Planters, planter accessories that could improve efficiency

<p>Kinze’s 4700 Series planter offers narrow-row spacing. It has a 60-foot toolbar that covers 36 rows with narrow 20-inch spacing. The toolbar is raised 24 inches, allowing a full 12 inches of row unit travel. The three-section frame has 15 degrees of flex up and down. It reaches speeds up to 8 miles per hour. It holds 120 bushels of seed and has 600 gallons of fertilizer capacity. Contact Kinze, Williamsburg, Iowa, at 404-414-8562 or visit <a href="http://kinze.com" target="_blank">kinze.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>Transfer excess weight from the center of the planter to the outside wings with the Martin-Till Weight Transfer System. It has in-cab control for John Deere model 1770 and 1790 planters. The $5,500 kit includes bolt-on brackets, hydraulic cylinders and a control block. Contact Martin-Till, Elkton, Ky., at 800-366-5817 or visit <a href="http://martintill.com" target="_blank">martintill.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>The H-I VerticalFold Bar by Harvest International is the company’s new vertical-fold bar planter. It is 40 feet wide, with various row spacings from 15 inches up to 38 inches. Its central commodity tank holds 60 bushels. Designed for high speed, the planters require precision meters and hydraulic down force, and are considered a great alternative to a stacker planter. The cost of these American-made planters is determined by what the customer wants. H-I’s motto: If a customer doesn’t need it, don’t sell it to them. Contact HI at 712-213-5109 or visit <a href="http://harvest-international.com" target="_blank">harvest-international.com</a><em>.</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Focusing on the Corn Belt farmer, Great Plains offers the PL5700 planter. Known as the “twin-row planter people” for a long time, Great Plains is switching things up and offering this planter for only 30-inch rows. Wheels are set to runs between rows. It also has the ISO six-control system with IRC (independent row control) with electric-drive row units. It comes equipped with a liquid tank and a bulk-fill seed hopper, but can have individual row hoppers. Contact Great Plains, Salina, Kan., at 800-270-9302 or visit <a href="http://greatplainsag.com" target="_blank">greatplainsag.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>Martin-Till and Martin Industries, based in Elkton, Ky., have released their new cupped, razor-style, toothed closing wheel system on the Martin 260. The new design received positive feedback from the field, especially in cover crop situations. The new wheel breaks the sidewall and forces the soil toward the seed, putting pressure on the seed without creating compaction. The new closing wheels retail for $260. Call 800-366-5817 or visit <a href="http://store.martintill.com" target="_blank">store.martintill.com</a>.</p>

<p>The new Trailblazer STC row cleaners from Hawkins Ag, Holdrege, Neb., and AgroDeviate will keep your row cleaners in the ground. The STC floating row cleaners clean up residue management on your strip-till machine, automatically adjusting to contour and conditions in the field, and eliminating the need to adjust every time you change fields. Installation is quick and easy, with the pulling and removal of a pin, which makes it easy to retrofit your strip-till machine for just $475 per row. Call 308-708-8185 or visit <a href="http://hawkinsag.com" target="_blank">hawkinsag.com</a>.</p>

<p>The new Hawkins Ag mounted Bulk Fill Core Planter Platform is equipped with a stack-fold toolbar made from half-inch-thick tubing. The unit has a central seed fill tank with a capacity of 55 bushels. All features of the planter platform, including hydraulics and vacuum, are integrated into the toolbar. This unit can be customized however you choose, including for high-speed planting or even multi-hybrid planting. Call 308-708-8185 or visit <a href="http://hawkinsag.com" target="_blank">hawkinsag.com</a>.</p>

<p>Put planter gauge wheels together without the fussing and frustration involved in lining up bolts and holes. The Shoup P2000 Tire Press enables you to assemble 16-inch gauge wheels quickly and easily. No more fighting to line up things just right — this press aligns for you. It works with any shop press with 18-inch or greater clearance, and with either plastic or steel gauge wheels. The tire press features cast-iron construction. List price is $199.95. Contact Shoup Manufacturing Co., Kankakee, Ill., at 815-933-4439 or visit <a href="http://shoupparts.com" target="_blank">shoupparts.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>If you were ever going to have issues with sticky soil gumming up planter parts, it was in 2019. If you don’t want to go through that again and you have a John Deere or Kinze corn planter, Shoup has a simple, inexpensive device that prevents soil buildup on planter gauge wheels. Note the green piece in the picture that’s attached to the gauge wheel to sluff off sticky soil. List price is $29.95 per row. Contact Shoup Manufacturing Co., Kankakee, Ill., at 815-933-4439, or visit <a href="http://shoupparts.com" target="_blank">shoupparts.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>The Yieldtrac planter toolbar system claims to be the first commercial planter designed around tracks, instead of as a planter with tracks slapped on afterwards. The goal is reduced soil compaction and less pinch-row effect on rows near the center. Fully loaded with 850 gallons of liquid and 120 bushels of seed, this model has a 14-psi footprint. It features a walking beam design, and is available for 15-, 20-, 22- and 30-inch row configurations. Contact Norwood Sales, Horace, N.D., at 800-446-0316 or visit <a href="http://norwoodsales.com" target="_blank">norwoodsales.com</a><em>. </em></p>

<p>You can’t buy it yet, but this innovation from 360 Yield Center does two jobs at once. It delivers liquid fertilizer below the seed trench so that you can apply higher rates of starter fertilizer, such as 10-34-0, and still have it near the seed. At the same time, it pulls soil off the edge of the trench and over the seed, breaking up the trench sidewall while more uniformly covering seed. Expect limited production by 2021. Contact 360 Yield Center, Morton, Ill., at 888-512-4890 or visit <a href="http://360yieldcenter.com" target="_blank">360yieldcenter.com</a><em>. </em></p>