The plan did not come together.

[IaGary]

Sprayed one field after noon today and cut a few tracks so I quit. It has to dry some more before planting or tilling.

Cloudy most of the day so it did not dry much.

Gary

 

[keh]

1/10 inch rain here. Enough to keep me from cutting oat hay, not enough to do much good. Oh, that dry area in S GA I mentioned in an earlier post? It got rain but it was spotty. Still generally dry.
Here in SC we ar 4 in. behind for year.

KEH

 

[Eric in IL]

Gary,

Count your blessings,it started raining here at 9:00 this morning (50 miles south of Spfld. Il) and is just now letting up. Haven't checked the guage yet but I'm guessing seven tenths. We need four days of sun and wind before thinking about field work again. I had a fire in the shop stove today and didn't break a sweat.

How is that new planter treating you?

 

[Lanse]

13 of the last 15 days have had rain here. The weeds in the unplanted parts of the garden and field are incredible. Its supposed to hold up this weekend, sunday night in dragging that if it takes 4WD, differential lock, and the loader. Im not loosing this for the second year in a row.

 

[IaGary]

The monitor says it is doing everything right.

We will see when it comes up I guess.

I had a couple of bugs the dealer and I had to work out, otherwise OK

 

[Cliff Neubauer]

We were hoping to start spraying today too but it was cloudy most of the day and more moisture came up last night than dried off today. We've been so wet that the wet spots are really wet and even with tracks on the sprayer tractor it will leave tracks in waterways and terrace channels.

 

[Anonymous-0]

WOW! Nearly 30k for a population. You guys are spoiled with your soil out there. No wonder Iowa is the king of corn. Don't think I would attempt that on our sand here even if it had a pivot.

 

[IaGary]

Cliff does that rig turn alright on the ends without gouging the ground like a steel track Cat does?

I realize you don't turn very short with those wide booms but if you did would it tear out planted corn as it slides around?

Also how does it act in wetspots when one track is in the dry. Will it throw you in the wet spot?

Gary

 

[Eric in IL]

That is a slick looking monitor. I wouldn't be surprised if it could tell you what you ate for breakfast.

Can you shut off individual row units from the cab?

 

[billonthefarm]

I never noticed in your pics, is that a vac planter? I see it says you are going about 6 mph. Most guys around here with the fingers stay 5 or less. I run a steady 5 with a deere vac. As far as population we havent planted corn under 30,000 for 15 years. This year for the first time I planted one variety at just over 40,000. More population has turned into more bushels at harvest and so far no stand issues. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that 120 acres planted at 40,000!
bill

 

[kyplowboy]

I hear ya man. They are say'n that 50% of my county's corn is planted but I don't see how. I only have 16 acres to plant, 10 acres of it has been good a few times and I have gotten over it two times with a disk, the other 6 acres dried out one time to get across it on time real kight like. They are give'n us rain every other day for the next week. I have tobacco plants that are going to be running away before long and realy need several more passes over that ground.

I am find'n seaps in places I never seen'm before.

Been a wild spring.

Dave

 

[bradk]

Heck we plant 32,000 in 30"rows in SE Minn and we're considered low to the big farmers.They plant close to 38,000 pop.We had 216 bu.average corn last fall

 

[Dan-IA]

hey bill,
what do you do for fertilizer? I'm in Iowa too, and I only plant around 28000 because when we accidentally planted 33000 a couple years ago we got cocktail-weiner sized cobs with mold growing on the ears. What's your secret?

 

[IaGary]

Yes you can shut off a row if it acts up or for whatever reason.

When I was in 36 inch rows about 29,000 is all I ever planted for stand ability reasons. 30 inch rows spread the seeds out a little so I am trying 30,000.

It is a finger pickup planter, not vacuum.

I usually stay around 5.5 mph as that is what the book recommends.

 

[billonthefarm]

The fertilizer isnt that bad because years of very abundant applications. We soil test everything on a 4 year rotation on 4 acre grids. This leaves us able to gps apply all of our acres and put on build-up where needed and just apply maintenance where needed and that is most acres. Between the dry fertilizer and the nh3 I want to end up with 220 units of actual N per acre ahead of corn.
The secerets are good dirt, deep tillage, and a good agronomist.
Fields full of Ipava, Tama and Sable soils can make anyone look good. If corn plants can get those roots spread out in nice loose soil they will find everything they need. A good agronomist is invaluable. There is no way I can know everything that I need too, things change to fast.
So its not just fertilizer. It takes good management, alot of work, some valuable advice and the good earth. If it rains a couple of times and I dont screw anything up it should look like this pic come september.
bill

 

[rednekelmo]

not after the rain you got last night, you'll need pontoons and an outboard to work the garden

 

[Cliff Neubauer]

Here is a picture I took spraying wheat several weeks ago that shows what happens when you turn, this was extremely wet ground and it still didn't do too much damage but you wouldn't want to drive it around in your yard. Under a heavy pull wet spots can be a problem but I got through one mud hole I'm pretty sure an MFD wouldn't have made it out of.