Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1188084
Spudnik's 12-row planter speeds up planting in a big way The introduction of Spudnik Equipment's 12-row planter last year changed how the company views planting potatoes, and is revolutionizing the ability to increase productivity and timing. With this new tool, growers have the ability to achieve better plant stands and fewer seed issues due to cold soil and weather-related problems. The narrow transport width of the 8312 planter make field- to-field transfer easier. The loading process identical to that of a six-row planter, only deeper. With the capacity of the seed tank, it can cover more acres an hour. The folding of the outside rows (Spudnik employees and growers have nicknamed this machine the "Praying Mantis") allows growers to plant three, six, nine or the full twelve rows, with the ability to maneuver around obstacles and tight fields with ease. The row units that are on the 8312 are the proven Grimme units that have been used on Spudnik's earlier planters, making this unit easy to operate and adjust for top performance. The planter has auto depth control, and the wings adjust to keep the seed placement accurate as terrain changes. The planter steering is very maneuverable and works well with GPS steering systems. In spring of 2019, Spudnik had five 12-row planters in fields from coast to coast. The company reports that in all conditions, they performed very well. They began in Washington State in March. This was the first 34-inch row spacing implemented on the 12-row configuration (all others used 36-inch row spacing). The machine was able to be dialed it in with minimal startup time. Some of the issues encountered included tractor hydraulic flow for the planter, as it takes a good flow of oil to keep all the drives running. This issue was encountered with one older-model tractor that did not have sufficient hydraulic flow; the planter could still run, but not as fast as it could have. The planter performed very well was able to cover the grower's acreage in less time than normal, making up for the late start to planting. The Spudnik crew then moved to Idaho to plant in early April. The machine running in Idaho was the first one the company had prototyped in 2018. A few updates had been performed and a hydraulic wheel drive added to help in 16 POTATO GROWER | DECEMBER 2019