Wheat

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Charles Loy

Charles Loy

Well-known member
Supporting Member
Marketplace
Member's gallery
I have been offered a photography ride in a 60 foot header combine cutting winter wheat (It ripens in early June). Dusty, wheat husk and dust/husk clouds abounds. I'm thinking Z8 or 9, one lens - the 24-120 f4S. I have the 24-200 but 200 may not be useful. Also likely, no changing a lens in that dusty biz. I have tossed away my polarizer filter, can't find it. Would it be useful as I'll be shooting thru the bubble windshield on the John Deere (or Gleener) combine? Also, I will ride in a truck to the grain elevator to dump the grain and can photo that excitement too.

It will be a fun and interesting photo assignment, but reservations abound. Anyone done this? Any comments will be appreciated. Even, 'don't do it' - cause it is a messy shoot that I may regret. I may just go and leave the camera stuff, but the guys really want me to photo them and the process.
 
Member's gallery
I'd do it, for sure. I've worked wheat harvest and it's dusty, yes, but you can clean your gear in the evenings. I'm not sure if a polarizer will eliminate the reflections - definitely worth a try. You should have plenty of light so no worries with loss of light. Just keep an eye on the effects in the sky when zoomed out to 24mm. I hope you'll post some of your shots on this forum. Have fun with it!!
 
Member's gallery
Charles Loy said:
I have been offered a photography ride in a 60 foot header combine cutting winter wheat (It ripens in early June). Dusty, wheat husk and dust/husk clouds abounds. I'm thinking Z8 or 9, one lens - the 24-120 f4S. I have the 24-200 but 200 may not be useful. Also likely, no changing a lens in that dusty biz. I have tossed away my polarizer filter, can't find it. Would it be useful as I'll be shooting thru the bubble windshield on the John Deere (or Gleener) combine? Also, I will ride in a truck to the grain elevator to dump the grain and can photo that excitement too.

It will be a fun and interesting photo assignment, but reservations abound. Anyone done this? Any comments will be appreciated. Even, 'don't do it' - cause it is a messy shoot that I may regret. I may just go and leave the camera stuff, but the guys really want me to photo them and the process.
Click to expand...
Charles, I would get a drone. The harvesting scene is very dusty, cameras are much better sealed against rain or snow, but dust gets into the crevices.

Oliver
 
Member's gallery
The newer John Deere combines capable of handling a 60 foot head have fully air conditioned cabs with air filtration so in-cab dust should not be an issue. However, I suggest you chat with your hosts about thoroughly cleaning the windshield and surrounding windows both inside and out before you do your photo run to eliminate unnecessary haze.

About four years ago I got some really good shots in Texas with my old Z7 and 24-70mm f/4 lens in a JD combine harvester with a 12 row corn head. Huge amount of dust around the heads but absolutely no problem with dust in the cab. If I was to do it again I would definitely shoot some video with sound as well as stills and I would have absolutely no concern about using either my my old Z7 or my newer Z9.

Regardless of your decision regarding photographing the activities I hope you enjoy your experience.
 
Member's gallery
I didn't ride in one but here's what it looked like from my yard last year...
I'd also stick with one lens - likely the 24-120..
Enjoy it, it'll be fun...
BTW: One acre of wheat is good for about 3300 loaves of bread...!

Wheat be gone-1.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
 
Member's gallery
Be sure to take a good N95 mask to wear. Wheat in the USA is saturated with Roundup 6 weeks prior to harvest to kill it and make it easier to mow. It is why I do not eat anything with wheat flour as an ingredient.

This would be a good subject to shoot at night as I suspect the tractor has lights for night operation.
 
Member's gallery
Calson said:
Be sure to take a good N95 mask to wear. Wheat in the USA is saturated with Roundup 6 weeks prior to harvest to kill it and make it easier to mow. It is why I do not eat anything with wheat flour as an ingredient.

This would be a good subject to shoot at night as I suspect the tractor has lights for night operation.
Click to expand...
FWIW, the farmer near me did not spray roundup 6 weeks prior to harvest. They did spray the field in the springtime - the gmo wheat was planted the previous fall and roundup was used to kill the weeds in the spring but that was it for roundup in the wheat field near me (Roundup is also used on their hay, corn, and soybean crops early in their growth cycle so it would not surprise me if there are trace amounts in the cows milk... ).
 
Member's gallery
@Calson - Great tip, thanks for the reminder.
@BrianMM - Yes, they mentioned the dustless cockpit and air conditioning.

I appreciate all the comments. I will give it a go, today. The grain elevator is half mile from my home, they suggest I hitch a ride in one of the trucks, come to the field and ride as long as I wanna, then take a ride home in grain truck.
 
Member's gallery
Geoff_G said:
FWIW, the farmer near me did not spray roundup 6 weeks prior to harvest. They did spray the field in the springtime - the gmo wheat was planted the previous fall and roundup was used to kill the weeds in the spring but that was it for roundup in the wheat field near me (Roundup is also used on their hay, corn, and soybean crops early in their growth cycle so it would not surprise me if there are trace amounts in the cows milk... ).
Click to expand...
As an agronomist and someone who works in agriculture in the US, I hope you’ll allow me to correct a few errors and provide a little more information

1. There is NO GMO wheat grown anywhere, whether in the US or elsewhere. Wheat is fully sensitive to roundup and will die if treated. Roundup can be applied before seeding wheat to kill the weeds present in the field prior to seeding, or prior to harvest as a desiccant to accelerate the death and drying of the crop.
2. In the US, the only GMO crops grown are Corn, Soybeans, Cotton, Sugarbeet, Canola and Alfalfa. The GMO events provide tolerance to herbicides (various, not just roundup) and insects.
3. Roundup is indeed approved for spraying wheat before harvest. This is rare on winter wheat but can happen in areas where ‘double cropping’ is practiced (planting a soybean the same year after winter wheat) and spring is wet / cool jeopardizing the ability to put a second crop in the ground. The practice is a bit more common on spring wheat, especially the further north one goes, into north-Dakota and Canada as the growing season can be quite short before the first frosts in the fall. All in all, no farmer wants to run their sprayer in the wheat fields that late in the season - if they do it’s because they have no other way to get the crop out in time. Their default position will always be not to spray but they will as a last resort if it’s a difference between having a wheat crop or no crop.
4. Roundup is commonly used over the top of GMO corn, soy, cotton and sugar beets - often multiple times per season. GMO Canola seeds are not all tolerant to roundup; the majority of them (>60%) instead are tolerant to another herbicide called Gluphosinate (Roundup is glyphosate)

so in summary, the majority of the wheat grown in the US is not drenched in glyphosate before harvest, although it is an approved use which has its merits under specific circumstances.
 
Member's gallery
Calson said:
Be sure to take a good N95 mask to wear. Wheat in the USA is saturated with Roundup 6 weeks prior to harvest to kill it and make it easier to mow. It is why I do not eat anything with wheat flour as an ingredient.

This would be a good subject to shoot at night as I suspect the tractor has lights for night operation.
Click to expand...
FB101 said:
As an agronomist and someone who works in agriculture in the US, I hope you’ll allow me to correct a few errors and provide a little more information

1. There is NO GMO wheat grown anywhere, whether in the US or elsewhere. Wheat is fully sensitive to roundup and will die if treated. Roundup can be applied before seeding wheat to kill the weeds present in the field prior to seeding, or prior to harvest as a desiccant to accelerate the death and drying of the crop.
2. In the US, the only GMO crops grown are Corn, Soybeans, Cotton, Sugarbeet, Canola and Alfalfa. The GMO events provide tolerance to herbicides (various, not just roundup) and insects.
3. Roundup is indeed approved for spraying wheat before harvest. This is rare on winter wheat but can happen in areas where ‘double cropping’ is practiced (planting a soybean the same year after winter wheat) and spring is wet / cool jeopardizing the ability to put a second crop in the ground. The practice is a bit more common on spring wheat, especially the further north one goes, into north-Dakota and Canada as the growing season can be quite short before the first frosts in the fall. All in all, no farmer wants to run their sprayer in the wheat fields that late in the season - if they do it’s because they have no other way to get the crop out in time. Their default position will always be not to spray but they will as a last resort if it’s a difference between having a wheat crop or no crop.
4. Roundup is commonly used over the top of GMO corn, soy, cotton and sugar beets - often multiple times per season. GMO Canola seeds are not all tolerant to roundup; the majority of them (>60%) instead are tolerant to another herbicide called Gluphosinate (Roundup is glyphosate)

so in summary, the majority of the wheat grown in the US is not drenched in glyphosate before harvest, although it is an approved use which has its merits under specific circumstances.
Click to expand...
I have been retired from the Ag industry now for about 15 years so do not keep as up to date on this stuff as I used to. Using any desiccant was not the preference of wheat farmers since it added to the cost of production. I have seen it done in N Idaho, Montana and Alberta when as you noted it was that or pretty much that or no crop. That was also the old roundup formula before the adaptation for round up ready corn and soybeans.

The crop that I have read about where Roundup is fairly commonly used as a desiccant before harvest is Oats and it does make one wonder what ends up in our oatmeal :)

I am not a big fan of the newly formulated Roundup it does not break down as fast as it used to good for treatment effectiveness but stays on the crop and in the soil longer so more potential uptake by humans etc..

My biggest concern is the negative impact round up ready soy beans and corn have on pollinators and birds a big swath of the midwest had had serious losses in those areas as the field margins have become super clean and devoid of the various "weed" that provide food for the birds and other pollinators.
 
Member's gallery
FB101 said:
As an agronomist and someone who works in agriculture in the US, I hope you’ll allow me to correct a few errors and provide a little more information

1. There is NO GMO wheat grown anywhere, whether in the US or elsewhere. Wheat is fully sensitive to roundup and will die if treated. Roundup can be applied before seeding wheat to kill the weeds present in the field prior to seeding, or prior to harvest as a desiccant to accelerate the death and drying of the crop.
2. In the US, the only GMO crops grown are Corn, Soybeans, Cotton, Sugarbeet, Canola and Alfalfa. The GMO events provide tolerance to herbicides (various, not just roundup) and insects.
3. Roundup is indeed approved for spraying wheat before harvest. This is rare on winter wheat but can happen in areas where ‘double cropping’ is practiced (planting a soybean the same year after winter wheat) and spring is wet / cool jeopardizing the ability to put a second crop in the ground. The practice is a bit more common on spring wheat, especially the further north one goes, into north-Dakota and Canada as the growing season can be quite short before the first frosts in the fall. All in all, no farmer wants to run their sprayer in the wheat fields that late in the season - if they do it’s because they have no other way to get the crop out in time. Their default position will always be not to spray but they will as a last resort if it’s a difference between having a wheat crop or no crop.
4. Roundup is commonly used over the top of GMO corn, soy, cotton and sugar beets - often multiple times per season. GMO Canola seeds are not all tolerant to roundup; the majority of them (>60%) instead are tolerant to another herbicide called Gluphosinate (Roundup is glyphosate)

so in summary, the majority of the wheat grown in the US is not drenched in glyphosate before harvest, although it is an approved use which has its merits under specific circumstances.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarifying...always good to get it right...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top