January 7, 2014

Agronomist Notes

Hello Reader

Happy New Year! After some much needed down time over the holidays, I find myself ready for the busy travel season ahead. Today I’m en route to Minot, ND to speak at the ManDak No-till conference. The next 50 days are jammed packed with speaking engagements, travel and client meetings.

This week we’ll start with some state of the art seeding technology that promises to be a game changer in our industry. Next, we’ll look at a new residual herbicide that will help address cleaver control in canola. Last, I’m shifting gears and looking human at resources and tips on how to attract, develop and retain high quality employees on farm. We’ll finish with technical grain market news.

Have a great week.

Photo: My friend, Ron Armstrong, recently took some time to enjoy the sun and do a little reading by his snow bank, a familiar Canadian past time. Photo credit: R. Armstrong

Revolutionary air drill to launch in 2014

CX 6 Smart Seeder by Clean Seed Capital

The technological advancements in seeding tools have been nothing short of amazing over the last decade. From on-row depth control, sectional control, variable rate drives to improvements in metering and scale. Even with all the advancements, there is still a lot of room for improvement. For example, a 15% +/- difference in seed and fertilizer delivery at each shank is considered acceptable according to PAMI (source).

So one shank might apply 100 lbs N/ac and the shank beside it may only apply 80-85 lbs N/ac. This is acceptable? See BA News article on air delivery systems here.

Air delivery systems will always struggle to deliver product accurately because they meter seed and fertilizer with variable densities under pressure, push product of various sizes down varying lengths of primary hoses, only to hit manifolds that distribute product into secondary hoses that vary up to 50% in length down to the seed boot. It’s any wonder that anything less than 15% +/- is considered acceptable. Acceptable until now that is, with the introduction of the CX6 Smart Seeder drill.

Check out this video outlining the CX6 Smart Seeder design.

The CX6 Smart Seeder drill is a game changing, revolutionary drill that promises to solve a lot of today’s issues with metering, delivery, sectional control and get this, on the go filling! Picture this, seed and fertilizer are delivered from the 430-bushel on-board air cart to each shank where six individual electric motors meter up to six products right above the opener. A foam roller that looks like a cog wheel grabs the seed and fertilizer and drops it via gravity into one of three openings in the triple shoot and that is also fully adjustable, paired row openers. The technology is equipped to variable rate six products on each shank, has sectional control and variable rate down pressure to control depth and packing pressure on each opener. Did I mention this is all controlled via wireless technology? No wires from the cab!

The second crazy feature on this drill is on-the-go filling, which virtually eliminates fill times. The drill comes equipped with a tow-behind 430-bushel tank that is designed to refill the front tank while you seed. When the back tank is empty, a simple unhook switch from the cab allows you to drop the tank off at the end of the field where a highway tractor can tow it back to the yard for refilling. A winch design behind the drill lets you hook the back tank up again and continue the cycle of refilling on the go. So, no more tandems, B-trains or special filling carts to fill the drill with next to no downtime.

To give you an overview, here are the solutions this drill provides:

Air flow issues by metering seed and fertilizer above the shank where it’s delivered to the opener by gravity.
Residue by placing a cutting disk ahead of the tyne which cuts residue and creates a channel for the tyne to flow through.
Equal metering from opener to opener. No distortion from manifolds to randomly divide seed.
More uniform distribution down each row without air flow to bunch seeds, ie peas, canola.
Overlap eliminated, less delay from meter to seed allows more accurate off/on times, and independent opener off/on rather than sections.
Accurate metering in non-linear travel. Turn compensation.
Ability to apply high resolution prescription. Both due to less delay in delivery gives a more accurate application position, turn compensation, and individual independent opener metering.
Depth control by prescription. Don't underestimate the value in this one.
Six-product capability, trivial versus five industry leader, but the shuttle cart makes it logistically feasible to do it.
Refill on the go. Huge efficiency gain in downtime, no extra trailers required, no conveyors, or augers in the field.
Shuttle cart handles six products and also can be used to change products in the field. For example, if you want to switch from durum to wheat, no need to take the drill home to clean out. No extra truck required in the field.
Shuttle cart frees up man power in that it takes two men to move a truck to the field, only one to position the shuttle.

Now, I know you’re thinking this sounds too good to be true or perhaps it’s way ahead of its time. What I do know is that every seeding tool manufacturer on the planet will be looking at how they can somehow incorporate the ideas from this drill, because they really are game changing. Clean Seed Capital is the name of the company based in Vancouver and they are on the TSX Venture if you want to look at the company profile. I cannot wait to see the launch of this drill in 2014. SL

Photo credits: Clean Seed Capital

New herbicide to attack cleavers in canola

AI: Clomazone Group 13

If you were to take a drive around the countryside this fall, you would have been shocked to see the amount of cleavers clearly visible above the canopies in many canola fields. Cleavers are a growing problem in Western Canada, especially in Liberty Link canola where glufosinate ammonium herbicide struggles to control them above three whorl. Cleavers are a tough animal to fight due to their ability to germinate throughout the season along with spring and winter annual life cycles.

FMC is launching a product with the active ingredient Clomazone, a Group 13 herbicide that provides flushing control of cleavers in canola. The active ingredient was originally used to control grasses and broadleaves in soybeans, but FMC has found a nice fit for the product in Western Canada. Studies by FMC show an 80% level of control in cleavers 25 to 37 days after application. I don’t know about registration for other weeds but the soybean label in the US includes Lamb’s-quarters, smartweed, Barnyard grass and Green and Yellow foxtail so that’s an added bonus.

I see the addition of a Clomazone treatment as one-two punch in combination with Liberty (glufosinate ammonium) to effectively control cleavers. FMC has the same concept and said a combination of the two provided 85% control of cleavers 87 days after application in their studies. Anyway you look at it, adding a new herbicide group to the rotation, controlling additional grassy and broadleaf weeds along with residual cleaver control in canola is a step in the right direction. SL

FMC is looking for cooperators to trial Clomazone in 2014. If you’re interested contact your local rep.

Photo source: Ken Sapsford, University of Saskatchewan

Attracting high caliber farm employees

It’s all about the added benefits

One of the biggest obstacles in agriculture today is attracting, developing and retaining high quality employees. Sure we can fill tractor seats and combines with warm bodies but can you afford to hire incapable help? As a farm advisor I’ve seen both sides of the coin from completely disengaged staff to inspired and empowered people that love their job.

The question is, how do you attract, develop and retain high quality people? I can tell you this; a high wage is near the bottom of the list according to most employees. I looked outside of our industry to find out what other companies and industries are doing to attract awesome people.

First stop, a dog food company in the US, has an employee turnover rate that is four times lower than the industry average. They have peak periods of demand where workers have to put in longer hours to meet demand, much like agriculture. They offer benefits to employees that go well over and above their competitors. Their view: when employees don’t have to worry about dental care, health care, financial issues or time off for family, they can focus on executing well at their job and take the initiative to offer and implement new ideas. When you focus on an employees well being and their family’s, they are more likely to dig in when the job demands peak during the busy season.

Another example is Aurora Electric, an electric contractor who specializes in large, complicated electrical projects like the World Trade Centre. It has four full time employees but rises to 50 depending on how many projects are underway. They offer world-class benefits packages, even to part time employees. Why invest in benefits for seasonal workers? Because it creates a better work environment, everyone is more engaged and willing to help each other instead of running to the boss with every other problem.

Now, if you think benefits are expensive, what does a bent unload auger, a broken straight cut header or 1,000 bushels on the ground cost you from an employee who isn’t worried about your bottom line? Likely not as much as a lucrative benefits package.

Three areas you can offer outside of higher wages are:

Training and development that involves agriculture but not limited to. For example, welding courses, photography, cooking classes, college courses of their choice and interest.
A healthy benefits package. Full coverage on dental, medical, massage, gym memberships, financial planning, etc.
Paid vacations. Sending an employee and their family away on a holiday is always well received, even more so than offering paid vacation. Go that extra mile to help book their vacation.

How to get a return on benefits adapted from Scott Leibs, Inc. Magazine

1. Tailor your offerings to your specific work force.

a) Survey what your employees want: flex time, financial planning, training and development.

b) Meals in the field. A warm meal and a time to breakup the monotony of long harvest days.

2. Communicate the value of what you offer.

a) Make sure your employees understand the value of their benefits package.

3. Once you offer a benefit, don’t take it away.
a) If you take a benefit away at the first sign of financial trouble, employees feel you have no commitment to them in good and bad times.

4. Get the right help.
a) Find an expert in employee benefits who is willing to understand your farm business.

I came across one local business that puts together tailor made benefits programs to suit you and your employees needs. You can find them here at Alberta Benefits Ltd.

Do not underestimate the value of engaged and happy employees who are willing to go the extra mile for you. These folks have your best interest and bottom line in mind because they know you have theirs. It’s magic when you see it. To quote a line from the book Good to Great, “Get the right people on the bus then figure out where to go”. With the right people, there is no telling where your farm business can go. SL

Travel Schedule & Speaking Engagements

My winter speaking schedule is below. Maybe we’ll have a chance to catch up if you’re attending one of these events.

ManDak No-Till: Minot, ND, Feb 7,8
Agronomy Update: Red Deer, AB, Feb 14,15
FarmTech: Edmonton, AB, Jan 28-30
GRDC Update: Ballarat, Victoria, Feb 5
GRDC Update: Lake Bolac, Victoria, Feb 6, 7
ORM Meeting: Lake Bolac, Victoria, Feb 7
GRDC Advisor Update: Temora, New South Wales, Feb 11
GRDC Update: Corowa, New South Wales, Feb 12, 13