With prices high and fields wet, North Dakota farmer uses two-tractor solution to plant wheat

REYNOLDS, N.D. — Larry Linneman has used a second tractor to drag a tractor pulling an air seeder prior to now, but it surely’s often to tow somebody via a tricky spot.

“We’ve achieved it just a little earlier than on facet hills,” Linneman mentioned. “However we needed to do it on 500 acres this yr to get it seeded.”

Among the neighbors watched in amazement and one seed gross sales skilled took some video.

Linneman, 46, farms about and 4 employed males farm about 8,400 acres. Of that, about 2,500 acres are of dry edible beans, 2,000 are of wheat, 1,400 are of corn, 1,300 are of sugarbeets, and 1,200 are of soybeans.

The Linneman crew employed the twin tractors on three wheat parcels, ending June 6, 2022, about three weeks later than fascinating.

“It was time to get the crop in,” he mentioned.

The strain to plant wheat was — despite soil situations — as a result of the co-op had fertilized for wheat final October, at sturdy costs. Linneman additionally needed to stick with the three-year sugarbeet rotation.

“It’s finest to place beets on (final yr’s) wheat floor,” he mentioned. The transfer is primarily to interrupt illness cycles.

The bottom was an inch of dry soil on the highest and “mush beneath, “ he mentioned. “We needed to put two tractors on,” Linneman mentioned.

The Linneman crew had tried seeding wheat per week or two previous to their final end, however to no avail. The soil then had “grayed-off” — a attribute grey crust — often indicating it was match for seeding.

“Then we bought two inches of rain and we bought it ‘grayed-off’ once more,” he mentioned. “However each drain or low space the seeder would sink in a foot or extra, and the cart behind the air drill would sink even deeper.”

The drive-by video confirmed Linneman’s John Deere 8245 and a John Deere 8360 front-wheel help.

“I don’t know anyone else tried it,” he mentioned, noting that some farmers selected to “PP,” or use the prevented planting provision of their crop insurance coverage.

“I’ve by no means planted this a lot wheat, this late,” Linneman mentioned. Fertilizer costs have been $500 a ton final July, and went as much as $1,000, and now had come down about $650 to 700.

“You’ve bought the expense within the floor,” Linneman mentioned. “You wish to use it up as a result of the nitrogen will ‘leach’ away. You gotta use it up or lose it.”

Linneman thinks the schedule for spraying crops is sure to be “jumbled up” or at the very least compressed.

“You’re going to take the identical quantity of labor and now we’re going to have one month much less time to do all of it — shorter rising season and completely different phases of planting. You’ve bought some wheat that’s out of the bottom and two weeks a few of it must be sprayed, and a few of it simply bought seeded,” he mentioned.

Linneman has “replanted” as late as June 23, in previous years, after hailstorms, for instance “However this would be the newest to place the vast majority of the crop in in June,” he mentioned.

“Often the wheat don’t like the warmth,” he mentioned. “It’s going to be fascinating to see the way it seems.”

Linneman is optimistic the soybeans nonetheless can mature earlier than the traditional fall frost dates.

The farm began this yr’s planting with wheat and sugarbeets however took a break in wheat seeding on Might 7. They planted beets via late Might. Final yr’s edible bean floor was moist and difficult to get via. Linneman favored how the sugarbeet stand appeared on June 10, fed by a collection of small rains.

Corn went into the bottom considerably late — proper as much as the insurance coverage planting deadline, on Might 25 or 26, relying on the situation. Linneman mentioned this might portend a late harvest. Arduous to say.

Linneman completed edible beans on June 9, 2022 — pintos, navy beans and pinks. Sturdy costs inspired him and others. Soy planting ended June 10, 2022, with the final of the rock-rolling coming as rain began. It was a reduction, he acknowledged.

“Everybody desires to get the crop in,” he mentioned. “Get it achieved with and transfer on.”