How agriculture works thread

[ArlyA]

Vast majorly of "big" farms are not monocropping and are family operations. Since most people here have compact tractors or smaller ones, I thought some might like to see how most food crops is grown.

 

[sixdogs]

Any interest in this thread??

Yes, absolutely. Great thread to keep going with pics and vids.

 

[ArlyA]

My family mainly grow black sunflowers, various wheat's, soybeans, corn and other things. I listed them most to least. Combining black sunflowers is interesting since they like to catch your machine on fire.

 

[sixdogs]

Here's where the cotton in your clothes, sheets, shirts and a zillion other things comes from. Off of Youtube...

 

[jjp8182]

What's also interesting to see is the differences across different parts of the country and even in different regions - not just crop types, but how similar types of crops are grown.

It took me a while to notice but at least some farmers in N. Alabama plant corn on (what looks to be) 12"-15" rows vs the 28"-30" rows used in other parts of the country.

Tillage practices and the conditions that drive them are also interesting observe with the variations across the country.

 

[MoKelly]

Tillage practices and the conditions that drive them are also interesting observe with the variations across the country.

We lease our 80 acres to a local farmer who does 40 acres of beans and 40 acres of feed corn. He alternates the crops each year.

He no tills the beans but has always tilled the corn. This year for the first time will plant the corn no till.

From my observations, no till is a ton less work - but I’m guessing the equipment costs are greater?

MoKelly

 

[ArlyA]

I'm not much of an expert but seems one of my family members said something to the effect. "No till takes lots less tractor fuel and time but more chemicals to control weeds".

 

[ovrszd]

Try this again.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's another of Dale Farms cutting soybeans.

 

[mx1alex]

What's also interesting to see is the differences across different parts of the country and even in different regions - not just crop types, but how similar types of crops are grown.

It took me a while to notice but at least some farmers in N. Alabama plant corn on (what looks to be) 12"-15" rows vs the 28"-30" rows used in other parts of the country.

Tillage practices and the conditions that drive them are also interesting observe with the variations across the country.

I work in ag research and get to travel the country and work with just about any crop you can think of. Coming from MO where it's mainly just corn and beans, it's really interesting to see all the differences.... and the similarities in farming practices around the country.