Source: NCDA&CS, 9/15/21


Research Stations Division Director Teresa Lambert expects a new tractor lending program to be a nice boost for two of the state’s agricultural research locations. It already has her dreaming about expanding the program too as a way to help even more stations with their important work.

The program involves John Deere lending $1.28 million worth of tractors. That comes out to nine large tractors, each equipped with the company’s GreenStar guidance system. The tractors will go to the Central Crops Research Station at Clayton and N.C. State University’s Lake Wheeler Road Research Lab just south of Raleigh. The research farms will be able to use each tractor for 200 hours or twelve months. During the current five-year agreement, John Deere dealer Quality Equipment will pick up the lightly used tractors around the beginning or end of each year and drop off new ones for the next 200-hour/12-month period.

The Central Crops and Lake Wheeler Road locations were chosen because of their proximity to N.C. State University. As part of the program, the field research locations must allow students to use the tractors for educational purposes for four of the 200 hours allotted. Agricultural students from the university should easily be able to get to the locations. Lambert explained it’s a good way for John Deere to get their technology in front of the students. She mentioned that young people have grown up with advanced technology such as GPS guidance systems, so it’s natural for them to work with it and even expect it to be a part of everything in their lives.

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