Deep-furrow wheat drill meeting set for December 1

Wheat growers, agricultural industry personnel, and scientists will meet December 1 to discuss the next stages in the design of new deep-furrow drill prototypes.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Wheat Foundation Building in Ritzville, located at 109 E. First Avenue.

According to Bill Schillinger, Washington State University professor and meeting organizer, deep-furrow drills currently used by wheat growers are not able to pass through heavy residue, which limits the adoption of conservation tillage in the wheat-fallow region. “Six deep-furrow drill prototype configurations have been developed by WSU, the McGregor Company, and Blake Strohmaier. These prototypes, which are designed to pass through and maintain high quantities of surface residue, were evaluated in replicated field experiments in 2011,” he said.

An overview of each drill prototype’s performance and summary of 2011 field data will be provided to start the meeting, followed by brief presentations by the fabricators on tentative plans for modifications. “There were several lessons learned during this first year of experiments,” Schillinger said.

Participants will be divided into focus groups to discuss ground-engaging aspects of the next stage of prototype modifications to facilitate residue clearance. The meeting is free and open to the public.