Planter Section Control Technology

Kurt LawtonEducation, Planting

I don’t know about you, but extended windshield time–be it going back and forth in fields, hauling grain, or traveling to a farm show–is a good time to ponder what’s next in your business. To this end, one of the hottest precision farming tools of the year is planter section control, due to quick payback thanks to seed savings. To … Read More

Precision Planting Pays

Joanna SchroederAudio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Planting, Variable rate, Video

“Precision Planting’s business is trying to make sure seeds get into the right space at the right distance and seeds only land where they need to land,” Precision Planting’s Jason Larkin explained to me during the Farm Progress Show. We use precision technology to know where the tractor is at and where the plant is at to control population, so … Read More

Precision Ag Technologies Save Money

Kurt LawtonEducation, Events, GPS, Guidance, Planting, Satellite, Spraying

Research shows a lightbar can pay for itself in three years on only 300 acres. It can be done with a GPS receiver that receives the free WAAS correction signal that functions within 12-inch accuracy. This was just one precision farming economic message presented by Matt Darr, Iowa State University ag engineer, during a field day at its Northern Research … Read More

Farm Journal Corn College Talks Technology and More

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Corn, Education, Events, Fertilizer, Insights Weekly, Planting, Remote sensing, Software

Despite the heavy rains at times followed by high heat and humidity, around 800 growers, retailers and crop consultants came to Farm Journal test plots near Bloomington, Ill., to gain in-depth knowledge from experts at the recent Farm Journal Corn College. During this week-long classroom and in-field event, hosted by Farm Journal field agronomists Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer, participants … Read More

The Value of Precision Farming Tools

Kurt LawtonConservation, Education, Fertilizer, Planting, Spraying, sustainability

Successful Farming recently compiled various statistics on how precision farming pays, based on the experience of some farmers and university experts. Check out this story from it’s special summer 2010 issue, where they highlighted such benefits as: Strip till and RTK guidance saves a huge amount of hours and fuel savings, while delivering big conservation and environmental benefits. Planter clutches … Read More

Precision Ag Expo Touts Variable Rate Technology

Kurt LawtonEducation, Events, Fertilizer, Planting, Remote sensing, Satellite, seed, Variable rate

Producers came to learn at the recent Precision Ag Expo field days held recently in North Dakota. Numerous questions, according to a story in Farm & Ranch Guide, aimed at gathering facts about zone maps, satellite imagery and variable rate precision farming. Kelly Sharpe, of GK Technology, Inc., in Halstad, Minn., said his company creates variable rate mapping, taking an … Read More

Better Steering Guidance in Odd-Shaped and Contoured Fields

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Company Announcement, Displays, Guidance, Insights Weekly, Planting, Spraying

For farmers who deal with the planting and spraying challenges of farming on contours, terraces and hills, there’s a new guidance pattern from Ag Leader Technology that offers help. Called SmartPath, this new ‘drive and guide’ pattern is designed for fields beyond the straight and flat, and it doesn’t require the traditional set-up using beginning and end points. “If you … Read More

New SeedStar Planter Monitor System From Deere

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Displays, John Deere, Planting, seed

“Everything that customers said they wanted in a fully integrated monitoring system for planting operations went into the SeedStar XP system,” says Chris Savener, project manager, planters, for John Deere Seeding. “This includes an easy-to-read, at-a-glance screen with seed skip information and data on row-unit ride dynamics, which are critical to monitoring and maintaining overall planter performance at the row-unit … Read More

ParaDyme Offers Year-Round Benefits

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Insights Weekly, Planting

Anytime I hear a grower mention best corn planting in 38 years, my ears perk up and the brain wonders why? Then you hear corn seed savings of 45 bags of seed, or $9,900. Wow. I’m beginning to understand this best year deal. Franksville, WI, grower Mike Borzynski attributes his personal best in the field due to his investment in … Read More