Equipment

By Jason Hartschuh, CCA

This year has been a weather rollercoaster in many areas which has delayed corn dry down. In some areas, disease killed the corn prematurely which will affect dry down and harvestability. High-moisture corn may require us to look harder at combine settings to minimize harvest loss. Initial settings for different combines can be found in the operator’s manual but here are a few adjustments that can be used to help set all machines.

Corn head

Setting the combine starts at the header with an average of 66% of all machine harvest loss in corn occurring here. Wetter corn often has stronger ear shanks making it harder to snap at the head. When fodder is wet, it is tough and does not flow as well through the head. The major adjustments on the header are deck plate width and gathering chain speed.

Deck plate settings

Setting deck plates in variable field conditions caused by poor stands in some areas can be challenging, hydraulic adjust deck plates are a significant help, but if they are not automatic adjust you will have to adjust them as conditions change throughout the field.… Continue reading

Great Plains has expanded the family of Implement Command-compatible products to include the ever-popular Max-Chisel. The Max-Chisel is an aggressive soil management tool that is designed to achieve complete soil fracture, even at shallower depths. In the fall, the Max-Chisel works to remove ruts, limit erosion, and capture moisture through vertical tillage. In the spring, the Max-Chisel prepares the soil for a single pass with a seedbed preparation tool, like the VT1100 Turbo-Max.

For added control and convenience, the Max-Chisel is now offered with the optional Implement Command System (ICS), allowing producers to set, adjust, and monitor the implement from the tractor cab. The Max-Chisel joins several other Great Plains models that are compatible with Implement Command, including VT1100 Turbo-Maxes, Velocity, and select models of HT1100 Terra-Maxes and Disk Harrows. ICS allows producers to make active decisions and real-time field adjustments to improve yield potential and soil health. With Implement Command, several tillage functions can be easily controlled with a simple push of a button.… Continue reading

Narrow operating windows make maximizing productivity essential during planting and harvest, regardless of farm size. That’s why Case IH has purposefully designed its latest models of the Early Riser planter, Early Riser 2120, and Axial-Flow combine, Axial-Flow 160 series, to ensure peak performance for all producers. Both equipment solutions deliver advanced technology to small- and mid-scale operations at a price point that makes sense for their operation.

“Farmers shouldn’t have to over-buy or retrofit equipment to get something that works for their operation,” said David Brennan, planter marketing manager at Case IH. “The Early Riser has been a rockstar since its introduction delivering early, uniform emergence. These new planter models will deliver on the Early Riser name, with a smaller package for farms that need it.” 

Brennan explains that the unmatched accuracy found through the Early Riser 2120 delivers rapid, consistent emergence and improves productivity for the operation. Plus, the Early Riser 2120 is driven by flexibility.… Continue reading

On Sept. 6, Cargill customers are invited to see the new truck dump at Cargill’s new Sidney North facility at 701 South Vandemark Rd. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., including lunch.

The event will include of cart tours of what the soybean delivery experience will be at the state-of-the-art crush plant. PPE will be provided, but all visitors must wear long pants and closed toe shoes. Customers bringing their truck license plant numbers can get Compuweigh cards if needed and see truck routs for beans, meal and hulls.   … Continue reading

By John Fulton and Elizabeth Hawkins

It’s hard to believe fall harvest is approaching here in Ohio. With that, the Ohio State Digital Ag team wants to highlight that yield monitor is setup and calibration is important to ensure quality yield data collection and use of this data. Geo-referenced yield data (i.e. yield maps) are being used to provide precision agriculture insights and recommendations at the field level. Yield maps not only help growers understand end-of-year performance within fields, but also can be used to characterize in-field variation. Information about this variation is often used by service providers to deliver prescriptions, recommendations, or other information back to the farmer. Because yield maps continue to be an important data layer to learn from and help drive changes or decisions at a field level, proper management of the yield monitor is critical to generate accurate and reliable yield data. Grain moisture and test weight, along with grain flow through the combine, will vary within passes and across fields.… Continue reading

The annual Agriculture Technology Conference will be held at Northwest State Community College in Archbold on Aug. 23, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s event will highlight planting and automation technology. The morning sessions will feature presentations on systems approach to farmstead automation for grain crop production by Scott Shearer from the Department of Food, Agriculture, & Biological Engineering Ohio State University, broadband in Ohio and how it affects the agriculture industry by Peter Voderberg, Chief of BroadbandOhio, and spray drones by Alan Leininger, ANR Educator Henry County, The Ohio State University. The afternoon will feature technology demonstrations from manufacturers such as John Deere, Case IH, Horsch, Pottinger and many more. Demonstrations on current UAS “Drone” spraying technology will also be featured. Several agribusinesses will be featured in our trade show area including the field demonstration companies. Certified Crop Advisors recertification credits will be available. Register for the event at https://go.osu.edu/henryanr2023… Continue reading

By Mary Wicks

Demand for poultry litter, a combination of manure, feathers, and bedding, has grown as the price of commercial fertilizer has increased and farmers recognize its value in providing nutrients and organic matter. As with any fertilizer or manure, understanding of nutrient content and availability, soil fertility, and plant requirements is needed to ensure the application rate is optimal to meet yield goals while reducing costs and protecting water quality.

But not all poultry litter is created equal. Poultry litter from broiler facilities includes bedding, while litter from layer facilities is manure, without the bedding, plus feathers and calcium from eggshells. These differences affect the nutrient and moisture content. Storage practices also have an effect. As poultry litter ages, nitrogen is converted to ammonia gas, while microbial activity can drive off water, concentrating nutrients and reducing odors.

Due to the nutrient variation in poultry litter, and other manures, a lab analysis is always recommended before application.… Continue reading

By Lingying Zhao

Recently, it has been very hot outside with air temperatures approaching 90 degrees. Hot weather raises inevitable concerns about heat stress and disease prevalence of animals, especially poultry birds in large-enclosed spaces. The ongoing climate change and variability are expected to exacerbate the heat stress problems and infectious diseases in poultry production, which have caused significant losses in poultry industries. The recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have resulted in 57 million and 58.8 million infected birds, in 2014-2015 and 2022-present respectively. The heat stress problems in poultry production have resulted in an estimated total annual loss of $180 million. These losses present significant challenges to the sustainability of the poultry industry. In addition to vaccination and medication treatment options, engineering technologies and management strategies are needed to control the indoor environment to proactively abate heat stress and disease transmission in poultry facilities. This article summarizes indoor environment management strategies and the best available technologies to abate heat stress and infectious diseases.… Continue reading

By Matt Reese

The used farm equipment market continues to experience never-seen-before strength, with no signs of weakening anytime soon, said Dave Cornish, RES Auction Services equipment representative.

“I’ve been in the equipment end of it since 1988, whether it’s in the parts side or sales side, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. And it’s not just in Ohio, it’s throughout the United States. I’ve had dealers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida buy at our sale in Wooster, Ohio and tell me the same thing. ‘Well, we should not have paid that much, but we had to take care of our customers,’” Cornish said. “The biggest issue is it seems like there’s a shortage from manufacturers on new equipment. It affects the dealerships that can’t get equipment in to take care of their customers, whether it’s ag or construction. It’s tough times for the actual dealers and their sales representatives because, if you don’t have the equipment, customers are going to go someplace else.… Continue reading

By Abby Welsh, Ohio State University Extension

A few years ago, the Ohio State University Pesticide Safety Education Program put together a list of approved sprayer nozzles for applying pesticides.

This list was recently updated in May 2023 and can be viewed at https://pested.osu.edu/sites/pested/files/imce/ApprovedNozzles2023.pdf.

The list describes the minimum and maximum operating pressures for each sprayer nozzle. Any limitations for specific nozzles are indicated by a footnote on the chart.

For more information, please visit our website: pested.osu.edu, or contact the Pesticide Safety Education Program at pested@osu.edu.… Continue reading

By Erdal Ozkan

Acceptance of spray drones by individual farmers has been slow for several reasons:

1. Not enough research data comparing drone performance (e.g., efficacy and spray drift) to ground sprayers and conventional aircraft is available. The limited published data on performance of spray drones may not be usable and can be contradictory because of the wide variation of design parameters among drones being tested.
2. Fewer acres are covered per hour of operation compared to airplane and ground sprayers.
3. The battery powering the drone lasts a short time (5 to 15 minutes with a full tank) and requires recharging between tank refills. Having three charged batteries per drone and fast charging at 240v eliminates long interruptions in spraying to charge the drone’s battery. Maintaining three charged batteries allows replacement of a discharged battery while refilling the spray tank. The spent battery can then be recharged and ready for the next refilling.

By Erdal Ozkan

Currently, there is tremendous interest in using drones to spray crop-protection products. Drones are now a viable option when choosing equipment to spray pesticides, and the number of companies offering drone spraying services is rapidly increasing in Ohio and other places in the United States. A variety of names and the acronyms are associated with remotely piloted aircraft. Most used ones are: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). However, the name used most commonly by the general public is “drone”. So, I chose the same name as I refer to this type of aircraft. 

An article appeared in the Mid-April Ohio’s Country Journal in which I gave a brief overview of different types of drones used for spraying pesticides, including the major components of a spray drone, as well as operating characteristics of spray drones. This time, I will focus on the opportunities spray drones bring us as well as their limitations, and the challenges facing drone sprayer operators. … Continue reading

By Matt Reese

Greg Peterson, better known to many as Machinery Pete, spent the last 33 years logging and studying farm equipment auction prices around the country. With the highest-ever values for used equipment holding strong in current markets, Peterson has advice for both buyers and sellers of farm equipment in the months ahead.

Sometimes, specific auction items sell higher than expected simply because of the reputation of the person selling them.

“One thing I’ve loved about reporting on the auction space all these years is the chatter aspect. Really, to me, all that matters is what it brings when the gavel falls, but when you go out to an auction and people are saying things, that chatter is valid,” Peterson said. “I see that in the classic case of a very highly respected farmer having a retirement sale who helped their neighbors for years. They’re just good neighbors, good farmers like we see throughout Ohio Minnesota, everywhere.… Continue reading

A great listen for those planting, get ready for an information-packed episode of the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, hosted by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg. This week, they dive into the critical topic of navigating financial challenges in agriculture in 2023, as they engage in a compelling conversation with Larry Davis from Ag Resource Management. Join them as they uncover valuable advice and insights to help farmers navigate the ever-evolving financial landscape and make informed decisions for a prosperous future.

But that’s not all—Dale Minyo visits with Dale Everman from Homan Inc. to discuss the efficient use of nutrients and the vital topic of manure management, equipment advantages, and the latest farm building trends.

Joel Penhorwood then shifts gears and connects with Cindy Layman to explore the exciting world of GrowNextGen Virtual Field Trips. Delve into the immersive experiences offered by these virtual trips, designed to ignite curiosity and promote agricultural understanding among students and educators alike.… Continue reading

If you’ve ever wanted to try out a zero-turn mower, or test drive a tractor, now’s your chance with Apple Farm Service’s Ride N Drive event. Apple Farm Service is excited to announce the upcoming event for Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton.

Visitors can mow the fairgrounds with a new zero-turn mower, drive around in a new compact tractor, and try out a handful of attachments. Five brands of equipment will be available with sizes and models for small to large yards.

“We love putting these Ride N Drives on,” said Kent Holmes, marketing manager for Apple Farm Service. “It’s the perfect opportunity for you to find out first hand if you like a certain model, type of machine, or if you are ready to switch to a zero-turn or lawn tractor. There are absolutely no strings attached and the event is completely free, so bring your entire family!”… Continue reading

J&M Manufacturing, in Mercer County, is proud to announce the Para-Linkage coulter design on their NitroGro applicators has won the 2023 Gold manus award. The design beat out 480 entries across 36 countries. The Para-Linkage design is the first U.S. design to win a manus award. The biannual award recognizes outstanding examples of plastic bearings being used in real-world applications. J&M accepted the award on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at the Hannover Messe, one of the world’s largest industrial trade fairs, in Hannover, Germany.

The Para-Linkage coulter is designed to keep the applicator knives consistently in the ground while going over rocks and hard soil. As the Para-Linkage coulter rises, the knives rise at the same rate as the disc to ensure the liquid fertilizer is consistently being applied at the desired depth. On traditional coulters, as the disc moves over an obstacle the knives swing up at an arc. This causes the knife depth and the fertilizer application to be inconsistent. … Continue reading