This is a DMI experimental subsoiler. Bill Dietrich at DMI made this somewhere
about 1990 or 1991. The outside two are regular
subsoiler shanks with the center pivoting on a hydraulic cylinder. It could go down about 30 to 36 inches deep with
a tip 15 inches wide. It was quite a
piece of equipment. I wish I had it
today. It was literally a one of a
kind.
Sorry for the quality. It's an old photo that been scanned.
Here’s the story behind how it ended up at Prairie Center
for one fall.
Back in the drought of 1988, the home field at Prairie
Center produced 165 bushels per acre on the north end. The south end from the slope at the shed to
the road (about 25 acres or so) produced 35 bushel corn. Traditionally corn directly over field tiles
produce less in the mixed dirt, but in 1988 this corn was considerably
taller. You could tell exactly where
ever tile was laid in the south end of the field along Route 52.
Out of curiosity my Dad, Harold Thorsen, wondered why. So we went out with a backhoe and dug about 4
holes in the field and we learned a lot about the importance of subsoil,
compaction, and the importance of root development. While
the field is covered in uniform black topsoil, the subsoil is vastly
different. Much of the field has a nice
brown subsoil that breaks up easily. It
has a good natural mellow texture with just the right amount of sand silt and
clay.
The south end is something completely different. That subsoil is a blue clay. Yes. Right
below the topsoil it’s a blue clay.
After digging a hole 5 foot deep, you need a pocket knife to break
chunks off chunks of the subsoil off the wall.
It’s unbelievably tight. What we
learned was corn roots will go down 4 feet deep but soil compaction is a key
limiting factor.
After talking to a person who talked to a person who talked
to Bill Dietrich at DMI, this little 3 shank subsoiler was created. Dietrich tried it out everywhere from
Minnesota to Goodfield. Dad ripped that
Rutland soil 30 to 36 inches deep in an attempt to break up that blue
clay. A Deere 8630 was used and he moved
over 30 inches every trip across the south end of the field.
Yes we tore out field tile by doing it. That was known from the start and we retiled
it. I was the guy walking the ditch
behind the tiling machine covering the new tile with a fresh layer of dirt by
hand. Yes, I was a ditch digger once,
and what I saw there really surprised me.
Every 30 inches there was a hole big enough I could stick my entire arm
in it. I could get on my hands and knees
and pull out chunks of blue clay. The triangle
shaped hole wasn’t much bigger than my hand but it was consistent every 30
inches.
A year later we laid more drainage tile. Those holes had closed up. They were about the diameter of a golf ball
but every one of them poured out water as the trench was dug. There was enough backpressure that every one
of them would blow out the dirt that had plugged the hole from the trencher
wheel.
I don’t know how many more years that subsoiler benefited
the soil. While it’s highly unlikely, maybe
that soil is so tight and those holes are deep enough they are still there
today. But more importantly what I
learned from that experience is the importance of having a good soil texture as
deep as possible.
Funny how back in the late 80's and the 90's every governmental "expert" and university guru was preaching the virtues of no-till. A few contrarian farmers didn't drink the kool-aid and went in the opposite direction. Today I bet the number of farmers who practice deep tillage out numbers no-tillers 4 to 1.
To grow corn over 200 bushel, besides seed genetics, and
fertilizer, you need to create as mellow of a soil as you can. After Dad passed away, I made a few mistakes
for the first couple of years, but it didn’t take long to go back to some of
the things he was doing right. One of
them is running the subsoiler over corn stalks and bean stubble and parking the disc.
The theory goes, this year’s bean stubble is going to be
next year’s corn, and corn is king. Corn
is where the profit is made. It’s
typically more profitable than soybeans, so we do everything we can to promote
root growth and running the subsoiler over the bean ground is the first step. After that, we do everything we can to
promote root development. Triple stack
seed is used. A little insecticide is
also used, even on corn beans rotation.
Spring tillage is also reduced to a minimum. Everything is done to give the corn roots the
best chance to grow as deep as possible.
Yeah, maybe this is a little overkill. Maybe too much is spent on seed and maybe the
little extra insecticide isn’t necessary, but I firmly believe the secret to
250 bushel corn versus 175 bushel corn is root development. Yes, I’ve only been doing this since
2008. I am no expert at growing corn,
but I was pretty proud of last year’s 185 bushel yield in the field RICL wants
to cross. For the drought of 2012, that
beat Dad’s best of 165 bushel per acre for part of the field just south of it
during the 1988 drought.
It’s funny. The only
yield my Dad ever spoke about was the 165 bushel and 35 bushel per acre in the
same field from the worst drought he had seen.
2012 had soybeans in that field and we didn’t see a yield change over
the Rutland blue clay subsoil. (FYI, Soils are named like Rutland, Muscatine, Flanagan. When you see the name of a small town in the Midwest, if it's not named after an indian, there is a good chance it's named after a soil.) Proper management
of soil compaction is key.
This year I think that field did 245 bushels for a field average. I’ll know for sure the yield
in about a week when we empty the bins. We
also didn’t see a difference in yield from the north end with the better
subsoil to the blue clay in the south end of the field. As
soon as the harvest was finished, we were asking ourselves what we need to do
different to get reach 265 bushel corn. The key is still root development.
I hope this explains to you transmission folk why farmers treat soil compaction from
the construction of RICL as such a great threat.
We take our corn yields very seriously and we are very protective of the
soil. It’s not just dirt. Greater yields will not be reached without
being protective of our soil's condition.
Root development is also why we need to know about the effects of stray
current. There isn’t much out there
written about it and the effects on plants, and even less about stray current’s
effects on corn specifically. What I can piece together from a couple
different papers on the subject, there is a potential negative
effect with stunted root growth, but at this point there is no definitive proof.
After Stray Current Pollution, yes, there is a concern about
the effects of electrostatic fields on the leaves and pollination. From what has been found on this subject, Clean
Line’s informational paper isn’t very reliable information and it’s a legitimate
concern to ask about electrostatic fields created by 3,500 MW HVDC transmission.
Yes, how Clean Line Energy has steered the
conversation towards stray voltage and electromagnetic fields, issues that
pertain to AC transmission, is disturbing . It speaks
volumes that Clean Line has kept the subject steered towards issues that do not
exist with HVDC. In spite of what self proclaimed environmentalists claim, growing corn at today’s
yields is much more than planting GMO seed and fertilizing the heck out of the
ground. It’s also about protecting the
soil from compaction and guarding against pollutions that will damage the soil
and reduce the yields.
So, Jimmy, you do need to explain how much electrostatic we
can expect in our fields and what kind of stray current levels we will see leaking from a 3,500 MW
HVDC powerline that will deliver the “more power than three times the Hoover
dam”. If it will not be a problem, then will this right of way easment butt up next to the existing pipeline easement?
You know if we don’t get the
information from Clean Line Energy, we will eventually find it. We’ve done it before when we desired to find
the truth about Clean Line Energy and it’s slowly being pieced together. The real masters at growing corn are in
Iowa. I’m just a gardener compared to the farmers in
Iowa.
I see Clean Line Energy has found its analyst. Maybe it’s time Jimmy starts putting out want
ads for an agronomist. Eventually, you’re
going to need it. Growing corn is far
over the heads of Team Clean Line with experts like Hans, the political science
major. ...a political science major...why don't you just bring someone from New York City to talk to us Mayberry folk. You people are so in over your heads with this HVDC powerline.