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  Despite the disastrous weather seen over much of the nation, the 2011 hard red winter  wheat (HRW) harvest is off to a reasonable start in southern states. Harvest began in the coastal regions of Texas just over three weeks ago, reached the Blacklands/Hill Country region south of Dallas in early May week, and moved already to the Texas/Oklahoma border last week, before rain shut the combines down....More

In no-till, planters need to cut and handle residue, penetrate the soil to the desired seeding depth, establish proper seed-to-soil contact and close the seed-vee. Keeping these four items in mind, producers can evaluate the strengths or weaknesses of their planter and make any adjustments or changes necessary to make no-till successful. Fortunately, most currently available planters can be used for no-till with few, if any, modifications when paying attention to the following tips....More

Setting realistic work priorities and being prepared for planting season are the most important safety tips for farmers to remember this spring, says a Purdue University Extension farm safety specialist....More

“If you get caught in a flow of grain, the probability is high that you’ll die,” says Bill Field, the Purdue University researcher who has tallied U.S. grain-entrapment accidents since the 1970s. “They find you later that night when you don’t report for dinner.”...More

Every farm should have a disaster plan to protect assets from natural disasters and other emergencies, says Steve Cain, a Purdue Extension disaster communication specialist. Producers should develop a disaster plan also as a way to find potential problems that could prove to be costly in the event of an on-farm emergency, says Cain, who also serves as the homeland security project director for the Extension Disaster Education Network. "Creating a plan helps producers find risks they may have overlooked or not thought about," he says....More

If you thought you were a quasi expert on something as simple as tractor tires, maybe you should think again. There’s more to know than you might think, and it could affect your tractor efficiency and power when you pull into the field this spring....More

When it’s time to get out to the field with your newest crop production innovation, Corn & Soybean Digest (CSD) editors would like to be right there with you to see what new or different ideas took shape during the winter. If you or someone you know has built or modified machinery, we’d like to hear from you....More

The crop-canopy sensor concept is intriguing: Establish a small reference plot with more than enough nitrogen (N) to produce a healthy green canopy, then scan the entire corn field. Wherever corn falls short of that ideal green, apply N....More

In a three-week period last summer (2010), seven people died in grain bin engulfments in the Midwest. This tragic loss of life led to the formation of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition (GHSC), a consortium of public and private organizations who hope to work together to reduce or prevent grain bin accidents and fatalities through education and outreach....More

When you watch Bryon Kittleson plant corn you almost do a double take. He’s pulling two 12-row planters, one in front of the other, and he’s planting in twin rows....More