Air March 6, 2002

Thank you Mark, and good morning everyone. Mother Nature just has to keep reminding us that it is still winter. At least with these March storms, we usually get pretty fast recovery and the temperatures are a lot better today than they were even Monday morning. And of course the forecasts for the end of the week range from thunderstorms to snow showers - go figure! Next Friday, March 15th, there will be a sprayer and planter calibration clinic in Riley county, northwest of Leonardville. Their will be a cheap lunch at noon and the program immediately following. Call me to register and to obtain directions.

Even though it’s only the first week of March, we’re going to be in full swing with field work before we know it. We have seen some interesting changes in what constitutes field work in recent years and it has made some changes in how we use our tractors. Some recent studies have shown, however, that most farmers do not keep their tractors in as good of shape as they think and it may therefore be costing as much as 20% to 30% more to get the field work done than it should. If something major happens to your tractor, you generally know it. If all of a sudden the tractor only has half the power that it did yesterday, then you will probably notice it. But how about a 5 or 10 or even 15 percent drop in power? I’ll bet most of us wouldn’t even notice that. And then you start adding in a little more slip than is recommended from the tires and all of a sudden those tractor operations costs per acre start to creep up and nibble away at that little bit of profit you have. So while we still have a few weeks before we are in it up to our ears, why not take some time to sit down with that tractor manual, you do know where you put that don’t you, and make sure you are getting the most out of your tractor that you can. Make sure air and fuel filters are being replaced as often as they should. Granted, new filters may seem expensive, but spread that cost out over the acres you farm and then compare that to lost effeciency. They are cheap, really. Talk with your tire manufacturer representative to see if you are using the right pressure in your tires. In random K-State tests of tires on farm tractors, les then 1 in 4 were within 2 pounds of their recommended pressure. Take a little time to pay attention to the little details or the little details will eat you alive!

This is Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent, with Ag Outlook 2002.

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