Machinery Systems
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Losses during peanut harvest are common and can be caused by improper setup, operation and/or performance of the harvest equipment. Some losses can also be attributed to the field and crop conditions at harvest. Excessive losses can significantly reduce peanut yields and profits if not managed or reduced during harvest. While harvest losses cannot be…
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With corn planting underway in some parts of the state, the 2023 planting season is officially here and will be in full swing over the new few weeks. That also means if you have not already, this is the perfect time to perform a thorough inspection and get that planter ready for the field. During…
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Liquid applicators are commonly used to apply different fertilizer solutions and similar to the sprayers, they need to be calibrated properly to apply the desired application rate in gallons per acre (GPA). While the calibration process for liquid fertilizer applicators is similar to the sprayers, the actual rate for the fertilizer can vary greatly from…
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Broadcast spinner spreaders are one of the most common and widely used application equipment for lime and granular fertilizer. The importance of proper spreader calibration for accurate fertilizer applications has been emphasized many times and it is always good to see growers putting the time and effort into performing a calibration on their spreaders. However,…
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Effective pesticide applications are needed to stay on top of weed, insect, and disease control throughout the growing season. Achieving both the desired spray coverage and efficacy while keeping off-target movement of pesticides to a minimum is a very challenging but an important task. Applications resulting in under- or over-application of pesticides, ineffective coverage, and/or…
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Application of in-furrow granular pesticides is a common practice at planting for pest, disease and nematode management in key row-crops including corn, peanuts and cotton grown in the southeastern US. In-furrow pesticides are important tools for growers to stay on top of pests, diseases and nematodes early in the season as the opportunity for their…
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With all the advanced planting technology available today, numerous planting metrics including population, singulation, and spacing quality can be displayed and mapped simultaneously on the planter displays, also commonly referred to as seed monitors. In precision ag, planting data is gaining more interest recently as it can provide valuable insights into planter performance in the…
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With the 2022 planting season officially underway, we will start seeing more row-crop planters rolling in the fields in next few weeks. For growers to have a successful and stress-free planting season, it is important to make sure that planters are well maintained and ready to go before heading to the field. When it comes…
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With start of another crop season, lime applications have begun across most of the state with dry pre-plant fertilizer to follow soon. Generally, we do not hear about fertilizer application issues that occur with broadcast spreaders until later in the crop season but this year is different because of the fertilizer costs. One of the…
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The skyrocketing fertilizer prices has every grower thinking about where and how to reduce the fertilizer costs on their farm to remain profitable this year. In order to better manage fertilizer costs, more growers are looking at ways to be more efficient and cost effective with their inputs and applications. One of the ways where…