Planter Maintenance: Key to OptimumCorn Yields
Achieving high corn yields next fall starts with fine tuning your planter now. A few turns of the wrench during a day in the shop will pay big dividends come next harvest. Start by reviewing any notes you may have taken during last spring’s planting season. Were you satisfied with your plant spacing? Did some row units plant more shallow than others? Was emergence uniform? Was the planter monitor consistent across all row units? These and other questions can help address various planter adjustments.
Corn plant spacing and emergence is critical to achieve optimum yields. One missing or late emerging plant out of a row length of 17 ft, 5 inches (for 30” rows) can calculate to as much as a $25 per acre loss with today’s corn prices! Even though the weather can’t be controlled, the proper maintenance of the planter is one very important factor that you can control. Speed of planting can also affect plant stand. According to university research, by just slowing down to 4 mph, you can gain as much as 5 bushels per acre versus driving at 6 mph.
Conduct a row by row inspection of your planter. Look for worn, broken or loose opening disks, bearings and chains, gauge & press wheels, seed tubes, sensors, and other high-ware components. Have your planter meters tested for accuracy.
Seed is a high-value input in your farming operation. It needs the best possible placement for optimum yield potential and that starts with your planter. So don’t overlook this important piece of machinery and don’t wait too long before working on it. Most planters across the Midwest will start rolling in as little as eight short weeks!
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Late emerging plants (left photo) from improper seed placement becomes nothing more than a barren stalk (right photo) which significantly detracts from the per acre yield potential. |
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Have a good weekend,
Dan Childs, Agronomist
Heritage - Diener
