If you could invest in one of the new tools in the precision farming toolkit, what would it be? Consultants like Greg Kneubuhler, G & K Concepts, Harlan, and Danny Greene of Greene Consulting, Inc., Franklin, say farmers are telling them it's row shut-offs on planters.
What row-shut off devices do is immediately stop seed form dribbling out of boxes. While that may sound rather insignificant, there's more to the story. Once you program in a field and establish the ends, Kneubuhler says. A computer tells the planter where you've already planted. Once you hit end rows, the units automatically shut off and stop planting. It's also a big hit amongst farmers who plant many odd-shaped fields that often require point rows, or doubling some rows to get the last few rows in. the bigger the planter, the more doubling that may occur.
Various companies are offering row shut-off mechanisms. Depending upon who you buy your unit from, the mechanism may work differently. Some rely on electronics, other son air cylinders. Planters can be ordered with this feature on them from the factory, or it can be added later as an add-on feature.
Just how much can saving some extra seed be worth? Kneubuhler says data he's seen and helped work up from his own plots puts the number at 5%. If that seems high, think about how much overplanting can occur on ends. If you plant 700 acres of corn and purchase 300 bags, and then add the shut offs and save 5%, you should be able to take back 15 bags of seed.
Click here to see more...