As farmers work countless hours to get their crops out of the field, planting season may feel distant. But according to specialists at Bane-Welker Equipment and Co-Alliance, now is the time make adjustments to machinery and set the fields up for spring success.
“We really start our planting season with the combine and managing residue with the head and the machine,” says Matt Jahnke, precision farming specialist at Bane-Welker. “Make sure everything is set right – the chopper knives are all good and the spread widths are set right.”
Jahnke shares that a lot of issues he sees in the spring are due to spread widths being too narrow or not being adjusted when transitioning between crops.
Caleb Winger, Bane-Welker’s Indiana precision farming manager, attributes this to moving too quickly during harvest.
“We get to fall, and we think ‘Ok, now we get to put money back in the bank’. We get focused on that and kind of let the whole ‘What are we doing right now that will affect next year?’ go to the back of our minds,” Winger says. “This needs to be a good conversation had about slowing down, paying attention to what’s going on and getting it set up to be successful for next year.”
Small Steps for More Success
Some small residue management adjustments during harvest can help with common spring season issues and the operation’s overall bottom line.
“When you have that [spread width] at 30‘ instead of the 40’ to 45’ and it’s uneven, you get uneven emergence and that affects the bottom line for the following year,” says Darren Wiatt, a Co-Alliance agronomist.
Jahnke adds that taking a moment to pay attention to the machine will make a noticeable impact in the long run.
“The little things like making sure your head is running at the right speed and your spread width is set right – that isn’t even getting out of the cab,” he says. “Ten seconds of pushing buttons can make a big difference the following year.”
Take a Second To Get the Fundamentals Right
“There are so many things that add up all through the year,” says Winger. “It doesn’t really have to cost a whole lot more money. It’s just paying attention to all the little details that come together in the end to put money in your pockets.”
To hear more on this topic, tune into Bane-Welker’s podcast, Plowtalk.
