One Man's Answer To Double Cropping

One Man's Answer To Double Cropping TRACTORS Conversions 3-6-17 Double cropping of wheat and soybeans "works great" for an Illinois farmer who uses an interseeder he designed and built himself. Robert Mowen, of Jerseyville, plants soybeans in his standing wheat about June 1 when the wheat is just headed out, using his special interseeder made from a modified International Cub tractor. The wheels are single-ribbed steel disks that cut a narrow slot for the beans to drop into. "In the standing wheat, you can't even see where the wheels have been," Mower told FARM SHOW. A planter box is mounted above each wheel with a flexible tube that drops the seed close to the ground right behind the wheel. The widened front wheels, and standard spaced rear wheels, make it a four-row planter with row spacing of approximately 30 in. "This size tractor handles four rows easily." says Mowen. ' The same principle could be used to make a six-row planter, but it would have to be on a bigger tractor that had more power." The planter units are chain-driven off the end of the rear axle and are set for planting 1 1/2 buu per acre. They can be adjusted for different planting rates. A clutch on the chain drive stops the planter units when the tractor is backed up. One small problem that needs further work is the seed covering mechanism. " It really takes a rain after planting to close the rQw and cover the seed," says Mowen, who is experimenting with chains and small disks to close the row." How successful has the interseeder been? In 1976, the first year that he used it, Mowen planted soybeans in wheat in late May, then combined a 50 bu. crop of wheat and later a 24 bu. crop of soybeans. He says the planter will work good for a crop of soybeans, sunflowers, or grain sorghum following wheat. And, he thinks it could work in some areas for interseeding in oats. Mowen has a patent on his machine, but nobody is manufacturing it yet. There has been some interest in it by other farmers, and at least one has built a similar seeder for his own use. The concept of double cropping soybeans and wheat makes sense, Mowen thinks. The wheat shades out the weeds while the beans are getting started. Then, the wheat is taken off about the time the beans are up and ready to grow fast. For details on this interseeding innovation, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Mowen, Route 4, Jerseyville, Ill. 62052 (ph 217-9423146).

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