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Learning from planting mistakes to achieve better yields

A farm equipment manufacturer is touring the Midwest recreating common planting mistakes to help growers achieve higher yields.

AGCO tactical marketing manager for seeding and tillage Joe Whorton says they’ve set up 10-acre demonstration fields across Illinois, Iowa, 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.”

He tells Brownfield 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 says the data collected will be available online.

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

The AGCO crop tour is winding down this week with stops in Minnesota and South Dakota.