By SUSAN BLOWER

Indiana Correspondent

ATLANTA, Ind. – During its annual Becknology Days event last month, Beck’s Hybrids unveiled its latest development: a multi-row width, multi-hybrid concept planter. The planter will assist Beck’s research into the optimum row spacing, seeding rate and seed hybrid combination.

“This planter will help research into how to maximize every acre in terms of row space, corn hybrid variety, seed population and fertility rates. This is the only planter in the world that can figure out row width for site specific planting,” said Jason Gahimer, operations manager for Practical Farm Research (PFR) at Beck’s.

Gahimer said the ability to use various row widths and hybrids “on the fly” enables the Beck’s team to efficiently and seamlessly test for the right combination of row spacing, seeding rates and hybrids while out in the field. The row widths can be set for 10-, 20- and 30-inch spacings.

“We’re going to be testing like no one else can,” Gahimer said. “We are a step ahead of everyone else in ag technology.”

The planter may be on the market in the future, but the immediate benefit will be for research purposes.

“This is a prototype model that will be used for testing,” said CEO Sonny Beck, calling the planter “revolutionary.”

The PFR data accumulated from the planter will be used to recommend to the farmer row widths and hybrids at a population range that will best match his field.

Collaboration

The planter was developed in cooperation with Harvest International, Precision Planting and Schlipf Precision Ag.

Gahimer said Beck’s initial concept has changed considerably as its partners expanded on the design to make it practical.

“We’re very excited to partner with Beck’s to develop the multi-row width, multi-hybrid concept planter,” said Byron Friesen, president of Harvest International. “The planter bar and row units were manufactured in northwest Iowa and are built out of a high tinsel strength steel. Because we laser cut everything, it ensures a high-level accuracy, which lends itself to more precise planting.”

Rich Schlipf, owner of Schlipf Precision Ag, which custom built the planter, said that the planter was designed to use a prescription that is loaded onto the planter controller to automatically switch row widths, along with hybrid and seed population. However, the software is still being developed for that by Precision Planting’s engineers.

Currently the row units can be changed to 10, 20 and 30 inch row widths by the driver manually with a button switch, but that is not the ultimate goal.

“The goal is to use a prescription to auto-switch to different row widths. We already have the ability to switch hybrids and change populations on the go. But we want to have three different attributes to change on the go with a prescription,” Schlipf said.

Schlipf said that if all goes well in the next few years, the new planter could be a valuable addition on many farms.

“As a farmer it’s hard to remember to do everything manually at the same spot in the field. It takes a lot to pay attention. If you get a phone call, like I do sometimes in the planter, you can forget to do something manually,” he added.

Also, farmers who recognize the technology but don’t understand how to use, it would be able to put the prescription in the display monitor, and it would change automatically for them while they drive, Schlipf said.

Next steps

“The planter has not hit dirt yet,” Gahimer said, but that is the next step.

In the fall of 2017 Beck’s PFR team will use the planter to conduct a 10-inch row width study in wheat. Next spring the PFR team will initiate corn and soybean field trials with the multi-row width, multi-hybrid planter in central Indiana. Prior to those field tests,the team will create management zones and identify test blocks using Beck’s precision farming tool, FARMserver.

Initially this data will be analyzed to determine the profitability and functionality of the planter, i.e., “proof of concept.” If after a couple years of testing, the Beck’s team determines there is no benefit to changing row width automatically, they will scratch the project, Gahimer said.

But he doesn’t expect that to happen.

“We think the planter is important in taking multi-hybrids to the next level. We wouldn’t spend the time and effort if we didn’t think there is value in it for farmers,” Gahimer said.

“It’s really not about saving time when we do trials. We will have the capability to do all the tests with one planter. Currently we have to have multiple trials with multiple planters. That extra variability doesn’t match the accuracy of conducting a single trial with a single planter,” Gahimer explained.

The PFR team conducts more than 100 replicated studies in six different parts of the Midwest, where Beck’s sells its hybrid seeds, to deliver agronomic data to farmers.

Sonny Beck said that Beck’s commitment to invention has helped the family-owned and operated company thrive at a time of consolidation in the seed company industry.

“You don’t fool the farmer more than once. If your product doesn’t work, he won’t be back. We have a retention rate that is higher than anyone in the industry. Of those who register with our Committment Rewards, 97 percent buy from us next year. The industry average is 85 percent,” Beck said.

This unique planter features the following technology: a custom planter bar and row units by Harvest International; Precision Planting vSet Select multi-hybrid meters; vApply HD liquid control system, a FurrowJet in-furrow liquid attachment; CleanSweep for the pneumatic row cleaner control; DeltaForce hydraulic down force control system; Yetter Manufacturing closing wheels and row cleaners; Surefire Ag fertilizer pump system. Schlipf Precision Ag in Milford, Ind., assembled the Precision Planting components onto the Harvest International planter bar.