eXtended RANGE HEAVY HARROW IN THIS ISSUE Photo: XR 770 eXtended Range Harrow CHECK OUT Where Did All The WATER GO? pages 8-10 PURSUING PERFECTION.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Gerry Bourgault, P Eng. Over the past decade, the farming industry has experienced some major technological developments that have dramatically changed the industry. However, many more technological developments are on the horizon and potentially some of them will be revolutionary. As we have seen for the past three years in various areas of the Northern Plains, more so in western regions and also in Montana, improved plant genetics and better farming methods allowed farmers to achieve higher yields in drought conditions than was the case when the last general drought cycle...

It is simple and easy to measure the moisture conditions in the seed row using a soil moisture meter so that you can better understand what is happening. The meter that Bourgault uses is a commercial type; however, they are available in any gardening supply store for less than $10 dollars so anyone who wants to can easily measure what is happening to their soil moisture if they so choose. Interestingly; however, as we saw in many of the overly wet years, the seedbed drying that results from fracturing the seedbed to the side and below can have some benefits. However, as was seen this past year,...

by Jason Kirsch & Curtis de Gooijer When faster IS BETTER. Excellent Productivity BUT Can You Seed Faster? In most seeding scenarios, a low soil disturbance narrow opener maintains seedbed integrity which results in more accurate seed placement. When the 3320 PHD is equipped with the Mid Row Bander® fertilizer application system, the drill can be fitted with narrow, low disturbance knives to maximize seeding speeds. This combination provides farmers with a unique possibility to be more productive while maintaining consistent seed placement, particularly when compared to various sidebanding systems...

The Slow Down Trend The trend has been for farmers to lower their seeding speed in order to establish improved germination, especially in canola. Canola related organizations have done an excellent job of informing farmers of the benefits of slowing down for better plant establishment. Recommendations of 4 to 4.5 mph have been publicized and with good reason as the recommendation must be a “catch all” to account for the variables associated with seeding, including: ► different soil types, ► various residue management programs, ► varying moisture levels, ► fertilizer placement safety, ► soil disturbance...

Where'd All The Water Go? The 2017 growing season presented a wide range of growing conditions for Producers located in the Great Northern Plains. Some areas received above their ten year average precipitation, while other areas received below average amounts...well below. When looking back at 2017, the majority of Producers will remember it as a year that did not receive a lot of moisture and was dry overall. Even with the dry conditions, many Farmers will also say that the 2017 growing season was an excellent year for yields. The limiting factor to growing a crop in the Great Northern Plains...

In the St. Brieux area, a total of 5.5" of rainfall was received throughout the 2017 growing season. An average of 60 bushels of canola was achieved on the trial land which indicates there was a deficit of 9.5" of rainfall. This amount came from previous year’s excess rainfall and snowfall stored in the soil profile. Reference: Irrigation Reference Manual. Peace Corps. Accessed on-line. At the trial site, moisture sensors were placed in the soil with depths of 6", 12" and 24". The % soil moisture at all 3 levels stayed constant until the beginning of July when the top 12" soil moisture level...

Fertilizer nitrogen & sulphur based Seed Starter Fertilizer In dry conditions, on-row packing helps retain valuable moisture with the seed. 5" The MRB® coulter disc places the nitrogen & sulphur fertilizers with guaranteed separation and minimal soil disturbance. Seed placed with a narrow seed opener minimizes soil disturbance preserving existing soil moisture. Seed & starter fertilizers are placed together for quick emergence (pop-up effect). MRBs Preserve Existing Soil Moisture The retention of existing soil moisture is critical in dry seeding conditions to ensure timely and even germination....

Every farmer has their worst field, the one that always poses a challenge; you don’t have to hang around the local coffee shop for too long to figure out that the hardest, stickiest, stoniest or steepest field lies just around the corner. Or, log into the Agriculture Forums and you will soon find your neighbor and the farm across the country all have characteristic field challenges to face each and every year. What has helped make Bourgault seeding systems into the most technologically advanced seeding systems in the world is listening in on these conversations. Hi-Flotation, PackMaster, QDA...

MID ROW SHANK III AND POWER ADJUST MRS III An Appealing Option The evidence continues to support mid row banding as the most agronomically effective and safe way to apply fertilizer in a single-pass seeding operation. When maintained correctly, the Mid Row Bander® has proven to be a very effective tool that can handle a wide range of soil and residue conditions. The MRS III is available on: ► 3320s Hi-Flotation drills, with either 10" or 12" row spacing and with either the PHD or XTC openers. (The new Power Adjust option is available for the XTC opener only.) ► 5810 Air Hoe Drills on 12" spacing....

XTC with MRS III Power Adjust – A Winning Combination Although the MRS III uses a narrow fertilizing knife, a knife will still cause more soil disturbance than an MRB® disc. Therefore, it becomes more important to operate the fertilizer knife at an optimum depth as compared to an MRB®, especially under certain soil conditions. The XTC with the MRS III Power Adjust option provides the convenience of quick depth adjustment for the Mid Row Shanks on XTC drills. This new Power Adjust feature uses a frame height adjustment on the front and rear running gear of the drill (same as the QDA system) to...