Ron Lyseng

Ron Lyseng

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Western Producer

Stories by Ron Lyseng

The even emergence is part of the smooth field surface that results from the triple chute design. | VW Manufacturing photo
Crop Management

Uniform emergence puts money in wallet

Uniform germination and emergence go a long way toward growing a profitable crop. It’s an often elusive goal, but two brothers from Swift Current, Sask., think they have found the answer — effective openers. “I think 2012 was probably the best crop I’ve ever had, even though we had no rain after June 20,” said […] Read more
The area with red light indicates burnoff from the Bakken oil patch in North Dakota in 2010, where 100 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared each day. This area was not present on the satellite maps in the 1992 and 2000 samples. This multi-year composite shows satellite images collected in 1992, 2000 and 2010. Each image was overlaid in a different colour (red, blue and green) so that any images that have not changed much in the three samples appear as white light. | illustration courtesy of the U.S. national geophysical data center using images from U.S. Defense meteorological satellite program
Crop Management

Natural gas picks up speed as transport fuel

Natural gas, already proven as a fuel to power generator sets, buses, stationary engines, homes and factories, is finding new use as a transportation fuel. Environment is usually touted as the main reason for switching to the clean fuel, but lower prices and the daily waste of excess natural gas also figure into the equation. […] Read more
The new plastic flat-proof pivot tire sells for $495 and carries a three year warranty. It’s available in all three standard pivot tire sizes. | Dawson Tire and Wheel photo
Crop Management

Recycled plastic tires go green — literally

Tires on centre pivot irrigation systems have something in common with implement tires: if just one goes down, the whole machine goes down. The tire issue for irrigators took a giant step forward this September when Dawson Tire and Wheel introduced its RhinoGator plastic puncture-proof pivot tires. Like Henry Ford’s Model T, the RhinoGator comes […] Read more
Crop Management

Wide row spacing a challenge in canola

Producers who have tried seeding canola on wide row spacings are cautiously optimistic and taking steps to solve the problems that have occurred. Some growers have used their air drills, but most have opted for a corn planter from Deere, Case, Kinze or Monosem. However, the problem is the same no matter which planter they […] Read more
Precision planting with a Monosem vacuum planter in trials near Lacombe, Alta., proved effective. However, the 18 inch and 24 inch spacings took longer to canopy. The 24 inch spacings were in flower prior to canopy. The seedling mortality appeared to be similar with both planter and air seeder, but planter seedlings had a better chance of becoming full grown, yield producing plants. | Craig Shaw photo
Crop Management

Corn planter effective in precision canola seeding

A corn planter places canola seed more accurately than does an air drill, according to producers who have tried it. “The accurate seed placement of a planter is the big factor. That’s what makes this whole idea potentially viable,” says Andrew Dalgarno, a canola grower from Newdale, Man. “There was a lot of talk last […] Read more
The wand skims the surface, giving real-time data to the Active Depth Control computer. If the wand starts to slide into the soil, the ADC computer knows the rotating discs are too deep and raises the boom. If the wand is in mid-air, the discs are cutting the tips of the beets, so the ADC lowers the boom. | Appareo Systems photo
Crop Management

New depth controls help stay the course

Active Depth Control Might the depth control system from a beet harvester show up on your next air drill?


FARGO, N.D. — A new automatic depth control system keeps extra mud from going through the processor during sugar beet harvesting while ensuring the high-value beet tips get into the truck. While other automatic depth control systems function only on the hitch cylinders at the front of the harvester, the new Active Depth Control (ADC) […] Read more
The Auger Hog contains the grain flow well enough that auger speeds can increase by 20 to 30 percent. The unit sells for $1,100. | David Koop photo
Crop Management

Auger Hog has big appetite for grain

A new detachable hopper manufactured in Swift Current, Sask., is said to increase auger speed by 20 to 30 percent. The big Auger Hog is designed and built by Gatco Manufacturing, which has also developed the Grain Air Tube. “I’m a farmer myself and I needed a high volume hopper to go under trucks and […] Read more
To test the integrity of the sealed electrical system, Cat had a number of prototype D7E dozers working in the ocean doing beach reclamation work. The salt water did not affect the electrical systems. | Caterpillar photo
Crop Management, Machinery

Electric drive tractors on horizon?

Diesel-electric hybrid | If it works for locomotives and mining equipment, it might work in a high horsepower farm tractor

FARGO, N.D. — Farmers were skeptical but hopeful when the diesel-electric autonomous tractor debuted this fall. “Can this thing really pull my air drill?” was a common question. Diesel-electric has been powering the 60,000 pound, 235 horsepower Caterpillar D7E dozer for the past five years. Ed Zwilling, head of the advanced drive train team at […] Read more
As a test, the Snocrete 848A devoured this little red car and spit out the pieces. The Snocrete, designed for maximum durability, suffered no damage. The little red car, designed for cheap transportation, did not survive the test. | Delvonna Wentz photo
Crop Management

Blower blazes trail despite obstacles

Chops and destroys | Chopper bars placed at different angles break up snow and ice before sending debris to the fan

FARGO, N.D. — A snowblower that devours and spits out cars is probably capable of opening trails to the cattle and clearing snow around the grain bins in any kind of weather. Although Fair Manufacturing does not recommend using its Snocrete snowblower as a car shredder, it did try it once on a small car […] Read more
A long gooseneck runs down each side of the cart and connects to a tie rod. The tie rod connects to the steerable hub. In a turn, the outside gooseneck wants to get longer, so it pulls on its hub. The inside gooseneck wants to get shorter, so it pushes on its hub. The outside tire follows a longer arc and the inside tire tracks a short arc. As a result, we have a self-steering cart. | Ron Lyseng photo
Crop Management, Machinery

Self-steering fertilizer cart tiptoes between rows

FARGO, N.D. — A self-steering fertilizer cart has advantages for row croppers or anyone who wants to keep their tires between the rows. “The Montag Auto Steer system lets the cart follow very well,” says North Dakota farmer Carson Klosterman, a dealer for the Montag cart. “It follows your planter or strip tiller or you […] Read more

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