I know a number of you think you’ve got this nailed, but the fact is that I see 90% of the planters out there still running nose-down. Part of the problem is that the tongue angle is a big distraction (and the parallel links).
We highly recommend this article, The Biology of Soil Compaction (pdf), revised and updated from an Ohio State* publication, and consider it to be absolutely essential… Read More »Biology of Soil Compaction
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.
Howard G. Buffett’s high-caliber accomplishments are stand-out, even though his father is far more recognized
Dear Exapta customers & contacts, Whether you’ve seen this article previously or not, it is worth reviewing— whether you farm in wet conditions or dry. It… Read More »Water Infiltration: Do Your Landlords Understand?
In tandem with the mechanical aspects of attaining consistently good stand establishment, the oft-overlooked biological aspect of seed vigor plays a crucial role. Great differences… Read More »Seed Vigor: Reap the Rewards
A few tips from the folks at Exapta: 1) For firm seedbeds, make sure the down-pressure is sufficient to keep the opener at the proper… Read More »Maximize No-till Drill Performance
Corn planting season is fast approaching for much of North America’s Corn Belt, and many planters are now in the shop for overhauls, so a… Read More »No-till Planter Preparation
i.e., how much precision is economically advantageous? As an agronomist and the founder of a company that strives to improve seeding hardware and methods, I… Read More »How Much Accuracy of Seed Placement Do You Need?
Narrow rows versus wider? Twin rows? Skip-row? Lock up half the drill openers? With some of you contemplating purchases or trades of planters or drills,… Read More »Row Spacing Review
Content of this page is copyright 2005-2024 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 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.
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.
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.
