Iowa | pbutler - 3/8/2013 09:33
Every year seems like I develop a detailed planting plan-sort seed into palletes by field, etc. I know what to plant first and what field.
Then it seems like I get planting and weather changes or some get rain in one place and not another or rolling good and want to go across road instead of drive 15 miles-planter is 1/2 full and don't want to lose an hour planting trying to find bags and keep track of what cleanout is what- I end up going close and before I know it plan is all messed up.
This happen to anyone else? Advice? (Besides plant fewer numbers)
I spend 2 weeks each winter doing my absolute best to plan what goes where and why (seed, pesticides, fertilizer, etc). So I stick to it. Yes, many times "mistakes" or "accidents work out, and human nature being as it is, we remember them. But far more times when we alter that plan, we "forget" the majority of the times that it didn't work out.
Personally, I think it's silly that "we" get in such a big hurry that we can't go home for the right pallet of seed, which might take 45 minutes, because we don't have time, but we would jump at the chance to farm another 80, which surely takes longer... And with cash rents as high as they are, I'd venture to say you'd make MORE MONEY following your plan rather than farming another 80 and planting the easiest pallet to get out of the shed each day.
Same deal on planting corn at 7 mph--get a bigger planter and drive 5 mph if you need to currently drive 7 mph. Or (for most people who already have enough machinery capacity) just drive 5--you'll get done just like everybody else.
At planting, I try very hard to end the day, whether it may be 8PM or 2AM, with a near-empty planter. This alone has a great impact on me putting the proper hybrid on the proper farm when planting begins again. |
How many follow your planting plan?
