Bigger corn planters with on-board fertilizer deliver efficiency and cover acres quickly. All that weight, however, can produce yield-robbing pinch rows and compaction. On this episode of The Sharp Edge, we visit Jeff Cook who farms with his family at their Mapleview Farms operation, just southwest of London, Ont. Over the years, the Cooks have… Read More
Some farmers practice strip till in their cornfields, some plant corn in twin rows, while others plant multiple hybrids. Then there’s Mike Strang — he does it all in the same field and even adds cover crops to the management mix. On this episode of The Sharp Edge, Strang, who farms with his family near… Read More
With mounting evidence of the benefits of planting soybeans early, CASE IH is touting how its Precision Disk 500T air drill can help expand the planting window for the oilseed crop and increase yield. One way producers can expand soybean planting windows is by adding a lower-investment, high-efficiency air drill to their operation, says CASE IH… Read More
John Deere is betting that its new model year 2022 planters will appeal to growers wanting to apply high rates of liquid fertilizer while limiting fertilizer refilling stops. Redesigned planters will be part of a factory-installed offering from Deere that integrates the company’s ExactRate technology. The set up monitors and controls the application of liquid fertilizer during… Read More
Achieving a perfect planting pass requires fine-tuning equipment, fit soil, and patience. To discuss how to get there, The Agronomists’ host Shaun Haney is joined by Dale Cowan, senior agronomist for AGRIS Co-op, and Matt Chapple, market development agronomist for PRIDE Seeds. The trio tackle set up, down force, soil conditions, monitoring and so much more…. Read More
When it comes to strong soybean plant establishment, growers often focus on seeding rates, seeding depth, and tillage. Those are all important management practices, but Horst Bohner emphasizes the need for growers to also set up and run their planter or drill effectively, to produce optimal plant stands that deliver top yields. On this episode… Read More
Will precision planting winter wheat pay for Ontario growers? That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson and OMAFRA cereals specialist Joanna Follings are determined to answer with a new research trial they planted last week at Follings’ home farm at Ayr, Ont. At the 2020 CerealSmart conference last February at Kitchener, Ont., Michigan State University… Read More
The hangover effects from a wet fall are giving farmers in parts of Western Canada a headache this spring. Saturated soil conditions right until freeze-up forced fieldwork that normally happens in fall to be delayed until spring. As a result, heavy harrows, vertical tillage machines, traditional cultivators, and even fire — all the tools in… Read More
Does building your corn planting and side-dress fertilizer program around a fertilizer cart make sense? That’s what Blenheim, Ont., farmer Joe De Brouwer does and that’s why he’s on this episode of The Sharp Edge on RealAgriculture. De Brouwer, who farms with his father and two uncles, tells Maizex Seeds’ agronomist Greg Stewart that an… Read More
If you haven’t prepped your planter for 2020, there’s still time to get the job done. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Kearney Planters service manager Shaun Dilliott walks us around a typical corn planter and offers tips on key areas where growers should focus maintenance efforts. The frame segment is the first stop…. Read More
During planting season, Kearney Planters service manager Shaun Dilliott gets plenty of calls from growers asking for seed meter management advice. Most of those calls come from soybean growers looking for tips on two types of meters — a John Deere radial meter or a Kinze brush meter. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School,… Read More
Have you noticed doubles and skips in your corn fields? Poor-performing meters on planter row units are the likely culprits and they’re costing you money. With the 2020 planting season quickly approaching, we asked Kearney Planters service manager Shaun Dilliott to share some tips on meter maintenance and testing. Dilliott and his team work on… Read More
Bigger isn’t always better, as is the case with the new 1745 MaxEmerge 5 planter, says John Deere. The manufacturer rolled out the planter at the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) earlier this month, touting narrow transport capabilities, a split-row configuration, a fit for small fields and no-till, and compatibility with older tractors. The key… Read More
Kinze’ new high-speed planting system will allow growers to plant at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour when it hits farmer fields in 2021. Dubbed as “True Speed” by the manufacturer, the system will be available with Kinze’s new 4905 planter for corn and soybeans. Last week at the National Farm Machinery Show… Read More
The Maestro lineup has been around for a while, with two main features: weight transfer, and electrical metering drive run strictly off of the tractor. “We thought that an additional generator on the back of the planter is exposed to dust, is exposed to rain, is exposed to any natural influence, and that can, in… Read More