Ah, nothing says spring like the first robin, mud on your boots and, yes, farm auctions. From a box of random bolts, to a shiny, barely used tillage implement, auctions are a great place to pick up hard-to-find-new items, a good deal or pay far too much for a popular item. As the spring auction… Read More
The drive to get on the field to plant in a timely manner can sometimes overshadow the importance of planting only when the soil is ready. What’s more, if there’s any tillage to be done before planting, a late start can start feeling very late indeed. But if you head out planting before the soil… Read More
Timing a spring tillage operation can be particularly challenging when the weather decides to be rather uncooperative for a timely planting season. And while cool or wet conditions can have you stressed out about the need to get on the field, heading out too soon on wet soil can have season-long negative effects. As Jim… Read More
Canola seed is darn expensive. So is equipment. Buying new equipment to save on seed only makes sense if you make the most of the iron purchase. If you’re one of the many farmers curious about integrating a shiny new or not-so-new planter into the equipment mix with your sights set on saving on canola… Read More
Helen Choquette was the luck winner of the Keys to the Combine contest co-sponsored by Dow Agro Sciences and the Western Producer. Find out more about the Keys to the Combine contest Shaun Haney spoke to Helen moments after she sat in the brand new New Holland CR 9090 valued at $331,000 for the first… Read More
If you cannot see the embedded audio player above, CLICK HERE Farmers in Canada are buying tractors and combines at a much stronger pace than last year at this time. According to a report published by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), tractor unit sales were up 36% during February 2013 in comparison to February… Read More
Here we go again. It’s time to start thinking about getting into the field. That means taking a real, good look at your corn planter and getting it ready to do the job it’s supposed to do. Not having your planter setup properly is a yield robbing nightmare. In this episode of the Corn School… Read More
At one time when you heard someone talk about precision ag it was about minimizing overlap of the sprayer and driving the planter straight. After a winter of farm shows and meetings I have come to the conclusion in certain regions that precision ag is evolving into being about real planting precision. In the corn and soybean… Read More
If you cannot see the above embedded audio player, click here We have discussed retro-fitting older farm equipment with the latest in precision farming technology in the past, but we think that we have found maybe the most significant retro fit ever. Middlesex Soil and Crop has invested in a 1977 JD6600 combine to change it into a… Read More
Planters can offer significant advantages over seeders — precise depth placement, seed singulation and gentle handling of seed, to name a few — but the machines are also best suited for large-seeded, tall-growth crops like corn and sunflowers, not canola. Recent interest in planters for canola has encouraged at least one company, Monosem, to begin… Read More
There are few things that get a farmer’s blood pumping like a field ready for the seeder and shiny new iron to drag across it. With the growing corn and soybean acres in the west, more farmers have adopted row crop planters, and, inevitably, wondered how good a job they would do on other crops…. Read More
Fertilizer management, and especially nitrogen management, can be a bit of an art form when it comes to corn planting. Not only is it sometimes difficult to get all the N down at planting, but using split applications of nitrogen can also just be good risk management. Going in later in the growing season means… Read More
They may not be the most common sight on North American farms, but those who use Fendt tractors speak very highly of their driver comfort, high fuel efficiency and maneuverability. Available in the 600, 700 and 800 series, Shaun Haney took a tour of the 828 model at Louisville’s National Farm Machinery Show. In this… Read More
As average corn yields are pushed higher and higher, some companies view the traditional row crop corn header as approaching maximum capacity. Geringhoff, a specialized corn header company, has unveiled a new type of corn header that combines aspects of both the row crop type and the solid-seeded type best suited for corn silage. The… Read More
Demands and expectations are very high on seeders and planters. Seed must be delivered quickly and gently, then metered accurately and placed precisely in the furrow, regardless of conditions. The planter then has to close up the furrow, pack it down and carry on, all the while adjusting for terrain and trash at over five… Read More