Agronomy Works Podcast
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Episode 33: A New Lease on Life
Jeff visits with Brad Brazel from Plevna Implement Company in Indiana. Brad talks about often overlooked basic planter maintenance items, parts supply chain issues, the importance of taking care of your planter after planting season and the trend of giving your older equipment new life during this inventory shortage.
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Field Intelligence Video Series
Crop Analysis: An Evolution, Episode 1 – Series Introduction
Jay Funke and team from Del-Clay Farm Equipment head to the field to analyze the results of several planters in different fields using the traditional tape measure for population count and the advanced, data-rich Precision Planting POGO.
Merz Crop Tour 2021 – Series Introduction
Mitch Merz shows us what to expect from this year’s Merz Farm Equipment Crop Tour.
Knowledge Center
One-Year High Capacity Central Fill Planter Compaction Study in 30” Row Corn
Study Contact: Jason Lee, AGCO Agronomist, North America
The study was conducted in 2020 on 4* different fields throughout the Midwest. The planter at each location was a Fendt Momentum equipped with Load Logic weight management system**. Treatments at each location consisted of three different Load Logic operating modes.
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- Load balance: hydraulically transferred weight equally to all wheels, while also automatically adjusting tire pressure to the lowest manufacturer-recommended PSI for the weight.
- Controlled traffic: intentionally transferred weight from the wings and concentrated it on the in-line tandem transport wheels, also with auto-adjusted low tire pressure.
- Disabled: system was disabled so that the planter operated much like other central-fill planters, with the weight concentrated in the middle of the planter and tire inflation pressures at a static 55 PSI.
In each treatment, the center segment (e.g. middle 8 of 24-row planter) was harvested separately from the two wing segments (e.g. outside 8 of 24-row planter) in order to compare the yield difference from compaction.
*Stewartville, MN; Baltic, SD; Pontiac, IL; Chillicothe, OH **Compaction mitigation feature that includes both an automated weight transfer and tire inflation system
One-Year High Capacity Central Fill Planter Compaction Study in 30” Row Corn
The study was conducted in 2020 on 4* different fields throughout the Midwest. The planter at each location was a Fendt Momentum equipped with Load Logic weight management system**. Treatments at each location consisted of three different Load Logic operating modes.
-
- Load balance: hydraulically transferred weight equally to all wheels, while also automatically adjusting tire pressure to the lowest manufacturer-recommended PSI for the weight.
- Controlled traffic: intentionally transferred weight from the wings and concentrated it on the in-line tandem transport wheels, also with auto-adjusted low tire pressure.
- Disabled: system was disabled so that the planter operated much like other central-fill planters, with the weight concentrated in the middle of the planter and tire inflation pressures at a static 55 PSI.
In each treatment, the center segment (e.g. middle 8 of 24-row planter) was harvested separately from the two wing segments (e.g. outside 8 of 24-row planter) in order to compare the yield difference from compaction.
*Stewartville, MN; Baltic, SD; Pontiac, IL; Chillicothe, OH **Compaction mitigation feature that includes both an automated weight transfer and tire inflation system
Five-Year Seed Singulation Study in Corn
The primary focus of this study was to quantify the yield impact of poor seed singulation (% of skips and doubles) at planting.
The study was conducted from 2016 to 2020 on 22* different fields throughout the Midwest. Modified seed plates, or “goof” plates, were installed on specific row-units of each planter to intentionally create skips and doubles. Standard seed singulation plots contained a low occurrence of skips and doubles, whereas poor seed singulation plots contained a higher occurrence due to the modified seed plates.
*22 sites: 2016 – Galva, IL; Edgewood, IA; Amboy, IN; New Ulm, MN; Jackson, MN; Estelline, SD; 2017 – Ionia, IA; Morning Sun, IA; Judson, MN; Winthrop, MN; New Ulm, MN; Galva, IL; 2018 – Bement, IL; Gladbrook, IA; Union City, OH; Irwin, IA; Mosinee, WI; 2019 – Mt Hope, KS; Wausau, WI; 2020 – Baltic, SD; Chillicothe, OH; Stewartville, MN;
One-Year Pinch Row Compaction Study in Corn
Study Contact: Jason Lee, AGCO Agronomist, North America
The objective of this study was to measure the yield loss from pinch row compaction at planting.
A field study was conducted in 2020 near Chillicothe, OH on a silt loam soil. The equipment used was a Fendt Momentum 32-15 planter (30” rows for corn) paired with a Fendt 942 tractor with front and rear duals. Yield data from each individual row of the 16-row planter was collected and categorized as either an affected (tire tracks on one side), non-affected (no tire tracks on either side) or tractor pinch row (tire tracks on both sides).
One-Year Planter Weight Management Study in Narrow Row (22”) Corn
The goal of this study was to determine if the weight transfer system on a Fendt Momentum planter could prevent yield loss due to compaction from a high capacity central fill planter.
A field study was conducted in 2020 near Casselton, ND on a poorly drained, silty clay soil. The planter was a Fendt Momentum 24-22 equipped with Load Logic and the tractor was a Fendt 939 with standard rear and front dual tires. Two corn plots were established, the first was planted with the weight transfer system set to load balanced on (hydraulically transferred weight equally to all wheels), and the second was set to load balanced off. Planter tire pressure in both treatments were at a static 55 PSI. In each treatment, the center segment (middle 8 of 24-row planter) was harvested separately from the two wing segments (outside 8 of 24-row planter).
Five-Year Planting Depth Study in Corn
The primary objective of this study was to determine the optimum planting depth for corn across multiple locations and growing environments.
The study was conducted from 2016 to 2020 on 22* different fields mostly throughout the Midwest. Six planting depth plots were established at each location, beginning at 1” and increasing to 3.5” in half-inch increments.
*22 sites: 2016 – Galva, IL; Edgewood, IA; Amboy, IN; New Ulm, MN; Jackson, MN; 2017 – Ionia, IA; Morning Sun, IA; Judson, MN; Winthrop, MN; 2018 – Bement, IL; Union City, OH; Falls City, NE; Irwin, IA; Fremont, NE; Madison, WI; Mosinee, WI; 2019 – Mt Hope, KS; Emmetsburg, IA; Owensboro, KY; 2020 – Baltic, SD; Chillicothe, OH; Stewartville, MN;