Pinch-row Compaction From Tractors And Planters Considering Field Variability - Andrew Klopfenstein, from the 2018 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, March 6 - 7, Ada, OH, USA. More presentations at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZBwPfKdlk4SB63zZy16kyA

1. PINCH ROW COMPACTION CONSIDERING
FIELD VARIABILITY
Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference
March 6, 2018
Andrew Klopfenstein
Senior Research Associate Engineer
Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

2. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Remember these concepts?
http://www.redpowermagazine.com/
http://www.motorstown.com
https://www.farmcollector.com

3. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
http://www.plantcitymarket.com/uploads/1/4/9/
9/14991428/6088580_orig.jpg
Planter History
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/attach
ments/137128d1250066992-40-2-row-corn-
planter-jan1dogs-046-jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4f/41/a9/4f41a9a
4ccba97d3d9b36a70c14521d3.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0vUzrlQlGhE/maxresdefault.j
pg

4. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Machine keep getting bigger
and bigger…

5. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Trend in Ballasted Equipment Weight
https://elmersmfg.com http://www.horsch.com
http://hagie.comhttp://www.thecombineforum.com

6. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Fixed-Frame 500 hp Tractor
http://farmindustrynews.comhttp://www.used-fendt-tractors.com

7. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
How big is too big?
http://www.bauerbuiltmfg.com/db-series-planters.html

8. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Trend in Ballasted Tractor Weight

9. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Right decision…
Wrong decision…
Your decision on field operations / practices:

10. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
NDVI Image
Early July Corn
Identifying Man / Machine-made vs.
Natural variability

11. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Surface vs. Sub-Surface Compaction
Source: Hakaansson and Reeder (1994) and Duiker (2004).

12. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
What is pinch row compaction?
http://www.agweb.com/assets/1/19/pinch%20rows.bmp?86433

13. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Planter Track Installation
Conversion
• Installed tracks on planter using forklift and four
people
• 2x2 coulters had to be removed to put on inside
tracks b/c pin interference
• Ground drive adapter kit installed for starter
(2016)
Planter Specifications
• 1775 NT 16-row ExactEmerge John Deere
• Martin floating row cleaners
• Factory 2x2 coulters
• Ground drive fertilizer (2016)
• Hyd. drive fertilizer (2017)
• Yetter fertilizer cart

14. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Planter Track Installation

15. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Test Strip Layout
Field 11 ‐ Pinch Row Study
40 ft bar
Passes run E/W starting at North
Swath # Pass Type Note
H1/AB0 Wheeled Not in trial
AB1 Wheeled Not in trial
AB2 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB3 Tracked Extra weight added
AB4 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB5 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB6 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB7 Tracked Extra weight added
AB8 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB9 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB10 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB11 Tracked Extra weight added
AB12 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB13 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB14 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB15 Tracked Extra weight added
AB16 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB17 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB18 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB19 Tracked Extra weight added
AB20 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB21 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB22 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB23 Tracked Extra weight added
AB24 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB25 Tracked 1/2 Load
AB26 Wheeled Extra weight added
AB27 Tracked Extra weight added
AB28 Wheeled 1/2 Load
AB29 Tracked 1/2 Load

16. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Images
Half Load Full Load

17. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Images

18. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Images – End Row Turns
Tires Tracks

19. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Feedback (FSR Observations)
• Tracks - pleased with the operation, minimal soil berming when planting, minimal berming
in end row turns
• Tires - experienced soil berming in worked ground, suspect soil berming and pinch row
compaction might be related, makes field conditions more difficult for future crop operations
(affect seed placement of future crop, i.e. soybeans)
• Tracks - corn emergence in planter tracks did not seem to be affected like past years w/
tires
• Tires - end-rows exhibited some plant loss from compaction/soil displacement
• Tracks - 0.5“ - 0.75" depressions in worked soils
• Tires - 1.0“ - 3.0" depressions in worked soils w/ some berming
• Tracks - smoother ride across rough terrain (end-rows, tillage passes, etc.)
• In transport the tires results in rough ride for uneven roads -- tracks smooth out most rough
spots
• Tracks - cross-track error was less for trailed planter

20. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Images - Tracks

21. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
In-Field Images - Wheels

22. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Pinch Row Compaction - Root Mass
Tracks Tires

23. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
1.8%0.6% 1.2% 1.5% 1.2%
26.5%
42.6%
51.8%
66.5%
98.6% 98.3%
69.8%
54.4% 45.8% 21.2%
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Control Dark Tracks Dark Wheels Dark Control Light Tracks Light Wheels Light
SeedingPopulation
Emergence, Growth Stage, and Population vs Wheels and Tracks By Soil Color
#V5 #V6 #V7 #V8
Planted Population 34,000
33,027
32,096 33,500
31,597
27,037
33,534

24. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2016 Pinch Row Results – Tracks vs. Tires
Light
Soil
Yield
Advantage
Dark
Soil
Yield
Advantage
Whole
Field
Yield
Advantage
Treatment Load
Avg Yield
(bu/ac) (bu/ac)
Avg Yield
(bu/ac) (bu/ac)
Avg Yield
(bu/ac) (bu/ac)
Tires 50% 190.0
10.4
206.0
3.5
196.7
7.4
Tracks 50% 200.4 209.5 204.1
Tires 100% 190.9
6.3
203.2
2.2
196.8
3.9
Tracks 100% 197.2 205.4 200.7
Control 192.9 210.3 200.7

25. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Tracked Tractors
But what about . . . Tracked Planters
Active Wing Downforce

26. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2017 Pinch Row Study

27. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2017 Pinch Row Study

28. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2017 Pinch Row Results – Tracks vs. Tires
194
207 207 207
200
211
209
210
188
210
205
208
197
208
214
210
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
215
220
Low Medium High All
Yield(bu/ac)
Pinch Row Results - Yield Monitor
W-W W-T T-W T-T

29. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Wing Downforce/Weight Transfer
https://www.kinze.com
PROBLEM:
• Bulk fill planters have more
weight in the center of the
planter creating pinch rows
SOLUTION:
• Hydraulic weight transfer distributes the
weight of the bulk fill planter across the tool
bar
• Reduces the weight on the center rows of
the machine
• Result is potentially reducing yield loss due
to pinch row compaction

30. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2017 Wing Downforce Results

31. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
2017 Wing Downforce Results

32. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
1. Controlled traffic (GPS guidance)
2. Bigger tires, lower inflation pressure
3. Variable inflation pressure
(correct psi for in-field and on road)
4. More axles, less weight/axle
5. Rubber tracks
6. Continuous no-till
7. Cover crops
Managing Compaction

33. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Conclusions
• Need more observations given within
field soil variability
• Comparisons across more field
conditions and tractor/planter
combinations
• While we had excellent planting
conditions in these past seasons, we
remain interested in tracks vs. tires
under less than optimal conditions
• ROI on tracks with planter
• 6 bu/ac at $3.86 per bushel
• Tracks cost $40,000
• 1730 acres
• To see more results see eFields report
pages 14-15, 32-35, 66-69
eFields represents an Ohio State University
program dedicated to advancing production
agriculture through the use of field-scale
research.
www.OhioStatePrecisionAg.com
Click on the eFields tab

34. FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
Ohio State Precision Ag Program
www.OhioStatePrecisionAg.com
Twitter: @OhioStatePA
Facebook: Ohio State Precision Ag
Email: digitalag@osu.edu
Andrew Klopfenstein
Klopfenstein.34@osu.edu