Equipment

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader: a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff.

The Ohio State University’s Precision U winter meeting series wrapped up with a look at sprayer application tips and technologies. Joe Luck, Associate Professor and Precision Agriculture Engineer in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln was the featured presenter.

When farmers make a chemical application with a sprayer, the goal is ultimately to protect their crop.

“The first step in achieving this crop protection is to make sure the application is on target and accurate,” Luck said. “This involves proper mixing, including any pre-mixing of products, proper agitation, and direct injection.”

Achieving the desired application rate is a part of the accuracy.

“This can involve the use of a rate controller,” Luck said.… Continue reading

Apple Farm Service is excited to announce their new parts drop-box service as a way to help lower drive times to their customers. The family-owned dealership placed 11 drop-boxes around their four stores.

“We hope our customers take advantage of this new program,” said Kent Holmes marketing manager. “Even if it only saves them an hour of driving, that’s an hour they could’ve used fixing their machine or taking care of a daily chore.”

How does the drop-box program work? Customers can call into any of their four stores and order parts over the phone. Apple Farm Service will deliver their part to any of the 11 drop-boxes they request. The customer can stop by the drop-box at any time to retrieve their part. The best part of this service is that it’s free.

Apple Farm Service Inc. is a family owned agricultural machinery dealership with four locations; Covington, Ohio, Botkins, Ohio, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, and West College Corner, Indiana.… Continue reading

Fennig Equipment’s main location is just outside of Coldwater and has added a second location in Norwalk, Ohio.

The Norwalk location is managed by Seth Reisinger and his wife Tammy. Seth came to Fennig Equipment after working seven years in sales at a tractor dealership where he sold the Salford line of equipment as well as tractors and hay equipment. Prior to working for the dealership, Seth managed a fuel bulk plant that served a large farm community. Seth has farmed with his father for most of his life. Tammy graduated college with a degree in accounting. She worked in the accounting field for eleven years. The last six years she worked at a tractor dealership as the Service Writer and eventually moved up to Service Manager. Fennig Equipment is very excited to have the two of them join our team at the Norwalk location.

Fennig Equipment is known for delivering exceptional customer service our customers can rely on based on in-depth product knowledge and hands-on experience.… Continue reading

Bane-Welker Equipment recently announced an expansion of sales and service for Case IH sprayers to all 12 locations in Indiana and Ohio. Previously, Bane-Welker operated a single dedicated spray center out of the Lebanon Indiana location, but Bane-Welker saw the need to expand to fit the needs of their customers.

“For nine years, our customers relied on one dedicated center for sprayer sales, parts and service,” said Jason Bane, President of Bane-Welker Equipment. “We started discussing ways to make it more convenient for our customers and decided it was feasible to offer sprayer sales and service in all stores. We’re excited to roll this out — it will be beneficial to our customers. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

All 12 locations in Indiana and Ohio will offer Case IH Patriot and Trident sprayers, parts and service. The 3 Ohio locations will also offer Case IH Miller sprayers.… Continue reading

Todd Matthews and his brother Jeff grew popcorn for over 30 years on their operation near Ohio City in Van Wert County. Two years ago, however, their popcorn production customer relocated to irrigated acres in the western U.S, prompting the brothers to switch to field corn.

“2018 was an exceptional corn year, which made it really challenging to deliver a lot of corn in the fall,” Todd said. “We knew we needed to increase our corn acres, and that required additional storage capacity. We had expanded our existing grain system as much as we could. We knew we just needed to go with a bigger and better system.”

In 2019, working with their local GSI dealer, Advanced Grain Systems, Matthews Farms installed a new grain handling and storage system. Four bins from the existing system were relocated to the new site — three with 20,000-bushel capacity and a fourth with 25,000 bushels.… Continue reading

Visitors at the Clark County Fairgrounds or the Champions Expo Center might notice another blue tractor making its rounds around the grounds. 

A brand new Powerstar 90 tractor was delivered to the Champions Center the beginning of October. This 86-horsepower tractor will be used frequently across the fairgrounds, completing tasks like finishing the horse arena’s surface, mowing before winter, plowing snow, and whatever else requires a utility tractor. 

“We are so thankful for their continuation of this tractor sponsorship”, said Dean Blair, Executive Director of the Clark County Ag Society. “This marks the third year, and third tractor, that Apple Farm Service has allowed us to use. This is the perfect size tractor to get our jobs done efficiently.” 

Both the fairgrounds and Champions Center will have access to this tractor for the next six to twelve months with a set number of free hours to put on the tractor’s engine.… Continue reading

The prevalent scarlet and gray most often seen at Ohio State ATI is being supplemented with a heavy dose of Kubota orange this fall.

Kubota Tractor Corporation is partnering with ATI to establish the Kubota Tech College training program. Students will be trained using high-tech Kubota equipment in areas such as diagnostics, preventative maintenance, and major repair.

“The two programs that will be impacted are the power equipment program and hydraulic power and motion control program,” said Robby Frutchey, ATI coordinator for both programs.

In the power equipment program, students learn about career preparation, electrical courses, engine diagnostics, mobile heating and air conditioning, welding, and power transmission.

Students in the hydraulic power and motion control program learn fundamentals of fluid power and components, hydraulic circuits, basic electricity, basic pneumatics, analog and digital electronics, power transmission, and computer-aided design.

“While Kubota Tractor Corporation has been a strong ally of ATI in the past, this new partnership will provide an impactful experience in the classroom and help us train the next generation of skilled technicians,” said Kris Boone, assistant dean and ATI director.… Continue reading

Tested chain manure spreaders for true professionals are now available from Fliegl and the test results speak for themselves.

In addition to liquid manure, many farmers also use solid manure for organic fertilization. Fliegl has therefore expanded its spreading technology product portfolio to include chain manure spreaders. The first model type could already be seen at AGRITECHNICA 2019. Since then there has been more tinkering, development and testing so that the KDS spreader, from small to large, is now ready for the organic nutrient transfer. A DLG test of the “KDS 270 Muck Control Tandem” proves its ability in black and white.

The Fliegl KDS 270 Muck Control is a universal spreader with a scraper floor and a horizontal 2-disc spreader. The loading space of the KDS 270 with a height of 1.4 meters, a width of 2.15 meters and a length of 7 meters has an enormous capacity of around 21 meters.… Continue reading

With anticipated shortages of grain bin capacity this fall, some farmers will be relying on unconventional storage solutions. And that could lead to grain quality issues without proper management, said Gary Woodruff, a GSI district manager and grain conditioning expert.

He notes that good conventional alternatives available to farmers include pile systems involving wall panels, a tarp for weather protection and proper aeration. A flat storage building, specifically equipped with aeration tubes or tunnels, can also safely hold excess grain, he said.  

Woodruff, however, says unconventional storage sites — a machine shed, for example — pose risks.

“The first is a structural issue,” he said. “If you pile corn in the building without additional support to the walls, they can blow out. Grain is a movable product, and any corn against a wall can cause structural failures.”

The other concern is grain quality.

“If there is no aeration system, the grain should be stored at 13% moisture or below, late in the season after temperatures are down to 50 degrees to prevent spoilage,” Woodruff said.… Continue reading

Case IH is expanding the lineups of Precision Disk^™ 500 series air drills and 2000 series Early Riser^® planters with two new configurations. A new single-rank configuration with 15-inch spacing is available for the Precision Disk 500T single disk air drill — an ideal option for soybean seeding and other specialty crops in both no-till and conventional tillage fields. For the 2130 Early Riser stack-fold planter, a new 18-row configuration with 30-inch spacing will help producers cover more acres.

New configuration of Precision Disk 500T single disk air drill 

Built on Agronomic Design^™ principles, Precision Disk 500 series air drills are known to deliver highly accurate seed placement regardless of tillage, residue or cropping practices to give each plant the best start possible. The new soybean special configuration available for the 500T model offers a single-rank design with a mounted tank, giving producers a simple, yet effective and efficient, seeding solution.… Continue reading

AGCO Corporation, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, hosted dealers and media this week to celebrate its greatly expanded Fendt distribution network and introduce five new products to North America. The public may tune in for a virtual preview of the new Class 10 combine and expanded offering of tractors during a virtual product preview at 10:00 a.m. EDT, Friday, August 21. Registration is now available at www.fendt.com/us/.

“These exciting new Fendt offerings represent the next chapter for AGCO, our growing dealer network and, most importantly, our current and soon-to-be customers,” said Bob Crain, senior vice president and general manager for AGCO North America. “For the first time, we’re offering a comprehensive line of Fendt tractors in North America to serve the needs of livestock and hay producers and those with large-acreage crop operations.

“Fendt represents excellence, efficiency, reliability, quality and passion to AGCO, our dealers and our customers.… Continue reading

The Bushel Plus System has revolutionized the process of checking for harvest-loss with the ability to quantify grain loss and calibrate the loss monitor faster and safer.

“It has been featured on the television program CORN WARRIORS USA,” said Dave Burgei, S.I. Distributing, Spencerville, Ohio. “It is proven for soybeans, and small grain such as wheat, oats, barley, canola and rice, as well as corn.”

Burgei reported farmers have have saved anywhere from 2% to more than 10%, when they used the Bushel Plus system. Burgei listed the four steps in the Bushel Plus process.

1) Magnetic system attaches to any combine.

2) The drop pan can be released remotely.

3) The sample is cleaned within seconds with the optional Bushel Plus Air Separator

4) The grain is weighed with the Bushel Plus scale and quantify results with the Bushel Plus app

The Bushel Plus drop pan system attaches magnetically to the underside of the combine.… Continue reading

The world of farm equipment has changed with the struggling agricultural economy. Case IH, through CNH Industrial Capital, now offers a range of financing programs for equipment purchases, including 0 payments and 0% interest until 2022 offer to provide options to help farmers navigate the challenging times.

Scott Harris, VP North America for Case IH, said this is not a new program, but the offer has been expanded to support customers during these unprecedented times.

“This financing program not only gives farmers the ability to continue their essential day-to-day practices, but it also provides them with the flexibility to upgrade their fleet to brand-new equipment, helping maximize their yields. This program helps keep farmers highly productive and gets them through two harvests without having to pay,” Harris said. “In addition, Case IH has taken added steps to provide financial assistance and programs for producers. For example, the CNH Industrial Capital team is working with those who are having financial difficulties on account of the current environment and offering solutions such as flexible re-structures and new terms. … Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader: a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff

The fall of 2019 was not an ordinary harvest for Charlie Troxell of Clark County. Working with Precision Agri Services, Troxell was aided in completing harvest by Smart Ag’s Autonomous Grain Cart.

“Precision agriculture is constantly changing. Autonomy is just one aspect of precision ag Autonomy is here to stay,” said Bill Lehmkuhl, owner of Precision Agri Service in Minster. “There are two forms of autonomy in use. One form is common, and most farmers do not even realize they are using it. The second, which includes driverless vehicles, is improving and we are in the early stages of adoption.”

Farmers should think of autonomy on three levels.

“The first level that most farmers are already using and don’t even realize includes combines that automatically adjust harvest settings on the go without the operator making any changes,” Lehmkuhl said.… Continue reading

Ohio Ag Equipment will open a new store in Lima, Ohio, on Monday, May 4. The new location expands Ohio Ag Equipment’s service offering to seven locations, making them better equipped to provide Ohio’s agriculture industry with their exceptional line of equipment and product support.

The new facility is the only dealer in Ohio that has more than 100 acres of tillable ground dedicated to training, customer demonstrations and equipment testing.

“There is nothing more important than providing cost-effective, high-quality ag machinery to our hard-working agriculture and farming customers,” said Mike Mampieri, general manager. “Our priority also is making sure customers know how to operate equipment efficiently to ensure a productive, profitable business.”

On the nearly 200-acre campus, parent company Ohio Machinery Co. also operates The Cat Rental Store and an Ohio Peterbilt dealership across the street from Ohio Ag Equipment.

“Our new store and partner companies allow us to offer customers expanded opportunity, improved service and convenience,” Mampieri said.… Continue reading

By John Fulton (Associate Professor), Chris Wiegman (graduate student), Erdal Ozkan ( Professor), and Scott Shearer (Professor), Ohio State University Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have become a common technology in agriculture. As of early 2019, there were around 1.3 million registered drones in the U.S. and over 116,000 registered drone operators within the commercial sector. Within agriculture, drones have been mainly used for scouting purposes. Today, uses of drones include collecting remotely sensed imagery, tissues samples, and water samples. Spraying with drones is also available through some manufacturers.

Drone spraying has been used Southeast Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea for several decades. In fact, the use of this type of spraying in Japan can be traced back to the 90s. Currently, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of drones used in these countries, mostly in rice production that requires applications done when the field is flooded with water, making entry of motorized vehicle to the field impractical.… Continue reading

By Erdal Ozkan

This is the time of the year you must complete shopping for nozzles because the spraying season is just around the corner. Although nozzles are some of the least expensive components of a sprayer, they hold a high value in their ability to influence sprayer performance. Nozzles help determine the gallon per acre. They also influence the droplet size, which plays a significant role in achieving improved penetration into crop canopy and better coverage on the target pest, both affect the efficacy we expect from pesticides applied.

When I get a question like, “What is the best nozzle I can buy?” my answer is: it depends on the job on hand. One nozzle may be best for a given application situation, but it may be the worst nozzle to use for another situation. Sometimes, the choice of nozzle may be determined by the requirements given on the pesticide label.… Continue reading

Due to the late 2019 harvest, many farmers stored grain at higher than recommended moisture levels this fall. That increases the risk of entrapment if they enter their bins to check out grain quality issues or fix plugged augers, said Gary Woodruff, a grain conditioning expert with GSI.

Woodruff says grain stored above 15% moisture, often related to insufficient drying capacity or relying only on aeration, can cause it to degrade in the bin and become more susceptible to mold.

“Grain went into bins at a lower quality, higher moisture and with more fines this fall, which makes this year much more dangerous,” he said. “That’s why we always emphasize that farmers should never enter a bin when there is a risk of becoming entrapped.”

Woodruff recommends that farmers regularly check the quality of their grain this winter. In addition to grain monitoring controls, he says they should visually inspect their grain at least every other week.… Continue reading