Better Timing, Better Yields: The Value of a High-Clearance Sprayer — Farm4Profit Podcast

After touring the Hagie Manufacturing facility in Clarion, Iowa, Corey Hillebo and his father, Scott Hillebo, reflect on their family's long history with Hagie sprayers and how technology has transformed their farming operation.

Scott shares the story of purchasing his first Hagie STS10 in 2009, using a detasseling cutter to help justify the investment, and eventually progressing through multiple Hagie models as the farm's needs evolved. The conversation highlights how the farm transitioned from using a sprayer primarily for crop protection to utilizing it as a critical management tool for fertility, nitrogen applications, fungicides, foliar feeding, and late-season crop management.

The father-son duo discusses:

Scott's history owning three Hagie sprayers
How detasseling helped support the original investment
The evolution from early STS models to today's technology-packed machines
ExactApply and its impact on application accuracy and efficiency
First impressions of John Deere's See & Spray technology
Why timing matters more than ever in modern crop production
Using Y-Drops and spoon-feeding nitrogen
Fungicide and foliar application opportunities later in the growing season
How a high-clearance sprayer influences agronomic decision-making
The benefits of controlling application timing in-house
What stood out most during the Hagie factory tour
The unique culture of Hagie Manufacturing and its continued focus on craftsmanship
The partnership between Hagie and John Deere
The future of precision spraying technology

This episode offers a real-world farmer perspective on how equipment investments can influence management decisions, improve efficiency, and create opportunities to capture additional yield through better timing and precision.

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