This was a fairly relaxed planting season – outside of freezing temperatures, and some windy days – we had only one brief delay from showers. The ability to seed virtually corner to corner made for a very efficient time in the field – no low/wet areas to have to drive around.
Very fortunate to have a strong team – dedicated, knowledgeable, and desire to do whatever it takes to get the job done RIGHT. This definitely makes a difference to overall success. And a team that works together makes for a fun and enjoyable season for everyone.
The dry conditions caused us to have to slow down – dry soil throws more than wet soil. In order to reduce the amount of soil that gets transferred to the seed-row beside, have to slow down. We are 10″ spacing which also makes us more susceptible to ground transfer. Normally we will go 4.4 mph in cereals and 4.0 mph in canola – we slowed to 4.0 mph for cereals and stayed at the same speed for canola. We also had to raise our packing pressure to try and “wick” the moisture up, and seal off the soil from evaporation.
The weather for this weekend is not desirable – forecasted temperatures dropping into the negative territory and daily highs only low to mid-single digits. A weather system is moving through and we are on the northern edge — possibility for big total amounts of precipitation – hopefully, we will see some!
