Wednesday, February 26, 2025

We have been planting soybeans by prescription for many years. This process of setting up these maps is not difficult… it just requires some computer time in John Deere Operations Center, paying strict attention to the details.  I select a field, then choose a variety that can potentially be planted there.  I use the soil survey map as the basis for the planting population, assigning a population for each soil type, based on its productivity potential. Those maps are sent wirelessly over-the-air to the control screen in the tractor.   Then, at planting time, as the air drill moves over the field, the map commands the drill to apply the specified population of seeds.  There are one to twelve soil types in each field, and as I am planting, it is neat to watch the controller automatically adjust the planting population according to the prescription map.

This morning I’m busy in the office writing soybean planting prescriptions.  Because we use an air drill to plant soybeans, writing one prescription per field is insufficient.  The air drill meters the seed out in pounds per acre, not seeds per acre, so for every variety and seed size requires a separate prescription to be created.  It gets a little tedious, and after a couple hours, I have to take a break!  But this time in the office here in the off-season yields a good benefit at planting time.  When I arrive at any particular field to plant soybeans, I merely choose the appropriate prescription from a menu in the tractor screen, and it is ready!

It’s not just doctors that write prescriptions… farmers do too!

The weather has improved a bit, it is now 63ºF (17C) and mostly sunny.  Quite a contrast from the past weeks of near-zero temp!  It is windy out there, and it is okay to have a ‘desk job’ today.

Have a good rest of your week.