PORTAGE la PRAIRIE, Man. — Growing a profitable corn crop is all about perfect seed placement, and that depends on the grower and the planter. Corn planter guru Bill Lehmkuhl says good corn crops are based on how well every component of the planter is maintained and adjusted. He said producers should take the time […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Harrow design adds to safety
BRANDON — Safety was a key criterion at Pillar Lasers Inc. when it set out to design a new heavy harrow last year. “Most harrows have the jack stand on the back bar, and they’re notorious for sinking in the ground,” says Dick Friesen of Pillar Lasers in Warman, Sask. This can become a nuisance […] Read more
Air systems either pull or push — take your pick
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — White has never traditionally been a big corn planter name on the Prairies, but that will change when its 90-foot 36-row planters start to appear. Corn and soybean fields are expanding, and canola growers are experimenting with planters. However, a corn planter can be a complex and frustrating piece of […] Read more
Prairie corn crop looks prosperous
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — Prairie farmers now grow grain corn where their parents could grow only silage corn. They grow silage corn where their parents could grow only alfalfa. Might the next generation of prairie farmers grow grain corn as a normal part of their rotations, regardless of locations? Can the new generation corn […] Read more
Get the math right the first time
Accurate seed treatment Farmers can’t determine the correct rate unless seed volume is known
BRANDON — Determining volume is the biggest challenge when treating seed. There are three critical elements of seed treatment: seed rate, chemical volume and accurate application of fungicide. Bob Reekie, a consultant for Bayer Crop Sciences, said the rate must be adjusted constantly because of fluctuations in the density and volume of seed coming through […] Read moreModule boosts horsepower the legal way
Diesel performance | Increase is achieved without risking a fine for messing with emission controls
BRANDON — Farmers and truckers now have a legal way to boost power and improve fuel economy without altering the government mandated emission controls. Mike Munroe of Western Turbo and Fuel Injection said his company’s Agricultural Diesel Solutions module legally meets farmers’ needs for better performance because it doesn’t change the map or program in […] Read more
Peristaltic pumps: part meter, part pump, all reliable
BRANDON — Saying that a pump is a pump is like saying that a horse is a horse. It’s not true, especially with pumps that come with high expectations. Peristaltic pumps probably come with the highest expectations in terms of accuracy, which is why Westfield chose them for its STORM seed treatment plant. According to […] Read more
New single disc drill improves seed placement
Double duty | The 500 air drill offers singulation, allowing canola growers to reduce seeding rates
BRANDON — Counting costly canola seeds one by one as they drop isn’t humanly possible, although rising seed prices may have prompted some growers to consider it. Anything that lets a canola grower reduce his seeding rate without reducing yield is bound to attract attention, which is just one of the factors Case IH had […] Read moreTractor flips, fuel tank erupts, engulfing farmer in flames
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — Without warning, the old gas powered D19 rotated around its rear axle and back flipped. It had no rollover protection so Roy Vust was pinned between the tractor and mower at his farm in southern Manitoba. Then the fuel tank erupted like a volcano, engulfing man and machine in flames. […] Read more
Oil check gets easier on rubber track hubs
Sight glass hubcaps | Now available for Challenger, John Deere and Quadtrac
Brian Isaac has expanded his line of sight glass hubcaps. He’s added eight new sight glass units to fit all John Deere and Challenger rubber tracked tractors, as well as for the larger Case Quadtrac. Isaac’s Leabank Lubeview Sightglass Hubcaps came into the market in 2007, but were then designed only for Case Quadtrak. The […] Read more
