In the Dirt

In the Dirt: Maximizing the Utility of the Moldboard Plow

Posted by: Realag Machinery Insider  November 19, 2013

http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/11/in-the-dirt-maximizing-the-utility-of-the-moldboard-plow/

While it may not be the go-to piece of equipment every year, the moldboard plow can still accomplish what other implements cannot in certain circumstances. The plow’s reputation has taken a few knocks, but with careful planning and judicious use, farmers can minimize the risk of plow pan and organic matter losses and put this tool to work when needed.

See more tillage videos: Click here to see more of the In the Dirt series.

In this episode of In the Dirt, Salford’s Mark Van Veen runs through some of the critiques of the plow, how to manage the risks of a plow pan and how to work on settings, depth and speed to find that plowing sweet spot that minimizes the need for extra passes to smooth it out. Van Veen walks us through the rule of thumb for depth settings based on furrow widths, offers two strategies for minimizing or managing plow pan layers and tips for conserving soil organic matter. All that and more in the video below.

In the Dirt with Salford: Must-Have Tools for Planter Evaluation, Plus a Tillage To-Do List

Posted by: RealAgriculture Agronomy Team  June 11, 2013

http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/06/in-the-dirt-with-salford-must-have-tools-for-planter-evaluation-plus-a-tillage-to-do-list/

Editor’s note: Welcome to a new series from RealAgriculture.com — In the Dirt with Salford Machinery. This 10-part series will look at crop production from the ground up, focusing on soil management and the role tillage plays in managing this resource. 

Many farmers have their favorite tools in their crop scouting kit, but how many have an equally well-stocked soil scouting kit?

In this first episode of In the Dirt, Jim Boak, national sales manager with Salford Machinery, explains some of the everyday and not-so-everyday tools he carries to the field when checking things like establishment, planting depth and soil temperature. What’s more, Boak describes how field prep or planter short falls can be see at establishment, and also how in-field observations can create a To-Do list for the coming fall or next spring.

In the Dirt: Corn Root Mass & Development in Two Tillage Scenarios

Posted by: RealAgriculture Agronomy Team  July 16, 2013

http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/07/in-the-dirt-corn-root-mass-development-in-two-tillage-scenarios/

What’s above ground is a direct reflection of what’s below when it comes to crop development, but under excellent growing conditions you may not notice significant differences between plants with good root development and those with poor development. At the onset of drought or nutrient stress, for example, you’ll start to see a difference right away.

To demonstrate what’s going on below and to explain how tillage implement choice can hinder corn root development, Mark Van Veen, of Salford Machinery, takes us on a tour of corn root shape and mass under two spring tillage scenarios. Watch the video below to see which two implements are compared and see for yourself how to first evaluate compaction or density layers in the soil and the resulting root development of the crop.

In the Dirt: The Jackhammer Effect & the Impact on Moisture Movement
Posted by: Realag Machinery InsiderOctober 15, 2013
http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/10/in-the-dirt-the-jackhammer-effect-the-impact-on-moisture-movement/

Every action on or in the soil profile has an impact on moisture moving up or down. Some passes and implement choices can have a positive impact on water infiltration, but not all do. Understanding how tillage implements impact water movement is one topic that Salford Machinery is exploring at their research site in the U.S.
In this video, Mark Van Veen, of Salford Machinery, discusses assessing water movement in the soil, how the “jackhammer” effect or discs can help move water up or down in the soil profile and what they’re learning at the Salford research plots

In the Dirt: The Jackhammer Effect & the Impact on Moisture Movement
Posted by: Realag Machinery InsiderOctober 15, 2013
http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/10/in-the-dirt-the-jackhammer-effect-the-impact-on-moisture-movement/

Every action on or in the soil profile has an impact on moisture moving up or down. Some passes and implement choices can have a positive impact on water infiltration, but not all do. Understanding how tillage implements impact water movement is one topic that Salford Machinery is exploring at their research site in the U.S.
In this video, Mark Van Veen, of Salford Machinery, discusses assessing water movement in the soil, how the “jackhammer” effect or discs can help move water up or down in the soil profile and what they’re learning at the Salford research plots

In the Dirt: A Time Lapse Look at the Impact of Tillage on Corn Residue

Posted by: RealAgriculture Agronomy Team  April 14, 2014 

There’s nothing quite like demo plots — where else will you find head to head comparisons of one variety or practice compared against its neighbour? The trouble with plots, though, is that you only usually see them once and then have to wait for data months later to find out what the real difference was between the two treatments or practices. Enter time lapse videography — no, it won’t work for all comparisons, but if you want to see the impacts of different tillage practices on residue management over time, time lapse is the way to go.

We’re lucky then to have Salford share its time lapse video of corn stalk residue from Rodney, Ont. In this segment of In the Dirt, Jim Boak, of Salford, shows us what a fall to spring video of corn processed residue looks like, the reason for the differences between the two treatments (in this case, vertical tillage with stalk processing), the impact on wind or water erosion, and, finally, the potential impact on yield.

In the Dirt: How Deep do I need to set the Soil Ripper? A Soil Pit Provides Answers
Posted by: RealAgriculture Agronomy TeamAugust 19, 2013
http://www.realagriculture.com/2013/08/in-the-dirt-how-deep-do-i-need-to-set-the-soil-ripper-a-soil-pit-provides-answers/

After harvest is a great time to get out and scout soil conditions and start planning soil management passes for the fall and spring. One of the tillage questions that often comes up at field days is depth settings on implements, like a soil ripper. The answer to how deep you need to go is dependent on how deep the density layers sit.
There are simple tools for gauging soil density layers in the soil profile — a basic probe is cost effective, portable and easy to use. But if you really want to get an accurate look at compaction within the soil profile, the depths it occurs at and the relative composition of the soil at depth, you need to dig.
The soil pit — and it doesn’t need to be huge — will take a bit of work, as you’ll want to dig down below where the probe suggested you’d find a density layer. In this video of the In the Dirt series, Jim Boak and Mark Van Veen, of Salford, share the workload, and, once it’s dug, walk us through how to verify density in the soil profile.
As Boak also says in the video below, why is it so important to know with certainty where the compaction layers are? This information is vital to implement settings, as you want to get down below the compaction layer, but it also means an accurate setting which will save on fuel, time and minimize soil layer mixing by only going as deep as you need to.

Published on Jan 12, 2013

Salford BBI offers this informative overview of how to set up and operate the hydraulic spreaders for dry-broadcast applications of fertilizer and lime, as well as organics and litter. The BBI MagnaSpread and BBI Endurance Spreader brands feature in this video. Salford BBI offers both the BBI MagnaSpread and BBI Endurance in truck-mount and pull-type versions.

Published on Jan 12, 2013

Salford BBI offers this informative overview of how to set up and operate the company's line of mechanical spreaders for dry-broadcast application of fertilizer and lime. The BBI Liberty Spreader, BBI Cricket Spreader, BBI Grasshopper Spreader and BBI Trooper Spreader brands feature in this video. Salford BBI offers these models in both PTO-driven and tractor-supplied hydraulic systems versions.

Published on Jan 12, 2013

Danny Joyner is a Salford BBI customer who owns a large farm in North Carolina. In this video, Danny offers his opinion of his investment in the BBI MagnaSpread Hydraulic Spreader from Salford BBI Spreaders. BBI MagnaSpread is Salford BBI's flagship line of hydraulic spreaders for precision application of granular fertilizer and lime.