Research Season Closes at the NCRS

So this past week the last plot at the NCRS was harvested.  And just like that the plot season was over.  But now the data summary begins.  Then the interpretation.  Then the writing of the Research Report.  And hopefully some new discoveries about new and existing products.  

So who is that taking a sample from a harvested plot of corn?  Pink coat give it away?  

Tim was busy on this day running strip till on plot ground for next year.  Always planning ahead.

Tuesday was sugarbeet harvest on Farm 7.  This is what they are after.  The leaves of the underground beets are flail-chopped off leaving the beets in the ground.

Then they are lifted out of the ground....by a lifter.  There is a scale on the lifter to determine yield.  That's Tim on the back entering the data, while taking samples and putting them in those white bags. These samples will be analyzed for %sugar and other quality measurements.  

Then they are dumped into this trailer and hauled to a pile by the road to be collected later.  We used to have the scale in the trailer, but this is better.

So here is something I am not happy about.  Canada Geese have selected one of our wheat fields on Farm 12 as a hotel and buffet.  There are hundreds of them.  There are quarry lakes in the area that they like, and this is the nearest wheat.  Well there are no research plots here, but I don't like it.  I haven't seen them on our actual research plots on other farms, so at least they aren't interfering with science.  But they are a pest.  In the summer we have deer and raccoon bothering crops, and now this.

At least they have the decency to not pull it completely out of the ground.  Wheat can withstand grazing as cows know.  But it's usually larger before they start feeding.  These geese aren't so patient.

Well as soon as one season ends, the next one is getting underway.