Real life high tech planting

[Maver]

I bought a new drill 3 years ago with the latest and greatest technology. After running it for 2.5 seasons I have had 0 down time because of mechanical issues. All of my down time has been electrical, monitor and sensors. Company support has been pretty good but it's still frustrating. A company rep brought an engineer out to ask me what I liked and didn't like about the drill. I told him the electrical systems need to be more dependable. Dumb it down to make it more reliable if need be. All the gains we are supposed to see from this technology get erased pretty quick when the sun is shining and the wheels aren't turning. The drill I was using 12 years ago, could seed with out the monitor. One time the monitor died and I seeded for 3 days waiting for its replacement. I can't even run the conveyor without the monitor on the new one.

[oldjim]

So what's the fix?????

A discer, just drop the front wheel in the rut and go.

They break down too. FML

[TOM4CWB]

They break down too. FML

Blackpowder;
We run a New HOLLAND air seeder at SHERWOOD Park with a receiver on the drill to input GPS. Variable rate fertilizer, 4 tank new style Flexicoil/New HOLLAND. Works well, precision openers.
I
Talk to Ray at Snethun in sedgewick he can fix you up with good reliable seeding equipment… with local support that is superb and best parts inventory around.

Dealer support is key, you can’t beat Snethun’s for that.

They have 4 year old seeders they just finished seeding with and replace them each year, so the bugs are out of them.

Give Ray a call, they are good people.
780-384-2195
Cheers.

[furrowtickler]

Hundreds of millions worth of seeding equipment parked in Manitoba yards (high tec stuff) while old wore out valmars and floaters blow seed out and harrowed in with anything with tines. P.S. my old 70's JD
fingerplanter puts a corn seed every 6 inches without a computer and you can walk into any JD place and still get parts.

Well , I have one of those as well . And parts right now are not so easy , it’s getting wore out and needs constant tinkering …


New or old , they have issues . Spend way more time running after that one than the Horsch but it’s just fatigued like me lol

[furrowtickler]

Have seen dozens of side by sides in corn with planters and seed masters and all kinds of drills
Seed spacing is extremely critical in corn
And well canola to be honest , not far off when one considers seed cost , crop disease and efficiency when they do work well
But absolutely, there is drawbacks .

Drill at 5 lbs


Planter at 2 lbs

Absolutely zero disease with planter so far here
Fungicide not cheap , nor application costs or trampling … especially now

[furrowtickler]

Plant spacing is critical in corn for cob development
Again with fertility and seed costs , it’s crucial to get it right from the start …… but it can be a PITA at times

[furrowtickler]

It is all a world conspiracy by Bill Gates. New world order of farming. L.O.L.

Seriously??? Don’t be a dink

Or a Chuck

[Sheepwheat]

My best crops I ever grew were a string of years in the late nineties and early 2000’s. Anhydrous, narrow, seed with a CIH 7200 hoe drill. Maybe it coincided with the better, dryer seasons?

I miss those simple days in lots of ways. Except the constant filling.

[furrowtickler]

My neighbour still used an older bourgault 8800 with plastic gang packers up till last year . Always some of the best crops in RM hands down
Its not always the wand it’s the attention to detail by the butt in the tractor seat

[furrowtickler]

Forgive my knowledge of corn but people have been seeding yellow peas, chicks and kabulis with a plain ol shank drill for decades. Neighbor tried soy with his drill came up fine.

What’s so special about a planter? Look like a pain in the ass to me.

None of those crops need precision planting , you know that .
But peas, do perform well with singulation and wider row spacing . Way more than I ever thought possible. Again it comes down to disease control, airflow in the crop and stand ability in wet areas .
Pods were 30% longer , seed fill more complete and zero lodging , opposite of what one May think traditionally

[furrowtickler]

We did 1/2 of our canola absolute zero till this year straight into cereal stubble.
Will be both good and bad to be honest.
Save moisture for sure
But will be susceptible to frost next two nights .
Again , the pros and cons of any seeding outfit

[furrowtickler]

Will post pictures soon if canola side by side with planter at 2.5 lbs and new seed master 15 in machine at 3.5 , 4 and 4.5 lbs direct into wheat stubble . All nutrients the same . Establishment very close so far with too many plants per row than I like at 4.5 lbs
But the next two nights may be the equalizer.
Time will tell
We also did side by side wheat with our bourgault 12 in space twin row and that seed master 15 inch
All the same time .
The 15 inch seed master very rough but did very nice job on both .
15 in wheat too wide IMO but it was here and we tried it . It will be interesting on both