Farming

The XtremeAg team will each discuss a problem, solution, big idea, new technology, area of focus, or new methodology they’re implementing this spring. Our industry expert presenter will be Robb Dedman of Ultimate Ag Consulting. As usual, Robb and the XA guys will be accessible for questions, explanations, and deeper dives into the subject matter during this interactive event. Join us for insights and inspiration to make your farm prosper!

Matt installed drain tile from Advanced Drainage Systems this year and he has already seen a lot of the benefits from it just in farming efficiency alone. Today he is in one of his soybean fields with Agronomist Robbo Dedman to talk about a trial that they are conducting with ADS. We all know drain tile can take water out of the field, but can we put water back in the field with it?

Kevin Matthews installed drip irrigation in order to get water on his irregular-shaped fields on his North Carolina farm.Kevin talks about how he uses his Netafim drip system to precision manage the fertility that goes to his crop, and the results he sees in his tissue samples each week.

Tile drainage isn’t really tile — it’s corrugated, perforated, plastic pipe. Maybe you know that or maybe the concept of subsurface farm drainage is new to you. Either way, you should listen to this two-part episode about the benefits and payoffs of tile drainage. Tile drainage is water management and it is good for the environment, your soil, and your bottom line. Lee Lubbers says tile drainage is a triple payoff through appreciation, depreciation, and asset improvement! Lee is joined by Chad Henderson who explains his 90 acre project complete with lift station, and Kevin Matthews who began installing tile on his North Carolina farms 15 years ago. ​

Tile drainage isn’t really tile — it’s corrugated, perforated, plastic pipe. Maybe you know that or maybe the concept of subsurface farm drainage is new to you. Either way, you should listen to this two-part episode about the benefits and payoffs of tile drainage. Tile drainage is water management and it is good for the environment, your soil, and your bottom line. Lee Lubbers says tile drainage is a triple payoff through appreciation, depreciation, and asset improvement! Lee is joined by Chad Henderson who explains his 90 acre project complete with lift station, and Kevin Matthews who began installing tile on his North Carolina farms 15 years ago. ​

Fertilizer and diesel prices are up considerably. Meanwhile farms are under increasing environmental pressure. These forces combine to create a real opportunity for manure utilization via drip irrigation. Drip irrigation, as we’ve discussed in previous episodes, is a more efficient means of delivering moisture to your crop. But drip is also a very effective means of nutrient management which saves time, machinery hours, and diesel all while eliminating the soil compaction common with manure application.

Three years in the making, Kelly talks with Jim Ed Beach from Netafim and Kurt Grimm from Nutradrip about a new system they are working on that will allow hog farmers to utilize the naturally created waste products as fertilizer in a drip system. Based on the same premise that Netafim uses to run dairy cow effluent through drip systems, the system overcomes the barriers that had previously prevented swine effluent from being used in drip applications.

Kelly talks with Netafim's Tim Wolf about how his entire perspective on soil health, nutrients, fertility and biologicals has changed over the last 5 years since first installing drip irrigation on his farm. More than just water, Kelly has used the system to alter PH and improve the soil environment dramatically. The results show in the higher yields he has attained since installing his systems.

Dan has a few spots in his drip field on the end row where the design did not allow for driplines to be installed. In year's like this, the difference is dramatic and there is no question as to the ROI on his Netafim drip investment.