Dutch precision edge

[Guest]

So what is the silver bullet? Or it is just pick your poison?

i like the narrow opener with single side
these'll finish me off lol

[flea beetle]

i like the narrow opener with single side
these'll finish me off lol

Haha. Well if you have used them for 14-15 years and still like them, they must be good!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

That is pretty impressive to get 350 lbs safely with that opener!

After this spring, I need to rethink everything I thought I knew about safety of fertilizer with seed.

Sod seeding canola into terrible conditions. New to me land, very old hay sod, clay, very compacted, no OM or litter on top, no fertilizer for years. So it needed a lot of fertilizer, the most I've ever applied, all through the double shoot Dutch precision openers. Which are probably the poorest choice for sod seeding at the best of times.


In really hard ground the spring shank ( as opposed to trip) Concord springs way back, the fertilizer point still penetrates, but the paired row at the back can be right out of the ground at times. And at that angle, and in those sod conditions, the furrow doesn't close well if at all.

It requires moisture to work. And it had just rained and more was in the forecast, so I persevered. In spite of that moisture, It was still far too dry to consider breaking up the sod and expecting canola to germinate after that.

A lot of seeds were falling into the open fertilizer trench with the fertilizer, and really deep. Almost made me sick looking at how much money I had just wasted.

And the seeds in that exposed narrow furrow, mixed with all that fertilizer, germinated immediately, and were out of the ground way ahead of those that were up on the ledge where they belonged, and virtually all seemed to survive, had excellent deep green color right away, compared to the rest that were starved for nutrients until the roots got down far enough.

Did it work because there was enough rain to leach the nutrients deeper right away? Or because it was open, so it wasn't so toxic? It goes against everything I've read on the subject.

Other sod seeded fields with much better conditions where the seed and fertilizer stayed where they belonged took much longer to germinate, more variable, slower to canopy over, and were later all year long.

[farming101]

Soil type a big factor as to what you can get away with.
Try doing that in worn out gumbo.
And obviously soil moisture is another decider.
Over many years of seeding with the fertilizer in close proximity to the seed I think that between canola and wheat, wheat can show the most fert damage

[blackpowder]

Yeah that is interesting for sure. Kinda the best of both worlds. Wouldn't get the opener sinking in soft conditions like an independent, yet follows the ground better than a regular hoe drill.

Seems I had read about rock shafts bending on that model? Or is that just a case of guys putting them in places they shouldn't be? Have you had to deal with that?

I have been told of that as well. I do not know what that looks like if I was looking but was told you can't level it at all.
I believe it may result from either leaving something locked during fold out procedure or running one wing off the road during transport.
I bought the most cherry looking drill i could find and it works well. Neighbor retiring and has one for sale if you're looking.
When I was looking I saw a lot of crap.
I paid $95 for drill and tank. What the hell. When those chintzy packers start to give trouble I'll just sell the drill and get another.

[blackpowder]

I need to say, Thank God for a farming thread! Keeps the aholes quiet.

[flea beetle]

I have been told of that as well. I do not know what that looks like if I was looking but was told you can't level it at all.
I believe it may result from either leaving something locked during fold out procedure or running one wing off the road during transport.
I bought the most cherry looking drill i could find and it works well. Neighbor retiring and has one for sale if you're looking.
When I was looking I saw a lot of crap.
I paid $95 for drill and tank. What the hell. When those chintzy packers start to give trouble I'll just sell the drill and get another.

I am not 100% sure which way to go yet, but sure PM me his number and maybe some info on the drill if you know anything about it.