Variety by Row Spacing with Neil Halpin
Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) walks us through a variety row spacing trial that has demonstrated that moving to a 1.83 metre permanent bed system doesn't cause a yield penalty. However he did find that varieties that lodge are a poorer choice for dual row systems with suckering and rat damage creating CCS negative effects, whereas super singles tend to have fewer stalks and they are heavier as well.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , Read more... ]
Soil Compaction with Neil Halpin
Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) examines the problems with and causes of compaction in the traditional cane farming system. By the time the crop is harvested, 90% of the bed has been compacted whereas with precision controlled traffic only 30% of the bed is contacted, leaving more are for plant growth.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , Read more... ]
Bed Renovation with Neil Halpin
Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) walks us through the limitations of conventional tillage and some of the challenges moving to a controlled traffic row spacing. Rotary hoeing needs to be followed by a sub-surface rip and cross rip. This requires a huge investment of energy, 30% of which is wasted because of rolling resistance, with the tractor tire running over soft ground, and the energy spend by ripper tine spend relieving the compaction behind the tire. This is the argument for permanent beds, and traffic zones where is is easy for the tractor to work.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , Read more... ]
GPS Autosteer with Tony Chapman
In this clip Tony shows how the gpsAg AutoFarm kit was installed on his Case tractor. We see where the steering sensor is mounted on the front differential casing, the hydraulic block that controls the steering, the aerial mounted on the roof, and the controller in the cabin. Tony also describes some of the benefits he has experienced operating his GPS autosteer tractor.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Thursday, September 18, 2008[ , Read more... ]
