East Kentucky Seeding Clinic

Ninety eight farmers from Kentucky and West Virginia gathered at the Boyd County Extension Expo Center on January 30^th for a no till establishment clinic to improve their knowledge of seeding options as well as the working details for a variety of seeding equipment.  Organized by the Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup & Lawrence County Extension Offices, the event offered participants a unique opportunity to learn from experts, share experiences, and get hands-on with no-till drills and other seeders. 

Jimmy Henning and representatives from local Conservation Districts, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and local agents from the University of Kentucky led in a discussion of the operational principles of the six seeders at the clinic. 

The clinic featured three examples of traditional no-till drills - Haybuster 77, Truax Flex II, and Great Plains 706. These drills plant forages in narrow rows by metering seed down flexible tubes that drop seed into a slit cut by double-disk openers. These double-disk openers are followed by press wheels which help maintain proper seeding depth and also press the small forage seed into the newly-cut slits. These drills are better suited for planting larger acreages and require tractors that are sized properly to handle their heavy weight. 

The clinic also featured a Brillion ‘Till and Seed’ which combines a ground driven tillage rotor that roughs up the seedbed with the traditional seed metering and heavy cultipacking rollers of the typical Brillion seeder. This seeder was designed to be attached to the tractor by its three-point hitch.

The evening concluded with a calibration demonstration of the Great Plains drill by Rebecca Konopka, Carter County Extension Agent and local farmers.  Both the Carter and Elliott County Soil Conservation Districts have a Great Plains drill available for rental to local farmers.  

Evaluations showed that the event was very valuable, enabling producers to feel more confident going into the planting season. One participant said, “As a newbie to farming (and a young woman), I feel like each piece of equipment was explained in terms that I could understand.” 

Farmers received a handbook of relevant UK forage publications to guide them in the future.  The success of this no-till establishment clinic lies not just in the immediate knowledge gained, but in the seeds of change sown within each participant. As these seeds take root and flourish, our local farms will grow and prosper too.