LandWISE 2015 Presenter, John Ahearn

Modern planters are amazing machines.  Electric and hydraulic drives with precise speed control have replaced ground engaging wheels.

Variable rate is achieved using prescription maps.  Individual row control is achieved using GPS location. So seed populations, fertiliser rates and spray rates are accurate. Up hill, down hill, on curves, headlands, and point rows – the precise rates are applied with zero over-lap.

How do you check your new planter is performing as advertised?  Before looking for improvements we need to get a benchmark of where the performance is now. During planting there are some problems you can identify and fix on the go and some you can’t.  The trick is to record planter data, match it with yield data, and use that analysis to fix or modify the planter for next year.

Most planters have a simple population monitor but the addition of a few extra sensors, and a data management tool, gives an idea of how these variables affect your planter, and ultimately – your yield.  Variables to monitor include singulation, ground contact pressure, ground wheel slippage speed.

When you know what happened during planting, and can compare that to the end of season yield map, you can then figure out the impact these variables have on yield.  That yield impact can be converted to a dollar cost which leads to a discussion on planter improvements for an old planter, and a set-up review for a new planter.

An aftermarket planter control system can be retrofitted to most old planters.  The system will monitor and record the planter variables during the planting operation for each field.

Ideally, the same system will also be used to collect and record yield data during harvest. This completes the loop for data collection and gets all the data in the same place on the same software.  Later analysis is then simple and it is easy to identify opportunities, problems and create prescription maps for next season.

What goes on the planter?

• Monitor /computer screen in the cab.
• population sensors – use existing or fit newer better units
• down force sensors and hydraulic down force control units
• electric or hydraulic drive system for seed, fertiliser, and other inputs
• section control

Process improvement is a continual process that leads to higher yields, reduced inputs, and higher profitability.  There are a lot of variables we can’t control, but closing the loop on planter variability finally adds some true value to your yield maps.