submitted by Delk Crosier, Maximum Farming Implementation Consultant

As planting season approaches, every farmer – including myself – has a list of improvements they want to make. At the top of that list should be using the planter in the most effective, efficient ways possible. The best way to do this is to accomplish as many things as possible with your planter, including applying fertilizer.

Farmers get bombarded with sales pitches for products claiming to improve yield. Often, the grower finds themselves investing in inputs without fully understanding why they’re using them, or if they will even make a difference. Ag Spectrum believes every farmer should know exactly why they are using each input, why they’re using their planter, and how to invest in equipment to maximize nutritional benefits.

Multi-Task with Your Planter

Farmers have been conditioned to farm for convenience, often focusing solely on the planter’s role in seed placement. Reduce field passes and deliver early-season nutrition by applying product in-furrow. Understanding the “why” behind nutrition is critical. What’s the goal? The objective should be to maximize early root growth. This means using nutrients in a plant-available form rather than raw minerals that require breakdown. As soon as a seed germinates, the nutrient should be able to get into it. For corn, increasing phosphorus in the tissue by V3 is the goal and if you can’t do that, you’re using the wrong product.

Prepare for Rapid Growth Stage

Planting season is also a good time to set your crop up for success during rapid growth stage. Using a coulter beside the row allows you to place enough of the right inputs there to push that crop through rapid growth stage. Simultaneously supplying the plant with phosphorus and the nitrogen it needs maximizes kernel count and overall profits.

Don’t Leave Profit on the Table

Combining these key tasks at planting is part of Ag Spectrum’s Maximum Farming System – a science-based approach designed to improve farmers’ chances of a successful crop. Think of it this way: if you’re planting 1,000 acres of corn at 32,000 plants per acre, you’re managing 32 million individual sugar factories. Each plant needs equal access to nutrients to perform at its highest potential. Until you use your planter to manage nutrition, you leave yield and profit on the table.

Learn how to set your planter up for success, connect with a Maximum Farming System associate today. The right approach at planting can make all the difference in achieving a healthier, higher-yielding crop this season.