Preparing your planter for the upcoming planting season is like a NASCAR team preparing for an upcoming race. All the time, skill, patients, and attention to details will determine if you will win the race or not. By taking some time now, to do a little pre-season maintenance, not only can you minimize your production cost but you can also maximize your profit per acre and reduce your down time during the race.
Below is a partial list* of some of the things you should do before you ever put seed into your planter.
- Check tires for cracks, wear & tear, and tire pressure.
- Make sure that your drawbar and planter toolbar are level when in the ground.
- Look across your planter units to make sure they are all the same height.
- Check all coulters and disks for minimum diameters and alignment.
- Check all bushings and linkages for wear, cracks, and missing bolts.
- If you have row cleaners, clean and adjust at every field.
- Chains and sprockets should be cleaned, inspected, lubricated, and adjusted every day.
- Remove meters, clean, inspect, and replace any warn or broken parts including brushes.
- If you have a finger pickup check back plates for residue, rust, and wear.
- Inspect the seed tubes for wear and placement.
- While inspecting seed tubes check the monitor sensors and clean accordingly.
- Inspect seed firmers for wear and proper tension.
- Check depth wheels and arms for wear and tightness.
- Inspect closing wheels for damage and wear, as well as closing wheel arms.
- Finally, calibrate seed drop vs. transmission settings and monitor readings.
Things to check before planting in a new or different field.
- Right Hybrid for right field.
- Correct seed depth for soil conditions. (1.75 – 2.5 inches).
- Correct air pressure, plates and or pressure plate adjustments as needed per Hybrid.
- At the end of the day lubricate all chains and bearings.
- Use Graphite or talc according to manufactures recommendations.
- Check recommended plant populations for each and every hybrid.
- Review checklist for every seed lot.
- Slow down, be safe!
This really should not be a race. Planting is the most important thing that we will do to produce a crop. Please, please make sure that we take our time and do it right the first time. Luckey Farmers, Inc. provides farmers with some of the best genetics and traits on the market today, but they cannot overcome poor seed placement and/or incorrect planting depth.
*Please consult your manufactures hand books for more information.
