Helping growers maximize their farm

TREMONT – Farmers from not only the Corn Belt but all over the world will learn how to maximize their operations during the upcoming Precision Planting Winter Conference.

The annual event happens Jan. 21-24 at the home office in Tremont along with several simulcast locations.

“The hope and expectation is to reach roughly 6,000 growers that week,” explained Eric Huber, east central Illinois region manager for Precision Planting.

A broad array of agronomic topics includes everything from Pontiac research farm results with Jason Webster to new things coming with both irrigated and non-irrigated studies. There has been a big focus on soybeans and whether or not to focus on seed singulation, especially with lower populations.

“We are looking at everything from fertility to row width, populations, tillage types – you name it, it’s out there,” added Huber.

Research and development agronomist Cory Muhlbauer will cover the benefits of banding nutrients and discuss different fertilizer programs and approaches. His studies in plots near Morton and Goodfield have resulted in extra per-acre profit. Other sessions will talk about managing soil density, examining how this impacts soil retention and root development.

The first year commercial release of Precision Planting’s FurrowForce will be another talking point. This is the company’s own design of a closing system which can be used with planters and air seeders. Research from SmartDepth, an automatic depth adjustment system, will be revealed along with some common pitfalls.

“I can go in and load a planter up with all kinds of technology, but if I’m not aware of these, the technology isn’t going to act to its fullest potential,” said Huber.

Five different breakout sessions will feature folks from research and development along with the commercial research departments.

For more on the upcoming winter conference, contact your local Precision Planting dealer or register online at : www.ppwinterconference.com.