Tracks can make the difference between seeding and not seeding, a Saskatchewan farmer found last year. Kent Hanmer of Govan started the year with no rubber tracks. Today, every implement that goes to the field is tracked. Wet conditions last spring prevented Hanmer from seeding 5,000 of his 22,000 acres. He ran a Seed Hawk […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Gumbo boots and spurs for seeding into mud
Most air seeder manufacturers have a good gumbo opener with some type of mud spur, but many farmers go to the after-market in search of something better. Here is what five after-market companies offer for extreme mud. ATOM-JET Atom-Jet first focused its attention on mud in the 1990s when it set out to develop an […] Read more
Helicopter application provides control, accuracy
A helicopter handles tight situations and sensitive areas better than an airplane, said Gordon Murray, owner of Bi-Air Application Services in Blackfoot, Alta. “You have better control of your speed, you’re more manoeuvreable and you’re closer to the ground.” Murray flew only fixed wing aircraft when he started his aerial application business in 1983. He […] Read more
Seeding solutions for wet conditions up in the air
LAC DU BONNET, Man. – Two years ago, Paul Mcintosh called the local helicopter service to see if it could aerial seed canola on two quarter section fields that were too muddy for machinery. The deal was made and the seeding was done. On two adjacent quarters, Mcintosh was able to mud the seed in […] Read more
Tips for aerial seeding canola this spring
Wet conditions this spring will likely force many canola growers to either aerial seed or leave some fields unseeded. The Canola Council of Canada provides recommendations for broadcast seeding and although the information pertains to ground application, much of it is also relevant to aerial seeding. John Gibson of Provincial Helicopter in eastern Manitoba is […] Read more
Drill makers’ advice on opener settings
Saturated soil and increasing sales of independent opener drills mean that many farmers will be breaking new ground this spring. Most people agree that a drill with an independent opener system works better than a conventional zero till drill in mud. However, there are significant differences in what the drill designers have to say about […] Read more
Keeping independence at seeding time
Muddy or pre-worked soil conditions can compromise performance of independent drills. These drills are designed to function in a direct seeding environment: fields with a firm seedbed so the packer wheel can properly gauge the seed depth. They are not designed to seed into muck, mush, mud or cultivated fields. Bourgault staff agronomist Garry Meier […] Read more
Using chemistry to dry saturated soils
Farmers using vertical tillage or deep tillage to break through hardpan say their waterlogged fields often dry quickly after the operation. But what about using chemistry to break up that hardpan? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds, according to an American soil amendment company. Tillage may address the immediate hardpan issue at the time […] Read more
Fertilizer applications not to blame for poor soil conditions: soil scientist
It’s well known that soil salts contribute to hard pan problems, but the question of whether commercial fertilizers are to blame has circulated for years. It’s a question University of Manitoba soil scientist Don Flaten has dealt with many times. He said there are two concerns when it comes to salt in the soil: excess […] Read more
Correct cable attachment point critical in towing
There are lots of stories in farming country about producers who hooked to the front end of their four-wheel drive to pull it out of the mud, only to end up with half a tractor at the end of their towline. The correct way to pull a 4WD is to hook onto a good solid […] Read more
