Filling the drill...with corn

The Claussens have adapted some German farming smarts to carrying on in Canada - and raised eyebrows in the process

By JOHN MUGGERIDGE

Farming may be farming, whatever corner of the globe you do it in. But for those who succeed at making the transition from one corner to the other there's always a bit of "When in Rome do as the Romans do."

For four years, the Claussens of Brucefield, Huron county, have been adapting some Old Country customs to New World farming. Out in Claussens' neat and tidy farm yard in Brucefield, the flag of the northern German province Schleswig-Holstein flutters proudly below the Canadian flag.

But Hans Georg, and his sons Sonke, 34, and Hauke, 32, have no regrets about making the move to Huron county in June, 1995. Hans Georg Claussen had farmed the 400-acre family farm in Germany with Hauke, while Sonke managed a 4,000-acre farm. Today, the Claussens run a 980-acre cash crop operation (corn, soy, wheat, edible beans), including a custom farming business.

Coming from a progressive German farm, the brothers aren't shy about field testing some unconventional ideas. Eyebrows were raised last spring, for instance, when they hit the field with a North American-German hybrid seed drill set at six- and 12-inch spacing and filled with...corn.

The grain and silage harvest results for the planting unit - a John Deere 750 drill with an Amazone metering system and box on top - were inconclusive. But they were enough to keep the brothers interested in pursuing a one-system-fits-all seeding solution.

Sonke says it all started two years ago, when they decided to follow the European trend to six-inch wheat. To convert the 15-foot 750 drill from 24 7.5-inch rows to 30 six-inch took some deft work with the cutting torch for this machinery-minded pair. To squeeze in the extra rows, the openers had to be cut down and narrowed.

The used Amazone box, purchased for $2,400, was added on top. With a cam-wheel metering system, it can be calibrated in the yard; seed is metered out into trays with the turn of a crank, and then weighed off. It also has enough outlets for narrow rows: 30 are opened for six-inch wheat, and 18 for 12-inch corn. Another plus to the Amazone is an automatic tramlining system.

To accommodate North American-sized farming, the seed box was enlarged from 700 to 1,600 kg. The Claussens added a liquid fertilizer system with Redball row indicators. Twenty-eight per cent was pumped from saddle tanks. New seed hoses, made from garden hose, were added. And a leveling harrow was added at the rear.

The system has worked well in wheat, soybeans and edible beans for the past three seasons, so "why not try it in corn?" Hauke says. As well, in '97 the brothers switched some of their acreage to triple corn rows (three rows six inches apart on 30-inch centres).

If they could drill their corn as well, the brothers could use one system for all crops, without having to invest in a planter.

"Instead of using an expensive planter and an expensive no-till drill, perhaps [we can] find a way that we can use one kind of equipment for three crops," says Hauke.

Furthermore, 12-inch corn would be ideal for their new Claas Jaguar forage harvester with row-independent head, which they bought for the custom business.

While they knew the idea of drilling corn was sound, the Claussen boys also knew that in farming what looks good on paper may flop in the field. "There is no ideal system," says Sonke.

Year One of drilling 12-inch corn was, at best, a learning experience. Plants were unevenly spaced, and depth control was poor, leading to an uneven stand. Sonke blames the Amazone's metering system transmission, which doesn't move the cam metering wheel continuously.

All yields were lower due to drought, but GPS yield measurements in the drilled triple-row grain trials showed a clear advantage for the planter on 30-inch rows. But with the same hybrid at 34,000 plants, the triple rows won out by more than three bushels.

In the 12-inch silage trials, the planter topped out again. But in one hybrid, the planter and drill were neck and neck at 32,000 plants per acre, despite the drill's atrocious spacing. (See Forage by the Foot, page 68.)

Sonke says yield results indicate "it probably doesn't make sense to increase population to 40,000." Another lesson learned: In-row spacing "is more critical than what we think."

The Claussens blame much of the drill's yield disadvantage on poor in-row spacing, and say the solution lies in changing the Amazone's metering system to a stepless transmission, or replacing the gearbox with a hydraulic motor.

Also unsolved with the corn drill system is dry fertilizer application, as the drill is set up for liquid, and liquid potash is three times as expensive as dry. In corn, the Claussens zone-till P and K in front of the planter, due to low potassium and phosphate availability in their high-pH, high-clay soil. While there's a yield response to banding, zone-tilling takes an extra man and tractor when Sonke would like to be freed up for spraying.

Even applying liquid popup with the corn in the furrow wasn't ideal; Sonke says adding more liquid in the trench causes a buildup of mud and seeds sticking.

Always testing new solutions, this year the brothers will experiment with air seeding as a way of delivering dry fertilizer to corn and beans, with a new Flexicoil 1330 air cart and a Till-Tech coulter frame to sidedress N-P-K beside the rows, and blow MAP with the seed three inches into the seed trench as a popup. "That saves us $10-$15 on fertilizer costs just by applying everything dry instead of liquid and dry," says Sonke.

Despite the challenges, the results were encouraging enough to keep the Claussens interested in drilling corn. "There was no advantage, but also no disadvantage," says Hauke. "We didn't lose anything there."

Says Sonke: "We'll keep trying, that's for sure."

Next: Field sprayways

© copyright 1999 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


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Tractor hydraulic systems need TLC

The hydraulic system is one of the most important parts of any powered unit - tractor, combine or other. Have you ever considered the insults it's subjected to during the course of a year?

When you start the tractor or combine in freezing weather, the fluid must still provide lubrication for the hydraulic pump. So don't start using the hydraulic system immediately. Allow the pump to warm the fluid by circulating it through the system. As the fluid passes through small openings in valves and lines (hoses), it will warm up due to friction.

Hydraulic fluid is often cooled and filtered when returning from the work functions to the reservoir or tank. There are good reasons for placing these two components in the return line rather than the pressure line. The first is that neither component is able to withstand the high pressures, 2000 to 4000 psi, created in supply lines to loaded work functions. Secondly, contamination and heat are generated in the system components between the pump and the tank.

As the fluid warms it expands and pushes air out of tank head space. When the unit is shut down, the hydraulic fluid volume shrinks, causing air to be drawn back into the tank through a breather vent. The incoming air carries moisture and often dust. That moisture will condense on the inside of the cold tank and contaminate the fluid.

Immediately following a cold-weather start, the viscous (thick) hydraulic fluid may be bypassing the filter through a differential pressure bypass valve usually located in the filter mounting head. This is necessary to prevent rupturing the filter material, which would allow constant bypass.

To protect my equipment's hydraulic systems, I follow a 10-point guide:

1. Buy a good quality hydraulic fluid with the required additives and correct viscosity for the season and application.

2. Buy a filter that meets the manufacturer's recommendation.

3. Change filter and fluid at intervals recommended by the manufacturer, being careful not to add contaminants.

4. Inspect the drained fluid for colour and particulate material. If you suspect a problem, have the fluid analyzed. Your dealer can probably make arrangements.

5. Clean and inspect the fluid cooling coils, which are usually located in front of the engine-cooling radiator.

6. If the hydraulic fluid has been overheated and the cooling coils are clean, there are two common causes: a) Hydraulic fluid is not going to the cooling coils because of a restriction or because a pressure/temperature bypass control valve has failed; or b) Fluid is being pressured through a small opening, such as a pressure relief valve by an aggressive operator, component wear or failure. Most causes require the system to be opened, a procedure best left to trained personnel.

7. Check the rod wiper on every hydraulic cylinder that is attached to the hydraulic system at any time. This is the visible seal around the rod with the outward facing lip. If any lips are incomplete or cracked, have them replaced immediately. Water, field dust or other particulate matter can easily enter when the cylinder is being retracted.

8. Never, never connect a remote cylinder without wiping the connectors with a clean, lint-free wiper.

9. Hydraulic system filters do not have unlimited capacity. If it becomes overloaded, fluid will be allowed to bypass the filter. Only newer units with electronic instrument panels indicate when a filter is being bypassed. If the indicator light stays on, except immediately following a cold winter start, the unit should be shut down and the filter changed.

10. Listen to what your hydraulic system is telling you. If it is making unusual noises, it is asking for attention. A noisy hydraulic system will degrade or contaminate the hydraulic fluid. Pump or control valve failure will follow and so will a large repair bill.

Agricultural engineer Ralph Winfield farms at Belmont, Elgin county
© copyright 1999 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


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New records a cause for concern

For Ontario, the biggest weather news story of 1998 was undoubtedly the January ice storm. However, while far less traumatic, another Canadian weather story that slowly unfolded last year may actually have been more significant.

Following a winter that was the second warmest (beat out by 1987) since nationwide temperature recording began in 1948, the 1998 spring, summer and fall seasons each set all-time temperature records. On average, the four seasons were about 2.5C warmer than normal, and an impressive half-degree higher than the previous record warm year of 1981. Some parts of the country, especially the northwest, reached temperatures more than 5C above normal. Statistically, for a stable climate, such temperatures should occur about once every 17 centuries!

Average temperature increases in Ontario were similar to the national average, varying between two and three degrees above normal. The province also received almost 12 per cent less rainfall than normal, making the year the fifth-driest on record. The combined effects of increased evaporation due to higher temperatures and decreased rainfall, in turn, created a record low in annual water supply for Lake Superior. And Lake Ontario water levels dropped 1.2 metres during the summer and fall - not unheard of, but worrisome.

Warm Canadian weather was, however, only part of an even bigger story. Much of the southern U.S. baked during the driest regional summer in 104 years, resulting in massive wildfires. Similar record heat in central Russia during June caused huge forest fires and more than 100 heat-related deaths. Heat waves and droughts hit hard in other areas, including the Middle East, India and New Zealand. In fact, as the final numbers for temperatures from the more than 1,000 stations worldwide used to estimate global average temperatures roll in for December, it is becoming clear that global temperatures in 1998 significantly exceeded 1997's record of 0.43C above normal. It now appears that global average temperatures will have leapfrogged to an astonishing new high anomaly of about 0.58C. Each month between May 1997 and October 1998 - an 18-month period - set a new monthly global temperature record. Even satellite measurements of air temperatures in the first seven kilometres above Earth's surface, which over the past 18 years showed little average change, were almost 0.5C warmer than the average for the preceding two decades.

The variance of current global temperatures is further underscored by data collected from tree rings, glaciers, sediments on lake bottoms and other sources. These sources of climate information can provide valuable clues about temperature conditions for time periods long before thermometer measurements became the standard. Past studies using these data have shown that much of Europe and North America was quite warm about 1,000 years ago (often referred to as the Medieval Warm Period), implying that current warm conditions might not be unprecedented.

In December, however, an American team of experts studying a more complete set of worldwide data reported that other parts of the world were not warmer at the time, and that the warming was apparently regional (likely caused by changes in the currents of the Atlantic Ocean). They concluded that the global temperatures of the past decade are warmer than at any time in at least the last 1,200 years.

The new temperature records for 1998 are seen by most experts as further evidence that recent weather behaviour can no longer be considered "normal." Furthermore, the rather rapid rate of increase in temperatures over the last 25 years is quite similar to that predicted by models as a result of human interference with the earth's climate system. While skeptics will undoubtedly argue that the direct link to human activity cannot as yet be proved, other explanations are becoming increasingly difficult to accept.

In other words, climate change isn't just a thing of the future - it already appears to be happening. Hence, it seems prudent that we carefully consider how this may affect us, and learn how to deal with it. Stay tuned!
Henry Hengeveld is a science adviser on climate change, Environment Canada

© copyright 1999 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


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This Cat still purrs

Caterpillar's famous line of yellow machinery had its origins in 1904 when combine maker Benjamin Holt added a gas engine and crawler tracks to the farming tractor, which Holt nicknamed the "caterpillar." These modifications reduced the weight of the tractor, improving mobility and weight distribution.

Following the British adaptation of the crawler tracks to the armoured tank in World War I, the U.S. government gave surplus tanks to state governments for construction projects. This was the beginning of the development of earth-moving and construction equipment. Best Tractor was bought by Holt in 1925, forming Caterpillar, and the company headquartered itself in Peoria, Ill.

Caterpillar began expanding into foreign markets during the 1930s and phased out combine production. Caterpillar contributed earth-moving equipment to the U.S. military during World War II and earned a reputation for durability and quality. The stature put Cat atop its industry, well ahead of second place International Harvester, and created high demand for its equipment.

Company expansion continued post-war. Its first overseas plant was built in the U.K. in 1951. A joint venture was created with Mitsubishi in 1963. More recently, it entered the gas turbine market in 1981; introduced the Challenger agricultural tractor with Mobil-trac technology in 1987; and in 1988 initiated a $1.8-billion, six-year plant automation project.

Today, Cat is the No.1 manufacturer of earth-moving equipment in the world, and a leader in construction equipment, natural gas engines and industrial turbines. Total sales were US$21 billion for 1998, up 11 per cent from the previous year; net income fell 9.1 per cent to US$1.5 billion. The machinery group's sales declined 9 per cent, which resulted in a decline of 44 per cent in operating earnings.

Manufacturing plants in 16 countries supply the world with agricultural machinery, and heavy equipment and engines for a wide range of applications. New markets are opening constantly; Cat is currently investing in China, the former Soviet Union, eastern Europe and other developing countries. Cat's ag product line includes the Challenger tractor with Mobil-trac, the Lexion combine with conventional wheels or Mobil-trac, and the Versatile Flotation System trailer platform with tracks, for hauling and spreading applications.

Cat's joint venture with Claas (Europe's leading manufacturer of combines and foragers) includes construction of a manufacturing facility in Omaha, Neb., for its Lexion combine line. This new facility will supply combines to North America and Australia.

The Asian crisis and low commodity prices have reduced machinery demand in important markets such as Japan, Australia, Canada and Latin America. Industry demand for farm equipment evaporated in the latter half of 1998, and industry sales for the year increased only 2 per cent. Cat's ag competitors - Deere and Case - have responded to weak sales by price discounting, but unlike its competitors, Cat derives less than 5 per cent of revenue from farm equipment. Sales and revenue for 1999 is forecasted to decline slightly from 1998, and profits are expected lower on slower sales and continued competitive pricing on all heavy equipment.

Prospects for another large crop planting in 1999 could keep grain prices, as well as demand for farm equipment, under pressure. Despite an industry slowdown, Cat's strong, free cash flow and aggressive share repurchase plan are expected to continue. Cat's financial strength and flexibility will remain a positive in a continuing difficult environment.
Kevin Simpson, CFA, is a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch Canada, Stratford (1-888-417-4459). This information was obtained from sources believed to be reliable; accuracy or completeness cannot be vouched for. Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Merrill Lynch Canada.

© copyright 1999 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


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