More in Farm Equipment

Sep. 14, 2012

Article

4 Tips to Manage Grain Quality from Harvest through Storage

The 2012 growing season has been synonymous with challenge. The many different faces of extreme weather have come together to negatively impact the quantity and quality of corn that will be harvested this fall. While many of these factors alone can be detrimental to a corn crop, when they happen at the same time the result can be a complete crop loss if not handled properly....More
Aug. 30, 2012

Article

Agriculture Tire Manufactured with 10% Soybean Oil

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (Bridgestone Americas) revealed a new concept tire containing more than 10% soybean oil at the Farm Progress 2012 Show in Boone, Iowa. The 900-lb. farm tire is marketed under the Firestone brand of agricultural tires and contains approximately 90 lbs. of soy oil. The typical application for the 800/70R38 Radial Deep Tread 23 tire being displayed is on large four-wheel-drive tractors where eight tires are used....More
Jun. 1, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Machinery Cost Estimates up 15%

Every two years, the costs of machinery operations are calculated and made available on farmdoc. The 2012 costs now are available under the “Machinery Costs” link in the farmdoc Management section. Overall, costs have increased by about 15% between 2010 and 2012. In our estimates, combine costs have declined between 2010 and 2012 because acres covered with the combine are assumed to increase in 2012....More
May 29, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Be Soil Savvy While Tilling, Tiling 2

Dave Legvold is soil savvy. When he picks up a new piece of ground, he initiates a standard transition process to decrease compaction and improve soil structure to build productivity. The Northfield, MN, farmer’s newest silty clay loam field had been poorly drained and conventionally tilled before this spring....More
May 29, 2012

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Corn and Soybean Digest

Conservation with the Soil Warrior

Dave Legvold and Mike Peterson share an implement called the Soil Warrior. The zone-tillage machine allows the farmers to prepare a seedbed and fertilize in one pass. Using a CSP contract, Legvold was able to purchase the machine outright. Even without the CSP program, Peterson says using the implement would pay for itself in five years with savings in soil, fuel, nutrients, etc....More
Apr. 27, 2012

video

Corn and Soybean Digest

New Holland CR Series Combine

New Holland has introduced the new CR series combines. The new machines continue using a dual-rotor design, a fully self-leveling cleaning system and have increased cab visibility as well as easy to use controls. The combines are compatible with several different head models....More
Apr. 13, 2012

Article

Keep Safety in Mind this Planting Season

Farmers across the Midwest are off to an early start this planting season. Spring is typically the busiest time of the year for farmers, and when rushing to take advantage of ideal planting conditions, it can be easy to neglect simple steps for staying safe and healthy while in the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics an average of 700 deaths can be attributed to farm work injuries each year and an additional 120,000 agricultural workers sustain disabling injuries from work-related accidents. Many of these accidents occur during the spring planting season....More
Apr. 3, 2012

Article

Has Stored Grain Spoiled In The Warm Spring Weather?

In the middle of fieldwork and corn planting, have you bothered to check your grain bins? Oooops. The warm spring weather – with temperatures in the 80s across the Corn Belt – may have wreaked havoc with the quality of your grain. Moisture and temperature are quite dynamic in a grain bin, traveling daily and creating opportunities for spoilage and fostering the growth of molds and insects. So while you are occupied in the tractor seat, let your aeration system work for you, but you have to give it a kick-start....More
Mar. 30, 2012

Article

Frequent, Proper Sprayer Calibration Saves Money, Pesticides

Spring is a good time for corn and soybean growers to calibrate sprayers to avoid wasting money and applying the wrong amount of pesticides, says Erdal Ozkan, an Ohio State University agricultural engineer. Approximately 66-77% of all growers who spray pesticides spray too much or too little, which not only can waste money, but also cause crop losses, says Ozkan....More
Mar. 28, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Control Your Timing | Latest Spray Rig Technology Puts You in the Driver's Seat

Big profits the last few years are not only driving add-on purchases of numerous and different spray tank additives; this cash is also driving investment in the machines attached to those tanks. The market is so swamped that some companies can't fulfill self-propelled sprayer orders until fall 2013....More
Feb. 15, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Crop Sensor Limits | Sound Nutrient Management Needed to Make it Work

In the drive to manage nitrogen (N) more effectively, active crop-canopy sensors may become an option in your toolbox. But John Sawyer, Iowa State University agronomy professor, warns that they still have limitations, and more research is needed....More
Feb. 3, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Technology to Track | Telematics, Crop Sensing are the Next Big Precision-Ag Tools. 2

In the world of precision ag, two technologies are the next big thing, says Matt Darr, Iowa State University ag engineer. They aren’t newly developed technologies, but they are the next big wave in agriculture....More
Feb. 1, 2012

Article

Crop Whisperers | “We used to waste more water than we use now to grow a crop,” says one moisture-monitor user

Driving with a broken fuel gauge isn’t just inconvenient, it’s risky. So most logical drivers would keep the tank full for fear of running out of fuel at the most inopportune times – or better yet, fix the fuel gauge. The blind hope required to drive with a malfunctioning gauge is exactly how Nick Lammers describes most folks’ approach to moisture management....More
Jan. 1, 2012

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Rolling Between the Rows | Minnesota Farmer’s Invention Smashes Rootballs Between Rows, Extends Window for Ground Rolling.

Jason Zimmer’s heart sank every time he looked at the field. The west-central Minnesota farmer had rolled a quarter-section of soybeans the day after planting, in May 2010. The soil was a bit tacky, and the big roller caused the moist ground to crust, hindering emergence. “Rolling hurt my stand bad,” he says. Stands dropped 30% on the slopes and hills – a big price to pay for harvest ease....More
Dec. 30, 2011

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Farm Equipment: Sure Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To--Part II

Here's round two of old farming equipment Digital Editor came across at her grandparents' farm recently. From another Allis tractor to an old Gleaner Six hopper to a McCormick grain drill, there's no shortage of vintage equipment at the Johnson farm in south-central Minnesota. Do you have some old equipment in the back 40? Email us your photos and we'll post them here! Send them to csd@csdigest.com.
Dec. 1, 2011

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Simple Yet Sophisticated | Student Adapts Equipment for Variable-Rate Application 1

One young farmer tailors his family’s farm equipment to keep up with precision agriculture. When J.D. Riffel finishes his Kansas State University master’s degree in agronomy next year, he plans to head back to the family farm near Stockton, KS, where he’s already testing precision-ag technology with a custom-made, variable-rate fertilizer applicator....More
Nov. 25, 2011

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Farm Equipment: Sure Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To 1

This Thanksgiving Digital Editor Jen Bennett spent some time at her uncle and grandparents' farm. Walking through the back acres, looking at all the old equipment her grandpa used back in the day got her thinking: They sure don't make things like they used to. Older equipment is fun to look at, and something farmers, non-farmers and people of most ages can enjoy. Check out some of the old things on the Johnson farm, along with photos submitted by readers. Do you have old equipment around your farm site? Send us your photos! Email them to csd@csdigest.com and we'll post them to the gallery here!
Oct. 25, 2011

Article

8 Tips For Winterizing Your Sprayer

It is very likely that you will not be using your sprayer again until next spring. If you want to avoid potential problems and save yourself from frustration and major headaches, you will be wise to give your sprayer a little bit of TLC this fall. Yes this is still a busy time of the year for some of you, but don't delay winterizing your sprayer any more than necessary....More
Oct. 18, 2011

Article

Corn and Soybean Farmers: Be Cautious, Safe Working Around Grain Bins

There is just something about a wagon full of grain that seems to be inviting to jump into and wallow about in it. The feel of the grain flowing like water through one's fingers and wrapping around one's feet is almost comforting. However those feelings of delight can quickly turn into feelings of fright. What many forget or do not realize is that flowing, moving grain can shallow a person in seconds, especially when the grain is been drain from below such as in a grain bin or grain wagon....More
Oct. 13, 2011

Article

Soybeans May Need In-Bin Reconditioning

Warm, dry fall weather can result in soybeans being harvested well below the market moisture content of 13 percent, according to Ken Hellevang, the North Dakota State University Extension Service's grain drying expert. In Eddy County, for example, harvested soybeans have been in the 8-9% range....More
Oct. 7, 2011

Article

Take Precaution to Avoid Combine Fires

Combine fires cause serious injuries and millions in property losses each year – this harvest is no exception says Daniel Humburg, professor of Ag & Biosystems Engineering Department at South Dakota State University....More
Oct. 4, 2011

Article

Minimize Heat Damage, Spoilage, Fuel Consumption When Drying Corn

Even though drying conditions are excellent now, some producers may be faced with drying high-moisture or immature corn this fall. To minimize spoilage during drying, do not use natural air or low-temperature drying for corn with moisture contents of more than 21%, according to Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension Service grain drying expert....More
Oct. 1, 2011

Article

Corn and Soybean Digest

Colossal Launch | John Deere Unveils Newest Equipment for 2012

John Deere recently rolled out the red, or should I say green, carpet for what it’s touting as its largest product launch in the company’s 174-year history. New tractors, combines with bigger corn heads and platforms, self-propelled sprayers, wireless technology and a whole lot of hay equipment were unveiled....More
Sep. 27, 2011

Article

Late-Planted Corn Could Mean Additional Drying Costs at Harvest

In a season marked by significant precipitation prior to planting and recent rains leading into harvest, farmers in the eastern Corn Belt might expect corn coming out of the field at a higher moisture content than usual – a condition that could lead to higher energy costs for farmers this fall, says Barry Ward, an Ohio State University Extension production business management leader....More
Sep. 26, 2011

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John Deere 2012 Product Launch

Corn & Soybean Digest Editor Greg Lamp attended John Deere's product launch recently. He got a sneek peak at all the new tractors, combines and implements that will be new for growers to use in 2012....More