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Planting sets the stage for the growing season

Mother Nature has again delayed the start of planting for farmers in some parts of the Corn Belt.  But, that uncooperative weather gives farmers another opportunity to get planters ready to go.

Jason Webster, Central Illinois Practical Farm Research Director for Beck’s Hybrids says planting is one of the most important components to a successful crop.  “We’re setting the foundation for the whole growing season,” he says.  “If we mess planting up – I don’t know if we can recover very easily.  We need to set the stage, build that foundation, and get it done right and getting that planter in working order is one of the most critical things we can do.”

He tells Brownfield the first thing to inspect are the seed openers.  “We’re going to make sure those seed openers will allow us to have a true “V-trench,” he says.  “That’s where it’s going to make a nice cut in the soil and place that seed in the bottom of the trench for nice seed to soil contact.”

Another element Webster suggests inspecting on the planter are the bushings.  “We don’t want any play from side-to-side or up and down,” he says.  “That’s what I call planter chatter.  As we go through planting corn – we want to eliminate that and make sure the planter is steady-going through the field.”

That, he says, ensures planters have the proper down-force, keeping the row unit in the ground.

And maintaining a consistent seed depth throughout the field promotes even emergence and increases yield potential.