Identifying poor performance areas in a field is the first step to properly managing those unproductive patches and padding the bottom line.
Tag Archives compaction
Know where and why yields are low in your fields
Identifying and managing soil health issues can help farmers build back yield in unproductive patches
Supersized grain carts a weighty problem for soil compaction
Larger grain carts and combines make for a more efficient harvest, but they also come with soil health implications if the extra weight causes soil compaction
Grain carts can still cause serious soil compaction whether they’re on tracks or wheels, but Scott Shearer’s research at Ohio State indicates less of a yield hit with tracks compared to wheels in unfavourable soil conditions. Here are some tips to reduce compaction risk.
Reduce compaction with crop and path planning
Soil compaction can be a persistent challenge for farmers and, much like salinity, it starts with moisture. “When the soil is dry — we have a nice, dry fall and are doing harvest — we’re not really causing a lot of issues,” said Marla Riekman, a soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “It’s when we […] Read more
New granular applicator gets 90-foot air boom
The Valmar AB640, which Salford introduced earlier this year, is a large unit that will require a powerful tractor to pull it
Growers now have more choices than ever on how to apply a lot of fertilizer in a short amount of time. In July, Salford introduced its newest and largest air boom applicator. With a 90-foot boom, it goes well past the brand’s previous flagship model, the 9620, which offers 72 feet of working width. “We’ve […] Read more
VIDEO – Fast farm machines seen as threat to soil
Most farm machinery manufacturers don’t seem to care much about soil health, say a number of soil scientists at the University of Manitoba. That’s a problem because many of them make machines that damage soil and undermine the sustainability of today’s farms. “They’ve doubled the speed and they’ve dramatically increased the (soil) degradation,” said David […] Read more
Compaction can put you in a hard spot
It’s easier and cheaper to farm to prevent or reduce soil compaction than trying to fix the damage once it’s done
Soil compaction is one of the biggest field obstacles farmers face but there are ways to prevent it, says a soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Soil compaction is one of those really complicated issues to talk about as an agronomist because ultimately, the only true way we cannot compact the soil is by essentially […] Read more
