The Cross slot vs 750a trial

[mushnt grummmble]

how are you going to do it?(assuming the other party turns up)
3 runs 750 then 3 runs of CS etc across a field to help rule out soil variations

 

[Clive]

how are you going to do it?(assuming the other party turns up)
3 runs 750 then 3 runs of CS etc across a field to help rule out soil variations

as @dontknowanything suggested the best way to replicate plots would be to drill alternate 24m strips up a large field several times over to even out any in field variation

 

[dontknowanything]

We have our heaviest field in a cover crop at the moment, will be grazed by sheep then go into spring barley. Might make for a very interesting trial site, only problem is no RTK on combine

 

[Clive]

We have our heaviest field in a cover crop at the moment, will be grazed by sheep then go into spring barley. Might make for a very interesting trial site, only problem is no RTK on combine

it can be done without rtk I reckon - just run plots with tramline rather than across them ?

 

[York]

mind you the Primewest drill has no fertiliser option, also the other British build "so called" CS have no fertiliser option.
there are other places. like down in Kent, where JD 750 & CS are almost next to each other.
York-Th.

 

[Knockie]

Depending on how the vote goes, they might not be talking to you later on this week

Had forgotten about that....you never know if there's a yes vote I could be looking for a farm over your way
Cheers.
SD.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Hi

sorry it off topic but what is the difference between a 750a and a JD 1890??

Virtually nothing. 750a is European version of an 1890. 750 was the original american design and they changed it a little.

 

[Feldspar]

mind you the Primewest drill has no fertiliser option, also the other British build "so called" CS have no fertiliser option.
there are other places. like down in Kent, where JD 750 & CS are almost next to each other.
York-Th.

@Andy Howard has a 750a and a neighbour with a recently acquired CS IIRC. Go on Andy!

Another point: should the trial be done one long term no-till soils or soils which have have been conventionally cultivated to date?

I think with the amount of money that rides on the outcomes of the trials I would want to see more than one year of trials and with the yield measured properly (like Clive did) rather than vague combine yield maps / meters. Would also like to see a heavy land trial too. I think if there's a serious prospect of a proper trial there would be farmers (count myself in here) who would stump up some cash if meant the trial being done properly. Can you hire Sampo combines?!

I spoke to Primewest a while back and they would not come and do contract work near Cambridge so that may rule out @dontknowanything. If CS themselves would have a demo floating around Europe I'm sure they'd sell a few more.

It's interesting that most of the farms I know don't set aside any of their turnover / profits towards R&D.

 

[Feldspar]

Another consideration is whether the trial field is one with a previous cereal crop with a heavy residue. With the claimed improvements in hair-pining from the CS over the JD, this might show a difference, whereas drilling into bean stubble the effect would not be expected to occur.

 

[Old John]

Big discussion on twitter right now but its getting confusing with so many posts (I'm rubbish at twiter !)

This has to be THE drill trial all serious zero-till farmers want to see under UK conditions, prove once and for all if the CS has advantages over the JD that translate into a positive margin benefit to a farmer..............after all that's what its all about isn't it !

personally I cant help feeling (as i know a few others do) that this trail has never been done for a reason, ie its very high risk for CS but Im happy to be proven wrong and have said before if a financial advantage could be proved to me running a CS over a 750a I would buy one tomorrow


Please lets not turn this into a "which is better debate" as both drills are very capable machines, lets keep it on topic and discuss any potential trail and how it should be carried out, the offer is there from me to run my 750 alongside and I can provide a light / medium land site over a number of years even if its felt 1 season is not enough. ideally IMO there would also be a heavy land site somewhere

If CS are serious about selling these machines in any number they cant just do it on hearsay, prove of advantage over a 750a needs proving to me and many other farmers before we are going to part with any cash

Would it be better to have a trial rather than a trail?

 

[dontknowanything]

Would it be better to have a trial rather than a trail?

I think Clive's autocorrect won't allow him to write "trial", or that's what I've always assumed!

 

[dontknowanything]

Another consideration is whether the trial field is one with a previous cereal crop with a heavy residue. With the claimed improvements in hair-pining from the CS over the JD, this might show a difference, whereas drilling into bean stubble the effect would not be expected to occur.

A variety of situations would of course be most enlightening. Personally I am not confident that this experiment will happen as I do not think a machine will be available. I hope I am wrong.

It's a bit silly really when a group of farmers are talking about paying to arrange a machinery demo isn't it?!

 

[Daniel]

It's interesting that most of the farms I know don't set aside any of their turnover / profits towards R&D.

We do sometimes, it's tax deductible. Hazy on the details but I know our accountant has offset things like wind turbine surveys as R&D.

 

[dontknowanything]

I spoke to Primewest a while back and they would not come and do contract work near Cambridge so that may rule out @dontknowanything.

From Primewest website:

"

Cross Slot Drilling
See the impressive results that can be obtained with the Cross Slot No-tillage Drill. This service is available countrywide.

"

 

[SilliamWhale]

The thing is Primewest are probably time and resource poor so I can understand the difficulty of juggling potential trials.

CrossSlot NZ should be leading the charge and chucking something at it

 

[dontknowanything]

The thing is Primewest are probably time and resource poor so I can understand the difficulty of juggling potential trials.

CrossSlot NZ should be leading the charge and chucking something at it

Agreed. Primewest aren't official importers/dealers as I understand it.

 

[Clive]

Agreed. Primewest aren't official importers/dealers as I understand it.

who is then ? surely promotion of the product should be the responsibility of whoever gets commission on Uk sales ? and surely those potential sales are worthy of a little investment ?

 

[Clive]

It's interesting that most of the farms I know don't set aside any of their turnover / profits towards R&D.

interesting this and maybe worthy of a new thread ? I have done a lot off R&D to improve my business over the last few years, I wonder if I should be claming tax relief ?

 

[Feldspar]

interesting this and maybe worthy of a new thread ? I have done a lot off R&D to improve my business over the last few years, I wonder if I should be claming tax relief ?

Don't think you'll manage to put a CS down as R&D though!!!

 

[Clive]

Don't think you'll manage to put a CS down as R&D though!!!

if you were to pay to have a field drilled to see how it worked on your farm I don't see why that wouldn't be R&D ?