Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The technical experts from Capstan were here last Wednesday to make another inspection and test run on the nitrogen delivery system on the 2510H applicator. John and Philip went to the Huey farm and removed the machine from storage there. They had to move the soybean planter, too, and that is a hard one to back into the storage barn. Once the 2510H was here at the main farm, it was more accessible to the Capstan gurus. They used compressed air instead of NH3 for the test, and examined every electrical circuit. They discovered that the folks from Ohio Valley Ag had set up the power supply to the brain boxes in a way that delivered too few volts when operating. They arranged to provide us with a new cable that will deliver adequate voltage to the controls. We wait for its arrival before John returns the 2510H to storage at the Huey farm. It is finally satisfying to understand the ‘why’ of the system’s erratic operation last spring. I think we have found the problem, and we will be able to apply our corn’s nitrogen in 2013 in the precise way we desire. One other consideration is the 2510Hs ‘shallow placement’ of the nitrogen, which in this unusually dry spring, brought some unforeseen problems to the early development stages of the sprouting corn. Now that we are more aware of this placement, we can adjust our use of this applicator if and when another dry spring arrives. It will be ideal in a spring with average rainfall, or for sidedressing growing corn.
The WIN Energy fellows spent the day yesterday here ‘cleaning up’ their work of installing new power poles and wires to the farm. They rolled up the old wires and pulled the old poles and removed all evidence that the previous system was here. Now, we can mow the lane and around the farmstead with no danger of getting tangled into their old wires.
And mowing will be appropriate this week. The grass is very slowly getting some green color to it. I saw a report recently where in Indianapolis some homeowners and businesses were having their brown lawns ‘painted’ green to improve the appearance… rather than choosing to irrigate, they turned to painting to achieve their desired green grass!
There are a few more places to mow roadsides.
Russell Lashley, our new farm electrical contractor, is here today to work on the power supply and controls to the skyway conveyor.
High 90s are predicted for this afternoon. I’ll have to find an indoor or tractor-cab task for then!
