With all the excitement about data and new tools for recording farm production and operational activities, collecting the data is often the easy part. The challenge comes in turning the data and observations into simple, actionable information. Whether it's vehicle or equipment activity, irrigation tracking, soil test results, basic field records or the markets, the... Read More
Category: Machinery
It’s been almost 30 years since Caterpillar launched the first rubber tracked tractor for farming — the Challenger 65 was created in 1986 and introduced to the market in 1987. There are obvious similarities between the original and the latest version of the Challenger, but there have also been some noticeable changes, including the transition... Read More
Kuhn Farm Machinery's Espro — an implement as quaint as a London flat — will officially be welcomed to agriculture in the United Kingdom during Cereals 2015 this June. The Espro is a minimum tillage, low horsepower-demand drill that comes in two models thus far: the 3000 and the 6000 R. Both are Isobus compatible,…Read More
We’re about to flip the calendar to May, and, perhaps surprisingly, soil moisture is becoming a bit of an issue for those rolling in the fields, says Peter Johnson, in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. What can you do about soil that’s drying out too quickly? Well, you’re doing to have to adjust planting depth... Read More
Zero should be every farm's goal when it comes to number of injuries or accidents during seeding — how do you make that a reality? Tractors, trucks and seeding equipment across the country are starting to roll for #plant15, and with another busy season comes an elevated risk of injuries and fatalities on farms. Unfortunately,... Read More
With corn planting season around the corner, the annual routine of getting planting units ready for a new growing season is well underway. The planter setup and calibration process should account for the size of corn seed going through the planter, notes Dieter Schwarz of Pride Seeds in this latest Corn School episode. "Look at…Read More
The first rule of the 3Rs (no, not Fight Club) is to reduce, then comes reuse ahead of the third R — recycle. Farmers are already reducing total plastic needed by buying crop protection products in large totes vs. jugs, but those large totes need to find a final home eventually, too. Of course, farmers... Read More
We’re in the midst of a smartphone app era, some as trivial as games of pursuit, others as significant as financial management. In agriculture, we’ve seen the use of apps truly grow, from a few simple calculators to tablet displays. But, some apps seem to make the mainstream market before spreading their roots into agriculture.... Read More
Farm auction season is winding down, but not before things get really heated — there are certainly no shortage of sales to attend, but hot deals have been in short supply. That phenomenon has inspired this latest Kickin' Tires podcast with co-hosts Shaun Haney and Jim Hale. That's right, we're talking online vs. in-person and... Read More
Top-end speed for tractors has climbed over the years, as farmers look for ways to reduce the amount of time spent transporting equipment. Faster road gears have become more valuable as farms grow in size, with longer distances between fields. While it might exceed what's practical on most North American farms, a new Guiness World…Read More