No-Tillers were active this month solving problems dealing with plugging, burned fields and much more.

Plugging Problems

What kind of liquid openers work best? I own a Case IH 900 equipped with Yetter 2995 openers and once used a CAD rear knife but I always had plugging problems. I’ve also tried using injectors with a squeeze pump.

—Galen,

galens@bloomnet.com

I have a Case IH 900 and once had Yetter 2990 coulters with a liquid rear knife. I wanted to convert to injection, but the dealer said it wouldn’t do me any good.

He suggested that I try a side profile knife. So I called the company and their representatives told me that the knife wears out after only about 100 acres. Another disadvantage is that it disturbs too much soil.

I ended up selling the Yetter openers and bought used Kinze single-disc openers with a wiper wheel. The Kinze openers fit perfectly on my Case IH 900, although sometimes they run too close to the mounts. The Kinze openers mount to the main 7-by-7 beam and get pushed from behind. A big plus was that I didn’t have to do any modifications to my no-till planter or the openers.

—Tim

I run an older series of Yetter fertilizer coulters with dry fertilizer. I had trouble with plugging one row once or twice a day during the first year.

I realized that the disc blade can get too small, which doesn’t allow it to run close enough to the knife. I…