It’s true that rhizobia bacteria remain healthy in the soil after a pulse crop is harvested, but they lose their edge by the time pulses come around again. It doesn’t mean the product is bad or it’s the wrong formula; it simply means that time takes its toll on the little bugs, according to BASF’s […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Harvester handles heavy rocks like they’re small potatoes
FARGO, N.D. — From the side, there’s a visual similarity between the preying mantis and the Rock Mantis, the big difference being that the Rock Mantis eats stones instead of bugs. Measuring 52 feet long, the Rock Mantis RP1000 is one serious stone-picking machine. It harvests rocks up to one foot in diameter while cruising […] Read more
Better chemistry builds better tire sealant
FARGO, N.D. — A sales representative for LiquiTube says his product can fix punctures up to three quarters of an inch in heavy ply industrial tires. “The technology has made huge strides because there’s such a huge demand for tire sealants that actually work,” says Mike Davert. “It comes down to chemical engineering. The more […] Read more
Rock picking was always a horrible chore
As a kid, I didn’t much like April weekends. As soon as the fields were dry enough, we’d take the 45 minute drive out to the Lyseng homestead farm at Hiterdahl, Minnesota, to help Dad’s brothers, Gilman and Grant. Each winter, Mother Nature pushed more rocks to the surface. Each April, every able-bodied person in […] Read more
Cover crops called the new zero till
FARGO, N.D. — A conventional corn-bean rotation leaves a lot of land exposed to wind and water erosion. Wider row spacing always equals greater exposure. There’s nothing new about using a cover crop to protect exposed soil, but planting such a crop between rows of tall corn stalks has historically been viewed as impossible. Out […] Read more
New delivery system makes roots job easier
FARGO, N.D. — Corn growers once assumed that mid-row banding or dribbling was the best way to apply in-season nitrogen. But now there’s a better way. A simple liquid application device called the 360 Y-drop is dragged along the ground between two corn rows. However, instead of a single hose dribbling down the middle, 360 […] Read more
Cover crops a long-term solution?
Soil loss affects the long-term sustainability of human life on Earth. Nutrient loss affects the immediate and long-term environment. In a corn-bean rotation, cover crops might address both issues. Most people in agriculture agree that cover crops are integral to the sustainability of food production around the world. However, some are concerned they may rob […] Read more
Grower says Y-drop evens nitrogen availability
Don Wiebe installed 25 Y-drop units on the 60-foot boom of his John Deere 4830 sprayer on 30-inch centres “After two years, it’s been a positive experience,” says Wiebe, who runs Beaver Creek Farms with this brother, Stan, at MacGregor, Man. Wiebe said he has not cut back on his nitrogen rate, nor has he […] Read more
Root ball anatomy 101: zero in on sucking power
FARGO, N.D. — Dig up a corn root ball and you’ll see how the roots extend in all directions. They have been genetically modified to aggressively chase moisture and nutrients in the soil. At a soil depth of about one foot, the longest roots from one row finally meet the longest roots from the next […] Read more
Nitrogen bill proves value of cover crops
Joe Breker runs the home farm at Havana, North Dakota. It’s been zero till for 35 years and has had cover crops such as radish, peas, turnip and flax in the mix for the past 10 years. To say that the Brekers farm scientifically would be a understatement. Joe’s brother, Gene, recalls participating in a […] Read more
