Can't blame them that much when Monsanto said you didn't need PREs with Roundup and resistance would never happen.
2025 field work
- Thread starter BCClone
- Start date
Farmers not correctly using different modes of actions has caused the problem. IMO it is more about the reality that farmers will not go back to row crop cultivation
Yup more organic acres around here. Means a trip across the field every week to 10 days. They have people walking beans and corn. They are spending $300 an acre give or take a few $$ to pickup what they can’t get with cultivating. Plus we are now starting to see dirt pile up in the ditch again.
I have seen complete disasters in organic as far as weeds. And some well managed acres. Not large operations. Manure sources for fertilizer on organic acres may contain lots of weed seed.
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I always hear farmers say that there will be new herbicide traits. I work for R&D at one of these companies and I wouldn’t really count on that. Yes, we’re working on it, but it’s incredibly expensive and hard to make new traits. Payoff for the investment isn’t guaranteed either, especially with the current political environment
Smart cultivators will have a place in the future IMO
Smart cultivators will have a place in the future IMO
I know way to many farmers who kept pushing the easy button, now bemoan when stuff doesn't work. Some really seem to only think short term IMO.
Flat ground and big fields more likely. Ground with slope and hills maybe.not. And better be pattern tiled.
A big tendency to "screw up a free lunch" with a lot of guys for sure.
Free lunch? Like the John Deere dealer that has a combine school for customers and then feeds you at the end. Ernie said thanks for coming, and stick around to eat, you paid for it. Tractors are $1,000,000 and combines are $800,000 plus . I use generic stuff as much as I can it is cheaper. I can’t afford to cut rates because you are pissing on electric fence if you do. Oh well I will fight big Ag till they put me in a box. Disneyland east will screw every chase they get. It will only get worse.
I share your enthusiasm but it has miles to go. And at what price point?
This particular video mentions "within 2 cm of the row" (approx 3/4 inch). If I'm interpreting correctly, that is an unmanaged 1 1/2 inch band with the crop down the middle. Ever see weeds overcome a crack in cement?
The obvious solution would be to spray over the row and use mechanical means between. That has been tried and the conclusion was made that it was more cost effective to spray it all. I have seen video's of berry pickers in which a robot plus photo optics can differentiate between ripe and unripe berries so the technology is their to decide crop or weed but the mechanics to pluck a ripe berry and pull a weed including roots would be another challenge--especially at a rate to cover thousands of acres. Without a preemergent spray, one or two trips across the field may not be sufficient for season long control. Organic farmers in the area are already finding that they are burning their premiums by by sending crews through the fields multiple times to keep weeds to a minimum
yep I'm mostly thinking about veggie production... i don't think its scalable to large rowcrop yet.
No idea the price point. this company is actually doing pre-ipo funding rn at 1.59$/share.
I picture a hive or (herd, john deere pun)... that has a lean to on field. this shed will house high voltage charging and or diesel fuel...
Diesel electric is what im building in my garage currently... just messing around and trying to find a niche for some of my growers. $16/hr per person adds up quickly just to weed.
I used to use non generics. Then I have a couple failures 2 years in a row with pre and the best they would do is cover $6/a (not even what a customer sprayer charges) to fox the failure. I can save more than that if a generic fails and I have to respray
They want to make farming a subscription. They are aiming for more SaaS products. As they figure that out, they will make slightly smaller equipment at an ok price
