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JD 50/60/90/Pro-series drills

Photo of a green field of wheat.

Seed Firming: Why, Where, and How

We at Exapta have long emphasized the importance of adequate seed-to-soil contact. For instance, I saw enough evidence in ‘95 that I realized that Keetons

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Seeding in Hard, Dry, or Dusty Conditions

Planting conditions have become very dry across much of the USA & Canada, hence a few tips: On planters and drills of all makes & models, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of having enough frame weight.

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(Seeding) Mistakes Were Made

In general, none of us (as adults) particularly enjoy discovering that we’ve made a mistake.1 But sometimes we’re quite grateful after the initial ‘Oh, duh’ moment has passed.

Corn field with a blue sky and clouds.

Good Results at Harvest Start at Seeding

With many producers across the U.S. and Canada making final preparations for seeding winter wheat, we at Exapta would like to provide a few tips to keep in mind as the drills begin to roll—remember, a successful ’09 wheat crop begins with seeding. Properly sown is half-grown! Items frequently neglected on gauge-wheel drills (e.g., JD 50, 60 & 90-series)

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Content of this page is copyright 2005-2025 Exapta Solutions, Inc. (reprint with written permission only).

Thompson wheel covered by U.S. Patent No. 6,907,833. Liquid delivery feature of Valion seed tube guards is U.S. Patent No. 8,978,564. Ninja seed bounce flap U.S. Patent Pending. UniForce U.S. Patent Pending. All rights reserved on other designs. Exapta is a registered trademark of Exapta Solutions, Inc. Keeton is a registered trademark of Precision Planting. Mojo Wire, Thompson wheel, Valion guard, Ninja flap, UniForce, DuraLok, No-till Seeding Explained, and No-till Seeding School are trademarks of Exapta. Disclaimer: Recommendations & page content are current, accurate, and believed to be broadly applicable as of the time of writing (Dec 2005) and last update (2005 – 2014). Because of diversity of soils, climate, crops, planter & drill models/designs marketed worldwide, combinations of attachments, etc., actual results may vary. No warranty is made as to actual results obtained. Should you encounter exceptions or worthwhile annotations to the statements made on this page, please contact us.

Derek Tjaden

Derek is Kansas native who grew up in a 100% no-till farming operation. From an early age the benefits of no-till were made known to Derek by his father and by attending no-till conferences. From there he furthered his passion for soils while at Kansas State University getting his agronomy degree. He has had the experience of working in various roles and sectors of agriculture from sales and consulting to management, which have all been within production agriculture. Derek has also worked in specialty ag markets such as turf and ornamentals.

Bob Pagel

Sales & Service Representative

Prior to joining Exapta, Bob Pagel was an Agricultural Territory Sales Manager for Ritchie Brothers, serving parts of MN, WI and IA. He continues to support his family farm in SE Minnesota.

Jon Zeller

Current Product Engineer

Jonathan Zeller joined Exapta excited to return to working with no-till planting equipment. He supported research of no-till planting and other ag related projects for 7 years with Kansas State University’s Agricultural Engineering Department after getting his engineering degree. He later worked 3 years for Landoll Company, LLC. where he gained experience in a design engineering role. Jonathan grew up on a small family farm in NE Kansas working with row crops, hay and cattle. Jonathan enjoys solving engineering problems and improving or creating products to be robust and easy to install and service.