Planting the Seed - February 2019

How do Farmers Prepare for Planting With Precision Equipment?

Many farmers prepare for planting by purchasing seed, inspecting their machinery, and talking to their crop insurance agent. Farmers who use precision equipment have a few more steps to ensure they're ready to plant. With variables like seed varieties, crop prescriptions, and other crop-related data, Farm Management Software (FMS) and planting equipment need to be accurately set up to capture data. 

How do Farmers set up Their Planting Equipment?

The GPS receiver is often placed on the roof of the tractor. To capture accurate precision farming data for planting, the farmer will need to enter measurements for the planter or drill into the FMS. Some of the measurements include length of the planter, row width, and distance from the GPS receiver. These measurements allow 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 2019 crop insurance plans, they can also discuss how to incorporate Precision Solutions into those plans. 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.

New to Precision Solutions? Find more resources on how to get started on our Precision Crop Insurance Solutions webpage.