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Martinsville, Ohio | Somehow you need to achieve more row unit pressure. Is the 1.5 inches when the seed box is full or is it because there is less rye material there to penetrate?
More down pressure is what I try to avoid but in cases like this you need more. I don't like forcing the row unit to the proper depth, it should ride there naturally at 400 lbs avg weight per row unit. Some use heavy down pressure springs and that can work or you can try adding weight to the row unit like something heavy sitting in the insecticide boxes. 50-100 lbs per row unit should make it more consistent.
Speed can be a factor too, as you get over 5 MPH the row unit tends to ride up more. 3.5-4.0 MPH should let the row unit operate at its maximum depth. New, sharp openers help, if they are wore any they won't cut as deep.
You don't say he has row cleaners but if he did, the fertilizer opener should cut the rye and the row unit should sweep it out of the way. This is where my Martin fixed mounted row cleaners can be set to do a clean job for the openers to do their job.
Sounds like the row unit is not heavy enough and you need some weight on them to me. I have this when the ground dries out too hard and the row unit cannot penetrate but yours sounds like mass of dead rye that will vary across the field. Rye tends to be a little clumpy and not consistently even in stand and uniformity.
Best wishes on your problem,
Ed Winkle | |
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problems with no-till planter seed placement
