Preparing for Planting with Precision Equipment
In addition to purchasing seed and fertilizer, inspecting their machinery, and talking to their crop insurance agent, farmers who use precision equipment have additional steps to take 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 set up to capture accurate data.
How Do Farmers Set Up Their Planting Equipment?
Display or Monitor
To capture accurate precision farming data for planting, the farmer will enter certain measurements for the planter or drill into their display or cab monitor.
GPS Receiver
Some of the measurements entered include planter length, row width, and distance from the GPS receiver, which is often placed on the roof of the tractor.
These measurements allow the farmer to record exactly where the planter has made passes, ensuring the most accurate data for crop insurance and other operational decisions.
How Precision Solutions Can Help
As agents meet with farmers to prepare their 2022 crop insurance plans, now is a great time to have conversations about using Precision Solutions for the upcoming year.
For Farmers:
- Remind farmers to set up their FMS to match crop insurance data, such as including the same client, field, and farm names. This saves time for the agent when matching acreage data to the policy.
For Agents:
- Ensure maps are ready for 2022 acreage data in the FMHA Mapping System.