Do more per planter pass this spring
As Indiana farmer Jason Wykoff tunes up his planter, checks fields and pores over nutrient and yield data, he is still wrestling with what will go into his in-furrow program.
“So often in production ag, we evaluate everything based off of final yield,” Wykoff says. “We have to start digging deeper into the components of that final yield, know the limiting factors and address those instead.”
As he and others are finding, some of those limiting factors can be addressed in-furrow via the planter. Building out an in-furrow program might require new equipment, new attachments and/or rethinking early-season plant nutrition and protection. But those investments don’t have to break the bank.
“Over the past five years, we have looked at doing more per pass,” says Joe Zumwalt, a farmer from Warsaw, Ill. “I am not wanting to put an immense amount of product out in the spring. I just want enough to give seedlings a boost and safety. I have seen ROI in improved plant health, seedling vigor and greater insect and bacteria protection, as well as early root development.”
Thanks to modern planting technology, delivering solutions often isn’t as difficult as determining the right agronomic combinations to unlock higher yields.
“There are a lot of products on the market making claims, and the only way to prove those claims is to do your own on-farm research,” says Marc Eads with Spearhead Agriculture & Management, who works with Wykoff in Indiana.
“You can come up with a very good in-furrow program that will have a positive ROI for $15 to $17 per acre,” Eads says. “I know guys who are spending upward of $40.”
Fertility Equals Maturity
The biggest component of any in-furrow program is fertility.
“Nutrition is key early in the season when we see cold and often wet soil,” says Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist Missy Bauer. “Getting those plants off to a good start has important effects, on not just that initial root growth, but it also translates into above-ground growth and maturity.”
In-furrow or pop-up fertilizer can give plants a seven- to even 10-day jump-start in maturity, Bauer says. Data from the Farm Journal Test Plots using the FurrowJet shows incremental rates up to 6 gal. per acre increase plant maturity with every step up.
Base product selection on your soil type and seed. In lighter soils, where seed burn might be an issue, Bauer prefers a low-salt fertilizer if it’s directly in-furrow. However, with new technology such as a FurrowJet (Precision Planting) or Y-Not Split-It (Schaffert Manufacturing), a less expensive 10-34-0 applied into the seed trench sidewall has proven effective as well as economical.
“When worried about seed burn, the rate boils down to what your soils can handle,” she says. “We don’t want to give bushels up by losing stand and ear count and burning the seed.”
In-Furrow Add-Ons
From micronutrients to pesticides and biologicals to fungicides, crafting the perfect in-furrow cocktail should be based on yield goals and seasonal challenges.
Fungicides: Fungicide seed treatments have become a common way to protect the seed and seedling from soil-borne pathogens in the early stages of germination or growth. There are now several in-furrow fungicides available that create a systemic response expressed in the plants’ leaves from emergence through maturity.
“Our two products offer the opportunity for growers to protect that plant as ear size is being determined in addition to the grain fill period,” says Nick Hustedde, technical service manager with FMC.
Micronutrients: The building blocks of yield come from the availability of micronutrients, such as boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. Consider the ROI when factoring them into your plan.
Bauer says zinc is critically important in-furrow, while nutrients such as boron or sulfur are safer farther away in a 2x2 band.
Biologicals: Many of today’s biological products can earn a spot in your in-furrow plan.
“There’s a lot to be said about the living soil,” Eads says. “In-furrow is the best place to put that biology.”
For Wykoff, biologicals are becoming a replacement for phosphorus applications. “The goal is to make the phosphorus we already have in the soil more available with the help of biologicals.”
Be sure to check labels for mixing restrictions, instructions and application guidance, Bauer says.
Pesticides: You can choose seed treatments or in-furrow liquid application for pesticides. Understand how they can work together.
“The insecticides in seed treatments work, but coupled with an in-furrow application, you won’t have pest problems,” Eads says.
Pest pressure is the reason Zumwalt turned to an in-furrow insecticide. Japanese beetle pressure was high year after year, so he decided to treat the grubs in the soil.
“After four years of treating grubs in-furrow, Japanese beetles are dramatically down compared to neighboring acres,” he says.
Equipment Enhancements
When Zumwalt began building his own planter this past off-season, his goal was efficiency.
“While equipment that promotes efficiency costs money, it always returns profits,” he says. “In-furrow applications are easy and don’t really require a bunch of extra application equipment.”
Depending on the planter setup and tank needs, Zumwalt says, you could create an in-furrow system for approximately $1,000.
An in-furrow program starts with having the tools capable of delivering product, be it seed or fertility, to the right spot, at the right depth in the right soil environment.
“What is helping farmers the most are systems or attachments that help overcome the wide variety of soil and weather variables we’re dealt on the farm,” says Cory Muhlbauer, R&D agronomy lead with Precision Planting.
He says features such as hydraulic downforce, which helps maintain planting depth and crop emergence uniformity, could be a bigger game changer than even improved seed spacing.
“Seed singulation and spacing was something we really went after hard as an industry, and from what we know now, we probably should have gone after downforce first,” Muhlbauer says.
He also says an updated furrow closing system is an investment worth considering.
“There’s still somewhere between 60% and 70% of planters running a pair of rubber closing wheels,” Muhlbauer says. “It’s the easiest one to beat with just about any other closing option.”
Plenty of planters come without any type of liquid nutrition system, Bauer says, while some can feature three different liquid systems. Remember to right-size your logistics to match.
Not all in-furrow systems target the planter pass in the same way. SIMPAS is an after-market system that allows farmers to prescriptively apply up to three products in-furrow, liquid or dry, at planting.
“It always starts with an assessment of what challenges you face in your operation,” says Jim Lappin, director of SIMPAS product portfolio and alliances. “The system allows you to apply products in-furrow at speeds up to 10 mph, and it’s all automated, like an inkjet cartridge turning on and off as it travels across the page.”
The zone-specific delivery can not only target hot spots, but it doesn’t apply product in unneeded places, ultimately reducing usage.
Set Your Goals
Any good in-furrow program and product needs to earn its way into the seed trench. Eads suggests adding products one at a time to see which ones are giving you the biggest return on investment.
Not everything has to be done in year one, Bauer says. “Have a plan in place. Do what you can afford each year knowing what your ultimate end goal is now,” she adds.
