Planting the Seed: Prepping for Planting

How do precision ag farmers prepare for planting?

Most farmers prepare for planting by purchasing seed, inspecting their machinery, and talking to their crop insurance agent. Precision ag farmers have a few more steps to ensure their precision equipment and Farm Management Software (FMS) are also ready for planting data. They need to set up files in their FMS for seed varieties, crop prescriptions, and other crop-related data, as well as make sure their planting equipment is properly set up so the data they need to capture is accurate. 

How do they properly set up their planting equipment?

The GPS receiver is often placed on the center of the tractor. To capture the correct precision farming data for planting, the farmer will need to enter measurements for their planter/drill into their FMS. Some of the measurements include length of the planter, row width, and distance from the GPS receiver. This will allow for the farmer to record the exact location that the planter has made passes on, ensuring the most accurate data for crop insurance and other operational decisions. 

Being Part of the Conversation

As agents meet with farmers to prepare their 2018 crop insurance plans, they can begin having conversations about Precision Solutions. To assist agents, FMH Sales Managers can speak about Precision Solutions at farmer meetings, and Precision Technology Specialists can meet with both agents and insureds to help them prepare for planting.