Trucks and Trailers
For us to test and provide our services in all maturity zones in Ontario and Quebec we need to transport our equipment around to all our service locations from Windsor to north of Montreal. Our semi-truck hauls our planters and tractors in the spring, our larger combines in the fall, as well as our smaller equipment (small plot combines, small plot planters, and sprayers).
Planters
For yield trials and nursery we dedicate a planter for each crop. We have two 8 row Almaco Seedpro precision planters with 30 inch spacing for corn, a 12 row cone type planter with 22 inch spacing for soybeans, and a 6 row cone type drill with 7.5 inch spacing for cereals. All plots are planted using Trimble GPS systems.
Drone
We currently use 1 drone to collect stand count numbers in corn yield trials and other agronomic observations.
Photos are taken with a drone, stitched together, separated into plots, and then are run through software to achieve accurate stand count numbers.
We also use our drone to get in season field footage and to make any other observations.
Sprayers
We use 4 sprayers mainly for Herbicide, Insecticide and Fungicide applications in the 4 main crops.
We also use 2 ATV sprayers for plot alleyway cleanup and spot spraying.
Combines
We currently have 7 combines we use in our research locations.
For soybean and wheat breeder plots we use 3 John Deere 4420 combines, retro fitted with air assist lines plumbed through the combine to assist in combine cleanout. A hydraulic platform is mounted on the right side of the combine, the grain is collected into black hard covered totes, eliminating the need to clean out the holding bin or unload auger.
1 Oxbo 9840 twin plot combine. This is a split combine, which is capable of harvesting 2 plots at once (3 row soybean plots or 2 row corn plots) or 1 plot (4 row corn plots). It is used to harvest soybeans, corn, and cereals. The combine is equipped with a Harvest Master H3 grain gauge system with SciO NIR cup technology. The SciO NIR cup technology provides accurate Oil & Protein readings directly on the combine at harvest which reduces the need to collect seed samples and wait for lab processing times. This data system has the capability to harvest short research plots or longer strip trials. Plot weight, moisture, test weight, oil & protein, and any agronomic notes can be recorded from the cab. This combine folds and slides in for legal load transporting.
1 New Holland twin plot combine, a TR88. This is also a split combine, which is capable of harvesting 2 plots at once (3 row soybean plots or 2 row corn plots) or 1 plot (4 row corn plots). The combine is equipped with a Harvest Master high capacity grain gauge system. This data system has the capability to harvest short research plots or longer strip trials. Soybean and corn trials can be harvested with this machine, all while recording plot weight, moisture, test weight and any agronomic notes from the cab.
2 Almaco SPC 40’s. These are single plot combines. One is equipped with a GMO grain grinder for destruction of regulated trials/seed. The SPC40’s are mainly used for seed purity trials where harvested seed is kept for the next generation of production. We use these combines for soybean and cereal trials. Both machines are equipped with Almaco seed spector data collection systems recording plot weight, moisture, test weight and any agronomic notes from the cab.
Silage Harvester
1 John Deere Silage harvester that allows us to collect data on corn silage plots from the cab (including StarchNIRO, NDF, CP, and DM). This data is recorded with a RCI Silage weigh system and John Deere NIR Harvest Lab.
