Why Implement guidance in corn?

Firstly, corn growers know that accuracy drives yield and therefore give importance to Implement guidance in corn. Putting the right seed in the right location with the right fertilizer is critical. This has led to a rapid adoption of precision technology, such as autosteer and variable-rate application.

However, if the pass-to-pass accuracy isn’t perfect at planting, the crop is vulnerable to damage in subsequent passes – with a cultivator or sprayer, for instance – which drags yield down.

Many growers are comfortable absorbing these losses and accept that guess rows are simply an unfortunate aspect of farming. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have to be this way. Implement Guidance in corn is a quick and proven way to bump up yield and profits by eliminating implement drift, as well as guess rows. For this, LAFORGE Group offers you the perfect tool: the DynaTrac.

Why Implement guidance in corn?
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Why implements drift?

Is tractor guidance enough?

First, most large tractors are equipped with GPS. This ways they can set an arrow-straight A/B line, with accuracy down to the sub-inch level.

However, the implement is controlled only by the tractor’s forward motion, which allows it to drift from side to side. The size and speed of the tractor and the length and width of the implement all influence this drift. According to some studies, it can be up to 10 times as much as the tractor.

Consequently, a large articulated tractor with an RTK system can stay within 1 inch of the intended path – but the wide, high-speed planter behind it is going to sway back and forth up to 10 inches. Moreover, when autosteer was launched 20 years ago nobody thought about planting and spraying at speeds of 10 mph or higher. These high speeds have exaggerated the implement drift problem and increased the need for DynaTrac Implement Guidance in corn.

Another example of implement guidance in corn

How do soil conditions and extra features impact implement position?

There are other factors that can make implements drift. The more features you put on a planter to work better, the more your planter engages the ground. As a result, it can subtly alter its path.

Moreover, differences in soils through the fields will create different draft loads. Slopes and rolling terrain, curves, irregular field sizes, and agronomic practices all have an effect. Therefore, Implement Guidance in corn is widely accepted in areas such as Nebraska and Iowa where ridge tillage is popular. In these states, growers understand that the position of the implement is as important as the position of the tractor.

Even on a flat, perfectly square field, a planter without Implement Guidance is still going to move around behind the tractor. This shift in plant rows makes the crop vulnerable to wheel traffic and row compaction in subsequent passes to spray or apply fertilizer.

In parallel, DynaTrac is also suitable for implement guidance in vegetables!

What does DynaTrac Implement guidance in corn bring?

“We typically plant corn at 10 mph, sometimes a little faster,” said Todd Westerfeld, who grows corn and cotton near Waco, Texas.

“Most of our fields are flat, but we like to angle plow, so you’re always going to get some compaction zones and soft soil. It moves the planter a couple inches this way or that way. Implement Guidance in corn worked better than I expected it to. The planter just chases the tractor and will not drift. On straight rows it does an absolutely fantastic job. In addition, we have a few terraces that we usually plant over, and even when we go over them on an angle, I’m amazed at how straight the rows are.”

How does DynaTrac Implement guidance pay for itself?

What are fields benefits of implement guidance in corn?

Firstly, Implement Guidance in corn ensures that the implement and tractor stay on the same guidance line. It makes the implement perform with the same precision as your tractor. Whether you are applying fertilizer through the planter, strip till machine, or anhydrous rig, DynaTrac Implement Guidance is the key to precision placement.

Fertilizer applications made with Implement Guidance ensure that each plant is equidistant from the fertilizer band. This leads to the result that every corn grower wants most: even emergence and strong stands. When fertilizer is not precisely placed, the plants furthest from the band will have slower growth and may yield 15-percent less than when the fertilizer is applied with Implement Guidance.

Do not hesitate to consult our article explaining in detail what is the DynaTrac?

What are financial benefits of implement guidance in corn?

In fact, many DynaTrac customers have seen up to 10-percent bumps in corn yield using Implement Guidance. In 180-bushel corn, that puts almost $100-per-acre into a grower’s pocket at today’s prices. What’s more, by eliminating guess rows, Implement Guidance gives you more flexibility.

For instance, if you have a 16-row planter, you can bump up from an 8-row corn head to a 12-row head because the rows are uniformly spaced pass-to-pass. Implement Guidance in corn can also reduce labor costs. Because the pass-to-pass accuracy is higher, you have the confidence to spray or fertilize faster, covering more acres per day. DynaTrac users tells us that these increases in yield and productivity allowed them to cover the cost of an Implement Guidance system in a single season or two.

Implement guidance in corn
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How can Laforge DynaTrac range of guided hitches help achieve this?

Laforge offers a suite of DynaTrac options that fit any tractor and any implement, including 2-point and 3-point hitches for PTO-driven or drawn implements up to 16,500 pounds. Some manufacturers require that you purchase Implement Guidance individually for each implement.

With a Laforge DynaTrac hitch, you only need to buy one and it works with all your implements. It’s a solution that’s both simple and cost-effective. Simple because it’s only a single system, and cost-effective because it works with all your tools.

“The DynaTrac Classic hitch is built really well, really tough,” Westerfeld said. “And one of the things that impressed me the most was how clean it looks on the planter. You wouldn’t even know it was there unless you were looking for it.”

If you have any questions on the many advantages of Implement Guidance in corn – or if you’re ready to start putting some money back into your pocket – let’s have a conversation or discover why is implement guidance a straight path to higher profits?

  • 6 September 2021

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