Planting potatoes

2019
Also in 2019 we have planted all the coarse seed potatoes again with our Miedema structural

We also exchanged our old Miedema cp42 for a new cp42 equipped with ridging hood with cage rollers These adjustments to the hood have been carried out by The Visser in bladel and ensures that the sides of the back are still firmly pressed by the ridging hood but that the top of the back is nicely loose and loose so that less atomization and water can be absorbed more easily 
In 2019 we also planted with Grimme isobus planting machine. This planter was also equipped with cage rollers and was equipped with 4 independent leg channel drives to allow leg spacing per row. This planter also has section control per row.



2018
In 2018 we were able to plant the potatoes under good conditions. For this we still use our Miedema Structural 4000 and the Miedema Cp 42 planters. During the spring we had a French student who made a nice film of this.
For the IOF2020 project, we also tested a Grimme planter with isobus operation this year. The aim was to set variable via isobus task card.



2017
Spring 2017 was very dry which made for an early planting season. Also in 2017 we planted with 2 leg combinations. The 820 with the Miedema CP 42 and the 828 with the Miedema Structural 4000. This year we transported the seed potatoes to the fields for the first time with our trailers. We have specially equipped these trailers with conveyor belts for filling the planter. At the end of the planting season in May, we got the Grimme GL840 Compacta planter on trial.

We planted 1 plot with this planter as a test field to see if unridden soil would give a higher yield. We have also tried this in previous years with good results, but this year the differences were not clearly visible

2016
After the good experiences with the belt bed planter in 2015, we decided in 2016 to exchange the old belt bed and CP for a new structural 4000 belt bed potter from Miedema This structural is also equipped with a ridging hood that is mounted directly under the planter. We have also adapted this ridging hood to make M ridges to make more space in the back for the potatoes.

The 820 with the cp cup planter also planted this year. All smaller pot sizes were planted by the cup planter so that it did not suffer from the larger tubers

2015
The 2015 season was a late cold spring. We started on April 8 with the 828 and structural string bed machine. This year we fitted this with a ridging hood that is mounted under the planter.

We have also adjusted the ridging hood so that we can make M ridges. These ridges form 2 beds with between rows 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 and shallower in front. This creates more space in the back in which more moisture can be retained and more potatoes can grow. Also this season we have only planted lots together. Now with the cp cup machine next to the structural stringbed planter.

After planting with the structural we continued to plant the rest of the season with the cp42 cup machine. The season went well and we were able to plant all potatoes with our 2 combinations without many problems.

At the end of the planting season, we tried out the Lite Trac van Wijnen machine construction with an AVR 8-row folding plant machine. This planter is specially made by Wijnen to use the Lite Trac not only for spraying and fertilizing, but also for planting potatoes.

After a few minor adjustments, the planting machine functioned well and we planted a small 10 ha with the Lite Trac. {Wines-2} {wines-3} We will certainly continue with the concept next year to see whether this technique also works within our business operations.

2014
The 2014 season was a very early spring. We started on March 22 with the 820 and Miedema cp.
Because the seed potatoes of the 2013 growing season were very coarse, we decided to purchase a used string bed planter this year to be able to plant the top size (everything larger than 50mm) without having to cut it. After years of bad experiences with cutting seed potatoes, we have decided that we no longer cut seed potatoes and because these coarse potatoes cannot be planted with a normal pitcher planter, we have purchased the Miedema structural. We had to look for a machine in the lift for a long time because this was our preference. Legs with the string bed went very well except for a few small details. The biggest problem is that this planter does not have a ridging hood, so everything still has to be earthed in a separate pass.

2014-1} After a week of planting with the string bed planter, all the coarse batches of seed potatoes were planted and we continued with the pitcher planter Miedema cp.

Every now and then we have planted on a plot with 2 machines. We also made a nice film of this.


2013
After the 2012 season, we were able to determine that planting potatoes with broad belts on our sandy soils was not optimal. Both with our leg combination with subsoilers and cultivator and with the much lighter leg combination of the Miedema experience tour, we were able to detect compaction damage in our crops. We have therefore decided to convert the milling-leg combination. This year we had mounted the router in the front and the leg machine as in the back. We have also put both tractors on double pneumatic tires both at the rear and at the front. As a result, we not only have better weight distribution and no compaction of the backs, but also much more traction. We put both the 820 and 828 on dual wheels in the front.
The Fendt 820 is still equipped this year with the Reichhardt autopilot steering system with rtk that can be operated from the Fendt Vario terminal. Where we had determined last year that the cutter's drive no longer costs fuel because this also drove the combination and thereby limited the slip, we could certainly notice a difference in this year. The double pneumatic tires in the front brought so much more traction that it no longer had to be compensated by the cutter and the cutter thus consumes 5 liters of fuel per ha more than without the cutter. So we have not used the router everywhere.
The 828 is equipped with a Trimble autopilot and the planter is also equipped with the Miedema hmi terminal with integrated GPS
We also made a video of this combination which can be seen below.

At the end of the season, we replaced the ridging hood for cage rollers in order to compare them to the ridging hood.
We have planted several parcels half with the normal ridging hood and the other half with the cage rollers to measure the difference during cultivation and in yield.
We also planted several plots with 2 machines this year, which resulted in very nice photos. Below you can see the 828 which is filling.
Both machines combination works with the same task card to plant the test field. The GPS lines and the spray paths are also the same for both combinations. We also did a test to fertilize our logo in the potato field as you can see on the hmi terminal.
More nice pictures of legs with 2 machines. On this top view you can see the double culture wheels and the planter from above.

2012
This season we have purchased 2 new planters from Miedema with HMI GPS planting Comfort.
The planters are the same as the old machines but are equipped with electric activators and the row stop and shift system. This ensures that the planting elements can not only be controlled by GPS, but that they can also apply a variable output per row (11% more). We also chose to use 1 plant combination to see whether we could work with broad belts and a cultivator on our soils.

We also performed both leg combinations with a hose pump to be able to apply liquid fertilizer in the row.

The combination with the Fendt 828 on wide tires can take 2000 liters of liquid fertilizer in the front linkage.

The HMI GPS planting Comfort software ensures that the leg elements are switched on and off for less overlap and that the row stops and shift function can be switched off when planting the spray paths and the rows next to the spray paths.

The combination on narrow tires also has a 600 liter tank mounted on the front cultivator.

We also tested a drawn Miedema planter this year. The Miedema Xperience tour. We then planted Miranda's on a 10 ha plot. The New Fendt 720 was equipped with the Fendt auto guide rtk steering system. The planter was identical to our new cp 42 with a compact cutter, only in a drawn version.

The combination was not too bad compared to the worn version that I have in the lift. The Fendt 720 did not have any difficulty in planting at a speed of 7 km per hour. The fuel consumption of the tractor leg combination was at the same level as my own leg combination, this fluctuated around 17 liters / per ha (30 liters per hour).

Here below the video of the Xperience tour


2011
In 2011 we did the first test with GPS-controlled legs from Miedema.
This software that is installed on the hmi ensures that the leg elements are switched on and off at the right time. First, the outside of the field is broken in. Then you can start in the middle of the field and the software ensures that the planter turns on and off in the right place. Elements are also switched off 1 by 1.



2010
2010 was a late-year in terms of planting. We started 12 days later than usual.

Also this year, the 2 Miedema cp 42 machines performed well again. We also drove a lot this season with the RTK control of the tractor. This year we did not use our own base station that is on the company, but the Belgian Flepos RTK network, which is free to use in Belgium (and within reach also a bit in the Netherlands).

Driving contours (curves) with RTK steering was further improved so that the curves became smoother and did not consist of small square pieces.

The precision of the Flepos system in combination with the Reichhardt Ultra Guidance PSR system was very good. When planting, there was on average no 2 cm deviation.

The leg combination was a bit light if we filled the bin well (2200 kg !!). The new antenna and roof support of the GPS system can be changed very quickly between tractors because everything is integrated in the antenna. (the mobile modem is incorporated in the receiver)

This season we made a movie again


2009
In 2009 we decided to purchase two new CP planting machines. The demo had gone so well that it seemed the logical step to us. This season we also planted with RTK steering from Reichhardt.

In the video below you get an impression of the season.

This GPS control made it possible to drive with two tractors on a field. This has an advantage, especially on the larger plots.

The leg work has also been greatly improved by this GPS control. As we can see in the photos below, the backs are straight, which means less damage during harvesting. The available surface area can also be optimally used in this way.

Due to the automatic control, more attention can also be paid to the planter operation. As a result, the leg work is also performed much better.

In the video below you can see how we work with 2 machines at the same time.

Because we only have one machine equipped with RTK GPS control. The second leg machine is equipped with sensor control. This combination can maintain the leg distance with the same precision as RTK control. He does this by precisely measuring the previous rows of sensors and adapting the controls accordingly. This also makes it possible to follow very curved ridges.

You can see the operation of the sensors in the video below.


2008
In 2008 we planted again with the two Hassia SL + machines.

Halfway through the season we also tested the new Hassia CP. This machine has been developed especially to increase capacity and precision. The good things of the SL + have remained, such as a solid frame, large bunker capacity, good ridging hood and self-cleaning cups by means of a brush. The disadvantages of the SL + have been improved such as picking up and depositing potatoes, furrow markers, miss control, tramline control and shaking floors.

We planted about 70 ha with the machine without any problems. The capacity and precision are much better than with the old SL + machines. All in all we were very satisfied with the machine and we were disappointed that we had to miss it again after a week.

In the video below you can see the new CP in action.


2007
Also in 2007 we planted again with a Hassia planting machine. We have improved this machine together with the factory and renamed it the + version.

We planted with a Fendt 820 Vario. This tractor has more horsepower than the Fendt 716 we used last year. The planting also went fantastic this year.

Due to minor changes to the machine with regard to choke, software, suspension, granulate spreader and furrow extractors, we have been able to achieve even greater capacity. The good spring and the heavier tractor have also played a role in this.

We have also made a short video of the new machine below.


In the spring of 2007 we achieved a capacity of one hectare per running engine hour of the tractor. This equates to an average capacity of one ha/hour in the field. Consumption averaged 15.6 liters per ha.


2006
In 2006 we tested the new Miedema planter with ridging hood for the first time. We opted for this machine because it is the only tiller that has a 2500 kg bunker so far. The machine is fully hydraulically driven so that the leg distance can be infinitely adjusted from the tractor cabin. In the photos below you get a good idea of ​​the operation of the machine.

Loading the bunker can no longer be done directly from the tipper because the bunker of the planter cannot sink deep enough through the ridging hood. To solve this, we mounted a conveyor belt on the tippers that can be operated with the help of the planter.

Loading the seed potatoes is done at our company with the Manitou telehandler and a special box tipper from Wifo. This tipper tilts forward under the telehandler's boom.

2005
In 2005 we tried a string bed planter from Miedema. This was equipped with a ridging hood. Planting with this machine went well, only the concept of the machine did not work for our plots. Because it was a towed machine, we first had to turn off the headlands. This takes a lot of time because we have to plant many small plots.

After trying this machine we went to look at the worn version of this machine. The machine was also equipped with ridging hoods. It was a planting machine with a row distance of 90 cm. The machine weighed over four tons with a full bunker. Therefore, the grower also had to put a John Deere 7920 for this machine. Unfortunately, the machine was not available with a row spacing of 75 cm.


2003
In 2003 we also tested a Miedema string bed planter. This planter was a towed machine with a three-ton bunker. The major advantages of this machine include the high capacity (10 km / h) and the ability to plant all sizes without breaking the germs. The planter was filled with a telehandler.

You can also view this combination in the video below.

From 2003, plowing was started with a Netagco Speedridger. The ridging happens just before the turnout. We use a Fendt 716 for ridging. In this way we can work at 1600 rpm at 7 km per hour.


2000
Potatoes are planted with a Fendt 716 and a Grimme four-row potato planter. In 2003 we switched from culture wheels on twin wheels to wide low-pressure tires. This is to improve the soil structure and to achieve better driving comfort and lower maintenance costs. The combination first makes a fine seedbed with the front cultivator (also front weight). Then comes the planting machine that plants the potatoes. The planting speed is between four and ten km per hour, depending on the fields and the pot size.

The filling of the planter is still done directly under the tipper as you can see in the photos below.

In the spring of 2003 we also tried the new Grimme ridger. This has been improved compared to the previous model. Pressure can now also be applied to the ridging hood using a spring system. They also have longer stainless steel speed caps fitted. These changes can increase the driving speed. The speed we can achieve with the Speedridger is not achievable with the new Grimme. This is mainly due to the pressure system of the Speedricher and the hood, which are independently suspended per row and follow the bottom.


1994
After planting, the ridges were built up with a ridging plow. In this way, the young weeds were removed and the basic fertilization was plowed into the back. The first ridgerwe had was a Baselier. Then came a Gruse ridger with cover plates. In 1994 we bought this Grimme ridger together with the planter.


History
The planting of potatoes on our farm has always been done with a 4-row cup planter. The first machine was a Grusse planter. Later in 1994 it became a Grimme because it had taken over Gruse. The tractor for the planter was always equipped with twin wheels so that the heavyweight of a full bunker was divided over four wheels instead of two wheels. In this way, the soil was not compacted.
{history}
In the video below you can see the Fendt 512 with the Grimme planter in action.