Holland’s latest PowerStar tractor coming soon to AgDealerTV.

Organized by Kentucky Venues and recognized around the world as a premier farm trade show event, the National Farm Machinery Show welcomes as many as 300,000 visitors from across the U.S. and many other countries each year.

The post John Deere offers upgrades for planters, New Holland rolls out latest PowerStar tractor at National Farm Machinery Show appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Hesston by Massey Ferguson launched its new double small square baler on the show floor at a media event immediately after the show doors opened. The SB.1436DB produces two rows of bales per field pass and is clearly aimed at maximizing productivity.

The new baler features an advanced electronic monitoring and control system called, SimplEbale. It automates critical baling processes to ensure consistent bale density, weight and dimensions. From inside the cab, operators can monitor flake thickness, flake count, bale length and bale weight in real time, ensuring maximum throughput.

“With its heavy-duty design and groundbreaking technology, this baler helps operators achieve better efficiency and superior results, reducing costs while increasing profitability,” said Dane Mosel, marketing manager for Hesston by Massey Ferguson, in a press release.

Also unveiled at the show was a new Farmall C series tractor from Case IH.

The new Farmall C lineup offers a 12-speed PowerShuttle and 24-speed Hi-Lo transmission, reinforced front axle, boosted hydraulic flow, heavier gross vehicle weight and increased rear lift capacity.

“The new Farmall C not only offers heavy-duty performance and maneuverability, it delivers an improved operator experience,” said Leo Bose customer segmentation lead at Case IH, in a press release. “With the new brake to clutch feature, greater visibility, and the new L635 loader, operators can enjoy significantly increased comfort and reduced fatigue.”

There was a lot to see and do at the show so check out the video below of some of the day’s events on the show floor.

Watch for new videos to find out more about the new baler from Massey Ferguson and Case IH’s new Farmall tractor coming soon to AgDealerTV.

Organized by Kentucky Venues and recognized around the world as a premier farm trade show event, the National Farm Machinery Show welcomes as many as 300,000 visitors from across the U.S. and many other countries each year.

The post New Massey Ferguson baler, Farmall tractor unveiled at 2025 National Farm Machinery Show appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Day one of the EIMA international machinery show in Bologna, Italy, saw five tractor manufacturers take home awards for Tractor of the Year. There were six different categories in play – Fendt won in two categories – that ranged from horsepower to sustainability and a newly created category called ‘TotyBot’ for fully automated tractors without a cab. A precision weeder from Ferrari Growtech that uses AI technology to remove weeds in vegetable fields was also a highlight of the day. Oh, and a John Deere tractor was carved up for all visitors to see. Take a look!

The post Tractors of the year announced at EIMA agricultural machinery show appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Glacier FarmMedia digital editor Greg Berg takes in the 2024 EIMA International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition in Bologna, Italy.

During a press conference the evening of Nov. 5, 2024, before the opening day of the show, officials with FederUnacoma spoke to several challenges in the global agricultural sector such as weak farm equipment sales, labour shortages, how climate change is hurting productivity and how new technologies are one piece of the puzzle to help overcome these challenges.

The post EIMA 2024 opens its doors to the world appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.