Technology changes the way we plant

TREMONT – The folks at Precision Planting are excited about what is coming to the future of planting.

SmartFirmer is the seed firmer most growers are used to from the past with some new features.

“The SmartFirmer is going to have the ability to measure organic matter as we plant through the field,” explains Jason Webster, commercial agronomist for Precision Planting.

This will allow farmers to track variability through a field and create special management zones to indicate where the high and low yield areas are. The new product can be used as a script to plant the right product on every single acre, according to Webster.

“As we’re planting, it has the ability to measure moisture. In that trench where we are placing the seed, we’re going to know if that planter is planting into moisture.”

Webster’s father once told him it’s not about how deep you plant the seed but planting the seed into moisture. SmartFirmer allows the planter operator to know if they are placing seed in moist soil. Webster firmly believes the planter pass is the most important trip across the field during a growing season since it can set the stages for high yields down the road.

“It’s going to change the way we plant. There’s no doubt about it,” he added.

The planters of today are beneficial since they have metering devices to allow good seed spacing, speed components to travel faster and now the ability to track moisture and residue on the go.

Webster suggests farmers perform the proper maintenance on planters before heading out to the field. This includes making sure everything works properly.