Quality education and skills enhancement programs are essential pathways for empowering young populations and for transforming societies both economically and socially. Many young people lack education, skills, and access to capacity development programs, particularly in developing countries.  

Importance of capacity development programs 

Current global trends around leadership, technology and innovation skills, food systems transformation, economic growth, gender equality and climate change affirm the importance of building the capacity of the ever-increasing youth population in ways that are fun, creative, practical and values-driven.  

In recent years, the AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) has intensified its efforts to promote and support quality agricultural education and capacity development programs for key stakeholders, including youth, women, farmers and marginalized communities across the globe. This strategic commitment aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.  

Last year, the AAF announced a six-month social initiative to provide interactive learning-based programs for children and young adults living at the Martin Richenhagen Future Farm community in Zambia. The initiative received a generous donation from agricultural equipment company CLAAS in honor of the retirement of AGCO’s former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Richenhagen.  

In Zambia, one of the youngest African countries, the initiative has formed partnerships with local non-profit organizations such as the Leadership Bank, Barefeet Theatre and AGCO Zambia Youth Group to provide tailored learning initiatives and personal development activities for the 50 youth participants enrolled in the program.  

Program participants in a workshop at the Future Farm

Developing talents, closing the skills gap 

The famous saying from author Mark. W. Boyer explains that “the best help we can offer today’s youth is to prepare them for tomorrow”, helping to shape their minds and thought processes for the present and the future.  

In this realization, the youth-focus initiative at the Martin Richenhagen Future Farm community in Zambia was initiated to drive societal change, inspire creativity, and build networks of values-based leaders of tomorrow. The program facilitators organized mentorship and coaching sessions, edutainment activities, and hands-on educational learning on vegetable gardening and farm operations. 

This is a great opportunity for the youth at the Martin Richenhagen Future Farm community to develop both personal and community leadership skills through the series of interactive mentorship sessions,” said Syreeta Chitengi, Director at the Leadership Bank – Zambia. “Through the program, we have worked with the participants on important topics around leadership traits, purpose and values, character building, matters of peer pressure, setting personal goals and community development. 

Anna Akapelwa, 16, a program participant, shared that the program had provided her with the much-needed soft and leadership skills that she didn’t know before the program’s start. In addition, she explained how she garnered essential lessons on self-belief, personal planning, and behavioral changes.”  

Maureen Phiri, 18, highlighted her learning experience about creating a vision board. She said the program enabled her to develop a personal vision board. “Waking up to my vision board motivates me to work towards actualizing my personal and career goals”. She added, “I have also learned about the consequences of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy, and I’m determined to abstain from it and share the knowledge with my peers in school.

The program assessment shows that the participants engaged actively through a participatory approach deployed for each class. Participant Gladys Tubulu, 18, said the training series helped her reaffirm her sense of purpose and self-belief. “I have not only developed a strong confidence level to stand in front of a large audience but also improved my dancing, acrobatics, acting and self-management skills.” 

The assessment from the Barefeet Theatre sessions shows how the program has changed attitudes, behaviors, and improved relationships among the participants.  

When the program started, participants were not fully engaged as a group. They also showed low self-esteem, but as the program activities progressed, they started becoming more active and interactive,” said Taonga Tembo, Artistic Director at Barefeet Theatre.

Margret Phiri, 20, said she gained valuable lessons on community development and humanitarian services, especially on adequately managing waste and keeping the community environment clean and healthy. “Like other participants, I see myself as an advocate of change to portray good societal values and share the knowledge from this program with other peers.” 

On the green garden component of the program, the participants noted that the experiential learning activities had enabled them to understand the basics of growing vegetables for healthy eating. Participant Francis Samyandulu, 15, said the practical classes on green gardens enabled him to learn and perform tasks such as land preparation for garden vegetable production. 

As the participants prepare for a graduation ceremony at the Martin Richenhagen Future Farm compound this fall, they will explore ways to address societal problems and become change agents in their community. AAF and all project partners are optimistic that lessons from the program will lead to a mindset change for the participants to think differently and see themselves as active players for positive change. 

The post AGCO Agriculture Foundation initiative promotes knowledge and skills for Zambian youth appeared first on AGCO Blog.

Last year, the AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) launched a sustainable poultry production project in Zambia to help small-scale producers increase their sustainable and market-oriented poultry production and contribute to improved food, nutrition, and income security. 

In Zambia, poultry farming serves as a major source of income and nutrition for more than 1 million farmers and households who keep chickens. In efforts to scale up sustainable and market-oriented poultry production, the AAF granted $150,000 to Self Help Africa to support local communities in Chongwe District in Lusaka Province, Zambia.  

Supporting local farming households 

At the start of the project, the initiative supported 150 small-scale farmers, both practicing and emerging, to increase their production, skills and income. With a two-month project expansion, an additional 100 local farming households were added to the project beneficiaries, bringing the total project duration to 12 months and almost doubling the project impact. Over 60 percent of the beneficiary farmers are women, and at least 20 percent are youth aged 18-35 years.

At the center of this project is the commitment to improve the agricultural prosperity and self-sufficiency of small-scale poultry farmers and their households through sustainable poultry production and a market-linkage approach.

“The poultry project has really helped people in our community. With increased incomes, we are using the profits to send our children to school,” says Tobias Mzombola, a poultry farmer in the Ndombwi area of Chongwe District.

During the project, Self Help Africa implemented tailored programs to enhance the knowledge and practices of participants, leading to better livestock management, increased access to quality inputs for better poultry production, and increased knowledge and skills to benefit economically and nutritionally from poultry farming.

The project beneficiaries each received three local hens and one kuroiler cockerel to make four birds per member of the four Commodity Producer Groups (CPGs) constituted for the project. Among each of the CPGs, 800 broilers were distributed to support their poultry rearing. After successfully selling the previous stock, the project increased to 1,000 broilers redistributed among the same CPGs. It also assisted with other resources, including feed and vaccines, and provides training such as poultry management, feed formulation, business management skills and nutrition education to change attitudes and consumption behaviors.

Training proves beneficial to participants  

Kuzanayi Tembo, a female beneficiary, mentioned, “In addition to receiving both broilers and village chickens, she joined other participants to attend training on poultry house management, feed formulation and practical cooking demonstrations explaining the importance of nutrition education.”

Smallholder farmers like Tobias and Kuzunayi still faced a range of poultry rearing challenges, including limited access to extension services, vaccines and inputs to treat poultry diseases. However, Tobias explained that the knowledge gained from the training on better poultry housing and feed formulation had improved her farm hygiene, leading to a reduction in the incidence of poultry disease on the farm.

Kuzanayi Tembo, a beneficiary from Ndombwi Cooperative, Chongwe District, examining the birds from one of the broiler commodity producer groups

Poultry products, a boost for a youth-led cooperative 

Poultry farming can serve as an essential social safety net for many marginalized households and rural people who face challenges such as the effects of unemployment, poverty and food insecurity. 

A local cooperative, Lifted Youth Cooperative in Chongwe District, is among the project beneficiaries that received broilers and incubators, enabling them to hatch their chicks and offering hatchery services to other farmers within the district.  

 “Our cooperative members have benefited from the support and training provided through the project. In the past months, we have incorporated all lessons and recommendations from the training received, and we have seen a thriving poultry operation,” said Elase Mpande, a spokesperson for the Lifted Youth Cooperative. 

He added that the group members have started to earn an income from the sale of chickens and eggs. Obby Mwanza, a cooperative member, shared, “The project has enabled the group members to understand better how to make good quality animal feed and administer vaccines for the chicks in the best way when it is needed.”   

A poultry house managed by the Lifted Youth Cooperative in Palabana area, Chongwe District

Improving poultry production to reduce poverty in rural Chongwe areas 

Zambia’s poultry sector plays an increasingly significant role in the country’s economy and national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Changing diets among Zambians have increased poultry protein consumption. This shift in consumption pattern is also driven by the growing market demand for poultry, resulting in rising beef, pork and mutton prices.

To meet the ever-growing poultry protein demand and consumption, a small-scale focused poultry project can help create a sustainable approach to addressing hunger, enhanced income, and nutrition security, particularly for smallholder farming communities in Chongwe District.

Incubation process of quail and chicken eggs at one of the commodity producers’ groups located in Kanakantapa area, Chongwe District

At the project location in Chongwe District, Judith Nanyangwe expressed excitement at how she has been earning income from the sale of chickens and eggs. 

“Like many other small-scale poultry farmers around Chongwe, the pandemic was a big shock for my poultry business. This project is timely, and it helped to gain new experiences in poultry and business management. As a result, I have secured a new market uptake where I sell my eggs for a price of 120 Zambian Kwacha ($6.61) per tray,” Judith said.  

Small-scale farmers like Judith often experienced high production costs, which reduce their profitability and competitiveness within informal markets. Judith explained that the commodity producer group received chick incubators to store and hatch eggs, resulting in lower production costs and a clear understanding of the reproduction cycle from an egg to a chick.

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation and its implementing partner, Self Help Africa, have recorded impactful results within the project location areas in Chongwe. The project continues to empower marginalized farmers with additional sources of income through indigenous and exotic chicken breeds and ensuring access of smallholder farmers to more tailored poultry training, nutrition education programs and awareness activities like the weekly poultry radio show program.

This impact story was created to document and share on-the-ground knowledge from project beneficiaries in Zambia. This article capitalizes on farmers’ insights, impacts, and lessons from the 12–month sustainable poultry production project. 

The post AGCO Agriculture Foundation’s Poultry Project Empowers Farming Communities to Optimize the Growing Poultry Market in Zambia appeared first on AGCO Blog.

Many thanks to Horizon Europe Missions for the source material.

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The study was conducted in 2019 on three different fields using a wide range of planting conditions, tillage practices, and terrains. At each location, side-by-side treatments consisted of planting at 8, 10, and 15 km/h. See figure 1.

Figure 1

Results 

Across all three locations, using Precision Planting DeltaForce and SpeedTube technology, planting at 8, 10 and 15 km/h resulted in equivalent sugar beet yields. The field efficiency can be increased from 4.4 ha/h to 7.3 ha/h by increasing the speed from 8 km/h to 15 km/h without a significant yield decrease. See figure 2.

Figure 2

Additional Observations 

• Planting at 10 km/h instead of 8 km/h the field efficiency is increased by 10% from 4.4 ha/h to 4.8 ha/h for a 6-meter, 50 cm row planter.
• Increasing the field speed from 8 to 15 km/h will increase the covered area by 53% per hour from 4.8 ha/h to 7.3 ha/h for a 6-meter 50 cm row planter.
• High-speed planting was especially beneficial in 2019, when excessive and frequent rainfall events resulted in short planting windows.
• Unaided high-speed planting will cause row units to bounce, seeds to bounce in the tube, and a poor stand.  DeltaForce and SpeedTube eliminate this issue because the seeds are controlled all the way from the vSet meter to the ground.  If there is row unit bounce, it does not affect seed spacing because the seeds are contained within a flighted belt, keeping them in place.  When seeds are under control, speed can be increased without sacrificing performance. The DeltaForce system will ensure good ground contact for each row unit and the tractor cab monitor will warn the operator if the ground contact is lost or row-unit vibration will affect seed.

Recommendations and Equipment 

Planters equipped with SpeedTube for precise seed singulation and spacing at fast planting speeds to increase productivity

Payback  

Increasing the field speed from 8 to 15 km/h will increase the covered area by 53% per hour and reduce the planting cost by 2 EUR/ha.**

*3 sites: 2019 -Rommerskirchen, Germany; Suderburg, Germany; Reusel, Netherlands

** Farm labor cost set at 12 EUR/ha.

Study Contact:

Jens Christian Jensen, AGCO Agronomist, Northwestern Europe. Connect with Jens Christian on Linkedin.

The post One-Year Planting Speed Study in Sugar Beets appeared first on AGCO Blog.

Buying a new piece of equipment is an exciting time on the farm. However, no machine operates entirely on its own, so it’s important that it fits well into the existing fleet, otherwise integration can be a major source of frustration.

Massey Ferguson and AGCO’s Fuse Smart Farming team are working closely with farmers and dealers to ease the transition to a new piece of equipment.

Farmers looking to the inspired design and optimized efficiency the MF 8700S won’t be disappointed by the tractor’s easy-to-use precision ag and integration capabilities.

Flowerree Hay & Grain based in Christmas Valley, Oregon recently traded in a couple of John Deere tractors for two new 8700 S Massey Fergusons.

As a newcomer to the Massey Ferguson brand, Flowerree Hay & Grain needed help from their dealer, Robbins Equipment, to figure out how to run their Best Way sprayer and get all the controls to run through the new Datatronic 5 terminal on the new MF 8700 S.

About a week before Flowerree Hay & Grain needed to start spraying, the team at Robbins got the break in the weather they needed to put everything together and try it in the field.

To get the two pieces of equipment running together, the Robbins team had conducted previous research before the sale took place to ensure compatibility and the right solution.

The Section Control unlock on the Datatronic 5 terminal of the MF 8700S tractor

Flowerree Hay & Grain had been running the rig using a JD2000 rate controller on the old tractor. To integrate the Best Way sprayer with the new tractor, the team installed a Raven Rate Control Module (RCM), due to its ease of use and reliability. The Raven RCM is plug and play and worked very well in this application. The Robbins team then performed a simple section control unlock in the MF 8700 S.

The Raven Rate Control Module (RCM) work page on the Datatronic 5 terminal of the MF 8700S tractor

Fuse Smart Farming experts walked the Massey Ferguson product specialist and the Robbins Equipment technician through the nuances of wiring harnesses, RCM screens, and Best Way sprayer specifics over the phone. The team onsite was able to get the MF 8700 S set up with the Best Way sprayer later that day for the farmer to try out.

The happy couple: a new MF 8732 S with a Best Way sprayer powered by a Raven RCM

The Robbins Equipment team was pleased to see that the layout of the RCM liquid system was so similar to the Deere setup that the customer had no trouble operating the new setup from the start. Factory fit MF Guide with a Smart-7 receiver from Novatel and Terrastar-L sub-meter correction signal ensures that the tractor is exactly where it should be, and the variable rate and section control features maximize the accuracy and efficiency of the grower’s application while protecting his crop yield.

When the Robbins team checked in with the customer after using the RCM for a couple weeks, Flowerree Hay & Grain said they prefer the layout and function of the RCM over the older Deere system.

Massey Ferguson dealers are trained and ready to deliver on their promises to integrate new equipment into existing fleets. With access to some of the best precision agriculture specialists with a broad knowledge base across manufacturers and precision ag suppliers, they can confidently help you create the best setup for your specific needs.

Learn more about Massey Ferguson 8700 S series row crop tractors here or talk to your local Massey Ferguson dealer to find the best technology solution for your farm.

How’d they do that? Watch a video from in the cab.

The post Running a New Massey Ferguson 8700 S with a Best Way Sprayer appeared first on AGCO Blog.

The study was conducted from 2016 to 2020 on 22* different fields throughout the U.S. Midwest. Modified seed plates, or “goof” plates, were installed on specific row-units of each planter to intentionally create skips and doubles (Picture 1). Standard seed singulation plots contained a low occurrence of skips and doubles, whereas poor seed singulation plots contained a higher occurrence due to the modified seed plates.

Picture 1: Modified seed plate to intentionally create skips and doubles.

Results:

Across all locations, a 93.4% singulation accuracy was recorded in the rows planted with the goof plates versus a 99.6% accuracy in adjacent rows planted with Precision Planting vSet meters. Reducing singulation accuracy by 6.2% resulted in a 5 bushel per acre yield loss (Figure 1) when averaged across all 22 locations.

Figure 1. Average grain yield across 22 locations from 2016 to 2020.

Additional Observations:

• Doubled seeds can result in plants with smaller stalk diameters and ears.
• Plants adjacent to a skip (missing plant) can produce larger ears and more grain because of less competition, which can compensate somewhat but not enough to make up the entire yield of the missing plant.
• Plants spaced evenly apart can better tolerate stressful growing conditions.

Picture 2: Measuring seed singulation and spacing accuracy.

Recommendations and Equipment Solutions:

Massey Ferguson VE Series Planters and Fendt Momentum Planters equipped with vSet meters and vDrive will consistently achieve high singulation accuracy. Using the Precision Planting Gen3 20|20 Monitor allows for simple monitoring of seed singulation and spacing.

Payback:

$22.50** improvement in return per acre when singulation was improved in our study.

*22 sites: 2016 – Galva, Illinois; Edgewood, Iowa; Amboy, Indiana; New Ulm, Minnesota; Jackson, Minnesota; Estelline, South Dakota; 2017 – Ionia, Iowa; Morning Sun, Iowa; Judson, Minnesota; Winthrop, Minnesota; New Ulm, Minnesota; Galva, Illinois; 2018 – Bement, Illinois; Gladbrook, Iowa; Union City, Ohio; Irwin, Iowa; Mosinee, Wisconsin; 2019 – Mt Hope, Kansas; Wausau, Wisconsin; 2020 – Baltic, South Dakota; Chillicothe, Ohio; Stewartville, Minnesota

**Assumes 5 bushel per acre yield increase at $4.50/bushel

Study Contact:

Jason Lee, AGCO Agronomist. Connect with Jason on Linkedin.

The post Five-Year Seed Singulation Study in Corn appeared first on AGCO Blog.

The study was conducted in 2019 on two different sugar beet fields that were double planted on a 45-degree angle to the master row direction. The sugar beet in the master rows was hand-harvested and measured as harvested yield with beets between the rows counted as loss. This procedure is a replication of how a sugar beet harvester will react in areas of the field with overlapping rows.  See figure 1.

Figure 1. Red line = main planting wayline
Dashed line = experimental 45-degree overlap wayline

Results:  

Across the two locations, the harvest result showed a significant difference between sugar yields in the area with overlap compared to the non-overlapped area. The yield in the non-overlapped area was 13.5 ton/ha on average compared to 8.1 ton/ha for the overlapped area. The overlapped area reduced the yield by 40% compared to non-overlapped area. See figure 2.

The main reason for the reduced yield is caused by smaller beets due to increased plant competition. The plant population in the overlapped area is doubled so the competition for water and nutrients results in smaller beets.

Figure 2

Additional Observations:

• The sugar beets in the overlapped area had an uneven root size compared to the non-overlapped area.
• The harvester speed in the overlapped area was 4.4 km/h compared to 5.0 km/h in the non-overlapped area, resulting in a -0.2 ha/h or -15% lower field efficiency for the harvester.

See figure 3

Figure 3

Recommendations and Equipment Solutions: 

The use of section control can improve yield, crop quality and harvest equipment field efficiency compared to sugar beets planted without section control, based on the findings of this one-year study.
Section control is available on Massey Ferguson, Fendt, and Valtra tractors.

Payback: 

• Based on the assumption that the average overlap area for equipment not using section control is 15% and by using section control the overlapped area during planting can be reduced to 0%, the seed cost saving will be 45 EUR/ha.
• The yield loss due to overlapping can be reduced by 135 EUR/ha.
• The total net revenue increases by 180 EUR/ha or 12 EUR/Pct. reduced overlap.
• The above calculation is based on seed price of 300 EUR/ha and yield loss due to overlap of 30 ton/ha at a price of 3 EUR/ton.

*2 sites: 2019 -Rommerskirchen, GER; Reusel, NL

Study Contact: 

Jens Christian Jensen, AGCO Agronomist, Northwestern Europe. Connect with Jens Christian on Linkedin.

The post One-Year Seed Section Control Study in Sugar Beets in Northwestern Europe appeared first on AGCO Blog.

AGCO puts farmers first, and that means discovering ways to unlock yield potential while farming more efficiently and sustainably. AGCO’s Agronomy and Advanced Farm Solutions team is hard at work bringing the latest research from fields around the globe to the farmers who feed the world. Check back every Tuesday for a new agronomic research study as the team explores different crops, equipment, pathogens, and growing practices.

Three-Year Planting Speed Study in Corn

The objective of this study was to determine if high-speed planting resulted in similar grain yield as normal, slower planting speeds.

The study was conducted from 2017 to 2019 on seven* different fields that included a wide range of planting conditions, tillage practices, and terrains. At each location, side-by-side treatments consisted of planting at 5 or 10 mph. All other planter settings were identical, including automatic downforce control using Precision Planting DeltaForce, which is necessary at faster planting speeds to have more precise downforce control and prevent row-unit bounce.

Results:

Equivalent grain yields were observed across all seven locations when planting at 10 or 5 mph with Massey Ferguson VE Series planters, formerly called White Planters, equipped with Precision Planting SpeedTube® (Figure 1).

Additional Observations:

• Secondary tillage passes should travel in the same direction as the planter pass for proper seed placement at high-speeds.
• High-speed planting was especially beneficial in 2019 where excessive and frequent rainfall events resulted in short planting windows.

Recommendations and Equipment Solutions:

• Massey Ferguson VE Series planters equipped with Precision Planting SpeedTube for precise seed singulation and spacing at high speeds (e.g., planting at 10 mph versus 5 mph with a Massey Ferguson MFVF16-30 planter equates to 24 additional acres/hour planted)
• High-speed planting requires automatic downforce control using DeltaForce® to have more precise downforce control and prevent row-unit bounce.

Payback:

Figure 2 represents two planting scenarios (5 vs. 10 mph) for an entire 1,000-acre corn crop. Increasing planter speed with SpeedTube, and thus, increasing the total number of acres planted on earlier dates with higher yield potentials, resulted in an overall farm average yield increase of 11.7 bushels/acre. In this scenario, the option cost of adding SpeedTube was paid for after planting about 518 acres of corn.

Figure 2: Yield potential by planting date given the total number of acres planted at 5 or 10 mph. Blue bars represent planting windows and the total number of respective acres planted.

*Seven sites: 2017 – Galva, Illinois; 2018 – Bement, Illinois; Union City, Ohio; Irwin, Iowa; Madison, Wisconsin; Mosinee, Wisconsin; 2019 – Owensboro, Kentucky;

** Assumes 180 bushel/acre historical average corn yield; Market price of $3.75/bushel; calculations performed for SpeedTube option cost on a Massey Ferguson MFVF16-30 planter (MFVF stands for Massey Ferguson VE Front Fold)

Study contact:

Jason Lee, AGCO Agronomist, North America, AGCO Corporation. Connect with Jason on LINKEDIN.

The post Three-Year Planting Speed Study in Corn appeared first on AGCO Blog.

The study was conducted in 2019 at two different locations in Ukraine, six plots were established where sunflower seed was planted at different depths, which were 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 3.5 inches (2.5, 3.8, 5.1, 6.4, 7.1 and 8.9 cm) deep.  Individual plots were 8 rows wide and 50m long. The entire study was positioned in the field so that all treatments were planted into similar soil moisture conditions to avoid any influence from different soil conditions.

Results:

Sunflower seed planted at less than 2 inches resulted in poor emergence and yield.

Sunflower seed planted at 2 inches deep produced the optimum yield.  Crop emergence was good and sunflower head size was more uniform.

Sunflower seed planted deeper than 3 inches resulted in reduced yield because of uneven crop emergence and subsequent head size and individual plants compensated.

The optimum planting depth for sunflower across the three sites was 2 inches (5.1 cm), which produced an average yield of 2.7 t/ha.  When planting at 1 or 1.5 inches (2.5, and 3.8 cm) deep, a yield reduction of -63.6 and -12.5%, respectively, was measured.  When planting too deep at 2.5, 3, and 3.5 inches (6.4, 7.1 and 8.9 cm), a yield reduction of -4.0 and -8.1 and -51.4%, respectively, was measured.

Additional Observations:

Planting depth is critical to achieving uniform emergence.  Planting at very shallow depths resulted in significant yield loss because the seed was not planted at a depth where the soil moisture layer was consistent.  Seed planted at depths below the optimum 2 inches (5.2 cm) also suffered significant yield loss because of uneven crop emergence.

Recommendations and Equipment Solutions:

The data generated from this study highlights the importance of planting depth.  Since soil moisture levels are constantly changing and can vary between fields due to different soil types and landscapes, it is critical to check moisture levels before planting in order to determine the optimum planting depth.  Also, it is important to consider the depth control systems on a planter.  Auto downforce technology, such as Precision Planting DeltaForceTM, helps reduce variability in planting depth.

Payback:

The lost revenue per hectare when planting sunflower at the wrong depths is displayed below.

Assumptions:

Price of sunflower – $400/t

Study Contact:

Mark Moore, Agricultural Development Manager for Europe and the Middle East, AGCO Corporation. Connect with Mark on LinkedIN.

The post Planting Depth Study in Sunflowers appeared first on AGCO Blog.

The study was conducted from 2016 to 2020 on 22* different fields, mostly throughout the U.S. Midwest. Six planting depth plots were established at each location, beginning at 1 inch and increasing to 3.5 inches in half-inch increments.

Results:

When averaged across all locations, planting at 2 inches resulted in the highest overall yield (Figure 1). However, optimum planting depths per location often ranged between 1.5 and 3 inches, depending on field conditions. Planting just a half-inch shallower than 1.5 inches resulted in an average 13 bushel per acre yield loss. On the other end, planting just a half-inch deeper than 3 inches resulted in an average 8 bushel per acre yield loss.

Figure 1. Average grain yield across 22 locations from 2016 to 2020.

Additional Observations:

• Stand reductions were often noted when planting at 1-inch deep (Picture 1).
• Planting shallower than 1.5 inches can cause non-uniform emergence due to moisture variability and does not allow proper nodal root development.
• Planting depths from 1.5 to 3.5 inches deep allow for adequate root development. However, planting deeper than 3 inches sometimes can delay emergence or reduce stands.
• Planting depth is extremely important for uniform emergence, growth and development.   Consistently achieving the proper depth is challenging, especially in fields with varying soil textures, depending on the time of day, tillage system, and how far ahead of the planter tillage operations occur.

Picture 1: Stand reductions due to shallow planting depth.

Recommendations and Equipment Solutions:

To determine the optimum planting depth, it is important to check for moisture and observe the extended weather forecast. Seeds should be planted into moisture and deeper if extended heat and dry conditions are expected.

Massey Ferguson VE Series Planters and Fendt Momentum Planters come standard with the most accurate depth control systems in the industry.

• On every row-unit, seeding depth can be increased/decreased by .25-inch increments
• DeltaForce ensures seeds are placed exactly where they are intended by maintaining the correct amount of weight on the gauge wheels of every row, regardless of field variation
• Vertical contouring toolbar (Picture 2) on Fendt Momentum planters offers each row-unit up to 65.9 inches of vertical travel to ensure each seed is placed at the correct depth regardless of terrain
• Precision Planting’s SmartFirmer® provides seed level temperature and moisture information on the monitor in the tractor cab providing confidence in seed depth settings

Picture 2: Precise seeding depth control with Fendt Momentum vertical contouring toolbar.

Payback:

The cost of planting too shallow (1 versus 1.5 inches) was $58.50** per acre in this study, whereas the cost of planting too deep (3 versus 3.5 inches) was $36 per acre.

*22 U.S. sites: 2016 – Galva, Illinois; Edgewood, Iowa; Amboy, Indiana; New Ulm, Minnesota; Jackson, Minnesota; 2017 – Ionia, Iowa; Morning Sun, Iowa; Judson, Minnesota; Winthrop, Minnesota; 2018 – Bement, Illinois; Union City, Ohio; Falls City, Nebraska; Irwin, Iowa; Fremont, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; Mosinee, Wisconsin; 2019 – Mt Hope, Kansas; Emmetsburg, Iowa; Owensboro, Kentucky; 2020 – Baltic, South Dakota; Chillicothe, Ohio; Stewartville, Minnesota.

**Assumes 13 bushels per acre yield decrease at $4.50/bushel, or 8 bushels/acre at $4.50

Study Contact:

Jason Lee, AGCO Agronomist, North America. Connect with Jason on LinkedIN.

The post Five-Year Planting Depth Study in Corn appeared first on AGCO Blog.