Efficient Surface Application with Tony Chapman
Tony Chapman demonstrates his efficient surface fertiliser applicator. Its three rows on a trailer, so he doesn't need a big tractor to pull it because of the weight. I holds three tons, and has load cells under it so he can weigh and calibrate it easily. The fertiliser is dropped in bands above the stool and is watered in each night. For road travel he has made it on a turntable so he can turn it long-ways so its legal to travel along the road. There is one locating pin, and the turntable cane be pushed around into position by hand. The draw bar then shrinks up to make it easier for turning in the field.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 2 years ago on Friday, October 23, 2009[ , Read more... ]
Bug Checking with Hugh Brier
Hugh Brier demonstrates how to use a beat cloth to sample insects in your crop. You generally need to take 4-5 samples per site and 5-6 sites per paddock. This presentation by Hugh Brier (Senior Entomologist, QDPI) was part of a Soybean & Pulse IPM training course provided to growers by AOF, Pulse Australia and GRDC.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Thursday, January 29, 2009[ , Read more... ]
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... ]
Improved Soil Structure with Neil Halpin
Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) compares the soil structure of two nearby blocks which at first glance appear very similar, but their soil structure is dramatically different. Both have the same soil type. Both have been planted using 1.8 metre centred controlled traffic rows. However one came out of cane, and had a legume fallow. The other came out of intensive horticultural production. Guess which one has better soil health?
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , 2 comments... ]
Cane Smut Identification with Neil Halpin
Ever seen a Smut whip up close? Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) shows us one he found in his variety by row spacing trial, so you'll know what to look for. The dead whip protrudes from the growing tip and is covered in black spores. He also reflects on his trip to the Ord River Scheme where a failure to plant Smut resistant varieties early, placed pressure on other resistant varieties. Causing some of them to collapse as well.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , Read more... ]
Zonal tillage with Peter Russo
Peter Russo shows us his zonal tillage machine. It covers three rows in a single pass, and is fixed at 1.8 metre centres. The cultivation for each row consists of a pair of scolloped discs at the front, followed by a coulter disc to cut through any trash stubble, a winged ripper tine and a crumble roller.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Wednesday, December 17, 2008[ , 1 comment... ]
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... ]
Base Cutter Height with Bill Rehbein
Bill Rehbein (Scientific Assistant, QPIF/DEEDI) examines some cane roots that were dug out of the ground using a cutter-bar. What these roots reveal is that there really isn't much margin for error when you are cutting your cane. If you set the cutter bar too low, you risk damaging the stool's root system, which sits in the first 4-5 cm of soil depth.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Tuesday, December 2, 2008[ , 9 comments... ]
Soil PH Test with Neil Halpin
suSCon Blue, used to manage cane grubs works better in acid soils, so it has been a while since lime was applied on many cane farms. This could be a problem for growers considering a legume fallow, which requires a neutral Ph for high yielding crops. So getting your soil tested is important. Neil Halpin (Senior Agronomist, QPIF/DEEDI) shows how you can perform a quick Ph test of your soil using a simple test kit. The results are surprisingly accurate.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Tuesday, December 2, 2008[ , 1 comment... ]
Precision Planter with Peter Russo
This is Peter's peanut and soybean planter. It's a six row John Deer maxemerge precision vacuum planter, set-up for 1.83 metre cane rows. The planter features double disk openers, wide depth wheels and direct inoculant injection. Peter built a custom end tow to make transportation down narrow roads simpler. the planter has its own radar which is hooked up to the Dick John rate controller in the cab. This monitors the seed counters in each shoot. The rate controller is manual chain driven system, using quick-change sprockets which are driven by two drive wheels.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Thursday, November 6, 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... ]
Legume Break with Tony Chapman
Tony Chapman talks about his legume fallow. He has tried different rotations, including peanuts, soybeans and field peas. Tony says "The soil is looking good, its not powdery, its crumbly, we seem to have worms, and all sorts of things like that happening now". He finishes by pointing out that after following with a zonal tillage operation that "you wouldn't know if that's been ripped, rotaried or what".
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Thursday, September 18, 2008[ , 1 comment... ]
Zonal Tillage with Tony Chapman
Tony Chapman shows us his zonal tillage machine. Built from readily available second hand parts and a frame from an old trash incorporator. Tony says the 1.8 meter centred, three row cultivator saves fuel, time and maintenance costs.
Posted by Henry Thomas, 3 years ago on Thursday, September 18, 2008[ , Read more... ]
