Equipment Management

Photos taken before the smartphone era have significantly lower quality and resolution than what’s possible with the latest mobile devices.

ISA At-Large Director Brady Holst tells us how utilizing data to analyze all parts of a business can help in your decision making.

Spring is in full-swing and a lot of beans and few acres of corn are already in the ground here in Central Illinois. The weather has certainly thrown us a curveball this spring with cool, yet dry conditions. Although the cool weather has kept a lot of farmers parked, some took advantage of the dry conditions to plant early beans or work the kinks out of the planter. Today, planters seem to be the most upgraded and rebuilt piece of equipment on many farms, thus the need to get those kinks out early in the spring. Corn planting is [...]

Soil Health Action Plan: Technology plays an important role in nutrient and water management at Schroeder Farms Water control structures improve field drainage and water conservation Variable rate technology applies nutrients where and when they are needed Doug Schroeder began farming because he enjoyed driving a tractor. His love for sitting in the cab, hand on the steering wheel, was a big part of his decision to spend his life working the family farm. Now, with technology advancements, he says he barely needs to touch the wheel. “The cab looks like something from NASA. We have about four LED [...]

Some growers roll soybeans, but should you consider it? This practice started in western Minnesota and the Dakotas. Growers would roll fields after planting to push rocks and stones back into the ground and level out the field. It made harvesting and hitting higher yields easier because the heads could be run close to the surface and cut more pods. But over the years this practice has morphed into rolling beans a bit later, after emergence, to increase branching and pod set. On a soybean plant, the growing point is at the top of the plant. This growing point [...]

Your yield potential is greatest on the day you put the seed in the ground. Your planter plays a significant role in reaching that potential. All planters have one thing in common—they can be serious money makers on the farm if configured and set correctly. At the same time, lack of attention to operational details can cause a train wreck that hampers yields all season. There are some basic things farmers can do to ensure uniform spacing and emergence of soybeans. Follow this checklist to make sure your planter is ready for top-notch performance for the coming year: Level [...]

Even though the snow is falling here this evening, it is time to check the planter. Here is a list of suggestions for plantersetup and maintenance. Check meters on a test stand in order to visually inspect parts and evaluate performance. Inspect all mechanical drive components and look for any excessive wear including down pressure springs, parallel linkages and bushings. Check seed tubes for any wear in particular the bottom section that can wear or become damaged.  Replace if damaged or has excessive wear. Check size, wear and spacing for opening discs; always replace disc openers in pairs. Inspect gauge wheels and ensure [...]

Today most soybeans are seeded with a conventional planter. There are still some growers that use drills and air seeders because they are planting cereals or they are planting double crop soybeans and want a high population and narrow rows. When it comes to planting soybeans no one thinks much about the planter and what it is required to do since they are more concerned that corn gets planted right. And if a planter can plant corn seed right then it will work fine for soybeans – which is generally true. For corn, seed needs to be singulated and [...]