by Matt Hagny, consulting agronomist for no-till systems since ‘94.
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. This is the #1 problem this year wherever soils have become hard and dry (or even when moist, if there’s a lot of mulch to be cut). Check along the length of row to see what the actual depth is—this is easy if you run Keetons or seed-lock wheels along with spoked closing wheels that don’t pack the fill over the seed—just brush away the loose fill, and find the seed (usually) embedded in the bottom of the furrow (which might only be noticed at first as a bump as you run your finger or digging tool along the bottom of the trench) If you run closing or…continue reading here: Seeding-Hard-Dry-Dusty-Conditions