There’s a new tool at work in the fields of JIG Farms – a seed impact mill.
Owned and operated by Simon Crawford, JIG Farms is located fifteen miles north of the Oregon border, in the hills surrounding the stunning Coppei Creek, in the Palouse Region of Washington state. This summer, Simon welcomed Claudio Rubione, outreach and extension representative for GROW, to his 2,300-acre farm, which he has been leasing since 2020. On GROW’s arrival, Simon was busy organizing the delivery of the trucks and harvesting wheat from dawn till dusk. He invited GROW to join him on a ride on his CASE IH 8230 Axial-Flow combine, equipped with a new Redekop Seed Control Unit (SCU).
As the combine rolled through the beautiful Coppei Creek landscape, Simon explained how he manages weeds with the new seed mill from Redekop. He explained that he plants a rotation of winter wheat, winter wheat (or spring wheat), and then a spring legume for a chance to use glyphosate to knock down tough weeds. When it is time to choose wheat, he prefers the Clearfield varieties for easier weed control, while on some other occasions he prioritizes yield, stand-ability, and a robust disease profile to prevent yellow rust (stripe rust) in his wheat.
Even though his most problematic weeds are Italian ryegrass and jointed goatgrass, Simon also hopes the Redekop SCU will help control volunteer wheat, to help him prevent a “green bridge” for diseases and insects to infect future crops. He expects to see immediate results from using his new tool when it comes to volunteer wheat, but for the other weeds, he doesn’t expect to see results until he has completed a full 4-year crop rotation.
Watch the video – the third installment in GROW’s series, “HWSC in the Pacific Northwest: Farmers Lead the Way” – to learn more about this farmer who is integrating many tools to defeat weeds.
See all the installments of this GROW video series here:
- Introduction and Video 1: Joe Limbaugh
- Video 2: Druffel Farms
- Video 3: Simon Crawford
- Video 4: Greene Ridge Farms
See more GROW news stories on harvest weed seed control here.
Text and Video by Claudio Rubione, GROW
