Treat your seedbed preparation with utmost care. On our farm, we try to achieve a soft ride for our planters so as to achieve even emergence, which is key to achieving top yields. Having soil that is properly mixed and blackened helps with warming up quicker and drier than in areas which may have poor residue decomposition. Make sure you are planting at a uniform depth, and that you are planting deep enough. If in doubt, plant deeper!
Let’s face it, we do not operate in a perfect world where we can control all aspects of production and sales, but we can do our best in what we can control. The maximum potential of a product is while it is still in the bag, and that potential diminishes once the bag is opened.
Even emergence is a must to achieving top yields. Choosing the best seed for your soil, planting in the best conditions for optimal emergence, achieving good cold germs, and practicing good handling procedures are a few skill sets which will provide value to your bottom line.
– Mike Cox, Fowler IN
