Today’s guest blogger is Mark Swanson, Case IH Crop Production Specialist covering eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. A 29-year veteran with Case IH, Mark has specialized in planters since 2006. Read his report and let us know if crops in your area are starting to emerge.
Most farmers in my area have been planting for a week now. Many producers are done with corn and are starting soybeans. Depending on where you’re at, some areas are 95 percent done, but we’ve had a little rain here and there, so that’s affected growers being able to finish planting. Corn is emerging in many parts due to warm temperatures and ideal soil conditions.
Farmers’ outlooks are optimistic right now. Anytime producers are able to plant, everything’s great. Although the wet weather has delayed growers, no one is making any major changes that I’ve heard of.
This spring has been particularly good for growers using the Case IH True-Tandem 330 Turbo. When a spring is wet, weeds can get established and the soil remains cool, hampering the ideal planting conditions farmers want. The 330 Turbo has allowed producers to open up that field, remove the weeds and hasten drying out the field and warming the soil. For some customers in my area, clod size has been a concern this year. Both the True-Tandem 330 Turbo and the Case IH Tiger-Mate 200 field cultivator have helped to break up those clods to protect the topsoil and prepare the seedbed.
Why is this important? For planting, producers want to have ideal agronomic conditions: a seedbed that’s free of weeds, has uniform density layers and has proper soil temperatures. By using the Case IH True-Tandem 330 Turbo to manage residue, growers can work the seedbed and get it closer to those ideal agronomic conditions so they can get in the field faster to optimize yield.
The Case IH Early Riser planter – with the furrow-forming point and shoe – eliminates the loose bulk soil left in the trench. It creates the only true “V” seed trench, which improves planting depth accuracy and reduces sidewall compaction.
The Case IH Early Riser® planter has been working flawlessly this spring for customers in my area. The planter’s ability to perform even if the soil is a bit wet underneath the top layer is exceptional. With its leading edge disc, the forming point removes the “W” in the trench. This places each seed at the trench’s bottom, so farmers have accurate depth control. By placing that seed in the bottom of the trench, you’re also ensuring good seed-to-soil contact. The narrow trench created by the leading edge opening disks reduces or eliminates sidewall compaction that can happen in wet conditions. This helps the producers achieve even earlier emergence.
