BRANDON – If a field slopes north but you run your drainage south, there are bound to be problems. It’s not a unique situation, says Simon Knutson of SK Mapping & GIS Services. Knutson, who produces elevation maps and drainage prescription maps for Manitoba and Saskatchewan farmers, said he’s no longer fazed when he maps […] Read more
Production
No drain, no grain – don’t try to run water uphill
New Product – Small baler
New Holland has a new version of its 50 series 14 x 18 baler aimed at hay producers who want to make small bales of 14 by 18 inches for the commercial market. The BC5070 has a longer bale chamber with a heavier wall designed to improve bale shape and machine durability. Uniform shape is […] Read more
Tractor transmissions: fixing synchros, common problems – Inside Machines
We have come a long way from a straight gear-to-gear shifting system to a transmission that shifts by itself as the load and the speed changes. The original tractor transmission could be shifted only when you stopped. The gears would mesh with each other only when they were both running at the same speed or […] Read more
Power in a small package
WATERLOO, Iowa – Keeping sprayers filled with water and liquid fertilizer can be a full-time job. A new filling system from John Deere aims to reduce those hours by up to 40 percent. Load Command is a new high-flow loading system that connects the sprayer to the tender using a supported hose and connector the […] Read more
New windrowers in 2010
WATERLOO, Iowa – John Deere has introduced a new line of windrowers for next season. The major changes are higher field capacity and faster transport speeds. “We’re trying to reduce the time not spent in the field on operations,” said Deanna Kovar of John Deere’s Ottumwa Works. “Those are times that producers identify as being […] Read more
Three years, no payback on variable rate nitrogen
BRANDON – GPS languished in the background for more than a decade until Outback showed that satellites steer farm implements better than people. Once GPS guidance gained a foothold, everyone assumed the next big benefit would be variable rate nitrogen. “I totally question that assumption,” says Dan Hacault. The Swan Lake, Man., farmer raised eyebrows […] Read more
Researchers use biotech to improve plant breeding
LACOMBE, Alta. – Teams of biotechnologists at the Lacombe Research Centre are working to develop crosses for disease resistance in cereals such as wheat and barley. But genomic sequencing, tracing molecular markers and genetic transfers isn’t all there is to it. “Unless we are able to apply this to the breeding program, it is of […] Read more
CropCam: not just a toy
BRANDON – You can stand on the top of a step ladder, on the back of a truck parked on the highest knoll in the field, but you still won’t get that bird’s-eye view needed to identify problem areas in your crop. You can try to get that bird’s-eye view from a satellite – if […] Read more
Nitrogen not the key factor
BRANDON – Nitrogen is a major cost, so the most logical way to make GPS and variable rate pay is to reduce or re-allocate nitrogen. However, farmers are discovering that it doesn’t work that way and AgriTrend agronomist Chris Paterson isn’t surprised. He said there’s a new way to look at how variable rate technology […] Read more
Variable rates also apply to fungicide application
BRANDON – The variable rate principle isn’t just for fertilizer. It can also be applied to fungicides. High risk areas of a field receive the full rate while low risk areas receive half the rate. No-risk areas aren’t sprayed at all, which means there’s no crop trampling and no wasted fungicide. Agritrend adviser Terry Aberhart […] Read more
