This idea is used to monitor the drive shaft for each individual planting unit on a Nodet Gougis planter. The grower developed this idea to eliminate row skips, produce more auger per acre and save time checking planter units.
To make the idea a magnet is fastened to the drive shaft on each planter unit. A magnetic reed switch is attached as close as possible to the magnet. As the shaft turns, the magnet passes by the reed switch causing it to close. This causes a light to come on inside the tractor cab. As the shaft turns, the cab lights will blink indicating the unite are working properly. One high brightness LED (light emitting diode) for each row is mounted in a small metal box in the tractor cab. They are wired to corresponding reed switches. A resistor is used to reduce current flow to LED's and increase their longevity.
Cost for 12 reet switches, conductor cables, high brightness LED's and resistors is about $80. About 12 to 15 hours labor was required to assemble the units.
The idea was used on 405 acres in 1985. It prevents skip rows, increases yields and reduces operator stress and fatigue in monitoring planter units. The grower says the idea works on other farm equipment like grain drills too.
| Grower Lynn Brakke RR t1 Wolverton, MN 56594 218/995-2435 |
Agriculturist Jerry Christenson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218/233-1561 |
This idea involves mounting a hydraulic cylinder to the tractor axle and the 3-point hitch arm to eliminate cultivator blight. The need to keep on the row while cultivating aide hills, ditch edges and after heavy rains have ruined guidance grooves stimulated this new idea.
There are two pieces to this idea. One is a bracket that mounts on the tractor axle. The other piece mounts on the outside end of one of the 3 point hitch arms. An 8" hydraulic cylinder is hooked between these two brackets after they are mounted in place. The cylinder is then attached to the tractor hydraulic system and operated from in the tractor cab.
This system moves the cultivator horizontally by pushing on the 3-point arm which allows the operator to stay on the row. The grower comments" it's important to remove the hitch sway blocks so the cultivator can move sideways freely." You must have this attachments pivot point and the tractors 3-point hitch pivot point aligned.
Cost savings are realized through less cultivator blight and less time spent adjusting the cultivator.
The attachment has been used one season to cultivate 1500 acres of sugarbeets. Materials cost about $40.00 and the price of a new cylinder.
Contact the grower or Allan Cattanach for specific materials needed to attach this cultivator system to a JD 4430. You can easily adapt it to any make of tractor.
| Grower Steve Endreson Rural Route Wendell, MN 56590 218/458-2235 |
Agriculturist Jeffrey Loeks Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Wahpeton, ND 58075 701/642-8411 |
This simple device was developed to quickly and easily install beet end gates on trucks. It meets that need and saves sore feet, aching backs, pinched fingers and general frustration as well.
This bracket is made by bending a 1 1/2" x 2" x 20" piece of steel into an "L" shape. The short part of the "L" should equal the thickness of the bar on top of the endgate. The long part of the "L" should equal the width of the bar at the top of the endgate. Then make a simple hinge to attach to the short end of the "L." The completed tool can then be placed on a front end loader and used to move beet endgates.
When the "L" shaped bracket is used to move endgates, it lifts on the pipe cross bar inside the endgate. It is designed to keep endgates in proper relationship to truck boxes when installing them.
This idea has been used for three seasons.in materials and about 1 hour to make.
It cost only a dollar or two.
The grower states it s a better way to move endgates than using loader teeth or chains.
| Grower Craig Hurner Box 91 Glyndon, MN 56547 218/236-6790 |
Agriculturist Emmett Gunderson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218/233-1561 |
This ides originated from the need to cultivate as near to large beets as possible without injuring them.
The leaf lifters are made with two, 1/2" steel rods that are attached to the cultivator. They extend to the ground and are mounted just in front of the cultivator disks. The leaf lifters tuck the beet leaves in just prior to moving through the cultivator disks. The leaves will pass through the disks without injury while a narrow cultivation width is maintained.
These growers say "the leaf lifters work particularly well when beets emerge at different times because close cultivation is possible with both large and small beets present."
The leaf lifters take only a couple of hours to make. The 1/2" rod costs about $8.00 plus some old cultivator clamps and welding rods.
Savings are realized by band spraying large beets to reduce chemical costs with less beet injury. You also get better weed control and more recoverable sugar per acre.
The idea has been used two seasons on about 195 acres.
| Grower Aubrey/Brian Thomas Rt. i1 Moorhead, MN 56560 218/233-4339 |
Agriculturist Emmett Gunderson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218/233-1561 |
The desire to plant beets in less than half the normal time led to construction of this 24 row drill.
The grower combined two (2) John Deere 12-row flex planter beet drills into one. He made rolling courter cone markers instead of deer tongs. Guide cone markers were made by welding 2 disc blades together and bolting two 3/4 inch bearings to each blade. This gives smoother, sharper marks for early band spraying and better more accurate cultivation. This type of marker gives much less side draft on the planter and out-rigger band sprayer tires follow much better.
The bar doesn't fold for transport. A transport frame that folds down wee made using two of the drills main guage wheels. This allows lengthwise travel on roads. The planter can be switched from the transport position to field ready or vice-versa in about 10 minutes.
Two markers were purchased from a local welding shop. Marker lift assists were made from old IHC beet lifter casters and a used JD tool bar. Top bridging uses 2" x 3" rectangular tubing. The front brace uses 3" by 3/8" flat iron.
The large drill presented two main concerns. Travel with a rigid drill through drainage ditches and side draft on the tractor. The grower said" neither problem was any concern at all, the drill worked to near perfection." The rolling guide cones almost completely eliminate side draft.
The idea cost about $2,762 of which $1,272 was for purchase of field markers. This is exclusive of the cost of a second drill. Construction required about 100 hours labor besides planning time.
The idea has been used one season on 572 acres. It saves labor and time and improves timeliness of beet plantings.
| Grower Allan Dregseth Eldred, MN 56523 218/281-2550 |
Agriculturist Mark Christenson American Crystal Sugar Co, Crookston, MN 56716 218/281-1993 |
The need to drive "straight" after very heavy rains washed out guide marks one spring led to this idea.
A steering guide is made of a 4" by 1/2" bolt and a 1/4" rod 6" long.This guide is bolted to the front axle of the tractor. Align the front tractor wheels straight ahead and make a mark on the tie rod under the steering guide. When the mark and steering guide are aligned, you can drive with confidence.
The steering guide especially saves time on turn-arounds because you quickly know when the tractor is aligned with beet rows. The guide also works well with inexperienced tractor drivers or when fungicide spraying or topping beets with a full canopy. The grower says with the wheels straight, the tractor will quickly find the guide marks.
If heavy rains wash out guide marks, this system could save 1 to 5% of the plant population.
The idea has been used for 5 years on 300 acres each year.
Cost of the idea is just a dollar per tractor.
| Grower David Kragnes Rt. 1 Felton, MN 56536 218/236-0857 |
Agriculturist Emmett Gunderson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218/233-1561 |
The need to be able to easily vary the speed of hydraulic motors on harvesters, beet carts and other hydraulic driven equipment gave rise to development of this idea.
The idea uses a simple linkage with control cables attached to the hydraulic valve flow controls in a JD tractor cab. One end of the control cable in the tractor cab is attached to hydraulic control levers. The other cable end is attached to one end of a triangular piece of iron just above the hydraulic controls on the rear of the tractor. This bracket pivots on bolts which enable changing of direction. The other corner of the triangle is attached to a ball and socket linkage. The opposite end of the ball and socket linkage is attached to the existing flow control handle. This handle must be reversed and a hole drilled in it to attach the ball and socket linkage.
The idea has been used for one season on 2,000 crop acres. It coat $75.00 for one control cable per valve, two ball and socket linkage ends, bolts and scrap metal. It takes about 5 hours to assemble.
The grower says this convenient idea can save the coat of buying an electric remote flow control ($700-$1,000 cost) and allows equipment to be operated more effectively.
| Grower Lynn Brakke Rt. 1 Wolverton, MN 56594 218/995-2435 |
Agriculturist Jerry Christenson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218-233-1561 |
A desire to clean up the edges and corners of fields while doing normal spraying stimulated development of this idea.
The first modification is to add a second boom for broadcast spraying.It is used to spray headlands, very weedy areas and field margins. Nozzles are sized to maintain the same tractor speed as the bander as accurate rates are applied. An extra valve is added to the sprayer so the broadcast boom can be activated from the tractor cab. Be sure to mount the boom at the proper height.
The second modification is just an extra tip mounted outside the last row to remove the strip of weeds between the outside beet row and the adjoining crop. A valve in the band sprayer line permits the edger to be turned on by the tractor operator.
This idea has been used for one season on 300 acres. Coat of the additional sprayer line, nozzles and valves is about $175.00.
Coat savings are less hand labor to clean up corners, field edges and severe weed infestations a cultivator didn't eliminate. Better weed control also results in better beet yields.
| Grower David Kragnes Rt. 1 Felton, MN 56536 218-236-0857 |
Agriculturist Emmett Gunderson American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218-233-1561 |
Time and religion lost in unplugging a muddy planter led to this idea. Spring loaded grain drill scrapers were adapted to fit disks of a JD Maximerge planter to clean the inside of disks and prevent plugging. Brackets were made using small pipe and square tubing, then bolted between the existing outside scrapers. The scrapers are regular JD grain drill scrapers.
The idea has been used one season on 1,700 acres of corn, soybeans and sugarbeets. Total cost is about $12.50/row including $5,00 labor.
Savings are realized from less time lost cleaning the planter. Better stands since disks turn and don't slide may increase yields as well.
| Grower DeWayne Ahl Rt. 1, Box 45 Murdock, MN 56271 612-8~75-3436 |
Agriculturist Ren Dahl So. Minnesota Beet Sugar Coop. Renville, MN 56284 612/329-8305 |
Cost of replacing a broken windshield brought about this idea.
A shield of heavy mesh screen is~mounted over the truck cab to keep beets from falling on windshields when the truck stops and the harvester keeps moving. It's attached to the truck box by angle iron and bolts.
The idea has been used one season on 350 acres of beets. It costs about $150.00 for materials and labor to make it.
| Growers Harold Voelz & Fred Nyquist R.R. f1 Danube, MN 56230 612/826-2363 |
Agriculturist LeRoy Sager So. Minnesota Beet Sugar Coop. Renville, MN 56284 612/329-8305 |
This idea keeps duals free of mud and mud off roads and driveways.
A bar is attached to the three point hitch of the tractor. A smaller solid bar that has free lateral movement is attached to it and extends between the duals to clean them.
The idea has been used for three seasons on 1,500 acres of beets. The grower made it for $25.00 from materials on hand.
Cost savings are from less time cleaning tires. An added benefit is that mud free duals don't compress beets between duals into the ground making them more difficult to harvest.
The grower comments "Under muddy conditions, I wouldn't want to get along without it."
| Grower Delwinn Schwittera Rt. 1, Box 21 Clara City, MN 56285 612-847-2160 |
Agriculturist Del Paschka So. Minnesota Beet Sugar Coop. Renville, MN 56284 612/329-8305 |
This idea wee developed because under adverse harvesting conditions there was substantial downtime because the 4310 slip clutch wee not functional causing breakdowns.
The grower attached a second double splined shaft to the opposite end of the right hand main drive on the "4310." This accommodates an additional slip clutch and drive sprocket on the left hand side.
Under particularly muddy conditions with only one slip clutch to drive the grab rolls and primary chain drive the slip clutch had to be torqued to the limit to handle the load. This eliminated the value of the slip clutch, caused equipment damage and down time. By using two slip clutches, one for the grab rolls and one for the primary chain bed the load is split between them. They can be adjusted separately and function properly.
This idea has been used one season on over 1,300 acres of beets. Costa were about $600 for labor and $650 for materials for the idea.
Cost savings are less down time and more efficient harvesting.
The grower says, "this idea made a beet harvester out of my 4310."
| Grower Frank Kasowaki Farms Casselton, ND 58012 701/347-4834 |
Agriculturist Lloyd Staska American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218-233-1561 |
Constantly having to atop to clean mud from the elides and chain bed led to development of this idea.
The grower replaced the primary conveyor chain slides with inexpensive throw away rubber rollers. The grower equipped one of his two 4310' with the rollers. This one never had to stop for cleaning unlike the one with slides, even angled slides. The idea can be adapted to any harvester that has a primary chain bed.
The idea has been used 2 years on one harvester, 3 on another on over 6,500 acres of beets.
Rollers, brackets and bolts coat $48.00 on a 4-row machine, $72.00 on a 6-row machine.
Coat savings are realized from less time required to clean the primary chain bed, thus faster harvests.
| Grower Frank Kasowaki Farma Caaselton, ND 58012 701-347-4834 |
Agriculturist Lloyd Steaka , American Crystal Sugar Co. Moorhead, MN 56560 218t233-15611 |
Need for better lighting in the field at night stimulated development of this idea.
A hydraulic driven generator powered off a tractor's hydraulic system operates two, 300 watt, 120 volt quartz lights. The system is a hydraulic motor and generator off an old beet thinner. It is tied into the tractor hydraulic system by a single acting valve that has a bypass. The valve handle is tied with a rubber strap to the upper 3 point arm, the other has a heavy spring which will pull the 3 point hitch down. To activate the system, you lift the 3 point attachment and open the hydraulic valve.To abut off the system lower the 3 point attachment.
The system generates 2,000 watts at 120 volts. Lights mounted on the top of the tractor face rearward to illuminate trailing equipment, etc.
The system has been used for two seasons on 380 acres of beets per year.Total coats for wire, spare hydraulic parts, quartz lights, a switch and labor were about $220.00.
The grower comments, "the system lights up the whole rear area and then some. Lighting is a big safety factor so the better you can see the safer the working conditions."
Note: The contest committee waa of the opinion this idea was substantially different enough from a previously published finalist idea to merit publishing as a non-finalist this year.
| Grower Wayne K. Erickson R.R. 11 Climax, MN 56523 218-857-3599 |
Agriculturist Mark Christenson American Crystal Sugar Co. Crookston, MN 56716 218-281-1993 |
This idea is an economical and easy way of testing a planter before going to the field to determine the exact planting rate and extent of seed damage by the planter in the planting process.
You can jack up the rear wheel of any garden tractor and the drive wheel of the planter to operate the planter in your farm yard before going to the field. By counting the revolutions per minute of the planter drive wheel and determining the circumference of the drive wheel you can stimulate any planting speed you wish and determine the speed your planters moat accurate at, as well as detecting any seed damage. Your ground speed can very easily be changed by simply speeding up or slowing down the garden tractor.
If the drive wheel of the planter being tested is exposed, you can operate the planter simply by engaging the two drive wheels while in contact with each other. If your planter is a pull type planter with drive wheels boxed in so you cannot engage them directly with the garden tractor drive wheel, a discarded roller chain that has a detachable link that can be taken apart as a belt to go around the tractor wheel and the planter wheel will work. Both have to be jacked up just as they must be by using the direct wheel method to operate the system and collect the seed on a white cloth in a box under each planter unit.
The grower states this is a planter performance testing idea and it works perfectly. By doing a little simple arithmetic you can determine exactly how many seeds each planter unit is dropping in any given distance at any given speed. Then it's possible to determine your optimum ground speed and still do the precise planting job that is so essential.
The idea has been used one year. There is no coat other than a little well spent time, some cloth and a few boxes.
Cost savings can't be positively determined, but accurate planter performance should reduce seed damage, improve stands and ultimately yields.
Contest Committee Note: Be sure to safely block up the garden tractor to avoid an accident while doing the planter check.
| Grower Neil Blume Rt. 1, Box 54 Herman, MN 56248 612/677-2382 |
Agriculturist Jim Coffman Minn-Dak Farmers Coop. Wahpeton, ND 58075 701-642-8411 |
This idea was developed to avoid repeated contact with insecticides and use the applicator system for other uses as well.
A large single tank insecticide applicator was installed on an older planter that did not have insecticide boxes on it. The airflow system with smooth tubes to each row, rate adjustment gates and the distribution system was easily mounted on the old planter.
The system is easily removed from the planter and used for other purposes, such as applying cover crop on a field cultivator.
The idea has been used one season on 173 beet acres. Total cost of the system is about $3,000.
| Grower Paul Pratt R.R. 12, Box 67A Gardner, ND 58036 701-484-5721 or 701/235-3484 |
Agriculturist Mark Steinberger American Crystal Sugar Co. Hillsboro, ND 58045 701/436-5905 |
1985 Sugarbeet Research and Extension Reports, Volume 16, Pages 297-306