Oisin O'Murchu, Author at Wearparts

Coping with drought: How farmers can adapt to a drier climate

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

Much of America’s Midwest is currently experiencing a prolonged dry spell, with below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures resulting in worsening drought conditions.

According to the USDA’s drought monitor as of mid-June, parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Texas were experiencing severe drought conditions with over 50% of the country’s corn and soybean crop currently growing in drought areas.

Even some storms with heavy rainfall have failed to make much difference in the driest places, which begs the question – is drought going to be a regular feature of US farming in the future? How bad could it get? And what can farmers do to mitigate against dry conditions?

Let’s take a look at farming in drought conditions – how to maximize soil moisture, what the options are for irrigation, and what the future of farming might look like as a result of ongoing climate conditions.

What can farmers do about drought?

There’s nothing a farmer can do to make it rain – but there are many steps farmers can take to address the problem of low precipitation. These include measures like artificial irrigation, soil enhancement, erosion prevention and careful crop selection. It’s worth noting that in extreme drought conditions, finding enough water to irrigate crops can be a challenge. Let’s take a look at some of the measures in more detail.

What are the main methods of soil irrigation?

There are lots of different methods of providing water to dry soil during a drought using irrigation systems. Some systems – such as overhead sprinkler systems – are high cost and high-tech, and most often used for specialized crops with low drought tolerance. Other methods are more cost effective and easier to apply across large acreages, like some of these tried and trusted methods:

Surface irrigation

Surface irrigation methods are some of the most traditional and involve simply flooding water onto the surface of the soil and allowing it to absorb. Methods include furrow irrigation and border irrigation, where water is diverted into soil ‘troughs’ so it can’t run off before being absorbed. Surface irrigation is low tech so it can be used on very large acreages, but it requires a lot of water, and doesn’t deliver targeted irrigation to the plant.

Center pivot irrigation

Center pivot irrigation is used for large farms because it can cover big areas efficiently. A sprinkler system is mounted on wheeled towers which roll in a circular pattern around a central ‘pivot’, which is the water source. Plants are then irrigated by the overhead sprinklers. These systems have led to the emergence of circular crop fields all over America, although they can be adapted for rectangular fields.

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation is when a farmer runs a network of pipes or tubes through a field. The pipes have holes that drip feed water close to where the emerging plants are. This system is relatively low tech and low cost, and delivers targeted moisture directly to the plant so it uses less water. However, it may not be practical to use across very large areas.

Micro sprinkler

Like drip irrigation, micro sprinkler irrigation involves the use of a pipe network but instead of dripping out of holes in the pipe, the water is delivered through a series of small sprinkler attachments. These provide a very fine spray of water that is precisely targeted to the plant, making them very water efficient – but not very cost-effective across large acreages.

Sub-surface irrigation

Sub-surface irrigation is similar to drip irrigation except that the pipes for delivering the water are buried underground. This has some big advantages in that the moisture is delivered directly to the roots of the plant, and also because evaporation is kept to a minimum because the water is applied below the surface. It’s not very high-tech, but can be disruptive to install and requires careful monitoring to ensure soil does not become waterlogged. Care must also be taken not to disturb or damage the pipes during future planting cycles.

What are the alternatives to soil irrigation?

Artificial soil irrigation methods aren’t always very practical in modern day crop farming. The vast acreages involved make watering plants via a network of sprinklers or pipes very expensive.

Instead, farmers must look for ways to preserve the moisture that’s already in the soil so that plants have the best possible chance of survival, even when it doesn’t rain for long periods.

How can farmers conserve soil moisture?

In order to retain moisture in the soil, it’s important to preserve both the structure and the content of that soil. The more organic matter soil contains, the better it is at absorbing and retaining moisture. Undisturbed soil has its own structure – a complex network of channels that allow moisture and nutrients to be moved around and stored. Preserving the soil in the best possible condition is the key to preventing moisture loss. Here’s a look at some ways farmers can optimise soil condition:

No-till systems

In no-till systems, the soil is not plowed or turned over, so its natural structure is preserved. This means that all the tiny pores and channels in the soil that are used to store water remain intact, and can be accessed by the roots of young plants.

Cover cropping

The pressures of modern farming have led to the ‘supersizing’ of the industry – it’s more economical to farm vast swathes of land using huge 100ft machines that can do more work in a single pass. But these practices have meant the loss of natural hedgerows, woodlands and other windbreaks that are not only important for biodiversity, but also for moisture conservation. A field surrounded by tall trees has its own microclimate – natural shade slows the evaporation of moisture, while tree canopies stop the wind from carrying away moist air.

Selecting crops for dry climates

One of the best things farmers can do to mitigate for drought conditions is grow crops that are naturally adapted to dry conditions. These types of crops will require less irrigation and be less vulnerable to pests and disease.

Crops that cope well with dry conditions typically have deep roots that allow them to access moisture locked away in lower soil levels. Science has led to the development of new varieties of staple crops like corn and soya that are better adapted to drought conditions. But there are many crops that are naturally able to cope with dry soils, and many believe we should be looking into these as a more sustainable food source for the future.

These crops include cowpeas (black eyed peas), sorghum, alfalfa and groundnuts.

What to do if you are concerned about drought

There isn’t anything farmers can do that will prevent a drought or make it rain. But there are things you can do to be better prepared, and to sustain their farms through prolonged dry periods.

Farmers don’t need reminding to keep their eye on the weather forecast – but it’s also worth keeping your finger on the pulse of the USDA drought monitoring system. You can register to submit data from your own farm that helps meteorologists understand precipitation and drought patterns better. It’s hoped this information will allow farmers to predict when future droughts will occur and act accordingly.

Make sure you are aware of any available government support and compensation programs relevant to drought. You may be able to access financial support for irrigation systems, or claim against losses of livestock and/or crops due to excessively dry weather.

Work with your fellow farmers. In many drought-prone states, farmers have formed water-sharing collectives or made arrangements with neighboring farms to share water resources. Remember, a little water can make a big difference – collaborating with others can optimize water allocation and reduce individual risks.

Looking to the future

If you’re considering switching your farming system to a conservation or no-till method to conserve water, Wearparts can help. We offer a wide range of replacement tillage and planting parts developed specifically for no-till systems, that can help you work the soil efficiently without damaging its natural structures. Get in touch to find out more.

Agricultural Bearing Hubs: What they are and why they matter

Posted on April 12, 2023December 25, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

In crop farming, there will always be the need for tillage in one form or another, and disc blades have long been regarded as the most efficient tool for the task – in fact the disc harrow as we know it today was first invented way back in the 1880s.

Rotating circular blades create less resistance when moving through rocky or heavy soils, which maximizes efficiency – and wherever there’s a rotating blade, you’ll usually find a bearing hub.

But what exactly are agricultural bearing hubs? What function do they perform? What should you look out for when choosing bearing hubs for your disc harrow or cultivator? Let’s take a look at some of the engineering behind agricultural bearing hubs, and how they can impact on machinery performance.

What is an agricultural bearing hub?

An agricultural hub or bearing hub is an assembly of parts that allows a rotating blade or other ground-engaging component to be attached individually to a machine such as a harrow.

Agricultural bearing hubs are made up of two main parts – a rolling bearing, and a bearing housing.

A rolling bearing is composed of two concentric, grooved metal rings called races. Within the groove between the two races is a series of ball bearings or rollers. The ball bearings allow the races to roll clockwise or counter-clockwise around each other with a minimal amount of friction.

Most bearings are mounted in a housing that enables them to be fitted onto a piece of machinery. There are lots of different types of bearing housing, for example pillow block bearings, flanged bearings, tapered bearings and more.

In an agri hub assembly, the bearing is housed in a circular hub with bolt holes that allow the complete assembly to be securely attached to the center of a disc blade for a high-speed disc harrow, a planter or other piece of machinery.

What do agricultural bearing hubs do?

As we’ve already explained, bearing hub units are used for any machine that has rotating blades mounted on individual shafts as opposed to ‘gangs’ of blades, which are mounted in groups on a shared axle.

Bearing hubs allow the moving parts to turn freely, reducing friction and minimizing wear on the parts themselves. They absorb the load of the machinery itself, and the drag as the blades move through the soil. This protects non-replaceable components from the long term effects of vibration, axial and radial forces, and even impacts with obstacles in the field, such as rocks.

Bearings also serve to distribute loads more evenly so that components like disc blades can achieve consistent contact with the soil, and wear down evenly. The result is that blades need replacing less often, and the overall lifespan of expensive machinery is extended.

Maintenance of agricultural bearing hubs

Maintaining your agricultural bearing hubs is important for overall machine performance.

Worn bearings can result in uneven blade-to-soil contact, which in turn affects soil aeration and seed germination. If your bearings are worn, your blades won’t turn freely, which increases drag – this results in more wear and tear on your disc harrow or planter, and will also increase your fuel costs.

Signs of worn bearing hubs include:

A grinding noise when the blade turns
Excessive vibrations when the machine is operating
Heating up or discoloration of the bearing housing
Oil or grease leaking from the housing
Contaminants accumulating in the bearing housing

Key features of agricultural bearing hubs

In agricultural operations, bearing hubs have to withstand a unique set of challenges.

Bearing hubs that are not specifically designed for agricultural machinery are unlikely to deliver the durability required. This can result in frequent breakdowns and costly downtime for the farmer, as well as potential long-term damage to equipment.

Load capacity and speed

Agricultural bearings are exposed to extreme, often variable radial and axial loads.

This can be from the weight of the equipment, from collisions with rocks and debris in the field, from the force of the cutting blades, or from the gears of the machine itself.

These loads act on the bearing for long periods and across large areas, sometimes thousands of acres. If the bearings don’t perform consistently, the blades can’t do their job properly, resulting in inconsistent results.

Speed is an important consideration when choosing the right bearing hubs for your application. For example, a high-speed disc harrow will put a lot more strain on its bearings, compared to a lower speed machine.

Contamination resistance

Another key challenge for agricultural bearing hubs is contamination. Farm machinery operates in difficult conditions with a lot of contamination in the form of water, soil, seeds and even corrosive substances like pesticides and fertilizers.

If these contaminants are able to get inside the bearing hub, they can damage the smooth action of the bearing, or even cause it to seize up.

For this reason, agricultural bearing hubs should be designed with an effective system to seal the housing against contamination, keeping dirt out while sealing the lubricant in for long-term performance. As mentioned above, if you see grease leaking from your bearing housing, or if it’s gathering debris, it may be time to replace.

Ease of maintenance

That brings us to a final point – ease of maintenance. Most agricultural bearing hubs are designed to be maintenance-free. Because they are sealed to prevent contamination, you can’t normally lubricate them yourself – they should simply be replaced when they become worn.

Removing a bearing hub is a relatively simple task – simply loosen the bolts that attach the hub to the disc. If the bolts have seized over time, you may need to carefully grind them off.

Wearparts bearing hubs

At Wearparts, we offer a range of agricultural bearing hubs to fit various brands of farm machinery. We’ve searched the globe for the finest engineering and most carefully considered hub designs, to ensure our customers get the efficient performance and long wear life they expect from Wearparts.

Our bearing hubs offer key features including induction hardened flanges and cast housings for enhanced durability. We’re also the exclusive distributor of FKL bearing hubs in the United States.

Based in Serbia, FKL has been manufacturing high-performance bearing hubs since the 1960s and has a specific product development program for agriculture. Their Agro Point hub assemblies offer best-in-class performance for farming operations, including their unique ‘dirtblock’ system for contamination.

FKL’s dirtblock seal is high-durability solution created for heavy-duty applications in harsh environmental and operating conditions. It ensures that grease is always in contact with the rolling element and bearing raceway, while also preventing mud penetration and dissipating the heat produced during operation.

Wearparts bearing hubs (including FKL hubs) come in various diameters, with 4 and 5-hole bolt patterns to fit a wide range of OEM branded machinery, including Degelman, Vaderstad, Horsch, Norwood, John Deere, Amazone, Kuhn, Poettinger, Lemken and more.

To find out more, get in touch – or click to find your nearest Wearparts dealer today.

Anatomy of Wearparts seed opener blades

Posted on March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

Investing in precision seed opener blades is probably one of the best things you can do to ensure successful germination and high yields from your 2023/4 crops.

Quality seed openers will open a clean, v-shaped furrow, working in tandem with gauge wheels to ensure minimal soil displacement for excellent seed-to-soil contact, minimizing the risk of air pockets that can lead to seed failures and losses due to disease.

Seed opener blades might look more or less the same, but they’re not all created equal. Wearparts seed openers are created in partnership with the renowned manufacturer Forges de Niaux in France, and have evolved in response to real feedback gathered from real farmers. This means that our seed openers have some unique features and advantages that can give you the edge.

Every seed opener blade assembly is effectively made up of the same component parts. On a row unit, there are two blades with beveled edges – these can be notched or smooth. Each blade has a central assembly or housing that contains the bearing – this allows the blade to turn. The bearing is pressed into the housing and then secured to the blade with a series of rivets. The blade is then bolted to the frame of the planter. Blades are mounted in pairs and angled so that they are touching right at the point of deepest contact in the soil. This creates a precise, v-shaped furrow. A seed then drops down into the furrow via the seed tube, which is positioned just behind the seed opener blades.

Key features of a seed opener

The seed opener has one job: to create the perfect furrow conditions for seed germination. This means it needs to cut through any surface trash, penetrating to the ideal depth and ensuring the furrow is clean, ready to receive the seed before being closed over again.

For this reason, there are three key features of any seed opener – precision, sharpness and durability.

Precision

Precision is important during the manufacturing of the blade, both in terms of the flatness of the profile and the attachment of the bearing hub/housing. If the steel is in any way warped, or if the housing is not absolutely centered, the blade will not run true. This will result in unacceptable levels of ‘wobble’ in the blade when it runs on your planter. The resulting furrow will be uneven in width, and may be unstable. The blade will wear unevenly around the circumference, which will result in irregular furrow depth. We test all our seed opener assemblies in-house to some of the tightest runout tolerances in the industry.

Sharpness

The sharpness of a seed opener blade is vital for ensuring the blade can cut through surface trash and achieve the optimal depth for seed placement. It’s also important where dry soil conditions are prevalent, in order to minimise the amount of downward force necessary for the blades to penetrate the soil. This reduces drag and fuel consumption costs. It’s also important that blades stay sharp as they wear down, so that the shape of the furrow stays consistent right up until the point where the blades have to be changed. The length and angle of the bevel on the blade can impact on how well a blade wears down.

Durability

Durability and sharpness or hardness are closely linked. A harder edge on a blade will naturally be more durable; it will wear down more slowly and withstand hard or rocky soil for longer, which means less downtime spent changing blades and ultimately, a lower cost per acre. The overall durability of a seed opener blade also has an agronomic impact – a more durable blade is less likely to break or crack and can cope better with tough ground conditions so again, you spend more time planting and less time changing out damaged blades.

How are Wearparts seed openers different?

Wearparts seed opener blades have some subtle difference from the standard blade specification. These have been developed in direct response to what farmers told us they wanted in a seed opener blade, and designed to increase efficiency in the field.

You’ll notice that images of our blades or indeed sample products at your local dealership have a distinct ‘pie slice’ illustration on the face of the blade, which hints at one of the biggest differences – the fact that our blades are heat treated to achieve a harder spec on the edge. We also offer a longer bevel, plus a larger bearing and rivets. Let’s take a look at the key benefits of each:

Heat treated boron steel

The heat treatment process on our boron steel seed opener blades has the effect of creating variable hardness in different areas of the blade. Our blades have three zones of hardness as indicated by the ‘pie slice’ decals we apply to our sample products.

During the hardening process, extreme heat is applied to the outer edge of the boron steel blade. This causes structural changes in the carbon structures within the steel. The hardest zone is indicated by the red section of our pie slice, which is rated 55-58 HRC on the Rockwell scale and has been designed specifically to offer a longer wear life on the ground-engaging portion of the blade.

The middle part of the blade naturally also heats up during this process, but the temperatures reached are slightly lower. This zone is highlighted in orange, and is harder than non-treated steel, but still retains a degree of flexibility (50-55 HRC).

The inner zone closest to the hub is highlighted in blue. This zone does not reach high enough temperatures during the hardening process for those structural carbon changes to take place, so this area of the blade remains in its natural, flexible state (49-50 HRC). This is important because while the cutting edge is exposed to wear from the soil, the center of the blade is exposed to the highest levels of stress from the weight of the machinery and the drag of the soil, making the zone closest to the hub more prone to breakage. Retaining the flexibility here reduces this risk.

Larger bearing and rivets

Because the hub of the blade is where the greatest force is concentrated within the seed opener assembly, we’ve developed a larger hub with larger, stronger rivets. This spreads the force over a larger surface area, reducing the risk of breakage.

We use high-quality PEER bearings for our seed openers, with the option of a split or solid inner race.

Longer bevel

The bevel is the graduation of the blade edge from its full thickness (usually 3-4mm) to the actual cutting edge. The length of the bevel on a 15-inch blade is usually somewhere around a half inch and typically, by the time the bevel is worn halfway down, the blade has become too blunt to penetrate the soil. Our longer bevel means the blade stays sharp right up until the point where it needs to be changed and is able to maintain appropriate contact with its neighbouring blade, so you get more acres out of every pair.

To find out more about our market-leading seed opener blades, get in touch – or better still, visit your local Wearparts dealer, where you can see the difference for yourself! Find your nearest dealer here.

You ain’t seen nuttin’: Peanut blades to maximize yields

Posted on March 8, 2023December 25, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

Peanut season is well underway for farmers in the southeast, with record high yields forecast in a number of states and prices remaining favorable, hinting at a bumper crop for many producers – especially those that have invested in quality equipment to help maximize their harvest.

Groundnuts need warm weather conditions to mature, and coupled with the drought conditions commonly found across peanut-growing regions of the US, this often results in challenging soil conditions come harvest time.

In optimal conditions, a digger proceeds along the rows of peanut plants driving a horizontal blade four to six inches under the soil to loosen the plant and cut the taproot before shaking and inverting for drying.

But dry, hard soil pushes peanut diggers to the limit, making it harder for blades to cut at the required depth. If the taproot isn’t severed, roots will be dragged along by the digger and pods dislodged, resulting in digging losses. Of course, hard ground dulls blades faster, increasing the chance of losses and resulting in significant downtime caused by the need to change blades frequently in the field.

So how can Wearparts peanut blades help farmers to get more peanuts into storage, and faster?

The answer is simple: superior sharpness and a longer wearlife that makes short work of hard, dry ground.

Our aftermarket peanut blades are manufactured from boron steel for additional strength and a longer wear life, and are compatible with commonly-used peanut digging machinery including KMC and Amadas machines.

While it’s common to assume that OEM parts are always better quality, testing shows that Wearparts peanut blades are superior to their OEM equivalent, with 10% more material contributing to a lower risk of breakage and more acreage covered between blade changes.

What’s more, Wearparts offers in-house hardfacing services that further extend the wearlife of our peanut blades.

We hardface using the CMT (cold metal transfer) process, which produces a lot less heat than conventional welding processes. As a result, CMT welding does not dilute the base metal or affect its strength, brittleness or integrity in any way. The CMT process ensures consistent metal deposition from the beginning to the end of the process, which means better edge retention (blades stay sharper) and a more even wear pattern over time.

How much longer do Wearparts peanut blades last?

It’s impossible to give an average acreage per blade since conditions vary widely from state to state – and sometimes within a single farm or field. However, our own field tests indicate that farmers using Wearparts peanut blades can typically expect to get 25-30% additional wearlife compared to the equivalent OEM blades.

That means less time spend under the peanut digger changing blades, and more time spent digging rows for an optimal harvest when the time is exactly right – as it is right now, across America’s southwest.

Wearparts peanut blades are in stock and available now from dealers across the US peanut growing regions, and we offer expedited shipping for dealers needing to get stock in fast to meet the demands of this year’s harvest.

To find out more, or to enquire about becoming a Wearparts dealer, get in touch!

Fertilizer Knife 101

Posted on February 8, 2023December 25, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

Growing food crops is the most nutrient-intensive of all farming practices, requiring optimal soil conditions in order to achieve the high yields farmers need to make their businesses profitable.

Before the invention of man-made fertilizers, farmers used natural methods – such as crop rotation, rotational grazing and manure spreading – to return nutrients to the soil. But as the intensity of crop farming has increased, farmers have become more and more reliant on man-made fertilizers in order to stay competitive.

Conservation tillage represents an effort to limit that reliance by incorporating some of those traditional, natural soil conditioning methods into a modern-day commercial farming model. By leaving crop residues in place and not disturbing the soil too much, natural microbial activity can restore some goodness. But it’s not enough on its own, and so farmers have had to seek out methods of soil conditioning that align with their desire to preserve the soil structure as much as possible – hence the invention of fertilizer knives!

What is a fertilizer knife?

A fertilizer knife is a non-rotary tool that is used to inject in a dry, liquid or anhydrous (vapor) fertilizer into the field. There are many different types of fertilizer knives available, offering the farmer many options in terms of depth, soil disturbance and cost per acre. These include front and back-swept styles, central and side application models, and profile/tip variations. Choosing the correct knife for your farm depends on soil type, the toolbar being used, the planned crop and its nutrient needs, the type of fertilizer being applied and the level of moisture in the soil.

Why use fertilizer knives?

Fertilizer knives are the preferred method for fertilizer application for many different reasons. By putting the fertilizer directly into the ground, you avoid issues with runoff on sloped sites, dilution due to rainfall, or evaporation of liquid product into the air. Fertilizer applied to the soil surface takes time to penetrate to the depth where it can be effectively used by germinating seeds and later, crop roots – but applying the fertilizer at depth ensures these nutrients are immediately available to the young plants.

Using fertilizer knives also creates optimal conditions for seed germination by breaking and lifting the compaction layer without turning over the soil surface.

How are fertilizer knives used?

Fertilizer knives can be fitted to a toolbar or cultivator in either a bolt-on or auto-locking format. The farmer can have a cultivator with the same number of shanks at the same spacing as his planter or an odd number of rows depending on the application. Even rows mean that the fertilized furrows will eventually align with the seeding furrows during planting season for optimal results. The tip of the fertilizer knife penetrates the soil and the foot then fractures and lifts the compacted layer to create an aerated furrow. A tube to the rear of the knife shank delivers fertilizer into the furrow, and then a wedge-shaped closing mechanism that catches the edge of the furrow and closes the soil over.

Which knife is used for which fertilizer type?

Besides what fits your specific machine and soil type, you’ll need to select the right knife for the type of fertilizer you want to apply. Anhydrous ammonia (NH3) for example, needs to be applied deeper than other fertilizers because of its hazardous nature – you don’t want it escaping into the air, so you need a knife that penetrates to a depth of 8 or more inches. A narrower tube also ensures more accurate and safe application.

For liquid fertilizer, application is at a similar depth, but a wider tube will be required. For dry fertilizer, an even wider tube is needed but a shallower depth is optimal – a backswept knife may be preferable if soil conditions allow. Knives may also be equipped with two different tubes for simultaneous application of more than one fertilizer type, or for the addition of fungicidal and insecticidal treatments.

Wearparts Fertilizer Knives

We carry fertilizer knives to fit all types of applications, with alternatives to almost every branded blade on the market including Wako, Wiese and more.

We offer tube sizes of 3/8” OD & ½” OD, thick walled tubes for increased life; chrome tubes available on most knife models. Dual tube knives also available. Foot profiles of the narrow 3/8” wide to a mole style knife with a 1-7/8” wide foot piece are available. Optional chrome inserts are available on almost every knife for longer life and durability. Sealers are also available. Our NPD department is currently in the process of developing knives for anhydrous and backswept specifications – stay tuned for details on these and more product innovations coming soon at Wearparts!

As with all our products, you can expect high quality manufacturing and a durable, fit-for-purpose product at a competitive price. We currently have excellent stock levels, with immediate shipping available on many of our fertilizer knives. To find out more or to inquire about becoming a dealer, get in touch!

**we have all coulter options available for fertilizer knife systems as well**

Fertilizer applicator outfitted with Wearparts fertilizer knives and coulter blades

Farm stress and mental health in the holidays

Posted on February 7, 2023December 25, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – but what if it isn’t?

Farmers are at the centre of everything our nation holds dear about the festive season. The snowy countryside scenes, the cosy farmhouse kitchens, the mountains of delicious, home-cooked produce.

But the reality of Christmas on the farm can be a whole lot bleaker than the nostalgic, greetings-card image we’re all familiar with.

Falling right in the middle of winter, on the eve of taxation season, the festive season brings with it a unique set of practical and financial challenges for farmers.

Long, dark days and cold temperatures can make outdoor work seem more arduous than usual. Bad weather can cause problems with machinery and equipment, while livestock are more prone to sickness during the winter months. Bills rise as the farm’s energy demands increase, and incomes are stretched thin by the cost of buying gifts and hosting family gatherings.

By the very nature of their job, farmers tend to suffer more from social isolation than people who work in ‘normal’ jobs. Add to this the usual tensions – the family fall-outs, the empty chair around the dinner table – and it’s no wonder that farmers are more prone to stress and mental health problems, especially during the festive season.

Farmers are in crisis

Research shows that farmers in the US are at greater risk of suicide than any other occupation, with a rate 1.5 times the average. This frightening statistic has prompted a movement to do more about mental health among farming communities – we’ve linked to some organizations that can help at the bottom of this blog.

As part of those communities, there are things we can all do to try and ease the burden on our farming colleagues and their families over the festive season, and all year round. There are also some important self-help steps farmers can take to look after their mental health. Here are some tips and ideas to try:

1. Reach out to your farmer friends

Social isolation is a major contributing factor in farm stress and poor mental health among farmers. Farm workers are perceived as ‘gruff and tough’, able to work without rest or complaint all year round – but this is a harmful stereotype that can prevent struggling farmers from reaching out for help. While the physical work of farming means you might not see your farming buddies very often, technology means it’s easier than ever to check in. Talking about the challenges you’re facing doesn’t just lighten the load for you – it encourages others to voice their concerns and stresses too. So drop the tough guy act and send a message, pick up the phone – or better still, grab a beer and a chance to talk as often as you can.

2. Prioritise downtime

When it comes to hard work, farmers have nothing to learn. Working from sun up to sun down in all weathers, and turning your hand to any task just comes with the territory. But one thing farmers are terrible at is taking time off – and yet this is crucial for mental wellbeing.

Of course, we’re not suggesting a week in the Florida Keys. Farm work is relentless and hiring help is expensive. But recognizing that downtime is a vital investment in your health, your family and ultimately, the security of your business, is an important first step. Try to ringfence times in the week when you are ‘off’, and don’t tackle jobs during these times unless absolutely necessary. Make time to have dinner with the family. Prepare in advance of the festive season so that work can take a back seat on key dates. And don’t be afraid to ask for help – family and friends will be happy to pitch in if it means getting to spend quality time with you on special family days.

3. Get support with finances

Farmers are some of the best bookkeepers around. You’re undoubtedly accustomed to managing finances, keeping on top of bills and taxes and planning ahead for rainy days. You’re probably also intensely private about your farm finances and reluctant to ask for help if money is becoming a source of stress.

But a problem shared is a problem halved – and in the current financial climate, there’s no shame in admitting that you need some extra help. There are many professional organizations out there who are trained to help with complex financial issues including farm financial analysis, tax and succession planning, debt analysis and credit mediation. These organizations can help you come up with a plan to maximize profitability, manage credit/debt and spread the cost of overheads more efficiently. Speaking to a professional can go a long way towards easing the mental load, helping you to sleep easy at night.

4. You are what you eat

Mental wellbeing and physical health go hand in hand. Taking care of your body is one of the most powerful things you can do to stay resilient in the face of mental challenges. It goes without saying that you get enough exercise and spend plenty of time outdoors – but factors like diet could be impacting on your health.

Eating well for a farmer means getting plenty of nutrient dense food, rich in the protein your body needs to sustain activity for long periods of time. Lean meat and low-fat dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables and a good amount of pulses and legumes are a great basis. Staying hydrated throughout the day is important even in winter – and watch your alcohol consumption. Drinking to relax or to be able to sleep is common among farmers but carries risks for your mental and physical health.

5. Get enough sleep

Burnout culture in farming is a thing just as it is in many other office-based professions. But there are no prizes for running on the least amount of sleep – and in fact, not getting enough puts you at significant risk of accident and injury as well as depression. Most adults need 7-8 hours sleep per night on average to function well cognitively and emotionally during the day. If you find yourself forgetting things, feeling ‘foggy’ or experiencing low mood, lack of sleep could be the cause. Good sleep hygiene is vital for getting enough shuteye – allowing time to wind down before bed, avoiding too much screen time in the evenings, reducing your caffeine intake and avoiding alcohol can all help you to get a better quality sleep.

Don’t suffer in silence

If you or someone you know is in crisis, it’s important to reach out for professional support. Don’t suffer in silence – here are some helpline numbers:

Farm Aid Hotline, 800-FARM-AID (327-6243) Monday-Friday 9-5pm ET
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800-273-TALK (8255) 24/7
MidWest AgriStress Helpline, call or text 833-897-2474, 24/7

Get the most from your planter this season

Posted on February 2, 2023December 25, 2023 by Oisin O'Murchu

Planting season is just around the corner which means just about every crop farmer in the US right now will be thinking about how they can mitigate for the unknown and secure a good yield.

The truth is, you can’t predict what the weather or the market is going to do in 2023 – but there ARE things you can control, and that starts with the fundamentals of successful seed planting and germination.

Ensuring your planter is in the best condition, and selecting the right ground engaging components for your crop and soil type, are two steps every farmer can take to increase the chances of success this growing season – especially in no-till systems, where soil conditions can have a big impact on the performance of your planter.

Although digital technology has a big part to play in managing the performance of machinery these days, there’s no substitute for a hands-on approach to maintaining and adjusting your setup for the best possible results. Let’s take a look at some essential planter maintenance tasks you should be performing in advance of the planting season, and the details you should be paying attention to as the season gets underway.

General planter maintenance

Just like you wouldn’t set off on a long drive without checking your car for things like oil, water and tire pressure or treads, you’d be crazy to bring your planter out of a year-long storage and head straight to the field.

Pre-season, it’s vital to give your planter a complete once-over, checking for broken or worn components and ensuring that all moving parts are well lubricated. Key things to check include the bearings and mechanisms on row cleaners, and the bushings on the parallel arm linkage. Move the row unit up and down and side to side manually, to check if there’s too much movement that could cause inconsistent depth or seed spacing, and replace any worn parts.

You should also check for wear on the bottom of your seed tubes. Sometimes the disc opener comes into contact with the bottom of the seed tube, causing wear. This can result in inconsistent seed spacing or worst case, in seeds not being able to drop out of the seed tube at all.

Disc opener 101

Seed disc openers are arguably the most vital component of any planter because they are responsible for opening the furrow that will be the seed’s home for the next 8+ months. However, your disc openers don’t work in isolation – they rely on the frame weight of the planter itself to push them into the soil, and on the gauge and press wheels to ensure the correct depth, soil contact and eventual closure of the furrow.

Assessing soil conditions and physically checking the correct contact on your disc openers with the soil it VITAL – it’s not uncommon in dry conditions to see a planter riding up on the disc opener blades instead of on the gauge wheels, resulting in a furrow that is too shallow for the seed to access the correct moisture and nutrient levels for germination and strong growth.

Downward spring pressure may need to be increased in drier surface soil for adequate soil contact and to help bring moisture up to the seed. Pressure should be decreased after rainfall to avoid compacting soil around the seed.

Choosing the right blade

As for the seed opener itself, there are some important steps to consider when selecting a blade, and adjusting it for optimal performance on your machine.

Choosing the correct blade thickness is key for efficient planting and reduced cost per acre. Seed disc openers are generally available from 3 to 4.5mm thick, and farmers will differ in their opinion according to which is optimal. Since seed openers work in pairs, thicker blades will require more downward force to penetrate the soil. Thinner blades penetrate more easily, but lack rigidity and can be prone to warping or breaking.

Most farmers will agree that a thicker blade with a longer bevel delivers optimal performance in terms of precision and wear life. A shorter bevel – especially on a thicker blade – will result in the blades becoming blunt more quickly, which increases downtime and cost per acre. Worn beveled edges on seed opener discs also tend to let soil and residue into the furrow, which can impact on germination and ultimately on yield. A longer bevel increases wear life and ensures that blades stay sharper for longer.

Why choose Wearparts seed openers?

Wearparts seed opener blades have been developed in response to feedback from farmers about what they need from a seed opener, and have a number of unique features. They’re heat treated, which results in three zones of hardness – harder close to the cutting edge, and softer near the hub. This allows for greater flexibility, which facilitates better furrow closure and reduced chance of breakage. Our blades also have a larger hub, and a longer bevel for increased wear life. We test all of our seed opener assemblies in-house, and our tolerances are tighter than anything else on the market – which means we can guarantee that Wearparts seed opener assemblies will always run true.

Adjusting your Wearparts seed openers

The final thing to make sure of is that your seed disc openers are properly adjusted. Seed disc blades are designed to touch at the point of contact with the soil. In this moment, the two blades act as one to give a precise, V-shaped furrow with a clean bottom. If the blades do not touch, they’ll create a ‘W’ shaped furrow with potential to leave an air pocket around the seed when the trench is closed.

The blades should touch consistently along a certain amount of their circumference – this varies according to blade thickness, but typically 1.5-2 inches is optimal. You can check the contact distance by placing two business cards into the gap between the blades – one in front, and one in back. Push them down until they stick in the contact zone, then measure the distance between the two cards – check out this video for a how-to.

Don’t forget that even if your blades are straight and true, with sharp edges and a good contact zone, they will still wear down over time. Once a blade has lost a half inch in diameter, it’s time to replace it.

To find out more about Wearparts seed openers or to access support with planter problems, get in touch with our expert team.

1-888-4-BLADES (425-2337)

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