A few more farmers are switching to a high-speed planter when upgrading or trading planters. A few reasons they report for switching to the high-speed planter include:
- Increased capacity with same size planter
- Upgrading technology and retrofit options can be cost effective.
- Smaller planters with increased capacity mean less row units to maintain. A lot of the Corn Belt has approximately a 2-week optimal window for corn planting with current research studies showing a yield loss of 3-5% per week outside this optimal window. Graphing the most recent USDA data for acres planted in Iowa by week number across years from 2012 to 2023 shows corn and soybean acres are being planted at an increased rate than previous years.
- Increased capacity = farm more acres
- Manageable working hours in season
- Planting fields earlier, more fields planted in the optimum window.
Downforce
The downforce system needs to be set so that the row unit and gauge wheels:
- Set the soil structure next to furrow, firmed with no air pockets
- Create a furrow structure that holds together long enough for the seed to be placed at the bottom of the furrow
- Ensure the row unit maintains ground contact
At higher planting speeds it will take more downforce to keep the row unit in contact with the ground and set the furrow structure because the gauge wheels have less time to interact with the soil. Target gauge wheel load or margin may have to be set higher to compensate for the increased speed.
Row Cleaners
There are many different styles and configurations of row cleaners that are on the market today, but the main function for the row cleaner is to help move residue and other obstacles aside so the double disc openers can do their job of opening the furrow to place the seed at the proper depth. It is important to set the row cleaners to only move obstacles and not excessive soil. When using a high-speed planter, the row cleaners will move at a higher speed and act more aggressively. They will throw more material and soil, so we may need to raise them slightly to achieve the desired job quality. It is also important to pay attention to where the row cleaner is discharging the material it is moving, ensure that it isn’t flying directly into neighboring rows.
Closing
Another adjustment that needs to be made when using a high-speed planter is the pressure on the closing system. At higher speeds the closing system also has less time to interact with the soil just like the gauge wheels. Closing pressure typically needs to be increased by at least 1 notch when changing the planting speed from 5 to 8 mph.
Coulters and Attachments
Some planters use a single-row coulter to loosen the soil ahead of the double disk openers, especially in no-till fields. A few different configurations with this type of coulter include a wavy and bubble. The proper setting for a single-row coulter is at half the planting depth to avoid the risk of moist soil sticking to it that sometimes causes side wall compaction and can get under the gauge wheels causing uneven planting depth. Field experience has proved that a wavy coulter will move or throw more soil at higher speeds when compared to a bubble style coulter.
With a high-speed planter it is important to remember that attachments to the planter will perform differently at higher speeds compared to slower planting speeds. It is important to verify that anything you bolt onto a row unit still performs the job you need it to do at the speeds you intend to plant at. This includes row cleaners, coulters, fertilizer openers, seed firmer, and different style closing wheels. Make sure they still perform the way you want them to at higher planting speeds.
A few good reference articles have been published by Iowa State University that include: