Winter Planter Maintenance December 10, 2024 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email This winter planter maintenance should be on top of your to do list. Calibrating meters can reduce headaches in season and increase your crop stand. No need to wait. Parallel arms and disc openers are often the first culprits of any inconsistencies when it comes to planter performance. When parallel arms are worn out it often results in uneven emergence and sporadic stand due to the large amount of slop in the row unit. As disc openers wear the diameter of the disc decreases which over time will result in seeds not being planted at the desired depth which results in an uneven stand. These are just some of the more common issues that are found during a planter inspection. Our Planter Inspection Program offered by Insight FS checks every aspect of your planter from front to back to make sure your planter performs this spring. Upon the completion of the inspection a post-inspection report is completed with notes on every item that needs repair. Timely action is needed after the inspection to combat long lead times on common planter wear parts to solidify that your planter will be in tip-top shape for planting. The best way to get a jumpstart on the next planting season is to schedule a planter inspection through your Precision Equipment Specialist here at Insight FS. Precision Equipment Specialists Southeastern WI Darren Riskedal: (608) 516-7269 Southwestern WI Joseph Fugate: (608) 444-7455 Northern WI Garret Smith: (715) 312-0488 Related Items Managing Escaped Weeds Prior to Harvest Many corn and soybean fields have weed escapes or weeds that were left uncontrolled after postemergence herbicide applications. Preharvest herbicide applications may be used in some fields to limit weeds at harvest. Read the full story Fall Fertility To-do List The fall season is the first opportunity to establish yield potential for the crop that will be planted the following spring. Grid sampling is a tool to establish baseline fertility values for lime, phosphorous (P) and potassium (K), and is the best way to ensure we find the true variability in a field. Read the full story Late-Season Field Evaluations Late season field notes can provide valuable data at harvest, helping to explain some yield differences you may see between and within fields. Read the full story