High-rise highboy used to plant cover crop in standing corn

Adapted equipment offers alternative to aerial seeding and spraying

Don and Matt Birky’s unique highboy with 10 feet and six inches of clearance could attract a crowd for its high-rising maneuvers, but the father-son team created the special equipment for a tough job.

The highboy, dubbed High Roller, was developed to air seed legumes and other cover crops into standing corn in August. The Birkys, who operate On Track Farming Inc. in rural Gibson City, put the highboy through its paces last week.

The highboy was adapted to custom plant cover crops for a Central Illinois project offered through Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). The goal is to increase acres planted with cover crops by providing farmers with technical expertise and cost-share funding.

Developer Matt Birky points out a feature on the special highboy that has clearance of 10 feet, six inches.

With 3,200 acres enrolled in 10 counties, participation has surpassed the original goal of 2,000 to 2,500 acres, said Dave Bishop, resource conservationist with McLean County SWCD.

“These are cover crops for the 21st century,” Bishop said.

The adapted highboy not only will help seed cover crops into standing corn, but also will address special conditions in some fields, according to Bishop.

“You can fly it (cover crop seed) on, but there’s getting to be so many places in the county that you can’t fly on seed with wind turbines (located in fields),” Bishop said. “This (highboy) is practical and moves easily from place to place.”

The Birkys adapted a four-wheel Ag-Chem RoGator with uniquely designed legs for which they have applied for a patent, Don Birky explained.

The 60-foot wide boom has 30-inch center nozzles and the air pressure will blast seed at 80 mph. Birky noted the air-seeding machine will provide even coverage over the width of the boom.

The highboy also has been outfitted with special features to move through standing corn. It has an automatic steering mechanism and a camera mounted underneath that sends images to a nine-inch screen inside the cab.

Birky explained he and Matt learned from past experience it can be difficult to see where rows are when driving through tall crops and will be even more difficult seated high above standing corn.

“The wind really moves the corn around. You can’t tell where the rows are,” Birky said.

The highboy also has two sets of light bars that will tell the operator where to turn on end rows and will point the exact rows for the return trip through the field, he added.

SWCD’s Bishop said he hopes to collect data during the project, including measuring how much seed gets caught in the corn whorl.

The Birkys not only adapted the highboy for the cover crop project, but they also are participating in it. They will seed 300 acres of corn with a mixture of hairy vetch, red clover, and radishes to increase the field’s nitrogen levels, Birky said.

The cover crop project is attracting attention outside of Central Illinois. After the morning demonstration for local farmers, a group of Clinton County farmers, who have talked about working on a similar project, was expected for an afternoon demonstration of the special highboy.

However seeding cover crops may not be the only use for the Birkys’ high-rise high boy.

“We’ve had incredible interest to put the (hydraulic) legs on a liquid (highboy) machine to spray on fungicide,” Birky said.

Kay Shipman FarmWeek

Wetland program seeks participants

A signup period has been established for the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) from July 14 to July 28, 2010 for eligible lands within the Lower Illinois River-Senachwine Creek Basin.  WREP is a federal program that pays landowners to permanently restore wetland habitat to benefit water quality and wildlife. The priority for WREP signup is frequently flooded cropland located along the Illinois River in Woodford, Peoria, Tazewell and Marshall Counties.  Enrolled lands will be restored to wetland habitat, generally under a permanent conservation easement. 

Funding for the WREP signup is provided by the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) through a cooperative agreement between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Ducks Unlimited (DU).  According to IL NRCS State Conservationist Bill Gradle, the MRBI effort will restore wetland habitat under WREP on order to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous run-off into the Illinois River, and ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico. Eligible landowners can receive up to $3,200/acre for permanent conservation easements on lands that are enrolled and accepted into WREP.

According to DU Regional Biologist Eric Schenck, additional WREP signups will be announced in the future.  The MRBI goal is to enroll 500 acres along the Illinois River over the next five years.  According to Schenck, the initial signup is intended to target croplands surrounding Upper Peoria Lake.

Landowners should visit their local NRCS county office to learn more about WREP or to submit a WREP application prior to the deadline.  Even if you are not within the Lower Illinois River-Senachwine Creek Basin, you can check into the regular Wetland Reserve Program.  To locate your nearest NRCS office, visit http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov today.

To speak with a local representative of Ducks Unlimited contact Eric Schenck at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 309-224-5651.

Contact: Kristin Schrader, Ducks Unlimited  

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)    (734) 623-2000

Contact: Paige Buck, Natural Resources Conservation Service   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)    (217) 353-6606

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

2.73 Million for WRP in Indiana

The Nature Conservancy Announces Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) $2.73 Million Funding for Landowners in Northeastern Indiana
Vectren Assists with the Planned Reforestation of the Wabash River Basin Across Indiana

The Nature Conservancy has recently secured USDA NRCS Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) funding totaling $2.73 million dollars to focus efforts on protecting and restoring wetlands in the Upper Wabash River watershed in northeastern Indiana. The $2.73 million is for landowners wishing to enroll eligible lands into the WRP in the targeted area. 

The Nature Conservancy is partnering with the Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP), Friends of the Limberlost State Historic site INC., and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Nature Preserves. 

The $2.73 million will allow the Conservancy and its partners to expand and connect existing WRP acres in the watershed in this area of the state. The Conservancy anticipates enrolling 700 acres into WRP over the next four years across Allen, Whitley, Huntington, Wells, Adams, and Jay counties in Indiana, and Mercer County in Ohio, which will enhance water quality in the Wabash River, and improve habitat for rare species and migratory birds

“The Upper Wabash River Watershed is a priority for The Nature Conservancy,” said Mary McConnell, state director for the Conservancy’s Indiana Chapter. “The WRP funding will allow us to protect and restore forests and wetlands along the Wabash.”  The restored forests and wetlands will act as sponges to filter nutrients and sediments that have impacts far downstream the Wabash River. 

This watershed was specifically identified in an independent assessment performed by the Midwest Biodiversity Institute as the portion of the Wabash River with the lowest water quality.  Wetland restoration in the watershed will allow for flood storage, waterfowl/migratory bird breeding and resting areas, as well as mitigating sediment and nutrients prior to reaching the Wabash, and eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. 

The Vectren Foundation has funded the Conservancy’s match for the grant, as well as other important conservation work along the Wabash River.  “The purpose of the Vectren Foundation is to contribute to the well being of the communities in which we live and work,” said Jeff Whiteside, Vectren’s Vice President of External Affairs and Sustainability. “The Wabash River is an important resource to so many lives and livelihoods in Indiana. It is in Vectren’s best interest to help protect it.”

The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property.  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland restoration efforts.  The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program.  This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.

These projects will result in restored hydrology for these acres, decreased sediment and nutrient levels in the Wabash watershed, and expanded, more contiguous blocks of forest critical for migratory and interior forest nesting birds.  The resulting improvements in water quality will benefit many of the target species, as well as address the local water quality concerns and reduce the nutrient levels reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

There are a variety of rare species found within the project area.  The federally-endangered clubshell mussel and the eastern massasauga snake, a federally endangered candidate species, are both found in the project area.  Additionally, there are over 10 state-threatened or state-endangered species found in the Upper Wabash Watershed.

Significant Natural Areas

There are also significant natural areas within the project area. The LRWP has three nature preserves in the project area, the largest of which is Eagle Marsh, a prime example of a completed WRP restoration. DNR Division of Nature Preserves & Friends of the Limberlost own over 1,500 acres in Adams and Jay counties in the Limberlost and Loblolly Watershed. Fox Island Nature Preserve is 600 acres and is owned by the Allen County Parks Department. The 60-acre Fogwell Forest is a state-dedicated nature preserve and is owned by ACRES Land Trust.

Landowners in the project area are encouraged to contact their local NRCS District Conservationist if interested in protecting and restoring their wetlands.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at http://www.nature.org.