LONDON, Ohio — Proper seed placement, along with applying just the right amount of fertilizer needed to maximize yields while saving money, will be the focus of the daylong Planter University workshop offered Feb. 28 by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University.
The workshop, held at Beck’s Hybrid’s, 720 U.S. 40 in London, will offer farmers a hands-on opportunity to learn more about advancements in planter technology as well as hear directly from researchers and experts on the issues, said John Fulton, precision agriculture specialist for Ohio State University Extension.
Planter setup
Fulton, who is also an associate professor in the college’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, said the event will also offer participants practical information and knowledge about planters, including setup and technology to improve a planter’s operation.
“Our focus for this event is on farmers and agronomists that support farmers when it comes to decisions around the planting operation,” he said. “We’ll provide information to help them with obtaining peak operating performance of the planter.”
This information could be vital to a farmer’s bottom line, considering the expense of seed costs today and the need to ensure proper seed placement to gain the highest yield potential, Fulton said.
“We have farmers today that are spending a significant amount of money on their seed purchases, so it has become even more critical that they are able to plant at the right depth while avoiding compaction or other issues that could negatively impact uniformity of emergence and yield,” he said. “Growers also want to be as efficient as possible with placing fertilizer.”
Topics covered
Workshop topics will include planter setup for maximizing yield potential, unmanned aerial vehicles and imagery for planting evaluations, precision planting seed and nutrient placement, managing compaction, and electronic drive technology.
The workshop is from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The event will also feature 15 vendors focused on planting operations. Several varieties of planters will be on site, including representatives from Case IH, John Deere and Precision Agri Service.
Registration for Planter University is $50 and includes the program, handouts, lunch and refreshments. For more information or to register, contact Fulton at 937-484-1526 or 740-852-0975.
The deadline to register is Feb. 20. More information can also be found at go.osu.edu/PlanterU.
