We made a lot of progress Friday and Saturday. Our 'new to us' planters are working fairly well and have increased productivity noticeably. Fill time is cut by 50% and operating speed is increased by 20-25%. My old planter began to skip above 5MPH but the newer planter is running well @ 6.5 MPH so basically speed is a factor of how smooth the field is. In the world of farming today, this is a fairly 'small' planter but it's 2X bigger than I was using 50 years ago and Son's planter is 50% wider than my current unit. Theoretically, running at this speed we're planting over 30 acres per hour. Moving, filling, and fold-unfold time reduces this number.
Farming progress
- Thread starter Mobuck
- Start date
Might you be a bit on the late side? Most everything is up in this area, we are about 200 or so miles north of you folks. Good luck with the planting, tho, hope it works for you.
OP
We'd like to have been done in April but had some mid-April rains that put everything on hold. Still not 'late' until June 1 and can still make a soybean crop (with slightly reduced yield and later than normal harvest date) into mid to late June.
We did finish yesterday but it got really ugly on the last farm. The 'boys' (my older Son and the landowner both aged mid to late 40's) failed to heed my suggestions about burning off the residue from a post wheat harvest forage crop. The thick mat of dead vegetation held moisture resulting in some areas of mucky ground. Mucky enough for the 200 horsepower 4WD planter tractor to get stuck twice and finally just bypassing some areas. One 'stuck' required two 150 horsepower tractors to 'unstick' and the second required digging with a tracked skidloader.
We did finish yesterday but it got really ugly on the last farm. The 'boys' (my older Son and the landowner both aged mid to late 40's) failed to heed my suggestions about burning off the residue from a post wheat harvest forage crop. The thick mat of dead vegetation held moisture resulting in some areas of mucky ground. Mucky enough for the 200 horsepower 4WD planter tractor to get stuck twice and finally just bypassing some areas. One 'stuck' required two 150 horsepower tractors to 'unstick' and the second required digging with a tracked skidloader.
When we shell corn this fall, we will come right behind it with a wheat crop. Hopefully, we'll get all of the wheat out by next June and then go right into planting beans. We have been as late as the second week of July several times before getting all the fields put out in soybeans, and still be done combining by the end of November.We'd like to have been done in April but had some mid-April rains that put everything on hold. Still not 'late' until June 1 and can still make a soybean crop (with slightly reduced yield and later than normal harvest date) into mid to late June.
We did finish yesterday but it got really ugly on the last farm. The 'boys' (my older Son and the landowner both aged mid to late 40's) failed to heed my suggestions about burning off the residue from a post wheat harvest forage crop. The thick mat of dead vegetation held moisture resulting in some areas of mucky ground. Mucky enough for the 200 horsepower 4WD planter tractor to get stuck twice and finally just bypassing some areas. One 'stuck' required two 150 horsepower tractors to 'unstick' and the second required digging with a tracked skidloader.
Stuck tractors ain't no fun. I feel your pain.
OP
Average frost date (first killing frost) in north MO is October 15. With a mid-April planting date, that gives a 6 month time frame in which soybeans can make a decent yield.
An earlier planting date would allow the beans to grow taller and fuller before hot /dry weather conditions of mid/late summer.
Son's work schedule somewhat dictates our farming plans--just something we have to work with. Upgrading our planters cut actual 'in the field' time by at least 2 days and may allow me to work w/o assistance once we get a couple more modifications in place.
An earlier planting date would allow the beans to grow taller and fuller before hot /dry weather conditions of mid/late summer.
Son's work schedule somewhat dictates our farming plans--just something we have to work with. Upgrading our planters cut actual 'in the field' time by at least 2 days and may allow me to work w/o assistance once we get a couple more modifications in place.
I come from farming backgrounds as does my wife. I am familiar with some of it, but have always been thankful not to have to deal with all the uncertainties of farming.
I notice around these parts west central Wi let say from where I90 and I94 split at Tomah WI guys are just now getting out with the planters
You are in the knee high by the Fourth of July zone for growing corn.
yep that's what they always said years ago , not so much with the younger set
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There is a plot behind my place that the farmer over the hill rents. He planted yesterday. Not sure if it will be corn or beans but it is typically one or the other.
Went to a DOT meeting Monday and they had all their 20 year bulletin boards showing city growth. It was hard for me to think all the private land (mine included) would even be part of their plan. I told the woman I never plan to sell my land so there wouldn't be a road there. But the next day I realized I may not be here in 20 years so who really knows. I keep telling my kids it will just get harder and harder to get land in the future. Someone owns it all already. But they don't like to do yardwork etc. Old trees are dying off and new should really be planted. Hard to see the future like back in the old days. People used to plant shade trees, fruit trees, nut trees, etc for a purpose / to live off. Now they order it on grubhub or some crap.
Sorry for the highjack but some what pertinent.
Went to a DOT meeting Monday and they had all their 20 year bulletin boards showing city growth. It was hard for me to think all the private land (mine included) would even be part of their plan. I told the woman I never plan to sell my land so there wouldn't be a road there. But the next day I realized I may not be here in 20 years so who really knows. I keep telling my kids it will just get harder and harder to get land in the future. Someone owns it all already. But they don't like to do yardwork etc. Old trees are dying off and new should really be planted. Hard to see the future like back in the old days. People used to plant shade trees, fruit trees, nut trees, etc for a purpose / to live off. Now they order it on grubhub or some crap.
Sorry for the highjack but some what pertinent.
There is a plot behind my place that the farmer over the hill rents. He planted yesterday. Not sure if it will be corn or beans but it is typically one or the other.
Went to a DOT meeting Monday and they had all their 20 year bulletin boards showing city growth. It was hard for me to think all the private land (mine included) would even be part of their plan. I told the woman I never plan to sell my land so there wouldn't be a road there. But the next day I realized I may not be here in 20 years so who really knows. I keep telling my kids it will just get harder and harder to get land in the future. Someone owns it all already. But they don't like to do yardwork etc. Old trees are dying off and new should really be planted. Hard to see the future like back in the old days. People used to plant shade trees, fruit trees, nut trees, etc for a purpose / to live off. Now they order it on grubhub or some crap.
Sorry for the highjack but some what pertinent.
Went to a DOT meeting Monday and they had all their 20 year bulletin boards showing city growth. It was hard for me to think all the private land (mine included) would even be part of their plan. I told the woman I never plan to sell my land so there wouldn't be a road there. But the next day I realized I may not be here in 20 years so who really knows. I keep telling my kids it will just get harder and harder to get land in the future. Someone owns it all already. But they don't like to do yardwork etc. Old trees are dying off and new should really be planted. Hard to see the future like back in the old days. People used to plant shade trees, fruit trees, nut trees, etc for a purpose / to live off. Now they order it on grubhub or some crap.
Sorry for the highjack but some what pertinent.
We live in central Iowa and have farm ground right next to us and this is what it looks like by the 4th of July. Always take a picture of my wife by the corn field and she is 5 foot 3 inches tall.
Corn as high as an elephants eye.
