Greg and Grant Millard and their upgraded six row Precision Planter. Morin Photo
Farming traditionally has been an occupation depending on factors beyond a farmer’s control.
The weather is one, quality of the soil they are planting in and even the seeds they are planting and what happens to that seed once it has been planted, are not easy to control.
Many innovations have taken place when it comes to planting and harvesting a crop. In 1830, in the United States, it required about 300 to 350 man-hours to produce 100 bushels, (5 acres) of wheat using a walking plow, brush harrow, and hand seeding.
Just about every aspect of the seeding, growing and harvesting process was beyond the control of a farmer.
By 1995 it only took 3 man-hours to produce 100 bushels (11/8 acres) of corn.
These days the situation has dramatically changed.
Part of that litany of agricultural innovations around getting a profitable and healthy harvest as effectively and efficiently as possible revolves around how a seed is planted into a field.
Vernon Valley Farms Ltd. in Vernon Ontario carries Pioneer and Precision Planting products.
The family business is run by Greg Millard and his son Grant. He founded his business 22 years ago.
“We have been a Precision Planting dealer for 22 years,” said Millard.
Precision Planting in Vernon, Ontario has been supplying solutions to the challenge of getting the most out of your planter. That makes perfect sense as so much work has been done in providing the best seed possible so a farmer should want to have the best seed delivery system possible.
This summer, Millard has taken a six row planter and outfitted it with the latest technology from Precision Planting and has been demonstrating to area farmers how much they can benefit from taking advantage of the latest in seed delivery systems.
The weather may be something beyond a farmer’s control but setting a crop up to succeed is easier than ever with the help of Precision Planting.
“A few months ago I was approached by the company to make a research planter.
We take old planters, in this case a 1986 Case IH 800 series frame and John Deere 1700 series row units and decked it out with technology that can keep up to anything a farmer could buy in a brand new 2021 style planter. So a lot of people are looking at this as a way to keep up with new technology without having to spend the $200,000 to $300,000 for a new corn planter,” he said.
Every aspect of the planting operation has been modified and modernized by Precision Planting upgrades including: DeltaForce, an automated row by row downforce control system that measures and adjusts downforce every time there is variability in your field, so your crops will thrive for optimal yields.
vApplyHD which allows you to get the correct rate of liquid fertilizer to every plant in your field, ensuring your plants never starve, so that your fertilizer ROI is maximized.
vSet, which is a seed meter. Traditional seed meters need continual adjustment to plant accurately which leads to skips, doubles, and ultimately, lost yield. vSet seed meters singulate seeds accurately without any adjustments resulting in perfect seed placement throughout your field.
CleanSweep which allows you to make row cleaner adjustments from the cab, eliminating the frustration of getting row cleaners set, saving you time while planting.
SpeedTube, a seed delivery system that allows you to double your planting speed without sacrificing performance.
vDrive, a maintenance-free electric drive system that lets you breeze through planting without the headaches of a mechanical drive system.
SmartDepth allows you to quickly and easily make depth adjustments, from inside the cab, as conditions change. This saves you time and gives you the confidence that each row is set right where you need it to be.
Conceal which is a planter fertility attachment that is cleanly tucked into the row-unit and places nutrition in the soil 3 inches away from the seed.
SmartFirmer a seed firmer-sensor that measures the amount of moisture available to the seed, so you can adjust your depth correctly and know you will have a consistent crop stand.
FurrowJet firms the seed in the trench while placing bands of fertilizer on and near the seed, so early roots can access essential nutrients at the perfect time, ensuring that plants are never hungry.
FurrowForce is a two-stage closing system that adapts to your planting conditions to remove air pockets and firm soil to keep moisture.
Millard said, “Let me do a couple or three acres for you and let’s see if we can give you a better stand of corn and some more yield in the fall.”
He added, “In most cases we are working with older planters that have a little bit of history on them. Everything from 3 to 4 years old to 40 years old and everything in between. More and more guys are seeing what we are doing and that is why they are coming on board. I have already had farmers call me to arrange to talk about modifying their planters this summer.”
The Precision Planting upgrades are designed to be added on a few at a time depending on what a farmer is looking for or completely as in the research planter Precision Planting has put together.
“A farmer can control what components he wants at his own pace. It does not have to be everything,” said Millard.
For more information about Precision Planting and what they can do for you please call: 613 229 5400.
