SmartFirmer Precision Seeding Systems

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Equipment for precision agriculture

Choose the right environment for your seeds

During planting, you might dig up and check a few seeds in a field. By observing only a very small fraction of the planted seeds, it's highly likely you're just guessing about the condition of the rest. For those you can't observe, you can only hope they are in the best environment to begin their development.

Know the furrow conditions just as well as you know your plants!

Digging around a seed only allows you to see a tiny fraction of the seeds planted in the field.
SmartFirmer measures temperature, moisture, and crop residue in the furrow, displaying the measurements on the 20|20 terminal.
SmartFirmer can control seeding rates, fertilizer rates, and hybrid selection based on soil organic matter.

Organic Matter Control

VRA can be a bold step for a farm to take. Many growers have not yet calculated the most profitable improvements from using precision agriculture – cost, prescriptions, or time. With SmartFirmer, you can easily implement variable rate fertilization, using organic matter as a metric to determine seed quality or the necessary amount of fertilizer to apply to a given area.

‍How does Smart Firmer work?

With the 20|20 display, you can set the desired organic matter level for a specific area, and SmartFirmer measures the varying organic matter levels in the field – providing clear signals when a change is needed – automatically. The hybrid can also be changed during operation. By relying on organic matter levels, you will find that there are different conditions for planted crops, as well as varying levels of fertilizers and hybrids. This is a convenient and easy way to increase your field's productivity.

SmartFirmer connects to the 20|20 display directly in the cab, and with vDrive, vApplyHD, as well as mSet, to allow you to control organic matter levels in the field.

Advantages

SmartFirmer is a seed-environment sensor that firms the seed to the bottom of the furrow. SmartFirmer gives you information about the environment the seed is placed in and whether it's in good condition. It can also show you the variations you may have across your field.

Correct soil moisture is required for the seed to germinate. If the soil doesn't have enough moisture, rain or irrigation is needed to supply the water required for proper seed growth. SmartFirmer measures and displays soil moisture inside the cab so you can make adjustments to provide the moisture the crop needs.

Crops need a specific temperature to germinate, but how does that temperature change during the day? As the sun moves across the field, you are sowing from one soil type into another. With SmartFirmer you can see soil temperature in real time during planting and take the right action.

A uniform environment is required for even crop emergence and growth. SmartFirmer identifies any inconsistencies along the furrow – soil clods, air, dry soil or areas where surface soil has fallen in. You get information on every row and its performance so you can address yield-loss situations.

Crop residues in the furrow have a negative impact on emergence and crop growth. SmartFirmer lets you measure the amount of residue in the furrow and set the row cleaners correctly. This ensures residues don't rob the crop of the moisture it needs and don't cause seed disease.

Every field has several yield micro-environments, driven by field variability. One of the main differences comes from the amount of organic matter in different soils. The more organic matter in the soil, the more water and nutrients are available to the crop. By measuring and mapping organic matter, you get a clear picture of field variability.