February 09, 2026

Unverferth receives ASABE’s AE50 Award for Air Command Section Control System

The Air Command Section Control option is a revolutionary innovation that uses pneumatics to divert material onto the spinners for accurate, yet economical, four-section control with fewer moving components.

KALIDA, Ohio — Unverferth Manufacturing Co. announced its Air Command Section Control System, designed for Unverferth Pro-Force dry fertilizer spreaders, has received the prestigious AE50 Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

The AE50 Awards recognize the year’s most innovative products in agriculture, food and biological systems — honoring advancements that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement and meaningful impact in the markets they serve.

Unverferth’s Air Command Section Control technology was selected as one of approximately 50 award recipients by an expert panel of engineers for its ability to enhance application accuracy and help producers maximize efficiency and input savings during fertilizer application.

“Air Command was engineered with real-world field challenges in mind, giving operators greater control and accuracy with every pass across the field and noticeable savings on fertilizer costs,” said Larry Unverferth, president of Unverferth Manufacturing. “Being recognized with an AE50 Award reinforces Unverferth’s commitment to practical innovation directly benefiting today’s farmers.”

Air Command Section Control enables operators to automatically manage four independent spreader sections, helping maintain accurate application control in irregular fields and around waterways, ditches and field boundaries by following a programmed coverage map.

Using pneumatic redirection, Air Command provides greater control over material flow and delivers true independent section shut-off without the added cost and complexity of extra conveyor belts or movable spinner platforms.

By improving placement accuracy and limiting overapplication, the system helps maximize efficiency and minimize fertilizer waste without sacrificing crop performance.

AgriNews Staff

AgriNews Staff

The Illinois AgriNews and Indiana AgriNews staff is in the field each week, covering topics that affect local farm families and their businesses. We give readers information they can’t get elsewhere to help them make better farming decisions.