SmartFirmer Precision Planting
What does any seed require to germinate? Adequate moisture and warmth make for the most favorable environment for germination. That’s why you monitor the weather and soil-temperature reports for the days leading up to planting time, right? You have an educated guess about these conditions when you head out to the field. When you dig seeds behind the planter, you also have an educated guess about soil moisture and how much plant residue got trapped in the furrow with the seed. Two educated guesses—know what that is? That’s guessing.
Imagine a seed firmer that measures furrow conditions in real time. There may be some soil moisture, but is there enough to promote germination? Maybe the soil surface seems warm enough, but what about two inches below the surface? SmartFirmer allows you to monitor these and other factors that contribute to the furrow environment. Monitor the following conditions:
- Moisture and temperature that contributes to optimum germination
- Cleanliness of the seed furrow (residue can introduce disease)
- Soil uniformity (a change in soil texture affects other variables)
- Organic Matter (by percent) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of soil
If you are mapping your soils for productivity, you must consider the Organic Matter content. It is just that important for choosing crop genetics, population, and nutritional needs. When you pair the SmartFirmer with Precision Planting control technologies during planting, you can let the system adjust seeding population, variety, and fertilizer on-the-go.
Your Precision Planting system must be SRM-based in order to utilize SmartFirmer. For product control, you will require at least one SmartFirmer for every four rows; but, we would recommend at least two of them if you’re only interested in broad monitoring or OM data collection.
What does any seed require to germinate? Adequate moisture and warmth make for the most favorable environment for germination. That’s why you monitor the weather and soil-temperature reports for the days leading up to planting time, right? You have an educated guess about these conditions when you head out to the field. When you dig seeds behind the planter, you also have an educated guess about soil moisture and how much plant residue got trapped in the furrow with the seed. Two educated guesses—know what that is? That’s guessing.
Imagine a seed firmer that measures furrow conditions in real time. There may be some soil moisture, but is there enough to promote germination? Maybe the soil surface seems warm enough, but what about two inches below the surface? SmartFirmer allows you to monitor these and other factors that contribute to the furrow environment. Monitor the following conditions:
- Moisture and temperature that contributes to optimum germination
- Cleanliness of the seed furrow (residue can introduce disease)
- Soil uniformity (a change in soil texture affects other variables)
- Organic Matter (by percent) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of soil
If you are mapping your soils for productivity, you must consider the Organic Matter content. It is just that important for choosing crop genetics, population, and nutritional needs. When you pair the SmartFirmer with Precision Planting control technologies during planting, you can let the system adjust seeding population, variety, and fertilizer on-the-go.
Your Precision Planting system must be SRM-based in order to utilize SmartFirmer. For product control, you will require at least one SmartFirmer for every four rows; but, we would recommend at least two of them if you’re only interested in broad monitoring or OM data collection.