Farm4Profit Podcast
Controlling Compaction
Episode Summary
We had the pleasure of speaking with the gentlemen from Ag Storm Equipment to learn about their Hydra-Box and Field Seal toolboxes during our What's Working in Ag segment. We then are joined by tire royalty, Scott Sloan, the Ag lead for Titan International. We pick his brain about ways to reduce compaction and how to maximize the efficiency of the tires on your farm.
Episode Notes
Introduction
- Thank you for listening
- Farm4Profit episode vs Farm4Fun Episode
- Thank you again for suggesting topics for us to talk about on the podcast and keep them coming. Send those to farm4profitllc@gmail.com or find us all over social media.
- We greatly appreciate your help in growing our audience.
- Today’s Head of the Class Listener Reviews are brought to you today by Geringhoff. They are head of the class, no matter the crop. Premium harvesting heads for all of your harvest needs. Our listener reviews are exactly what we need to fuel our energy each week and Geringhoff is exactly what you need to maximize your harvest each year.
- @lexiejomoore – I am a very big fan of the Farm4Profit Podcast and Farm4Fun which is done by the same guys. They make it entertaining to listen to, but get into some deep stuff that everyone should hear.
What’s Working in AG – Real Stuff helping Real Farmers from AG Storm Equipment
- AG Storm Equipment with Erik Karlson - Have Erik introduce himself
- Hydra-Box ™ – Rock box for tractor
- Entirely constructed of high-strength steel & fully powered by your tractor’s hydraulic system, our new hydraulic on-board rock grapple system has the ability to lift 4,000lb rocks out of the ground in seconds
- Also have options for UTV’s
- Field Seal ™ – Tool boxes for the field
- Ag Storm makes a universal toolbox that is 100% water and dust proof, can be attached to virtually any piece of farm machinery, service truck, pickup you name it the sky is the limit.
- Track Wheel Cleaners
- Prevents build up inside the drive wheels of a track tractor
Commercial – AgLeader – They have a solution for every season. Their products and solutions help integrate your entire farm year-round. Use our products to seamlessly connect your equipment and tasks so that your operation runs more efficiently than ever before.
Main topic – Talking Tire Technology and Soil Compaction
- Guest – Scott Sloan
- Scott is from the Des Moines, Iowa Area and a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. He is currently the Ag Product Manager/Global LSW for Titan International, Inc. Scott has worked for Titan for over 21 years and is with us today to talk all things tires!
- Soil Compaction
- Generally, a good soil contains about 25 percent water & 25 percent air by volume. This 50 percent is referred to as pore space. The remaining 50 percent consists of soil particles. Any wheel traffic that reduces pore space results in a dense soil w/ poor internal drainage & reduced aeration.
- How does compaction hurt a crop yield or potential?
- Compacted soil has smaller pores and fewer natural channels, water infiltration is drastically reduced.
- This causes greater surface wetness, more runoff, increased erosion, and longer drying time.
- Wet fields delay planting and harvesting and decrease crop yields.
- Plant roots don't grow well in dense soil.
- Inadequate moisture and nutrients reach the plant, and yield is reduced.
- In years when soil moisture is plentiful, the impact on crop growth may not be obvious. With moisture shortage, plants on compacted soil stress more easily, and reduced growth and yield are noticeable.
- Do soil types matter when it comes to compaction?
- Generally, the smaller the soil particles, the more compaction reduces the yield.
- What impact does soil moisture have on compaction?
- What implement does the most compacting?
- Planter
- Tillage
- Grain cart
- Something else?
- Equipment trending heavier or lighter?
- What is the advantage of having the “tire guy” come out and weigh your equipment?
- Load & inflation tables….
- Can you run lower PSI in any tires?
- What are the consequences?
- Older planter tires?
- What does lowering the PSI in a tire do?
- How do you know when your PSI is too low?
- How do we determine tire sizes? Front vs back
- Tractors
- Combines
- Sprayers
- Implements
- What advancement in technology led to exploring lower PSI or compaction options?
- Any systems available that change tire pressure on the go?
- What about changing from road travel pressure to in field pressure?
- Where is tire technology headed?
- Airless?
- Would helium make the tractor lighter?
- What types of compaction are created by an inappropriately inflated tire?
- ISU study about the front tire 8310R less than the planter tires – rear worse
- Crown or a cone – what shape does it make? Mushroom? Tear drop?
- No-til vs strip til vs full til
- Does this have an effect on the susceptibleness of a field to compaction?
- Should we be more concerned about compaction at the surface or deeper compaction levels?
- To some extent, shallow compaction at depths of 12 inches or less can be remedied. Deep compaction cannot be corrected, however, and it causes reduced yields.
- What is your take on the performance advantages of:
- Tires vs Tires with new technology
- Tires vs tracks
- 2 tracks vs 4 tracks vs 2 tracks and 2 tires
- What advice do you have to people seeking the best value in tires?
- Good-for-a-year
- Off brands
- Different situations
- Any other pieces of information to share with our listeners?
- What do you see your top producing or top tier of clients doing? –Common traits
- Summary
- Challenge
- Commercial - BW Fusion – Focused on bringing innovative Fertility, Nutritional and Technology to the Ag market place. They combine their best-in-class products along with the 365 soil and tissue program to provide growers the tools necessary to address limiting factors in real time.
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