New Planter Plants In Cultivable 15 In. Rows

New Planter Plants In Cultivable 15 In. Rows PLANTING EQUIPMENT Planters 2-1-15 You asked for it! A planter that plants soybeans and other crops in narrow rows you can cultivate. It's finally on the market, compliments of Burch Inc., Evansville, Ind. "So far as we know, it's the first and only 15 in. row system for soybeans", says Jerry Johnson, Paxton, Ill., Burch sales representative who worked with dealers and farmers to develop the tailor-made soybean planter and companion cultivator. Johnson points out that conventional Burch twin-row planter units, which have been on the market for over 20 years, have become very popular with soybean growers who rely solely on chemical weed control and plant the crop in 7 to 10 in. rows. This is the standard spacing for Burch twin-row planting units. For soybeans, the usual practice has been to gang these twin-row units side by side on a toolbar to plant up to 30 rows spaced 7 to 10 in. apart, with a row on each side skipped to make room for tractor wheels. For corn, individual twin row units are spaced 30, 38 or 40 in. apart to fit standard row crop headers. "Many soybean growers feel they can't depend on chemicals alone for weed control and are reluctant to plant in 7 to 10 in. rows they can't get in to cultivate. To solve the problem, we retooled the standard Burch twin-row planter unit to get 15 in. spacing between each pair of rows," Johnson told FARM SHOW. The "retooled" Burch twin row planter units are mounted side by side on a toolbar which Burch also makes. "We can equip the toolbar for. planting and cultivating up to 30 15-in. rows, with a skipped row on each side for the tractor wheels." Specially designed shovels and shields allow the 15 in. rows to be cultivated at high speed - up to 7 or 8 mph. The special leveler-shields, designed to level the ground and to close the deep shovel furrows with dry soil left on top to minimize evaporation of soil moisture from below, are distributed by John Neece, Gardner, Ill. Cost of Burch twin-row planter units "retooled" for 15 in. spacing is right around $400 per row (standard units with 7 to 10 in. spacing sell for • about $50 less) including the toolbar, but not including the cultivator shanks and shovels. Farmers who already own standard Burch twin-row planting units can buy an "adapter kit" to equip them for 15 in. spacing. Here, according to Burch, are advantages the company feels its newly engineered planting system for narrow row soybeans has over grain drills: • "Our new system provides uniform spacing of soybeans in the row whereas a grain drill bunches seed within the row." • "Grain drills don't give as uniform planting depth over variable soil types as you get with a conventional planter. Research has shown a 10 to 50% yield advantage for high quality, vigorous seeds. At proper seeding rates, a drill will damage a higher percentage of the seed than will a conventional planter, resulting in poorer germination, uneven plant spacing and reduced yields." For more details on the new system for planting soybeans and other crops in "cultivable" 15 in. rows, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Johnson, Box 82, Paxton, Ill. 60955 (ph.217 379-4155); or Burch Inc., 7701 U.S. Highway 41 North, Evansville, Ind. 47711 (ph. 812 867-2442).

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