Weather or Tech ????

[furrowtickler]

After watching this past months weather and walking some customer's fields yesterday it got me thinking , would farmers be better off if possible to pay for more accurate long term (3week) forecasting than the obscenely high amount for high tech variable rate and all the iron and tech wizards to go with it ?? Let's take a 10,000 ac farm for shits and giggles and ease of figuring . 10,000 ac at $10/ac for the full meal deal just for the experts to come soil test every square foot or whatever, the satalite imagery, the software , and the field mapping wizardry . So for a cool $100,000 you good to go and get everything done perfect on every ac - then Mother Nature coughs up a hair ball .... Or spend a fraction on accurate weather forecasting keep things simple and efficient at seeding and be able to avoid potential weather problems with better seeding timing ? Ah , maybe just a pipe dream .
I would rather variable rate foliar feeding after the crop makes it if it requires more .
Just thinkin out loud here cause I know if some guys knew there was going to be 10 days of frosts with a few hard frosts , canola would have not been going in the ground before the 10 th of May at $300 plus per ac . Also on the flip side some guy would not have waited till after the 21 st to start canola because of dry conditions that are prevailing .

[farmaholic]

Furrow, this canola is hard to look at. I entertained the thought of reseeding to soybeans, but being "all in" with the fert I thought the beans would starve to death when the started to need to fix their own N(when they run out of applied and poor nodulation because of it). Second option was durum...probably be out of the ground in 4 days now and enough moisture to germinate it BUT not canola.

Ah, **** it. Spraying with insecticide instead and what will be will be.

[furrowtickler]

Ya that's about all a guy can do now , save what's there and it is what it is . Not fun at all regardless - hope it turns out and rains come here the first part of June

[SASKFARMER3]

As most know I watch a few weather services and one I subscribe to! Weather effects every thing on a farm! Having information lets you plan it's another tool in your tool belt! Variable rate tec and full bore system farmers will find out what we did when we tried it in the 80s first year worked good put Fert where needed then the dry years came Fert on a hill and nothing in the low areas have piss poor results and the system was put on the shelf! Yes it was a manual variable rate!
Oh well weather and mother nature rule farming not tec!

[grrrr]

Why do you put a ! after every sentence? Just wondering.

[furrowtickler]

he's yelling - kind of lol !!

[freewheat]

He is excited!!!! Because his conditions are finally decent!!!!

I agree with him!!!!

[Hopperbin]

I would pay for neither and buy toys. The one with the most toys always wins.

[mustardman]

What's the point of variable rate and high tech when our drills Aren't putting out accurate amounts of seed and fert??
They are Accurate at the cart But by the time it get down hoses to openers there can be 40 percent variation from one section of drill ti another.depending on hose length.

[blackpowder]

More firms to choose from every year charging a coincidental same $/ac.
My agronomist who I trust a great deal does some vrt for one client. The field warrants it through terrain and end productivity. The client spends the same $/ac just evens it out without lodging. (Lush and hilly).
On my ground we've decided it might be worth the effort on 1/4 of my acres for the reason some dirt simply deserves less fert. (Low grade cement)
Oddly enough my agronomist doesn't have anything else to sell / ac. to upsell.
Foliar feeding if practical for you, may have an easier lower cost fit. ? Spend based on stand?
Weather info is fun and luckily costs about what it is worth.

[ado089]

What mustard says. Plus why not find someone to do your VR that's gets it. It's about putting resources where they are needed according to the probability of seeing a return. Hint...the Commercial guys don't get it.

[SASKFARMER3]

Yes I am so excited were back!

[Hopperbin]

Mustard your land may be similar to mine. One end of drill may be on hillptop other.end on bottom. so on 10,000 acre farm if you purchase 2 drills the extra cost is 200 grand Plus plus. 4 years later the 200 grand is worthless cause it's a mechanics nightmare.

[TOM4CWB]

Mustard,

We have installed a blockage monitor system that shows the problems in air velocity and balance on air systems.

It works very well and shows not only individual blockage problems on each opener... but as well the air velocity differences between each secondary run on the air seeder. Runs on an iPad with monitors connected wirelessly to the iPad. Power supply required to each tower... then signal sent back through router to the iPad in the cab as this video shows. We have 2 systems installed on a Conservapac the other on a Case/NH Precision 2070 opener system.

Works off change in air velocity measured at each sensor using a vacuum hose connected to the control module for each set of towers (20 per control module circuit/10 per tower x 2 for double shoot)

Video;

[TOM4CWB]

BTW,

Since the wireless iPad system is totally separate from the seeder /variable rate systems... this runs along with any seeding system using air distribution for delivery of seed and or fertiliser to the openers. Each tower is numbered... each opener has a number on each control tower. I am running a Deere NH3 sectional control with VR capacity... the Case NH 1060cart 2070precision system is also on a Deere Autotrac with Trimble control running the VR on the seeder. Have fun... there are solutions!