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.  We do this with our fleet of 3 trucks and trailers.  Our larger semi-truck hauls our 12 row planter and tractor in the spring, and our larger combines in the fall.   The other 2 small truck and trailer combinations haul smaller equipment around like sprayers, small plot planters and small plot combines.

Planters

For yield trials and nursery we dedicate a planter for each crop. We have two 8 row w/ 30 inch spacing precision Almaco Seedpro planters for corn, a 12 row w/22 inch spacing cone type planter for soybeans, and a 6 row w/7.5 inch spacing cone type drill for cereals. All plots are planted using Trimble GPS systems.

To plant soybean breeder plots an 8 row w/30 inch spacing commercial planter is used and an International 5100 21 run grain drill is used for winter wheat breeder plots.

Sprayers

We use 3 sprayers mainly for Herbicide, Insecticide and Fungicide applications in the 4 main crops.

Combines

We currently have 8 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.

3 New Holland twin plot combines, 2 TR88s, and a TR89.  All are split combines, they are capable to harvest 2 – two row plots at once.   All combines are equipped with Harvest Master high capacity grain gauge systems.  These data systems have the capability to harvest short research plots or longer strip trials.  Soybean and corn trials are harvested with these machines recording plot weight, moisture, test weight and any agronomic notes from the cab.

2 Almaco SPC 40’s.  These are single plot combines, one equipped with a GMO grain grinder for regulated trials.  The SPC40’s are mainly used for seed purity trials that 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.