United Group Insurance

Common planting mistakes highlighted by farm equipment manufacturer

Ag/Outdoor

August 18th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A farm equipment manufacturer is wrapping up a tour of the Upper Midwest highlighting “common planting mistakes.” Joe Whorton, with AGCO, says they’ve set up 10-acre demonstration fields across Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and South Dakota. “What we’re trying to do is bring customers out and really get in the field and highlight what type of yield impacts common mistakes can have on your operation, with the idea farmers can take this knowledge home and try to do a little bit better job next year,” Whorton said.

Each plot includes strips comparing plant emergence, season-long plant progress, and how variables impact yield. “Things like incorrect depths, too much down-force which can create compaction, and incorrect spacing and singulation,” Whorton said. Data from the demonstration fields will be collected and made available online (at agcocropcare.com).

AGCO planter

“We’ll have yield estimates, and then in the October timeframe, when we come back and combine this corn – we’ll be capturing yield data to really quantify exactly the impact different depths, spacing (and) down-pressure have on your operation,” Whorton said.

The AGCO crop tour ends today (Friday) with a stop in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The tour’s only stop in Iowa was in New Hampton last Thursday (August 10).

(Radio Iowa, w/reporting by Mark Dorenkamp, Brownfield Ag News)