CANFA Comment

A bus trip, sponsored by the Murrumbidgee CMA and Caring For Our Country was all that we expected it to be and more. The only disappointment was that we only had 12 on the bus! With its main intention to look at disc planting technology, it started from Dubbo on Sunday 22 July 2012 and ended 9 days later. We made various stops along the way, including Michael Pfitzner’s Rankin Springs property (in which Roberto Peiretti was particularly impressed) with his NDF planter, the CANFA and Vic No-Till /First National No-Till Conferences and dinners (including another entertaining evening with guest speaker Neville Brady), David Cook at Shepparton with his Baker Cross Slot planter, Bruce McCague at Rochester with his new Excel planter and Simplicity airseeder, Evan Lewis at Werneth, Scott Blurton at Streatham with his John Deere single disc seeder, George and Barbara Burdett at Wickcliffe, Craig and Jamie Jordan at Murtoa with their Daybreak disc planter, Rob Ruwoldt at Murtoa with his Grizzly disc planter, Craig Keofford at Whitton with his Semeato TDNG double disc planter, Richie Lees at Barellan with his Ultisow disc seeder, Al Payne at Yalgogrin and Grant Byrne at Peak Hill. Various other stops of interest were made along the way including manufacturing facilities of both Goldacres in Ballarat and Gason at Ararat looking at their range of impressive products, the junction of the Darling and Murray rivers at Lock 10, Wentworth and a quick look at Ian Linklater’s farm at Gol Gol (who is using tractor exhaust injection technology).

CANFA wishes to especially thank all those that hosted us along the trip, and Alf, our Langley’s bus driver, for getting us safely there and back!

CANFA was recently sent a Youtube link showing the Cross Slot in action. The email gave the following details:

On 10 July, Kevin Larson, Willow City, North Dakota (USA) seeded a cover crop into standing yellow sweet clover residue. The sweet clover had been sprayed three days before seeding. Seeding rates (per acre) were:
Tank #1- 40lbs millet; 1lb yellow sweet clover; 2lbs pea innoculant

• Tank #2 - 40 lbs spring wheat
• Tank #3 - 50lbs yellow peas