The third week in April is really the start of our prime sowing window for Canola. We started in the paddock we left last week only to discover that it was too wet. And I mean wet! It was an experience for Dan – his first wet sowing. So we spent some time in the tractor together, going through the tricks of the trade for wet conditions (and no – waiting for it to dry really isn’t really an option – its a last resort).
The tricks include looking at the tracks of your previous lap to spot any wet patches you may be coming into. Another was raising the working depth of the tynes in the soil to match the depth that the plough wheels sink into the ground to avoid unnecessary drag. Another was arranging your laps to ensure that you always take the wet patches while travelling downhill – then going across the paddock at the end of the lap to find solid ground for your up hill lap. Diff locks on the tractor can also be quite helpful and finally – knowing when to pull out and wait for that part of the paddock to dry out (I told you it was the last resort! 😉 ). Dan did really well and I took the night shifts.
As the week went by, the wet patches were less of an issue and we started to kick a few goals – getting more done each day. We had a few problems along the way. The air conditioning in the spray tractor broke – which in a sealed cab sitting on top of an engine and transmission working flat out for hours at a time – a warm experience. We also had the unusual situation of a gyro (we think) jamming the sowing tractor’s GPS Navigation controller – which made it think that we were doing 360 degree circles as we travelled across the paddock. It was quite intermittent. The first time it occurred, the autosteer wasn’t engaged and it was funny to watch the screen displaying the tractor and plough doing ‘doughnuts’ all over the paddock. However it wasnt as funny when later that night the auto steer was enabled on a straight lap and then it malfunctioned. The GPS then tries to make the tractor emulate on the ground what was happening on the screen – a physically impossible act. It certainly wakes you up. All good fun.
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So this is the view from the tractor cab of the sowing rig at dusk. As you can the see, the longer and straighter the run or lap – the better it is. From this view, we are looking out for obstacles such as trees and power poles. It may sound easy to avoid as we travel so slow (about 9 km/h), but just google for tractor collisions and you will see that it is more common than you think. Have a look at this ‘Another Bad Day on the Farm’ photo. |
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This is looking backwards on the same lap as the photo above (apologies about the dirty window). From this view we are looking for straw blocking building up between the tynes and monitoring the depth that the machine is placing the seed. For Canola, we want it to be placed in the top inch of soil if possible. |
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And putting it all together, this is the machine as it turns at the end of the row. Its a bit of a ‘freight train’ with the tractor, plough and seeder combination , so drivers are always keen to avoid getting stuck in a position where they have to reverse out. |
There were only four working days this past week, but we ended up getting a good amount sown. With Easter shortening the working week, we don’t work Good Friday and the weekend of out of gratitude and respect – I realised along time ago that I may well plant the seed, but I can’t make it grow and bring it to harvest – I just get to watch the miracle happen. 🙂 .
So to all who read this, where ever you may be – from me and my family – have a great Easter. I hope you get the chance to enjoy, rest, reflect and catch up with family. Also, don’t eat too many Easter Eggs!
Cheers
NeilK