Joined
·
18 Posts
I'm currently using a paired row john deere conservapak to seed winter wheat and winter canola (occasionally spring wheat too), and need to speed up my seeding season a bit. I've had good luck with my 1870, but before I decide to just go with a wider conservapak I wondered what everyone's drill of choice would be if you were only seeding these two crops. I typically seed 1.5-3" deep, aiming to leave about 1-1.5" of dirt over the seed placed in moisture.
The downfalls to my drill are speed (I seed canola at 3mph to prevent burying the front rows), accuracy, and residue management. I chop the stubble to the ground and use a vertical tillage tool before seeding and the drill will still ball up stubble going through heavy areas.
The other options I've considered are a planter (I'd keep the current drill for wheat), bourgaults new 3820 opener, or a john deere 1890. We've always used hoe drills on my farm, but there are several disc drills in the area. The only times the hoe drills shine is on the really dry years when we're seeding 3-4" deep, but even then "shine" is a relative term! Any experience/ thoughts are appreciated.
The downfalls to my drill are speed (I seed canola at 3mph to prevent burying the front rows), accuracy, and residue management. I chop the stubble to the ground and use a vertical tillage tool before seeding and the drill will still ball up stubble going through heavy areas.
The other options I've considered are a planter (I'd keep the current drill for wheat), bourgaults new 3820 opener, or a john deere 1890. We've always used hoe drills on my farm, but there are several disc drills in the area. The only times the hoe drills shine is on the really dry years when we're seeding 3-4" deep, but even then "shine" is a relative term! Any experience/ thoughts are appreciated.
