Variable Rate Seeding Technologies Presented by Matthew Steinert

Objective • Explain some of the methods and procedures currently in practice • Highlight variable rate seeding equipment that is currently available • Discuss the future of variable rate seeding

What is Variable Rate Seeding? —Obtaining the optimum seeding rate needed for each area of the field to achieve maximum profitability. —Planting the optimum variety for each area of a field to obtain maximum economic return. —Also includes the application of any fertilizers or other crop inputs applied at planting.

Basis for Variable Rate Seeding —All areas of a field are not capable of producing the same germination rate nor of supporting the same final plant population. Norge. C 2 Port. A Kirkland. B 2 Norge B Kirkland. B Misclassifie d Solie, Remote Sensing, available at soil 4213. okstate. edu -Soil Type -Moisture Availability - Fertility -Field Traffic Patterns -Field Topography

Variety Selection -Plant variety that will yield best on each soil type within the field. -plant high yielding variety on Sandy Loam soil Reinach Very Fine Sandy Loam Dale Silt Loam - SALINE Solie, Remote Sensing, available at soil 4213. okstate. edu -plant lower yielding saline tolerant variety on saline soil -plant more drought tolerant varieties on thinner sandier soils with less water holding capacity

Basis for Variable Rate Seeding -Field element size for variable rate seeding can be larger (30 m^2) -most grain crops are able to moderately compensate for high and low plant populations to achieve maximum yield. -topographical features change more gradually in a field than fertility -properties related to soil type also change slowly across the field (p. H, water holding capacity, soil texture)

Current Practices • Most research has been in corn and other high value crops • Currently same plant population seems to be best for a range of yield goals • Best strategy may be to adjust seeding rate to achieve uniform final population • Rates may be adjusted if extreme differences in yield potential exist within a field • Changing rates as well as varieties using management zones appears to be most promising strategy • Increasing seeding rates in areas with historic weed problems to achieve canopy sooner Corn Grain Yield Level (bu/acre) Recommended Harvest Populations (plants/acre) >180 30. 000 180 26, 000 -30, 000 160 26, 000 -30, 000 140 26, 000 -30, 000 120 26, 000 -30, 000 100 22, 000 <100 18, 000 “Crop Insights” PHI , 1999

Equipment: Air Drills Flexi-coil Variable Rate Air Drill Flexi-coil Variable Rate planter with nurse system

Product Metering Fluted Meter is very accurate and can be calibrated for most any product or variety. Meter is driven by hydraulic torque drives in tandem with electric motors for rapid adjustment and precise control. Up to three products can be applied simultaneously at different rates and applied to separate locations in the soil.

Variable Rate Metering • Monitor allows for infinite rate adjustment either manually or automatically from prescription maps • Fully GPS compatible with ability to display GPS data as well as create as-applied map • Automation is advantageous due to operator fatigue and other factors related to human error

Variable Rate Planters • Ability to control each planter section of 4 -6 row independently. (Tractor hydraulic flow limiting factor to smaller control units) • Ability to vary fertilizer rate simultaneously Coming soon: ability to switch varieties on the go

Conventional Seeding Equipment • Variable rate grain drills non-existent • Conventional planters are expensive to modify and have limited potential • Air systems have extreme versatility -ability to plant almost any crop -same cart can be used to seed small grains, nurse planter, or band broadcast fertilizer · Air systems are economically advantageous even when variable rate ability is not taken into consideration

The Economic Benefit • Currently the largest economic benefit of variable rate seeding appears to be from varying rates of fertilizer applied simultaneously • Phosphate is most common nutrient applied in conjunction with seeding operation • If one time P 2 O 5 sufficiency index’s could be established for areas of the field by either analysis of historical Landsat imagery or from response index’s obtained from foliar phosphate application using remote sensing then variable rate phosphate application could be made based upon removal calculated using Landsat or yield monitor data. • Current ongoing studies in their fifth years on farms in both North Dakota and Saskatchewan show economic benefits from these practices

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