Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Just edited my post above. I had posted the same pic of the blank sheet for the Large Seed Box twice. Deleted one and entered a pic of the blank sheet for the small seed box.
Starting point for calibrating drill for seed mixes
- Thread starter Wind Gypsy
- Start date
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
OK - Here are my cleaned up notes for previous settings which I have calibrated for. These are on my Land Pride 606NT drill. Your drill settings may differ.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
So I been putzing with some seed rate formulas and worksheets for my Great Plains 3P500 which I plan to pick up next week. Lots of downtime for me at home recently as my wife recovers from surgery.....so I am getting some of this stuff down on paper and reading, and re-reading some experiences from others. THANKS!
Here are two work sheets I made yesterday. The first one simply categorizes seeds for me so I remember to include some in mixes I make. My BIL / Farmer is big into this stuff.....and he reminds me to always use a (1) grain (2) Brassica (3) Legume (4) experimental things if wanted. Another sheet is my timeline for doing these things this year. The third is my. current drill "worksheet" to set the drill for rates. Thought I would share. Got a few more of these worksheets in the works. That way I keep some notes.
Here are two work sheets I made yesterday. The first one simply categorizes seeds for me so I remember to include some in mixes I make. My BIL / Farmer is big into this stuff.....and he reminds me to always use a (1) grain (2) Brassica (3) Legume (4) experimental things if wanted. Another sheet is my timeline for doing these things this year. The third is my. current drill "worksheet" to set the drill for rates. Thought I would share. Got a few more of these worksheets in the works. That way I keep some notes.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Also, In the past I have used a range finder to determine my plot sizes....however they are mostly irregular. So I am going to use the acreage meter on my drill to verify the plots and / or GP meter. I have 14 different plots .....a few of which I combine when running my drill.....so I can plan for the amount of seed put into the hoppers. My measured sizes have worked quite well in past practice. Not sure what I will do if they dont match here....lol. My current drill does not have an acreage meter. Anyone with experience in that area?
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
^ Kinda laughing at myself for putting all this down on paper. But......I got some family members that I need to show how to operate this stuff......and it helps me and them if I got all my data and stuff like this organized. They learn allot faster when I get rid of confusion.......and we all all better for it. I'm getting older.....and not sure how many years I will be doing these things. Gotta get the whipper-snappers on board. lol.
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omicron1792
5 year old buck +
You’re a mad soil scientist Foggy!
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
This is a good article on using a variety of seeds in a drill. Some really good tips here for a drill owner. (I forget the university that put this out.).
Those who are unfamiliar with using a no-till drill may assume that turning the “depth control” knob or limiting the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder is the only adjustment that is needed. Unfortunately, this only sets the coulter depth. There are two other adjustments that are necessary, and those are similar between no-till and conventional drill designs.
The depth of the double-disk opener is largely determined by the down pressure provided by the weight of the drill and the down pressure springs (Figure 10). Typically, there are one or two springs for each row unit that pushes the opener down. These may be placed on their lowest down pressure setting when shipped from the manufacturer. This may be sufficient down pressure, at least at the start. However, these springs may lose tension over time and may not provide enough down pressure. To create more down pressure, shorten the length of the spring’s travel according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually by removing the “W” clip at the bottom of the spring and moving it to a higher hole in the rod that runs through the spring).
Figure 10. The labels pictured describe the parts of the drill that are important to ensuring proper seeding depth.
The final step, adjusting the press wheels correctly, is equally crucial to planting depth control. Most press wheels have a T-handle that can be adjusted forward (toward the tractor) allowing the depth to be shallower or backward (toward the press wheel) to enable a deeper seed placement. The press wheel adjustment allows the planting depth to be fine-tuned, but it operates in conjunction with the opener’s placement. The press wheels are designed to ensure that the openers are not pushed too deeply by the springs. The press wheels work in tandem with the springs to create what is called “reserve power.” In other words, as the properly adjusted press wheel traverses the rough terrain of pastures and hayfields, there is enough travel in the spring that the openers are always positioned at the right depth. On some drills, depth bands can be added to the double-disk openers to ensure that the coulters penetrate to the precise depth desired.
When checking depth, carefully scrape away the soil from the middle of the furrow outwards. Measure the depth relative to the soil surface. Note that the layer of thatch or residue is not included in the planting depth. Remember that conditions often vary within the field and will change throughout the day. Regularly check seeding depth and adjust the drill accordingly.
Pro tip: To more easily find the seed when initially adjusting planting depth, use a quart-sized bag full of seed that has been lightly sprayed with orange turf paint.
Adjustments for proper planting depth
Forage and cover crop species differ in their recommended planting depth, so ensure that the drill is set up for the depth recommended in Table 1. Drill models will differ in their setup, but there are some planting depth adjustments that are fairly universal. On a no-till drill, one can adjust the planting depth by adjusting the cutting depth of the rolling coulter in the front of the drill. As a rule of thumb, the coulter should be cutting twice as deep as the planned seeding depth. So, if the desired planting depth is 1⁄2 in., then the coulter should make a 1-in. slice into the soil. This is usually adjusted by a “depth control” knob or hydraulic setup. On some models, the stroke of the hydraulics that lift and lower the drill into the soil can be modified by stroke limiters or stroke blocks. These limiters/blocks are sleeves of varying sizes that go around the hydraulic cylinder and can be used to prevent the cylinder from traveling further than desired.Those who are unfamiliar with using a no-till drill may assume that turning the “depth control” knob or limiting the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder is the only adjustment that is needed. Unfortunately, this only sets the coulter depth. There are two other adjustments that are necessary, and those are similar between no-till and conventional drill designs.
The depth of the double-disk opener is largely determined by the down pressure provided by the weight of the drill and the down pressure springs (Figure 10). Typically, there are one or two springs for each row unit that pushes the opener down. These may be placed on their lowest down pressure setting when shipped from the manufacturer. This may be sufficient down pressure, at least at the start. However, these springs may lose tension over time and may not provide enough down pressure. To create more down pressure, shorten the length of the spring’s travel according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually by removing the “W” clip at the bottom of the spring and moving it to a higher hole in the rod that runs through the spring).
The final step, adjusting the press wheels correctly, is equally crucial to planting depth control. Most press wheels have a T-handle that can be adjusted forward (toward the tractor) allowing the depth to be shallower or backward (toward the press wheel) to enable a deeper seed placement. The press wheel adjustment allows the planting depth to be fine-tuned, but it operates in conjunction with the opener’s placement. The press wheels are designed to ensure that the openers are not pushed too deeply by the springs. The press wheels work in tandem with the springs to create what is called “reserve power.” In other words, as the properly adjusted press wheel traverses the rough terrain of pastures and hayfields, there is enough travel in the spring that the openers are always positioned at the right depth. On some drills, depth bands can be added to the double-disk openers to ensure that the coulters penetrate to the precise depth desired.
When checking depth, carefully scrape away the soil from the middle of the furrow outwards. Measure the depth relative to the soil surface. Note that the layer of thatch or residue is not included in the planting depth. Remember that conditions often vary within the field and will change throughout the day. Regularly check seeding depth and adjust the drill accordingly.
Pro tip: To more easily find the seed when initially adjusting planting depth, use a quart-sized bag full of seed that has been lightly sprayed with orange turf paint.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
I have an acre meter on my Land Pride 606NT Foggy but it never was very accurate IMO - in fact it wasn't even close as far as I could tell. It isn't working at all now (probably dead batteries?) but I don't plan on repairing it because I never had any confidence in its accuracy anyway.
I also have a list with the acreages of all of my food plots. I just used my hand-held Garmin Gps which has a feature for calculating acreage. Push the start button, either walk or drive the Gator around the perimeter of the plots and press the "Calculate" button - Viola! Instant acreage and it is accurate.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Agreed Gypsy.
I have best luck using onX hunt app. Can do a shape and I walk perimeter of plot and put in spots. At end it gives me shape and size down to the hundredth of an acre. Like 1.87 acres.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Obviously app had not updated satellite picture since timber cut.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
The seed meters have to be open enough for your largest seed. I believe in your mix it's cowpeas. 20% of your 50lb mix is cowpeas. Small seeds fill the voids between the gaps of what would be large seeds. So, 50lbs of your mix is going to feed out quicker than setting it for 50lbs of cowpeas. IF you guess the cowpeas is about 1/3 the volume, your about 30lbs/acre setting for cowpeas. Bcukwheat and sunflower seed are pretty good sized too. Your likely to be on your 2nd to slowest gear as start of the metering.
43500 square feet in an acre roughly. Most drills have you do so many cranks to make it run about 100ft. Let's say your does. 100*5 is 500sq ft. 500/43500 is about 0.0115 or about 1.1% of an acre. Therefore what you get into you calibration tray or in your buckets will be 50lbs/acre * .0115. So, you need something that can weigh .57lbs accurately.
I thought you bought a 3p500 drill. assuming 7.25 in spacing, thinking low gear 35-40% open.
After you bench cal this with the buckets, you next guess is seed depth settings. Different conditions in your soil. How moist it is, how much roots its chopping into, and how much thatch or live material your stuff has to roll onto. I'd make a little divider and fill it with some of your larger seeds just in one box. Run it a bit and see how deep it puts the seed into.
Dont own a drill, but played with my in-laws large AG stuff as well as used the county soil n waters large tow behind great plains drill they rent. Used to help my local fish and game club drill about 50-75 acres a year for their pheasant program. Wheat, millet, sometimes grasses mixed in.
Now you guys got me drooling for a drill of my own..... Likely buying a little kubota BX in a few years, just so I can use the bucket instead of throwing my back out. That little guy would drag a 3ft firminator just fine id imagine.
43500 square feet in an acre roughly. Most drills have you do so many cranks to make it run about 100ft. Let's say your does. 100*5 is 500sq ft. 500/43500 is about 0.0115 or about 1.1% of an acre. Therefore what you get into you calibration tray or in your buckets will be 50lbs/acre * .0115. So, you need something that can weigh .57lbs accurately.
I thought you bought a 3p500 drill. assuming 7.25 in spacing, thinking low gear 35-40% open.
After you bench cal this with the buckets, you next guess is seed depth settings. Different conditions in your soil. How moist it is, how much roots its chopping into, and how much thatch or live material your stuff has to roll onto. I'd make a little divider and fill it with some of your larger seeds just in one box. Run it a bit and see how deep it puts the seed into.
Dont own a drill, but played with my in-laws large AG stuff as well as used the county soil n waters large tow behind great plains drill they rent. Used to help my local fish and game club drill about 50-75 acres a year for their pheasant program. Wheat, millet, sometimes grasses mixed in.
Now you guys got me drooling for a drill of my own..... Likely buying a little kubota BX in a few years, just so I can use the bucket instead of throwing my back out. That little guy would drag a 3ft firminator just fine id imagine.
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