Test allows farmers, developers to learn valuable lessons

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

LIND, Wash. -- Growers will consider their next move in December after testing prototypes for a new deep furrow drill.

The drill is important for dryland wheat farmers in the Pacific Northwest, where wind erosion is a major concern. Leaving residue on top of the soil reduces erosion and protects moisture, but farmers are reluctant to use conservation tillage because their drills plug up during planting.

Lind, Wash., farmer Tim Smith says he's using the same drills his father purchased in the 1970s. They've been rebuilt once and need to be rebuilt again, he said.

"I just know there's got to be a better way out there," Smith said.

In September, researchers evaluated six prototypes, designed by Washington State University, the McGregor Co. and Enterprise Machine and Supply. The prototypes planted winter wheat into heavy residue.

The site presented a challenging seeding situation, something existing drills would not have gotten through, said Bill Schillinger, director of the WSU Dryland Research Station in Lind.

Two of the prototypes plugged up during the trial, but four worked well, Schillinger said.

A former research technician at the station, Smith thinks the prototypes represent the first chance to try out a lot of good concepts.

"They learned a few things we thought might be the cat's meow might not be," he said. "I would like for this project to prove some concepts that are an improvement over what we have in our old technology."

It's unlikely large equipment manufacturers would be interested in researching a drill, since it will help less than 1,000 farmers, Schillinger said.

He said the hope is for the private sector to begin building drills based on the research, possibly using a Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. That would reduce costs for manufacturers and growers.

Smith thinks it's likely a local manufacturer might develop a kit to retrofit old drills or build a completely new drill. Or, he said, farmers might take a look at the concepts and adapt them for their drills.

"Knowing how farmers like to save money and do things themselves, I see a lot of guys looking at what we've got and heading to the shop," he said.

Funding for the project originally came from the Columbia Plateau PM10 Project, which was cut by the federal government earlier this year. For experimentation, funding has been divided between the Washington Grain Commission, conservation districts in Benton and Franklin counties and the Washington Wheat Foundation.

Funding is needed for two more years as testing and modifications continue, Schillinger said. The project requires $31,000 per year. He hopes to have enough confidence in a couple of prototypes for manufacturing by the conclusion of the third year.

A meeting will take place at 9 a.m. Dec. 1 at the Washington Wheat Foundation building in Ritzville to discuss the next steps in the project.