by Ethan Begle, Technical Service A weed is a plant in an undesirable place. When we are trying to grow a monoculture of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, etc., any other plant in the field is a weed. Whether it’s from birds, wind, or some other mode of transport they find
by Ethan Begle, Technical Service For many farmers, this was the year in which waiting through April for warm, dry weather didn’t equal better conditions in May. It’s another reminder to spread out your planting risk. If you had to plant in less-than-ideal conditions, it was better to plant ahead
by Ethan Begle, Technical Service If you have more than ½” of up and down movement in your seed boot when measured against the blade, then its best to tighten that back up (1/8” play is the goal). You don’t want the seed boots completely stiff, however, as plugging becomes
by Ethan Begle, Technical Service “For every person that says it can’t be done, there’s already someone on the other side of the fence doing it.” The concept of no-till farming has been around for far longer than most growers realize. A quick drive across the countryside reveals that no-till is still
by Ethan Begle, Technical Service The more you can use your seeding equipment the faster it wears out. But that is not a bad thing! You only get one chance to get your seeding done right, and the more you need to replace and inspect your planting equipment, the better
by Ethan Begle, Technical Service As we arrive at the beginning of another year, the same question arises of what needs updated in the machinery fleet. There are dozens of planter attachments that claim to improve planter performance, but it’s easy to over complicate simple operations. In fact, the four steps Exapta has described
by Ethan Begle With the release of the P500 air seeders back in 2013, it appeared, looking at the opener design, that a lot of the downfalls of the JD single disc openers had been improved upon. Now, the drawbacks to this row unit come in after the seed is
by Ethan Begle If you’re done seeding for the year, the best time to check what needs replaced is now before parking it until spring. There are some quick measurements to pull and assess the visual condition of some key components. First measure the blade from the outside edge down to
It’s harvest season once again and we are sharing some reminders in order to better prepare your fields for next year’s planting. No-tilling means that harvest is the last operation to prepare your seedbed for next year. Managing residue with the combine helps to make spring planting go smoother. In previous
This topic continues to be a major issue when no-tilling‚ and with good reason. How do you plant through all of the residues left on the surface? You have the option to move it out of the way, or leverage down pressure, along with sharp blades, to cut through it. As
by Ethan Begle, Sales & Technical Service Representative While the simple act of not tilling the soil is becoming more common, there’s a missing piece that will accelerate the benefits: keeping those soils covered. Living roots have multiple benefits that make the no-till system work much better. The first major hurdle with
By Ethan Begle, Sales & Technical Service Most of the popular seed openers used today are the same concept of using a disc to create a slot for the seed to reach the proper depth. Anyone who has ran or evaluated no-till seeding today realizes that getting a seed to emerge is
Derek is Kansas native who grew up in a 100% no-till farming operation. From an early age the benefits of no-till were made known to Derek by his father and by attending no-till conferences. From there he furthered his passion for soils while at Kansas State University getting his agronomy degree. He has had the experience of working in various roles and sectors of agriculture from sales and consulting to management, which have all been within production agriculture. Derek has also worked in specialty ag markets such as turf and ornamentals.
Sales & Service Representative
Prior to joining Exapta, Bob Pagel was an Agricultural Territory Sales Manager for Ritchie Brothers, serving parts of MN, WI and IA. He continues to support his family farm in SE Minnesota.
Current Product Engineer
He brings hands-on experience in no-till planting equipment, agricultural research, and design engineering. With a background in farming in NE Kansas and an engineering degree, he spent seven years at Kansas State University and three at Landoll Company. He’s passionate about solving engineering challenges and developing durable, user-friendly products.
